31.8.10

Tarawih with the Trees

It was a chilly night, but a great night in Mile End Park. We gathered between Burdett Road and Canal Road, north of the the path crossing the park and the canal, a little south of the grassy bridge over Mile End Road. Behind that eatery formerly known as Halalianos.

Londonistan was pre-occupied: with being familial, fundraising for a visionary new mosque for Cambridge, flood victims, Iftaring in other Parks, Tarawihing in the Built Environment and commemorating the death of Imam Ali (ra).

Yet a Jamat gathered for this 'Tarawih with the Trees'.
Allahumma accept our devotions and annihilate our pretentions.

The trees framed our space, a mihrab fit for Revelation. Horse chestnuts decorated the floor. It was as if we were wrapped in a semi-permeable membrane of His creativity, ruptured by the sounds and dancing lights from the roads and drunken Muslim youth of East London.

Our Imam's drew from The Cow, The Inevitable and the Last Chapter. And we gave thanks for His blessings, prayed for his forgiveness and called on His names on a night of possible Power, without amplification or fuss.

We think we were able to find some Taqwa amongst these Trees and hoped to meet again to continue our journey, most probably on Friday.

Tarawih with the Trees is one collective worship act in a series, around the theme of Fasting not Feasting.

27.8.10

[New Word] Yaarmy

There is a feedback loop amongst some of my brothers,

The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army. The country is dominated by the army, I will not invest in politics. I can rely on the competance of the army.

26.8.10

[New Word] Egotesticle

When we lock ourselves into a train of thought that goes like this

( ( ( ((((((((((ccoo...................
meme-meme-meme-meme-memale

Naturally there are also Egovaries, but those are another matter that this keyboard cant express.

17.8.10

Ansar 2.0

Ramadan has begun.
Welcome, so glad you could make it.
We head towards Planet Taqwa, from wherever we might be.
Care to suggest a heading?

Asian weather systems are behaving in a bizzare fashion, subjecting its societies to conditions which are waaay out of the ordinary. Extreme flooding has displaced an estimated 10% of Pakistan's population, heatwaves and fires cloaking Moscow for days in a 40 degree BBQ and drought in Bangladesh severly impacting agriculture.

One big qustion that I wish I knew the answer to but havent recieved a decent answer for is.

You are from Pakistan and slightly clued up about it, about postcolonialism, developmentia, politics of aid, TWAT politics, Ummahtic mojo et al, so what do you recommend we do for the sisters and brothers afflicted in Pakistan?

DEC donations, else personal networks of khedmat. Duas.

Emergencies often cause people to throw all tentatively held principles out of the window and opt for the most seemingly actionable. Hence the radical pan asian arts movement holding a fundraising film night in ramadhan.

Yet what would be better?

We know that The Man is all over our money networks and every transfer out of whitey approved channels runs the risk of being impounded. US drones are targetting flood victims while their sister vehicles 'help' the pakistan military conduct relief ops. The Pakistan Taliban urges the rejection of USAID, while Sloane Ranger Apa uses allegories of dying men and 'get in there before the taliban to'.

Allah protect them. Make us adequate Ansar.

4.8.10

The Masses against the Glasses

"The masses wont get it", the friend responded, as I flung some pretty awesome/kooky ummahtic material upon her eyes. I wriggle, "Why must masses be the ones who are 'targeted' and constitute the quality controllers of Cultural J?".

These are the same assumed quality controllers who have co-created, as religious consumer groups, the syncretic cocktail of Londonistani tendancies so far. Lets give the public credit. These objections aren't real, they are figments of our unimaginations fashioned through experiences with folks who have been institutionalised in a certain way.

So lets keep it real, as we say so often. For the Haunting Masses.

Who remembers the Self-Salafizing Sepoys and the Personal Piety Police? Or the Hate-hungry Hizbi Havildars and the (wait for it) Indefatigable Injured Ikhwanis? Well thankyou, you are all in my head now. Be my guests, but I have to invite many more. Who knows you might even get along.