Tuesday 29 September 2009

Why can't I do it?

I've had over a day to start. All I need to do is get some figures together for my 2nd thesis chapter. I have plenty. Yet it took half of Monday and all day Tuesday before I got up, took all the gels and went to the scanner and scanned them. Took maybe 30 minutes. Why am I being hit by super procrastination?! I need to have a meeting with my supervisor on Friday and show him. Someone please hit me with a wet kipper and make me finish this off.

Thursday 17 September 2009

Convictions.

BBC

Independent

Evening Standard


So three British Muslim males have been found guilty of trying to blow up planes. It's so incredibly depressing, coming right on the anniversary of the 11th September attacks. Why did they do it? What did they think they were going to accomplish?

In court, they have claimed that they were going to merely frighten people, rather than murder them, but that seems a bit far fetched, given the videos they filmed of themselves. They almost sound like gang members, "Don't mess with the muslims"... Yet from fear of being convicted, they lack the ability to proclaim this once again to the jury, and pretend that it's all a big misunderstanding.

One of the convicted men, Sarwar, said he suffered low self-esteem and thought he was "useless," after failing at University. A sad case of a vulnerable person lacking confidence and being taken advantage of?

At least I haven't heard any reactions along the lines of "Why aren't muslims doing more to stop this", as if we are all MI5 agents who can track down terrorists. These people don't go around shouting out their intentions at the local mosque to a baying mob, contrary to what some people obviously believe. Not that I have noticed anyway.

At the same time, we have people from the "English Defence League and Stop the Islamisation of Europe " marching to proclaim that they will not let their beloved England be taken over and turned into a muslim country. Do these people really believe this? I wonder if any of them have even ever spoken to a muslim in this country before. Maybe they are too busy watching the trial of these three young men on TV.

In the last few weeks, an elderly man was beaten to death outside a mosque not far from me. Another man was stabbed at another. Is it just coincidental, or the start of something worse? Difficult to stay optimistic, in times like these.

Saturday 5 September 2009

Half way there

Just finished the 15th fast of Ramadan 1430H (Sept 2009 AD). The first week or so was incredibly exhausting, the second week has been better. It's been tough this year, having Sehri (breakfast) before 4am, trying to get some sleep, then Iftar (breaking fast) at 8pm, then having dinner (unless I go to the mosque for the additional Taraweeh prayers , where they recite 1/30th of the Qur'an so that the entire Noble book is recited within the month) then trying to get some sleep. Sometimes I haven't bothered sleeping inbetween the end of the day and beginning of the next.

I've been having two toast with butter honey and banana slices for sehri, it's all I can manage in the morning. For iftar usually have a date, some fruit and something fried like a little kebab or samosa. Contrary to what almost everyone asks, no we don't sit there and stuff our faces. If only because you would end up feeling ill anyway.

Definitely losing weight, trousers are a very loose fit at the moment.

To the muslims reading - hope your fasts are going well.

To the non muslims - fancy a challenge? How do you think you'd cope fasting say, 3 days in a row?