Everybody's free...

...to wear sunscreen.

Yeah.... "baby block" we'd call it... layers of the thick white goo on the girls before we would go to the beach, or the pool. For ourselves we put on something lighter, maybe SPF 15, 8, or 4... or my sister, tanning "oil" with SPF 2.

I haven't had to wear any in quite a while, having not spent much time on a beach since I started covering. However, my face is still exposed so it would be wise I think to have some (they have very convenient roll-on sunscreen dispensers now) with me should I be engaged in an activity out doors for more than a short while. I hated to wear sunscreen when I was young, and it's a shame, really. I remember a number of times coming home fried like a lobster (my sister compared me to Sebastian the crab--wiki, img) and in pain. But somehow I managed to associate the "slight burn" with a "good feeling." That is, it felt good to have warm to the touch, slightly pinkish skin that would sting everywhere, and at times even itch.

Until I was a teenager and began to be annoyed by it, and burns so bad they turned into rashes. Days after one particularly bad burn on my back, I was in the shower and the sunburn began to itch... itch like it had been exposed to some sort of toxin, really, and I couldn't get it to stop. The skin of course was very sensitive but I turned the shower to the maximum setting (max pressure, like water pellets shooting at me) and then began to scratch my back with a shower scrubber--it was coarse and I was scratching so roughly it felt like pulling the skin off. Nothing helped. It burned, and I was in tears, calling my brother in to do something, anything to help, and he ended up applying lotion profusely to my back and the sensation went away finally--a few hours later. If you have ever been sunburnt, imagine scratching that sunburn with sandpaper--that essentially what I was doing to alleviate the pain!! The one kind distracting me from the other perhaps.

Days later my back had turned into a collection of blisters. This is difficult to describe, it's kind of nasty really. I was in marching band and spent the afternoons outside, sweating of course. We had a uniform of sorts, that we had to wear white t-shirts (there is wisdom in that) and shorts, but I wore two tshirts, because the blisters kept popping, leaving brownish-yellow circles all over the shirt. They weren't tiny blisters either, by the way--some as large as two or three centimeters across, covering my back. Blisters like that indicate the burn has gone deeper into the skin, i.e., "second-degree."

But no, that's not the last time I was sunburned, though I did start paying more attention to wearing sunscreen. I was jealous that I never could tan--pale skin like mine was particularly unattractive in school, sometimes called "glow in the dark." So the pressure was there to try to tan but always I burned. The burn was followed by a short period of ever so slightly darker skin. It never really paid off.

The most recent burn I received in the Bahamas, on a cruise in August of 2003 I think. My mother and I were taking a short cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, to Nassau, then the company's private island, then back to Miami. On that island, my activity for the day was primarily snorkeling. Having no interest to sit on the shore and stare at the water, I opted to discover tropical fish and rocks and seaweed. I was out there for hours, coming out once to apply more sunscreen actually (so I put it on twice that day) and nevertheless fried and burned. Because it was only my back, neck, arms (backs of them) and backs of my legs which had been burned, it was only sitting, and lying down which hurt... how convenient--not. Unfortunately, it actually made me sick (nausea and headache) in a way ruining the last night on the boat.

Alhamdulillah, that was the last major burn I had, 3 and a half years ago. Covering in hijab has kept me from situations that would allow sunburn, not to mention it isn't all that comfortable being outside in the heat.

The song linked above came out when I was in high school, so I remember it.

As the days warm up, people start going to the beach and trying to tan, I think about sunburn, and I think about skin cancer. Considering my skin type, and how many times I have been severely burned, not to mention all the little spots I have as souvenirs, I think it's a very real threat. So I still intend to wear sunscreen.

Too Busy Thinking

One thing I remember from when I first started learning to drive, was the pleasure I derived from listening to the radio. So many people in fact listen to music and talk while they drive, it's almost second nature. A broken radio or deck was never welcome.

My HS German teacher insisted however that all this listening and busying our minds wasn't a good thing. That we needed to stop, and think. Going for a walk, as an example, would be immensely more beneficial without the accompanying walkman, or mp3 players that we have these days. So since then I have made it a point to appreciate silence, and make the most of it.

I have gone then through different stages in my listening in the car. Sometimes, music played on the radio, be it contemporary or whatever "genre" you want to imagine I might listen to. Sometimes classical music, then I moved up to talk radio and the news a few years ago. My dad pressured me to try audio books but I wasn't interested--I'm still not, by the way. I have tried learning languages in the car, and more recently there has also been some of the above variety, then also some nasheeds upon occasion and even recitation of the Qur'an. (I have a CD of Juz 'Amma recited by Sheikh Muhammad Jibreel.) But more and more of my time in the car has been spent listening to nothing but the engine.

If the song on the radio wasn't one I liked, or commercials were playing, the radio went off. I didn't want to listen to that, and silence has innumerable benefits. Namely, more concentration on the road--never a bad thing. Granted, some of the time I would spend singing which could arguably be worse (concentration-wise) than listening to the radio. But I've been able to chat with myself as well--a thing one can't do in public. I have rehearsed speeches, and conducted theoretical debates in the privacy of my automobile. I pretend I am speaking to someone, and this helps me think. Sometimes I can practice saying the things in there that I am far too cowardly to say directly or upfront. But more importantly I say the things that I need to hear, allowing some deeply buried thoughts to surface for more serious consideration.

And now I need to weigh my consideration, examine my thoughts and test them, decide which should become experiences. I must imagine which lead to success and which to failure. I want to know what I am a person am capable of accomplishing, and what I must do to ensure that potential is not wasted on frivolity. What situation will help me? What circumstances would hinder me? So it is a time for istikhara. As someone reminded me once, it is always a time for istikhara--for when should we not seek guidance and direction from Allah?

A friend has graciously allowed me to borrow a short lecture set on the four scholars, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam As-Shafi'ee, and Imam Ahmad, rahimahumallah. Last night I was listening to the third CD, the one on Imam As-Shafi'ee and was really struck by one particular story. The question had been raised regarding consensus, the value of keeping with the majority opinion; someone asked the sheikh what proof he had from the Qur'an for his opinion, and he didn't have any proof. The man gave him three days to find such proof. The speaker was describing the imam's appearance after three days, that his feet were visibly sore and he was very worn physically, and had not emerged from his house for three days. He had, by then, found an ayat which satisfied the questioner, but it was his manner of finding it which truly stunned me. He stood, in salat, reciting the Qur'an, until he found it. I can't imagine. I can't imagine standing salat for more than a few hours, as in Taraweeh, and then it was a struggle to just try to listen.

It's said that when Muslims want to speak to God, they pray, and when they want to listen to God, they turn to the Qur'an. The Qur'an is a miracle which in two years has only increased me in amazement. In 14 centuries its beauty has not paled, though I'm afraid comprehension of it might have done so. The more I learn, the more I love it. And then I consider the time it takes me to ponder just one ayat... I can't imagine... going through the entire Qur'an in salat, considering ever ayat and how appropriate it might be to a particular situation... well, I'm in awe, respectfully in awe to such an extent that I can't fully collect my thoughts-->thus the elipses.

And then I can only pray that Allah grants me knowledge of His book that I may implement it in my life.

A bicycle built for 2

I managed to do something utterly stupid just now and erase my entire post, just as I was trying to edit it. I'm still getting the hang of using pictures in my posts, though I'm so fantabulously impressed with my ability to take pictures using my cell phone now.

So let's talk about the pictures! My office is moving in a few weeks, so I'm going to have to take down this very attractive (um, yeah?) display that has been in my office for almost two years. Each image is a page from a weekly planner I had (Harley-Davidson) and has a picture of a motorcycle, and a quote. For the most part, the quotes deal with freedom, adventure, travel--some I agree with, some I don't, but they're all food for thought. They're great for conversation too, though it's unfortunate I always have to admit, "No, I don't have a motorcycle... yet."

My office is right down the hall from the elevator too, so as soon as someone steps off it, they can see straight into my office and this little mosaic. I think it's much nicer than the bleak stale sterile white wall behind it.

If you scroll down a few posts, you'll see a post about a camel... there's even a picture of the camel. Read the comments. My dear sister (yes I know it was you) has advised me that I should just marry the camel but I had to ask my parents' permission first. So now I'm wondering about marrying camels and other desert people...

And then I think about Star Wars. Why? Because so much of the story is tied to a little planet called Tatooine. On the same planet you find an honest little boy who builds robots (like C-3PO) you also find a roving dumpster that scavenges robots. It's the planet where Obi-Wan was hiding out and Luke Skywalker was growing up. Also the origin of Darth Vader (evil apprentice,) but the same place where we find "scoundrels" (Leia's word, not mine) who would rather make a buck than resist the encroachment of the Evil Empire. Even if they're very handsome and excellent pilots... no wait, that's not the point...

The point is, is it worth risking an encounter with the Tusken Raiders (who captured Anakin's mom and tied her up like an animal!) to seek out Obi-Wan, who is the only one that can answer your questions? But what if you run into trouble, find yourself being chased by Imperial fighters--can you count on your scoundrel pilot friend (who was after all, only the "hired help") to cover you? Or are you going to find yourself in a metal bikini chained to a giant slug?

Oh boy.
But on a more cheerful note, tulips are quite beautiful, really. Especially these hot pink ones. My desk isn't really beautiful, cluttered as it is with soon-to-be-recycled half-size plans. The other half of my desk is too crowded with file folders to fit the vase. But to create a more charming scene, I took the tulips home with me, and there they sit now on my desk by the window just starting to bloom.

Here's trying not to screw up the post this time. Thanks for reading!

The hills are alive...

Virtually watching a movie together... a new kind of fun. So last night I was watching The Sound of Music with a friend--we had the DVDs in sync and were on the telephone, each in our own rooms. I love this movie, but watching it like this was a whole new experience. When you watch something with someone in person there's such a tendency to be silent, just observe... on the telephone there's a tendency or temptation to laugh more, speak more... and that was fun. :-)

We didn't even get through the entire movie, which we started around 11pm, but just the first half (up through the intermission.) Laughing at the songs, the characters--it was really very enjoyable. Sharing it over the phone like that is an interesting experience. For those of you who like classic movies, I might recommend this. Being on the phone keeps you from getting too involved, so you're more of an outside observer and can comment on things. Anyway, it was new for me and kinda fun. InshaAllah we'll watch the remainder tonight.

This weekend has been a little break for me, I didn't have work on Friday because it was Good Friday. Each morning over the weekend I've taken a shift in the lab, but have taken a break from regular studying. I should get back to that today, as a matter of fact, because I have some homework due Tuesday and I don't want to get behind, here at the end of the semester. There are just three more weeks of school to push through before exams. In those three weeks I'll have two tests, one in each class inshaAllah.

I told the lab manager I would work this summer as well, so it seems I have a very summer ahead of me. Unfortunately I will need to work this summer in the lab--my DOT hours will be shortened because of my unusual schedule (I'll have a morning and afternoon class almost every day) and also because of increased travel time. The branch is moving out of Raleigh and into Garner, probably 15-20 minutes further away. On one hand I will no longer have to pay for a downtown parking space, but it means a lot more time in the car going and coming to work. I've had it easy the last two years with work and school so close together, and now that I live inside the beltline too, getting around has been extraordinarily simple. Knowing I'll be driving more in the near future, I can't help but hope the price of gas stays on the low side. :-(

The upcoming weekends promise to be exciting, I should say in advance, because I might not have time to report updates about everything going on. Next week I've been asked to teach the high school Sunday school class. The mosque has a full elementary and middle school program, but also offers basic religious instruction for kids who go to public schools. The way one sister I know put it, it's for the parents who feel guilty about not putting their kids in an Islamic school, so they have to give up a day on their weekends to go to this kind of school, learn some Arabic, some Qur'an, some history, and so on. The sister who teaches the last high school class (who also teaches the sisters Islamic studies classes) asked me to sub for her because she's going to be out of town. Of course, I'm thrilled. :-) I'll need to put the lesson together this week though and review everything. InshaAllah I want to tell them about the Hadith Jibreel. They're actually studying a biography, but pulling a chapter out of that wouldn't be strongest from me, so I checked with the sister and she's fine with my doing this instead.

On another weekend, the Bayyinah Institute is supposed to send someone back down here to do seminars in classical Arabic. There should be one each month or so, assuming enough people have signed up. This weekend I took the opportunity to recall much of what I had memorized. Inshaallah before then I can go through the exam again as well to make sure I'm up to speed. I also want to, more than just recognizing some of the words we've memorized, actually know their meanings. They occur so exceedingly often in the Qur'an it makes sense to memorize them early on. For now I can merely recite them in a list... which I won't do now, tempting as it is.

The weekend after that I am supposed to go to some interfaith camp for women... I don't know who organizes these things or how I get roped into going. There are some sorts of events I love doing, and some I dread. Spending a weekend with a group of women who are 10-30 years older than I am (I've no doubts I'll be the youngest there by far) doesn't really thrill me. There are supposed to be 12 representatives of each faith... Muslims, Christians, and Jews. I think a lot of the participants are the same who are active in interfaith in other ways, and in the Tikkun group. The relief there is I know these are people who have their heads on their shoulders, and they won't be bringing Robert Spencer and pals along to attack anyone. But what the camp is actually supposed to accomplish--that I don't know.

Anything else? Yes, loads. Loads of stress and... relief. But all entirely too private to be mentioned at the moment. I thought it might be interesting to point out that when I got up this morning it was 28 degrees. How about that for a sunrise service? (It is Easter today by the way.) I remember how tedious it was to get up for a sunrise service when I was a kid... but Muslims do it every single day of the year. I just found that interesting. (Not in a "we're better" kind of way, but just the product of some reflection on why people worship the way they do.)

Oh yes, I finished training the police. What was nice about that is now a good number of the officers know who I am. :-) I hope they learned something useful.

I think I'll stop now with this hodgepodge miscellaneous post. :-) I feel I've now sufficiently updated the world on what I've done and am doing for the rest of the month. Thanks for reading. Try the virtual movie thing--it is fun!

To trust, or not?

Samuel Johnson said it is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and better to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.

I think I might have an issue with trust, a mighty fortress that I am. After being repeatedly asked "Do you trust me?" I begin to wonder... do I, really? At first I thought I did. But then getting to know someone better requires more trust... or does it take knowing someone better to acquire trust? All I know is that it's slow in coming at the moment. As though I let people get close enough just to see, but then I don't open up anymore to let them really understand. I never thought of myself as an especially guarded individual, and I don't think that's my current problem. What is the problem is just not letting go quite as much as I'm expected to.

So slow down. Don't go so fast. Imagine me as a tricky labyrinth which must be navigated with care. One wrong turn might send you out altogether, but there are no short cuts to the center. Moreover, nobody has been there before... or at least not in a very long time. Pioneering a new path is seldom easy.

That's a long way of saying it isn't easy for me to trust right now, I'm not ready to hand over the keys just yet.

Bleachy water

Every year, in March, the people in charge of the water plant stop putting ammonia into the water. That should make the water healthier? Cleaner? Well, the ammonia used to mask the smell of the chlorine which was also used as a disinfectant. Removing the ammonia to use only the chlorine leaves the water smelling... like bleach.Now as Muslims, we pray five times a day and make wudhu before--which involves washing our faces as well. The month is almost over alhamdulillah but it's still irritating to smell the bleach as I wash out my mouth, nose, and put water onto my face. I can't bear to drink it... so I've been paying my dues to Dasani lately.

I've been busy the last two weeks, since I last posted. To start with, I took an Arabic class. An intensive Arabic class. The format was 10 days, 3 hours each night, in grammar. The class aimed to teach the fundamentals of Arabic grammar in order to help in reading Qur'an. The idea is that once we've learned grammar we can aquire vocabulary more easily, and understand how words and sentences are constructed, to observe the linguistic effect of the Arabic in the Qur'an. And that was really amazing. Looking at some verses constructed one way, and others in a different way. In English we really tend to brush over them, but it's easier to tell directly from the Arabic when something is supposed to be emphasized. The course was offered by Br. Nouman Ali Khan from the Bayyinah Institute (http://www.bayyinah.com/). I've already registered for the follow-up seminars; he requires a minimum number of students to sign up, though, to send an instructor, so I'm hoping enough will actually sign up to ensure that this program continues here.
The reason for learning Arabic is ultimately to learn the Qur'an--how to read it, and comprehend it, but also how to listen and comprehend. Naturally, listening is more difficult than reading; it takes more practice anyway. Reading can be self-paced, with the ability to look slowly and carefully at the words. When listening to someone recite, you're at the mercy of his speed and pronunciation. But I'm really happy to say that I have noticed an improvement in my concentration during salah. Just yesterday I went to the masjid for the fajr salat and to my own astonishment was able to understand small bits of what he was saying. Before now there have been some words I could understand but usually I would miss them because they ran together. Now I'm seeing that I can deconstruct it just enough to recognize even more words--enough to even determine from where the imam was reciting (surat al-Iman, btw.) That was a really nice experience.

I have been asked to be interviewed for a local monthly Islamic newspaper, by someone who saw my speech last Saturday... that's new. This Wednesday (and possibly next Wednesday as well inshaAllah) I spoke to the campus police... tough crowd. The issue was "Muslim affairs" and advise for them on interacting with Muslims in their professional capacity. I don't really think they needed it, but apparently someone had suggested to "the chief" some such training. As soon as I arrived I got a little "chat" about not talking politics. Of course, it's standard policy whenever presenting through ING to not discuss politics anyway, and I assured him of that. The problem was that the previous week another speaker had been there, and said something that maybe he shouldn't have. Basically, that when the Soviet Union fell, the USA began to look for another enemy and the Muslims got to be it.

Now, regardless of the validity of that statement (dunno of any of you agree with it or not) it's not a thing to say to such a group as that. A tremendous amount of evidence is required to prove that claim, but in one fell swoop the person to suggest it has insulted the government and Americans. Many police officers are ex-military, in general they are very patriotic and to say something like that without proof (and the proof is not to be found in common circles, trust me, if it even exists) is going to immediately undermine your credibility as a speaker. Unfortunately, that happened. One man listening had said that no matter what the speaker said after that, he wouldn't care, or pay attention. Very dangerous. I guess it was a reminder to be especially careful about what we say in crowds like that. I don't consider this presentation to be one of my strongest at all--it was too short to be very effective and informative so I tried to cover what I thought would help them most. On the other hand, I think I managed to avoid any kind of political judgments or suggestions.

I guess that's enough for now. I've found a few neat sites that inshaAllah I'll be adding to the side part of the page that I hope you can enjoy. :-)

Oh, and about the t-shirt. They were made by the MSA at my school and I don't think they are available for general distribution. Best bet would be to contact them through their website: www.ncsumsa.org

Salaam.

The Anti-War Protest

I went. I was there.

I went to Washington DC on March 17 to protest the war at the Pentagon. This photograph really doesn't even begin to do it justice--there were thousands and thousands of people there, marching. We were kind of near the front I think, early to get to the platform. We had gone with a sister who was going to be speaking at the event, early on. So we did the march, listened for a little while, after her speech we hung around but left shortly after--it was a long walk back. And it was cold... and windy. Cold is one thing, the wind is another, and especially over the bridges the wind was frigid.

I never really got into the protest--I think some people just live to do these things, protest the government. Some people were doing a dance around a tree. There were a lot of "hippies." There were some kids in our group (high schoolers) who really got into it. While we were passing some pro-war protesters (they were protesting us... hehe) one of these kids yells out, "Hey look, they're all white!" And well, they were. I went because I love my country and I love what it stands for. People there were pretty radical, or extreme, I guess you could say--they wanted to impeach Bush for war crimes, called Cheney pure evil. I just want the government to start acting responsible in its foreign policy, and to remain accountable to the people of this country. What warmed my heart though, was Sunday morning reading about the protesters around the rest of the world, protesting the war, and another 5-6000 just in California to do the same thing. I hope it made a difference.

They gave me a T-Shirt

On Thursday the MSA asked me one more time to give a speech about my conversion to Islam. They'd asked me twice while planning the event and I declined, feeling my story would be out of place. But when another group cancelled I decided to agree to speak this Sunday, 4 days later.

I mulled over what to say, how to say it. It would be the first time I would present my story to a large audience. I've told it before, definitely, but never in such a public venue. There's so much to say, I wondered what they would appreciate and enjoy. I avoided more personal issues like my family, the fights I got into over hijab (though I did mention both briefly). But I think I did okay. Several people came up afterwards telling me they enjoyed it, that it was good, that it made them cry (WHOOOPS! on my part, that's not the reactions I was going for!) But when I heard that from a few people I was confused at why and it was actually telling them about converting, the actual saying of shahadah.

Because I cried. Everyone I've seen cried. It's hard to be present and not cry, because it's such a moving experience for the person, what is happening at that moment and it just can't be denied. Even though I've acknowledged numerous times I wasn't ready to be Muslim when I converted, I can't ignore the experience that I had when I did.

I also tried at one point to relate the speech to the theme of the evening which was according to this t-shirt "This is your life on Islam." The idea that life can be hectic, confused, misguided, but with Islam it's straight. So I brought that up--everything fell into place when I started praying, when I started practicing my faith. I finally "got it." I said. My troubles didn't disappear but they are balanced with increased faith, increasing faith because I know that God will not leave me with something I cannot handle.

Deceitful information

This post is, I suppose, in a similar vein to the one called 'the danger of know.' Some of you might have watched a show that's just come on the tube called 'Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?' Basically, it's a trivia show with supposedly grade school questions, and the contestant (an adult) has to answer them. There is also a team of 5th-graders on set answering the questions as well, one right beside the contestant. He has the option of peeking and cheating off the 5th-grader's answers. The questions aren't too hard, but the host (Jeff Foxworthy) plays mind games to confuse people I think--that's more or less why I think so many of them do so poorly.

Today I was wondering about that show and I visited their website, which happened to have a forum; so, naturally, I perused some of the threads. Apparently on one of the shows the question had been asked, in what year was president Lincoln elected? So off-hand I thought this wasn't too tough of a question, he is one of the more famous presidents, but I wouldn't have expected grade schoolers to know the answer. But the really scary thing that I found in those forums... was how people don't even understand information anymore!!

So first of all, he was elected in 1860. Elections are always in leap years, for one thing (I wonder if these peeps even knew what a leap year was, hm.) There were many users on that forum who had written in "THEY GOT THE ANSWER WRONG!" Their claim was that the show said he was elected in 1860, but they (the forum poster) looked it up (and gave the website too, be shocked) and found he was "elected" in 1861!!!

Did you just chuckle? I laughed the first time, but the more I saw so many people saying this exact same thing the more disturbed I became. Of course Lincoln was sworn in and began his presidency in 1861--in fact, it was in March. But was the election in March?

Have you ever heard of a presidential election in March? Of course not. It's sad really, that people looked it up, saw "1861-1865" and made that foolish assumption--some even insisted that the actual election was in fact in March of 1861!

But we can take comfort in one fact at least--we shouldn't have to worry about these fools voting come election day (which is always in November, and leap years like I said for presidential elections) because they're too mixed up to actually find it on a calendar.

But this brings me to the real issue I wanted to discuss here--the people were consulting "raw" information. They looked in Encyclopedias even (I guess they looked to find the answer in the first place...) but they still came up with the wrong answer. The misunderstanding demonstrates more than one failing of this society I think. But namely, in this case, the inability to research or understand their research.

The average Joe watching TV (watching this show for example, with his laptop handily tuned into google.com) is not equipped to find the answer to even such a basic question as the election of Lincoln. How can we expect him to find answers to more complicated questions like, why is there violence in Iraq? Why can't the Arabs and Israelis get along? Why is Chavez stalking Bush? The people now require filters for their information--they can no longer turn to encyclopedias and dictionaries, or journals. They need it summarized, quick, like they get from the news (TV news like CNN, etc.) They need someone explaining 3 or 4 times what it actually means using very simple language.

Because if they look up the answer, they totally misinterpret it.

As Muslims, do we have this problem? That we look up Qur'an and hadith directly without bothering to examine the commentary? Are we familiar enough with the basics to be able to do that? I think most of us actually aren't. And if we (like me) are pulling it up in Arabic then we have a huge problem.

I'd like to think that average Americans would have the basic prerequisite understanding of presidential elections and processes to know why it was 1860 and not 1861, and why 1861 was listed as the first of year of Lincoln's presidency. But apparently that's not the case.

It'd also be nice to think that the average Muslim has a well-founded understanding of 'aqeedah and Arabic and basic Islamic sciences to but a context around the information they dig up. But I don't think that's the case... at least I know it's not my case.

So the way I see it, we have at present two obligations. The first is to learn our deen, at least the basics, so when we are presented with information from scholars or even as a question by a non-Muslim or a child, we have the resources (prerequisite knowledge) to find an answer. The second is to always check with the people who have more knowledge and training--the scholars. That way we don't go barging into a deep discussion claiming that a sheikh is wrong because of something we found on the internet. How incredibly embarassing.

How bizarre!!

I wrote a post over the weekend... but it never showed up and has completely disappeared as far as I can tell.

Why? :-(