Special report: Greek Parliament member pushes religious freedom for Muslims

Parliament member Mr. Periklis Korovesis from the Syriza party lodged a formal question [about religious freedom] to the Greek Parliament, in particular the Ministers of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Education and Religions, National Defence. (Please view the seven questions at the end of this report.)

 

 

 

 

Subject: Muslim Cemetery and Mosque in Attica

In Athens, where 700 000 Muslims of all nationalities live, there is neither a mosque nor a Muslim cemetery, making Greece the only country in Europe that has not taken care of this.  This practice opposes Article 13 of the Constitution and Article 9 of the European Convention for the Human Rights that clearly state “the freedom of religious conscience is unhindered”.

Understandably, the Muslims in Athens feel the sense of rejection as they have no ability to pray, get married, and have a funeral service with dignity.  As a result, this brought the existence of over 50 unofficial praying places in the region, often located in undergrounds and garages.

Just recently, the Prefecture of Athens fined the owner of an underground building at Nea Ionia 60 000 euro and 30 000 euro because he used it as an unofficial mosque without special permission of a “bethel”, allowing Muslims of the area to pray there.

There were significant local protests from the immigrants who opposed the prefecture as well as Greek inhabitants and authorities, demonstrating on Saturday February 7^th at a massive movement in this small area (more than 1000 people) asking for a proper place to conduct religious tasks, which is a right registered by the constitution. 

However, the decision of the prefecture and the reactions on behalf of the immigrants is not new.  Thirty years have passed since the first claim in 1976 was lodged for building a mosque in Athens from the Arabic embassies, when all Greek governments projected several barriers in order not to proceed to its fulfillment.

Meanwhile, in other countries like Sweden, there are five mosques, 150 praying places and 10 Muslim cemeteries; in France there are 2000 praying places and 12 mosques when the cemeteries (except for one Muslim cemetery established in 1930) where it is obliged to have place of burying Muslims; in Norway (Oslo) the mosque was established in 1980, in Poland (Gtansk) in 1989, in Russia (Moscow) in 1912, in Scotland (Glascow) in 1983, in Portugal (Lisbon) in 1988, in Malta in 1978, in Ireland (Dublin) in 1978, in the UK there is the biggest Muslim cemetery in Europe and many mosques.

In 1983 the Greek state was committed to construct a mosque in Marousi, but this did not work due to the reactions of the local authorities. In 2000 the law 2833 was including the establishment if an Islamic Cultural Centre and Mosque in Peania with expenses that the Saudi Arabian Government would cover. This project was cancelled and in the very same place they realized that was already been built an orthodox church!

In October 2006 the Ministry of Education presented a draft law for building a mosque at Eleonas, a feasible project in harmony with the protected green of the area. The decision remained inapplicable because at the area that was given for the mosque is located navy base and the transfer of that means that 5 000 000 euro should be found. Although the Muslim Community was willing to offer that amount, this offer was not accepted, for it is the obligation of the Ministry of Defense to provide the funds to the Navy.

The Muslim Association of Greece sent a recent letter (27.01.09) to the Minister of Education and Religions asking to fulfil the governmental commitments and accusing the ministry’s palinodes twice for losing the necessary documents for the realization of this project.

Similar luck seems to have the permanent claim of the Muslims for the establishment of the Muslim cemetery in Athens, for which we have lodged a question (number of lodgment 1334/15.7.2009).

Despite of the bestowal of the field at the area of Schisto for the establishment, and the commitments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was authorized as a coordinator of the engaged authorities, no procedure has proceeded. Hence, since the Muslims of Attica have no official mosque, nor  a cemetery, nor a religious scholar who will be under a law to practice their religious rituals, they are forced to move their dead to Thrace or abroad with a huge economic cost for the family, that rates even 5000 euro (for Pakistan).

For the construction of the Muslim cemetery in Schisto, the Muslim Association of Greece has sent a letter again to the Minister of Internal Affairs on 27.01.2009, asking for intervention, as far as the bureaucratic procedures of the local authorities are concerned for the following reasons:

•  All these are unprecedented for an elemental democratic country and equals to “Islamophobia” and discrimination if the Islamic civilization;
• The pertinacious non-immigration policy of the governments has created a suffocating place of living for Muslim immigrants and refuges that are in Greece, insulting fundamental and obvious human rights of every civilised country;
• The immigration stream of the last decade has definitively changed the face and composition of the Greek society affecting even its deeper structures, transforming it to multicultural and religious differentiation, which in fact compels changes in point of vision, criteria and methods.

 The ministers are asked:

1. What is the status of the procedures for the construction of the Eleonas mosque and what are the obstacles of moving the navy base, the cost of the moving etc.
2. Have the funds been found by the Ministry of National Defense for the move of the navy base from the area of Eleonas?
3. In which point are the procedures for the establishment of the Muslim cemetery in Shisto? Is the topographic survey of the area that was expected to be completed within a two months period starting from July 2008, according to the response that was given to us by the Deputy Minister of foreign affairs Theodoros Kassimis?
4. Has the transfer of the proprietary title of the area been made by the Church of Greece to the local authority in charge of the Muslim cemetery?
5. Are the procedures of the Ministry of Zoning and Public Works finished as concerning the zoning of the cemetery area?
6. How do they think to improve the conditions of religious freedom and equity, having in mind the condition that has prevailed in Greece and in Europe, in order to reduce the distance that separates our country from the rest of Europe?
7. Which constitutional preconditions they think to create will allow all religious communities to enjoy the internationally acknowledged equity of rights and parity for the religious rights?

 

Athens, March 26, 2009

Member of Parliament

Periklis Korovesis

 

 

 

Μουσουλμανικο νεκροταφείου και Τεμένους στην Αττική

ΠΕΡΙΚΛΗΣ ΚΟΡΟΒΕΣΗΣ

ΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΗΣ Α΄ ΑΘΗΝΑΣ

 

 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ

ΠΡΟΣ κ.κ. ΥΠΟΥΡΓΟΥΣ ΕΣΩΤΕΡΙΚΩΝ,ΕΞΩΤΕΡΙΚΩΝ,ΥΠΕΧΩΔΕ, ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑΣ KAΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΘΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΜΥΝΑΣ

 

ΘΕΜΑ: ΜΟΥΣΟΥΛΜΑΝΙΚΟ ΝΕΚΡΟΤΑΦΕΙΟ ΚΑΙ  ΤΕΜΕΝΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΤΤΙΚΗ

 Στην Αθήνα όπου διαβιούν 700.000 μουσουλμάνοι διαφόρων υπηκοοτήτων δεν υπάρχει ούτε τζαμί, ούτε   μουσουλμανικό νεκροταφείο, καθιστώντας έτσι την Ελλάδα μοναδική χώρα στην Ευρώπη που δεν έχει μεριμνήσει για αυτό, πρακτική που αντίκειται στο άρθρο 13 του συντάγματος και στο άρθρο 9 της Ευρωπαϊκής Σύμβασης για τα δικαιώματα του ανθρώπου που ορίζουν ρητά ότι «η ελευθερία της θρησκευτικής συνείδησης είναι ανεμπόδιστη».

Δικαίως λοιπόν οι μουσουλμάνοι της Αθήνας βιώνουν το αίσθημα της απόρριψης, καθώς δεν έχουν τη δυνατότητα να προσεύχονται, να παντρεύονται και να κηδεύονται αξιοπρεπώς.

Αυτό έφερε ως αποτέλεσμα τη δημιουργία πάνω από 50 άτυπων  χώρων προσευχής στο λεκανοπέδιο που στεγάζονται συχνά σε υπόγεια πολυκατοικιών και γκαράζ.

Πρόσφατα η Νομαρχία Αθηνών επέβαλε πρόστιμα 60.000 ευρώ και 30.000 ευρώ στον ιδιοκτήτη  υπόγειου πολυκατοικίας στη Νέα Ιωνία που χρησιμοποιείτο σαν άτυπο τζαμί, επειδή δεν υπήρχε ειδική άδεια «ευκτήριου οίκου», προκειμένου να μπορούν να προσεύχονται οι μουσουλμάνοι της περιοχής.

Απέναντι στην απόφαση της Νομαρχίας(περί «πολεοδομικών παραβιάσεων από αυτοψία εκ του μακρόθεν») αναπτύχθηκαν σημαντικές τοπικές κινητοποιήσεις τόσο από τους μετανάστες όσο και από κατοίκους και φορείς της περιοχής οι οποίοι και διαδήλωσαν το Σάββατο 7 Φλεβάρη, σε μια από τις μαζικότερες κινητοποιήσεις που έχουν γίνει στη περιοχή, πάνω από 1000 άτομα,  ζητώντας αξιοπρεπή χώρο  για να τελούν τις θρησκευτικές τους λειτουργίες, συνταγματικό κατοχυρωμένο δικαίωμα.

Ωστόσο η απόφαση τη Νομαρχίας καθώς και οι αντιδράσεις από τη πλευρά των μεταναστών, κατοίκων και φορέων ανιχνεύει ένα  πρόβλημα που είναι παλαιότατο .

Τριάντα χρόνια έχουν περάσει από το 1976 όταν για πρώτη φορά υποβλήθηκε αίτημα για την ανέγερση τζαμιού στην Αθήνα από Άραβες πρέσβεις και παρόλα αυτά όλες οι ελληνικές κυβερνήσεις προβάλλουν διάφορα προσκόμματα προκειμένου να μη προχωρήσουν στην υλοποίησή του.

Εν τω μεταξύ στις άλλες χώρες π.χ. Σουηδία λειτουργούν 5 τζαμιά,150 χώροι προσευχής και 10 μουσουλμανικά νεκροταφεία, στη Γαλλία υπάρχουν 2000 χώροι προσευχής και 12 τζαμιά, ενώ τα κοιμητήρια(εκτός  ενός αμιγώς μουσουλμανικό που ιδρύθηκε το 1930) υποχρεώνονται να διαθέτουν χώρους για τη ταφή των μουσουλμάνων, στη Νορβηγία (Όσλο)  το τέμενος δημιουργήθηκε το 1980, στην Πολωνία(Γκτάνσκ) το 1989, στη Ρωσία(Μόσχα) το 1912 , στη Σκωτία(Γλασκώβη) το 1983 , στη Πορτογαλία( Λισσαβώνα) το 1988 , στη Μάλτα το 1978,στην Ιρλανδία(Δουβλίνο) το 1978,ενώ στην Αγγλία υπάρχει το μεγαλύτερο μουσουλμανικό νεκροταφείο της Ευρώπης και πολλά τζαμιά.

Το 1983 το ελληνικό κράτος δεσμεύτηκε να κατασκευάσει τζαμί στο Μαρούσι, απόφαση που δεν ευοδώθηκε μετά από αντιδράσεις τοπικών παραγόντων.

Το 2000 ο νόμος 2833 προέβλεπε την Ίδρυση Ισλαμικού Πολιτιστικού Κέντρου και τεμένους στην Παιανία με έξοδα που θα επωμίζονταν η Σαουδική Αραβία. Το έργο ματαιώθηκε και στη θέση του διαπιστώθηκε ότι είχε ήδη ανεγερθεί ορθόδοξος ναός!

Τον Οκτώβριο του 2006 το υπουργείο Παιδείας παρουσίασε νομοσχέδιο για την ανέγερση τζαμιού στον Ελαιώνα, σχέδιο εφικτό και σε ισορροπία με το προστατευμένο πράσινο της περιοχής. Η απόφαση έμεινε ανεφάρμοστη διότι στην έκταση που είχε παραχωρηθεί για το τέμενος βρίσκεται εγκατεστημένη ναυτική βάση που η μεταφορά της προϋποθέτει την εύρεση 5.000.000 ευρώ. Παρόλο που η μουσουλμανική κοινότητα προθυμοποιήθηκε να προσφέρει το ποσό αυτό, η προσφορά δεν έγινε δεκτή, καθώς είναι υποχρέωση του υπουργείου Εθνικής Άμυνας να παρέχει στο Πολεμικό Ναυτικό αυτό το κονδύλι.

Η Μουσουλμανική Ένωση Ελλάδος με πρόσφατη επιστολή της (27.1.09) προς τον υπουργό Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων  ζητά την εκπλήρωση των κυβερνητικών δεσμεύσεων και καταγγέλλει τις παλινωδίες του υπουργείου  που έχει χάσει δύο φορές τα απαραίτητα έγγραφα για την υλοποίηση του έργου.

Παρόμοια τύχη δείχνει να έχει και το πάγιο αίτημα των μουσουλμάνων  για την κατασκευή μουσουλμανικού νεκροταφείου στην Αθήνα για το οποίο  έχουμε καταθέσει ερώτηση (αρ. κατάθεσης 1334/15.7.2008).Παρόλη τη παραχώρηση οικοπέδου στη περιοχή του Σχιστού για την κατασκευή του και τις δεσμεύσεις του υπουργείου Εξωτερικών που ορίσθηκε ως συντονιστής των γραφειοκρατικά εμπλεκομένων καμία διαδικασία δεν έχει προχωρήσει. Ως εκ τούτου, αφού οι μουσουλμάνοι της Αττικής δεν έχουν ούτε επίσημο τέμενος, ούτε νεκροταφείο, ούτε θρησκευτικό λειτουργό που να νομιμοποιείται να ιερουργεί στις θρησκευτικές τους τελετές, αναγκάζονται να μεταφέρουν τους νεκρούς τους στη Θράκη ή στο εξωτερικό για τη τέλεση της θρησκευτικής ταφής, με τεράστιο οικονομικό κόστος πολλές φορές για την οικογένεια, που αγγίζει ακόμη και τα 5.000 ευρώ(Πακιστάν).

Για τη κατασκευή του μουσουλμανικού νεκροταφείου στο Σχιστό, η Μουσουλμανική Ένωση Ελλάδος απέστειλε εκ νέου επιστολή στον υπουργό Εσωτερικών στις 27.1.2009, ζητώντας την παρέμβαση του, για ότι αφορά τις γραφειοκρατικές διαδικασίες με την τοπική αυτοδιοίκηση.

 

• Επειδή όλα αυτά είναι πρωτοφανή για στοιχειωδώς δημοκρατική χώρα και ισοδυναμούν με «ισλαμοφοβία» και ποινικοποίηση του ισλαμικού πολιτισμού,
• Επειδή η χρόνια αντιμεταναστευτική πολιτική των κυβερνήσεων δημιουργεί ένα ασφυκτικό τοπίο διαβίωσης για τους μουσουλμάνους μετανάστες και πρόσφυγες που καταφεύγουν στην Ελλάδα, προσβάλλοντας θεμελιώδη και αυτονόητα για οποιαδήποτε πολιτισμένη χώρα ατομικά δικαιώματα,
• Επειδή το μεταναστευτικό ρεύμα των τελευταίων δεκαετιών έχει αλλάξει οριστικά την όψη και τη σύνθεση της ελληνικής κοινωνίας επηρεάζοντας πλέον και τις βαθύτερες δομές της και μετατρέποντάς την σε πολυπολιτισμική και θρησκευτικά διαφοροποιημένη, γεγονός που επιβάλλει αλλαγές στην οπτική, τα κριτήρια και τις μεθόδους,

 

                                                   Ερωτώνται οι κ. κ. υπουργοί

 

1. Σε ποιο σημείο βρίσκονται οι διαδικασίες για την ανέγερση τζαμιού στον Ελαιώνα, και πως έχει αντιμετωπιστεί το πρόσκομμα της μεταφοράς της  εγκατεστημένης ναυτικής βάσης, του κόστους της μεταφοράς της κ.λπ.
2. Σε ποιο σημείο βρίσκονται οι διαδικασίες για την ανέγερση μουσουλμανικού νεκροταφείου στο Σχιστό;Eχει ολοκληρωθεί η τοπογραφική αποτύπωση της περιοχής που αναμενόταν να γίνει εντός διμήνου από τον Ιούλιο 2008,σύμφωνα με την απάντηση που μας είχε δοθεί από τον Υφυπουργό Εξωτερικών Θόδωρο Κασσίμη;
3. Eχει πραγματοποιηθεί η μεταφορά κυριότητας της περιοχής από την Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος στον αρμόδιο για το νεκροταφείο φορέα τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης;
4. Eχουν ολοκληρωθεί οι διαδικασίες του ΥΠΕΧΩΔΕ για την χωροθέτηση της έκτασης του νεκροταφείου;
5. Πως σκέφτονται να βελτιώσουν τις συνθήκες της θρησκευτικής ελευθερίας και ισότητας, εν όψει της δεδομένης κατάστασης που έχει επικρατήσει στην  Ελλάδα και την  Ευρώπη, και προκειμένου να μειωθεί η  απόσταση που χωρίζει τη χώρα μας από την υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη;
6. Ποιές θεσμικές  προϋποθέσεις  σκέφτονται να δημιουργήσουν που θα επιτρέψουν σε όλες τις  θρησκευτικές κοινότητες να  απολαμβάνουν την αναγνωρισμένη διεθνώς ισοτιμία και ισονομία όσον αφορά τα θρησκευτικά δικαιώματα; 
7. Έχoυν  βρεθεί τα  κονδύλια  από το υπουργείο Εθνικής Άμυνας για τη μεταφορά της ναυτικής βάσης από τη περιοχή του Ελαιώνα;

 

Aθήνα, 26 Μαρτίου 2009

Ο ερωτών βουλευτής                                                  

Περικλής Κοροβέσης

Movie review: Waiting for the clouds

 

The movie, Waiting for the Clouds, depicts the story of an elderly woman named Ajshe, who was a survivor of the turbulent 1920’s that reshaped the Balkans by war, genocides, evictions, forced population exchanges, new nation formation/expansion, political ideological clashes and nationalistic fervor on all sides. 

Ajshe never though forgot her childhood identity and memories which she kept hidden deep inside her for many years.  At a very young age she was one of the victims of those turbulent times when she, known then as Eleni, was given by her father, after a difficult march from their native Mersin (southern Turkey) to a Muslim family from the Black Sea region (Pontos-Karadeniz) who promised to protect and rear her as their own. 

Eleni’s family roots were Rum (Christian).  There in Pontos Eleni (Ajshe) lived for many years yearning especially to reunite with a long lost brother who got caught up in the great population exchange between Muslims from the areas newly acquired by Greece and Christians from the newly formed state of Turkey known as the Laussane Treaty of 1922.

The movie was interesting as it was based on some true elements in history that surrounded the Communist movement taking place in Turkey in the early 1970s.  Apparently, it seems that Ajshe’s father, in the early 1920s, may have been a communist who were seen by the Turkish state as sympathizers with communist Russia and therefore traitors.  Russia was one of the powers who dreamt at a piece of the pie after the dismemberment of the Ottoman State and dreamt of the incorporation of Turkish land into her nation.

As history tells us, the Pontians (Karadenizler) mainly live in Northern and North Eastern Turkey most of whom for various reasons chose to convert to Islam during the Ottoman period, although quite a few remained Christian, and so you will see that their language is a mix of an old Hellenic form and Turkish. A fraction of Pontians (Christians) were forcefully expelled to Greece in the 1922 exchange of populations and were settled into lands and homes of Muslims forced out of Greece.

Even though the movie had some religious elements to it, it was mainly focused on political ideological struggles and to a lesser extent ethnic ideas and conflicts and therefore, I do not recommend watching it to gain anything Islamic out of it since there were some folklore practices mentioned that have nothing to do with Islam but with local practices that predate Islam and perhaps even Christianity.

But, if you’re just looking for an emotional movie filled with human tenderness and beautiful scenery, and just a slight insight into political/ethnic tensions this just might be the movie for you.

 

Athens: Greeks unite for anti-war protest

A large antiwar demonstration was held on Saturday March 21^st at Syntagma square in Athens to protest against 10 years from the NATO bombing of Serbia, eight years bombing and occupation of Afghanistan, six years from the war in Iraq, the 60 years of NATO, as well as the Gaza attacks.

The demonstration was organized by the Stop The War Coalition of Greece and participants students organizations, Hellenic-Palestinian Friendship, the Pakistani Community, the Afghani community and the Muslim Association of Greece.

A music concert was about to start by the orchestra Mikis Theodorakis and various artists with conscience and strong anti-war feelings, but the heavy rain that started minutes before did no allow this.

The demonstration started with the speeches from the organizations that were participating: Yannis Sifakakis from the Stop the War Coalition, Hala Alary from the Hellenic-Palestinian Friendship, representatives of the students and the workers, and Anna Stamou from the Muslim Association of Greece.

People raised their voices to terminate the military occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan for all troops to leave immediately, especially the Greek forces to leave from Afghanistan, south Lebanon, Somalia, and solve this tragic situation in Gaza to free the Palestinians.

Also the 60 years of NATO were severely criticized since they have offered nothing peaceful to humanity so far and 60 years are enough. The demonstrators walked to the U.S.A. embassy under pouring rain.

Earlier on Tuesday, a press conference was given by the Stop The War Coalition of Greece, the Greek Syndicates, the Hellenic-Palestinian Friendship, and the Muslim Association of Greece in front of the French embassy regarding the 60 years of NATO that will be celebrated in Strasbourg in a few days, and massive anti-war movements will gather to protest.

The media covered this press conference with great interest.

“Freedom or death”, Greeks called. Well, practise what you preach.

 
I’ve been itching to rant about this.  When they called “freedom or death” in the War of Independence, well, just what kind of freedom was it?  It’s quite ironic that Greeks are known to be freedom fighters but then when Greek Muslims want the freedom to practise their religion, they can’t.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Come home pregnant, a Buddhist or an atheist and everything’s fine.  Come home a Muslim  — actually, just don’t come home — because you are not part of our family anymore!

What happened to freedom?

Oh, and this is the biggest confusion for me.  You are Greek only if you are baptized in the church as a Greek Orthodox.  (And therefore, the only people who have the right to freedom are those who fit in this definition?) Hmmm. 

So, is a Greek Buddhist a Greek?

What about a Greek atheist?

Or, the Greeks who lived on this earth before Jesus?

Are they Greeks?

What about Alexander the Great? 

Is he Greek?

Or Zeus?

So, you’re saying that Zeus shouldn’t have had the freedom to practise his religion because he wasn’t baptized in the church?  Who made up this ludicrous definition anyway?  Or does the definition of a Greek change based on the whims and desires of a few people?

I call it selective freedom.  Well, I have news for you.

Greek people are waking up.  They see that what they are learning in Greek school or Religion class is not accurate at best and down-right biased or false at worst.  You can only condition a child so much these days until they figure out what the internet is and start reading accurate information about history and religion. 

It’s interesting that most atheists are coming out of Christianity.  You have to wonder why.  People have questions and many times, Christianity is not answering them.  Now, I completely respect every type of person, regardless of what religion he/she professes.  And I will treat them with respect. 

God gave everyone a brain to study and the freedom to choose what they want to believe.  BUT LET THEM CHOOSE.  You might not understand their choice, but respect it.

We have questioned.  We have reasoned.  We have investigated.  Thoroughly. And we found the truth – Islam.

This is how we want to live in peace with our Creator, peace with ourselves and peace with society.  This is our freedom and no one can take that away from us.  Call that the Greek in us or the Muslim in us, but we are free.  Free from worshipping humans.

 

Part 2: Kalamata mosque photos in Greece

Hot of the press or as some would say, straight from the oven.  Courtesy of Br. Mahmoud Mansour who cooked them up for us. 

 

New mosque opened in Greece

The first mosque in Kalamata, Greece, “Quba”, has opened on March 13, 2009 and is hosting approximately 1000 Muslims mostly comprising of Syrians and Egyptians.  The hall, which is 150m², gathers Muslims to pray, discuss, learn and educate their children.

This is a very important step for the Muslim community in Greece to unite, form associations and acquire acceptance, respect and religious freedom from the Greek society. 

Although the people of Kalamata have lived in harmony with the Muslim population for many years, there was no prayer location up until now. 

The Muslim Association of Greece visited them yesterday to welcome its new members and guest Imam at the Friday prayer and sermon.

The name and the activities of their association will be announced in the near future.

Life is a…

 

When I ask people to fill in the blank with the first thing that comes to their minds, you would be surprised at some of the crazy and exhilarating answers.  A blast, a party, a cucumber, hell, a roller coaster, a maze, a garden, you name it.  I wish my answer would be life is a blast, but honestly, the first thing that came to my mind is that life is a test.

That’s been my answer at least since I took my shahada to become a Muslim.  From one test to the other through the typical obstacles of a new Muslim (compound the test when dealing with Greek families!), sometimes you can feel despair.

But, when I learned that the more Allah tests you, the more He loves you,I felt a sense of hope and strength that I can get through it.  At times like this, I used to go upstairs to the sisters’ end of the mosque and sit there by myself and stare at the intricate designs of the carpet.  I would imagine that this one thread of carpet I was pulling at would be my entire life from beginning to end and that the entire carpet would be the vastness of the afterlife that lasts an eternity.  It reminded me of the hadith,

Al-Mustaurad bin Shaddad reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “This world (i.e., its pleasures and duration) in comparison with the hereafter is (similar to the amount of water) one gets when he puts his finger in the sea. Let him then see what it returns with”. [Muslim].

This would calm me and put my life back into perspective that the tests we go through are not that big of a deal.  It also reminded me to sweat the small stuff and not to blow up over something so insignificant when things can be worked out in a better manner.

I’ve always been the type of person that strove to attain what others may think is the impossible. So, no wonder I think that life is a test.  In this type of business, you just have to expect problems – big problems! – and big tests, one after another. 

I reminisce over the words of wisdom of one leader who said that the higher you go in life, the bigger the problems you will face so if you’re going to face problems anyway, why not aim for the biggest of problems?

Also, when watching a farewell video of a leader who was told recently by his doctor that he had three months to live, he said that when you want to do something, there are going to be brick walls.  They are there to give you a chance to prove how badly you want something and to keep the others who don’t want it badly enough out. 

In the end, life is what you make of it.  Most of us screw up 90% of the time, but the important part is how we fix it.  After all, the entire reason we are on this planet is to worship the Creator of the heavens and the earth alone and work for the real life – the hereafter.

So, what is life for you? 

Life is a… (fill in the blank in the comments section).

 

p.s.  No, the photo at the top is not of me, haha.

Release your inner queen of Sheba!

When I first heard about this book, I thought, please no, let this not be another feminist book. But, knowing the author personally as a lifecoach, I knew Heba Alshareef  just had to produce something outstanding. 

It’s not a book about Cinderella or fairy tales but as Heba says it, it’s about learning to “stay true to our heritage and become strong Muslim women who lead their lives with abundance.”

 

How?

By releasing our inner Queen of Sheba.

By living our best destinies.

By being that Aishah, Khadijah or Fatimah.

 

For the skeptics

It sounds surreal and some women (or men) may be skeptical, or even thinking it may be unIslamic.  A few sisters may be thinking that our duties are only to raise families.

A few brothers may be thinking this is psycho babble and women will cause problems if they do things other than take care of their households (trust me, I know some of you are out there ). 

But one thing I’ve noticed throughout history is that whenever Islam was high, Muslim women were high and whenever Islam was low, Muslim women were low, especially in the last 500 years, and these limitations are just going to put us backwards.

 

What’s best for YOU

Every woman has a dream. Some of my friends have a deep desire to raise their children upright and pious, a few others want to open up schools, another one wants to be a female Islamic scholar and if you haven’t guessed already, I’ve released my inner queen of Sheba by working for Islam in the Greek society. As Heba says it, it’s all about “whatever works best for you is what works best for YOU” in life.

 

Protocols

Heba takes you through 21 practical protocols and procedures, each preparing you to become your own Queen of Sheba.  Some of the topics and practical exercises include:

• Who am I?
• What motivates me?
• Acknowledging human needs
• Nipping negative thoughts in the bud
• Advanced vision planning
• Advanced goal setting
• Dealing with fear vs. confidence
• Being resourceful
• Action plan

I highly recommend this book for any sister who wants to go beyond the average life to live their wildest dreams, to move towards what Allah wants for them, to find what will bring happiness and to help bring back the glory of Islam. By the end of the book, you should come out with a clear plan with steps on how to achieve this.

Buy the book 

Take a look inside