Rami,
I love your entry. I keep international affairs very dear to my heart. Indeed, I pray for those in desperate need in our Ummah. I would like to focus what i have to say on what you have mentioned about foreign affairs...What is your point of view, on the activism involved in such instances?

I myself an activist and victimized as being so, since right now seen as risking a lot or putting myself in danger what is your take on this?
In other words, for clarification purposes, when a muslim wants to put his or herself in the spotlight for a cause such as Palestine, Chechnya, Civil Rights; so on and so forth, there is a current trend that they are of the ones causing a useless comotion and putting themselves in a needless danger.

Hence, the "aunties and uncles" dont like it.

Insha AllahMay Allah grant us strength

Mohammed Irfan Shariff

Mash'Allah very well written. Though something disturbs me that should to all Arab and non-Arab muslims. There are problems going on in Asia, such as,Indonesia(which is also Muslim!) and Hindu ridden Kashmir. This is exactly the reasons Muslims aren't united for these frivolous factions. One day insh'Allah we will be united as Muslims and not "Arab" "indian-Paki" "White" "hispanics" and others. May Allah give us Hidaya. Allahuakbar!

JazakAllahu khair brother for the article. Very alarming and pivotal times we live in.

Sheikh Al Baruki said: "It makes me think that these people are spending more of their time and energy trying to destroy the deen than I am to promote it"

May Allah, Glorious and Exalted, give us tawfiq and may we not be of the humiliated or mocked. InshaAllah and Amin.

Asalaam Aleikum Warahmatullah Wabaraktu,

Brother Mohammed, alot of our parents grew up in tough times where any sort of poltical dissidence could get you taken away by the secret police in the middle of the night...and as my parents tell me "you were afraid to talk to your own brother". That is most likely the reason why our parents from foreign countries are always so afraid...not to mention it is just natural instinct for a parent to be scared for his/her children.

Alhamdulillah, America has not become that bad yet where people are just taken away because of what they say. The biggest they have done is just harassing people. But never be afraid of anyone but Allah, subhanna wa taala. He alone has the power to save you or to test you, and to give you patience and give you strength.

I have had my fair share of "auntie/uncle" pressure, but I think I would feel worse of myself if I ended up letting fear dictate how I live and do not live...and I won;t say it isn't hard at times. Insha Allah, always try to increase your Iman..so that it can serve as a barrier from fear.

Brther Dania, I'm sorry I didn't include all those other countries...and I know that most people have no idea what's going on in so many other countries...like Sierra Leone and China for example...and I admit to not really having a clue as to what's going on in Indonesia. Yet I named those certain countries though becuase they are the ones most directly, and perhaps more accutely affected by US foreign policy...for strategic, economic, and spoiled child isuues. Actually, I think It would be nice if you could write up an article or a few articles on just those issue in Indonesia, Kashmir, etc. so that we can increase our knowledge and unity insha Allah.

Sr. Justujo..my brother just gave me a book the other day written by Sheikh Qaradawi while he was in prison...it's a short play on Al-Hajjaj the tyrant governor of Iraq versus Sa'id ibn Jubayr, a student of Ibn Abbas(radia allahu anhuma) and a great scholar of Islam.

"The Scholar and the Tyrant"
http://onlineislamicstore.com/b7311.html

Waslaam Warahmatullah Wabarakatu.