Don't Become The Monsters You Hunt

"He is from X country! He is from Y religion! And His skin is XY color!  Now let’s go cook some news with that!!"  Today, that is what is being given as “NEWS”! 

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The media is being very reckless in putting out a lot of unsubstantiated information that doesn't help but unveil the stupidity of those promoting it.

As Malcom X once said:

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”

Earlier this morning, the uncle of the two suspects of Boston Marathon bombings talked to the media, genuinely expressing his condolence and sorrow for what happened.  All what the reporters asked and were interested to know is what he thinks about America, where they're from and what religion they follow! (I bet everyone can tell the direction that line was taking). Much worse, some TV news channels even took the man’s words and twisted them into false meanings (Making it seem that America corrupted his Nephews, not Chechnya, which is “OBVIOUSLY” not what he meant!!)

Sadly, some of the comments I read in social media (either Twitter or Facebook) are so stupid that I want to punch myself in the face just for being a human walking in this planet.  Some people are so dumb that If Obama would say his real name is “Stewie Griffin” they would all believe it.

Does anyone see that this is insanely poor reflection of the Islam, just as WBC (Westboro Baptist Church) is a poor reflection of the Christianity??! Radicalized Islam is the same as radicalized catholic and radicalized Judaism or any other faith!

The moment I watched the news about Boston Marathon bombing, I knew somehow, someway they would link it with Arabs, if not then Islam. I knew this before there was an Arab- Muslim- Saudi suspect (looks like Arab phobia has been around years longer than Islam phobia has been).

Unfortunately, many people talk and act out of ignorance and uncalled for hate. They willfully let themselves being brainwashed followers and eat anything they are fed via the media. But again that exist everywhere. The point is one should always be mindful that “hate perpetuates hate”, and to blame the actions of these people, on a religion, ethnicity, or homeland is insane and close-minded.

Do these people really listen to what they say??!!  It’s like saying: A brown person can more likely be a terrorist than a white person!  It’s also like saying: A Muslim man is more likely be a “terrorist” and if he is a Middle Eastern, that’s even perfect and of course he will definitely have some kind of connection to Al-Quiada. However, anyone from any other faith or religion commits an act of terror and extreme violence will be referred to as “mentally disturbed" or a "lone gunman", and of course with no connection to Al-Quiada or any terrorist group.

We all know that Timothy McVeigh was White and Christian and Terry Nichols was also White and Catholic. But I never group Christians and Catholics together as mass murders, because religion, race or ethnicity has nothing to do with terrorism.  So why the media and many people out there (Who could be either Christian or Catholic) keep linking terrorism to Islam? Those two convicted murderers of the Oklahoma City bombing, took 168 lives (including 19 children under the age of 6 and injured more than 680 people). Does that give me the right to say that all Christians and Catholics are terrorists??! 

Anyone who blames skin color, religion, or ethnicity is just as pathetic as the bombers.

Islam not only forbids terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians, but it also outlaws race, ethnicity and religion discrimination in all its forms. In Islam, there is no difference between a white and a brown, an Arab and non- Arab except, a Muslim or Non- Muslim expect by the content of their character, morals, and qualities. 

I don’t know how hard is it for many people to get the idea that there are good people and bad people in every race, religion, creed, or country of origin. Everyone deserves to be judged on who they are as an individual. Blowing up children and innocent people is not practicing “Islam” any more than killing abortion doctors is practicing “Christianity”. Ousama Bin Laden, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols or many other terrorists- from different religions and races- who got blood of innocent people in their hands are men chose to do this; they are responsible for their actions. It’s NOT the country they were born in or originally from. It’s NOT the religion they chose to practice (although there is no religion on earth that support or endorse the killing of innocent people, and if there is one, it can be named anything else but faith or religion) that told to go after bombing innocent people.  

After all this, the main question is: Do we really want to become the monsters we hunt? Sadly, what many people are doing and saying is just another example of how religion and race kill people and destroy lives.

I hope people listen to the message of little man Martin and stop hurting people.

I hope people will stop the hate and grow up!! Whether the victims are 3 or 3000 in any corner in the world, it’s still a tragedy!! It’s not about my country, my people, my religion, my race. It’s about humanity.

We all have the right to believe in whatever ever god you choose. I don’t have to love who you choose, but I definitely MUST RESPECT others’ choices and not judge them based on their religion, creed, race or skin color.

People who have no tolerance and respect for other human beings are just as evil as extremist. If we don’t respect one another, we will never have peace in this world. The change begins in our heads, our children, our family, and our friends. I hope people will wake up to this fact before they destroy each other.

AMEN

While I was waiting for my bus to go home after a long day at the library, I heard loud chanting coming toward me along with people waving the Syrian flag and protesters using bull horns to cry out with slogans in call and response: 

"Free Free Syria!"

"There is only one solution, Revolution –Revolution!"

"The people want a no fly zone!"...etc

Although I sensed that the event might end at a late hour, I didn’t think twice to leave the bus stop and run enthusiastically to join the march and chant with the protesters in Michigan Avenue, a major south-north street in the city of Chicago. 

Syrians were protesting in a deep sense of sadness and anger; raising the Syrian flag and slogans against Bashar’s extreme autocracy. At the beginning it was a walk, but it soon turned into a march as more people from Syria and few non-Syrians were joining the protest. People in their cars were honking and making the peace sign, showing passionately their support. I asked one of the organizers, who was holding a number of posters to give me one. He told me: “Here are all the posters, take yours and hand out the rest to people in the street.” As I was trying to warm welcome more people to join the march,  some people received the posters from me with passionate and excitement, other faces did not know what the protest was about, or why a certain case about Syria is considered and brought up as an issue. 

The rally was particularly focused on the children of Syria.  In the southeast of Michigan and Congress, activists and Unicef speakers got on top of the stone bench and gave speeches and prayed on the souls of the courageous martyrs; children and young protesters were raising the Syrian and American flags, exchanging pictures and giving battles of water to the protesters .  While I was listening to the speeches, I was amazed how some speakers in the event highlighted the noteworthy help that Unicef provided to Syrian children. An American activist and poet named Dr.Todd Kelsey gave a speech and drew attention to an ironic fact.  As we were walking in the protest, he saw an Apple Ad and he mentioned how everyone who has ever used an Apple product owes a debt to Syria, because Syria gave the United States Steve Jobs. “I like seeing the iPad in the foreground and the Syrian flag in the background.” Todd said.  

Later, after the event ended Todd asked me something about the Syrian community in Chicago and that’s how he realized I am a Libyan. Todd was amazed how non-Syrians actively attended a Syrian protest and showed strong solidarity. But I was much more amazed to know that he wrote a poem about Misurata during the Libyan uprising. The following is Todd’s poem about Misurata:

We hold your hope in our hearts

We hold your children in our arms

We pray with love, as loud as thunder

to cover the sound

of the bullets, rockets and bombs

may your courage last

as long as it can

the blood has not been wasted

like a flower crushed by stone

the scent of freedom remains

our hearts are with you

as you wait in the darkness

for the rockets to fall

may aid come swiftly

for the benefit ot all

sons have died

daughters are born

someday we dance

tonight we mourn

daughters have died

sons are born

someday we dance

tonight we mourn

As a proud free Libyan, I am happy to participate in such a protest and to be with such people who were trying their best to make a difference and get their voices heard.  

-Nafissa-

What does it take to be a Fulbrighter?

A lot of people have this common misconception that Fulbrighters are a group of nerds with impeccable GPAs and test scores!! Many people think that Fulbright is that something only genius students can get, if they were lucky!! Well, it’s wrong! While grades do matter, they are positively not the deciding factor. The Fulbright Commission isn’t looking for students with perfect GPAs & great test scores. The Fulbright Commission isn’t looking for genius students with brilliant IQs and an extended list of awards and honors.  In fact, during the long Fulbright process, I wrote several drafts of my essays and I received many times totally invaluable feedback for my essays till I felt that I am an incompetent person and not up to become a Fulbright student.

I have gone through a long round of judging but everything I have experienced with the Fulbright program process explains that the Fulbright Commission is plainly looking for applicants who can bring success to the program; applicants with a deep-rooted passion for their missions, willing to internalize the caliber of competition, well-shaped interests, distinctive life experiences, and a desire to be an ardent medium for cultural exchange.

I have no prescription for anyone who wants to apply for a Fulbright scholarship. In some cases, qualified people don’t make it to the final round because of limited funding, not because they are unqualified. So I do encourage every Libyan who applied for the Fulbright scholarship and did not get it in the first time to apply again. This process requires meticulousness and determination. I remember when I applied for the Fulbright, I really didn’t know what to expect beyond not expecting to receive it. However, I worked hard, asked for help and waited for two years and I got awarded the Fulbright scholarship in return for my dedication and patience. 

You may not get it for the first time, even the second time, but if you really have it in you then try for a third time. There is no magic bullet or smart recipe for getting the grant. Simply, the applicant should propose to do something they love, show tremendous dedication to it  and they will ultimately get awarded with the Fulbright fellowship! 

Fulbright Students

Nafissa Assed

 Fulbright Student

 Writer/Reporter for Libya Herald

 PROUD LIBYAN!

Facebook page:

Fissa's Free Libyan Voice: https://www.facebook.com/FISSA82

Is there more "evil" than "good" in the world?

I don’t know if I should call it bad luck or fate or something is wrong with me; life has bumped me more than enough with people or so-called friends who turned to be true hypocrites and perfect pretenders that they can’t cease to perceive their own deception, people who lie with sincerity. Sometimes I say to myself I just have to learn to forget about people who forget about me and that not everyone in life is going to stay true, yet it’s not easy to pass it without holding bitter feelings, it’s the worst feeling in the world knowing you are used or lied to. Unfortunately, most people nowadays find it hard to learn how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things. I found out that many people hate with honestly and feel good about themselves and their lives only when they lie, but when I shared my true actions and feelings with theirs that’s when I watched how they faded away and eventually unveiled how fake they are. Fake people are only nice when it's convenient for them, while genuinely nice people go out of their way to help others and then they are called naïve or even stupid! Although many people unexpectedly turned their backs on me, that shall never stoop me down to their level, I know I will be alright as long as I remember to always be myself and get on with my life. I've been walked on, used and forgotten and I don't regret one moment of it because in those moments, I've learned a lot. I've learned who I can trust and can't. I've learned the meaning of friendship. I've learned how to tell when people are lying and when they're sincere. I've also been to hell and back a few times, and I won't ever take what I have for granted. Life is too short to wake up with regrets. I love the people who treat me right, I forget about the ones who don't and I believe things happen for a reason and if it was meant to be It wouldn’t have happened, a reason that can ultimately change my whole life with a better off one. Many people touched my life in different ways; some came just for a while, others stayed there for a season and then left, but I still don’t know who would stay there forever to be finally the ones that count in my life. No matter what happens, I'm going to make it, because I have the greatest mother and siblings one can ever dream to have in life, with them I found the brightest hope and the greatest advice and guidance, and for that I thank Allah.

A very big part of my life is filled with huge amount of sadness and I don’t know when it will be all gone. I'm not happy, I won’t fake it, but I will deal with it, for I've been through backstabbers, scumbags and lies. I got a whole list of different types of bad people I met in my life. Well, nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. I will have to live it one day at a time, and because I never know how many days I’ve got left I will never give up on kindness, because I truly believe NO act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted; this is me surviving against the evil and pain in my life. 

For some people there is more evil than good to life, and for others more good than evil;  I believe that life is a combination of evil, good, folly, and wisdom.  

Sometimes I feel most of my life is only about pain and evil and I always expect it to be there, because I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when it wasn’t. But then I say to myself ‘’Al- Hamdul Li Allah’’ for everything, there are others whose life is much worse than mine. One day I will feel something else. Something that feels wrong only because it’s so unfamiliar, and in that moment I will realize I am happy. 

''If you make intense supplication and the timing of the answer is delayed, do not despair of it. Allah reply to you is guaranteed; but in the way Allah chooses, not the way you choose, and at the moment Allah desires, not the moment you desire.''

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"A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah."  

-Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah- 

Written on 11/9/2011

by Nafissa Abdul Salam Mohammed Othman Assed.
( نفيسة عبد السلام محمد عثمان الصيد)

Life is too short

We live in a life that is full of wars, hate, selfishness, Insincerity, and many other hundreds if not thousands torments that tend to make our life even worse than it is

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We live in a life that makes us an easy prey to evil, a life that tempts to lure us into sins in the easiest kind of way. But make us ponder carefully to act in the right and behave in an acceptable way.

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We live in a life in which a person tends to show you feelings, sorrows, and actions that are nothing but masquerades

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We live in a life in which people’s actions don’t reflect their inward nature

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 We live in a life that is greatly full of such appalling behaviors, thoughts and enviousness; but contains little of kindness, peace and love

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We live in a life where people outbid each other easily for silly, expensive, and unnecessary stuff, but think twice before providing some money to wars children, poor, or disabled people who are really in a grave need of help

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Dear Readers, I still have a big hope that many of us can struggle to live a life that makes it COUNTS with more good deeds & manners and less enmity, misery & deception before it comes to an END, for it’s already too short for crap; too short to tolerate bullies, abusers, and liars; too short to put up with people who claim to be something good when they really aren’t; & too short to stop trying to have fun and enjoy it in a decent way, for when you sit down and count the reasons for not going all-out to enjoy such a life you’ll be amazed at how completely silly they are. Let's Thank Allah for what we have and Trust Allah for what we need.

GOD BLESS.

Written on 12/01/2009

by Nafissa Abdul Salam Mohammed Othman Assed.
( نفيسة عبد السلام محمد عثمان الصيد)

The Paradox Of Our Life

We have bigger houses but smaller families

More conveniences, but less time

We have more degrees, but less sense

More knowledge, but less judgment

More experts, but more problems

More medicines, but less healthiness

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor

We built more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication

We have become long on quantity, but short on quality

These are times of fast foods but slow digestion

Tall man but short character

Steep profits but shallow relationships

It's a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room.

Remember that Allah did not promise days without pain,
Laughter without sorrow; sun without rain. But He did promise strength for the day, Comfort for the tears; and light for our way

And remember nothing in the nature lives for itself. Rivers don't drink their own water. Trees don't eat their own fruit. Sun doesn't give heat for itself. Flowers don't spread fragrance for themselves. Living for others, is the rule of Nature

We have one life; it soon will be past; what we do for God is all that will last.

GOD BLESSES.

NAFISSA ASSED

نفيسة عبد السلام محمد عثمان الصيد