There are no words....

Last night I was caught off guard while my mom was flipping through the channels on my TV and turned to CNN  for a documentary called "Unwelcome:The Muslims Next Door".


My first thoughts? "Turn this shit off before i see anything that pisses me off".. what did my mom do? IGNORE ME which turned out to be a good thing i guess, because I eventually changed my mind and said "good. dont turn it off. its going to be a good blogging session tonight". Well, "tonight" turned into tomorrow, and I am at this point where I'm like "I dont want those feelings to resurface and get pissed over something that didn't happen directly to me". But, I feel I owe it to all my brothers and sisters in Islam who have not had a chance to watch. I have a feeling CNN will be airing this documentary often as possible.


I just want to start by saying that I understand why people are scared of Muslims, I understand that there were bad people who used Islam in their attacks on innocent people, but I also understand that those bad people were not practicing REAL Islam. My Issue here is that if I, personally, approached each and every person in this documentary and sat down with them to answer whatever questions they had, I can guarantee they still will not get it... and its mainly because they dont WANT to know. They dont CARE to know. They feel the media is enough "proof" for them to come to the conclusion that we are not a "real" religion, and we follow shaytan (satan, the devil,etc.) if anything, and we do not follow the same God as them.


O.K. I will say this... if these people who are making these assumptions believe that Jesus is God then yes, I agree, its not the same God. We obey and follow ALLAH... GOD.. the one true ONLY God, and Jesus (peace be upon him) along with Mohammad (pbuh) and every other man is a prophet.. but everything else is just pitifully wrong.


Without getting into the "politics" of my religion, I will give me peace, sticking to the documentary. lol I will try my best but I am very opinionated and inside my head i feel my brain going haywire from lack of understanding some ignorant peoples comments and actions.. so bear with me please lol.


The first couple of scenes they just showed a whole bunch of negative people protesting..Then they got to WHO those people really were in the community. Ya know what? I am really nauseated with the whole thing, even though i have understanding for them, its not enough to give them an excuse to act this way. They tried to burn down the mechanical equipment that was being used to build the mosque/community center/school/gym. Maybe i should have mentioned in the beginning that this whole controversy is over Muslims building a Mosque/school/community center/gym even though there is only ONE Masjid in the entire town of Mufreesboro, Tennessee. The majority of the town is some form of Christianity and they all had DOZENS of churches all over the place for their convenience. So these are people are taught, every Sunday, the teachings of Jesus (PBUH) and yet somehow in the same sense used that as an excuse to say they are right to protect their country because "the Muslims are trying to kill us, and its as if we cant say anything" (to quote one of MANY ignorant people who stood before a judge to try and condemn the Muslim people their right to practice religion freely.. oh wait a second.. that sounds familiar... what AMENDMENT was that again? i forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!!(rolling my eyes))


So back to my point about the people being followers of Jesus and turning around and being violent with the Muslims they are claiming are trying to kill them.. I seriously think you people (of Murfreesboro) have your shit twisted right about now. Your neighbors just SHOT GUNS from the woods at innocent people standing on the lot where the future Masjid would be built... They set their equipment on fire, and RUINED their "coming soon" sign that sported an outline of a mosque with the Islamic symbol of Moon and Star on top of it.
It read something along the lines of  "you are not wanted", yet Muslims are the ones who are evil or bad? That does not even make any sense to me whatsoever. They also showed a clip of Christian people that burned down a tiny little mosque in Texas... at this point I was in tears.. call me a drama queen if you wish, but I always cry when I see things that are not right on TV or in real life. I am very emotional and I make no apologies. God made me this way on purpose. I know humility, and I know empathy and sympathy.. We are good friends lol Damn, there I go again bringing my own issues into the blog.


The funny thing about this whole situation is before the mosque was being built, everyone got along just fine. The people there were happy living in peace with each other, up until they got word of what was being built on land that was once owned by a Christian family who stated that When they found out that the land they sold them was being used to build a mosque, he just knew his grandparents are rolling in their graves. Screw you Mr. Hillbilly with no teeth in your mouth, you are very ignorant if you really think that. You know what else? I am sick of the word Ignorant! I use it way too much and I don't just throw it around not knowing the true definition of the word like A LOT of people do. Its sickening that I even have to use the damn word so much. Its so freakin' HILARIOUS that Americans are so proud to be "FREE", yet most want to oppress the ones that are different. YEAH THATS RIGHT I SAID IT!.. Even if all of the Muslims were born right on their little land in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, those people so full of hate would STILL not want our own constitution to protect them, even though they are United States of America citizens. They dont want "foreigners" to have the same rights as them. I know what I am saying is true for most, but not ALL people. I know that in the smaller cities and towns you will find more people who do NOT like diversity. But I also know that in big Cities people have more knowledge and actually feel for the minority, or diverse people out here struggling for acceptance.


After about 45 minutes of watching, my kids started acting crazy so I had to put them to bed and decided I would watch the rest later..But I couldnt bring myself to open the DVR, even though I have every intention in the world to watch again from beginning to end, I just can't do it right now. But I will say this...There was a young, beautiful Muslimah who was not wearing hijab .. she has blue eyes and being her last name was Spinatti im pretty sure her father was Italian. Her mother was a hijabi. I couldnt see the whole entire thing but at one point there was a woman in politics who was being interviewed about the masjid on the street, while this young muslim girl stood by with her camera just watching and listening. She had a question and the lady was getting anti Muslim and talking about oppressed women in Islam and the girl was like "I am a Muslim" and the politician looks at her and says "you are a very special girl" she went on to say "You show me ONE Muslim lady in this town that is oppressed...." and the politician interrupted her saying into the camera "maybe you should interview this girl, she is very educated and has a lot to say about it" and she tried walking away. The Muslim girl stood her ground and told her "No, you go ahead and finish..." like she was waiting to have a discussion with her and the woman just runs off..
That is one of very few scenes that make me anxious to watch again. When and IF I do, I will be correcting any mistake I had made (IF that), and editing in anything I missed.
Thank you for reading my long and drawn out (hopefully entertaining) view on this subject. There is so much more to be said but I just can't wrap my head around it right now.
I really hope everyone gets along and lives together in peace and acceptance so we can COEXIST..I accept you for believing what you believe, so please show me and others the same respect. When and IF you ever visit a foreign country, you would HOPE TO GOD they wouldn't treat you in a bad manner, and stop giving America, and Americans a bad name.. and a message to Extremist or radical PEOPLE claiming to be a Muslim or any other religion, stop blaming religion on your actions. The Qur'an or Bible or Torah did not tell you to kill innocent people in the name of God! and if you do this you WILL go to hell for going against Gods word and hurting innocent people which includes children!
Now I will leave you with some verses (surahs) from the Qur'an, and Hadith teachings (words of the prophet Mohammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa salam)


Whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. (Qur’an 5:32)


“Say: O people of the Book, do not be excessive in your religion.’” [Qur'an 4:171]


Rasul Allah (prophet Mohammad, for the people who dont know otherwise) (sal Allahu alaihi wa salam) said: “Beware of going to extremes (in religion), for those before you were only destroyed through excessiveness.” [An-Nasai]

Free Palestine!

So a friend of mine on Facebook has been posting all day about Palestine. we had an extensive conversation regarding what mainstream Americans know and dont know regarding this issue. So im curious. What DO you know? I know that my blog usually only goes as far as friends on Facebook, but if you happen to read this, could you please share by re-posting to your Facebook page?


Some really valid points were brought up during this internet conversation. First being most important because its so obvious yet people are ignoring it. HELLO! do you SEE how poor Palestine is? do you REALLY think they are the ones attacking Israel? First of all, if someone doesn't have food or water, you can imagine the only source to protect your family with is a couple of stones.. knowing the amount of money and resources that Israel has, do you HONESTLY believe that Palestinians are that crazy that they would actually start a fight with people who would tear them apart, literally? Highly doubt it.
Secondly, it was brought to my attention that I was ignorant at the fact that there was a difference between Zionists and mainstream Israeli Jews....I was informed that these acts of murder and torture they are inflicting on innocent people- yes, innocent CHILDREN even....are against the Jewish religion. So I thank my friend for educating me on such a topic that i usually really like to stay out of lol I do not like conflict that blows out of proportion (which doesnt always happen. I think it depends on the people in the conversation lol.)
In fact, it was also brought to my attention that Jews who know the truth speak out against these Zionist people. Then a video was posted that I had seen before.. A lecturer by the name of Norman Finkelstein stood up in front of an audience of Jewish youth and asked them to stop using the "holocaust card" and pointed out that if they had a heart, they would be crying for the innocent Palestinians...


I really feel sad for the Palestinian people. They just want to live, be free,  raise their children, and be at peace. I know many people who are unaware that Islam means Peace, and I know people doubt my word when I say that Muslims are not terrorists. But I will defend my brothers and sisters in Islam as long as I have to... at least until I am heard loud and clear. I am not ashamed of what, or who I am, and I know what it means to be Muslim and practice Islam. I would also like to point out that if you ever have any questions about Islam do not be afraid to ask any Muslim you see walking down the street. I will guarantee with my life they will stop and talk to you AND be happy to do it. What we DONT like, is when we are mocked. We take pride in our religion and we are happy to share, but poking fun at is not taken lightly... as would any other religious person from any religion.


So basically I want to know what you know, and what you dont know. I want you to comment as you wish, and keep in mind that I am NOT anti Jewish. i never was and never will be. I have Jewish family and friends whom I love dearly and know they are good people. and just like I would hate people to judge me for being a Muslim, I wouldn't ever judge anyone for being Jewish, or anything else for that matter. thats not my style. I hope you enjoy reading and hopefully people will be more educated.
DONT FORGET TO PLEASE SHARE MY BLOG BY REPOSTING IT ON YOUR WALL.

Ok, I get it, You're a better Muslim than me... Geez!!!

If you are anything like me, you "Like" every single Islamic page on Facebook in hopes of learning more and being guided the right way. I am pretty sure I am no longer going to be doing this lol.. I have found some really great pages that are so loving and willing to accept people the way they are, even people who are NOT Muslims join these pages because of the way they present themselves to others, and the nature of their posts are extremely beautiful and less than insulting in anyway to any person regardless of religion. Many pages love to spread the word of God and/or Hadiths to anyone who listens...
But it is those pages that will do anything to prove someone wrong, or answer questions in a demeaning way that I will be looking out for from now on. If I ask a question that I am really looking to have answered, I would rather be answered in a way that does not make me feel like I am inferior, or I am not a real Muslim..
I don't even bother to answer back, I just delete my question, and move on. But that being said, how can we know the "type" of  people who are running the pages before we "Like" them? truthfully, I'm not sure there is a way. 
I THOUGHT being a Muslim meant having patience with others, especially with other Muslims trying to get by, and living the best way they know how. I'm not bad, but I'm not perfect... I'm not overindulged with religion either...  I do what I think is best for both myself, and my family and I cant please everyone.


To me, being Muslim means submitting to God, obeying Him the best you can, and applying His word to your everyday life as much as you can (and of course, that includes the 5 pillars of Islam.) I struggle enough with my own self, I dont need more criticism from my peers. If anyone asks me for guidance with anything, I answer the best I can,  knowing that I do not hold any superior power over anybody else, and I surely DO NOT make anyone feel that way either. If I can answer a question, I do it in good faith. AND I always let that person know that they are not alone, and I, too, struggled with this situation (whatever it may be) in the past.


I will tell ya, Its not easy being a reverted Muslim.. most people expect you to just KNOW things, AND will likely give you a not-so-nice look if they do not approve.. and trust me, I get enough of those looks from non-Muslims for wearing hijab..(otherwise most people do not realize I am a Muslim unless I'm wearing one..)
Its like, no matter what I do I'm wrong.. or someone is always going to have a problem with me somehow. Cant you just let me be me!? If im a Muslim-American, then thats who I am.. If I was a crack whore, I'd get a lot LESS shit from people lol Ain't that the truth?!?!?!?..
Dont get me wrong, the majority of Muslims always accept me the way I am, and I love my peers and my elder Muslims very much. They have been more than helpful and accepting. I am mainly talking about the "holier-than-thou" people (Muslim and non-Muslim).
There is always room for improvement in every single person, so instead of picking on everyone else, why dont you just take a look at yourselves and try to change the "ugly" in you...(and I do not mean looks-wise).
AND THERES MY RANT FOR THE DAY!
Thank you for reading lol

First day covering

Alhamdullilah my first day back to covering full time went really well. I struggled a bit at home trying to see which style fit my face best. Then I sweat myself out of the first scarf (nerves)...lol..Then as soon as I was fed up with it all, I found one I was comfortable with and even hubby complimented the way it looked.


I stopped covering after 2 months of converting to Islam..I know it happens a lot with newly converted women, but my reasoning was a little shameful, to say the least. My husband wasnt used to me covering, and I was self conscious. Mind you, I was getting crap from friends and family members and I was just down about the whole situation..OH, and not to mention I had no idea how to pray, other than when hubby led the prayer so I felt there was no use in covering since I wasnt even praying as much as I should have been...Pathetic excuse? maybe...but I think I am comfortable now. 


So our family day went well. We took some clothing to the Mosque for needy families, and we will go back soon, Insha'ALLAH, to bring the rest of the clothes, and the food. Then we picked up Cora, our 4 1/2 yr old, from Pre-school, and took them shopping and to the park to play and ride bikes...and Aside from a scarf malfunction that happened in Wal-mart, it all worked out pretty well.Thank God. 


To top the night off, (after a small tiff between us...) Hubby and I put the kids to bed and talked over some good sheesha! So here's to our day, and to the covering I intend to do for the rest of my life INSHA'ALLAH!!!

today is....

Today is my first day covering again, insha'ALLAH.. I think I am going to base it on how today goes.. lets hope its better than NY lol

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and such...

Ok, so here's a good one. I was on Youtube the other day when I came across this video of the earthquake that just happened in Japan, and, of course, the Tsunami that came afterwards..(May ALLAH bless everyone that was affected by this terrible tragedy...) As the video played, i scrolled down to read the comments (which, in some cases, is a very bad idea depending on the topic) and it never fails, I always see people debating about God, whether He exists, and was He responsible for the natural disasters that rip apart countries, killing hundreds and/or thousands, or making them homeless and so forth..??
My response to the video was very much UNliked, as I was told to "FUCK OFF" because "God doesnt exist"...I'm sure you can imagine the things I wanted to spew at such an ignorant person, but instead I responded with "I feel really sorry for you"..
In my head, my response makes sense because its common sense (which many do not have lol)... Truth of the matter is, whether you believe in God or not, doesnt make a difference. These natural disasters are still going to happen, and if and when it happens in your country, or your state, I can bet my life you WISH you have believed in God all this time... But by then it might be too late. Gods Ayahs (proofs) are right in front of your eyes and you keep looking for other answers. And I get that. Some peoples minds cannot catch the concept of a higher power...but just because I understand, doesnt mean everyone else will.. OK as usual I am getting off topic now LOL...


My point here is this.. the majority of comments claimed it was due to natural disasters, and nothing to do with God, bc "God would never do that to innocent people"..(well ok then you must not have heard the story of Noahs (Nuh) ark, every religion has that story in their book)
My answer? 
"God has everything to do w natural disasters. everything that happens in this entire world AND MORE is due to Gods orders.and we dont have to question WHY He has done this, it was time for it to happen, thats all we, as humans, need to know..thats not ignorance, its knowledge of whats really happening before our eyes .I am not a religious nut, but am a firm believer that God is the shot-caller God isnt fantasy and disasters like this are His Ayahs (proofs) mashaALLAH"


So was I wrong? (in your own opinion, of course)I mean, I know I am right according to my religion, but what makes these people think that there is something much more powerful than God, that even HE couldn't stop this disaster from happening?

So, Its been a while.....

Assalam Aleikum everyone... Its been a long time. 2 1/2 years to be exact LOL. Well, a lot has changed in me, for one, I converted (or "reverted" for the politically correct) to Islam in September 2009 Alhamdulillah. Ummmmm... I had a second child.. Her name is Ayah, Masha'ALLAH! she is now almost 2 years old :) I have visited Egypt twice since my last posting, and I, personally, love it there. We (my family and I) have moved to another state and are now the happiest we have been in a long time, Masha'ALLAH.. and lots more, of course. So basically I am just updating you on what you can expect to hear about in future posts. I am a woman of a million rants so be prepared for a good read insha'ALLAH.
Peace and blessing for you and your families..
Danielle