Bring your own Shisha

Rifat posted a few days ago on how MTV’s adverts have been cancelled. They use 9/11 (or 11/9 if you live in the UK) to highlight other problems such as AIDS and Hunger.

Effectively what we are saying is that it is ok to use 9/11 as justification to eradicate terrorism. But there are no other problems in the world which need to be eradicated.

You can download a Powerpoint presentation with the ads here.

The BBC ran an article by Fergus Walsh, their Medical Correspondent, which talks about the brick chipping children in Bangladesh.

On initial reading it really tugs on my heart strings. But child labour is inherent in Bangladesh. We can think about the domestic help in most middle class houses, and they are children. Very often they are looked after well, but on occasion they may be abused and that should be eradicated.

What I find interesting though is how my eyes have effectively become blind to it. I do not condone forcing children to work, but when I see it, it doesn’t strike me as being morally wrong. When a family needs to survive, everyone chips in when they can. That to me is what should happen. However, it is wrong that I see such things and consider them normal.

On the flipside, am I trying to put my own ‘Islamowestern’ moral code on something which will not allow it? I have been brought up knowing that all children need an education, all children need a loving family, children should not work until they have finished studying. But what says that working in itself is not an education. Albeit, they may not learn to read and write, which are basic skills, but a 12-year old child worker’s understanding of the real world is likely to be far greater than many 25-year old graduates I know.

Also, who are we in the West to judge and assume that our way is right. I think about ‘latch-key’ children, who are the norm in the West. Both parents are out working until late into the day. And children return home from school, to an empty house, potentially make their own dinner which on a good day is food reheated in the microwave, or in the worst case, a packet of crisps/chips, a can of Coke, and a bar of chocolate. So although the child is getting an education, but suffering from a poor diet. Giving a child the perfect childhood is an impossibility for the majority of the world’s population. But for my part, next time I see something like this, I will look at the situation differently.

Eid Mubarak to all my muslim friends out there!

Went to the Mosque today and it was a day of firsts. First time my mother, sister, wife and daughter prayed Eid Prayers. Of course Ruqaiiya (the kid) didnt really pray. She kind of ran around and drank juice.

Oh and we had some great news. The last 6 weeks have been incredibly stressful in that we’ve been waiting for the Wife’s Passport to come back from the Home Office with a stamp in it which says that she can live in the UK indefinitely. And what an Eid present we got today when the Postman rang the doorbell. I reckon he didnt know what hit him. Afrin almost kissed him!! So basically we’ll be heading to Bangladesh for a vacation later this month. I can’t wait!!!

So the 27th of Ramadan is accepted as a significant date for Muslims as it is the date on which the Quran was originally revealed. It is also known as ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’, or the Night of Power/Decree. to quote from the Qur’an:

“We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the spirit by God’s permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn.” (97:1-5)

So that’s the background. It’s one of those things which are a little nebulous, as it can fall on any of the odd nights in the last ten of Ramadan. But as I arrived back home from the Mosque early on the morning of the 27th, I took this picture of the moon as the sun rose (click to enlarge):