It Doesn’t Always Have to be About Middle East Politics

About a month ago my university hosted an interfaith event, calling on the many diverse faith societies to team up and tackle common misconceptions about faith. For once, members of the Islamic society and Jewish society were able to work together in an environment where one side weren’t censuring the other over issues of Middle East Politics.

The event, entitled Myth? {Busters}! included a panel of the Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Bah’ai and Hindu speakers who were presented with a variety of ‘myths’ to address. The myths ranged from questions on faith and morality, fundamentalism, common misconceptions and the need and purpose for interfaith. Whilst steering clear of subjects of apparent controversy, the audience were able to continue discussion amongst themselves and the panellists in a networking session after. Probably unsurprisingly, I saw the Muslim and Jewish speaker engaged in conversation for a long time.

Muslims and Jews were not the sole participants of the events, but were amongst the largest groups represented within the audience. For once, faith provided us with common ground, moving discussion away from ongoing politics which occupies most of the conversation at other events where both societies are present.

However, there’s no denying that the issue of Israel and Palestine was stirring beneath the surface of some discussion, and there were members of the audience eager to incorporate politics into future interfaith events. Whether this is a good idea depends on the nature and purpose of interfaith. Could interfaith provide a platform for constructive political debate though its goal of encouraging discussion of religious tolerance and co-existence? Or should it remain essentially neutral, the one place where faith and not politics takes precedence in future debates? Whilst faith and politics surrounding Palestine/Israel are interchangeable, sometimes it’s refreshing to have events with the Jewish and Islamic societies which aren’t always about the Middle East.

After the Revolution: Cairo in Pictures

The revolution over, Mubarak’s regime toppled, the people of Egypt call for their family abroad to come home and help rebuild the country. Many Egyptians fled Mubarak’s regime and now their sense of national pride and love for their home country calls them back.
Life in Cairo largely returns to normal, but there are plenty of issues left to be resolved. The tourism industry is just one of the many problems Egyptians face. Egypt depends on tourism as its main source of income, but with no tourists eager to return any time soon, things are looking uncertain for the country’s future.

A blogger/photographer visited Cairo recently to take pictures of day to day life in the city, following the topple of the regime. visit: http://www.lukeesh.com/blog/?p=5307

'A book so good I want to give it to you for free'

1 million free books will be distributed tomorrow as part of World Book Night. Volunteers will be giving away books that they love and think should be shared with everyone else. If you could give away a free book what would it be? Drop me a comment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/02/world-book-night-1m-free-books

Dear Durrah,

Do you remember the summer of Year Nine? I remember it as a series of disjointed sights and sounds and emotions, apart from that, everything was vague.

One thing about that summer sticks out in my mind, it was the summer that the girl had an accident in the park and there was blood all over her face and blood all over your hands after you’d helped her. When the ambulance came we both walked home in a state of shock afterwards, but for different reasons. I was shocked over the blood, you were shocked over something else, but you’ve probably forgotten what and I won’t remind you.

The thing is I remember so much about that incident, about an hour before it happened, about ten minutes afterwards, but I don’t remember what I was doing five minutes before or even what the time was. Perhaps it was 3 o’clock when I left for the park because I was listening to the Charts on the radio and it had nearly finished, and that was the first and last summer I listened to the Charts. I remember I was wearing a light purple fleece and jeans and trainers as it was back in the day when I wore trainers and the temperature wasn't too hot, and I remember thinking that I loved this fleece but that it was getting a bit worn. I even remember the weather- it was a sticky, cloudy day and the sky looked like a reflection of the ground.

Then we were playing in the park and then there was the accident, and then the ambulance came and we walked home and you had blood on your hands and those are my only memories of the summer of Year Nine. Since then and especially now, whenever I’m in a shop or watching TV and We Belong Together or Ghetto Gospel plays, I automatically remember that day because those were the songs that were playing on the Charts just before I left for the park.

A lot has happened in the summers since then, but that summer was a transitional summer, and I know it because so much about me changed after. I don’t think that it was the incident that sparked a change at all, only it comes to mind because when I look back to that summer I can’t believe how different things are today to how they were then.

The Letters that Time Forgot

You're not meant to miss something that's been replaced with something easier, faster and better. For example, letters and emails.

But if like me you had a childhood that was relatively Internet free, or you  grew up in a primary school where pen-pals were assigned to each pupil, then letter writing is a novelty you miss even when the ease and convenience of email wins over your letter writing days. Now, If I want to say hello to someone I haven't seen in a while, I'll do it via email. In fact, I'll do everything via email.  I'm so dependant on it I often wonder how anyone functioned without it in the past.  But as my mum keeps reminding me, you don't miss something you've never had.

Whilst my inbox overspills with new mail everyday, I hardly get any letters through my door unless they're Statements or updates from Student Finance, neither of which are particularly exciting. But, if the envelope bares a hand-scrawled address across the front, or if it is another colour other than white, there's no denying that I still feel that tiny rush of excitement. There's just something novel and almost suspenseful about getting an unexpected letter through the door which doesn't have it's 'subject' typed across the front or the name of the person who sent it to you.

The most exciting thing I've ever had posted to me was an anonymous parcel of beautiful headscarves. Adding to that, one of my favourite letters I received was from a cousin when she went on holiday to Trinidad a few years ago.

I still have the letter, she was about 6 or 7 at the time:

It says:

Nabihah's Trinidad news:


Dear Anisa,


It is hot here. I climbed upa mountain and wen I got to the top it was flat. I eat some coconut but I did not like it. I liked the squsages and Trinidad bread. But I did not like the coconut water. Me me and Haaniah sat at the back of uncle Jubs car in the boot. On the way back from my dad's cousins house the car crashed the frunt off the car came off.


from Nabihah

Talk about ending with suspense!

My second favourite is the card I got from another cousin when I was ill a few years ago in hospital. He was five at the time, and was thoughtfiul enough to draw this portrait of me:

 I still wonder why he drew me with just ten strands of hair and three feet. But anyway, this is  one of those things that could never be achieved to the same effect via email!