Gitmo and Khartoum’s Hypocrisy

Posted on May 7, 2008
Filed Under Sudan, CrUSAde, Sudanese | 12 Comments

Alright, that’s it. I’ve had enough of this garbage. The conversation I had with one Sudanese guy a while ago was the tipping point.

You know, I’m happy that Sami is finally reunited with his son and all but seriously, the way the government has been trying to portray itself heroically is just so damn stinking lame.

Now I know that this post is a little late, but still.

Ever since Sami got out and the international media blasted the spotlight on him, the Sudanese government has been trying to get some of the attention too and they successfully managed to capture it. Better still, they had the nerve to criticize what Sami endured during his imprisonment. Fine, and I wish they just stopped there but nooo, they have to milk the guy’s release for as much political benefit as possible so what do they do? They go on rambling and ranting about the unimaginable horrors in Gitmo and the evil CrUSAders. I’m just a little surprised they didn’t throw in the Jews for the usual extra flavor.

Imagine…

All that “compassion” from a government that mercilessly tortures its own people in horrific dungeons, orphans countless children of men fighting for their dignity and ethnically cleanses thousands upon thousands of innocent souls.

Despicable.

Don’t let them use you for publicity stunts, Sami. Don’t let them twist and manipulate your release for scoring cheap points. These guys have no moral authority whatsoever to preach to the world about Guantanamo.

Hezbollah’s “Peaceful” Protest

Posted on May 7, 2008
Filed Under Mideast | Leave a Comment

Oh yeah, like totally peaceful.

Daniel Pipes On Islam and Democracy

Posted on May 5, 2008
Filed Under Democracy, Islam | 15 Comments

I’ve always appreciated that Daniel Pipes - unlike Robert Spencer - takes the time and effort to differentiate between Islam and what is usually termed Islamism, the political ideology of groups like Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Given that Pipes is a staunchly right-wing figure, I found this article of his refreshing in substance. I don’t agree with everything he says, and that includes his ludicrous remarks about Turkey’s Prime Minister, but I do commend his approach (although it lacks a closer focus on the trends of Islam in places like Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country).

Lit Up Mecca

Posted on May 5, 2008
Filed Under Art/Photography | Leave a Comment

… from space.

Iss016-E-16189 Mecca

(hat tip: Kevin Kelly)

A Quote of Immense Relevancy

Posted on May 5, 2008
Filed Under General Thoughts | 4 Comments

“Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.” - Howard Aiken.

BREAKING: Sami al-Hajj Released

Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under General Thoughts, America | 9 Comments

I’ve held a very simple position on this matter. Give the man a fair trial, and if he’s found guilty, lock him up behind bars for as long as possible. If he is found innocent, release him as soon as possible. That’s it. Full stop. Is that too much to ask?

For more than six years Sami was imprisoned in Guantanamo without any due process. None whatsoever. Six years, and I think it’s an utter shame. Today, he finally heads back home to his family.

Zachary Katznelson, Sami’s American lawyer has called the whole spectacle ‘un-American’ and I believe he’s right.

The Supreme Court has said that every prisoner in Guantánamo has the right to challenge his imprisonment in court. If that right is taken away, these prisoners will languish in prison for years – innocent or not. If a prisoner is abused, he will have no recourse. That goes against everything a democracy should stand for. It is un-American,” Zachary Katznelson, Senior Counsel at Reprieve stated.

On top of that, the US Supreme Court has deemed the military trials unconstitutional.

Reality Vs ‘Reality’: Mediums, Sound Waves and Music That Moves

Posted on April 30, 2008
Filed Under Religion | 10 Comments

“Knowledge is the conformity of the object and the intellect.” - Averroes

Sound waves are just that, sound waves. They’re an occurrence caused by vibrations propagating through a medium. If you’re biologically and physiologically equipped to detect these vibrations, then detect them you will.

We know sound waves exist because science has reached a level that has enabled us to study them empirically. Moreover, since we have ears, we can hear these waves manifested exuberantly in different ‘forms’ in our mind, but only within a certain range of frequencies of course: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

I call sound waves the farther reality. Bats sense them in one way, wolves and us humans in another.

Meanwhile, music (which is the product of sound waves) is what we shall call the closer ‘reality’. It is a human construct. It evokes emotions of joy, sadness and excitement in ways that creatures like birds can’t interpret similarly.

Unlike sound waves, music’s existence is dependent on ours as a human species. Sure, on one hand it is the result of what exists independently of us but that doesn’t mean music itself can too. Music is us. It is the result of our brain interpreting sound waves and firing electrochemical signals in a way that creates the musical experience we feel. That experience exists because it’s created in our mind and is therefore dependent on our own existence.

So why does all this matter?

It matters. It matters, at least to me, because it represents something that begins swimming in my mind whenever I encounter a reoccurring theme in my thoughts – what is real Vs what is perceived.

Sound waves are real. Music is perceived.

But why does all this still matter you say?

Apply it to religion and see where that takes you, but before you do, there’s one metaphorical thing I’d like to add.

In a vacuum and without medium, there cannot be any sound waves. All that remains is Nothingness and Nothingness is Everything.

Related:

South Park, the Greatest Show On Earth!

Posted on April 30, 2008
Filed Under General Thoughts | 5 Comments

eric cartman-south park

South Park is super hilarious. The show just keeps getting better and better, poking fun in a very blunt way at everyone and anyone - Catholics, environmentalists, Al Gore, Muslims, Paris Hilton, Jews, gays, Africans and even Michael Jackson. I especially almost died with laughter when I watched that episode which caused a big stir about people who annoy you: N _ ggers.

Yeah, the blank is an ‘a’, not an ‘i’ just in case you might be confused. If you thought it was an ‘i’, you owe Jesse Jackson a major apology!

Have you seen the episode with Baher Hakeem, the new Muslim kid in school who got suspected of being a terrorist only later to have it emerge that instead of him, Russians were planning a terrorist attack during a Hillary Clinton campaign rally by hiding an explosive nuclear device in her you know… ehm?

Wonderfully blunt and funny!

The amount of political incorrectness the show’s creator’s get away with is staggering. Indeed, South Park’s satire is very daring.

If you don’t watch the show, you might want to check it out. Although I wouldn’t recommend a South Park DVD as a Christmas present for your six year old child or nephew, unless of course you want all kinds of profanities uttered in your face. :)

Fouad Released, Andrew Mwenda Jailed

Posted on April 30, 2008
Filed Under Activism, Mideast, Africa, Blogging and New Media | 9 Comments

Saudi blogger Fuad alFarhan has finally been released after spending 137 days in jail for simply speaking his mind politely and eloquently. Meanwhile, the Saudi government has no problem whatsoever allowing the shouts and rants of many preachers of death.

Lovely!

And now for the bad news, Andrew Mwenda, a fearless and inspiring Ugandan journalist I have great respect for, was jailed recently by the Ugandan government. He’s now out on bond but is still facing considerable danger. Please spread the word!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!

Posted on April 21, 2008
Filed Under Personal | 5 Comments

I’ve just started what’s set to be the most merciless killer two weeks of this semester so I’m going to be really busy and posting will be very light for the next 14 days. I’m not complaining though. The finish line is getting closer and closer and I couldn’t be more excited. Please don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back in full force and in case I haven’t mentioned it, look out for some big surprises in July! Do you smelllll what the Drima is cooking?

UPDATE: Okay, so there were about 10 people in my group. After a whole year of work, it was time to present the year-long project. The external examiner was some British dude who is supposedly a big shot in the field I majored in.

Presentation time? 20 minutes. Q&A? 10 minutes. The examiner was brutal. He banged each presenter with question after difficult question. He scrutinized everyone’s work… except mine. Q&A for me? Zero minutes! All he did was commend what he referred to as “excellent work.” I kicked ass so nicely, I was almost jumping with joy. Yaaay! :)

So yeah, tests, projects and most importantly my presentation all went well. That’s the good news. Bad news is, I still have another important week to go and the internet connection is pretty screwed again in the hostels.

Anyways, time for me to stop bragging and get back to work.

P.S.: Since yesterday the connection was down and I wanted to take a break, I ended up continuing my work on a 12 pages sneak-preview of my upcoming book which means you’ll get to know more details about what I’m working on as soon as the e-book is ready for release.

Nancy Ajaj

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Female Species, Sudanese, Music | 15 Comments

Nancy Ajaj is a Sudanese singer who has become very famous in recent years. Her voice can be seriously annoying sometimes when she maintains the same high pitch without enough variation but overall, I think she’s adorable and love what she has to offer.

Sudanese conservatives loathe her of course. Let them enjoy doing so as much as they want, just as long as they don’t try to harass her and shut her up.

Enjoy the first two minutes of this clip.

Stand Up and Be…

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Sudan | 1 Comment

Nicely done Andrew.

Have a close look at Sudan’s snappy new slogan for its upcoming population and housing census.

Census Photo_April 2008

So it’s a verb as well. Who knew?

LOL! :)

Manji On Cultural Relativism, Neo-Cons and the Post-Modern Left

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Iraq, America, Islam, Culture | 26 Comments

Irshad Manji has a solid point.

President Bush, are you reading?

Bob Marley - Africa Unite

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Activism, Music, Africa | 2 Comments

It’s time to light up your bongs.

Kidding. :)

The Rise of Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jews

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Jews, WTFish? | 30 Comments

These two videos (part 1 and part 2) are as alarming as much as they are intriguing.

I wouldn’t want to be their neighbor because they remind me of my old Afghani one years ago who used to shout at me and my friends for strumming our oh, so very EVIL Devilish guitars at the nearby playground.

“This is haram! You take my blessings! Go away! You take my blessings!”

So the population of ultra-Orthodox Jews is growing huh? That’s not very comforting now is it? Ideally I would like something in the middle but given the two only available options in this short documentary, I’d pick the secular Israelis on any given day. Ultra-Orthodox Jews? No thanks, that’s just too much religiosity for me to handle.

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