Rumble in London (Part 1)

Ahlan wa sahlan.


My first reaction on Saturday evening was.....what.the.hell.is.going.on.in.London?! As if the nonsense in Syria wasn't insane enough now we have riots breaking out in London too? Latest news reports coming in speak of riots, looting, violence, and arson spreading out from London to other major cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Gloucester.

So how did this all get started? Lets rewind the clock back to Thursday August 4th, when 29 year alleged drug dealer Mark Duggan was shot dead in a police operation during an attempted arrest in Tottenham, an area in the London borough of Haringey. His death and the circumstances surrounding his fatal shooting were questioned by his family and friends during a peaceful protest in front of a Tottenham police station on Saturday August 6th. However things soon changed when reports of a police assault on a 16 year old girl began to surface, subsequently sparking off a violent riot by several youth gangs. Attacks were carried out in Tottenham late into the night on police cars, a double decker bus, local businesses, and homes. Several assaults on police officers and looting of stores were reported as well. 

By sunday and monday the violent riots had spread into other areas of London with even more looting and vandalism of shops and police cars. Due to the local police force being overwhelmed, local turkish and kurdish shopkeepers were forced to protect themselves by forming vigilante 'units'. On monday reports starting coming out that there was also sporadic incidents of violence being experienced in cities outside of London, notably in Bristol, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Nottingham. Cars were set alight and even incidents of news reporters being assaulted by teenage gangs began to surface.


The violence and vandalism peaked all through yesterday (Tuesday) and early today. Several fires were started in parts of London such as Barking, Clapham Junction, Ealing, and Croydon as well as the looting of several major retail stores and banks in East Ham. A 26 year old man was shot dead in Croydon as well. The police were able to make over 500 arrests in London and 100 arrests in Brimingham.


However the worst was yet to come.


Due to the preoccupation of the police force in trying to fend off rioters (as if thats an excuse) many shopkeepers and business owners were left to fend for themselves and their neighborhoods, most notably amongst the turkish, kurdish, and south asian desi communities. However standing in the line of fire has its risks. In the city of Birmingham early this morning three british pakistani men (two of whom were brothers) were mowed down in an apparent hit and run while trying to protect local businesses and a mosque from looters and rioters. The three victims were 21 year-old Haroon Jahan and brothers Abdul Musavir, 31, and Shazad Ali, 30. All three subsequently died from their injuries.




To be continued in Part 2 Inshallah


Related links
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/10/manchester-riots-salford-arrests
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/09/london-riots-reporters-attacked_n_921908.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/08/10/uk-riots-three-men-killed_n_922923.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLfIGFkCTgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKa4T8F66m0

  

Park 51 NYChildren UPDATE

Ahlan wa Sahlan

So apparently theres been a breakthrough with the donations for Park 51's NYChildren project. Someone pledged $20,000 raising the amount of donations to $64, 237 which is just under $6000 short of the required $70,000! Mashallah! Unfortunately today is also the last day for donations (Aug 10). I tried my best to help raise awareness about the issue by handing out flyers at my local mosque and in M street in Washington DC as well as posting on facebook & twitter. I don't even know if  it made a significant difference to be honest. I'm beginning to think I have a OCD hero complex or something. I always find myself having to do something about anything that nobody is doing anything about. Maybe I'm just a sucker....

Anyways today IS the last day to raise donations for this project. If theres anything you can do to help (donate, hand out flyers, facebook, twitter, youtube, etc) and if you believe you can make a difference, today is the day to do it Inshallah! Never lose hope.

Salam

NYChildren link
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/park51/nychildren-exhibit-lets-open-park51s-doors-to-the

Park 51 link
http://park51.org/

Abu Dhabi Gallup Center event in DC

Ahlan wa Sahlan


Okaaaaay... I know I should have finished this at least by yesterday, but what can I tell ya...I gotta work too ya know. So if you haven't already figured it out, I attended the "Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, & Future" event by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center this past Tuesday (Aug 2nd) in Washington DC. 
For all extents and purposes I thought it was going to be a literal snooze fest. I had woken up later than I had planned and anticipating intense traffic on my drive into Washington DC, I wasn't particularly in the best of moods. But Alhamdulillah I was wrong. The traffic was relatively light and I managed to step into the glittering lobby of The National Press Club with ten minutes to spare on the clock before the event kicked off at the scheduled 10:00 am (he shoots, he scores!). 

Shortly before the event

The event started with a brief introduction by PBS Newshour's distinguished senior correspondent Ray Suarez followed by opening remarks by Dr. Jocelyn Cesari, a research fellow in Political Science and Director of "Islam in West" program at Harvard. You can view both of them on my Youtube channel here and here.


However the real meat and potatoes of the whole event came next with Senior analyst of the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, Mohamed Younis's presentation of the in depth study of the Gallup surveys conducted throughout 2010. 

Mohamed Younis

Among the key findings presented were:  

Though most major religious groups rate their lives better now than in 2008, Muslim Americans' life evaluation ratings have increased the most. Sixty percent are thriving in 2011, up substantially from 2008.

Muslim Americans are among the most critical of the institutions and interventions associated with counterterrorism. They are the most likely among major American religious groups to see U.S. actions, not misinformation, as causing unfavorable views of the U.S. in majority-Muslim countries.

Nearly all Muslim Americans (92%) say Muslims living in the U.S. have no sympathy for al Qaeda.

Muslim Americans' political and social views are often closest to those of Jewish Americans, who are more likely than other major religious groups (at 70%) to believe Muslim Americans have no sympathy for al Qaeda. Jewish Americans also view U.S. Muslims as loyal to America (80%) and are more likely than Muslims Americans themselves to say that there is prejudice toward U.S. Muslims (66% vs. 60%). Additionally Jewish Americans and Muslim Americans show similar levels of support for a future in which an independent Palestinian state would coexist alongside of Israel (78% and 81%, respectively).

Muslim Americans have high levels of confidence in many American civic institutions. Fifty-seven percent say they have confidence in the honesty of elections, the highest percentage of all major U.S. religious groups studied.

Muslim Americans are as likely as other major faith communities to have confidence in the country's judicial system and in the quality and integrity of the U.S. media.

Muslim Americans (83%) are the most likely of all major U.S. religious groups to say the Iraq war was a mistake.

The part which particularly piqued my interest was the fact that 57% of american muslims say they have confidence in the honesty of elections. Saay whaaat?! I totally expected that number to be lower! You can watch portions of that presentation here and here. You can also see some of the slides here in my yfrog page. And if you're just too damn lazy to do all of that you can read Mohamed Younis's article about the Gallup study findings right here or watch him talk about it in this segment of PBS Newshour.


After the presentation, a panel discussion was held with the following panelists: 

(L-R)


Mohamed Younis
Senior Analyst of the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center  


Rabbi Saperstein
Director and Counsel, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Imam Mohamed Magid

President, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)

Ray Suarez (Mediator) 


D. Paul Monteiro
Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement


They were joined by Dr. Jocelyn Cesari for the Q&A session directly after the panel discussion.


You can view portions of the panel discussion here, here, and here.


Overall I was fairly impressed by the study itself. It was very thorough and managed to hit on important and significant points across the board. I liked the fact that the report also gave a series of recommendations for government and civic leaders.To quote Mohamed Younis: 


"The report provides a snapshot of the Muslim American community as we see it today," said Younis. "As we look toward the next 10 years, it is vital to consider what actions can be taken to positively impact the U.S. Muslim community."


Couldn't have said it better myself.

Imam Mohamed Magid & Yours Truly

On another note, besides taking this kodak moment with Imam Mohamed Magid, I also managed to bump into activist extraordinaire Raquel Evita Saraswati who was also present at the event. And here I was thinking I was the only tweep who managed to get out of bed to show up!


Salam!


Related links:
My Event Pictures
My Event Videos
PBS Newshour

Rumble in Syria

What do you get when you mix 1 part dictatorship and 2 parts brutal family legacy? A syria killer! Get it? Astaghfirallah I can't believe I'm even joking about this. While most of us were celebrating the advent of this year's month of Ramadan, others elsewhere where picking up pieces of their friends and family....literally. An apparent crack down on anti-government protesters in Syria has turned into something so bloody that its no doubt re-opened very very old scars. In an ill-advised attempt to reassert his authority, Bashar Al-Assad sent in state military forces comprising of tanks, snipers, and militiamen on July 31st on the eve of Ramadan into the central syrian city of Hama killing at least 50 people. The ensuing carnage continued unabated all through yesterday raising the death toll to at least 100. Eerily reminiscent of a similar episode in the very same city in 1982 when Bashar's father Hafez al-Assad ordered a similar attack to crush an anti-Ba'ath uprising that left a horrific trail of 10,000 dead victims.

Surely his son wouldn't be so foolish as to follow in his footsteps. Well...surprise surprise...apparently he is. Before the assault on Hama, I had a tremendous amount of respect for Bashar al-Assad, perhaps naively so. Yes he might be a dictator, but at least he was one of the better dictators, paling in comparison to many of the other regimes around Syria. Well mannered, well spoken, well educated and with a professional and humble demeanor to boot.  I admired the fact that he was able to maintain Syria economically without having to cow down and bow his head to the interests of the USA and/or Israel. Syria, home to Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited settlement on earth with its diverse religious identities and long rich history is indeed a marvel to behold. But what does any of that mean when you're killing your own country's civilian population in a desperate attempt to quell potential opposition? These are not the actions of a civilized individual. It seems I was wrong about you Mr. al-Assad. Did you really think that your political tighthold in Syria would last forever? Nothing lasts forever in this world. In the end you really are no different from any of the other despotic egomaniacs running their own little side-shows in the middle east. And it also seems you are no different from your father.

Like father, like son.

The old adage seems most fitting, wouldn't you agree?

Related links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/31/syria-hama-crackdown-tanks-protests?CMP=twt_gu
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/syria-ramadan-brings-arab_n_914867.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/syrias-ramadan-massacre/2011/08/01/gIQAZHCKoI_story.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/2/as_ramadan_begins_assad_regime_intensifies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ROqAcX2BJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMazylnrt0k

Ramadan checklist (with some manly man talk)

Ahlan wa sahlan

Tis the season to be fasting falalalala LAAA la laaaaa laaa.......wait hold on a sec. I think I'm getting mixed up with another holiday. 


Anyways I want to wish a very merry Ramadan to all muslims everywhere and especially to my loyal blog readers (all three of you lulz). So with the end of the month of Shaban and the start of Ramadan just an hour away, It got me thinking....time really flies doesn't it? This month has been one hell of a ride, I finished the summer classes I wanted to take, I moved to maryland, started a new job, and learned a hard lesson about myself.


Now that I'm all settled in the next question is.....how do I want to spend Ramadan this year? I need to use this blessed month to improve on the things that I think are necessary for me. One of the things I personally believe I need to improve on is trying to be a better man. A man you say? Yes a man is honorable and chivalrous. A man is brave. A man always does the right thing, no matter what the cost. In short I need to be like this: 

Ok I admit I watched Lord of the Rings the other night. Gimme a break already! But all jokes aside I personally believe that its just something I need to improve on Inshallah. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that I'm not already a gentleman as it is (what would the other alternative be...an orc?)

So what does it mean to be a man? A man is:

1) Honest. Even when the truth may be hard to say or hear. He doesn't lie to save himself nor does he lie to make himself sound more important or interesting.

2) Honorable. He does the right thing even when doing the opposite would be more beneficial for him.

3) Compassionate. He shows sympathy and concern for others. and tries to help when he can.

4) Educated. A man tries his best to seek knowledge.

5) Diligent. He always works hard to make sure his goals are accomplished. He doesn't let anyone or anything stand in his way (including himself).

6) Introspective. He is always in touch with his feelings and emotions and is reflective of his actions.

7) Leader. He chooses his own path and direction in life and follows it for himself.

8) Responsible. A man is conscious of his obligations and duties and always makes sure that his affairs are in order.

Sound familiar? All my requirements for being a "man", are also requirements for being a good muslim. Indeed all of these characteristics were exemplified and espoused by The Prophet (pbuh). We're only as good as we allow ourselves to be. So why not be the best that we can possibly be using the best role model we have? Inshallah.

Now some other things on my checklist I plan on getting done are:

1) Finishing the Quran at least once during this month. 

2) Memorizing that surah I've been meaning to do for a while.

3) Learning up on some much needed hadith.

4) Improve any deficiencies I think I may have in my prayer or Quranic pronunciation.

5) Helping out more at my local masjid.
6) Attend all the tarawih prayers
7) Finish off all the work I've put on hold

8) Eat more hummus (just kidding)

Now if you haven't checked this out I highly suggest you do so. Its a series of animated videos on how to be a productive muslim during the month of Ramadan. Check out their youtube channel right here.

Ramadan Kareem :)

Salam!

Abdal Hakim Murad, Whole Foods, and Apple

Ahlan wa Sahlan

Abdal Hakim Murad is probably my favorite academic 3alim al-din from Europe. Not only are his lectures on islamic theology, history and other related contemporary issues extremely informative and insightful but they're also simple and to the point Mashallah. I recommend his videos to anyone interested in increasing their 3ilm al-din.  “It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves that fear Allah.”  - Al-Quran(35:28) 

In other news, Whole Foods has decided to run a Ramadan marketing campaign with the halal frozen brand Saffron Road. How cool is that? Now if only Whole Foods can reduce their crazy prices somehow. And maybe get Walmart to jump in on the fun. I really hope this thing works out well. You can read up more about that in this article right here. 

And in a more bizarre twist, its seems that Apple has finally outgrown even the US treasury. 


US Treasury cash balance = $ 73.8 billion
Apple cash balance = $76.2 billion


Maybe Obama should just kick out Tim Geithner and let Steve Jobs take his place . Instead of the Apple Store we'll just have one big Apple Treasury. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?
Check out more about it right here.


Salam!

Friday Mention

Ahlan wa Sahlan

I made a deal with a friend that I'd advertise her blog if she sent me a big package of assorted baked homemade muffins (just kidding!). Check out her blog "Tears & Laughter" right here.

Salam!

Park 51 NYChildren photography exhibit

Ahlan wa sahlan.

Been meaning to put this up for a while now. The Park 51 Islamic Community Center in NYC also known as the "Ground Zero Mosque" by its unscrupulous detractors is trying to raise money for their NYChildren photography exhibit. You can donate anything as small as $1 or $5 to $50, $100, or even more. Any contribution helps whether you live in the USA or not. However they have a set deadline for August 10th so please let other people know as well Inshallah. If you'd like to donate online please click here. And you can also find more information about NYChildren on Park 51's official website right here.

The reason I'm doing this is because after the hell they went through last year I believe this a positive step forward. Allahu 3alam I don't know how they're going to raise enough money in 12 days. I'm personally going to distribute some flyers at my local mosque today after Friday prayers in order to raise some awareness on the issue. Allah works in mysterious ways, so let us never lose hope.

Salam!

Rumble in Norway

Ahlan wa Sahlan!


So by now you've all probably heard about the tragedy that hit in Oslo less than a week ago on July 22nd. 68 people were killed through the shooting spree at a Labor Party youth camp on the norwegian island of Utoeya by terrorist Anders Behring Breivik. He is also allegedly involved in the bomb attack that ripped through Oslo's government district resulting in the death of 7 people. 


Whats interesting about this particular incident is the actual media storm that ensued. Even though initial reports coming out of norway's TV2 indicated that a "blonde, nordic man" had been arrested in connection to the attacks, the reaction of most news outlets was to simply presume that he must have been a convert to Islam  hence a connection to Al Qaeda. So eager was the news media to involve muslims in the attacks that they jumped on even the least credible information source possible. Thus emerged reports that a group called "The Helpers of the Global Jihad" had claimed responsiblity for the attacks. Source? From a (now deleted) discussion thread on an obscure arabic militant forum website called "Shmukh", where the quote of responsibility was diligently copy/pasted (in arabic) by one Will McCant, a blogger at www.jihadica.com. This was immediately picked up and published by The New York Times.


My first reaction was......"That doesn't even make sense. Why would islamic extremists attack Norway of all places?" My bewilderment did not cease despite answers that perhaps it was because of Norway's involvement with NATO. So they were compelled to attack Norway but not Denmark from which the cartoons of The Prophet (pbuh) originated from? It just didn't add up.


My skepticism was redeemed by Norway's official police report when it soon became apparently clear that the perpetrator of the attacks was not muslim nor had any ties to Al Qaeda, but was a radical right-wing christian fundamentalist from Norway. 

But wait, it gets even better. 


The 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik held anti-Muslim, anti-government and anti-immigration views, undoubtedly a hallmark of right-wing neo-conservatives in the USA and right-wing anti-immigration movements like the English Defence League (EDL) in Europe. This became no more obvious when it was discovered that Breivik had in fact written a 1,500-page manifesto entitled "2083: A European Declaration of Independence" espousing the same views that many if not all right-wing neo-cons enshrine on a daily basis. He goes on to cite  the works of such infamous islamophobes as Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes, and Pamela Geller as "required reading", all of whom have amusingly tried  to distance themselves from Breivik and his criminal actions.

As soon as the US media caught up to the fact that the terrorist acts were carried out by a blue-eyed blonde-haired radical right-wing christian, they immediately dropped the "terrorist" label opting for more benign terms as "madman" and "lunatic". Bill O' Reilly of Fox News even went so far as saying that Breivik was not a christian fundamentalist.


This ridiculous double standard is not just insulting to its viewers but is also an indication of a severe lack of objective journalistic practice. Given that journalistic integrity in the US is almost nearly non-existent these days, you'd still think they'd be able to call a spade a spade even if its staring at you straight in the face. Well.....apparently not.


Stephen Colbert does a great job of lampooning this sad state of affairs in his segment of The Colbert Report.


Salam!


Related links:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/201172611337853373.html
http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/uk-group-admits-links-with-norwegian-killer-48562.html
http://storify.com/jannelouisa/oslo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/anders-breivik-christian-terrorist_n_910379.html
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/07/26/279093/anders-breivik-recommended-popular-anti-muslim-documentary-obsession-for-further-study/

Guess who's back? Back again.

Ahlan wa sahlan! Yes its true I am indeed back. Now before you all start waving your pitchforks and torches at me and demanding an explanation of why I took an almost near 1 year hiatus and attempt to sacrifice me to the children of the corn (bad movie reference there), allow me to humbly explain.


A lot of stuff happened in my life during these many many months. Very important things which no doubt carry immensely significant and profound implications for my future  For example, I lost a couple of pounds and Rebecca Black has continued to make soul sucking songs. Seriously. I dare you to try listening to just one of her songs (just one!), but I digress.   


What a lot of you may not know is that I actually moved out of saudia and went back to the USA late last year to finally pursue higher studies. It's been quite a while since I've been back and settling down hasn't been a piece of cake. On top of managing my college applications, taking classes, getting a job, getting an apartment, getting a life (oh snap), and having to remind myself that this isn't saudia where the burgers at Burger King are actually halal, I've also had to prioritize my time to compensate my religious obligations. Don't get me wrong I wuv my country, but it really sucks when your nearest masjid is a 15 minute drive away instead of a 5 minute walk down the street. Baaah but its alright, if other american muslims can manage, then I can too Inshallah.


And just in case you were curious, no I don't live in california. I dunno, apparently everybody thinks anyone who goes to the USA goes to cali for some reason. Maybe Six Flags has finally come out with a mildly comprehensible marketing campaign for once, who knows. I on the other hand actually live in around the Washington DC area in south Maryland. Thats right, east coast represent!


A lot of things have happened this year with the arab uprisings, the recent attacks in oslo, and whatnot, so I'll definitely need to play catch up. Do any you guys use Twitter or Google +? If you do, add me:


Twitter:  yousaf83 
Google +:  RY. S


Oh yea one more thing I might start making some vlogs on youtube as well to accompany my blog. I'll keep you updated on that Inshallah.


Salaam

Paranoid journal

Entry 1

My nascent attempts at starting this journal is in order to leave behind a testament of my existence in the event that something......terrible should happen to me. For I suspect that someone or some people are trying to put me to sleep. Permanently. Perhaps the NWO or the hobo down the street who I never bother giving money to.

My suspicions increased not so long ago when I strolled into the kitchen in order to grab a snack from the refrigerator. As I picked up the inconspicuous looking white box of Hostess Twinkies from the bottom shelf, I noticed something strange. The once white linoleum of the area underneath where the twinkie box lay was stained with something that appeared to be oddly dark green in color. On a closer inspection I realized to my horror that this was no mere stain, but the growth spores of........a fungus. All this time I was consuming food placed in a refrigerating unit that was contaminated by a deadly fungus. I was slowly being poisoned!

I immediately alerted my younger sister to the threat and it was resolved that a quick and evasive extermination of the fungus was the only appropriate course of action. After much debate I decided that while my sister would isolate the unwelcomed creature and sanitize the fridge, I would take my box of cream-filled yellow spongecake treats and consume them while updating about the perilous incident on my blog. Judging from my sister's unamused reaction it seemed obvious that the fungus had no intention of vacating the premises, and tough actions would be needed.

I admit the use of a deadly biological weapon was clever however because of my never-ending vigilance, an almost successful attempt on ending my life was averted.

Yours Sincerely,
RYS

P.S. I eventually suffered some minor bouts of sickness which I believed was due to unprotected exposure to the deadly fungus, however it was only after my mother scolded me for eating the twinkies that it became apparent that they were way past their expiration date.

Ima arukidasou nanika ga hajimaru!

What is it with anime and underage teenage schoolgirls? Why this incessantly perplexing trend of having the protagonist either being an underage teenage schoolgirl or being involved in a relationship with an underage teenage schoolgirl? Hmmm.

In case you're wondering the pic is a promotional ad for "Full Metal Panic?", an anime series that I recently snagged off a friend. The story is basically the life of a 16 year old special ops soldier (the logical choice) who masquerades as a high school student in order to protect a high value asset (aka a 16 year old girl) in a school where all the other 16 year old girls apparently wear C-cup bras, mini-skirts, and sport bright lustrous hair in about every color you can find in a box of Froot Loops. The stoic and somewhat frigid demeanor of the hero creates awkward situations between the bad-tempered heroine and other girls to comedic effect. That along with the funny yet vulgar off-color sexual jokes and the somewhat crude occasional shots of cartoon breasts, legs, buttocks, and groins make this yet another amusing run of the mill anime cartoon. 

What makes this all the more disturbing and creepy is that the animators of these cartoons are all middle-age 30 or 40 year old men. I wonder whats going through their minds when they're drawing semi-naked teenage schoolgirls being stalked at night by a strange man wearing a horse mask whose only desire, is not to molest them, or rape them, but to use a hairbrush and some glue and wire in order to tie their beautiful hair into long pretty ponytails? Who are these people? 

Theres only one answer. Hentaaaaaaaiiiiiii.

----------------------------------------------------------

Back in the day (aka a couple of months ago) I would make the regular rounds to the gym and the running track to keep fit and trim. I would sweat it out like Stallone preparing himself for another lame sleep-inducing installment of the Rocky series. So what went wrong, you ask? Where did this lumpy belly come from, you ask? How did I get chubby all of a sudden, you ask?

How? I'll tell you how. By snacking on cakes, muffins, pasta, lasagne, and a whole plethora of other rich tasty yet artery clogging treats and goodies baked and cooked by none other than my little sister. You see when family becomes involved, it becomes almost near impossible to refuse. Especially when they look like this.

   

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies hot out of the oven. May the Lord have mercy on my greedy gluttonous soul.

----------------------------------------------------------

Now on a serious note I wanted to commemorate the passing away of Howard Zinn last month on the 27th. Zinn was an american historian, writer, and political activist who was involved in the anti-war movements and the fight for civil rights in america during the 60s. He along with Noam Chomsky were both against the invasion of Iraq and the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine. His death along with the death of Edward Said in 2003 is slowly bringing to close the chapter of the prominent voices speaking out amidst the increasingly loud war chants emanating from the american right wing. The only person left from the old-school is Noam Chomsky who himself is over 80 years old. Does it mean the future is dark and bleak? Not necessarily. I have yet to make my appearance in the academic and political arena of my home country. So I guess only time will tell.

"We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts appeared before us, startled us, and then caused us to question beliefs that were strongly fixed in our consciousness-embedded there by years of family prejudices, orthodox schooling, imbibing of newspapers, radio, and television. This would seem to lead to a simple conclusion: that we all have an enormous responsibility to bring to the attention of others information they do not have, which has the potential of causing them to rethink long-held ideas."— Howard Zinn, 2005 

Happy (late) new year

"I believe I can see the future
Cause I repeat the same routine
I think I used to have a purpose
But then again
That might have been a dream
I think I used to have a voice
Now I never make a sound
I just do what I've been told
I really don't want them to come around"
NIN - "Everyday is exactly the same"


Time: 3:00 am
Its funny the odd and unexpected places where one stumbles across bits of packaged wisdom, even if its from a song. At the turn of this year I rose from bed in my relatively undersized apartment in Riyadh and realized that perhaps everything IS exactly the same. My routine was basically to work, eat, and sleep. However looking back at my past life it becomes abundantly clear that a constant uniform routine or stream of experiences has been against my nature (and my namesake for that matter) from the very beginning of my existence. I always need my immediate reality to be dynamic and changing. Simply put, I thrive in the Verve. 


Either that, or I have Attention Deficit Disorder. Hmm. 


Anyways I quit my job, packed up my things, moved out of my apartment, drove back to Dhahran, and spent the new year and much of January visiting relatives in pakistan. Aaahh the land of the disenfranchized.


Time: 3:12 am
"To buy a bullet-proof vest, or not to buy a bullet-proof vest?" is the first question which popped into mind before my flight to pakiland. Alright I'm kidding. (It was the second question).

Time: 3:15 am
After quitting my job I have intentions to continue my higher studies this year back in Texas, mainly in animation. Though I do also intend to study various other related and unrelated fields like philosophy, poli sci, linguistics, art and of course, architecture.  

Time: 3:20 am

A muffin in the hand is worth two in the oven. True story.

Time: 3:21 am

If I have to endure hearing Lady Gaga's name one more time I will hang myself with a shoelace.

Time: 3:22 am
While my appreciation for good art tends to go into the far flung nether-regions of graphic novel-dom and comic bookry, I am able to discern good art when I see it. Take this piece for example, by iranian painter Iman Maleki titled "Omens of Hafez" or in farsi فال حافظ.

A prime example of an impressive style of art known as Realism.

Looks real doesn't it? In a way its almost like a reflection of life itself. Some things that are real seem less real to us, and things which aren't seem more real than they should be.

Time: 3:30 am

All right thats all from me now. Adios!

(And for the record I have no idea why theres so many huge gaps in my paragraphs/lines. Must be a new year's glitch in the blog matrix.)

Driving in saudi arabia Part 3

If any of you can remember (which you probably won't) back in 2006 and 2008 I posted up my thoughts about the traffic situation in KSA, and classified the fascinating variety of drivers present in the kingdom. Well apparently since then I've come across some even more different & dangerous breeds of drivers.

If you haven't read them I suggest you take a look at them before proceeding.

Driving in saudi arabia Part I

Driving in saudi arabia Part II

The Drifter: Forget the speed freak and the linerider, this guy may quite possibly be the most dangerous driver on the road at the moment. Initially this individual seems to be the epitome of a normal driver. However as soon you approach him from the next lane, he will for some inexplicable reason, slowly begin to drift in your direction, onto your lane. These guys even seem to time their movements too so that when they drift onto your lane, they do so exactly at the same point where your car is intended to be. Kind of like a predatory animal stalking prey in the Serengeti. Was there a lion documentary marathon on the National Geographic channel that I wasn't aware of?

The problem is almost everybody on the road is doing it. Somebody needs to inform these idiots that the rear view mirror is there for a reason, not for trimming your nose hair or fixing your gutra in any one of your preferred 3 million combinations.

The Cellular-Man: This guy likes to keep himself connected all the time. Even when he's not taking a call. And especially when he's driving and supposed to be paying attention to the road. I suppose having the latest iphone taped to the ear gives these men a false sense of sophistication. But in the end not even your awesome bluetooth earpiece will save you from the embarrassment of having to stand in front of your wrecked beamer waiting for the police to arrive because you thought you could be Waleed bin Talal for a day.

The Car-horn Master: Not as dangerous as the above two, but sure as hell is the most annoying. Ever notice that one driver that honks his car-horn for no apparent reason? Like at a red light. Or on a road with few cars. Or when you're waiting in line at the McDonald's drive-thru. Yea thats the Car-horn Master. Legend has it that the these particular individuals are trained in the mystical art of Noise. So adept are they that no street, road, highway, or quiet neighborhood can defy their almighty power. Except for the police. And any person with a stick handy.

The Woman Driver: Oh thats right, I forgot....

The good news is that KSA now no longer holds the record of the highest traffic accident rates in the gulf. The UAE as of this year has a higher traffic accident rate according to the WHO, approximately 37.1 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to KSA's 29.0 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. Which is pretty crazy when compared to Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait who have rates of 12.1, 23.7, 16.9 respectively.

I know people are trying to improve the situation in KSA, but frankly speaking, TV adverts on the dangers of car accidents, while being informative, is not going to do anything. Neither is having big bearded sheikhs on TV ruling bad driving as "haram" going to help much. If saudis want to decrease traffic accidents, then all they have to do is just improve the training in the driving schools. Yes its really that simple.

Riyadh = Major Trouble

Is it me or is it lately that whenever I update my blog I end having to start with "I'm not dead, just haven't had time to update."?

Phew been a while hasn't it? I managed to get a job at an exhibition design company working as a designer in Riyadh. Salary is pretty average but hey you gotta start somewhere right?

Why is the driving in Riyadh so atrocious? I've been here since July and its like something out of a Super Mario Kart video game. Driving in this city is literally a life and death situation. Are people really that retarded that they can't stop at a red light for 2 minutes? Which reminds me to update my list of types of drivers in KSA....

Back in april me and two friends took part in a graffiti competition in dhahran organized by Fainak. This was our entry called "D-Hazard" short for Design Hazard.

Despite all our efforts and hard work we didn't win. Because apparently we used the help of cartons, tape, and cardboard stencils we had cut and made ourselves in order to spray our work. I guess nobody told the 4 knucklehead judges (university girls) that there are no rules in graffiti. Its street art. Anything goes!

I also took the opportunity to revamp my blog a little, adding much needed graphics. The person in the noir Sin City image in the header in question, is yes indeed, yours truly. I used a picture of myself and messed around with it in Adobe photoshop & illustrator.

Guerilla Radio!

As you may have noticed I have indeed changed my blog name from the emo-ish "Insight into the mind of an Obsessive Depressive" to the more erstwhile "Guerilla Radio!". I felt it was a good time to turn a new leaf considering the fact that Ive been using the name IITMOAOD since I was 15 years old (before on the now defunct bolt.com then finally here on blogger). I needed a title that would suit my more contemporary outlook and my political interests and thus Guerilla Radio, which happens to be the name of a song by RATM, managed to fit the bill.



So my humble readers you're probably asking what exactly has Mr. Crow been up to lately. Well simply put, nothing.

Ok fine almost nothing, I finally graduated last month. I am now officially an architecture grad. Yay for me.....



Unfortunately this was probably the most fucked up time ever to graduate. Due to the economic recession jobs have virtually become an extinct species in the US, dubai, and elsewhere.

And no I dont want to work in KSA anymore. Seriously. Frankly speaking, for an architect, KSA is a good place to work only when you already have experience from somewhere else. But to start in KSA from square one? Disasterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.



So there you have it. I really don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do. Theres a career day coming up next week so we'll see how that goes.

Lately I've started writing my fantasy novel. I'll make sure to post that up soon. I'm also researching information for my graphic novel stories. I need to brush up on my artwork however.
Btw has anybody seen that ridley scott movie Body of Lies? The movie itself was ok, nothing amazing. The acting by Dicaprio and Crowe was pretty good. However the movie was stolen by the insanely intense and smooth acting of Mark Strong as the jordanian head of intelligence Hani Salaam. This guy makes me want to wear suits all the time.

Hello 2009

Well here we are finally. 2009 hath cometh. How many people actually celebrated the new year? This is the first time I havent even bothered. The present crisis in Gaza pretty much overshadowed it. How am I supposed to be in a celebratory mood when people are being slaughtered over there? And the funny thing is that apparently it seems that nobody really cares. When I saw nobody I mean the arab leaders. Raising money and setting up blood drives is one thing but actually confronting the problem is another. The bottom line is....the arab leaders are cowards. Bought and tamed by their masters.

I came across a video on youtube about the philosopical arguments of whats going on in the context of Batman and The Joker. I thought it would be pretty interesting to share. And yes I do agree that the joker was right.

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tFnxeW25O8

Getting the shoe treatment.

I almost spit my out my low fat milk I was drinking this morning when I happened to glance at the frontpage of today's newspaper: "Bush 'shoed' during Iraq visit" along with the hilarious picture of Bush ducking to avoid the shoe thrown at him. Now THAT is what I call entertainment. The late-night talk show hosts are gonna have a ball with this one. Not to mention the footwear companies (Cmon seriously who else thinks this would make a great advertisement for Reebok?)

Anyways.....its been a while since I last updated. I admit I was being lazy. I was finally compelled to after seeing todays newspaper. Lets see now...what have I missed.

Happy Thanksgiving!
All I could find was the pumpkin pies that the bakery at Safeway usually has. I couldnt find a turkey anywhere unfortunately. The funny thing is when I asked one of the employees they straight away led me to and introduced me to, "Ahmet" a guy from Istanbul (with a last name I couldnt pronounce) who was working in the fish section. I wonder why they did that. Weird...

Eid Mubarak!
Went out to eat dinner with friends and then had a BBQ at aramco beach the next day. I was half expecting someone to be wearing a "burkini" but alas to no avail. The mass slaughter of sheep, goats, chickens, cows and camels was pretty interesting. What can I say, I'm a carnivore.

Classes started again!
Wait a minute why the hell am I even celebrating that.

Welcome to the village

Since the semester began at the start of october it was nice to see my old classmates again. Everybody talking about the crap and not so crap jobs we took over the summer. Despite the fact its good meeting them again, there are times when I wish didnt have to see them. Like for example an incident of questionable nature that went down last monday afternoon with two of my friends when I was driving them back from lunch at Dhahran mall (I'll call them A and L for our sake).

Me(driving): So L, did u get those viagra pills u needed from the pharmacy? *laughs*

L(passenger seat): Yea very funny*rolls eyes* I told you they're subscription allergy drugs.

A(back seat): I bet condoms are real cheap at that store.

*Me and L both laugh*

L: Yea knowing you, thats the only thing that interests you about a pharmacy.

Me: *grumbles* This traffic is really shitty.

*I notice that A has opened one of the car windows*

Me: Hey why are you opening the window? I already put on the AC.

L: *sniffs air* Hey do you smell that?

Me: *sniffs* Ugh yea what the hell is that?

L: Smells like...

A: *chuckles* whoops

L: You farted??! Idiot! *opens his window*

A: Yea man I couldnt control it any longer.

Me: I can't believe you just did that in the backseat of my car you jackass!

L: Yekh. You seriously need to get your bowels checked.

Me: The smells not going away. Quick! Open the glove compartment. There's an air-freshner spray.

L: *Opens glove compartment and fumbles with spray bottle*

Me: Do it already man! For the love of God, DO IT!!

*L sprays everywhere especially on A sitting in the backseat*

A: Wtf man you sprayed some in my eye!

Me: Great, it smells better now. I think you might have overdid it though.

L: Yea maybe. Desperate times calls for desperate measures.

A: Drive faster man. I need to go crap really badly.

Me: If you crap in my car I'm gonna personally enslave you to Ustad Hafiz(our university Arabic & Islamiyaa teacher)

A: Then you better hurry up!

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I'm still considering whether I should burn the backseat of my car just to sterilize it.