Dervish

During the time I was away, you have been listening to the song Dervish by Iranian singer Shakila. She's a well known singer of the younger generation and is also famous for singing very spiritual songs often to the words of the poet Rumi. She is yet to be able to perform in Iran, so most of the concerts take place in the States where she lives.

Dervish

My Lord, help me not to neglect You

My Lord, help me, not to be a stranger and a beggar

Help me, the book of my heart be filled with love

Help me, not to be a piece of false paper

~

Chorus: In Your company, I am a monk, sacrificing me

I am the least valuable of all people, sacrificing me

~

As a bent branch of heaviness, I am full of desire

My Lord, what would I do, if I would not turn to You?

My monk’s heart, this evident wealth of fidelity,

which is Your munificent verse, how can I not be descended?

~

Chorus: In Your company, I am a monk, sacrificing me

I am the least valuable of all people, sacrificing me

~

I am only one drop and You are the beach of Life’s Ocean

I am less than nothing if I won’t be joined to You

My Lord the most precious result of my life is my heart

Help me not to be ashamed of my life’s result

~

Chorus: In Your company, I am a monk, sacrificing me

I am the least valuable of all people, sacrificing me

With many thanks to Hlejac's mother for translating it for me.

The Ostrich

In Arabic poetry since the pre-Islamic era, mention of the ostrich would spark different thoughts to the reader well versed in the contemporary linguistic context of that time. The early Bedouins regarded the ostrich as being related to the camel (it is also interesting to note the scientific name for ostrich being Struthio Camelus- sparrow camel), and at that time ostriches were ridden by desert ogres.

The Arabic saying to ride the wing of an ostrich meant to devote yourself wholeheartedly to something (perhaps inspired from the way one rides on ostrich, by holding on to its wings, and the fact that ostriches are difficult to saddle and have an ill temper thus riding them would have required dedication). At the same time, the ostrich symbolized cowardice (the popular myth about sticking its head in the sand when sensing danger). That analogy was used likening the retreat of the Byzantine emperor to an ostrich by the famous Arab poet al-Mutanabbi.

In the English language Ostrich is also the noun for a person who tries to avoid disagreeable situations by refusing to face them.

I find there to be something extremely profound over the ostrich. Its eyes are larger than its brain. It's a bird created with wings, yet it cannot fly...

Foot and Farewell

The past weeks have been extremely eventful over here. The whole of last week was spent in hospital with my father and then I injured my foot and have been hopping around the place with a crutch.

I have to say one foot makes all the difference. Takes me forever to get anywhere!

I'll be off for a much needed get away, and wish you all health and happiness.

-Shaykhspeara

..."O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favors, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee...

Chapter 27, Verse 19
The Quran

Don't use your "Instinct"

According to a study done by Greenpeace* on the potentially harmful contents of certain perfumes, the spray deodorant Instinct by David Beckham apparently contains high levels of the substance DEHP. A substance that within the EU is forbidden to use in cosmetic products due to the risk of negatively affecting fertility and damaging the testicles...

...I think it's fair to say that "Becks" probably doesn't use his own products.


* As stated in an article in the Swedish newspaper Expressen 060620

Salam

And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "peace!";

Chapter 25, verse 63
The Quran

*The Arabic word for peace is salam.

Opposites Explain

I often get the question why young people who once had no religion, or very little of it could go from that to an extreme interpretation of religion like we see across the world more and more these days. It is seldom youth who are brought up in a balanced home in terms of religious identity who fall for extremism. It is often young men and women who have no reference at home in terms of religious identity (besides the five pillar talk they got when they were 8 in Quran school) who fall for the simplistic and twisted interpretations of religion.

How one could go from being "Mo" who hadn't prayed his whole life and would do everything to fit into the host culture he was born into but parents did not come from, to suddenly one day being Mohamad, shunning all non-Muslim company, quoting hadith to every question he gets, whether it had any relevance or not. A world that suddenly went from one black and white, to another.

An Arabic proverb comes to mind and it in my opinion explains today's "extremist" phenomena:

Al shayy min al Dodd yofham

Roughly meaning, through the opposite a thing is understood (explained).

Shake-speara introducing Remmy Ongala

I guess you have noticed that a song keeps playing every time you open this page. I'll be bringing you songs from around the world you most likely have never heard. Cultural expressions that you may not linguistically understand, but soulfully can relate to.

This week's artist has been Remmy Ongala with the Swahili song Kipenda Roh, which roughly means darling of the soul, or sweetheart. He is originally from Congo/Zaire but lives in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with his English wife, 5 children and a parrot and is the most popular singer in Tanzania.

Earlier songs he was famous for like Mnyonge Hana Haki meaning The poor have no rights (notice the word haki is from Arabic haqq), display the purpose of his music which has often been to highlight social injustice or as he himself calls his music, ubungo (brain).

Tag &Tell

Ok here we go again. Opinionated in Jerzee wants more juicy info, and your tag is my command.

6 Wierdest Things About Me:

1. Whenever I wanna drink water from a tap, I pour water over the tap first to "clean" it, then fill my glass. (Yes, even at home)
2. I eat left over pasta cold with ketchup.
3. I'm half Pashtoon half Viking, can it get more weird?
4. I have a third nationality of a country I have never set my foot in nor have any blood relations with.
5. I sometimes dream things that later happen in real life.
6. I find snakes adoring, but moths creep me out.

And the next lucky 6 are: Tainted, Boo, Buj, Moryarti, D Rebel & CG
(Kaya you still haven't done the first tag so no more tagging you til you do, samjhay?)

Torture Awareness Month

For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?

Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts it drinks even of dead waters.

-Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"

Facts About Extraordinary Rendition and Torture

"Extraordinary rendition means the forcible transfer of a person from one country to another without any judicial or administrative oversight. Since September 11th, 2001, extraordinary rendition has been used for covertly transporting persons to countries for detention and interrogation where there is a danger of facing torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. "

Kosher Wine from...?

There has been a recent naming issue within System Bolaget, which is basically Sweden's state owned liquor store. The place you purchase alcohol of the heavier sort. (Totally unrelated, the Director of System Bolaget is married to our Prime Minister.)

Anyway, they also sell Kosher Wines. The problem started with labeling where the wine Yarden was produced. (Yarden is Hebrew for the Jordan River.)

It used to say Made in Israel, however System Bolaget got a lot of criticism from a few odd customers who were not pleased with that seeing as the wine was produced in the Golan areas, that are considered occupied by Israel.

So System Bolaget changed the name on the label to: Israeli-occupied Syrian Territory.

That was of course not seen favorably by the larger group of customers buying the wine. System Bolaget received many requests to rename it again and said they might consider it after consulting the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

They have now decided to write on the bottle: ... nothing at all.