Archive | October, 2005

Mahmood’s Den scapegoat of the Moment > The Joker!

I know it’s the end of Ramadhan, and I know that this time should be spent in reflection and be near families and friends.. unfortunately one of the heathen companies I represent insists on flouting cultural norms and forces us to attend its training courses regardless… but looking at the bright side as you know I always do, this has forced me to do something constructive during Ramadhan! The first in a very long time I can tell you (yes, I am to blame and hold your hate mails) so they should really be thanked for plucking us (this event is for the whole Middle East) from our Ramadhan-induced lethargy to do something constructive.

To cut it short, I’ll be off for three days on a business trip, and in keeping with the time-honoured Mtv tradition, I hereby declare that The Chosen One to be the MtvSM is none other than:


The Joker

It is him that should be blamed for Ahmadinejad‘s humongous brainfart. He’s also to blame of course for the South Asian Earthquake (and as winter is approaching, I beseech you all to give, even if it is a very small amount, everything helps) and whatever ills the world suffers from in the next few days… and of course he’s also responsible for the Shi’a clerics fighting the Family Status Law codification by tooth and nail!

So, The Joker deserves to be dumped on until I return. :)

You can even use this post as an open thread if you wish!


I wish you a very Eid Mubarak too!

Family Status Laws, again.

What is it with these so called “scholars”? The Shi’a ones that is who seem to be completely against codifying Family Status Laws? Afraid that their daily bread and butter will be taken away? Or is it that they’re afraid that their status within the community would diminish when such a law is passed? Or do they just revel in the surety that because of the various differing opinions they foist on people that with evening those differences by the adoption of a codified law their power will dissipate?

All of the above!

It’s got to be, why else oppose it so vehemently when we (the Shi’a) pride ourselves at being the more “illuminated” sect in that we follow the interpretation of living scholars rather than depending on code that has been carved in stone 1,400 years ago?

Or is it even more ominous than that? Is it that they just don’t want to see women have at least an equal hand to men if not better? Is that it? Sexual insecurity again?

For all that is Holy, can’t they just sit together and use their learned brains to hash out a solution and present it to the government to codify and implement?

Until when should we continue to hear the heartbreaking stories of women thrown in the street with their children and their only solace is a pittance of an alimony that is hardly ever paid?

Until when should we continue to hear of children ending up torn from their mothers just to spite her by her husband.

Until when should we continue to witness injustice being done without the judge being held to account?

Until when should women be at the mercy of unqualified and untouchable Shari’a judges?

If you really want to know what is and has happened in our Shari’a courts in the absence of codified set of laws dealing with the family, then go and read Ghada Jamsheer’s book.

It is amply clear that the community wants such a law, but we continue to hear the nonsensical opposition from “leading” clerics afraid of losing their position more than they are of defending Islam.

If you are confident that Shi’ism is indeed the enlightened sect and interpretation of Islam, why are you scrambling all over each other to put that torch out?

If they continue to oppose such codification, the government might well drop all laws specifically designed to deal with Shi’a jurisprudence and let the Shi’a Shari’a courts go to hell, with “let them slug it out themselves” thus marginalising us once again and who is to suffer except for our women and children?

I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to oppose it or put nonsensical “conditions” for them to agree to such laws that a lot of our Shi’a women will opt to marry under the aegis of the Sunni Shari’a courts. And I wouldn’t blame them.

Eid Dance

The Eid dance has started, as if it have ever ended! Declarations are coming fast and furiously from all over the Muslim world jostling for position of when Eid should be.

Some, like Nasrallah Fadhlallah of Lebanon, a leading Shi’a cleric with good following in Bahrain declared as early as last week that Eid’s going to be the coming Thursday, that’s Nov 3rd, basing his opinion on scientific facts. Najati of Muharraq this morning came out and said that as the new crescent moon can’t be seen on Thursday evening (it’s only going to be present apparently for 7 minutes and because of the light available at the time of its supposed rise is too bright to see the faint moon) then Eid should be on Friday, Nov 4th. The betting is that Saudi will declare Wednesday as the first day of Eid, and most if not all the GCC countries will follow suit.

Does this sound familiar? Of course it does to even the light follower of Muslim affairs. But is it right? Can we realistically carry on and contribute something sensible to the world, display our unity especially at this particularly difficult time, in a complete absence of a unified and agreed calendar? I don’t think so. And this is a serious situation which invariably gets hijacked by the turbanned lot for political reasons rather than religious motivation, and the rest of the Muslim world remains a haphazard, and an uncoordinated lot.

To be fair, this is not all the religious folks doing, we contribute to it as Muslim individuals too. All you have to do is just keep watching this poll and see how varied a response you will get.

If we as “normal” Muslims can’t come to an agreement on when our major religious events are going to be or how to decide on them, then how can we pressure the clerics in coming up with and agreeing to a solution? And why wait for clerics to tell us what to do? Isn’t it glaringly obvious that we need and abide by a calendar?

The dance continues…