Livin in Layla Land

Starting a New Blog!

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

I hope this new year finds you all healthy and well. As you can see, it has been impossible for me to keep up blogging in my current format. A lot has changed in my own life, and I think I need to open a new blog to reflect these changes.

I am still working on my MA in Biblical Studies and Hebrew, but have also discovered a new love in the field of Historical Theology. This summer I took a course in Patristic Theology and found my own path changing in a profound way. As a result, my husband and I are now seeking to enter the Orthodox Church. We are involved in a parish that has a large Middle-Eastern Heritage, and I've found that Orthodoxy has answered so many of the questions and things that bothered me about Evangelical Protestant theology and their approach to the Bible. If I'm going to blog with any consistency, I need to engage the things I'm thinking about and encountering on a daily basis. I have yet to think of a name for the blog, but I expect it to be up within the next week.

I plan to continue to interact with my interests in Islam and Somali language and culture, but there will also probably be more posts interacting with theology and current issues in the Orthodox Church. In the the meantime, if you don't know much about Orthodoxy, here are some basic articles that our archdiocese has put together.

http://www.antiochian.org/discover

Looooong time no see!

2011-05-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Shalom, Salaam, Peace to all of you:

Wow everyone, I think this is the longest I've ever gone without posting. I have successfully finished by first year of graduate school! My program is an MA in Biblical Studies, with a focus on Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). My eventual plans include a PhD somewhere in the wider field in Near Eastern Studies, and a teaching career that could take a number of different directions. At this point, I am leaning toward teaching Biblical Hebrew itself, or working for a Religious Studies department in a state university.

Layla is doing great, even with me being gone more frequently for classes and such. We are blessed to live in a student housing complex with many other kids her age,so I don't think she really resents the fact that she doesn't have any siblings yet!

Our summer plans thus far include lots of reading, swimming lessons, playing outside, a 2-week intensive course of Patristic and Medieval Theology (me), and a 3 week trip to Illinois and Minnesota. What are all your summer plans?

I think I will be taking a slightly different direction with the blog, using it as an accountability tool so I can do more constructive preschool activities with Layla at home this summer.

Hope everyone is doing great!

The Pacifier Queen. . .

2010-10-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

A pic from the same trip as the sleepless wedding

I definitely didn't plan to have a daughter who still uses a pacifier at almost 3. In fact, I didn't want to give her a pacifier at all.

Basically the problem started when she wanted to nurse literally almost every 30 min. all night long, and I couldn't get any sleep. The pacifier bought me at least a couple hours of sleep at a time, which made the difference for me in those early months.

Over the months, it became something we used to allow my husband to put Layla to bed and a convenience for me at night and in the car.

I realized how severely addicted she was to the thing when I took her to a Somali friend's wedding in Dec. 2008. She was a little over a year old at the time. I forgot the pacifier at the family's house, so she went without it until 5 am. Somali weddings are very late affairs! She would normally go to sleep around 9pm, but on this night, she literally stayed awake until 5am. I tried nursing her to sleep in one of the girls' rooms at the hotel. It didn't work. I tried walking with her in the Moby wrap, it didn't work. I tried getting her to suck her thumb, it didn't work. She didn't cry much that night as long as I held her, she just wouldn't go to sleep.

We've tried taking the paci away a few times. All of them resulted in her being awake way past her bedtime and me eventually giving up.

Fast forward to today: I bought Layla a Dora comforter for a birthday gift to give her next week. We planned to give it to her and have her trade the pacifier for it. We started talking to her about it tonight to start preparing her mind. She immediately ran upstairs and said, "I want to throw my binky away, I want a Dora blanket." I couldn't convince her otherwise, so I decided to do the switch tonight.
I think the husband wanted to wait until last week to do the switch, so I'm not sure he'll be a lot of help during the night.

So far its 1hr past the time I put her to bed, and she is still awake. She has gone to the bathroom once and asked for cuddles and water twice. She also asked to nurse even though she has been weaned for a few months now. There wasn't any milk, so that didn't last long :-)

Pray that I at least get a little sleep tonight!

At least I don't have anywhere to be early tomorrow morning.

Speak Babylonian?

2010-09-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

I saw an article on BBC today about a new online poetry archive that is bringing ancient Babylonian writings to the public. The language is known in academia as Akkadian, and it ceased to be a living language about 2000 years ago. As a student of Hebrew and Arabic, related Semitic languages, this was obviously of huge interest to me. The article also links to the archive of the poetry, and if you speak Arabic or Hebrew you will recognize some of the words and forms.

The Professor in the interview about the archive has also released a book designed to a person to teach himself Akkadian. I might pick this up since I'll eventually study other Semitic languages if I go on to Ph.D. studies someday.

The product has only been released in the U.K. so far, but it will be out worldwide sometime soon.
Complete Babylonian: A Teach Yourself Guide

For some reason, I just love learning dead languages!

A real Interfaith Moment

2010-09-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

A friend posted this on Facebook and I just had to share. In my opinion, this is how all Christians should be living out the teachings of Jesus. The saying "love your neighbor" comes from the story of the Good Samaritan.

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

-Luke 10:25-37

Eid!!

2010-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that the month ended so quickly!

Did all of you realize that Eid this year coincided with Rosh HaShanah on the Hebrew Calendar?
Rosh HaShanah is the celebration of the Biblical New Year, and the beginning of the 10 most holy days leading up to Yom Kippur. While studying recently, I realized the the Arabic term 'Eid (عيد )
comes from the same root as the Hebrew Mo'ed ( מועד). Consider this Comparative Semitics lesson your free 'Eid gift!

The root in both languages means to appoint or to appoint a time or place. Thus, an 'Eid, or a Mo'ed is a time that is specially appointed by God, and regarded more highly than other days. In the Ancient Israelite culture, part of celebrating these days was meeting together for a sacred assembly. Of course, the tradition of celebrating these days has still continues even until now!
Much the same, 'Eid was celebrated around the world by Muslims getting together, praying in a group, then heading to different homes to celebrate.

How did you celebrate 'Eid?

Layla and I went to visit our friend with the triplets in the afternoon, and I was so glad we did! There were no other guests at the home besides us, and I didn't want them to feel forgotten by the community. We brought treats for the kids, hijabs for the mom and older daughter, and spent some good times reflecting on the blessings God has given in the past year. It is still amazing me to see how well the family is doing after everything earlier this year. The husband is looking for work and getting his license, and Leyla is talking about starting English classes once the babies get a little older.

We also ate halwa, which is a traditional Somali treat eaten for 'Eid. Some have called it the fast-track to instant diabetes, which is why I only eat it a couple times a year :-)
I'll include a video of how to make it just in case you would like to increase your blood sugar and waistline concurrently!
It has a gelatinous texture and is generally eaten sandwiched between some really plain cookies. Truly, I only like it because of the cardamom.

Hope you all had a wonderful Eid and Rosh HaShanah!

Pray for Pakistan

2010-08-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

As you are praying today, don't forget about the whole country of Pakistan, which has been devastated by monsoon flooding. I read today that close to 900,000 homes have been destroyed, which means that millions are now homeless. About 1/5 of the entire country is currently flooded.

This means that there will be huge risks of waterborne disease, as well as people lacking food, clothing and other basic necessities.

I'll let you guys know if I see any links for organizations that are going over there to help. In the meantime, send your dua's. They need it!

Ramadan Reminders

2010-08-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates! Life has been getting busy as I'm getting ready to start my MA program this fall and deal with being away from Layla for part of my days.

Anyway, Ramadan Kareem to all my lovely Muslim friends!

Of course, Ramadan is set aside as a month of spiritual reflection, abstaining from food and drink so that we can focus on feeding the soul, at least that's how I see it.

However, food and community are also a huge part of Ramadan. I've read that in Muslim-majority countries, more money is spent on food at Ramadan than any other time of year.

What foods bring back fond Ramadan memories for you?
If its your first Ramadan, what are you looking most forward to?

I was first exposed to Ramadan in the context of my Somali co-workers at the airport in Minneapolis. The atmosphere during Ramadan was amazing. Even though everyone was thirsty and hungry (more thirsty than anything!), tempers rarely flared.

Many of the people I worked with got huge deliveries of food brought right before iftar time by their families. One guy I worked with, Qassim, used to get enough food from his mom and sisters to feed at least 10 of us!

The first year I wasn't planning to fast, and had only begun studying Islam, but I decided to fast to experience exactly what my friends were going through. It was hard, but it also gave me a place in the community.

The foods that remind me most of Ramadan are sambusa, buur, bagiya, and of course, dates! The Muslims here decided that today was the first day of fasting, so yesterday I went out and got my supply of dates and ma'amoul for the month.

The other necessity for iftar is a hot cup of Somali tea!

Halal BBQ!

2010-07-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing to do with the post, Layla was pretending to be a cow!

I got invited to a Halal BBQ tomorrow that one of the mosques in the area is putting on. I think we might actually go!

I get frustrated when people grill out and everything is pork. Pork brats, pork hot dogs, pork ribs, etc. It just gets a little annoying something smells so good, but I don't consider it as food.

Anyway, a friend's husband invited me, but I don't think my friend will be there because she got really sunburned last week. She is on self-quarantine until her face looks normal again. :-) I hope she gets better soon.

Later in the evening I got invited to look at some Moroccan clothing for sale at another friend's house. A lady in the neighborhood is selling kaftans and other clothes to raise money so that her husband can go back to Morocco and visit his mother.

You never know, I might get to eat halal BBQ and get a new kaftan all in one day! Sounds fun to me!

Help Aalia Fund

2010-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Repost from A Blog of Alice:

Assalam alaikum. Hello

There's a "Help Aalia Fund" in the upper right corner of my blog- raising money for the plane tickets from Canada to the UAE for Aalia. The original idea belongs to Ange.

It's sad and weird to witness the situation of Aalia. Just over a year ago she was a young cheerful woman happily married to a good Gulf man from the UAE. It seemed she had everything: a loving, caring husband - a good Muslim man, an adorable son, enthusiastic plans for the bright future- studying, making some career, having more children with that man. And now she faces a life crash. That's how it is for many foreign wives in case of a divorce in the Gulf. Of course, a divorce in any country can be a life crash for everybody involved. Yet, foreign wives are particularly vulnerable here.

A local woman - she has her own family clan that is ready to support her in difficult times. In case of a divorce she'd have a place to live (her parent's house), she'd be taken care of. An ex husband would provide for the children's needs. Some pension could be granted from the government to support a divorced woman. Most of the time the children would be living with their local mother until older (boys till the age of 5-7 and girls till puberty or longer), if the mother does not remarry. In case she remarries- the children go to live to their father's house.

When a foreign wife is divorced in the Gulf- often she simply looses everything. A foreign woman does not have her family here to support her, she's like an orphan and has to rely on herself alone. In case of Aalia- there's no one to turn for help to. When she accepted Islam her own Canadian family turned away from her. Her husband was everything for her, substituted for the whole family. Now when divorced, she's on her own. And without her only son, whom she breastfeeded for 2 years, who's still small and very much in need of her. ِAt least till the age of 6, mother's presence is crucial for the harmonious development of a child's personality...

When married, a foreign wife resides in the Gulf country on a residence visa under her husband's sponsorship. If divorced, she looses the right to stay in the country... And the children who have local citizenship- naturally stay in their homeland.

The situation is difficult. I just hope Aalia would be able to get back to the Emirates before her residence visa expires (Dec 1st 2010), and consult UAE lawyers, maybe there's still some hope and a way out...

What needs to be taken into consideration is that just like it's horrible to deprive a mother of her son, so it is horrible to deprive a father of his child as well. Just like a mother can't imagine another woman raising her child, so does a father can't imagine another man raising his child. A child needs a father in his life. Just like Aalia loves her son, so does her ex husband loves his son and wishes the best for him.

I also hope that any woman considering marrying a Gulf man/Muslim man/ foreign man- should be careful and have some back up plan in case of emergency- it could be an education, a profession in demand, that could guarantee her an income in the future, that would mean she'd be able to provide for herself and her children if needed. Women also should not be shy to stipulate a considerable compensation sum of money, a house or a flat in case of a divorce in their marriage contract or some other conditions... I just hate it when foreign convert girls/Muslim girls from poorer countries are taken advantage of by some Gulf men - there's no big mahr for her, no compensation in case of a divorce mentioned in the marriage contract, no gold or other presents (or much less) that would be given to a local bride, and the worst of all- children taken away if divorced.

From me:(Stacy)
I can't imagine as a mother being separated from my own young child. My heart breaks for Aalia and other mothers that are forced into similar situations. If you can help, please do so that she is able to have a say in her son's life as he grows up. Another woman can never love her son in the same way that she does.

I just pray that this all works out and that she is able to see her son grow up and have a strong relationship with him.

Travel, moving, and Friends, Oh my!

2010-07-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I feel like it's been entirely too long since I posted. There have been a lot of things in the news and such that I've wanted to comment upon, but I've just been too preoccupied as of late.

The trip to Minnesota went great. Even though we didn't have the cord to the mini DVD player for the car, Layla was awesome and behaved almost perfectly for those long days of driving. It was 28 hrs. each way. We took 2 days to drive on the way there, and 2 and 1/2 on the way back.

Layla got a lot of time with her grandma, aunt, and uncle. We also got to hang with old friends, walk around near where we used to live, and eat a lot of yummy food. I definitely got my Somali fix while we were there!

I got to visit my friend Idil who moved to Grand Forks, ND and hang out with her and the family for a few days. Her sweet brother Abdisalaan offered to drive 5hrs to Minneapolis to pick us up! Her son is the little boy Layla is throwing rocks with in the picture. Their family basically adopted me quite a few years ago.

There was so much scenery on the drive there and back, but the drive is brutal. You lose your appreciation for beauty once you're in the car for a few hrs.

Once we got back, we had one day to relax before we had to start moving to our new place. It took 3 days to move, but now we're living in the best possible place for us and Layla too.

We are living in family housing townhomes for the school that I will be attending in the fall for my MA program. There are tons of kids near Layla's age, and the houses have a fenced courtyard in the center where kids can play. It has been really easy to meet people and start making friends. I will also be able to walk to my classes, and it will be super easy to find babysitters on campus to watch Layla.

We have a week or so to relax now, then my parents and brother are coming to visit!

Road Trip!

2010-06-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Should I be excited about the prospect of driving 28 hrs. in 2 days? My husband and I are driving all the way back to Minneapolis to visit our family there. Are we crazy?

We wanted to fly, buy tickets are insanely expensive. Has anyone else run into that problem this summer? We also looked at taking a train, but the price was even higher than flying!

Looks like we will be stuck driving 2 days straight with this lovely little lady in the car.

If you remember correctly, this is the same drive we did last year, but this time we will have a much less-crowded car. I also think that Layla will be a little better since she is older now. I hope!

Any tips for occupying a little kid for an insanely long drive?

I will definitely bring books and the laptop for DVDs. We also plan on making her run for 15min when we stop for bathroom and gas breaks.

I'm trying to psych myself out and pretend that I'm really excited for the drive itself, when in reality, I'm not!

I am, however, looking forward to seeing my husband's family and all our friends back in Minneapolis, as well as my dear friend Idil who moved all the way to North Dakota. Yes, there are Somalis everywhere!

I am really looking forward to getting Sambusa at my favorite spot, The Cairo grill, as well as getting a couple new skirts at the Somali mall!

I'll post pics of the trip, maybe not until we get back, but I promise to share!

2010 best blog award!

2010-06-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

سلام שלום and may Peace be with all my lovely readers:

It hasn't been that long since female Muslim bloggers were a minority in the blogging realm. I think that many of the blogs I read are so inspiring, motivating, and also speak against some of the negative stereotypes against Muslim women.

Sisterswhoblog network and magazine are in the process of creating an award that will reward some ladies for their hard work, and give them the recognition that they deserve.

Check out the award link and give some feedback to the creators of the award. Before any blogs are awarded, they are looking for feedback as to what categories will be included and what kinds of prizes will be awarded.

Sisterswhoblog Magazine: 2010 Best Blog Award

Don't let your favorite bloggers miss out on a chance to win!

P.S. sorry for the lack of significant updates and comments on everyone's blog! The keyboard on my laptop is still fried, so I am in read-only mode.
Things are going well on my front though :-)

A little piece of Heaven

2010-05-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Layla and I found this amazing little place near our home. We live near Powell Butte, which is an extinct cinder cone volcano. Most of Powell Butte is set aside as a park but there are private homes all around it. On the east and south sides of the butte there is an area of small hobby farms and old houses that looks like it has been untouched in the last 50 years. I have been taking Layla back here to see the horses and look for bugs. It reminds me of how I spent a lot of my own childhood. I would love to live in a place like this someday. I would rather have a little house with a huge overgrown yard full of trees, than to live in a perfectly manicured suburban home.

Look at this huge maple leaf!

A Week of Wearing Skirts and Dresses-Day 5

2010-05-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

I just added text because my keyboard is fried! Layla was sick yesterday and threw up on it! Lovely, I know.
Thank God, she is feeling much better today.
So, I only have one more skirt that you guys haven't seen.
When I don't know what to wear or it's hot, I'll usually use a sarong like this one to cover up. I have 3 of them, but this is my favorite by far.
Enjoy!

In Honor of Mothers' Day-Layla's Birth Story

2010-05-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

My Pregnancy with Layla was truly uneventful. I never had morning sickness (Thank you God!), didn't look pregnant until 6 mos., and worked up until 3 days before the birth. All of my prenatal care was done at the HCMC Midwife Clinic in Minneapolis. I planned to give birth in their Birth Center, which is attached to the hospital. I originally wanted a home birth, but my husband wasn't comfortable with the idea. I chose this location because they offered the option of a waterbirth. I also used a doula, who is a non-medical support person for labor. She is there to offer support by helping you find comfortable positions and strategies so you can avoid unnecessary interventions.

My last day of work was Thursday, Oct 12th. On Friday I got invited to go to the Mall of America with my friend Fatima and her family. For some reason, I just didn't feel like going. Dave and I went to bed fairly early that night, just because we didn't feel like doing anything.

Saturday, Oct 13th

3:00am
I woke up around 3:00am and thought I felt a little trickle of water run down my leg. I got up and went to the bathroom, but didn't feel any more water. I thought, "I'm ok, I'm just being paranoid." I went back to bed and just tried to get back to sleep, but I just felt funny. Suddenly, I felt a bigger trickle running down my leg. Dave was still asleep next to me. I tried to get up and go to the bathroom again. As I had one leg on the floor and the other on the bed, about 1/2 gallon of water came gushing out! I screamed "baby, baby, my water just broke!"

4:00 am-8:00am
I called the midwife clinic and talked to one of my favorite staff midwifes. She told me to wait until I was really in labor to come to the Birth Center. I tried to get back to sleep, but I was just too excited. I wasn't having any contractions yet, but Layla was moving around just fine.
I wasted time online until it was late enough to call my mom and Amanda to let them know my water had broken.

1:00pm
We finally left the house around this time. I was having contractions, but they were somewhat erratic and not too intense. I remember Dave wanted McDonalds and that he ate Chicken Nuggets in the car. The thought of that nasty fried food just made me sick. We picked Amanda up at her place and headed for HCMC.

2:00 pm
We got to HCMC and checked in. Once we were checked in we weren't supposed to leave the premises, so we wandered around to stimulate contractions and spent some time in the cafeteria.

5:00pm
My contractions were still pretty weak, but I called my doula, Rae, to let her know what was going on. She was at a birthday party, but I told her to take her time. I didn't end up having her come in until around midnight if I remember correctly.

During the rest of the evening I spent lots of time on a birth ball (like the exercise balls), ate enchiladas, and walked around a lot to try to speed things up. I only had to be externally monitored once an hour, so I was free to do what I wanted the rest of the time. I also declined to have an IV, or to be augmented with Pitocin. Pitocin induction greatly increases the chance that you will need an epidural or eventual C-section due to fetal distress.

Sunday, Oct. 14th Layla's B-day!

12:00 am.
Rae is finally here and shows Dave some massage techniques to help the pain in my hips. My hips seriously felt like they were going to shatter as they opened up! We walked the halls a lot more, and at some point I remember throwing up in a hallway trash can. I hate throwing up more than almost anything!

I can't remember at what times I had my dialation checked. I do know that the first time I was only at a 3 and was not progressing very quickly. I didn't get checked for a long time after that, but they wanted me to be at 6 before I could get in the tub.

I also remember Dave and Amanda sleeping on mats during the night and feeling jealous that they got to sleep while I was stuck awake. I had probably been up for almost 24hrs straight by that time!

Early morning

I got checked again and was finally almost at 6! The water tub was almost ready for me, and I think I got in it around 8am.

Transition:
Transition is usually the most difficult part of Labor. It definitely was for me. I can't lie and say that it wasn't painful. It was.

However, I knew that I was finally getting close to seeing my little girl. I just had to stay with it and hold on.
During transition I was more vocal during contractions. They were so intense that I would almost fall asleep between them. This is because so much of the body's oxygen is being used during the contractions that there is nothing for the body in between them.

I didn't feel like giving up during this stage, I just kind of went into myself to cope. Everyone kept asking if I needed or wanted anything. I finally told them yes, don't talk to me, and don't touch me!

Pushing:
11:00am
I knew transition was over because of two things. I felt an urge to push, and my contractions slowed down again. My midwife asked if I wanted to get out of the tub and be checked again. I got out because I was curious, and also because I felt like I needed to poop! That's usually a sure sign that you're ready to push.
She checked, said I was really close to 10cm, and could either choose to go back into the tub or not.

I decided to go to the bathroom first. I definitely had enough control of my body to not poop in the water! That's another reason to not get an epidural, for sure.
I took care of my business, cleaned up, and pushed as I wanted to with the contractions.
The sensations during the early part of pushing were interesting to say the least. I could feel Layla descending through my hips and getting close to crowning. I think part of why I stayed in the bathroom so long was that I
enjoyed the privacy.

I finally came out and told my midwife that I had felt her head, but it felt funny, like a raisin. I couldn't tell if it was the top of her head or her face! She reassured me that it was the top of her head, but that the skin just gets squished up as it comes down the birth canal. I think she was more shocked that I got to her to crowning by myself.

My midwife and nurse put on long gloves as I got back into the water. I had told them before that I wanted to deliver her myself if possible. They would help get me and Layla out of the water once she was born.At this point Amanda asked the nurse how much longer it might be, they told her probably about another hour. It actually ended up only being a few minutes. She barely had time to get a few pictures!

I told myself that it was almost over, once I got her head out it would be easy. I almost pushed her head out through a couple contractions, but would hold back when I felt a burning sensation. Finally, I just told myself, do it, and pushed her head out. I screamed, "her head is out!" Now, I just needed another contraction or two to get her out.

A baby actually turns as it descends to accommodate its own shoulders. Layla's shoulders turned as I pushed into the next contraction. Surprisingly, her whole body came out with that push.
I brought her out of the water and held her to my chest as she let out her first cry.
I had done it!

Layla Jade
11:45am
Oct 14, 2007

After that, I was bleeding quite a bit, so the nurse and midwife helped me get out of the tub with Layla.
The placenta was delivered with a little help from my midwife, and I got to hold Layla and nurse her for the first hour after she was born.

It is hard to explain in writing how transformative and powerful the experience of giving birth was. I was able to consciously and tangibly see and feel another human being coming into the world. This little girl is today the center of our family and the source of so much joy for me, my husband, and countless others. My love for her is beyond words.

On this Mothers' Day I am thankful for the experience of Layla's birth and also for every minute that God gives me with her on this earth.

A Week of Wearing Skirts and Dresses-Day 4

2010-05-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Brown Skirt with a green shirt and multi-striped scarf.

I put the sweater over later because the green shirt is kind of tight.

Layla in her yellow dress that Grandma Linda sent her.

A Week of Wearing Skirts and Dresses- Day 3

2010-05-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today you get 3 variations.
Loose scarf.

Hijab

No hijab

A Week of Wearing Skirts and Dresses- Day 2

2010-05-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here is basically what I wore to ESL classes today. I didn't have the hijab on all day, but it was meant to be part of the outfit. Wearing a long shayla and teaching preschoolers doesn't work so well. If I was practical, a purple Al-Amira hijab would have worked better.

I got the skirt at an Indian imports store last year. Its a wrap skirt, so one size fits (almost) all. I have a purple long-sleeved tee and tank top that you can see the bottoms of, and a black hoodie over top.

Its been pretty chilly here, so I haven't had to deal with the dilemma of modest summer clothes quite yet.

A Week of Wearing Skirts and Dresses

2010-05-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'll post each day for the rest of the week, but I got this idea from Michelle, aka Coffee Catholic's blog.

The original idea was put out by another blogger:

Host: Emily @ Do Not Conform…

Information: The challenge is to wear only skirts/dresses for an entire week of seven days, and then post a photo of your outfits (head to toe) on your blog…. read more.

Date: Tuesday, May 4th through Monday, May 10th

Here is my outfit for today:

I got the skirt last year at the Somali mall in Minneapolis. I really haven't bought many clothes since last year.

As you can see, I'm a big fan of layering. I typically wear a tanktop under everything, regardless of the weather. I will usually wear another shirt and a hoodie if the weather isn't hot. I love long skirts, but I think they only look long enough if they're basically dragging the ground. That doesn't work so well here in rainy Portland, so I've also picked up a few tunics and longer tops to wear with jeans. As you can see, no hijab today, perhaps I'll add one tomorrow.

And not to leave Layla out,

This Stuff is Great!

2010-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun during Layla's nap practicing my harquus art. If you saw my post yesterday, I just got a product from Mehandi.com called Harquus platinum. It is a skin-safe paint that can be used to re-create the Harquus artwork that is done in North Africa. It also works well for creating body art similar to Somali henna designs. It is used with a paintbrush rather than a cone, but the results are amazing and it is pretty easy. The dye that Somali shops use is actually hair dye, and it can cause life-threatening allergic reactions in some cases.

Read more about PPD Black Henna injury here.

These pictures are from my 2nd time trying the product:

The designs were done over a previous henna design near the wrist and gold Temptu paint was used to accent the inside of shapes.

This paint can last up to around a week, but can also be removed with isopropyl alcohol or baby oil if you get tired of it.

I can't wait to try this on some Somali friends so I can see how it turns out on darker skin!

Pictures!

2010-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Not exactly a wordless Wednesday, but maybe we can call it tongue-tied Thursday.

A random collection of recent pics:

A henna flower

Look how dark this is!

Temptu harquus used to accent henna. Not the best design (1st try ever), but I love this stuff!
It is black, but 100% safe for your skin.
The henna design underneath has been on for about a week.

Layla pretending to read Hebrew!

Getting creative to make a fort :-)

The Triplets are Here!

2010-04-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Remember my Somali friend who has kidney failure and was pregnant with triplets?

She was hospitalized at 26 weeks into the pregnancy so she could receive dialysis 7 days a week. Her doctor's original hope was that she would make it to 30 weeks so that the babies would have a fighting chance.

She defied all statistics and expectations and amazed all the doctors and medical staff. The three boys were born Thursday morning at 32 weeks gestation. The biggest was 3lb 8oz. and the smallest was 3lb 2oz. They have some breathing problems, but should only need to be hospitalized about a month.

I don't have pictures, but InshaAllah I will get some up soon. Laila is doing better now that she is no longer pregnant, but keep up the prayers for her complete healing!

MashaAllah! Haleluyah! I am just amazed at how this has turned out.

The boys' names are Zakariyah, Yahya, and Ayub :-)

What is Passover?

2010-03-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Its Passover time! So, what is Passover and why is is celebrated?

Passover is a holiday about freedom from slavery and ultimate redemption. It is based upon the story of the Ancient Israelites' redemption from slavery in Egypt through Moses.

Today Passover is celebrated by observant Jews, and an increasing number of Christians, who are trying to return to the roots of their faith. If you read the Gospel accounts, Passover is the holiday during which Jesus was crucified. To Christians, Passover is the celebration of ultimate redemption from slavery to your own sin.

How is Passover celebrated?
The central focal point of Passover is the Seder, a dinner during which the story of redemption from Egypt is told. This is very important to Jews, as it assures continuation of the story to the next generation. According to tradition, the Hagaddah (book used to tell the story) uses "we" because each generation is to view itself in the story.

During the week of Passover, called the Feast of Unleavened bread, only bread made without yeast, called Matzah, is eaten. This is because the Israelites fled so fast that they only had flour, and could not make the usual fermented bread products. Part of preparing for Passover includes removing all yeast and bread products from the house. This outward cleansing also serves to remind us of introspection, and removing sins and negative influences from our own lives.

Even if you don't celebrate Passover, there is still a lot that can be learned from this story.

Hag SameaH!

If at first you don't succeed. . .

2010-03-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

So, I've been trying to learn to do henna for awhile now. My first attempts were hideous! No really, they were.I have provided no pictures to document the disastrous results.

Since then, I've practiced sporadically and I'm actually getting better.
Some of my first designs were not so great. Take a look here if you want to see what I'm talking about.

I recently ordered a Moroccan henna syringe and some better quality henna from FreeHandMehndi.
The syringe is a little tricky to figure out at first, but I think I like it better than rolling cones. Its easy to clean and pretty easy to draw with once you get the hang of it. The only downside is that seems to accumulate pressure occasionally and the henna just keeps flowing out. I like it better than cones though, because I always seem to get leaks in my cone at the top.

So, here are the designs that I did this weekend:

I did these on Friday, then used some of the extra henna to shade parts of it on Saturday. Overall, I am pretty happy with the results. I wasn't able to leave the paste on all night, but this was the color I got after about 4 hrs. Oh, and if you're wondering how I hennaed the tops of both hands, I am somewhat ambidextrous.

Saturday night I got invited to a Somali wedding party for a girl in our ESL program. I got to dress some of the other teachers up in dirac and show them off to the Somali community. I was surprised by how many people I already know in the community here. There were also some girls who recognized me from the You Tube video and had me take pictures with them :-)

The only downside to the night was that I was stuck with Layla because my husband was working at 6am on Sunday. They didn't even serve the food until 12:30 a.m. and we took off immediately after.
I consider myself a night person, but I fail miserably by Somali standards!

Layla was causing me issues, but I was still able to get a few pics during the wedding. Here are me and some of the other teachers with a couple of our ESL student friends

Mommy Visit

2010-03-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't updated in a long time! I've just been lazy since my mom was here and left.
We had the best weather most of the time she was here, so we got to take advantage of being outside a lot.
I am trying to convince my parents to move here when my dad retires, so part of my job is to make Portland very appealing when compared to where they live now. It doesn't take much!

Layla enjoyed a lot of time in the stroller while we did mini-hikes around the city and various buttes (small extinct volcanoes). While we were up on Mt. Tabor Layla walked straight uphill for probably a whole mile herself. She took a great nap that afternoon!

Layla got really used to having her grandma around, and it was hard for all of us when she left. Layla still goes in her room and asks why grandma isn't there anymore. Then she will say "Grandma, far away." I really hope that changes someday and she is able to come live with us.

We also had some great Ethiopian food at a place called Bete Lukas. The food was great, and I actually got to enjoy it because Layla was good for almost the entire time. I used to hate going to restaurants with her because she would never let me eat. My mom also got to meet some of my Somali friends, and even got some henna done by one of them the night before she left.

In other news, I am actually going to apply with an agency to do Somali medical interpreting part-time. I have a friend who does it, and she is convinced that my Somali is good enough.

I'll write more about that later.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Fatwa Against Terrorism?

2010-03-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

From the Jerusalem Post:
(no ad-hominem attacks based upon where I got the article will be tolerated in the comments. Be mature, and stick to the content of the article)

Sheikh Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri, a widely recognized and respected authority on Islamic jurisprudence, will issue a comprehensive fatwa prohibiting terrorism and suicide bombing at a press conference in Westminster, centralLondon. (Link to full text of article)

The Pakistani-born Dr. Qadri has authored an unprecedented, 600-page fatwa on why suicide bombings and terrorism are un-Islamic and scripturally forbidden. The ruling is the most comprehensive theological refutation of Islamist terrorism to date.

The fatwa will also be posted on the Internet and in English, making it readily accessible. It will also set an important precedent and allow other scholars to similarly condemn the ideas behind terrorism.

Dr. Qadri has used texts in the Koran and other Islamic writings to argue that suicide and other terrorist attacks are “absolutely against the teachings ofIslam” and that “Islam does not permit such acts on any excuse, reason or pretext.”

The fatwa condemns suicide bombers as destined for hell, refuting the claim used by Islamists that such terrorists will earn paradise after death."

So what do you guys think? Can such a fatwa be an effective step to eliminating suicide attacks in the name of Islam?

I am somewhat skeptical of their effectiveness since there are still shiekhs that openly support suicide bombing.

I think it is important to support Sh. Qadri and others like him because they are trying to do something tangible to educate Muslims and change the face of Islam. We also need to support organizations that are providing education and support to Muslims in desperate economic situations. These people are the most likely to be indoctrinated to join extremist movements.

My Mommy is Coming!

2010-02-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! Did February seem to go by fast for anyone else?

My mom is coming to stay with us for 10 days starting tomorrow night.
She works, but my dad's pay takes care of all the bills, so she decided to save it for a good cause: Seeing her granddaughter :-)

My mom and Layla last August

We don't have any huge plans for the time she is here. We're kinda broke, so most of our ideas are things that are either cheap or free. We would like to do a little hiking and stuff outside if the weather holds out. Some other ideas I had were to get henna done, eat Ethiopian food,and go to the Zoo. She'll also be accompanying us to tutoring day to help with the ESL students' kids.

My long term plan is to get my mom to totally fall in love with it here and get her and my dad out of the Midwest as soon as he retires. I think he has at least 5 more years though :-(

Any other suggestions of fun things to do with my mom and Layla?

Israeli Ambassador at UC Irvine

2010-02-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

The following blog post is from garyfouse.blogspot.com

There were several hundred people in the audience, most of whom were from the local Jewish community. They were mostly older folks. The speech was sponsored by the local Jewish Federation, Hillel and several other organizations. As expected the Muslim Student Union also showed up. It was obvious even before the start of the speech that they were going to stage some sort of protest. Half of them sat on the left and half on the right.

A few moments into Ambassador Oren's speech, an MSU protester stood up and began shouting insults at the ambassador. He was removed by campus police. And so it continued. After the first interruption, the moderator, a UCI political science professor, took the microphone to admonish the disruptors. Yet, it did not stop. After about the 5th such disruption and removal, the ambassador left the room and Chancellor Michael Drake addressed the audience pleading for civility.

When the ambassador returned, the disruptions continued. Each time, a protester was removed, the audience become increasingly angry and voiced their displeasure at the disruptors. They also voiced their displeasure at Chancellor Drake and demanded to know what was going to be done to the disrupting students. (Of course, at this point, there is a question as to whether the disruptors were actually students who could be disciplined.) The audience was clearly not pleased with Chancellor Drake's pleas for civility. Cries of "what are you going to do about it?" were heard in the audience.

After the 10th such interruption, the MSU got up as a group and left the hall, screaming insults at the ambassador, who nevertheless managed to complete his speech as the MSU gathered out on the street outside and continued their protest, their chants barely audible inside the hall. The disruptions and delays precluded any hope of having a Q&A, which was the original plan.

Here is my reaction to the speech. First of all, the performance of the Muslim Student Union was despicable. To disrupt a speech by an ambassador of any nation is a diplomatic incident in and of itself. That this happened on the UCI campus is a major embarrassment for the university. One can only hope that criminal charges will be filed, which I understand will be the case. If any of the individual protesters are UCI students, I can only hope they will be expelled. (Don't hold your breath.)

Secondly, the Muslim Student Union not only did a disservice to their (pro-Palestinian) cause, but they did a disservice to themselves as Muslims. What they projected to the audience was not only that they did not respect free speech, but they projected a negative image of themselves as Muslims. In that respect, they did a disservice to those Muslims who are trying to live peacefully and assimilate into American society. This bunch, however, sent a message that they are apart from American society.

In addition, they refused to accord the right of free speech and the right of the audience to hear a message because they don't like it. I have been attending MSU-sponsored events for several years now at UCI and listened to a lot of hate speech-words that Ambassador Oren never engaged in. I have never interrupted or disrupted a speech no matter how offensive it was, nor have I witnessed anyone else do so. If the MSU had differences with the Israeli ambassador, they could have asked him their questions during the Q&A, as I always do. Instead, they acted like barbarians and cemented an unfortunate stereotype that hurts all Muslims. (As I write, the OC Register on-line report is burning up with comments, and they are not very complimentary to the protestors.)

Perhaps, the biggest mistake the MSU committed was showing a local audience that there really IS a problem at UCI, in spite of all the denials by the administration and unfortunately, even some Jewish groups like the local Orange County Jewish Federation, who sponsored the event. The audience members will take this experience home and tell others what is really going on at UCI. Tonight, the truth came out.

-Repost from garyfouse.blogspot.com

My own thoughts? I agree with the portions of Mr. Fouse's article that I have highlighted. Free speech does not mean screaming at the top of your lungs to prevent someone else from having the same right. These protesters could have staged a peaceful protest outside and handed out informational pamphlets to demonstrate their viewpoint.

Yes, there is a lot of suffering among the Palestinians, but heckeling a speaker from Israel is not the way to help them. Go give to a charity that provides education and humanitarian aid instead.

If the MSU had a pro-Palestinian speaker come to the school, I doubt that Hillel would have reacted so venomously.

Grandmas are the Best!

2010-02-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

Layla and I found a surprise when we went out to check the mail.
A package, just for her.

From her grandma Linda

What could it be?

Her very own laptop!

If you lived with us, you'd understand why this is the perfect gift. We don't own a TV, and are on our laptops a lot. Layla is always taking mine so she can push keys and see what happens.

Thanks Grandma! She loves it!

Surah Al-Ma'idah 51

2010-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

In a recent blog comment, a Quranic verse has been brought up that always bothered me. I thought that rather than discuss in the comments, I would open the conversation here.
I will provide links to fatwas that interpret the verse and leave it for readers to discuss, as well as provide my own opinion on the matter.

All I ask is that we refrain from personal attacks in the comments and try to treat others in a kind manner, even when we disagree.

This is the verse in question:
Surah Al-Mai'dah, 51 Yusuf Ali translation:

O' You who believe, take not the Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is one of them. Verily Allah guides not a people unjust.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Here are a fatwa on the subject from supposedly reliable Islamic sources.
I think that their response is absolutely hideous.

Excerpt from an Islam QA.com fatwa on the subject:
"I have questions about Islam; can you explain them to me? Is it permissible for a Muslim to be a sincere friend to a person who is not Muslim?.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to make friends with a mushrik or to take him as a close friend, because Islam calls on us to forsake the kaafirs and to disavow them, because they worship someone other than Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allaah (i.e. the Jews). Surely, they have despaired of (receiving any good in) the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves (that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection)”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:13]

This was also the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

1 – It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Do not keep company with anyone but a believer and do not let anyone eat your food but one who is pious.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2395; Abu Dawood, 4832. Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi said: this hadeeth is hasan. It was also classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2519)".

What? So why then does the Quran in other places state,

There is no compulsion in religion...2:256
To you be your way, and to me mine 109:6

Those who believe (in the Quran). Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the last day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve. 5:69.

I read this other verse on the topic and can only think of the words from the Gospel that teach the exact opposite:

O' you who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you.. . Al MumtaHinah 60:1a

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45

So where does this leave us?

For me personally, I believe that loving one's enemies is a much higher calling of philosophical jihad (if one wants to use that term), because it is more difficult to forgive rather than retaliate.

I will continue to love all regardless of faith or lack thereof, because I believe we are all created in the image of God.

I will be looking forward to everyone's opinions on this subject.

Update: Somali Family

2010-01-30T22:14:00.000-08:00

So, Leila and her family have been blessed by a lot of new friends and things for their house so far. My Layla and I have been over a few times bringing things for the kids and the kitchen and trying to help them get organized. I sincerely appreciate everyone's prayers and offers for more tangible help.

Last week I thought they might be getting overwhelmed with all the attention, so I left them alone for a few days. At this point Abdi, the dad, is trying to hold it all together himself. He doesn't seem super keen to have anyone come into his home and care for the kids, but they will definitely need some extra hands once the triplets come. They have most of the essentials they need for the kitchen, and that was the most immediate need with 6 kids in the house. The three older kids have been working hard to make things easier for their poor dad.

I am still trying to get them a nice vaccuum that doesn't cost too much, which is harder than I imagined. They also want some carpet protectors for the kids rooms, so they are easier to keep clean. Its basically a vinyl floorcovering like the pads people put under then computer chairs. We're not sure even where to buy them, so I need to do a little research this week.

Leila also told me to today that some other ladies were bringing some clothes for the kids tomorrow. I think that its one of the ESL volunteers who was going to ask for donations from her church friends. I also got some clothes for her husband and brother from another friend of mine.

And the good news?

She is 22 weeks into her pregnancy. Yep, she is a little further along that I was first told, which means that the babies are more likely to be viable with each day that passes. She seems to have a little more energy the past few days too! I am so excited and scared for her at the same time.

I will let everyone know about continuing needs as the babies' birth date gets closer and we see what is provided for them locally. They have nothing for the triplets so far, so that will be another big area of need once they're ready to be discharged from the hospital.

We are going to see them again tomorrow afternoon, so I'll post again if there are any exciting developments.

The World's Strongest Man?

2010-01-25T19:41:00.001-08:00

Only in Egypt could someone get away with this sort of brazen lying. This man supposedly bends coins with his eyes and has the strength of 30,000 ordinary men. He is forbidden from working because he may injure someone without being aware of it. He also eats raw lamb and drinks melted butter for strength so that he can have sex with his wives 15 times a day.

I'm not even sure how I found the video initally, but take a look if you need a laugh.

Friends in Need

2010-01-17T22:35:00.000-08:00

I have the privilege of working with a Somali family that was referred to the refugee organization I volunteer for. Their situation has helped me realize how truly blessed I am in this life.

The family is a husband and wife and their 6 children who came to the U.S. after spending 12 years in a Kenyan refugee camp. The wife was diagnosed with kidney failure shortly after coming here. She was advised to not become pregnant, but ended up not only pregnant, but is having triplets.

She and her husband have very minimal English skills, and now that she has become sick, neither one of them can attend ESL classes. The wife, Leila, is 5 months along in her pregnancy. Many of her days are spent in the hospital, where she receives dialysis.

Now that she is ill, her husband must stay home and take care of the children. The oldest daughter is 13, the youngest child is 16 mos. They are no longer receiving refugee resettlement assistance, and live on welfare payments and food stamps. Their welfare barely covers the rent, and their electricity is being paid by another charity organization. They have hardly any furniture, few kitchen utensils, and no money left over to even begin purchasing these things. It would be easier if they had family in the city, but they seem disconnected from the Somali community at large.

My heart just breaks for them and the severity of their situation. Yet somehow, they are still hopeful.
I sorted through Layla's books and brought a few of them over for the children. There weren't any toys or books in the room, and each one was looking at a book when I came back downstairs :-)
I also brought some food, kitchen items, and cleaning supplies to get them started.

The organization I volunteer for is working to get some of the material needs met for the family, but what they truly need is the help of friends and neighbors who care about them. Now that I have met them, I am going to try and cook food for them at least a couple times a week and help care for the children once I have developed that level of trust with them.

What this family needs is a real miracle. If Leila's kidneys could be restored back to full function, she could be the mother that her children need. I am praying earnestly for that miracle.

Visiting a Reform Synagogue

2010-01-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Although I have studied Hebrew and have a pretty good knowledge of Judaism, I had never actually been to a non-Messianic synagogue service until last night.

I attended the synagogue with some Messianic ladies that I am friends with. Two of them attend regularly even though they are believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. The rabbi knows this, but is apparently accepting of it as long as they do not proselytize other Jews.

The service contained a fair amount of liturgy, all done by a female cantor. I was more familiar with the Hebrew liturgy being chanted, but this was all sung. The congregation had a small band consisting of 2 acoustic guitars, a drum, and an upright bass to accompany the cantor. Most of the liturgy is done with the congregation participating. I was able to follow along pretty well.

I felt surprisingly comfortable in the service, it was not so confrontational as a lot of church services tend to be. It was actually a good balance between a church service and a service at a mosque.

Since this was a reform synagogue, seating was not separated by gender. Gender separation is the norm in Orthodox and Chassidic groups, however.

The Rabbi's sermon was on the opening parasha of the book of Exodus. He talked about Moses' experience as a shepherd in Midian and how this prepared him to be the shepherd of the Israelites. (link to sermon at lower right of page)

Another thing that is done regularly at Jewish services is the mourner's kaddish. I thought this was really interesting, as it constantly calls each of us to remember our own mortality, but also that we were each created as eternal beings.

I think that Christianity has lost a lot in leaving its Hebraic roots. If you look at the New Testament, Jesus and the disciples all worshiped at the Temple and synagogue and followed the Torah. Unfortunately, many Jews are distrustful of both Christians and Muslims because of terrible atrocities that have been committed in the past. I pray that we are able to move past this and treat each other as siblings.

The service was ended by a blessing over Challah bread and wine (and grape juice) in the next building. This is the custom that became communion in Christianity. The traditional blessings over these foods are to remind one of the Creator's constant provision, and also to set apart the Sabbath as a time of worship and rest.

Would I attend the synagogue again? Definitely.
While I am not contemplating becoming a reform Jew, I think that there is a lot I can learn from this tradition and their way of living out the Torah.

How is this ok?

2010-01-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

I actually took some time to study Ashura this year and came to appreciate the tradition of remembering the death of Hussein. Then I was reminded of these types of images...

Does anyone really know how widespread these types of self-mutilation ceremonies are?
There are tons of them online from Shia communities worldwide.

So my question is, how does someone justify forcing a child to participate in a bloodletting ceremony?
A baby?

Its just not ok.

I want to live here!

2010-01-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

This is a video talking about a traditional Somali nomadic home, called an Aqal. He explains the materials that are used in its construction which are types of grass mats, sticks, and various animal skins. The Aqal is lightweight, keeps out wind and rain, and provides shade. Containers used by the nomadic family are also discussed. The old versions of the haan, a container used for milk or water, were made of grass so tightly woven that it could hold liquid.
He talks about how parts of the material culture are being lost, plastics and metal have replaced many of the traditional materials in construction. He explains about some of the different woods that are used and the individual characteristics of the different trees, and how they are useful..

I love watching this, but I am also heartbroken that so many Somalis in the young generation don't even care about their culture.

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie (Recipe)

2010-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I got a bunch of organic eggnog really cheap at this place down the road. I love eggnog, but there was no way I was going to finish it before it went bad. That's when I had a genius moment and came up with this recipe idea.

Ingredients:

1 Large (29oz.)can of pumpkin or equivalent.
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 ts. each of ground ginger, and cinnamon.
20oz of eggnog
2 pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425F
1. Add sugar and spices together in a bowl, mix well and then add eggs.
2. Beat the eggs well, then add the pumpkin.
3. Gradually add the eggnog and beat all together well.
4. Pour mixture into prepared crusts.
Bake at 425F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325 taking between another 45 min to an hour to bake.
Pies are done when a knife or toothpick in the center comes out clean.

It doesn't taste that different from a regular pumpkin pie, but its a good way to use up extra eggnog!

See how the crust is too dark on the edges? Layla decided to turn the oven up to 500F while I wasn't looking!

More Henna

2009-12-31T17:23:00.000-08:00

To those of you who are trying to improve your skill at something...don't despair!
Whether it is reading Arabic, or something more hands-on like applying henna, practice does help.
I have been looking at designs and watching videos of henna application. The floral designs are getting pretty easy for me. Once I get better at adding things to make designs dense, I may try some more intricate Indian designs. Believe me, when I first tried applying at henna, I sucked. I couldn't even draw a vine or a basic flower.

The middle one of my palm was about 18hr. after i removed the paste. The others were taken right after I applied it.

What About Christmas?

2009-12-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

In Western Countries, Christmas is the most widely-celebrated holiday of the year. It is not entirely either a religious or secular celebration. In fact, the secular people I know tend to celebrate it with more gusto than most observant Christians. It is a day that commercial activity comes to almost a complete standstill. People spend months saving for gifts that will be opened this day, and parents teach their children that these gifts come from an imaginary man based upon a historical figure, St. Nicholas. Food is purchased and prepared, families get together, and many people attend Church for the only time all year.

What does this celebration have to do with the historical birth of Jesus, the Messiah? Christian and secular scholars alike tend to agree that the timing of this celebration probably has no connection whatsoever to the actual birth of Jesus. The celebration of December 25th as the birth of Jesus was not widely recognized until the 4th Century.

We know that the early followers of Jesus were considered a sect of Judaism and would have celebrated the Biblical feasts such as Passover and Sukkot. The New Testament shows that these were the Holy Days that Jesus himself celebrated. The followers of Jesus were later thrown out of the synagogues and became recognized as a separate religious movement in the Roman Empire. This had many implications for the still-forming faith of the early believers. The books of the New Testament were completed and being circulated before the close of the 1st Century. During the following Century, Christians started worshiping on Sunday instead of Saturday. Most also ceased celebrating the Biblical Holy days.

Why did the birth of Jesus begin to be celebrated on December 25th?
There is evidence that this date can be traced back to the calculations of Church Fathers such as Julius Africanus, who lived around 200 C,E. He is known as the father of Christian chronography. He tried to correlate various Biblical events with actual dates. Unfortunately, his methods were faulty.

Most modern scholars would argue that Jesus was more likely born in the fall, sometime around the feast of Sukkot. One evidence of this in the Biblical text is a reference in Luke 2:8 to shepherds guarding their flocks at night. Sheep were not kept outside during the winter in Judea.We also know that Jesus was crucified during the feast of Passover, during the spring.

Do modern celebrations contain reference to pagan customs?
Unfortunately, yes. December 25th is just after the Winter Solstice. This time where the days are shortest was celebrated in many cultures as a symbolic death of the Sun, with a resurrection symbolized by the days getting longer again. The Romans celebrated a winter Solstice holiday called Saturnalia, where they used greenery to decorate in celebration of longer days and the eventual return of Spring.

So yes, the origins of Christmas a questionable at best. We know that Jesus and the disciples did not celebrate such a holiday.However, this doesn't necessarily mean that early Christians had bad intentions in creating a holiday to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Since early historiographers had decided that he was born at this time, and it was already a Roman holiday, the celebration of Christmas probably made sense to most of the Christian populace. They could have their own religious holiday at the same time pagan Romans were worshiping Saturn.

Final conclusions?
I don't have a problem with celebrating the coming of Messiah, even if the date is wrong. I skip the obvious pagan refrences and consumerism, and pray that my honest intentions will bring glory to God.

We can celebrate the coming of Jesus by sharing what we have with others, spending time with loved ones, and praying and worshiping with others.

Somali Tea Cookies

2009-12-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Update: Added pic!

Yes, we do have a cup with Layla and I on it :-)

Here is a recipe I came up with based on a couple other recipes that I combined.
It is not actually a Somali recipe, but is based upon the spices used to make Somali tea.

I made these for a cookie exchange at our ESL classes this week and they were a huge hit among the Somalis. They're really easy to make as well.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour

1. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add egg, mix all well.

2. Stir in the spices, salt, and flour.

3. Form dough into a cylindrical shape and refrigerate until firm. It can be wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn't get dry.
When your dough is ready, preheat your oven to 350F

4. Cut cookies into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 10 min., or until lightly browned.
They don't need much space, because they don't spread out much.

You can dust them with powdered sugar when they cool to create a nice look.

I'm planning to make some more, so I will post a pic of the finished product.

Henna

2009-12-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

So I am not very good at drawing in general, but I love henna so much. I've been trying to get better at drawing basic shapes and lines, so here is some recent henna work I did on myself and Layla. One benefit of being kind of ambidexterious is that i can draw on both of my own hands! The last solid flower design on my left hand came out with the darkest color. I got the henna from a local shop that sells spices and produce. It seems to be pretty fresh and doesn't require extra sifting before you mix it.

Needless to say, Layla's didn't get very dark because it barely stayed on long enough to even dry :-)

Shame on Saudi

2009-12-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Most of my readers have probably heard about the flooding that occurred all over Saudi during the Hajj. It seems that the worst of the flooding was in the western part of the country around Jeddah.

Although Saudi Arabia is the largest oil exporter in the world, Jeddah has no sewer system. I'm sure the Saudi government could have afforded to build the infrastructure of this city of 4 million, yet it didn't. To the shame of the Saudi government, there have been at least 500 deaths from flood-related causes.

According to the Guardian UK:
"Hundreds of bodies were swept in the current and up to 11,000 people may be missing in the sea, according to a report two days ago by the Saudi newspaper al-Yaum. This figure may be inflated but the number of the missing and dead surely ranks in the hundreds, and could turn out to exceed a thousand. For comparison, hurricane Katrina in the US killed about 1,800 people."

My little Somali

2009-12-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Layla and a little update:

She's wearing the garbasaar (huge scarf) that came with one of my baati (Somali dress). She said it was ugly a few days before, then she wanted to wear it. Maybe I'm rubbing off on her a little bit :-)

We're trying to instill more discipline into our lives these days. A lot of other bloggers have posted about goals that they have for learning and doing things. I have shared that I would love to start grad. school in Semitic languages and religion next year, but I have been slacking big time.

I have decided to start actually tracking what I do each day in terms of language study, so I am more accountable for my time. My hubby is helping with the accountability, especially when it comes to the Biblical Hebrew and Somali. Otherwise, I will never be good enough to work as a medical translator or teach at a university.

Here's my dilemma though, I have far too many interests. I love Somali the most, followed by Biblical Hebrew, then Arabic. For some reason though, I have almost no interest in studying Modern Hebrew (The two types of Hebrew are actually quite different). If I get into grad school next year, I will be focusing primarily on Biblical Hebrew and comparative Semitic language, so the Arabic will help me out there. Somali is my love, but is really only useful on the community level. Plus, I'm already pretty busy with Layla at home. What to do?

Right now I am going through Lambdin's Biblical Hebrew Grammar. I plan to do 2 lessons a week and am currently working on #29. There are 55 lessons in total. It is primarily a review for me, but he goes in to more detail on the grammar than any of my Profs did in my undergrad studies.

I would also love to start going through Simple Arabic again. My hubby and I used this book a few years ago when an Egyptian friend was tutoring us with Arabic. We didn't make it through that much though because he moved back to Egypt a few months later. I can read fine and my pronunciation is pretty good, but I have forgotten most of the vocab and grammar.

For Somali I can keep up and learn vocab by reading news sites and listening to music and news online or chatting with friends on the phone, etc.

I really plan to stick with things this time, but how can I make myself accountable for my time? I think I should do a journal of sorts or even start another blog. Suggestions are welcome!

Fahiima Speaks Somali #2

2009-11-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

While I was at my friend's house tonight her husband decided to do an impromptu interview with me in Somali.
If you understand Somali, enjoy! Otherwise, have fun listening to us speak gibberish language together.

This is the first half of the interview, hopefully the 2nd half will be up sometime tomorrow :-)

Here is the 2nd half:

Eid Party!

2009-11-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

I just got invited to an Eid party on Saturday! I'm excited, but neither my friend or I know what to wear. The girls having the party are Somali, but we don't think that they will be wearing traditional Somali clothes. Basically we don't want to look like weirdos showing up in a dira' while everyone else is wearing formal dresses or something else. We don't think they'll be wearing abaya either since its a ladies-only party.
.

Any suggestions?

Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks...

2009-11-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of chat about a blogger who has publicly left Islam. There have been a lot of people supporting her and showing her love, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

However, there have also been people leaving comments that will probably cement her reasons to leave Islam.

She started a new YouTube channel and I noticed this comment on it:

User: HanbaliMuslim

ResulAllaah (alehi selam) said "kill the one that changes his religion"
so to the retarded Muslims who claim its only a personal choice and we should leave her alone.. ResulAllaah (As) commanded the killing of Apostates. you left islam because of your retarded dog? to hell with your dog. may allaah guide you or curse you! Amin

I don't even know how to respond to this, it just breaks my heart.

Basically, I will confidently say that any person who says things like this is not a worshiper of God. They are filled with anger and hatred, which do not come from God, because God is love.

May the God of peace bless you all, especially my dear sister KimDonesia

How To Eat a Pomegranate

2009-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's Pomegranante season! I just got 8 of them for $2 at this great bargain grocery place near my house.

I thought I would share this great fruit with my readers along with an easier way of opening them.
Some people cut the pomegranate in half to remove the seeds. Don't.
Its messy and destroys a lot of the seeds in the process.
Instead, score the blossom end like a plus sign (+), but only go as deep as the outer skin.

You can see the lines if you look closely

Next, pull the top of each section, and it will begin to split along the membranes. After you pull a few of the seeds away, you will able to break it in pieces from the outside with very little pressure. When it breaks this way you will be able to brush off the seeds section by section into a bowl very easily.

This is where it starts to split easily
Notice some of the seeds are brown, maybe thats why they were so cheap!

If you find that there are little pieces of the membrane stuck to the seeds, you can rinse them in a bowl of water and the membranes will float away.

Do you eat the whole seed? Of course!
I think its wasteful to just suck the juice out and throw the seeds away. Plus, the seeds give you all the vitamins and fiber too!

Enjoy

Food Diary Day (In progress)

2009-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

After reading this post on Steve and Paula Runyan's blog about the food pyramid, I was curious to see how many calories I consume in a normal day, as well as the ratios of certain nutrients, and servings of various types of food. Of course, the actual things I eat vary from day to day, so some days I probably eat healthier, and I do occasionally eat some junk.

According to the USDA my pyramid site, I should be eating about 2200 calories a day for my activity level.

Here's what I actually ate, with individual numbers provided for calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate grams.

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 low-carb toast slices with about 1 Tb. real butter, weak coffee with whole milk and sweetened with stevia (didn't count the coffee as anything though.)

Calories: 280
Fat: 15g
Protein: 17g
Carbohydrate: 18g

Snack: 1 mozarella cheese stick and cheese-filled pretzels

Calories: 220
Fat: 13g
Protein: 9g
Carb: 17g

Lunch: 1 turkey corndog with mustard, 2 cups salad greens with 1/2 avocado and 1 Tbsp dressing.(I don't like much dressing and think ketchup is gross on hotdogs.)

Calories: 400
Fat: 27g
Protein: 15g
Carb: 33g

Snack: 1 crunchy granola bar, Somali tea with milk, sweetened with stevia

Calories: 95
Fat: 3.5g
Protein:: 2.5g
Carb: 13.5g

Totals so far before dinner:
Calories: 995
Fat: 58.5g
Protein: 43.5
Carb: 81.5

Dinner: Beef chili with beans (2 cups) and 1/4 cup shredded cheese
I didn't have an exact calorie count of my chile recipe because I didn't really use one. I am using the calorie information for this recipe from Fit Day that has almost the same ingredients.
Calories: 730
Fat: 35g
Protein: 50g
Carb: 55g

After Dinner totals:
Calories: 1725
Fat: 93.5
Protein 93.5
Carb: 135.5

Snack: 2 cups fresh cranberry salad, 4 dates
Calories:300
Fat: 0
Protein:2
Carb: 55

Final Totals:
Calories: 2025
Fat:93.5
Protein: 95.5

Carb: 190 (prob. about 40 of this was fiber)

Well, that was fun wasn't it? This is something that would get really tedious if I had to do it every day, but I was always curious about how many calories I eat in an avg. day. Its a little less than the 2200, but I think I eat like this most days, then on occasion eat more when I'm out to eat or buy something I really like.

Fall Leaves

2009-11-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you guys, but fall is one of my favorite seasons.
I just wish it lasted longer. . .
If we were to eventually move to the Middle East, I think fall would be one of the things I miss most.

Layla had fun the last week or so playing in the leaves just outside our apartment. We've also been getting lots of time outside for walks and playing in the cool weather. The rain has just started here, so now we enjoy every bit of sunlight we can soak up.

I am still teaching the kids and translating Somali 1 day a week during the ESL classes. I would love to add another day, but the school is on the opposite side of the city from where we live. I also met another guy at my friend Leila's restaurant who wants me to volunteer for another organization called Africa House.
I would love to do it, but I'm just trying to make sure I still put Layla and my hubby first. I feel like I'm lazy sometimes, but I just don't think its a good idea to be running back and forth doing different committments every single day.

My hubby is still looking for a full-time job, so once he gets that it will be a little easier to invite friends over to the house and such. I would love to have some ladies over for tea, but its a little strange when your hubby is sitting there working on the computer doing his homework all day. It has been really wonderful being able to spend so much time with him though.

Young Women Discuss Hijab

2009-11-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

This video was made for the Minnesota Historical Society in 2004. You will see a lot of the girls aren't wearing what is technically proper hijab, but more the cultural versions that are popular among Somalils.
I think it gives good insight into the variety of factors that influence a girl's decision to cover, as well as to what extent she covers.

Some of the terminology they use is Somali too.

Indho-shareer=niqaab
shuuko=long slip-over khimar or sometimes an open abaya

Somali Women Flogged for Not Wearing Socks?

2009-10-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

More lovely Al-Shabaab nonsense out of Mogadishu:

(CNN) -- Militants who control parts of Somalia's capital city are beating women in broad daylight for violating their radical brand of Islamic law, according to local officials and witnesses in Mogadishu.

"Just today, Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to the streets around Bakara market and they are flogging any woman who is found not wearing socks," according to a female maize trader at the Mogadishu market, who spoke Thursday.

She did not want to be named for security reasons.

In the past two days, more than 130 people, including women who were not wearing headscarves and men chewing dried khat leaves, have been detained for violating Al-Shabaab's interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, according to witnesses and officials.

Hooded Al-Shabaab gunmen rounded up 50 women on Wednesday from Mogadishu's Bakara market for not wearing the veil that is required for women under some interpretations of Islamic law, according to the maize trader.

"Most of these women were vegetable traders, so they are poor and can't afford to buy veils for 600,000 shillings [about $23 U.S.]," she said.

Does anyone know how much money $23 US is for a Somali in Mogadishu? You can feed a whole family for a month on less than $100. Do they thing the women can afford these? Being forced to wear socks? Socks aren't really practical or affordable for most of the year in Somalia. Most people can only afford sandals or flip-flops, so not such a good combo with socks.

I am so frustrated just reading this...

Women are the backbone of the Somali economy. If these pathetic so-called fighters would get off their lazy rears and fix their country, maybe their mothers and sisters wouldn't be selling vegetables and khat in the market for a pittance.

Their actions remind me of these words of Jesus:

"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness".

These guys see no problem with beating and shaming women and public executions, yet I'm sure they are quick to run into the masjid when its time to pray. If fact, they also have flogged people for not praying on time.

These guys are mostly young men who have seen and been scarred by a lot of bad things in their childhood.They are following misguided leaders and have their priorities really screwed up.

Pray for the peace of Somalia.

Potty Training Progress!

2009-10-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

The closest thing to a pic of my husband that I can get away with

I am so happy to say that Layla is almost potty trained!

For the last few days she has been having very few accidents, and most of those have been while we were out. Yesterday I started to realize that she was having a breakthrough. While we were at preschool she said "potty pants" a couple times and I told her to wait a few minutes until I could change her. You see, usually when she would say something, that meant that she had already had an accident.
I laid her down to change her, and realized that she was still dry. She went inside and used the bathroom, but then wet her pants on the way back home. Last night about an hour after I put her to bed she woke up saying "momma, potty pants," so I took her and she went to the bathroom. She did go in her diaper again during the night, but hasn't had a single accident all day.

I think we're gonna be completely done within another month and she just turned 2 on the 14th!

So here's the basic plan I used to train her:

1. We started putting her on the potty whenever she had a dry diaper after an hour or two when she was about 14 mos. old. Sometimes she would go on the potty and be surprised at the result.

2. After we moved to Portland and were a little settled in, we stared really working on the training. I would put her in either cloth training pants or a cloth diaper when she was at home, and try to take her at least about each hour when she was awake. She got to the point where she could empty her bladder when it had something in it. We also introduced the reward of giving her a date whenever she went. This worked really well for awhile, but then the novelty wore off. She still kept going on the potty most of the time though.

If I lost track of the time or she had a lot to drink though, she would just go in her pants. This is why cloth is more useful for training. They feel the moisture more in the cloth more than with a disposable diaper or trainer, so they realize that the wet feeling isn't a good thing.

3. The final stage is your baby being able to realize the feeling of a full bladder, or the feeling that they need to poop. The poop is actually easier because you usually see them straining and hiding in the corner somewhere :-0

We are just seeing the beginning of this stage now, like yesterday when Layla actually asked to go at school before she wet her pants.

The last step of this stage is night-training. This is the hardest because they will have a hard time waking up fully during the night to ask for the bathroom. I am totally fine with Layla sleeping in it for now .

Why is early training better? Babies seem to be less stubborn about learning than older toddlers. Plus, you will save tons of time and money not buying diapers and washing loads of them.

The Evil that is Al-Shabaab

2009-10-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Seriously?

Is this style of long khimaar not modest enough?

The links provided lets you access the full article.

"MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's hardline Islamist group al Shabaab has publicly whipped women for wearing bras they say violate Islam by constituting a deception, north Mogadishu residents said Friday.
The insurgent group, which seeks to impose a strict form of sharia Islamic law throughout Somalia, amputated a foot and a hand each from two young men accused of robbery earlier this month. They have also banned movies, musical ringtones, dancing at wedding ceremonies and playing or watching soccer."

So apparently it is ok to touch an unrelated woman to forcibly remove her undergarments because they constitute a "deception" by making her breasts firm. Personally, I don't think they should have been looking that closely at women's chests in the first place. Anyone ever heard of lowering the gaze?

Now we have another article demonstrating Al-Shabaab's increasingly perverted view of religion.

"KISMAYU, Somalia (Reuters) - The 17-year-old winner of a Koran recital and general knowledge competition organised by al Shabaab rebels in Southern Somalia got an AK-47 gun, two hand grenades, a computer and an anti-tank mine as prizes."

The greatest impediment to Somalia ever experiencing peace and safety again isn't a force outside of Somalia, it is Somalis being recruited to this so-called Islamist movement. They used the presence of Ethiopian troops inside Somalia to recruit young men into their ranks. Now they are encroaching further into the interior of the country. They even have huge amounts of supporters in Europe and the U.S.

East Africa has been in the midst of major drought for several years now. Is Al-Shabaab working to bring relief supplies into the country? Are they providing medical care in the villages? Are they bringing useful health training to young Somalis? The answer to all these questions is an emphatic No. They are wasting time punishing people for playing soccer, listening to music, not having beards, wearing bras, and having the wrong type or color of khimaars.

They are promoting evil in their agenda and do not reflect the values of the Kingdom of God.

I am going to suggest something radical though, let's pray for them.
Only God himself can change the human heart from reflecting something dark and evil to reflecting his light.

In the words of Jesus,

You have heard it said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. However, I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who abuse you. (Matthew 5:44)

Oh God, change the hearts and minds of the men and women of Al-Shabaab who support this evil agenda that is destroying their people.I know that you love each human being that you created, please reveal yourself to them, show them that they are not following the path that leads to Jannah. Bring peace back to Somalia in our lifetime.

Amiin, InshaAllah

Soomaalieey waan idiin jeclahay.

Chicken Korma Recipe

2009-10-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got a facebook request to post this, so here it is!

This is a recipe that I make fairly often at home. It is really easy and is pretty fool-proof. You can vary the spiciness by adding more red chili powder and ginger. The garbanzo beans are not a part of an authentic korma recipe, but I think they add a nice texture and some fiber. I usually serve this with rice and chapatti. You can make your own chapatti pretty easily, or another option I use is toasting some plain flour tortillas in butter on a skillet. If the sauce needs thickened you can always add 1 or 2 tbsp. or cornstarch mixed in cold water.

1 1/2 pound boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces.
1 cup of yogurt
1 finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely or ground
1 tsp grated ginger
1 can coconut milk

1 can or 16 oz. cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp sweet yellow curry powder
2 tsp hot red chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
salt to taste

oil for sauteing

1. Marinate the chicken with one cup of yogurt for at least an hour or two.

2. In a big frying pan heat oil, then fry the onions until they turn golden brown.

3. Now add the garlic paste and ginger paste. After a minute or so add the cardamom powder, stir and then add the cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt and the coriander powder.

4.Add the chicken and yogurt mixture and stir-fry the until it has become fairly dry and the chicken is cooked through

.
5. Add the coconut milk and garbanzo beans, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is not thick enough, add a 1 or 2 tbsp. of cornstarch mixed with cold water while the curry is still boiling.

Serve with naan, chapatis, or basmati rice.

You can also garnish the curry with some fresh cilantro.

East Essence Abaya

2009-10-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was desparately in need of a decent abaya after giving all of mine away last year. I saw this recent post by NoortheNinjabi about her obsession with abaya shopping, so I decided to trust her opinion. I placed an order for this abaya from East Essence.

Here is my actual abaya that I received yesterday. I love it! I placed the order on Oct 4th and received confirmation that my order had been completed on Thursday the 15th. I got the package from DHL the following day. I think that they custom make each order before shipping, and this is why it takes a few days. I still think its really fast considering that the items come from India.

As for the sizing and quality, I am really impressed with both. I ordered the longest standard length, which is a 57. My only complaint is that the sleeves could be a tad longer, but I have ridiculously long skinny arms. I think they use standard size charts, so if you know your measurements it will be a really accurate fit. Pre-made garments usually fit me really well because I am about 5'6"/7 (170cm) and thin with a small chest and hips. If you look at their size chart before ordering you can decide whether you want a looser fit based on the size as well as if you need a custom length.

I wore it out today (in the rain too) and was really happy with the fabric. It is pretty light, but not stiff like some lower cost abayas that I have owned. It was comparable to some that I had bought at Somali shops for around $40, but I think this one has nicer detail stitching. It also has buttons at the top where the top layer closes. They don't allow it to be opened all the way for nursing, but it could be easily altered on the underneath layer. I think the snaps are there so that if the fabric is pulled it will unsnap rather than rip at the seam.

It also came with a hijab to match the tan layer of the abaya. It has the same black thread stitching going around 2 sides. I think it was also a good deal for $7. I plan on ordering from them again in the future for sure. I would even love to open a little place and sell them, but I don't think we have the collateral for something like that at the moment.

Let me know if anyone else decides to order from them and how your experience goes!

Birthday Girl!

2009-10-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I knew it would happen someday, but its hard to believe that Layla is 2 already. Her actual birthday isn't until tomorrow, but we had the party on Sunday. It was great! My friend Amanda and I picked out her gaudy outfit and accessories, and we ordered this cake from Coldstone creamery.

;

It was chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate cake and a chocolate ganache topping.
Definitely a huge hit!

We also got some of the cupcakes so Layla could have one all to herself! She had a great time.

Her favorite gifts were her block set from our neighbor downstairs and her rocking horse. Don't tell her, but we got it used on Craigslist! Its neighs and wags its tail when you press its ears.
The Hello Kitty pajamas were a mail-in gift from my mom in Illinois.

I was just excited that we actually know enough people now to even have a party!

DIY Khaleeji Flower Clip

2009-10-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

So today I had a brilliant idea. After seeing other bloggers post about the flower clips that are available in the UAE and elsewhere, I started to want one.
My hair doesn't hold scarves on really well because its pretty slick. Plus, I like the way a hijab looks with a little more lift in back.

I thought about going to a craft store to get some flowers, but then I remembered that they had flowers and clips at the $1 store right by my house. The flowers were pretty easy to take apart and each one had a hole with a little piece of plastic running through the middle. I don't have a hot glue gun, so I planned to use the gorilla glue you see in the first picture.However, I didn't do that and ended up first stringing the flowers together 3 by 3 on some wire twist-ties, then used yarn to tie them onto the clip. You can't see the yarn or the twist-ties on the finished product.

Here is how the clip looked in my hair after I took the hijab off.

And here is my pashmina with a little lift:

And there is Layla in her pyjamas in the background :)

I think I'll wear it tomorrow when I volunteer for the ESL class.

Where has the time gone?!

2009-10-07T11:55:00.001-07:00

As some have noticed, I've been pretty lazy with posting lately. We've been more busy, but still not really that busy overall. Its just an excuse!

I did start doing some new volunteer work with some Somalis in the area!! The group I volunteer with does ESL classes and driving lessons that are all covered by donations. They do men's and women's classes for new immigrants on alternating days. There are a decent number of Somalis, but they and the classes are basically on the complete opposite side of the city from me ;-(
That's really the only downside though.

At this point I am only volunteering one day a week because of the distance issue. I helped teach at the preschool during the women's classes, and translated for the Somali women afterward as they set up their driving appointments. Its also great because I get to have Layla with me the whole time. I am really excited about what this may lead to! New friendships, Somalis, helping people. All my favorite things in one place.

One of the main teachers is basically the Swahili-speaking version of me. She is white and American but grew up for a number of years in Kenya and speaks Swahili fluently. Most of the Somalis here are Bajuni, from the Southern coastal area, and so they speak Swahili. They speak Somali too, but the dialect I learned is the northern variety. We can understand each other, but they were telling Jeanette in Swahili that I speak "professional" Somali, as the dialect I speak is the one used in Radio, TV and newspapers for the most part ;-) Its actually the best one to know because everyone understands you and you understand almost everything the others say.

Now that I'm doing this, I am obsessed with Somali everything again at the moment. I am trying to read the BBC Somali news each day and also listen to radio broadcasts, etc just to keep myself learning. You can begin to forget things so quickly when you don't use them.

We're also planning Layla's 2nd Birthday party for Sunday, but I'll leave that for another post.

Harun Yahya and Joel Richardson Interview

2009-09-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Harun Yahya is one of the most popular Muslim apologists and lecturers today. I really appreciate the work that he has done in regard to Creationism and his interfaith work with Christian leaders and Rabbis.
In this interview by Joel Richardson, he discusses some of the issues regarding the end of days and the coming of the Mahdi. Joel also asks him several questions regarding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, as well as issues related to his second coming.
They are both very kind and gracious instead of attacking one another personally. I would love to see more interviews like this one. The two men have obviously different faith and very different views on eschatology, yet they are both open to learning from one another.

Why Circumcise me?- A film

2009-09-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

This health issue is something that has existed, mostly in Africa, for about 4000 years. The type of circumcision that is more problematic is Pharaonic, which removes the clitoris, inner, and some of the outer labia. The area is then stitched shut except for a tiny hole. Most of the girls with this procedure have trouble urinating and menstruating. They also endure a lot of pain on their wedding nights and during childbirth.

I don't want to be too graphic, but just want to give examples of some of the pain my friends have endured. One friend used to have to urinate a single drop at a time, it would take her several minutes to empty her bladder. Another's husband was not able to open her fully for 5 days after marrying. During childbirth, she had to be cut open in all four directions (like a plus sign) to allow the baby's head to pass. She also bled a lot and had to receive several units of blood. Some women die after being circumcised, or when giving birth in primitive conditions.

This practice is still way too common and we need to make sure it doesn't continue to happen to the next generation. I have seen my own friends suffer, but I know that it doesn't have to be that way for their daughters. It is also mostly the women in these cultures who do the circumcisions and insist on continuing the tradition.

The film is in Somali with English subtitles. It also goes into some of the social issues regarding circumcision. It is not only a Somali issue though. It also occurs all through populations in North and East Africa.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

2009-09-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Eid and Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets). I think there's something special going on when the Biblical and Muslim calendars correspond. We didn't end up doing a whole lot for either, but we had some good food and a nice day. I didn't end up going to Minneapolis or San Diego, so we didn't have a lot to do here.

UPDATE: Idil gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Zaher, at about 1:45 am, mashallah.
If anyone gets a chance, please pray for my friend Idil, who should be giving birth to a baby girl tonight or tomorrow God-willing.

It is amazing just to contemplate the incredible power that goes into creating a child in the mother's womb. Even beyond our planet, look at all the millions of stars and planets that God created all over the universe. We can't even understand why he created all that, yet he cares about us too.

I think that's a good thought to go to sleep on.

The New Addition

2009-09-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

So we weren't really planning on getting a cat right away, but...

Layla and I were walking behind our apartments the other day and came upon some really cute kittens playing on someone's patio. I was in love!

The next day I we were checking the mail when I saw the woman that I thought lived there. I asked her if the cats were hers. Yes. Ok well was she looking to give any of them away...Yes! :)

All that was keeping me from getting one of them was a $300 pet deposit. Its all refundable, but we just didn't have the money. I went to talk to our apartment manager, who is really nice. She also happened to have given the mother cat to the other lady last year when her cat had kittens. She hooked us up. We just have to pay the deposit in $50 increments until its paid in full.

So now I present, Sable, our new 8 wk old adorable kitten:

The only downside is that he has fleas. We already got some drops for them and they seem to be almost gone after bath, combing, and then the drops. I'm planning to vacuum the floor to get rid of their dead carcasses.

So I guess this is Layla's Yom Teruah, Eid, and early birthday gift all rolled into one :)

She's a lucky girl!

LAB ORIGINS OF THE 2009 NOVEL SWINE FLU

2009-09-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

Steve and Paula Runyan: LAB ORIGINS OF THE 2009 NOVEL SWINE FLU

Check out the video. This is a contrived pandemic that was created in a lab. Why? I'm not exactly sure, but I would definitely not get a vaccine. Pandemics like this one can be used to create mass-hysteria and gain more effective control of a populace.

Check out this other one about a swine flu conference in Wash. DC that wasn't discussed in the major media.

The Arrivals

2009-09-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

I just found out about these videos from Kim Donesia. I have been following information related to the NWO and other "conspiracy theories" for some time now, and I think that there is definitely some truth to the madness. What is interesting now is that there are a lot of Christians and Muslims teaming up and getting the same types of information out there to the public. I would also recommend that you check out http://infowars.com and the films The Obama Deception, and Endgame which are also available online. You can also get some information from Texe Marrs, who is a Christian who writes about a lot of the same topics.
They even have a blog where the films can be accessed.
I definitely think that you have to take these topics with a "grain of salt." But I also think that there is more going on in this world than meets the eye.

Seek and You Shall Find

2009-09-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Behold, the days are coming,” declares the God, the Eternal One
“when I will send hunger on the land—
not a hunger of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Eternal One.

Seek the Eternal One while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;

Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Eternal One, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Eternal One..

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

*The Eternal One is my translation of the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh, which is derived from the verb "to be." It is usually translated as the LORD in English Bibles.
From Amos 8:11 and Isaiah 55

Half empty or half full?

2009-09-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Random picture, Layla and the tomato plants

Wow, the month is half over already? It has gone by so quickly! The last few days have been great here. I'm keeping up with my reading schedule, Al hamdulillah, and I have been absorbing a lot of material.
I have split up the Bible reading a little bit so I don't get burned our while reading the longer books. I have been reading 5 Psalms and 1 chapter of Proverbs each day, and I'm reading all the Pre-exilic prophetic books before I read Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Post-exilic prophets.

When I get to the gospels, I may read using this Synopsis of the 4 Gospels that I have. It has the text in parallel columns for each pericope that the Gospels have in common. If something is only in 1 of the Gospels, it just appears by itself. I think that might help me absorb more material rather that just reading through all 4 in a row.

There has been a lot of material that I felt like I grasped better than other times I have read through the Bible, but since I'm reading through so fast, its hard to apply the information. I have a few scribbled notes though, so some of them may turn into posts in the future.

The Quran is also going well. I have just been reading the Juz for each day, which really isn't that much.
I also skipped ahead and read some of the shortest surahs already. I also have some notes on passages in the Quran that spoke to me as well.

On Tuesday, I went to an amazing Iftar dinner with some new friends here in Portland. My friend Erin was having some of her friends from the Masjid and the Islamic school where she teaches over. We have just been friends online for awhile, so this was our first time meeting in person. She has two young daughters, and is married to a Somali. Her SIL Rooda was there and is also going to help me get connected with some Somali translators here. We are also planning to take the kids together to an Eid party at their Masjid.

Layla had fun playing with the kids and their goat, Baraka, who lives in the backyard. There were lots of kids to keep her busy, so I actually got to spend lots of time talking with all the ladies. There were so many ethnicities; Pakistani, Korean, Indonesian, American, Somali. There was such a peaceful feeling when everyone prayed Maghrib together too. I got to talk to Tasnim, one of the Pakistani ladies for awhile. She was very knowledgable about Islam and just had a joy and peace about her. I got to talk to her about how I was first introduced to Islam, and that although I am not officially a Muslim, Islam will always be a part of me. She seemed to understand what is really important in the diin and what really matters in life. She is the kind of Muslim who keeps drawing me towards the community.

Ramadan has been a really beautiful month so far. I am feeling better connected now that I have my best friend Amanda here, and a new group of friends here. I will be going to a Sabbath service tomorrow at a Messianic church and bringing a book about Islam to a friend there. It is called Miniskirts, Mothers, and Muslims: A Christian Woman in a Muslim Land. I would definitely recommend it. The author is remarkably sensitive to Islam, and I can see how she too, has become a better person and Christian by being around Muslims. I liked it because even though the author sees herself as a missionary to Muslims, she had to change her own worldview of Islam after truly experiencing it.

I wish that more Christians weren't afraid of and biased against Muslims. I think that it just takes building a lot of relationships, one at a time.

Hope the fasting is still going well for everyone and don't forget to make lots of dua too!

JazakAllah khayr.

Ramadhan Tag!

2009-09-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by Hajar Zamzam Ismail at Tales from an American Nomad.

So here is the deal for this tag:

1.) Link five people who have written Ramadhan posts that inspired you, and explain why.

2.) Leave them a comment to let them know you gave them "link love," and that they are now tagged.

3.) Link back to the person who tagged you.

This is actually a pretty hard one. I think that there have been some really great and inspiring posts this Ramadan by a lot of different blogger ladies.

I am really glad that some have been inspired by my posts as well. So, let's continue showing the love this Ramadan.

1.) My Hijab did a really awesome post today about how her husband inspires her to fast and be a better Muslim. I love to see husbands being an encouragement to their wives, and families encouraging each other to be faithful and love God.

2. Modest Justice wrote one about getting back in to the masjid and forgiving someone she had a grudge against for a long time. This is so hard for us as humans to do. She shows a lot more maturity that some people twice her age. She is also Somali, so I would love her either way! Waan ku jeclahay macaanto.

3. Cecilia at My Life My Story did a post on how she was having a hard time during Ramadan. This wasn't because she had trouble fasting, but because her family sometimes has negative reactions about Islam. I applaud her for sharing the hard things in her life and pray that she will be able to tell them everything someday.

4. Organica did a post of serving at Iftar for a local mosque. I liked her post because it showed what is good and bad in the community. When Muslims are considerate of each other and are at the mosque only to worship, the Muslim community is beautiful. When people come with selfish concerns only to get enough food and space for themselves, with no consideration for the people who have to clean up the mess, things can get ugly. Its important to remember that the Ummah is a community.

5. Candice at Exploring Life and Islam posted on how she's really been able to embrace her new identity as a Muslim and speaks about how she's been changing to be a better person. I am also impressed with her involvement in Ramadan and getting to know her local Muslim community better while her husband and daughter and in Egypt. I don't know if I would be able to do it!

I look forward to posting and reading more inspiring posts!

Prominent Christian Leader Fasting for Ramadan

2009-09-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Brian McLaren. He is a pretty prominent leader in a sort of post-Modern Christian movement known by some as the Emergent Church. He and some other Christians are fasting for Ramadan, along with Muslim friends of theirs.
Here is an excerpt from his blog explaining the purpose of the fast.

"We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.
We will seek to avoid being disrespectful or unfaithful to our own faith tradition in our desire to be respectful to the faith tradition of our friends. For example, since the Bible teaches us the importance of fasting and being generous to the poor, we can participate as Christians in fidelity to the Bible as our Muslim friends do so in fidelity to the Quran.
Among the core values of Ramadan are self control, expressing kindness, and resolving conflicts. For this reason, if we are criticized or misunderstood by Christians, Muslims, or others for this endeavor, we will avoid defending ourselves or engaging in arguments. Instead, we will seek to explain ourselves humbly, simply, and briefly when necessary, connecting with empathy to the needs and feelings of others as we express our own.
Our main purpose for participating will be our own spiritual growth, health, learning, and maturity, but we also hope that our experience will inspire others to pray and work for peace and the common good, together with people of other faith traditions.
May God bless all people, and teach us to love God and love one another, and so fulfill our calling as human beings."

Another pastor, Ben Ries has written an article about his experience of fasting Ramadan.

I think that fasting Ramadan, even for the non-Muslim, can have lasting spiritual implications. There are some days that Christians traditionally fast, or observe partial fasts, such as Catholics during lent. There is also the Bible fast of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which is a 24 hour total fast observed by Jews and certain Christian groups today. However, there are very few other times that Christians undertake fasts as a community. I think that Christians and Muslims both can use the time of Ramadan as a time of introspection into our own communities. By humbling ourselves and fasting, God can reveal to each of us what we are doing right and wrong in our own faith.

Some conservative Christian organizations have blasted McLaren and others for undertaking a Ramadan fast. For me, it makes a lot of sense. Fasting Ramadan was something I started doing quite a few years ago when I first started looking into Islam. I think that those who criticize people like McLaren have probably never had a close Muslim friend or neighbor who was a good example of Islam to them.

I hope that all of us who are spending more time in prayer and introspection during this month will be drawn close to our Creator. Amin.

Forced Vaccinations and Quarantine In Massachusetts?

2009-08-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Check out what is happening right here in the United States.

Massachusetts is trying to pass a bill that would force people to be vaccinated, quarantined, or "decontaminated" if suspected of harboring a dangerous infection.

Link on Natural Health News

This means that government health workers would be able to have the right of search and seizure within private homes, and that citizens could be fined and jailed for not following the demands of the government.

Wake up people! The government doesn't know what is best for our health and shouldn't be able to force medical fascism on us and our children.

This excerpt from the article basically outlines what I feel about this:

"Some might argue these are necessary actions to save a nation from a deadly pandemic. And yet they forget that the pandemic has been intentionally allowed to worsen by censoring information about vitamin D and natural remedies that could stop it. Somebody at the top, in other words, wants this pandemic to get really bad, perhaps because it allows them to invoke precisely the draconian response I've outlined in this article. Seizing power in a Democracy cannot be accomplished by simply declaring war on the rights of the People. Rather, a situation must be engineered where the People are so desperate that they beg to be controlled. Releasing a pandemic into the wild is the perfect way to accomplish precisely that."

This just sickens and scares me. We need to make sure that this doesn't stand in MA and that other states and countries don't follow suit.

More Books!

2009-08-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

We went to the Portland Central Library downtown today. Its a nice library in a really cool old building. Layla and I had fun browsing around as she knocked books off the shelves.
I let her play in the kids books for awhile and do a puzzle, then we went to mommy's favorite sections, Languages and religion.
They didn't have a lot of Somali books at the downtown branch, but I guess there are more at some of the other neighborhood libraries. They have an awesome religion section though. That is, they actually have scholarly books about Islam and Biblical studies and not just negative propaganda type books. The Islam section was pretty heavy on Sufism books. Makes sense for Portland though. There is a big Sufi organization here, and Buddhism is also pretty big in the area.

Here's what we got:

The book about Ramadan fasting looks really good. It is more scholarly that a lot of the Islamic books I've seen. It has information on the history of fasting, fasts in Christianity, Judaism, and other religions. Effects of fasting on health and its benefits, as well as a lot of information on what things are considered to invalidate one's fast.
I plan on starting it right away even though I still have a lot of reading to keep up on. I'm actually still ahead on the Bible reading, and have already finished my Juz of the Quran for today. I'll probably be making another post tonight on one of the ayat that really stuck out to me.

The other book, "The God of Old," focuses on the narrative accounts in the Bible where people had encounters with God. From what I can tell, he focuses on studying how the ancient Israelites perceived God as we can best discern from the texts and archaeology. The author, James Kugel, has another book called "How to Read The Bible, A Guide to Scripture Then and Now" that I also highly recommend. All of his books focus more upon the ancient period of Biblical history that we know the least about from the texts. This time period extends roughly from the Patriarchs to the time of Solomon.

This is the kind of stuff I do for fun :)

Layla's Best Friend

2009-08-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

We came into the room last night to this cute sight. Layla cuddling her doll the same way I used to sleep with her when she was tiny. She's starting to want to take her places when we leave too.

They're so cute when they're sleeping :)

Who ate all the Sambusa?

2009-08-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Layla ate all the sambusa!

Well, I guess that's not completely true. Layla, Dave and I ate all the sambusa, and wow they were really good. Probably shouldn't be looking at this if you're fasting and faint of heart. I
If you're looking for something fun to make for iftar, sambusa are the best.
Check out Tammy's Somali Home on my side bar for sambusa recipes because I didn't really use one.
Basically, I wrapped them in egg roll wrappers that I had cut diagonally, they are filled with ground beef, garlic, lots of onion, Anaheim peppers, cumin, curry powder, chili powder, salt, and ancho chile powder.

Teachings about Marriage in An-Nisa

2009-08-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I have started reading through a Juz of the Quran each day of Ramadan. I've been reading through An-Nisa, and have come across a few things that I don't quite understand.
Here are some of the problematic passages:

1. If any of your women is guilty of unnatural offense, bring four of your witnesses to give evidence; if they testify against them, regain them in the houses until death, or until God provide some other way for them. (An-Nisa 15)

a.) What is the unnatural offense? It seems to suggest homosexual behavior in the context of the next verses.
b.) What would the witnesses have to say that they had witnessed for this to be prosecuted?
c.) What is meant by until God provide some other way for them?

The passage continues:
But if two men among you are guilty of such acts then punish both of them. But if they repent and reform, let them be, for God accepts such repentance and is merciful. (An-Nisa 16)

b.) What is the required amount of witnesses for the men? The text doesn't say, and what is the punishment for them?
c.) Let them be?! So men don't have ANY punishment if they just promise to never do it again?
It just isn't setting well with me at this point.

2. Unlawful to you are your mothers and daughters...(other list of women prohibited for marriage) and the daughters of the wives you have slept with who are under your charge; but in case you have not slept with them there is no offense (if you marry their daughters);
(An-Nisa 23)

a.) So the text seems to be saying that you can marry the daughter of your wife (who is not presumably your own daughter), but only if you hadn't slept with that particular wife yet. Why would one have a wife with whom he hadn't yet consummated the marriage yet?

While we're on this topic let's head back to Surah al Baqarah's teaching on divorce in v. 230:

If a man divorces her again ( a third time), she becomes unlawful for him (and he cannot remarry her) until she has married another man.
Then if he divorces her there is no harm if hte two unite again if they think they will keep within the bounds set by God and made clear for those who understand.

a.) So a man is allowed to fully divorce his wife 3 times and yet take her back to him as a wife. However if he has divorced her a third time, she has to marry and divorce another man in order for them to re-unite again!

This one is problematic to me for 2 reasons. First, it seems to condone easy divorces, which are not socially positive in any culture. The woman might already know that she wants her husband back, but she has to find another man, marry him, have sex with him, and they have to be divorced in order to get her husband back. She would have to wait the obligatory 4 mos, and then she could marry her original husband. What if the husband wanted her back and they arranged the marriage to the other man basically as a sham so they could marry again. Is that not immoral?

The second reason it bothers me is that it directly contradicts this teaching about divorce from the Torah:

When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hands and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her and and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, for she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the LORD, you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. (Deut 24:1-4)

You see, even if the 2nd husband died of natural causes, she could never marry the first man again.

Jesus set a higher standard for divorce in the Gospels:

It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality , makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matt. 5: 31-32)

What do you guys think about divorce in general? I think that it can be necessary, even in cases where one party is not necessarily unfaithful. What if the husband is abusive or prone to anger? What if he is lazy and refuses to provide for the family? What if the woman is abusive to her children or endangers them? I think those types of cases are definitely enough reason to divorce. People can change, but the sad truth is that sometimes they don't.

Is Jesus teaching on divorce too strict? I don't think that he's saying that there is never a case where remarriage can happen (although some churches do teach this). I think that he was using harsh language because divorce was too common and easy in the Judean culture of the 1st Century A.D. We're leaning back that direction again. My parents are one of the few their age I know who are still married. I don't think that marriages should be rushed into or out of unless there is a reason of someone's safety or sanity.

I will add to this if I come across anything else confusing in my reading.

And please, I welcome comments of all kinds as well as links to good sources of commentary.

May God be with all of you each and every hour!

Breaking the potty training code

2009-08-23T16:20:00.001-07:00

Layla and her Grandma (my mom)

I think we may have figured something out to motivate Layla for potty training!
Lately she had been hardly ever going in the potty. I would put her on and the she would go in the diaper less than 10 minutes later. Frustrating.

Yesterday I was feeling the Ramadan spirit and went out and bought some nice dates. I let Layla have one and she got really excited about it. She kept asking for more...

Then my husband got a good idea. We didn't want to give her candy or junk food as a reward for using the potty because it could add up to a lot of junk over the course of a day. He thought maybe we could give her a date every time she went.

It works! So far she has gone 2x today and 1 last night. :)
Who knows maybe this might work for some other little ones.
That is, if they like dates!

My Duas for Ramadan

2009-08-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

What better time is there than Ramadan to make duas? Here are global concerns I will be concentrating during this month:

Israel/Palestine:

The song is titled Hevinu Shalom 3Aleinu, Ma3na Ajmal Min Salaam
Let there be peace among us, With us is nothing more beautiful than peace.

The next song is for my dear beloved Somalia, how I would love to visit you someday.
Also dedicated to Omar who is like a brother to me and is living back in Hargeisa.
Aniga iyo Da'uud waanu ku jecelynahay walaal. Waana ku xiisey.

The song is called Baaqii Nabadda-Proclaim Peace

(Chorus)
Doonayaayo doonayaayo doonaya nabad nabad nabadda doonaya
O' We want, o' we want, we want peace, peace, peace is what we want

Da'iimow Allahayow,noo daryeelo, dalkeenu, dadkeenu, nabadda
O' Eternal one, O' Allah, take care of us, our country, our people, peace

Dadow, dadow, dhul Allahayow soo duceeya, Aamiin, aamiin
O' People, 'o people, Pray to Allah for your land, amin, amin

Nalada cadeeddo lagu wada dega baan
By the lights of the sun let us reside together

dadow dadow dhul adoo soo duceeya aamiin aamiin
O' people, o' people pray for your land, amin, amin

Qabiilka dhabar go'ynoo dankugu lagu dadaal
Cut off tribalism from our backs, let our effort be united

dadow, dadow, dhul dalool soo duceeya
'o people, o' people, pray for a broken land (lit. with holes)

Please, any Somali sisters who know better than I do, let me know any words I missed or problems with the translation. This song was a lot easier than most Somali songs, but I still had a little trouble getting all the words.

Ramadan Kariim everyone!

What? Another Award?!

2009-08-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Wow, so I am feeling surprised and blessed. These awards are circulating like crazy on. It still surprises me that my blog has been awarded for anything other than Layla's cuteness.

I got the Freakin Fabulous Award from 3 Ladies who are all fabulous themselves:
Skye, Nazia, and Tiffany Nicole :)

Here are the rules:
The rules of this award are:
•List five current obsessions.
•Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.
•On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.
•When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well.
Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

I know I was awarded thrice, but I am still only listing 5 obsessions because Layla is attention-starved and I'm lazy :)

1. Coldstone Creamery
This one is not a good obsession for the long term. Hubby and I have been going here at least once a week lately. It is expensive and filled with empty calories, but it tastes so good! The second part of my obsession here is that I always have to get cookie dough in my ice cream. Yesterday Layla and I shared mint with cookie dough.

2. Books
I have way too many books already, but who doesn't like more. We are always looking for used bookstores, regular bookstores, and buying books online. My favorite genres are religion, history, cultural studies, and languages.

3. Thai Food
I've been making Pad Thai or Thai red curry at least once a week for awhile now. Its spicy, tasty, and easy to make. There are a lot of asian groceries close to us, so I can get the curry paste really cheap. Layla already eats spicier than most American adults.

4. Somali
This is an ongoing obsession for sure. Oh Somali, why do I love thee so much? I seriously think Somali is the most beautiful language in the world. To me it's even more beautiful than Arabic and Hebrew combined. My husband just thinks I'm weird. This means I read Somali kids books, do crossword puzzles in Somali, and speak Somali on the phone. I just need to get back to updating my Somali blog and all will be good.

5. Everyday Deals
So there is this weird store just down the road from my house, I've written about it before. They sell damaged, almost expired, and discontinued or overstock merchandise. Now I go there almost every day. Last week they had cantaloupes 2/1.00 and both the ones I picked were perfectly good. I also have like 10 boxes of cereal in the pantry now. I just can't resist the urge to go in there and see what new things they have each day.

So yes, I'm weird just like the rest of you :) Let's enjoy our differences and weird obsessions.

In turn I am awarding:
1.Tuttie at Trying to Take Over The World
2. Maryanne at Cairo/Giza Daily Photo
3. Aalia at Chasing Jannah
4. Never Ever at Finding Guidance
5. Cairo, Lusaka, Amsterdam

Toga!

2009-08-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

My husband and I always joked that we would dress our kids in Togas for the first few years of their life to save money. It turns out that a toga can be pretty cute.
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This is just actually a towel that I wrapped around Layla, then tied at the shoulder. I think its pretty cute! It gets a little cold in Portland for year-round togas though.

Tzniut - Jewish Modesty: then and now, A video

2009-08-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I found this to be really insightful. It shows how the concept of modesty as it was kept in Judaism was very similar to what we see preserved in Islam. It was only in the last century that the Jews' traditional dress was changed to more closely resemble that of the Europeans. The author of the material also discusses some of the reasons for modesty and the true meaning of the Hebrew word Tzniut. It translated more accurately as subduedness, which is why modesty should be part of our submission to our creator.

Enjoy!

Award!!

2009-08-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to NeverEver, I now have a 3rd blogging award. Thanks!! I never knew if anyone would read my blog when I first started it. Now, 1 year later I have plenty of followers that motivate me to update more often. The blog doesn't really have a singular theme of Layla anymore, but I can share more about what I am doing, thinking and reading about.

So with that thought I will pass on this award a couple other bloggers who balance a lot of topics on their blogs with ease:

Umm Omar at Just Another Day

and

Organica at Organic Muslimah

Until later everyone!

Tag!

2009-08-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

So I was tagged by Skye at Muslimah-in-Aus to tell you guys 5 things about myself.

So without further introduction:

1. I don't have a TV. We have 3 working laptops now though so we're not really isolated.

2. When I was 18 I got a tattoo that says body, soul, and spirit in Hebrew. I wouldn't mind having it removed now, but its not really worth the cost. I kept it covered when I went to Dubai and Egypt because I didn't want people to think I was Israeli.

3. I am obsessed with camels. I just think that they are the coolest animal ever.

4. I was vegan for a year or so when I was 16-17. I love meat, so I'm not sure how I even did it now.

5. I love being outside. I could just sit outside or wander around outside for days. My husband is the total opposite. .He likes being inside unless he has something specific to do and the weather is perfect.

In return I tag Yasemin, Asmaa, NeverEver, Heather, andTiffany Nicole.

Just One More Day...

2009-08-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

My mom and brother are leaving Thursday morning. :(

My mom and I at the OR trail interpretive center

This week has been fun, but kind of sad too. Since I've had my brother and mom here for the past week, I kind of forgot that they don't actually live here.

We've had lots of fun and gone a lot of places, so hopefully I've done my part of convincing them to move here eventually. We have to wait for my dad to retire though.

Today we visited 2 museums, and had lunch at Red Robin. Layla loved dipping her fries in the sauces.

Layla and her sauces

Grandma and sleepy Layla

Yesterday we visited Mt. St. Helens. It was a little cloudy though, so we didn't bother driving the additional 30 miles to the closest viewpoint. It would have cost quite a bit to get in, so we just took pictures from the Forest Learning Center.

Tomorrow we are planning to take it pretty easy, but if its sunny we will go back up on Powell Butte to take pictures and maybe drive out closer to Mt. Hood.

Just like me at first, they can't get over the fact that there are real mountains here!

In other news, Blogger has somehow deleted all the blogs I watch from my dashboard. It did this once before, and they came back after I had re-added half of them. I think I'm just going to give it a day or so.

Yesterday's Finds!

2009-08-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

As you may know, my mom and brother are in town. We have been busy all around the city, checking out shops, taking walks, and just generally enjoying ourselves. The weather got a really nice too. Its much cooler and overcast, so we won't get overheated while walking.

Yesterday we went to Powell's books, checked out downtown for a bit, then went over to the Hawthorne Dist. I picked up these things:

The Quran translation is Al Quran, A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali.

I looked at it in the store and was pretty impressed. It includes the Arabic text (in very small print), has useful footnotes, and seems to be contemporary without going against traditional interpretation. I was actually looking for the Asad translation, but maybe this was meant to be.
The English is very readable, but seems to be truer to the original.

I picked up the scarf at a place that sold clothes from Tibet and nepal. It is a rougher cotton that seems to stay put and also breathes well.

Just look at how cute Layla is wearing it:

The other book is a children's story in English and Somali. I probably bought it more for myself than for Layla. She seems to get annoyed when I read it to her in Somali.

My mom and brother both really like it here. Now I just need to convince them to move when my dad retires.

Readings and Ramblings

2009-08-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Salaam, Nabad, Shalom, and Peace all,

Update: As of Aug 16 I am almost done with the Torah (Genesis-Deut) and have read 35 of the Psalms as well. I'm waiting to start the Quran until Ramadan.

Our little family was productive today. The hubby and myself are now licensed Oregon drivers with Oregon license plates. It wasn't actually all that bad. We did forget one paper at home to prove our address, so Dave had to drive back while I stayed at the counter with Layla. She was really good, but I didn't bring the camera. So it's out with the old, Minnesota, and in with the new, Oregon. Our tabs had expired in July, so we figured to just get it all done in one shot.

My mom and brother are coming tomorrow! I'm so excited. My mom just saw Layla right before we moved, but after seeing her every day for a year she's going through withdrawls. I don't blame her though. I can't wait to show them around the city. We are also planning to go to Mt. St. Helens during the week. I want them to fall in love with it so they move here when my dad retires.

I have gotten a jump start on the Bible reading part of my Ramadan Challenge. I'm already to Exodus 22. I have some comments and insights from my readings in Genesis, but I may just write a few notes and post them later. As far as the Bible is concerned, the most ancient period of Israelite history excites me the most. Unfortunately, the texts themselves were written long after the events they are purported to describe. I do believe that oral transmission of stories was pretty reliable during that time, but the details are still sketchy. I always find that part of the Bible drawing me in. I'm not so into theology. I like the human interest stories in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings the best. No matter how you look at the inspiration issue, I think that most of the Old Testament's authors were great storytellers and writers.

Do any of you Muslimas who were People of the Book previously miss reading the Bible, or do you still read it sometimes?

Another Swine Flu Post

2009-08-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

The vaccination being created for H1N1 will most likely include an adjuvant called squalene. It is used to increase the immune response from a vaccine, so that a smaller dosage can be used. The problem? This adjuvant has never been approved for use in any vaccine in the U.S. and has only been used in 3 vaccines ever approved for use worldwide!
It was contained in experimental Anthrax vaccines that have been strongly linked to Gulf War Syndrome. Please don't get these vaccines for your children! They greatly increase the risk of developing auto-immune disorders over time.

Please read the whole article here:
Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine's Deadly Little Secret Exposed.

Personally, I would refuse this vaccine even if threatened at gunpoint.
Don't give into the fear-mongering. The vaccine itself poses a much greater risk to your health than the virus itself does.

There is also an online petition you can sign to show that you are against any mandatory vaccination attempts.

The Ramadan Challenge

2009-08-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Muslims all over the world will be celebrating the giving of the Quran as well of the unity of the Ummah in just a few weeks. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and water during daylight hours. While fasting a person experiences physical deprivation, but can also use this to draw closer to God. I came up with my own challenge for this year's Ramadan.

I will be reading the entire Old Testament (Torah, Prophets, and Writings):

Isaiah from the Dead Sea Sea Scrolls 57:17-59:9, 1Cent BCE

The entire New Testament:

Opening of the Gospel of John, P66, late 1st Cent C.E.

and the entire Quran:

Tashkent Quran, 8th Cent CE (oldest extant copy)

I would love to read them each in their original languages, but for time's and sanity's sake I will be reading them all in English. I have chosen to read the ESV for the Bible, clearing it up with the Hebrew or Greek whenever I have a question. I feel like reading the Bible and the Quran together could confuse me, but might also help me gain insights into the Quran and Bible that I haven't seen before.

I might need some help in choosing a Quran translation though. I have Yusuf Ali's translation, but it is awkward to read. I have never actually finished reading the entire Quran mostly because of that. I have heard that Muhammad Asad's translation is good. Any thoughts?

It is a lot of reading, I'll admit, but I know I can do it. I just need to ignore the other books on my shelves and spend less time online. Is anyone else doing a special challenge for Ramadan?

Layla's house

2009-07-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

Layla found out that she can fit in the biggest cabinet in our apartment. So I guess we won't be storing anything in there for awhile :)
I think I'd rather look at her in there anyway.

Is the Quran Corrupted?

2009-07-30T20:51:00.001-07:00

I have included 2 videos. One is made by a Christian working to prove that some stories in the Quran were taken from Jewish and Christian apocryphal works dating from the 2nd to 5th Cent. CE. These sources are works that were never included in the accepted canon of the Bible.
The second of these videos is a Muslim response to the video. Feel free to add to either side of the argument.
Is the validity of the Quran compromised if some of its stories were included in non-canonical works?
The Muslim man says that these claims have been refuted. If you are aware of references for these rebuttals please share this information with me.
God's blessings to you all!

Here is the source for the rebuttal of the Cain and Abel story

Swine Flu Vaccine

2009-07-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Update: another from Dr. Mercola's site

Please check out this article, Ten Things You're Not Supposed to Know About Swine Flu Vaccine.

Every year in the United States alone about 36,000 people die from complications of regular seasonal flu. Most of these people have underlying illnesses that make them more susceptible to Pnemonia. No where near that many people have died from this lab-created virus yet.

Please educate yourselves as to how toxic these vaccines can be and think twice about getting one. There are many natural things you can do to support your immune system before or during an illness. One of the most important of these is Vitamin D. You need to make sure your supplement is D3 and not D2 because D2 has to be converted to D3 in the body and is therefore less efficiently absorbed. New research shows the proper dosage to be around 1000IU per day, not the 400 that was previously recommended. Another natural anti-viral is wild Oregano oil.

Oh, and here are some of the poisons included in the vaccines:

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)	Neomycin and streptomycin (antibiotics)	Resin and gelatin - known to cause allergic reactions
Formaldehyde – a known cancer causing agent	Aluminum -- a neurotoxin linked to Alzheimer’s disease	Polysorbate 80 (Tween80™) – which can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
Phenol (carbolic acid)	Triton X100 (detergent)	Egg proteins (including avian viruses)

How About Some Dawah? Seven Questions About Islam

2009-07-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

This post is a follow up to my previous post Seven Things I Love About Islam. In this post I will discuss some of the issues that have yet to be resolved for me about the religion.

I don't mean for any of these things to be accusations against Islam or any of the wonderful and honest Muslims that I know and love. In fact, I would love to get some feedback on some of these issues, so hopefully some other bloggers can post information that will be useful to others who are learning about Islam. I would love to see individual posts on some of the questions if you consider yourself an expert on any of these issues and have access to good sources of information. I am not an expert by any means. I have only a scanty knowledge of Arabic and don't know which hadiths are considered most authoritative next to the Quran.

So, give me some love, and give me some dawah. I have questions, and who doesn't love a good answer right?

1. How can we be sure of Muhammad's prophethood?
The Hebrew Bible (Genesis-Malachi) is evidenced to have existed in its current form since before the lifetimes of both Jesus and Muhammad. Copies of the Greek New Testament also exist from centuries before Muhammad was born.

The prophetic books in the Bible all have a common theme. That is calling the people back to true worship of God as defined in the Torah. Jesus kept with this theme and is recorded to have said in Matthew 5:17: Don't even think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them.

Muhammad did call the pagans to worship the one Creator God in strict Monotheism, but he replaced the Torah with another law that contradicts it. Some of the biggest changes include the replacement of the Biblical feasts such as Passover and Sukkot with the 'Eids in the Quran and replacing the Sabbath with Friday prayer. Why would God change these after 2000 years?

In saying this also understand that I think it was a mistake for the Christians to abandon the Saturday sabbath with Sunday and celebrate Christmas and Easter rather than the Biblical holidays. This happened as the Christians became Romanized, but the Bible itself doesn't teach Sunday worship or the holidays of Christmas or Easter. Jesus kept the Sabbath, ate Kosher, and celebrated the holidays of Passover, Sukkot, the Day of Atonement.

2. What is required of the people of the book according to Quran?

Surah Al Maidah 68a says.
Say: O' people of the book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Torah, the Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord...
and 69b Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

These verses seem to suggest the People of the Book are fine as they are and have no need to change their faith.

Contrast this with S. Al Imran 85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost.
Or S Al Tawba 29: Fight against those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and his Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from, among the People of the book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

These seem to suggest that those living after the coming of Islam must become Muslim or they can never attain Jannah and that they are to be considered lesser than Muslims. Which is true?

3. Will there be sex and marriage in Heaven?

In Matthew 22:30 Jesus says: For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.

Surah An-Nisa 57: But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness we shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home: therein shall they have spouses purified. . .

It is hard to understand what the purpose of sexual activity in heaven would be. It seems that our most base desires are something of this earth that don't belong in the next life.

4. The Prophet's many marriages
Why would God limit the number of wives to 4 for ordinary Muslims (S 4:3), while Muhammad could have as many as he wanted according to S. Al Ahzab 51?
Also problematic for me is that Muhammad married Zainab even though she had already married his adopted son Zaid, and of course there is the matter of Aisha's age when she was married. I have heard some theories saying that she had to be older than 9, but I don't know how reliable their accounting methods are. I do, however, think it was wonderful that Muhammad was willing to marry women who were widowed, and that he did exhibit great kindness with his wives. He also forbid the female infanticide that was prevalent in pagan Arab culture.

5. Which one of Abraham's sons did he offer for sacrifice?

The Biblical narrative in Genesis 22 states specifically that Yahweh commanded to offer his son Isaac for sacrifice. This story takes place in the Bible after Ishmael and Hagar were sent away from Abraham. The story mentions Isaac by name five times. This text could not have been changed any later than about the 6th Century BCE if someone was going to used the argument that the Bible was edited to say Isaac instead of Ishmael. Hebrews 11 excerpts the story of Abraham's faith in the New Testament and also mentions the name of Isaac.

The Quran is less detailed in the retelling of this story in S. As Saffat. The story in the Quran much shorter that in the Bible, yet emphasizes the obedience of Abraham to God's test. The Quranic narrative doesn't mention the son by name but Islamic tradition seems to say unanimously that it was Ishmael. Are there any segments of Islam that believe Isaac was the son in this story?

6. Honoring Muhammad too much?

I am not sure of what to think of the custom of saying Salah Allahu 'Alayhi w salaam after every mention of the Prophet's name. He is also mentioned during the prayer in al tashahuud. The Quran is very clear in its instruction not to make partners with Allah, yet praising the Prophet during prayer is sanctioned as part of the prayer pattern. I just don't know what to make of it. Are there any Muslims who don't particularly feel comfortable with this custom? I am not against giving respect where respect is due, I just don't know how I feel with that being included in the Shahada and in Salaah.

7. How can you know for sure?

That is, how can you know for sure that you will make it to Jannah according to Islam? There are 2 verses that come to mind that speak of good deeds being the most important element.

Al Isra'a 13: Every man's fate we have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment we shall bring out for him a scroll which he will spread open.
Al Muminun 102-103: Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy, they will be successful. But those whose balance is light, they will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.

The Quran is a book that speaks much about the Day of Judgment, heaven and hell. In contrast, much less of the Bible's content is focused on these subjects.
In fact, the Torah doesn't speak about an afterlife specifically. The Torah does, however, teach that animal sacrifice is the means by which humans can receive atonement for their sins (Lev. 17:11). The concept in Christianity is that the death of Jesus, who never sinned, provides the final atonement for regular humans who can never attain perfection before God.

My feeling is that God wanted us to worship him out of love and awe for having created us and all that is in the world. If we are only worshiping out of fear of punishment, it is hard to experience the presence of God in this world.

Overall, there are a lot of things that are hard to understand in both the Quran and in the Bible. The first thing we can do is study and compare both sets of scriptures in the historical settings they were written in. This is easier for the Quran because it was written in a single lifetime, while the Bible was composed and edited over a period of about 1,300 years. However, I think that both sets of scriptures can do a lot to illuminate each other. That's about all I've got for now.

Seriously though, I would welcome any answers or further questions as long as they are respectful so that we can create further dialogue between people who just want to worship God as best we know how.

Check out this post that Pixie just made today that talks about some reasons that Muslims don't follow the Bible.

I would love to pursue some of the issues raised in the videos she posted in some further posts if I have time.

Night Weaning

2009-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! Layla has been sleeping so much better the past few nights. She had been sleeping fairly well, but then decided that it was a good idea to wake up and try to nurse every couple hours. Naas....Naas

Well, that was getting to be a bit annoying since she is now 21 mos. old and doesn't need the calories during the night. I finally got over feeling bad about it and decided to cut her off for the night nursings.

I nurse her right before bed at about 9:00, the husband and I go to sleep around 11, and she doesn't touch my naas until its at least light outside. Its working pretty well so far.

It took me a couple nights to cut her off completely. After giving in only a time or 2 the past week, she finally realized that she can't bother me all night long. If I let her nurse early in the morning, she will usually go back to sleep until at least 8:30. Let's just say that we are all much happier with this arrangement.

Our next big hurdles are potty training and taking away the pacifier. At this point she won't sleep at all without it clipped onto her shirt. Since I've had so much trouble with her sleeping from day 1, I guess that I'm willing to put up with the pacifier for a little bit longer.

She is also talking up a storm. She has lots of 2 and even 3 word sentences that she uses now. I cracked up yesterday when she patted the couch and said "Mama, sit down!". She will also say "Layla do it."

Tag Backs and Award Backs

2009-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

So here I am sitting enjoying some time to myself while my husband is out and Layla sleeps. I haven't been able to keep up with posting as much because he is in school and we share a laptop now, so I am finally getting back to finishing some of the things that I started.

I need to tag some people who I want to know more things about for the Honest Scrap tag. Each of the 10 of you needs to post 10 honest things about yourself that your blogger readers may not know.
So, without further introduction, here are my tagged Ladies:

1. Tammy at Tammy's Somali Home.
2. Malekat at Islamic Identity.
3. Malek at Moments with Malek.
4. Sara at Muslimah Flower.
5. Oh So Muslim
6. Jaz at Born Confuzed.
7. SheLooks at The Miseducation of the Cushitic Girl.
8. Nur at Luz en la Vida.
9. Mistika at Elashry Casa.
10. Lisa aka Yasemin at A Journey Westward from Tartary. (Last but not least!)

Finally, I am passing the awards on that I received from Umm Omar and Lisa.

I will pass on the first Adorable Blog Award to Pixie at I Love Hishma. Her blog is so informative and also fun to read. Its not just a blog about Modesty and Islamic fashion. Her posts are well-researched and full of information that is hard to find elsewhere. I have learned so much about Islam and the real meaning of modesty from reading her blog. Great Job Pixie!

The second Awesome Blog Award goes to The Miseducation of the Cushitic Girl. Please check out her blog if you haven't before. There are so many posts that I think are important topics that aren't being discussed. Many of the posts are devoted to subjects pertaining to the Day of Judgment from an Islamic perspective. They are all well-researched and very well written. I don't think that Muslims or Christians are doing a very good job or correlating their end times scriptures to events that are going on today, and this sister is doing a good job of getting the information out there.

That's probably all for today. Keep up the good work sisters!

Its Tag Time!

2009-07-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I was so excited to get on and realize that I have been tagged by Never Ever at Finding Guidance! For this one, the Honest Scrap Tag, I need to think of 10 things about me that are true. These are things that everyone may or may not know. I'll try to be creative and think of some of the ones that people are less likely to know.

1. I rarely cook American food.
My favorite things to cook are curries, (Indian and Thai), sambusa (Somali version of Samosa), Mexican food, and all other things that are spicy. I am known to add chilies to almost everything I cook.

2. I am into urban foraging.
Basically, this means going out in your neighborhood and looking for things that are edible and free. So far in Portland I have found cherries and a little fruit called an Oregon-grape that can be used to make jelly. It doesn't taste so good on its own though. Later in the year I am hoping to get blackberries, apples, pears, hazelnuts, and figs. Yes, figs grow in Oregon!

3. I went to a high school with only 280 students that was all white.
Its just funny that I am so multi-cultural considering that I went to such a hick school for most of my life. I always wanted to learn lots of languages, but didn't get the opportunity to do anything other that Spanish until I graduated.

4. I have been to the UK, Dubai, and Egypt.
I went to the UK for a trip when I was still in college, Dubai for my honeymoon ;) and Egypt right before I got pregnant with Layla. We were thinking we would want to move to Egypt, but Cairo was a little crowded for our taste.

5. I used to dress punk and hardcore.
I don't really follow music much anymore, but it was my life during high school. I had my hair shorter and spiked in back and dyed it a lot of crazy colors. Its funny considering that I like to cover it now. I also used to go to local punk and hardcore shows every weekend.

6. I grew up in a conservative Baptist Church.
The church I went to as a kid was so conservative that they believed that that King James Version of the Bible was the only inspired version. I ended up studying the original languages of the Bible (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), and now understand just how ridiculous that was.

7. I am the oldest of 3 kids.
My brother, sister, and I are all pretty close. I am the oldest 26, my sister is 22, and my brother is 16. My parents just had their 30th anniversary this year. My sister and I fought a lot when we were younger, but we've gotten over all that now. My brother is one of my favorite people in the world. He has a great sarcastic sense of humor, and I love him as much as if he were my own child.

8. I have a terrible sense of balance.
This means that I'm bad at most sports, especially ones that require you to balance on small things like ice skating, skiing, roller skating, and skateboarding. I can ride bikes, but I'm petrified of going fast or completely letting go of the handlebars.

9. I love mint chocolate chip and cookie dough ice cream.
The best thing you can do is combine those 2 flavors together. I get the Cookie dough one at Cold Stone, but get mint ice cream instead of the vanilla. Its better, I promise.

10. I am planning to go to grad school!
Next year I am planning to start on a Masters program in the fall studying Biblical Languages. I'm going to see if there's any way I can add some Arabic and other ancient Semitic languages (Ugaritic, Akkadian, Aramaic) into it. I hope to eventually teach these languages at the University level InshaAllah.

Thanks for reading everyone! Now I'm craving ice cream...

Seven Things I love about Islam

2009-07-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really introduced to Islam until I moved from Illinois to Minneapolis at the age of 19. I always loved languages and cultures, but grew up in a small city where the options were very limited. There were a few muslims there, but more of them were African-American rather than foreign-born. There was also very little in the way of dawah, and I would say that most of them didn't know their religion very well.

I went to Minneapolis to study Biblical Languages at a Christian school, and ended up falling in love with the Muslim Somalis who lived in my neighborhood. I really started to understand and appreciate the beauty of Islam when I got a job where most of my co-workers were Muslim. Many of them were Somali, but there were also Moroccans, Egyptians, Ethiopians and Algerians. I am still friends with many of these people, and my husband and I also stayed with Sherif and his family when we visited Egypt.

For me, I really began to appreciate the religion as it is lived out in community. I saw this in action when visiting my friends houses in the city, and also when I stayed with my friends after they moved back to San Diego. The Omar family has basically adopted me as their 10th daughter. I even have some of them as my relatives on facebook. (Hi Khadija and Amina!) They showed my family true hospitality and what it means to have your religion affect every aspect of life.

I definitely don't feel like I have a complete grasp on Islam, but I have seen things that I like about the religion, and also some things that I have problems with. My reason for this post is to create discussion so that Muslims and non-Muslims can share knowledge.

Seven things I love about Islam:
1. Tawheed=Simple monotheism

2. Timed prayers= As Christians we say that we can remember God at any time, but how easy is it to get busy with life. The tradition of Judaism before the time of Jesus was timed prayer, but the church fell away from this as it was Romanized. See Acts 1:14. In the Greek it says the the apostles devoted themselves to "the prayers." Prayer was done in the Temple at 3 set times per day.

3. The concept of haya, or modesty.=This applies to the whole of society. European society used to have more of a sense of decorum and modesty in both dress and behavior, which has now been lost. I wish more people would learn to cover and to lower their gaze.

4. Beautiful Quran=Some passages that come to mind are Ayat al kursi, Al fatiha, 2:115, 2:163. They are even more beautiful in Arabic MashaAllah.

5. Memorization of Quran=I like that this is a focus. I have memorized Al fatiha, al ikhlas, and an-naas myself. I wish that a tradition like this to memorize that Bible in Greek and Hebrew and been kept alive. Some Jewish sects do chant Torah in Hebrew, but the tradition is not as melodic and beautiful as the Arabic in my opinion

6. Arabic language=I love the way things are expressed in Arabic. It is a language that is simple yet profound. Hebrew is similar in that the language is built upon a system of common roots that make it easier to learn. I also love that salah is done in Arabic so that a Muslim can pray with others anywhere in the world.

7. Concept of Ummah=The brotherhood of Muslims still amazes me at times. Unfortunately, I have also seen that the ummah is far from its ideal. There's still a lot of work to do guys.

I would love to have some comments here discussing how these topics have influenced some who did decide to revert to Islam, and how they may be affecting other followers of Messiah who have been blessed by Muslim friends.

My next post will be on some of the problems I have with Islam. I just have to look through my resources again and clarify some of them so that I can get some answers on them.

God bless.

Yesterday's fun

2009-06-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an interesting day for the husband and I. We went to Office Max and finally found a desk that we liked and also ordered some bookcases that matched. We were able to take the bookcase home, while the bookcases will be delivered sometime next week.

When we got home I put Layla to sleep, then set out to get a few groceries while he put the desk together. He does read directions, but prefers to be left alone while working on things like that. I took my time at the store, then went to this weird little store that I had noticed before called Every Day Deals. It was so weird. It was like a wonderland of dented cans and boxes, discontinued brands and packaging, and slightly expired food. I was lured in by the $1 cantaloupes on their signboard.

I did find a decent cantaloupe, two boxes of blueberries for $1 (some were moldy), and a few boxes of discontinued cereal. One of them expired last month, but for cereal that's just fine in terms of usability. My mom would always take expired stuff from the health food store she worked at while I was home, so it doesn't freak me out. Basically, meat and milk are only good a day or two past the date, but grains, nuts, and other non perishables won't hurt you, they will just not be as good in flavor or texture.

When I got home the hubby still wasn't done with the desk. It took him about 6 frustrating hours in all, but at least I have somewhere to sit as I type this. Our bed should be delivered Wednesday, and we just need to find a couch of some decent sort. I still want to do the majlis someday, but unfortunately, it is looking to be a little too expensive right now. ;(

Last night we also ordered a Berkey water filter from Pleasant Hill Grain, which will pay for itself in a little over a year. Then I ordered some training pants for Layla from Sammis Corner.

Layla has been going on the potty sometimes, so I am hoping to have her done by the time she is 2. Wish me luck! She is still talking like crazy and craves constant attention. We will have to do just a post on her later.

I am loving Portland so much!

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

We have been in our new home of Portland since Monday. The process of driving out was somewhat agonizing with a 1 1/2 year old, but we made it through alright. We stayed in Minneapolis for a few days to say to our friends and my mother-in-law.

We left the city Friday morning and spent that first day driving to Pierre, SD. I thought that some of the scenery in South Dakota was pretty after we crossed the Missouri River, but Pierre isn't somewhere I would enjoy living. There wasn't really much to see, and it seemed like a place definitely lacking in ethnic foods.

Saturday we left Pierre in the morning and drove until we got to the famous Wall Drug store. I wouldn't recommend stopping there unless you like overcrowed tourist traps. I was hoping to get some buffalo jerky, but what they had there was so overpriced that I couldn't justify buying any. The rest of the day Saturday was agonizingly long. We stopped at a couple spots in the Black Hills, but avoided any of the other major tourist areas. Our original plan was to stop at Mt. Rushmore, but it would have added at least 2 hours to our drive by the time we got there and took pictures. The scenery in western SD is amazing though. We crossed into Wyoming, drove through a couple hundred miles of it, then finally crossed into Montana. Southern Montana where I-90 crosses through is a huge Crow reservation. They have some beautiful land, but you can also tell that the area is pretty economically depressed. Saturday night we stayed at a hotel in Billings that had a Mongolian Grill restaurant next to it. That meal was a beautiful ending to a very long day.

Sunday was also a day of a ton of driving. We continued northwest through many more miles of Montana, and finally crossed into Idaho. Some of the elevations in the border area are pretty high and the scenery is amazing. At one point close to the border there were even snow flurries coming down from one of the mountaintops. I kept imagining how this trip would have been on the Oregon trail before modern highways lessened the grades of the mountains. We just crossed through the northern border region of Idaho where the state is only about 100 miles wide. Just after crossing the border into Washington, we stopped in Spokane. It wasn't a bad city, but we were too tired to do much after such a long time in the car.

Our final day of travel was the shortest. We left Spokane and went south and west through some of the farming regions of Washington. This is the area where they grow a lot of cherries and apples. There were also a good number of vineyards. Interestingly, most of the crops were irrigated. Apparently the thin rocky soil doesn't hold moisture well. The area along the WA/OR border along the Columbia river is also really beautiful. There are basically huge rocky cliffs that form the gorge. Once you cross the Cascade range, the climate is different and everything starts getting green. That is the thing I love most about this area. I am happiest where there are lots of trees.

Layla was pretty good throughout the whole trip. Aside from a few screaming fits when she got tired, she was entertained by reading the same books over and over again. Husband and I took turns sitting with her in the back and alternating driving. She craves constant attention and would get very angry if she was awake and no one was playing with her. I'm just glad that we're finally here.

Our new place in Portland is great. The apartment is huge, 2br, 2ba, and a small deck patio. I already got some plants for it. The only downside is that we have no furniture other than an air matress and some pillows. Oh well. We just ordered a bed, and are looking for some bookcases and other seating options. Anyone know where we can order Arabic couches online?
We have this idea of doing a majlis style sitting room with some papyrus and other pictures from Egypt and Iraq to decorate.

Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed.
Thanks for reading my insanely long post!

Farewell Peoria. . .

2009-06-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

I am finally leaving my parents' house after being here in Peoria for a whole year. It was nice to have somewhere to stay while Dave was deployed and we've had some great times here. I will miss my parents and my friends who still live here, but I would never choose to move back here.

Yesterday we took care of seeing a lot of the family at my cousin's house, who was having a 1st birthday party for her little girl. They were having a pool party, so Layla was the only baby swimming topless yesterday! She absolutely loved the pool and got a little upset when we took her out.

Our plans get a little hectic starting tomorrow. We have to pack everything we have at my parents' house into our little Mazda Protege. Then we are driving to Minneapolis, where we will say goodbye to Dave's mom and siblings and our good friends there. After that we being the approximately 1800 mile journey from there to Portland. Since we are staying a couple days in Minneapolis, we should InshaAllah get into Portland next Monday (the 22nd).

We should already have an apartment held in Portland, that way we won't be homeless when we get there. Our original plan was to rent a U-haul and drag our car behind, but the U-haul was $1400 one-way and the tow dolly for the car was another $400, so now we are only going with what we absolutely need. The only problem is that my husband and I own a lot of books. We may have to ship quite a few of them, but I know that should not cost anywhere near $1400.

When we get to Minneapolis, our mechanic friend will be looking over the car, rotating tires, changing the oil, and putting on new brake pads. We also got AAA just in case we break down along the way.

I am so excited about making our new home in Portland! We're finally getting out of the Midwest.

We're back!

2009-06-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

It is so great to be back and have things somewhat back to normal. We're back from spending 10 days in our former home of Minnesota, and now we're going to be staying with my parents for about another 2 weeks. Layla is adjusting really well to having Daddy around again.

Actually, within only a few hours she was playing with him and would ask where he was if he left the room. Now she's usually willing to accept him instead of me if I'm doing something. It's so nice to have everyone back together again.

Now we're in the process of packing so that we can move to Portland in a only a few weeks.
It was great being back in Minnesota. I love it there in the spring and summer, I'm just not a fan of snow and cold in general. I grew up in IL and have lived in MN, so it will be nice to live somewhere outside the Midwest for once.

While we were in Minneapolis we got to eat Somali food, hit up our favorite Chinese joint, and took lots of walks around town. I also got a couple new skirts at the Somali Mall. The prices there are so great. I got some Henna done there and got invited to a wedding. I didn't end up going though because I decided that I would spend the them with Dave and Layla and sleep early instead.

Cleanup!

2009-05-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Layla wanted to help me when I was sweeping the floor today. She kept trying to grab the broom and dustpan, so I let her have some fun doing floor duty after I was done. She called it "meanup."

Pseudo-Hijab

2009-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my own take on the Spanish-hijab (aka tie-hijab with no neck coverage) style.

The steps are basically as follows.

1. Place an oblong shayla scarf basically centered on your head.

2. Tie at the back in a single knot.

3. Take one of the sides and cross it back over your head.

4. Tie that end to the other longer one that is at your opposite shoulder.

For this style it is all tied and not pinned anywhere. I wore it downtown for a couple hours and it did get loose after awhile so I had to untie the second knot and tighten the first. You could probably avoid that by using a pin to secure the first knot.