Izzy Mo’s Blog

You know, a NYT salesperson called me and was shocked when I told him why I wasn’t a subscriber? 

He’s one reason why I will never subscribe to that tool of willful ignorance and mass deception.

Dear Jodi:  Reverend Wright’s response to this rag piece of an article. 

Forgive me for having a momentary lapse. I forgot that The New York Times was leading the bandwagon in trumpeting why it is we should have gone into an illegal war. The New York Times became George Bush and the Republican Party’s national “blog.” The New York Times played a role in the outing of Valerie Plame. I do not know why I thought The NewYork  Times had actually repented and was going to exhibit a different kind of behavior.

My dad came for a visit to Georgia and he was listening to the new Chaka Khan CD.

You gotta love the lyrics for this song.  She and Mary J. Blige are puttin’ some poor guy in check!  With some reworking, this could be a new funky Muslima anthem. I may rework this later.  LOL!  

I decidate this song to the esteemed writers of The Muslim Woman.  @@ 

Disrespectful sung by Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige.

Boy, what is wrong
With you
I don’t have
Time for this
You can’t
Make me
Lose my mind
I’m too strong
For ya!!!

1) What Qur’anic verse do you find most inspiring and why? What does it mean to you personally?

You just had to tag me on this hard meme, didn’t ya Aaminah?  There’s many that I like but two that come to mind are:

“They want to extinguish the light of God with their mouths, but God will complete the divine illumination in spite of the hatred of the disbelievers.”  (61: 9)  In other words, God’s truth can not be conquered and vanquished.  They can lie, twist, and distort our faith all they want but if God calls you to His truth, nothing can stop His inevitable plan. 

“Verily with hardship comes ease.” (94: 6) I love this verse because it speaks of God’s promise to send comfort after every trial. 

2) What Hadith (Qudsi or Sunnah of the Prophet salalahi alahi wa salaam) do you find most inspiring and why?

Once again, another hard question.  But this one jumps out particular, especially with all these religious extremism going on. 

The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) said that Allah subhana wa ta’ala said,

“There will appear at the end of time men who will seize the good things of the world using religion as a pretext.  To dupe the people, they will be seen as if wearing pelts of sheep out of meekness.  Their speech will be sweeter than sugar, but their hearts are the hearts of wolves.” Allah subhana wa ta’ala says of such people, “Are they seduced by My mercy and clemency into thinking I will not punish them, or do they make sport of Me, daring to think they will get away with it?  I swear upon Myself, I will send upon these such a strife that it will leave even the mildest of them bewildered.” 

Hypocrites, take notice. 

3) Other than the Prophet himself salalahi alahi wa salaam - what Muslim man do you find most inspiring and why?

Argh, man.  There’s so many.  Umar ibn al-Khattab, Bilal ibn Rabah, Imam Hanifa, Salahuddin al Ayyubi, Uthman dan Fodio, Omar Mukhtar.  May God mercy and blessings be with them all.  Most recent examples are my friend MMA, Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir, Seyyed Hosein Nasr, Martin Lings, Muhammad Asad.  Each of these men are extremely intelligent and devout.  They exude a sense of strength, or yaqin, about Islam and they are all visionaries. 

4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?

Oy, who could choose among the finest gems of our umma?  Aisha, Fatima, Khadijah, Nusayba.  May God bless them abundantly.  Of course, there’s Rabia al Adawiyya, Nana Asmau, the pious Sultanas of the Ottoman empire…this could be a book.  And I admire them for the same reasons in #3. 

5) What CONTEMPORARY (i.e., living) Muslim do you find most inspiring and why?

I’ll come back to this. 

6) How has Islam inspired you in your daily life?

It’s the daily reminder to stay on the straight path.  It’s one of the few that I’ve ever been certain about.  I can’t feel this faith flowing through my veins.  For someone like me, who questions everything over and over again, that’s saying something. 

7) If you could do anything at all to inspire others through Islam, how would you do it?

I’ll come back to this.  Ha-ha!

Ifeminists has published my article on their website. 

Muslim Women:  An Insider’s View by Kelly Izdihar Crosby

Yeah, I’m quoting myself.  :-)  Oh, this evil ego..

Morgan, Darwish and Sultan are entitled to their opinions. But casting them as the two lone bastions of light in the supposed darkness of the Muslim world is an insult to the women who are actively working within the Muslim community to bring about positive change and lasting progress.
 

Please watch this cool video.  And leave your comments here. 

I’m on a ranting roll!!!!

I found a lovely website tonight.  It’s an e-zine blog about us Muslim women. 

It’s called The Muslim Woman (Original title, huh?)

In fact, The Muslim World e-zine blog would prefer that you aren’t Muslim.  After all, they don’t want you slipping in something troubling…like the facts!  As Dawud mentioned, why bother with seeking out Muslima authors and writers when you can pull crap from out of thin air?  The “About” page is even funnier.  There’s no discriptions about the writers or what the main focus of their online publication seems to be (other than ragging on us Mozzie women). 

And after a brief look at the contributing writers’ blogs, a lot of these writers aren’t even women!!!!!!

Upon closer inspection (take a gander yourselves), the writers all appear to have Hindu names and they are primarily located in India.  Nice way to improve Hindu-Muslim relations, huh?  No, wait, there is this happy picture of a blonde, non-Indian writer who has been in the trenches against jihadism since…well, read on.  But the fact that her last name is Chadha, well, should I assume that she married an Indian Hindu? 

So, thank God!  Thank Allah subhana wa ta’ala that these plucky writers have the courage to speak for you.  Should you feel compelled to comment on their site, you better say something nice.  Because apparently, you have to register to leave a comment. 

The funniest thing on the website is that there’s an ad for Instablog and how this service provides for people to have multiple points of view–a concept totally lost on the writers of The Muslim Woman. 

Sisters….please….write and publish your own stories!  Are you itchin’ to write?  Do it.  Keep writing until the glorious lines of your work completely undo this stupidty parading around as academia and activism. 

So since they’re getting away with this blog, I’m going to start own my blogzine called The Amish Man. 

I’m not Amish.  I’m not a man but who gives a hoot!  I gonna start blogging about their supposed terrible conditions and how oppressed and brainwashed they are because they reject electricity and live simple, hardworking lives.  I can talk about how their positive can-do spirit and adherence to the Bible is a breeding ground for terrorist group-think. Behind those smart blue dresses and straw hats lies an underground network of Amish fighters plotting to overthrow the US.  They want us to live in world of no reruns, Britney Spears and McDonalds.  After all, can you trust any 21st American citizen who builds his own house and makes his own butter and cheese?  It’s downright suspicious and unAmerican, don’t you think? 

Look out for The Amish Man, coming soon from me, the Muslim woman (who is really off her rocker, tonight). 

I wanted to write a response to this.  Let’s see if they let me.  If you don’t feel like getting angry, don’t read the link.  Here’s my letter to the editor for a request to respond to this tripe.  But let’s see if the sisterhood of feminists let me. 

Salaam alaikum,

I’m convinced that Aaminah created this meme for one purpose.  To get me out of my work-imposed temporary exile!  Blah!  I hate memes!  Now I know Aaminah is evil and there is nothing Writeous about her!!!!!  Blah!

So, since I’m still tied up with articles and artwork that needs to be completed, I’m posting the meme on my blog to remind me to complete it.  It is a good meme, afterall, but I’m gonna get Aaminah for this!  You know I’m drowning in art and editorial work!  Argh!  I’ll probably answer the questions in red when I feel like it. 

Izzy Mo 

Rules:

1) Answer the following questions

2) Post on your blog with link to who tagged you

3) Tag a minimum of three other bloggers and include links to their blog in your tag. Make sure to let them know you’ve tagged them too.

Meme Questions:

 1) What Qur’anic verse do you find most inspiring and why? What does it mean to you personally?

2) What Hadith (Qudsi or Sunnah of the Prophet salalahi alahi wa salaam) do you find most inspiring and why?

3) Other than the Prophet himself salalahi alahi wa salaam - what Muslim man do you find most inspiring and why?

4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?

5) What CONTEMPORARY (i.e., living) Muslim do you find most inspiring and why?

6) How has Islam inspired you in your daily life?

7) If you could do anything at all to inspire others through Islam, how would you do it?

I tag Faraz, Ginny and Leena.  Y’all know who y’all are so I ain’t gotta tag ya!  Nah!  How ya like dat!?!?!?!

for my friend Izzy Mo

Originally uploaded by prakash6164

Salaam alaikum,

Look it this nice digital calligraphy piece that I got from my Flickr buddy Prakash. One day, I may study calligraphy like he did.  Ain’t it cool?  :-)  Please check out the rest of his work at his Flickr page. 

Whirling Dervishes at concert

Originally uploaded by Izzy Mo

Salaam alaikum,

I had some issues with my flickr but it seems that it has been resolved.  I couldn’t blog any photos for some reason.  Oh, well.  Hope you enjoy the picture on the side.  They’re whirling…cool!