Monday, March 30, 2009

I got an award! Err.... a long time ago

Like a really long time ago....

I'm so sorry Malekat! I'm just a lazy butt who kept forgetting! But yeah moving on, I was awarded exactly a month ago ( <-- fails at life)



My very first award! I feel so honored :]
I'm going to put it on the side of my blog so it can remind me everyday how special I am.

-Rips off shirt and dances around-

GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...

I was playing soccer in P.E today...

<3ModestJustice

White Privilege


On Friday, my high school's Sociology class had a race.

The first one to the top of the hill got $10. Mucho money right? ...well if your a high schooler it means a lot.

The Sociology teacher stood at the top of the hill holding the bill in his outstretched hand. All of the students were lined up, equally, on the starting line.

Before the race began ,however, he asked the students some questions and if the question applied to them they would take a number of steps forward or backward, for example:

If you do not know the PG&E bill in your household, please take 2 steps forward.

If a member in your family has ever been arrested, take one step back.

or

If you have ever been to Europe, Disney World, or Hawaii twice or more, take a step forward.

Not surprisingly, most minority students stayed behind, or took steps back

The questions soon got personal.

If you've ever been discriminated based on your race,religion or gender please take a step back

If you've ever tried to assimilate to fit in with the majority, take a step back

Soon, as one student commented, he couldn't go back any further.

By the time the teacher was done asking, he simply said:

"On your mark, get set, go."

Now if you take a minute to think about it, who would you think won?

Caucasians were in the front, minorities way in the back. A few were in the middle.
This wasn't a stab at white people but to show how the world really functions.

An upperclassmen who took the class stated that she and her friends stayed behind deciding that it was pointless to even try.

Some, like my older brother, actually ran, and came up 2nd place. But at least he tried.

When a white girl won in my brother's class and listened to the sobbing discussion that took place after, she felt guilty and gave the money back.

"Don't feel guilty." The teacher said, "Because guilt will only lead to anger. The only way you can fix this is by educating the next generation."

And I wholeheartedly agree. It'd be pointless to shrug off all this negativity in the world and say "Well, I don't believe this is right, if we were in an ideal world..." We're not.

I will probably be discriminated against many times in my life, and be put down due to who I am and what I stand for. But this class 'race' resonated in me, it told me that I'll never be good enough. That no matter how hard I try, I will never be as good as the majority (who happen to white) in this country. I'm not implying hatred toward anyone, but the naivete that I've grown up with has been snatched from me.

I do know the PG&E bill in my house, and no I've never left the country before on some sort of extravagant vacation. I am not expecting to be getting a special 'tutor' for my SATs or a car for graduation (well at least not a new one). The BS schools teach now a days, that I can be whatever I want and peace and love and crap ISN'T TRUE.

The real world doesn't care where you graduated from or with what honors if they have a lighter skinned applicant to compare you with. As wikipedia puts it, "a person benefiting from white privilege does not necessarily hold racist beliefs or prejudices himself and can be, as is often the case, unaware of his privilege."

And I am not angry at that person, I am angry at the system 'the MAN' that wishes to hold me down, and make me ignorant just for being different. But times are a changin' and if we educate ourselves and others, racism prejudice and 'white privilege' can and will be eradicated from society.

But on a lighter note, once I do apply for a job, I'll be more likely to get hired due to my "white-sounding" name.

-ModestJustice

P.S My brother kept the $10 one of the guys gave him

Saturday, March 28, 2009

I can slam dunk all over you

God has delivered me from boredom this weekend!

Instead of writing a complaining post I can actually talk about something interesting in my life! (My life is very boring)

Remember the Luncheon? It was a success alhamdulillah, and insha'allah we'll be planning more in the future with even more high school msa's.

As usual, I got there an hour late (Muslim Standard Time anyone?!)and the boy:girl ratio was roughly 1:10, that's pathetic ladies and gentlemen. I mean I'm not for excessive mixing (keyword excessive) but come on, where do all of the young muslim men go now a days? Most likely the mall or wherever else their parents let them get away with.

We had rice(briyani, bariis, whatever you want to call it), ice cream, chicken sandwiches, all halal! :DDDDD

Now the two groups were evenly dispersed with Sunnis and Shiites and although everyone hates stating what 'sect' they follow it's inevitable. I follow what I know is the right way, you follow what you know is the right way. Although most Sunnis would interject here with a "what you THINK is the right way". I'm a Sunni by the way and love all of my Muslim brethren and sistren.

Enough of Friday, TODAY I attended what I thought would be a nice sister gathering.

It was a sister gathering, but when I imagined quran reading and kumbaya around a crackling fire turned out to be a partay. We all danced to Indian, Arab and Somali music. Belly dancing ring a bell?

(Niiko is for you Naz) I loved the different ethnic backgrounds of each sister and how we all had one unifying belief.

The evening ended with a trip to the mosque and an all girls' basketball game in the dark. I suggest you try that one day and see how it feels when all the girls look the same in abayat.

Alhamdulillah for such a great weekend! Too bad tomorrow is work day and I have to do homework and other boring school-related activities.

Good Night Ladies

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Guess who's getting engaged?!

So I've been semi-planning this event for tomorrow and I'm semi-impressed. My friend and her MSA invited my MSA to it tomorrow.

By the way I'm not engaged, I just needed a header :P

We're having a two week late Mawlid Luncheon meet & greet thing tomorrow and with the regulars at my MSA we're going to head over to a lovely park and have some food. Yummmmm -drool- food

The catch (there's always a catch) is that everyone has to bring a little something something so we're not standing around a table with soda and no food.

I'm on the cheap side (seeing as how my networth is below $5 at the moment)and I'm opting for pizza. If I had any spectacular cooking skills I'd whip up some rice and chicken but that's not that case.

Time to pick out my prettiest casual dress and I want to wear earrings with my hijab but the way I wrap would leave my neck uncovered in more than one place.

Uhhh what else shall I say? Will this one post appease you until next week? Probably not, I've just been swamped with projects and VH1 (bad show network I know, but I only watch the 'I love the new millenium' series)Oh yeah...

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Naz and A'qilah from that one blog over thar' haha, YOU NEED TO ADD MY E-MAIL because although you adore my comments as much as I adore yours' I can't comment on a private blog :D

Peace and love,
Modest Justice

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Slap me silly, or call me Bill

I've been floating by this week, amazingly. It's a routine.

Wake, dress, school, home, sleep, wake, dress, school, home, sleep, wake... and on and on and on

GOD GIVE ME THE WEEKEND ALREADY!

Then the weekend will fly by with nothing special besides the Masjid or visiting a relative and it'll all go back to wake, dress, school ,home.... GRRR

Now I don't want to grow up too quickly, but if I had just a tiny bit of glamour in my life it'll be nice. However, alhamdulillah to all I have now.

But if I had a job .....

I could buy all the things I want (aren't I the little materialist)and maybe get extended hours of 'hanging' outside of the household.

I mean, my social life exists only at school and the internet (with said school friends) and then reading all these -fabulous- blogs about their -exciting when compared to mine- lives' makes me feel all boring.

Maybe I am boring

Plus, I think I have gerascophobia (look it up)

Should I be a psychotherapist to the Amish?

Okay see why I feel totally ADHD, I can't keep my thoughts straight. Plus I'm half asleep when I should be finishing this play for English.

Enough ramblings, I should head to bed or eat or do something.

Damn, life is boring

Monday, March 16, 2009

Let's get this party started

Asalamu Alaikum

This weekend I attended a Mawlid-al Nabi party. Yes, I said party not observance. An observance would be people sitting around reading Qur'an all day. A party,however, is not exactly the complete opposite. There was still Qur'an recitation and the men and women were in opposite sides of the room.

Then when the Qur'anic 'singing' and the clapping wooden instruments came out, let's just say I was the life of the party.

Kidding! I was in the other corner of the restaurant (oh right, this was in an Indian restuarant, Second floor) with the other kids ages: college level and down. There was a t.v so they were happily entertained with Basketball and Spongebob so I was chatting with my friends for the next 6 hours. Of course, we women never get tired of talking :D

But I could never be constrained into a little area for so long (I think I have a mild case of ADHD every now and then)so we all went across the street to Jack in the Box, bought nothing -our parents didn't give us any money, too busy dancing-, and came back in.

Now I do not condone dancing and singing for the Prophet (saw) because I don't think he celebrated his own birthday and it might lead to Shirk. The adults weren't praying to the prophet, just for him. If there wasn't any food and the promise of a new outfit, I probably would've stayed home watching "The Real World". Don't worry I'm not won over THAT easily >.> Got food and new shoes?

Well there's my post now back I say, back!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Mother, Father, I don't want to be a Doctor

Hello all, I've been caught up with school this past week. What with the school year coming to a close in 12 weeks I have to decide what courses I'll be taking next year.

Man it's a tough decision. I don't want to pursue science next year only, but I'm willing to take it up the year after. I want to spend my free elective next year for journalism. I like journalism a lot. But since physiology (study of the human body) would better 'aid' me in being a Doctor I should do that. Plus, all of my friends are taking it so we have some 'support system'. Can you say peer pressure? Honestly, I've never asked my friend's for help as much as I thought this year when I decided to take Chemistry -Honors heheh-, so I doubt I'll need them next year if I took Physiology.

Now that I think about, what ever made me want to devote 11 years of my life to Medicine? I vaguely remember my parents, no not vaguely, clearly, remember them always saying, "You're going to grow up and be a doctor :D" I call that the Immigrant dream. But it isn't bad, being a doctor, or having parents who want you to be one, it's just not for me. Just because you get good pay doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy spending my life working 9-5 for the next 40 years until retirement. I shudder just thinking about it.

And since I've started rethinking my whole career goal, what will I major in college? Seriously, I've planned out every single thing in my life and as a friend had to yell at me, life can't be planned (Could've found that in some fortune cookie). Only God knows when I'm going to get married, and when I'll have children -I planned what age- But as to what I'll major in University, it had previously been a Major in PreMed and a Minor in Child Psychology, I'll probably go with Psychology and a minor in Journalism.

I don't want to be constrained to the same boring routine, and believe or not, touching sicks kids (I aspired to be a Pediatrician) isn't all that fantastic. Maybe it's because I lack the 'Messiah Complex' so many Doctors have. To go out and save the world one vaccine at time. I think that the pen is mightier than the sword (but not the needle) and would rather use my words and experiences to fight all the injustice in the world. I don't have experience at the moment, but don't worry I will!

So in the meantime, I have until next Wednesday to figure out what to pick, Physiology or Journalism (or another science?). I have to break it to my parents sometime but they're probably not going to care until it's time to pick out colleges. I don't think they even know what classes I have now .-.;

Oh and as a side note, my Chem teacher keeps trying to goad us all into AP(Advanced Placement) Environmental Science even though I'll be having 2 APs next year. Sorry, I don't care about the environment that much to give up an elective for it.

Ta-ta ladies

Monday, March 2, 2009

Houris



*The opinions expressed in this post are of the author solely and yes, she is in her right mind right now And although this topic may be a bit 'adult' technically the age of the author is not fully known therefore she speaks without consequences. If you don't like anti-man talk click the red button on your right. Yeah I'm lookin at you kid.*


"Oh sister! You are so beautiful! Like a houri from Jannah!"

Save it, please.

Once in a while I get irked at things I hear about Islam so that I have to double check the information because if I don't like it it's probably not true.

Like those pesky houris.

"Men will get as many women as they like in Jannah."

"Even if they had 4 in this world?"

"Especially if they had 4."

"What about the women? Don't they get some boy toy?"

-eyes narrow- "If a woman wants something like that, they're probably not going to even make it to Jannah!"

Women, as they always have, lose out in Jannah. Or so those misogynistic Imams say.

I mean really, if you look throughout history they're always been this double standards pertaining to men and women.

Men can rule countries, women are too stupid. Men can stay out till midnight, women are seen as trouble makers if they even dare to come home at 8. Men can be promiscuous and called 'libertines', promiscuous women are 'whores' (I read some 16th century books over the weekend >.>) Even though fornication is bad for both sexes.

But you're thinking, "No sister, men and women are different. They have an edge over us.

Puh-leeze, no man has an edge over me when it comes to determining who gets to go to school, have a job or even go somewhere alone.

Strength is one thing, intellect is another.

Don't bother asking which gender is smarter, that question will rage on forever meaning it's basically pointless.

Back to the main topic, in the Qur'an (not the hadiths) It simply says that we'll have other partners -no specifics to whom or how many- and that men and women will be reunited with their spouses... and then some.

I'm not going to accept those highly graphic hadiths about where men basically get to tap as much as they want with whoever they want (I even heard that the virgin boys in Jannah were for the men. THE MEN? WHY WOULD THEY NEED BOYS?! I mean I know homosexuality is haram here but allowed over there? -shudder- sorry I'm straight through this life and the next) and women get to stay in their palaces all day looking ready for their husband after he comes home from doing God knows what.

Who said being with your spouse for eternity is fun? Sometimes death is an escape for those spouses! (Okay don't start throwing popcorn at me because I don't have a husband, heck I can't even get married yet -legally in the U.S that is ;D-)

And to nearly conclude this post here is one reply from some random forum I googled:

"Asalaam wr wb women will ONLY be with one man who she will be 100% satisfied with and the happiest with in jannah just like she is happy and satisfied with one man in this world!
It does not befit a women to be with more than one man in Jannah just like it does not befit her to be with more than one man in this world! She will have young boy servants not men!
There is no such thing as sexism in Islam that is a term created by the kufaar and it applies to their society them because of the sexist societies which they live in where they are lowered so much and have no dignity or respect!
Look at history and you would know that Islam has given women MORE freedom, rights,dignity and respect than ANY other nation in the history of this earth! Jazakalah"

Hold up- who died and made you God? Even though God can't die astagfurillah. So it does not 'befit' a woman to have more than one man but a guy can sleep with just about anyone right? You want to give more power to yourself with hadiths and keep the women locked in a tiny cupboard because they can control themselves (true)unlike you, you filthy animal. Like that T.I song "You can have whatever you like" I'll be sure to get whatever I want. And if that happens to be more than just my husband THAN SO BE IT!


"Just because I hide my sexuality doesn't mean I don't have any!"

xoxo Modest Jusitce

Funeral,Birthday, and Wedding Announcements

Mission: ♥

-blows kisses to followers- Thank you for making me feel special and that my blog actually means something. Each and everyone of you has made a difference by keeping this blog alive.




My Blog List

 

Modest Justice | Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial License | Dandy Dandilion Designed by Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates