Financial a n l u r

VOLUME 20 ISSUE 7 OCTOBER

NEW MISSION

NEW VISIION

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION’S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

NEW LOOK

contents

10

08

04 LITERARY PORTAL Rekindle your faith

06 CURRENT EVENTS What happens when a hero awakens?

ALLAH’S PHARMACY

Rooting back to a healthy, Sunnah lifestyle.

ADVICE

Do you really know the Quran?

OPINION

Reflections on slaughtering

staff This issue: a new ( out) look

editors-in-chief

Fatimah Waseem Mohammad Sharif

managing editor Hager El-Gendi

copy editors Bushrah Rahman Safaa Gharib Irsa Sarkawi Sheima Gimie

layout lead Sarah Tanveer

writers Farhan Shah Amir Shah Osama Eshera

photographer Omari Sefu

web manager Ahmed Rana

WE’RE NOW ONLINE !

alnur-umd.com

EMAIL US AT:

alnur@msaumd.org

How do you decide your major?

NEW! and victimization.

14

02

/omari sefu

Somaya Al-Badawi

Nosheen Hayat

message from

It’s hard to believe that nearly two thirds of the semes-ter have passed. We started off the year pitching a vision for a more relevant MSA -- one that more effectively served the student’s needs and creates a comfortable environment that nourishes their growth. In some cases, we’ve realized this vision. But in others, we still have some work to do. I want to highlight some of the things we’ve done so far and forecast what’s coming up in Novem-ber and December. To make this easier, I’ll give a quick overview of our organizational structure. The MSA is lead by an Executive Committee, better known as “cabinet,” that is comprised of myself, two vice presidents, a secretary, treasurer, Musallah affairs officer, and public affairs officer. Collectively, we are responsible for the development and growth of the organization from a birds-eye view. The more particular work is done by Ad Hoc Committees, better known by their specific names: educa-tion, sports & social, outreach, da’wah, Al-Nur, sisters, media, and marketing. Each committee is com-prised of several members whose work focuses on these particular spheres of MSA. Cabinet works closely with each of these committees to help them achieve their goals and piece them into the puz-zle of the larger MSA. On the educational front, our chaplain - Br. Tarif Shraim - has been leading weekly classes entitled “In the Shade of Allah” to help students better characterize and understand God. We’ve also held a weekly Quran study circle in which students read the Quran together -- sharing personal reflections and lessons. Br. Tarif also held two special sisters halaqah, called “Chats with the Chaplain” high-lighting major female figures and their contributions in Islamic history. Our media committee has rec-orded and uploaded all these programs to YouTube for all to benefit from. Finally, we took a breath-taking retreat to Great Falls, MD in hopes of reconnecting with God and reflecting on His majestic creation. Our social activities have ranged from the fall barbeque with 150 attendees to an ice cream social to a lunch at Elevation Burger. The sisters committee has and continues to plan various programs catering to sisters’ social interests. We hope these events have served to build more well-rounded relationships and foster cohesion among MSA members. After all, it's the friendships that last the longest and have the greatest impact on our lives. These two areas have formed the crux of our internal programs and we’ve had about 150 - 175 students involved in them. But there are thousands of Muslim students on campus -- the majority of whom feel quite distant from the MSA. Our outreach committee aims to more effectively engage the-se students. So far we’ve done this through community service volunteering with Food Recovery Net-work and through networking with other student groups. Outreach committee has several upcoming programs that will more directly work towards this goal. Our da’wah team aims to educate the campus community on Islam and Muslim issues. To do this, they provide training for Muslim students interested in serving as ambassadors of the faith to teach them some key skills for effective da’wah. These students then staff a twice-weekly Islam information table outside of Stamp during lunch hours. In the next few weeks, the da’wah committee will be hosting some interfaith events to teach more students about our beloved faith. Given all these different programs and happenings in the MSA, the biggest challenge we face is connecting all the dots to make for a more cohesive experience. This is done by offering students dynamic opportunities for growth - such as creative expression through Al-Nur -- but also through involvement on the organizational side of MSA. I believe that students who work hard to make the MSA better will walk away with a far more fulfilling experience. So, we want to make the chance for this open to all. There are many opportunities to get involved with one of our committees. But some-times students aren’t quite ready to focus into one particular area just yet. So if you’re interested in being a part of an MSA-wide program, here’s your shot! Over the coming weeks, we’ll be planning an event called the “Muslim Monologues” in which Mus-lim students share with each other and the campus community their individual journey of faith. This event is truly comprehensive in that it serves our educational, social, outreach, and da’wah goals and is a great chance to see different parts of the MSA in action.

the president

editors-in-chief

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alnur@msaumd.org

03

`Have you ever had to live off of $30 a week, or $4.30 a day? Well, that is exactly what many students in HLTH471 (Women’s Health) did from October 10 to 15, including myself. The Food Stamp Challenge (FSC) is a project sponsored by Maryland Hunger Solutions, an organization that strives to raise awareness about and eradicate food insecurity in Maryland. This project is meant to have people experience what it would be like to live off of food stamps, as many low-income families already do on a daily basis. The rules of the project were simple in word, but challenging in practice: one must spend $30 on everything they eat and drink for the entire week, except for spices and condiments, and they cannot accept free food from anybody or else they will have to deduct it from their $30. The participants in my class had to write about their daily experiences on a class blog, accessible here: http://umdfoodstampchallenge.edublogs.org/. The Food Stamp Challenge was a new ex-perience for me, one that brought about reflections and realizations that can only be felt when I placed myself in this situation.

One of the things I realized was how different the FSC was from fasting because it is a simulation of living on a low income. When one is fasting, the main goal is to please Allah (SWT) and get closer to Him spiritually by putting our physical needs on hold for a number of hours. Having hunger pangs throughout the day can defi-nitely make you empathize with those that are less fortunate than yourself, but these feelings of empathy may not last after Maghrib and until Fajr because you have the liberty to eat whatever you want during that time. On the other hand, the FSC is an around-the-clock experience. Regardless of whether it is Dhuhr or midnight, the amount of food you can buy with your $4.30 is what you’re stuck with for 24 hours, until the next day when you can buy something else.

This experience made me realize what people who live on a low income experience on a daily basis. For exam-ple, I had to plan what I will buy to make sure I didn’t go hungry, which is not something I normally do. Also, because I was struggling to support just myself, I gained a better understanding of what it would be like to sup-port a family on a small budget. However, I also realized the true meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (s) that roughly translates as, “Whoever of you wakes up safe in his environment, healthy in his body, *and+ has his sus-tenance for his day, then it is as if the world has come to him.” I felt a certain sweetness that came from living frugal for a week, and a happiness that came from being successful at making the most of the little money I had. I realized that I could still have almost all of the food I needed with a couple dollars, and that my needs are more basic than I think they are. So despite the challenges, this project was a wonderful experience because of the new perspective it provided me with.

living on $4.30

a day

By Safaa Gharib

04

Fusion is what powers the sun Fission is the driving force of the atomic bomb Fusion gives life and in the end makes us one Fission takes away life and brings havoc to Islam As we let go of our ego, the I needs to become we Annihilate the I and become truly aware, Ya Hakim The essence of matter is vibrations of light We are the rays as Allah (SWT) is the sun Ya Allah, Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim Al-Wadud Al-Karim We are all deeply connected eternally; not just from birth As we tune in our frequencies Allah and each other Fusion will occur in our hearts and we will find our worth Love is from the infinite and will remain upon eternity Ya Allah, Ar Rahman Ar Rahim Al Wadud Al Karim We are pleading to finally know your treasure Through reflection and invocation of the divine name We open the secret and light in our hearts without measure Hafiz says, “Once I was a tethered falcon but now I can fly.”

My ruh cries out in anguish as it is tormented by a nafs that has never truly repented. How long have I been a slave of my own ego? Shackled in bondage, waiting for a hero to rescue me from my own whims and desires, unaware that soon I will burn in the fires of my own choosing and will. Still, I can see the task at hand. Evil has transgressed and poisoned the land; my qalb burns in darkness, under siege. Has not the time come to bow to your Liege and recognize what you bore witness to: We hear and we obey You and only You. The days of anger, lust and greed need pass away. For Al-Mustafa urged fasting to keep the desires at bay; and if I were to heed his blessed admonition and advice, indeed divine mercy would wash away all that is vice. Yet, the path lays bare before you oh Farhan! Lose and find yourself anew in Nur-ul-Quran.

TAZKIAH

Fission

a day

By Sizar ( published at request of some anonymity )

By Farhan Shah

portal l i t e r a r y

05

On October 9, a 15-years-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, was targeted by the Taliban for standing up against ignorance and promoting women’s education rights. The Taliban boarded a bus full of children and shot Yousafzai twice, injuring two others. Ehsanulla Ehsan, chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack, describing the girl as “the symbol of the infi-dels and obscenity” and that if she survived, they would target her again. Yousafzai was quickly moved to an inten-sive care unit and has since been recovering. By October 18, Malala was able to write notes to communicate and stand up for the first time since her attack. The global com-munity rejoiced. Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari said. “Miracles of today: Malala able to stand” and a Canadian writer Irshad Manji tweeted, “So listen up world; Miracle Malala has more 2 say.” Although doctors say Yousafzai is not out of the woods yet, they are optimistic about her recovery. Malala thanked people all over the world for their interest and support during these difficult days.

A Symbol of Defiance

In 2009 Taliban fighters swept through Malala’s hometown of Swat in northwestern Pakistan. She was 11 years old and had dreams of becoming a doctor. Upon oc-cupation, the Taliban restricted women and girls from attending school or getting any sort of education. Malala’s father ran one of the last schools to defy Taliban orders. The school was eventually forced to close and the

Yousafzai family was forced to flee to Abbottabad, the town where Osama bin Laden was killed last year. After Pakistani military raids, an uneasy peace settled over the region with a large military presence and it was then that Malala began speaking out publicly for children’s rights. In 2011, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize and later was awarded the first Na-tional Youth Peace Prize in Pakistan. Following her experiences, Malala decided she would rather become a politician, instead of a doctor, and bring about positive change. She led a delegation of children’s rights activists, sponsored by UNICEF, which made presen-tations to provincial politicians in Peshawar. “We found her to be very bold, and inspired every one of us,” said an-other student in the group.

Importance of Education

Malala Yousafzai had a passion for education, and rightfully so. In Islam’s early history there were many prominent, educated women that helped the Ummah grow and prosper. Most notably so was Aisha (ra), the wid-ow of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet (s) himself told his followers to “take half of your religion from Aisha” in order to demonstrate how knowledgeable she was. After his death, Aisha (ra) spent the rest of her life relaying the sayings of the Prophet (s) and meanings of the Quran. Her

authority and opinions strongly influenced Islamic personal and legal traditions.

It should not come as a surprise that though the 14th and 15th centuries, women in particular excelled in reli-gious scholarship. It is not difficult to find examples of the-se women in Muslim history. Ibn Hajar, a prominent jurist from the 15th century, attributed much of his learning to his female professors. His student, al-Sakhawi, dedicated an entire volume of his encyclopedic biographical work on famous scholars to women alone. Education in Islam is not limited by gender. The Prophet (s) himself said, “Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer”*Ibn Majah+.

Malala’s situation serves as a reminder that there are many people out there who have forgotten this aspect Is-lamic history. She is a reminder that perhaps a push for education is what the Muslim world needs right now, to be reminded that our people are not behind, that the first word revealed in Islam was “Iqra! *Read!+”. To be remind-ed that, in fact, there was a time where every believer did seek knowledge, a time where Muslims were the leading experts in technology, mathematics, biology, and chemis-try.

Perhaps it is these people that opposed Malala that need an education the most.

A Hero Awakens

By Amir Shah

MALALA YOUSAFZAI: A LESSON FOR ALL

06

On October 9, a 15-years-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, was targeted by the Taliban for standing up against ignorance and promoting women’s education rights. The Taliban boarded a bus full of children and shot Yousafzai twice, injuring two others. Ehsanulla Ehsan, chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack, describing the girl as “the symbol of the infi-dels and obscenity” and that if she survived, they would target her again. Yousafzai was quickly moved to an inten-sive care unit and has since been recovering. By October 18, Malala was able to write notes to communicate and stand up for the first time since her attack. The global com-munity rejoiced. Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari said. “Miracles of today: Malala able to stand” and a Canadian writer Irshad Manji tweeted, “So listen up world; Miracle Malala has more 2 say.” Although doctors say Yousafzai is not out of the woods yet, they are optimistic about her recovery. Malala thanked people all over the world for their interest and support during these difficult days.

A Symbol of Defiance

In 2009 Taliban fighters swept through Malala’s hometown of Swat in northwestern Pakistan. She was 11 years old and had dreams of becoming a doctor. Upon oc-cupation, the Taliban restricted women and girls from attending school or getting any sort of education. Malala’s father ran one of the last schools to defy Taliban orders. The school was eventually forced to close and the

Yousafzai family was forced to flee to Abbottabad, the town where Osama bin Laden was killed last year. After Pakistani military raids, an uneasy peace settled over the region with a large military presence and it was then that Malala began speaking out publicly for children’s rights. In 2011, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize and later was awarded the first Na-tional Youth Peace Prize in Pakistan. Following her experiences, Malala decided she would rather become a politician, instead of a doctor, and bring about positive change. She led a delegation of children’s rights activists, sponsored by UNICEF, which made presen-tations to provincial politicians in Peshawar. “We found her to be very bold, and inspired every one of us,” said an-other student in the group.

Importance of Education

Malala Yousafzai had a passion for education, and rightfully so. In Islam’s early history there were many prominent, educated women that helped the Ummah grow and prosper. Most notably so was Aisha (ra), the wid-ow of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet (s) himself told his followers to “take half of your religion from Aisha” in order to demonstrate how knowledgeable she was. After his death, Aisha (ra) spent the rest of her life relaying the sayings of the Prophet (s) and meanings of the Quran. Her

authority and opinions strongly influenced Islamic personal and legal traditions.

It should not come as a surprise that though the 14th and 15th centuries, women in particular excelled in reli-gious scholarship. It is not difficult to find examples of the-se women in Muslim history. Ibn Hajar, a prominent jurist from the 15th century, attributed much of his learning to his female professors. His student, al-Sakhawi, dedicated an entire volume of his encyclopedic biographical work on famous scholars to women alone. Education in Islam is not limited by gender. The Prophet (s) himself said, “Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer”*Ibn Majah+.

Malala’s situation serves as a reminder that there are many people out there who have forgotten this aspect Is-lamic history. She is a reminder that perhaps a push for education is what the Muslim world needs right now, to be reminded that our people are not behind, that the first word revealed in Islam was “Iqra! *Read!+”. To be remind-ed that, in fact, there was a time where every believer did seek knowledge, a time where Muslims were the leading experts in technology, mathematics, biology, and chemis-try.

Perhaps it is these people that opposed Malala that need an education the most.

courtesy illustration

07

Nosheen Hayat Senior, Dietetics

WORDS: 725

ART: COOL COVER FLOW OF UNHEALTHY FOOD SPELLING OUT LETTERS

TAGLINE: “

CONNECTING BACK TO OUR ROOTS ( LITERALLY )

photo by al-nur staff

When you think about the word deen - what comes to your mind? An immediate answer I would prob-ably give is: salah, Quran, and etiquette. Even as a nutri-tion major, it took much training on my part to incorpo-rate things like a healthy diet, exercise, and mental health within my definition of deen. In order to reflect on the deeper, less obvious, meanings of this word, we have to learn to step back and reevaluate our understanding of Islam and our journey of life as Muslims.

All of us come from different backgrounds, cultur-al and financial. We have grown up eating a variety of different foods and dishes, some we have come to des-pise and others we can’t wait to go home on Friday eve-nings to devour. Then there are some of us who have spent our childhood struggling with food security and have just recently begun to understand what the feeling of satiety is. Regardless of our past or present, we have all sustained a relationship with food and always will.

Now the question is, how can we take this ever-lasting relationship and turn it into a means of worshiping our Beloved Creator, Allah (SWT? In Islam, good health is considered a blessing - most of us can easily regurgitate the hadith of the Prophet (s), “ask God for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health” *Tirmidhi+. However, very few of us understand what exactly this hadith entails and more importantly, how we can practice this knowledge.

In the Quran, Allah (SWT) encourages us to “eat the lawful and good things out of what is in the earth” (2:168). The definition of “lawful” is clear, as de-fined by our scholars. However, we should take the step to reflect on this verse and the daily choices we make about the foods we eat. How many of us, before purchas-ing food, truly reflect on the following question: how can this food I am eating grant me shifaa’? Does one have to be physically ill in order to heal? Not necessarily. Healing of the heart and mind is a renowned idea within Islam, and so too within the world of nutrition and health. The foods we eat as well as the amount of time we set aside

for ourselves to engage in physical activity and to de-stress is directly linked to the state of our minds and hearts.

For example, the amount of exercise we get influ-ences the release of endorphins, otherwise known as happy hormones. That is why many doctors will recom-mend incorporating routine exercise to patients who deal with depression. Furthermore, every fruit and vegetable has its very own healing characteristic. For example, or-anges are high in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and your ability to fight infections. Furthermore, in many studies, vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage have been linked to prevention of cancer by car-rying out protective activities, like preventing your DNA from getting damaged.

Subhanallah! Isn’t it absolutely amazing how Allah (SWT) has so intricately woven every single thing in our universe? We are all connected to the earth we inhabit. Allah (SWT) has created every single cell in our body and designed it with the most amazing details that it is almost unfathomable. And above this mercy, He has created a system around us that we can live alongside with and strive in - He has provided us with everything we need to nourish our physical and spiritual selves.

Just ponder: everything around us is designed, purposely, to bring us back to our Creator, The Most Ex-alted. So how can we leave our health out of this equa-tion? Isn’t our sole purpose on this earth simply to Wor-ship Allah (SWT)? Worship is not limited to the amount of sajdaat we make or the amount of ayat we memorize. Worship can be anything that makes your heart acknowledge and love the only one worthy of praise. And your relationship with food and the physical health of your body is one of many ways you can fulfill this pur-pose. To lead a healthy lifestyle, to maintain a healthy deen, is to acknowledge the blessings Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon us. And among the innumerable, one is our health.

CONNECTING BACK TO OUR ROOTS ( LITERALLY )

HEALTH ADVICE WITH A SUNNAH-TWIST By Nosheen Hayat

09

She then asked me if I could understand

She asked if I could read Arabic…

what I was reading.

Some of us are taught to learn to read Arabic as young children so that we may be able to recite the Quran once we reach a certain age. I strongly sup-port this notion. It is important to read the Quran in its original form, unaffected and free from transitional errors that fre-quently occur when converting from one language to another. However, what if you cannot understand what you are reading? Is the mere action of reading the Holy Quran in Arabic form enough for one to gain a deep appreciation for Gods words? One day, as I was reading the Quran, my friend asked me a simple but intriguing question. She asked if I could read Arabic - I confidently told her yes. She then asked me if I could understand what I was reading. To my surprise, I could not an-swer that question. From that point onward I asked myself that same question - did I really understand the Quran and its teachings?

That same afternoon I opened the English Quran and found myself fully immersed in the beauty of the words before me. Every single verse seemed to be eye opening. I was starting to irrevocably under-standing the true beauty of Islam and I found myself contemplating on the words of Allah (SWT) as well as wanting to learn more about my religion. Fast forward a few years later and I feel like I have a better appreciation of my religion and purpose in life. I am not saying that the English translation is by any means a replacement for the original Arabic texts, but for one to understand the basic concepts behind the Quran, it is a good source of knowledge. I urge readers to invest time into understanding the beauty behind the Quran. After all, it is one of the few tangible things that we have from Allah (SWT). It would be a shame for us not to take full advantage of this tangible blessing that He has sent down for us to read, but more importantly, understand.

BEYOND

By Sarah Tanveer

photo by al-nur staff

I used to wonder why my university, The University of Maryland, emphasized schools more than the majors themselves. For the community colleges I have attended, it was different; there was just one major that defined you. Now I realize that each school essentially offers something unique for each individu-al. For example, if someone is more mathematically inclined, they can go with the standard route and study Mathematics. However, they can opt to study Mathe-matics Education in the College of Education, or Operations Management at the Business School, Cognitive Neuroscience in the School of Biological Sciences, study Computational Linguistics at the School of Linguistics, Engineering, Computer Sci-ence, and a myriad of other things. The same breadth of opportunities also exist for people who are hands-on, socially-oriented, or creative-minded. The difference, therefore, lies in the school within the university. This is especially true given each individual university’s structure. The first two years are mainly de-voted to general humanities and mathematics as well as dabbling in some inter-esting prerequisites. In the third year, you take one course in each of the majors in the school to find out more about them, and understand the relationship each ma-jor has with one another. It’s only in the final year of the undergraduate experience that most schools actually get to teaching the classes in your major. I noticed that it’s more about the world that you are entering than the actual topic at hand. I have found these three questions to be most apt in deciding your school and major: 1. How is that you wish to change the world? 2. How do you wish your worldview to be oriented? 3. How is it that you wish to be perceived? Knowing which world you plan to enter - whether it be a world of writers, teachers, artists, executives, doctors, or geeks - as well as defining what your pinnacle of suc-cess in that world will be, will help you to determine the answers to these questions, and consequently your major.

How is it that you wish to change the world?

THE DRAGON ENTER

By Arif Kabir

photo by al-nur staff 11

the msa

in focus

FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK

GREAT FALLS FIELD TRIP reconnecting with nature

WELCOME BACK DINNER a new slate begins

reinvesting in our own

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things because we are al-

ways in fear of the drones

hovering over us, and it re-

Pakistan is a country where the majority of people are still striving for basic necessities. I remember growing up in a better and much more prosperous Pakistan than it stands today. Yet, I also witnessed violent days when the country was struck by extreme chaos. Each time I come back from Pakistan, I’m asked to step outside of the regular security checkpoint for a thorough baggage and background check. It always comes as a hard hit.I can’t argue with them nor can I even explain to them that I have a connecting flight to Mary-land, simply because I am a Muslim, a Pakistani and that my name is Mohammad. Many of us are not aware about millions of killing of inno-cent people around the world in the name of “War on Ter-ror,” which prevent us from empathizing those killed in drone strikes. I will not elaborate on the causes of these kill-ings, but I am concerned of the brutal killing of innocent chil-dren, men and women. The media - all over the world - are also biased in its reporting about the incidence of killing of people in Pakistan since 9/11, I believe. It was around two years back when the attacks in Mumbai had been reported blaming Pakistani terrorist groups for those attacks. Not only that, but the amount of time and coverage to that particular event was lengthy and thorough. A good example of biased media reporting is the Arab Spring and the recent condition in Syria. Both of these events have been covered to great extent in American media, due to their own interests. One of the recent examples of biased media reporting is the case of Malala Yousafzai. I am not denying the fact that these events are as heavily important as many others and should be reported, but not on the oth-er hand killing of innocent people through drone strikes should also be reported fairly. which are not killed by the “Taliban or other terrorist groups.” The question I want to raise is why isn’t the killing of inno-cent children through drone attacks are reported to the same extent. As a matter of fact - they are never even re-ported for most of the time. According to the Bureau of In-vestigative Journalism, the data showed that drone strikes in Pakistan killed 2,562-3,325 people from June 2004 through September 2012. Out of which 474-881 were civilians, in-cluding 176 children. An additional 1,228-1,362 individuals were either unidentified or had no criminal records. “The number of “high-level” targets killed as a percentage of total casualties is extremely low—estimated at just 2%;” this is according to the living under drones’ official website. The

study also reveals the fact that this is only turning Pakistani civilians against US and its allies. It further suggests that me-dia should not be using the word “militants” for all of the killing through drone attacks as it accounts only for a very low number of targets killed. Other significant reports from South Asia Terrorism portal shows that fatalities of terrorism killed 44,209 people that include 14,550 civilians and 4,696 security personnel. This accounts for 5,283 deaths in the year 2012 and 11,704 being the highest number of deaths in the year 2009. This in gen-eral accounts for all killings that are either done through drone or suicide attacks. Faheem Qureshi is another student from Waziristan, Paki-stan who reported to the team of living under drones. “It has affected our education adversely, of course... We cannot learn things because we are always in fear of the drones hovering over us, and it really scares the small kids who go to school,” Qureshi said. I will now leave us all with the thought of thinking about this major issue. As students, this is the right time to investigate, research, and look for other options as a major source of our information. By doing this, we will not only be able to cor-rectly make decisions but it will also help us explore the truth and equally share our voice in the mainstream media and politics. An anonymous person reported to the team of living under drones: “My mom has been extremely depressed after my father’s death- every drone that flies over reminds her of him. The drone that killed my father has also adversely affected by mother’s hearing capability,” Another reason of choosing this topic is to make sure that all of us - including myself - do research to avoid being biased, which leads us to biased practice. The responsibility as am-bassadors of other Muslim brothers and sisters that is be-stowed upon us by Allah (SWT) requires us to stop an evil deed either by using hand (power or authority), tongue (speaking or protesting), or at least declaring it as an evil act within our hearts.

We all disown and condemn acts of brutality by tyrant lead-ers like Bashar al-Assad, or acts of trying to kill an innocent girl Malala by the Taliban. At the same time, it’s our respon-sibility to condemn and protest against drone attacks that are killing thousands of innocent people in countries like Pakistan.

THE VICTIMIZATION OF INNOCENCE?

By Mohammad Arsalanullah Sharif

a

This time last year, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, I went to a local farm with my father and younger brother to observe the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad and sacrifice a sheep. I re-member being excited because I was finally getting the chance to perform a tradition of high esteem and reward that I had never before experienced. I also looked forward to participating in and seeing firsthand the process of acquiring the food that I would otherwise simply pick up from a supermarket without much thought to its origin or the process through which it arrived at the store shelf. Between the perceived religious benefit and personal growth, I knew this would be quite an interesting experience. And it was, but in a very different way. We arrived at the farm right before the post-Eid prayer rush and for the first few animals, the process seemed to be fair – the animals were treated with re-spect and given their due rights as creations of God. But this quickly changed. As time went on, the crowds grew, the Muslims who just spent the morning praying to God started becoming impatient, the knives got dull, the butchers required several strokes to kill, the animals were not cooperating, and worst of all: the screaming.

The sheep started refusing to be herded, and as people would attempt to fetch a sheep it would bolt in the opposite di-rection, causing them to became frustrated. Some started grab-bing the sheep by their wool and dragging them to the slaughter pen. Others forged a rope, tied it around the sheep’s neck, and yanked it along. All the while, the animals were yelling and screaming – fighting for their lives. Those sheep knew exactly what was about to happen.

I was horrified. No matter how many halal or zabiha cer-tifications were posted on their walls, I knew what was happening in that place was not something that would please the Most Gra-cious and Most Merciful. I walked out, wanting no part in the cru-

elty that I saw happening in the name of the tradition of our be-loved Prophet. If this was happening at a small-scale, locally owned farm, I could not even imagine animal treatment at large factory farms where the demand to be met is multiplied many fold.

When I got home, I decided I could not ethically condone such treatment of animals and decided I would boycott meat un-less I slaughtered it myself or witnessed it happen. Ever since then, my views have evolved to become more comprehensive, coherent, and consistent. In principle, I believe animals are rational, emotional, and com-

petent creations of God who spend their days worshiping him

better than we could even dream of. As such, animals ought to be

treated with the highest level of respect and dignity. Our shared

relationship with God warrants a deeper, more meaningful con-

nection with all animals. Unfortunately, the majority of animal

product manufacturers take a very mechanistic, utilitarian ap-

proach to animals that is cruel and unethical.

That experience was perhaps the single most important and

pivotal moment in my college career. Though change happens

gradually, I walked away recognizing the imperative to be more

deliberate about the decisions I make and conscious of the im-

pact they have beyond just myself. To do this, we each need to

develop a personal philosophy on everything we consume -- not

just food. For the record, I’m not questioning the traditions of the

Prophet or the command of God to eat from the provisions he’s

furnished on this earth. I am simply advocating for the implemen-

tation of logic, objectivity, and ethics in following our faith.

consumerism a revelationary experience

By Mohammad Arsalanullah Sharif

By Osama Eshera

courtesy art

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