Reflections of the Soul

Artist: Sara Shamma (Syrian Artist - http://www.sarashamma.com/)

This woman is amazing and I'm sorry its taken me so long to be introduced to her. She has a gift of capturing the soul in her paintings. She started painting at the age of four and she's world renowned.

"The spiritual ecstasy attained by the Dervish dancing, and by listening to Sufi music has been through the last seven years of my life a source of inspiration and a world of meditation, relaxation and a means for attaining a state of mental purity from which all creativity springs out. When asked about the message behind or the purpose of a certain painting, I’ve always asserted that it is- in the purest sense of the words- the outcome of a state of being that the deliberations of mind can not define.In nature I breathe the fresh air.. I enjoy smells and colors and sounds but it is better to live in nature than to frame it into paintings…The inner life of human beings expressed on their faces and hands is highly inspiring to me… I’ve always since I was a child sailed into faces and gestures…And when I discovered that I can do all the sailing by gazing into my own face and hands, the mirror became my source of inspiration. Basically one human being stands, for humanity as a whole… Actually for the whole universe."

Her paintings are often soul-wrenching, agonisingly depicting the tearing of the soul from the body - reflections of the self, and x-rays of the inner being.

And then there is the calming state of fanaa that the humble darwish reaches, as he releases layer upon layer of his nafs, drawing him ever closer to the Divine.

Sisters Doing it for Themselves

Today, I bring glad tidings...

The head of Al-Azhar's Fatwa passing committee, has ruled, that considering everyone has the right to defend themselves and that we are all equal before God, in domestic violence situations: wives should use the 'weapons' their husband's use against them. This stance is totally understandable, in light of the fact that 35% of female deaths are caused in domestic violence situations.

It gets even better...Sheikh Fatullah Julun of Turkey agrees but says, that women should return 2 blows for every blow received.

Jaan

Love me because...
you know no other way to live

Love me because...
it is in my arms you find comfort

Love me because...
it is in my eyes you see hope

Love because...

without it your soul will cease to exist !

An Indian Woman of the Thar Desert

(Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/76/169084502)

INFIDELities

Another dawn… Another work day…

Meetings, strategies, plays…
Introductions are left to others though.

Wearing many hats but remains resolutely without title. Perhaps that indicates a tendency to avoid labels?
Hating being told that something cannot be done for whatever reason:
Girls shouldn’t do that;
That’s much too difficult. Perhaps something a little less time consuming, something more suited to a woman;
That is unacceptable in Islam;

Maybe that’s why the tendency to push beyond boundaries…

So with a number of degrees, years of experience and a portfolio of achievements, she is now classified “Too smart for her own good”.

The voices echo the sentiment :
Not married.
No children.
What good is that?
She thinks she is better than everybody else and yet she is all alone.
See where all the degrees got her?

Too smart for her own good…

She walks with her head held high inspite of it all. She’s an instrumental part of a four person team which assists over fifty thousand rural Africans. Now in the process of providing a clinic, they make a difference.

Home to a cat though for she is too smart for her own good…
It wasn’t always like that but his mother felt she was not right for him.
Once…
Twice…
Third time a charm.
“Here’s another, she has the same name even. But she’s not too clever.”

They write. He tells her about his fascination with India. They exchange book titles. He makes her laugh. They walk. They talk. He is astounded. She takes his breath away. It is unfair he says that someone should be so smart and so beautiful, inside and out. She is disbelieving. He treats her with respect; admires her strengths and smiles at her flaws.

He’s not right for her they say.
He doesn’t understand the culture.
He’s an infidel.

But, she’s too smart for her own good.

Bruised Soul

The force that breaks your spirit,
Bruises your courage,
Destroys your hope.

Raging tempest,
Intoxicates the soul,
A purple haze high.

Lost waves CRASH!

Trample this soul,
Set it on fire,
Slay this deceptive swoon.

Lead me out of this wild desert,
Into a secret rain forest.

Resist … the cruel labyrinth sunset,
Persist … the cruel labyrinth sunset.

Whirling Dervish

The wind lifts the scarf

sending it into the breeze,

joining air and sand.

My thoughts are scattered

like a whirling dervish onto the desert plains

no one knows, how it goes,

nor knows where it lands

Ethiopian Woman and child of the Karo Tribe

Source: National Geographic (ngphotooftheday.blogspot.com)

Invisible Coils

Spring, in South Africa, is beginning to show the resilience of nature despite the turmoil of political quakes and demise of the philosopher king. Like all aspiring heroes he had his flaws but what is waiting in the wings is a buffoon and jester with little or no substance.

Thank Allah that winter, is gone perhaps now we will see a rebirth of the ANC, then again it might be the same old fool in drag, not that I harbour homophobic tendencies, anyway the constitution doesn't allow that! This being a liberal secular democracy, except of course in places like Lenasia and Mayfair and those other plaas plekke that Killa and others have been on about - where we still have a hypocritical code of conduct and aspire to some idealistic Islamic state within a state with our own set of manmade rules.

Women here float about on bat wings oblivious of the world beyond, deluded that they epitomise the essence of piety, they haunt the malls desperately shopping for an identity. They love the anonymity it accords them to surreptiously observe the crude masses who lack the intense spirituality acquired through listening to Radio Islam.

Their disembodied voices waft over airwaves asking the pious men of religion about their menses, detailing the colour and content. Its miraculous how these promoters of moral values can pronounce on bodily functions, and have such intimate knowledge of women's excretions, being ghair mahrams. (In public nogal) Once upon a time these doyens of virtue exercised their constitutional rights by demanding the muting of women's voices for their lilting aphrodisiac potential. Now they've netted them in their web, they methodically mould them into identical beings, a halaal version of the stepford wives.

So how does this bode for a vassal? The question is existential though not deeply profound. Ostensibly slavery does not exist and yet we are enslaved within political systems, within social, religious structures; our freedom of expression, choices curtailed by dominant forces or majority views. If I veer away from the centre my ontological existence is demeaned and denigrated, my ability to reason, to evolve at a different pace is viewed as deviant. There just isn’t space for individuality, for creativity or uniqueness of being. Survival within these invisible confines diminishes self and gradually we submit and dilute the essence that lends that special fragrance to who we really are.

For women, this chipping away at identity is not too subtle, a kind of cradle to the grave carving into an object of man’s creation for his own consumption. We cannot deny the puissant influence the political and religious power mongers have on our lives.

But its spring, time to unearth the dead roots …..

A Tuareg Woman of North Africa

source...www.daylife.com/photo/08kxg3IahD7Ho

Defining Real...

Incase you were wondering, “Meaningful” is not a new series about slutty housewives and “real” is definitely not a Wii game! What happened to forever, or is it the product name for some Hollywood star trying her hand at a fragrance?

There she sat wondering what was actually meaningful? Beyond God and the end of the universe of course, this was about the rest of the stuff , what does mean something ? What do you give someone that actually means something, that leaves a lasting impression and that totally lets them know what they mean to you?

Where is that smile that meant everything and the hug that healed? The Mammoths and Saber Tooth Tigers of human interaction? Lost to the annals of History? Somewhere beneath this facade “real” awaits rediscovery.

She hated (yes strong word usage, blah) that honesty is now a rarity that americans shrinks sold as a program - “radical honesty”! Had honour , truth and dignity all been incarcerated at Guantanamo as well?

Looping star fish

LOOPHOLE DEFINITION: A screwed up and talented way to justify getting fucked up the ass, enjoying the shit out of it and never ever feeling guilty about it.

(Definition sourced from www. Ben Dover. Com).

Extensive research was conducted over a period of two months. My findings…..

1. Anal sex:
I recently learnt that Indian girls prefer to get fucked up the ass. Their excuse…. “Protect the sacred hymen”. WHAT THE FUCK!!! Just admit that you secretly prefer the taste of vanilla ice cream wafers dipped in chocolate sauce. What makes it even worse is that guys agree to this. Either you are secretly gay or you prefer giving it to her from the back so that you don’t have to see her mother fucking ugly ass face. Ever heard of covering her face with a brown paper bag …. Genius! Anyone for some chocolate star fish shaped biscuits!
Advice for the girls: you can surgically replace your hymen for just a thousand bucks. If cost is an issue …. The Chings make a magical drug that’s called “grow (glow) a hymen”.

2. Breaking your virginity on a horse:
For fuck sake unless you are lady freaking Godiva, ill believe that shit.

3. Breaking your virginity on a bicycle:
What the FUCK…. Find me an Indian girl that rides her bike like Evel Knievel – Restepe Girlie!!!!

4. Birth control:
“I have terrible acne”.
“My periods are irregular”.
“I get bad cramps when I’m gushing”.
(Dilly to the MAX…. go to a fucken white doctor for fucks sake, that way you will save yourself from one sin…. Fucken LIARS). Btw Indian doctors know that you are bull shitting

5. Fasting:
For every other month of the year you menstruate for 7 days but in Ramadaan you miraculously gush for ten whole (don’t get excited girls… I didn’t say hole) days.

6. Husband Hunting:
“My ass is showing, my tits are perky, I’m smuggling jaw breakers but doesn’t my scarf look pwetty….. Hail! Haaree poiree of fucken poireees. Queen of shepocricy!

7. Part Time Marriage:
Get married secretly while you are still studying. Screw each others brains out then at the end of the semester…. TALAAQ…. TALAAQ…… TALAAQ!

8. Pravin Gordhan- Beware:
It is acceptable to do the whole OOPLANG thingy. Cheating the tax man is not considered stealing or “wrong”. DING DONG Duh! Cheating is fucken cheating KING OF ROKRA!

9. It is OK to pay interest with interest (a negative and a negative make a +). Btw it is also acceptable to pay for concert tickets, your domestic worker, your paving for your drive way, your toilet (I always wondered why our toilets are prettier than the rest of the house), and for speeding tickets with interest money.

10. I lower my gaze when I am on three months jamaat but screw that shit…. Start loading up on the GAjAR HALWA before our July holiday in Durban. (For doff and doffness- jagar halwa = carrots= good for the eyes).

11. Fallacio is acceptable….. Sex forbidden.

12. I can down a Bacardi, sambuca, tequila, jack, klippies and a Smirnoff BUT… FUCK I’ll never eat haraam meat.

13. For plus minus 280 days it is ok for me to fuck my boyfriends brains out, down shooters, pop an E, A, B whatever the fuck, smoke a mother size bong BUT!!!! 40 days before Ramadaan …. The bar is closed for renovation and my dealer is gone on holiday to Pakistan.

JAI HIND!!!!!!
Fellow Indians…. Ur fucken talented yaar!

Immaculate Conception

The best works of fiction are those inspired by fact. We all know the famous saying “fact is stranger than fiction”. I seem to have struck an uncomfortable chord with some readers of my stories. Shocking as they may be, the tales told on this blog are all true (thus far). Perhaps seen as gossip mongering or a claim to fame, or the imaginations of some twisted mind, I prefer to think that the stories point to human nature and reflect a little bit of each of us. Are we so savagely scarred that we turn away from our reflections and prefer to mask ourselves?

Certainly my favourite books are those inspired by true events. Everyone loves the Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, disturbing as some of the descriptions may have been! I love the three books of Tariq Ali’s quintet that I’ve read, covering the loss of Al Andalus, the birth of modern-day Turkey and the conquest of Al Quds by Salahaddin. These tales wouldn’t be complete were they not thoroughly researched and had they not included deep descriptions of acts of human nature – lust, love, hate, greed etc.

The Quran itself is filled with anecdotes that we can relate to so that we may better understand.

Even the much idolised Rumi has written fables and stories appealing to the humanness in each of us. He wrote of jealous wives and cheating husbands, of sheikhs in debt and murdering kings, of sexy trysts – sometimes with even the most sordid, bordering on pornographic, and detail! He wrote of stories of the Prophet (SAW), of Moosa (AS) or Isa / Jesus (AS), of Sulaiman (AS) and Bilqis, of Abu Bakr (RA) and of Ali (RA).
So why are we afraid to explore and why are we quick to condemn?
I’ve been reading some of Rumi’s stories on the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) and clearly these are fictitious. The imagination is infinite once we take the first step. He wrote conversations between God and his prophets, debates between angels and humans ….. Somehow there seems not to be a problem in publishing these, perhaps because they are ancient scripts or because the author is a long passed ascetic.

Do we not then have double standards in condemning the as yet unpublished Jewel of Madina? Are we afraid to admit to the humanness of the Prophet (SAW)? Have we forgotten that Aisha (RA) herself relayed stories of his (SAW) nature towards her as a wife – when she described his (SAW) playfulness with her after intimacy? Or is it fear that there will be a backlash and rioting similar to the Danish cartoon fiasco?

I’m saddened that the image of Islam is reduced to mob-mentality. Have we forgotten that even when the Prophet (SAW) was alive, there were people who mocked him? Was he not abused in Taif? Somehow my history notes fail to show retaliation on his (SAW) part! I don’t recall him (SAW) rallying up the Muslims to riot in Taif! Instead I read Allah (SWT) words of counsel to His (SWT) messenger (SAW), urging him to be patient. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: “Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him.” (36:30)
But the Prophet’s (SAW) example is one of tolerance and perseverance and setting examples so that people can see that Islam is a religion of peace.
It is so rare these days to find Muslims setting this example. We are demonised in the West and in the media but we are also responsible for this in only emulating the militant aspects of Islamic history, rather than the diplomatic and peace-making aspects.

So can we quit with the denial and actually use the open minds we profess to have and stop behaving as though the entire Muslim Ummah was immaculately conceived!!!!

Bedu Women of Wahayba Desert

(picture sourced online)

Bravado

Life is a sadistic voyeur, who dances to the rhythm
of breaking hearts and quenches its thirst on tears.
Your longing is without honour, your needing is disgraceful.

Is it still courageous when your beloved is left pained at
your revelation? What bravery remains when you abandon
your beloved to suffer the pangs of realization…

the future will NOT be as you desire it.