Who Killed Hassan Al Banna?

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5


Final Part

Workaholic

Woah its 7.30 pm. And i`m still stuck here in the office..

Singaporean Muslim Women pun macam gitu kot?

Taken from muslimmatters.org

After discovering an article titled “A Few Good Men: American Muslim women bemoan lack of ‘good’ male suitors“, I was oh-so-kindly “volunteered” by my fellow MM staff members to write a blog post in response. I wonder why? Could it be because:

1) I am a Muslim woman.
2) I am between the ages of 25-30 years.
3) Masha’Allah, I am educated to the postgrad level (otherwise known as “overeducated” by my dear mum).
4) Oh yeah… I am single, and desperately looking for a decent guy to wed!

Okay, so scratch the “desperately”.

Even though I hail from the other side of the Atlantic pond, I did empathise with the main character of the article, sister “Afaf”: in Western terms we are both far from being classed as “over-the-hill”, but in Desi (and perhaps other cultural) terms, we are perishable goods, close to hitting our respective expiry dates, and are in danger of being sold off at a 50% discount, in order to avoid being left on the shelf.

What a lovely analogy!

Saying that, I don’t necessarily agree with the idea that there are too few good Muslim men; at least in relation to the numbers of good Muslim women. In this case, “good” refers to those who have an appreciation of the deen, but also know how to function in dunya, without resorting to the haram. Most of the guys I have met through the rishta scene (i.e., those I was introduced to via my parents) have been decent chaps, masha’Allah. I have very few (if any) horror stories to share, alhamdulillah.

However, I do agree with the idea that for some reason, educated Muslim women are finding it hard to find a suitable match. In fact, some proof of this phenomenon comes from the existence of a Facebook group, from which I derived the title of this post. Here are a few “symptoms” written by group members, which are apparently associated with being a “smart Muslim chick who inexplicably scares off guys”:

• Men think that you are “too intimidating”.
• Much to your mom/aunty’s dismay, you refuse to go into the import/export husband business and/or marry your nerdy cousin.
• Aunties give you the polite “omigod, she didn’t just say that” smile when you launch into your defense of Barack Obama as the better candidate for the Democratic party nomination.
• You have yet to meet a real man - you already know a bunch of boys.
• The moment you reciprocate interest, he runs a mile, no longer interested. You then realise it’s because you used a five-syllable word in your last conversation.
• Your mum gives you THAT look every time she receives news of a relative’s wedding.
• You feel like you’ve met every eligible Muslim male in a 25 mile radius.
• You find yourself contemplating why they’re interested in girls who have the squeaky, bimbo laugh, then reproach yourself for having wasted time… on education, and reading, and making yourself smart. Then you feel ashamed at that thought, and drink a cup of tea, finally realising no man can give you the same kind of joy as a tiny hit of caffeine

I suspect that several of the female MM readers are now smiling after having read the above. Yes sisters, you are not alone!

There have been many explanations offered as to why ’smart’ Muslim women are facing such difficulties in getting hitched:

Maybe we’re too fussy?
Not in terms of looking for someone who is down with the deen. That’s a must! But perhaps we shouldn’t hold out for brothers who are educated to a similar degree?
However, many would argue that educational background is part of compatibility. As my Tajweed teacher once said (who at the time was a young hafidha, pursuing two bachelor degrees simultaneously, masha’Allah): if I’ve put all this effort into improving myself, can’t I expect the same from the man I marry?

Maybe guys are the ones being fussy?
I don’t wish to lump all guys into the same boat, but it’s not exactly uncommon knowledge that men have these things called “egos”. That’s natural. Heck, even women have them! But for some reason, many men (not all - but a significant number) do feel threatened by the idea of their wives earning more money than themselves, or having a better education. This is not a Muslim man thing - it’s a Y-chromosome thing.

I think the only people who avoid this pride trap are those who don’t attach their self-worth to their careers, or other worldly markers of success. The best of whom was the Prophet Muhammed, sallalahu ‘alayhi wa salam, as exemplified by his decision to accept the proposal of Khadija, radiallahu anha - a very successful business woman, masha’Allah.

But in turn, it could also be argued that not many successful Muslim women would ever propose to a penniless brother, even if his character was kind and noble. And that’s not even taking into account the role of parents and/or other guardians, who would not allow their educated daughters to marry such a person.

And so the cycle of blame continues…

Although it does help to know the cause of a problem, blame is never a good thing, nor is generalisation. Each case deserves to be examined on an individual basis, and perhaps there is no single practical solution.

So many times during my own journey I’ve thought about how complicated we make things for ourselves. I do feel that we - as individuals and communities - have made the task of finding a life partner much harder than it needs to be, justifying our approach with claims that there are not enough good people out there. But in reality, it’s our fears that are paralysing us.

For women, it is a fear of being trapped in a loveless marriage; a fear of being smothered by an overbearing husband; a fear of being unappreciated, abused and disrespected, Allah forbid. So we anxiously look for that one guy who ticks all the boxes - but does he even exist?

At one point during my early twenties, I was so terrified by the concept of marriage, that I clearly remember laying awake at night in tears, after my mother mentioned a proposal to me in passing. Alhamdulillah, rediscovering my Islam a short time later helped me to overcome my own personal fears, through the development of a greater trust in the fact that my Creator will take care of all those pesky “what ifs”. Yet, I still have a long way to go in developing my tawwakul; may Allah make it easy for me.

Perhaps if we try to humble ourselves more, live simpler lives, and recognise success in all its forms, it wouldn’t be a case of finding the “perfect” guy - but rather choosing from a large pool of very good guys, insha’Allah.

At the end of the day, considering my single status, I can’t really be counted on for much reliable advice in this department. So all I can really offer my fellow smart Muslim singletons - both men and women - is a sincere prayer: may Allah grant all of us loving life partners, who will support us on the road to eternal success, Ameen.

W.S.P!

Work.Study.Pergas. My agenda for the next 3 years. Ni Macam bila mahu nikah beb?Ni takleh jadi man. Tapi fikir balik kalau cepat cepat nanti bersifat kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang lak. Sometimes when u see ur contemporaries getting hitched, it does linger around your head that thought. That thought of sharing your life with someone esteemed, someone whom you truly,madly deeply, zoinkly in love with. The thought of having to excitingly call her `Adinda` , `Ummi` ,`Sweetkins`,`SaYang` and u being called by her `Hubby', 'Hunny Bunny', 'Abi', and whetever luminary monikers that would not fail to capture hearts of many married couples. All You Need is Love as Paul Mcartney would say. Ah well time to get back to reality in this land of insane bureaucracy whereby to put it bluntly, No money,No honey.
(P.S sorry for the rude behaviour semua orang terutama sekali tuan punya blog, tetapi ana nari raser iman ana turun macam the great wall street Stock Exchange Crash of the 1920s)

Busana Cinta

Sesungguhnya dorongan Nafsuku telah dibungkus,

Dengan busana cinta asmara yang membara,

Seorang insan Wanita yang muda,

Bagaikan Rembulan yang bersinar terang,

Jika mataku hidup denganya,

Maka mata itu akan mandi dengan air mata,

Retrenched?! Maybe.

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/246319.asp

IN A sign of the competitive, innovation-driven times, electronics firm Motorola announced yesterday that it would phase out its mobile phone manufacturing operations here by the end of this year, but retain its Asia-Pacific operational headquarters in Singapore.

.

The retrenchment of some 700 manufacturing staff — out of a total of 2,500 employees here — is expected, in line with the company's $500-million global cost-reduction initiative, said Motorola in a media statement.

.

Its Singapore office will remain "a key site for regional management activities ... as well as research and development and software development activities".

.

Employees were notified in an officewide memo on Tuesday morning and all affected staff were informed on Monday and Tuesday, added a company spokesperson.

.

While Motorola's announcement came after a few quiet years on the mass retrenchment front — from post-Sars 2003 to the end of last year — Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng is not surprised by such a development.

.

"It takes place after a few 'boomtown' years, when demand was high. But with the global economy slowing down and a squeeze on the costs side, it is not surprising," he said.

.

Since the 1990s, various electronics manufacturers have "rejigged operations in Singapore", driven by the relative high labour costs in Singapore and the emergence of China as a manufacturing powerhouse, added Mr Kit.

.

Companies such as Siemens, Philips and Panasonic have transferred production facilities out of Singapore, focusing their operations here on management, research and more capital-intensive production processes.

.

Mr Kit said the recent potent mix of spiralling land costs, labour costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar has increased cost pressures on manufacturers, and that "Motorola is not the first and won't be the last" to shift manufacturing operations out of Singapore.

.

As for the workers, help may be on its way. Without providing details, Motorola said it will offer a severance package to permanent employees. It will also help improve the resume writing and interview skills of affected workers, while talks are under way with the Economic Development Board to help those laid off.

.

The Workforce Development Agency will also help workers to upgrade their skills. This will be done with the Employment and Employability Institute and community development councils.

IN A sign of the competitive, innovation-driven times, electronics firm Motorola announced yesterday that it would phase out its mobile phone manufacturing operations here by the end of this year, but retain its Asia-Pacific operational headquarters in Singapore.

.

The retrenchment of some 700 manufacturing staff — out of a total of 2,500 employees here — is expected, in line with the company's $500-million global cost-reduction initiative, said Motorola in a media statement.

.

Its Singapore office will remain "a key site for regional management activities ... as well as research and development and software development activities".

.

Employees were notified in an officewide memo on Tuesday morning and all affected staff were informed on Monday and Tuesday, added a company spokesperson.

.

While Motorola's announcement came after a few quiet years on the mass retrenchment front — from post-Sars 2003 to the end of last year — Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng is not surprised by such a development.

.

"It takes place after a few 'boomtown' years, when demand was high. But with the global economy slowing down and a squeeze on the costs side, it is not surprising," he said.

.

Since the 1990s, various electronics manufacturers have "rejigged operations in Singapore", driven by the relative high labour costs in Singapore and the emergence of China as a manufacturing powerhouse, added Mr Kit.

.

Companies such as Siemens, Philips and Panasonic have transferred production facilities out of Singapore, focusing their operations here on management, research and more capital-intensive production processes.

.

Mr Kit said the recent potent mix of spiralling land costs, labour costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar has increased cost pressures on manufacturers, and that "Motorola is not the first and won't be the last" to shift manufacturing operations out of Singapore.

.

As for the workers, help may be on its way. Without providing details, Motorola said it will offer a severance package to permanent employees. It will also help improve the resume writing and interview skills of affected workers, while talks are under way with the Economic Development Board to help those laid off.

.

The Workforce Development Agency will also help workers to upgrade their skills. This will be done with the Employment and Employability Institute and community development councils.

IN A sign of the competitive, innovation-driven times, electronics firm Motorola announced yesterday that it would phase out its mobile phone manufacturing operations here by the end of this year, but retain its Asia-Pacific operational headquarters in Singapore.

.

The retrenchment of some 700 manufacturing staff — out of a total of 2,500 employees here — is expected, in line with the company's $500-million global cost-reduction initiative, said Motorola in a media statement.

.

Its Singapore office will remain "a key site for regional management activities ... as well as research and development and software development activities".

.

Employees were notified in an officewide memo on Tuesday morning and all affected staff were informed on Monday and Tuesday, added a company spokesperson.

.

While Motorola's announcement came after a few quiet years on the mass retrenchment front — from post-Sars 2003 to the end of last year — Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng is not surprised by such a development.

.

"It takes place after a few 'boomtown' years, when demand was high. But with the global economy slowing down and a squeeze on the costs side, it is not surprising," he said.

.

Since the 1990s, various electronics manufacturers have "rejigged operations in Singapore", driven by the relative high labour costs in Singapore and the emergence of China as a manufacturing powerhouse, added Mr Kit.

.

Companies such as Siemens, Philips and Panasonic have transferred production facilities out of Singapore, focusing their operations here on management, research and more capital-intensive production processes.

.

Mr Kit said the recent potent mix of spiralling land costs, labour costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar has increased cost pressures on manufacturers, and that "Motorola is not the first and won't be the last" to shift manufacturing operations out of Singapore.

.

As for the workers, help may be on its way. Without providing details, Motorola said it will offer a severance package to permanent employees. It will also help improve the resume writing and interview skills of affected workers, while talks are under way with the Economic Development Board to help those laid off.

.

The Workforce Development Agency will also help workers to upgrade their skills. This will be done with the Employment and Employability Institute and community development councils.

Jack Of All Trades But Master Of None

Used to be like that until recently. Things crop up one by one.