Happy Birthday Khadeeja!!!

Many happy birthday wishes to my dear friend Khadeeja/Afreen!!! Don't worry, 23 isn't THAT old. Remember what I said last year? Things get better with age, just like...well I'm sure you remember what I had said =P. Anyways, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and an awesome year filled with all the success and happiness you can imagine, Insha'Allah! Best wishes to you always!

Be prepared...it's long! (but worth it)

I have a new obessesion that looks like it's here to stay. (no sorry Khadeeja, it isn't eBay.) My new obsession is CFRB1010. For those who don't know what that is, it's a newstalk radio station where different hosts discuss a variety of topics. (You can also listen to it online at www.cfrb.com) Anyway, I find myself listening to it at work a lot (perhaps as a form of intellectual stimulation?) and quite frequently if I'm driving somewhere. Their range of topics is pretty broad and they're really quite interesting. A majority of the time they are controversial, but I guess that's what newstalk radio is about.

Yesterday as I was driving in the evening, John Moore-one of the evening hosts- began a discussion about religion in the workplace. The topic stemmed from an article that was published in the Chicago Tribune about a man who was suing his workplace for not allowing him to begin a Christian group at work. (view the article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0510250284oct25,1,4065226.story?ctrack=1&cset=true) Moore asked the question about where religion belongs in the workplace. For example, if a certain company had a Bible study group during lunch and the VP was a part of it, would you, a hypothetical non-religious person (or person of different religious belief) take part in that group just so that you would get in well with the VP, or have a shot at that promotion you've been after?

When the calls started to come in, I must say I was shocked at the amount of religious intolerance that is rampant in Toronto. Our Toronto. Prime example of multiculturalism at its best. One lady called in and said "Well those people shouldn't take out their prayer rugs and pray 3 to 5 times a day because it's on company time, they should do it on their own time". Moore brought up the fact that who is it disturbing?? Most people go off in a corner to do their thing and then come back. The calls kept pouring in with people saying that religion should be kept separate from work and how you don't need to display your religion. One guy called in and said that he was the manager of a certain company and he had hired three Muslim guys fully aware that they were Muslim. The new employees requested time set aside so that they may pray and the employer even offered his office. He said that as long as the work got done, he didn't care what they did. Besides, people go out for cigarette breaks more often then they do to take time out to pray, don't they?

So what's the problem? I have worked with people of many different religious orientations-Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, agnostics and even atheists etc. Some of these people are the best people that I have ever worked with. I have never had anyone give me a weird stare or anything of the sort when I openly practice my religion. In Ramadan, I have people asking me about why I fast and they're so mindful not to offend me with food in the open (not that it does) but the consideration is very thoughtful. Sometimes they even remind me that it's almost time to break my fast! I'm sure many people can relate to this as well.

News flash: We're not a melting pot like the United States where we all assimilate as one being. In another discussion today on CFRB, a Sikh student was pulled off a train for carrying his kirpan, or ceremonial dagger. My understanding is that this is not a weapon, but rather a symbol of their religion, and the host in the morning stressed that it was a blunt object adn couldn't cut anything. One lady called in and said that of course it was a good decision to pull the student off because he could have slit the throat of the driver with it. Give me a break! There are a million and one logical and logistical factors I could think to refute that. And please, use common sense. Basically the consensus of most was that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", so if you're here in Canada, adapt to the "Canadian way" (which I think is more the secular way) or get out. Sad isn't it?

We're lucky that we live in a city and country that is as tolerant as it is. But now I'm not so sure. Apparently this is the opinion shared by many. I could branch off into so many topics, religious arbitration, religious symbols etc but I'll save that for another day. In the meantime let's hope that our society stays teh way it is, and these underlying feelings of many don't ruin the diversity of the community that we have today.

Guess who's back...back again...

Okay, I'll stop there. Anyways, it has been a while since I posted anything, almost 4 months to be exact. Things just got so hectic in the summer and then kind of continued, so I didn't have a chance. Besides, I enjoyed reading other people's blogs! Part of the problem too, is that I don't know what to blog about. It's not that I don't have anything to say (and I know this will spawn so many comments so all of you, just be quiet!) it's just I don't know if people really want to hear about it. But in any case, I will try to update and keep updated as much as possible. So let's see what has been going on as of late: (I feel like a newscaster)

So the Summer of Endless Weddings has come to an end. Okay, so not quite. They're still continuing, but that's what kept me busy most of the summer. That and work (and work). But overall I'd say it was a good summer. But it's over. Too bad.

Ramadan has started! For those fasting, I hope you all have a blessed month, Insha'Allah (God-willing) Well now it's almost over, but there are so many blessings in the last 10 days, so let's all try to make the most of it. This month seems to have gone by so fast, I'm sure most of us haven't even noticed where the time went. But even within this blessed month we saw tragedy with the earthquake in Pakistan, with the lives of so many lost, and so many more left homeless and shattered. But for the people who passed away, they were truly blessed to acheive martyrdom in this auspicious month, while they were fasting. Lets not forget them in our prayers, and let's pray for the survivors that they have ease in rebuilding their lives, Insha'Allah. Also, don't forget to check out Khadeeja's blog for links on how you can help.

The earthquake wasn't the only tragedy that we saw as of late. Hurricaines Ophelia, Rita and most of all Katrina created havoc and devastation in the States. It was interesting because I remember around the time of Katrina, I heard a rabbi on TV claim that Katrina was in retribution for the USA's involvement in the Gaza pullout and to the destruction of Jewish land. At the same time a Muslim cleric said that it was because the US destroyed so many Islamic countries that it was being destroyed in return-the whole "what goes around, comes around" philosophy. Then you had the evangelists say that it was because the US is beginning to allow homosexuality, and people are facing a punishment similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. I think whatever the reason is, God alone knows and we should leave it at that.

On a different note, how many people have tried hi5? I can't remember who first initiated it, but I find myself logging on every so often, adding people that I haven't talked to in years (and probably won't talk to) and just checking up profiles- very reminiscent of Naseeb. (Who still goes on that by the way?) I blame Natasha, who says something and it sparks my curiousity so I have to log on and check it out...thanks a lot Tash! But I can't totally blame her as being my distraction at work. But now there are so many spin-offs that I can't even keep track, and I refuse to join. You're going to to have the same people on your list anyways!!! Nope, forget it. I refuse to give in! hi5 is bad enough...

So I'm kind of rambling on. So it wasn't the greatest first post, but I'm sure I'll have something more substantial to blog about next time. I could talk about how I'm really starting to feel old, my cat, or how Khadeeja is trying to get me hooked onto eBay. Stop it, I don't want to waste more money shopping!!! Anyways, in the words of Bugs Bunny: "That's all folks!" (for now)