First Muslim woman to pose nude for German Playboy

I want to share an article about the first Muslim to pose nude for a German playboy.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/first-turkish-muslim-model-strips-for-playboy/
article1-687873.aspx.

Now read this article http://www.islamtimes.org/vdcaooni.49n0a1gtk4.html
Which one came first, the egg or the chiken? and is there a happy medium?
Instead of exposing all or hide all?

Islam advocates the middle but where are we now? On the other hand a first Muslim posing for playboy should take the heat off the first Muslim sexual memorist.
Samara

Sharia law is for Muslims only!

There is evidence in Koran that Sharia law is meant to be used only for Muslims. To even suggest using any part of Sharia law to non-Muslims is to go against the intent of the Sharia itself as prescribed by Allah.

Read verse 48, from Surah 5:

“ And we have revealed to you the book in truth confirming that which predeeded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you, We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah Willed, He Would have made you one nation but to test you in what He has given you; so race to good. To Allah your return all together, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.” Surah 5, verse 48

Another verse which illustrates that God is the only judge for non- Muslims
is Surah 45, verse 17. Actually we should read from verse 16 &17
" And we did certainly give the children of Israel the Scripture and judgment and prophethood, and we provided them with good things and preferred them over the worlds." verse 16
" And We gave them clear proofs of the matter. And they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them. Indeed your Lord will judge between them on the day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ. "

Additionally to define Jihad as convert people to Islam is also a false notion. The duty of Muslims is to stay Muslims not to convert others to Islam.

Samara

When the veil drops is the first sexual memoir by an Arab Muslim

There was a question in Yahoo ask about my book:" When the veil drops"?
Here is the answer :When the veil drops is the first sexual memoir by an Arab Muslim. It was published on June 1, 2010. It is available for purchase on Amazon. com.You can actually look inside and read few pages. I am proud to call it my book.

Last week,I received a message from a Saudi woman who read my book. She told me that she is a closet fan of my book and that she rails against me and my book in front of her friends. She went through a lot of trouble to locate and contact me. Of course,she could not befriend me on facebook.

I was very happy to receive her message. I actually answered her that there is no such thing as bad publicity. I assured her that I understand why she has to be an enemy of the book. I live here in The US and I am American. I can afford to be outspoken. I asked her to feel free about becoming the enemy of my book. The book needs a good fake enemy:) She just need to stop though before a Fatwa on my head.

To reach at least one Saudi woman is a privilege. Now I know that there are nine Saudi women who read my book and told each other how they hate it. I posted the reason why I wrote my book when the veil drops on December 4th, 2010 and you can read it if you missed it. However, receiving a message from a fan who has to denounce me in public is worth all the trouble of having the book published.

The new enemy of the book is a smart, twenty five years old educated Saudi woman and I am very privileged to become her internet friend. I am very thankful for my friend who purchased my book and gave it away to women in Saudi and of  course keeping my identity secret. I joke with my friend saying that she became a drug dealer who gave my drug/book for free.

Samara


Samara

The debate about American Muslim women wearing the veil continues

I talked about the ban in France. I talked about wearing the veil in general. However,the experience of American Muslim women wearing the veil  in American educaion system happens to be the topic of my doctoral dissertation. That is the reason why I avoided talking about it. After one year of qualitative research, I have an appointment with my professor on Thursday and I am considering the possibility of switching topic.

I started without any prejudice or assumption to allow the women to talk and give me their experience. However, I truly believed deep down that once it is privileged information my participants would talk about how they were forced to wear the veil and how it impacted their lives. Well, I was proven wrong.

It is silly to discuss early results on a blog and my professor thankfully does not know about my blog so here it is, American Muslim women to whom I talked and interviewed viewed the veil as part of their identities and they were Not forced to wear it.

A participant told me: “Islam is a way of life and that is how I choose to live my life.”

A number of them were afraid to be forced to remove it one day. This is Not my personal view but rather what I found from Muslim American women.

Wearing the veil is their right and Islamic duties which they chose to exercise.
 My appointment is on Thursday, all in favor of me switching topic say I

Umdat Al Salik

The question was asked. I interviewed my good friend Moustafa who happens to be an Egyptian professor of law.

What would say about Umdat Al Salik  as a book to someone who never heard about it?

-          First, it is called Umdat Al salik and Umdat Al Nasik. The author is Ahmed Ibn Lou Lou Ibn Abdel Allah Alrumi.  His father was a Christian from Rome. He was born in Egypt and become a Faqiih ( an expert in faqih). The book is one of the several books in Faqih ruling in the Shafi school.

What is the significance of the book?
The book summarizes the rulings in Imam Shafi school. The author announced himself that the only significance is that he used two important scholars as reference: Al Nawawi and Arafi.

Is there any other historical special value attached to the book?
Well, the author is considered Sufi. The book was used by Sufis to show that there is no contradiction between being a Sufi and being a Muslim. You know it helped them facing Wahabists.

As you see from the answers I received, Muslims can not ignore Umdat Al Salik as it is the compilation of rulings in Shafi School. I will answer any question you send my way. If I do not know the answer, I will find it. Special Thanks goes to professor Moustafa.

France ban on Burqas covering the face

 I read a discussion on the ban in the Huffington post. The discussion of the topic focused on liberty and covering the head custom or religion. By the way, I believe it is both. Islam came to people who practiced wearing a head covering as social distinction. Only a free woman could wear a veil. Ironic but it protected her from harsh weather and street harassment.

My comment on Huffington post:

The topic of the debate went the wrong way. France did not ban a traditiona­l Islamic attire. It did not ban Hijab (covering the hair). The ban is against burqas covering the face. Burqas covering the face are not part of an Islamic attire. It is rather an extremist Islamic attire. It is an extremist outfit, think of it as wearing a Halloween outfit all year round. Scary stuff?

Here is the proof of Hijab in Koran
Surah 24 An-Nu verse 31 explains: “ And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessaril­y appears thereof and to wrap a portion of their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except for their husbands, their fathers, their husbands….­” The verse is long so I am only quoting a part.
There is also evidence from Hadith that the prophet (May peace be upon him) instructed a family covering their daughters to show her face and her hands up to the wrist ( Alwajah wa Al kafeen).

Even in Muslim countries, those who choose to wear burqas covering the face are extremists Muslims. I encourage all western countries to put a similar ban for security reasons: who is behind the veiled faces. If you do not want to ban it in the US, at least follow these women and find out what are their male family members doing in their spare time.

Yemen, a chess game gone mad

Have you ever seen a chess board with every piece playing for itself?
I am following the situation in Yemen closely. The reports from all the different sources are just alarming.  Saleh's tribal confederation at war within itself. The defection of  commander Ali Muhsin Al-Ahmar is probably the first real strike against Saleh. With tribes loyality to Al- Ahmar a possible full blown confrontation is a plausible scenario.  I wish that we can get a behind the seen look at the closed doors negotiation. I fear a bloody civil war and what would happen if the south decided on its independence?

I believe that Yemen might exceed all other Arab countries in revolt in numbers of killing of innocents.

Why does history repeat itself?

Uthman (Third Caliph/successor of the prophet) was hacked to pieces by his opposition. That marked the beginning of Caliphite of Ali

Ali (Fourth Caliph) was killed stepping out of the mosque. That marked the beginning of the rule of Umayyads.

Hussein was massacred by the Umayyads. That breathed a new life into the Shia sect.

Marwan (The fourteen and last Umayyads Caliph) was decapitated which marked the beginning of Abbasid. Twelve thousand troops of Umayyads were destroyed by the hands of their Muslim brothers the Abbasids.

In our Islamic history change in power is tied to violence. Could it be that we do not read our history?