Recession..bailout..lay-offs

I wonder what would the word of the year 2008. The word that was most used by the media and people in general. Will it be Recession? We all saw how badly the economic and financial situation got in the world and particularly in the U.S. Who could imagine the biggest economy in world was that soft. Major companies pleading and shopping for bailouts. In fact industries are asking for bailout such as the automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler). In Europe the situation is not better at all and over the past two months the Gulf countries started to feel the heat too especially UAE (Dubai), and with less effect Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
In Dubai like other parts of the world people are being laid off and surprisingly the sectors affected most are the construction & real estate and banking. These till recently were thought to be the booming industries in Dubai. Many companies including giant ones are freezing recruitment. So will lay-off be the word of the year?
The big question is how long will this last and when will the world recover? I heard in one of the radios someone trying to relate this to the story of Prophet Yusuf and the King's dream in the Holy Quran which means 7 years of booming followed by another 7 years of recession!!
Well I guess this is not the best time to hunt for a job so I will focus on my studies and chill out.

Should we hope 4 change?

What many around the world hoped for came to reality; Obama is the president elect of the U.S. I did hope that he wins but not necessarily because I like his policies and believe he will be neutral and fair in his foreign especially Middle East policies but basically I thought his opponent McCain would be disastrous as a president and continuation of miserable Bush administration.
People around the world rejoiced after the elections results and hopes for a better world rose even the financial markets and oil prices were refreshed for a moment and I think again it’s not because Obama is going to perform miracles in saving the economic and financial crisis but I guess because of the relief that dumb head Bush is gonna be history soon. The question is will history ever forgive Bush and his axis of evil aides? Will he be forgiven for the thousands of innocent people killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and even U.S citizens as he is off course to blame for sending those U.S soldiers abroad to kill and be killed? Will we ever forget Bush’s irresponsible stupid policies that led the world to this horrible status?
Will Obama really make a positive difference and is he capable of bringing good change to the world? Am not sure given the current status of the world and challenges he is gonna face as Bush is leaving him a world filled with mines. Could Obama come in at a worse time?
Those of us in the Middle East who saw some hope in this elections results I think we should hold our horses and see what’s really gonna change if any in terms of the U.S blind unjustifiable support to Israel. By the way the first official appointment in Obama’s administration is his White House chief of staff who is known for his close ties with Israel. Does this ring an alarm?
Well we hope for the best and expect the worse. Anyway I don’t think anyone can be worse than Bush.

I failed the test..

Well! Well! Well! Let me first confess that I failed the first test after Ramadan L (read the last paragraph of my previous posting). Hope you passed the test.. I missed it with only one day, I finished fasting five days at the beginning of the month then I don’t know what happened I started to procrastinate and before I know it Shawaal was approaching its end. I was hoping it would be a 30-day month so I am fasting today Alhamdulillah but today is 1st Du EL-Qeida. Inshallah Allah will accept my fasting and yours.
It’s very important to have sincere strong intentions regarding worship be it fasting, Haj, or anything else. It helps a lot in accomplishing the goal and on top of that prayers (Dua’a); scholars always tell us to pray to Allah persistently to help us in our worship acts. May Allah grant us Haj this year and help stay focused on the right path and protect us from Satan and from going astray. Ameen
Remember Quran is a cure to our heart and body.. it is the miracle of miracles .. O Allah help us learn the Quran and remember what we forgot of it.

Did you boost your spirituality?

Ok I agree am not gud @ this blog business so if u ave been checkin ma blog 4 updates am sorry 4 being off the radar for so long. Hope to stay on track frm now on. You probably read that before in this blog J.
One more time we were blessed and fortunate to welcome and experience the holy month of Ramadhan. Fasting, praying at the mosque, watching our language, being patient, caring for others, and the one I enjoy most in this month reciting the holy Quran and this is not surprising since Ramadhan is the month of Quran and revelation of Quran started in Ramadhan. So bottom line is that we got a good recharge for our spiritual being. As much as our bodies require food to energize as much as spiritual being requires food to stay upbeat. Some say that food is about practices such as prayers, fasting, Quran recitations, etc.
Ramadhan is just amazing in everything. Fasting is very high act of worship and Allah tells us that Fasting is for me and I reward it. Unlike the other acts of worship such as prayers, charity, etc fasting is between a salve and the Lord because most of it is unseen to others. I mean who can really tell you senses are fasting such as your eye or tongue. The only problem I have during Ramdhan is we Muslims (I am no exception) tend to slow down life in Ramadhan in the sense that we work less, postpone tasks and blame it all on fasting. What’s the point of fasting while we reduce significantly our routine activities? How are we supposed to feel the struggle of the poor if we just chill out in Ramdhan and don’t even feel the hunger or thirst? I think we need to work on this one!
Quran is truly the miracle of miracles if I may say. Which book on earth that you can read it over and over again for years without getting bored? In fact every time you read through it you realize a new teaching, wisdom, guidance, etc. It is really inspiring and touching. May Allah make us among those whose hearts soften and eyes shed tears when they listen to the Quran and may Allah grant us a taste of Quran and Iman.

I pray to Allah that He accepts our fast and prayers not because we deserve it but because He is the most merciful most generous. O Allah you are the most forgiving make us among those who you freed from Hell fire. Ameen

Hope you all enjoyed and maximized in Ramadhan and had a wonderful Eid. Don’t forget to pass the first test after Ramadhan!!Fast the six days of Shawal. Come one brothers and sisters just six days and you get rewarded for fasting a full year what better bargain can we dream of.

football lovers frenzy

Once again football is the talk of the world with the Euro 2008 kick off in Swiss- Austria. Those of you who are not football frenzy you should know that Euro championship is regarded as the strongest and best football tournament after the world cup as it is contested by the elite football poles of Europe. This time it is co hosted by Switzerland and Austria and I guess we can’t ask for more, I mean beautiful very competitive games in one of the most amazing cities in Europe.
I guess those are enough reasons to be glued to our couches with all senses dedicated to the magical box (TV). Well that’s what is supposed to be but remember that thing called Globalization? Ya as good as it sounds it comes with negatives among which is the materialism wave which did not skip sports and as a result these days any major sport event is being covered and broadcasted by limited TV networks which are available at a fee. Euro2008 was no exception but thanks God its broadcasting rights were granted to Al Jazeera Sport for the Middle East. At least Al Jazeera is not as hungary for money not exploitative as others, you know which network am referring to remember the world cup which was covered by ‘a.r.t’. A.R.T went crazy and increased subscription fees forcing us to subscribe to packages consisting of channels regardless of your interest and we had to subscribe for a minimum time period. This is not the case with Al Jazeera which maintained its fee structure so we raise the hats to them and say Thank you for your professionalism.
The tournament started and so far it did not disappoint in terms of performance but perhaps some were disappointed by seeing Italy (world cup winners) being trashed by Holland and France (world cup finalist) too were sent packing by Holland. Holland got a destructive attack force with Robben, Van Persi, Snieder, Kuyt and at the tip of the spear Van Nistlroy. Who can stop them? Portugal on the other hand is in for nothing but winning with Ronaldo, Nani, Quarisma, to mention a few.
Well, I wish you all an exciting football season and may the best win (Holland, Spain :) ) .
Lastly, I wonder how much money was spent in preparing for Euro 2008 and how much is earned by the two hosts and FIFA???

Back to Business

You may have guessed by now that my leave is over. Ya am back to university for my second semester and so far so good no hickups yet; Dubai is still treating us with fair weather so no complaints as such. However, I expect this semester to be more hectic and demanding as I took one additional course so the load is big, I guess this will either make me or break me. Any way I expect the worse and hope for the best or may be work for the best as hope is not an answer as they say. Your motivational support will be welcomed and appreciated. To make matters worse or may be better am not sure! I joind a local gym thinking since am planning to work my mind to a stretch I might as well get my body to work but actually this was not an option, I had to start working out per Doctors recommendation and my body has been crying for long so I thought lets give it a shot.
After all these actions of loading myself with work I decided to treat myself so I got a new laptop which am enjoying at the moment, an IBM ThinkPad is not a bad treat I thought.

Take it easy and remeber think out of the box and be the change you want to see in the world!

On Leave

At the moment I am on vacation back home after my first postgraduate semester wound up so fast. Anyway a break is always good and it always goes so fast without feeling it. Just a week before I head back to Uni for the second semester. They say education is the best investment and I hope this is true because I kind of throwing all my savings into this program. I am treating this not only as pursuing a master’s degree but also a long break from work. I thought six years of work was enough to get me down so a break in a new city meeting new people doing different things was my choice and where else other than Dubai. I am not yet sure if I want to start working while studying; I feel am not ready yet to go back to working and studies are demanding anyway so I am kind of hesitant. Other than that nothing is really happening on my side at the moment.
However, there is a lot happening around the world that is catching my attention and concern. Things like the continuing killing of innocent people in Iraq, the escalating conflict in Palestine, U.S elections, the European football champions league final stages, etc. So there is a lot to think of and write about. But may be not now; some other time will pick a topic and dig on it.

Milad Al-Nabi

Today we celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)! Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) brought light to the world. He saved us from ignorance times and its horrible traditions. Just to mention one example: Arabs before Islam used to burry their daughters alife thinking they brought shame but this was stopped by Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). This is just one of many traditions changed by Islam. He was a great person and this is recognised by both Muslim thinkers as well as non Muslim thinkers who acknowledge his positive contrubutions to the world. His influence is still very much felt today after decades of his death. We need to sit down and learn more about the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) because in Islam we find the answer to our problems in this troublesome world. We should not allow others to hijack this wonderful religion and way of life. I am far from qualified to write about Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) so forgive me for not writing a post that really reflects the weight of its subject but off course the web is rich of information about Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and Islam such as www.islamweb.net and many others.

The world of double standards!!!

The news that more than 40 people were killed including children and women in Gaza is not really news anymore or better put it is news but not really shocking even when video footage is shown and we see babies murdered. This true because it became the norm these days that Palestinians get murdered in cold blood and their houses are demolished day by day for no good reason. Let me correct the last sentence ‘good reason’, because apparently the world is seeing a good reason for killing children and women in Gaza and that’s why no one is speaking up their mind which may be interpreted as no objection or in fact support to the Israeli government who claim they are defending themselves against Hamas rockets. Let me ask you about the three words I highlighted in bold i.e. Israel, defending and Hamas; we all know (at least in history books) that Israel is not part of this region and it is an intruder and actually an occupying state. I do not seem to understand that an occupying force can use the word defend against the natives of the occupied land, it just does not click. Hamas is a political party with military wing in Palestine and guess what this party won the elections in Palestine so simple common sense dictates that Hamas government is the legitimate one in Palestine. But since we are in 2008 and things are a bit different I mean even climate is changing like more sun in the States in winter and more snow the Middle East so the smart folks who rule the world decided that they did not like the idea of Hamas government. So Palestinians sorry your votes do not count and you got to live with Fatah movement as government because we like them and they do not pause any threat to Israel.
We all know that Israel got some of the most advanced and accurate military systems in the world so why are they killing children and women. Are these really the targets that threaten Israel?
How come Israel who fought with many Arab states and has a big arsenal of nuclear war heads does not threatens and forms a danger to the region while Iran who support and have great relations with most of the Arab states and does not have a single nuclear war head (at least not till now); how come Iran is a danger to the region and not Israel? Furthermore, why is it ok and legitimate for Israel to develop nuclear weapons in secrecy without allowing international inspectors to visit their nuclear plants in Israel while it is not legitimate for a country like Iran to develop nuclear power for civil use or even for defense purposes?
Is it that I am just dumb and does not have what it takes to understand politics or international relations? Should I just shut up or do any of you there have a problem justifying what is going on in Gaza today? Why is the world so quite about it? Why is the UN Security Council busy issuing new sanctions against Iran while human beings are being murdered every second in Palestine?

After killig more than 120 (54% children according to an Israeli organisation) in Gaza Israel pulled out from Gaza but one Israeli official said this is just for two days while Condoliza Rice is in the region. This like saying on TV we will take a commercial break and return stay tuned.

Recharge @ the beach

Well ahamdulilah I got the exam paper back and I made safely to the shores so it was not as bad as I thought it would be; it was fine. Now just catching up on research essay due next week. The sad part is one of them is a group presentation those of you who have been there before would know what I am talking about. I mean we are less than a week away from due date and we did not even decide what we are going to write on!!!

To celebrate end of mid-semester exams we had to go out to change the mood and gain momentum for assignments and the second half of the semester. So we decided to take advantage of Dubai weather before it gets heating up and there we were at the BEACH. Ya that was a good change nice sunny but chilly weather with a close view of Burj Al-Arab and Jumeirah beach hotels.

Exams

I just finished my first exam in my masters program. This was a mid-semester exam and what can I say? I look forward to the day when a genius scientist will stand up and say exams are not good for human beings health or they are not appropriate measurement of students' performance so stop them. Bottom line is that this was not my best exam. I mean when an exam is two hours long and you hardly manage to finish just 5 or 3 minutes from time then you know it was not good. Anyway am not gonna cry over spilt milk. Its past so to hell with it. But seriously is there any other invention to substitute exams I mean they just stress you and mess your mood for no good reason. Oh ya I forgot to say this; you know its my first exam here in this university and I did not know what to expect but as much as the exam shocked me something else also did. The way it was conducted. We had an invigilator (last time i heard this word was in high school). The invigilator was actually not the lecturer but a real invigilator and we had to put our bags and cellphones at the front of the class. Man are we in primary school or what. I thought by now we know how to do exams and abide by the universal rules we were tought for years.

Give me a break.

Catching up

Ok now that I made it to one of the fastest growing cities if not the fastest in the World; I am proud that I made it here. Not just because am in Dubai but for starting my masters degree that I really wanted to do for the last three years or so. I was a little bit skeptical at the beginning about the standard and reputation of this university (Wollongong University http://www.uowd.ac.ae/) and I was actually hesitant before coming here but it is a nice university with very good reputation. I must say I was impressed and my expectations well met if only we did not have to do exams :(
Dubai however, I am not sure about it. We can spend hours and books writing about the good things here but I feel there is something missing. I do not know what is missing but off lately I have been thinking about it and may be Dubai is still in the process of being made and it did not mature yet. So it is going through this painful process of growing up. Just think about the cycle of a product as it gets launched then it grows till reaching market maturity and then either stays up there or fall. Hopefully Dubai will stay up there! I guess it would if plans are implemented wisely.
On a different issue; did you hear the news lately from Turkey? Muslim girls can wear the scarf (hijab) in university now. Wow great! this is ridiculous. If we ignore the fact that the population of Turkey is predominantly Muslim can we ignore that noble value of freedom? Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of political choice, lub lub lub we hear these a lot from some big mouths mostly in the West when it can be used against nations in the middle east and north Africa. I don’t know why we did not hear any of it about the Turkish issue. I mean why can’t a young educated lady have the freedom of choice? It has been said millions of times that Hijab for Muslim girls is not just a symbol or fashion. It is mandatory for our Muslim sisters to dress modestly according to a clear code addressed very clearly in the holy Qur'an. What on earth is wrong with that?
Anyway I guess Turkey has been trying hard to join the European Union and therefore, has to meet certain standards because the EU will not allow a non "democratic" country to join. Plus other things like economic reform, secularism, etc. I dunno what’s the world is coming to. Instead of promoting coexistence we are fueling and starting conflicts for no reason.

A new phase of my life

Well! I mentioned earlier that this year probably got something hidding for me. I just started my postgraduate studies in International Business, a course that runs for about a year and a half. This is a better start than the previous incidents I mentioned in my earlier posting. In fact not only did start my masters but also I moved to a different country; I am now in Dubai, UAE. Thats right I am doing my masters in one of the universities based in Dubai's Knowledge Village. I just arrived early this week and I am trying to settle down specially that I was late two weeks from the start of the semester. So far so good, the university seems to be well established and with a good reputation and more imortant I got good company at the university's residences. It is an apartment of three bed rooms with Internet and Sat TV services and two students per room. I have to catch up on whatever I missed.
Those of you who are in Dubai I will get in touch with you soon.

New years.. so what?

Its that time of the year where all get excited and prepare to celebrate yet the end of one year and start of a new year. Some of us get busy planning the celebrations and some are busy making resolutions; ladies want to lose weight and gents want to shape up. Its funny because if we just rewind the tape a bit we will realise that we didn't accomplish much of last years resolutions in fact some will find that next years plans are typical to last year's.
Well this year is giving me a different feeling with mixed up happenings. Dec 31, 2007 I returned from the Holy lands in Saudi Arabia after performing Haj and my spiritual battery is charged up. At the end of Pilgrimage and just before I returned home something BIG was being planned for me that if it succeeded it would have completely changed my life; guss what? I almost got married and don't ask because I have no answers. On Jan 2, 2008 I return to work from leave but it was like a touch and go at the office as I was informed of my contract termination with a number of other colleagues of mine due to the end of the company's contract in the country; its a long story!
I think it was an interesting end of 2007 and beginning of 2008. I hope for the best Inshallah.

Change is good!

And Call on people to perform Haj

It is certainly the wish of every Muslim to perform Haj (Pilgrimage) as it one of the five pillars of Islam. It is also a unique form of worship that involves spiritual and physical activity. Haj as many scholars refer to is an International conference where millions of people from 100s of countries and nationalities come together.
Well I was among the lucky people chosen by Almighty Allah to perform Haj last year (1428/2007). It was a last minute thought and it was actually after the deadline for visa application. As you know every country has a quota of Haj visas that gets granted every year and so you got to apply early to get your visa. Alhamdulilah my visa was facilitated and off I set to Saudi Arabia. The moment we touched down in Jeddah and I entered the so called Pilgrims City at the airport I realized am in for an experience. The pilgrims’ city is a huge part of the airport at Jeddah designed to house all the people coming for Haj. Every country got a a portion assigned. You see flags, you hear different languages, you see people of different colors, etc.
It is amazing when you are in the Holy Mosque in Mecca and Medina or in Arafat and you look to your right and you see a strong young man from Nigeria, to your left you see a young humble lady from Lebanon, in front of you an Indonesian man leading a group of 15+ ladies, and suddenly you feel someone holding your shoulders trying to lean on you; you turn around and find an old man in his 80s from Afghanistan. I am talking here about hundreds of Thousands or even millions; statistics say 3 million plus people perform Haj. All these people dressed similarly, facing same direction praying to Allah in deferent languages and with different emotions and feelings. Even though it gets crowded at times to the extend that you cant walk but you actually gets moved by the flow of the crowd yet you don’t hear voices raised nor people getting angry at each other. Everyone is busy asking for forgiveness and relief. At times you may start loosing your temper but the moment you look and you see the Ka'aba at the center of the holy mosque (it is said to be the center of the globe) you forget about worthless Duniya (vanishing life). I could see people smiling and happy in the crowds, they are happy for this golden opportunity and pleased that their sins are being forgiven. I could also see people crying and losing their voices regretting the past years of their age wasted in worthless worldly actions and pleading for forgiveness. You see mothers praying for the children to be lead in the right direction and you see young people praying for their parents.
I must not forget to mention the tremendous effort and resources put forward by the Saudi authorities. Imagine the logistics required to cater for more than three million people at the same place and time. These people like to be transported, they need food and drinks, they need medical attention, they need toilets and bath rooms, they need security and safety measures, they need communications, etc. A big five goes to the Saudi agencies represented by the Ministry of Haj, Health, Police and National Guard, Communications, Transportation, and the list goes on. There is off course always room for improvement so hopefully next year Inshallah we will give them two thumbs up. Lastly I would say if you can afford to go for Haj don’t hesitate and do it especially if you are still young and energetic because believe me it requires some strength.
May Allah accept our Haj and good deeds.