Experience Islam Week 2007 ~ Day 5

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

These are the talk for today. The afternoon talk was amazingly lots of people that all the brothers and sisters have to give up their seats for the non-Muslims. That was amazing. I didn't even get to sit inside the room.

::: Afternoon Talk :::

Islam - the Basics

Time: 1.10pm
Venue: Mong Hall, Sidney Sussex (lunch provided)
Speaker: Mohammed Amejee

So you think you know Islam? This introduction covers the history of Islam,
its beliefs, tenets, and core practices. With plenty of time for a Q&A
session afterwards.



::: Evening Talk :::

The Environment: An Islamic Solution

Time: 8pm
Venue: Winstanley Lecture Theatre, Trinity College
Speaker: Ayman Ahwaal

A chance to learn how Islam addresses the sanctity of the living world and
the place of the human being within it. Exploring what is one of the
imperative concerns of our times will be Ayman Ahwaal, who has done
pioneering work on the Belum Rainforest Project in Malaysia.

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2007 ~ Day 4

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Nothing too exciting today for EIW because it is just a video but still many people came.

Islam and Modern Science

Time: 1.10pm 
Venue: Bowett Room, Queens College 

The event will be the showing of a video by James Lang. It will be a
demonstration of the remarkable harmony that exists between Islam and
modern science. As explained by a formerly atheist Professor of Mathematics
from the University of Kansas.

I wasn't really paying attention to the talk because was thinking how to fit in Noor al-Habib into the less-than-75-minute performance for Alwaan. Apparently the manager has agreed to accept £150 for Nur al-Habib to come to make a 15-minute performance for Alwaan and that is the cheapest offer for such a famous nasheed singer. We have too much performance yet we don't have enough time (the big hall). So, at the end, we have to say no to this great offer.

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2007 ~ Day 3

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Today I was the speaker. It felt funny when you always look at people and listen to their talks but now you are going to be watched and heard. This was what happened today when I have to talk about my journey to Islam to a crowd of people, some I know very well and some I have no idea who they are.

My Journey to Islam

Time: 7pm 
Venue: Bateman Auditorium, Gonville and Caius College

What makes people from different walks of life accept a new faith? Here's the chance to listen
to the personal accounts of four such individuals,some of whom are currently
students at Cambridge.

I was very nervous in the beginning but alhamdulillah ALLAH gave me the strength to speak properly and to give me the wisdom to answer all the questions. Everyone was so supportive and alhamdulillah, everything went well, and in fact better than what I have expected.

Me, Frey (Farha) & George

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2007 ~ Day 2

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

I missed both the EIW talks for today.

::: Afternoon Talk :::

The Future of Religion

Time: 1pm
Venue: Bateman Auditorium, Gonville and Caius College
Speaker: Shabir Ally

In a world where religion - whether Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or any
other - is often viewed as a stranger, what future can members of all
religions build together for the faithful? Can history pave for us the way
forward?


::: Evening Talk :::

Jihad and Spirituality

Time: 7pm
Venue: Bateman Auditorium, Gonville and Caius College
Speaker: Samir Mahmud

How does the Quran convey the meaning of 'Jihad'? Is this how Muslims have
traditionally understood it? And how has the term been misused? Towards an
authentic Islamic spirituality...

I missed the afternoon talk because it was during the time I'm in the mosque and by the time I get there, it's nearly 2.00pm. Bateman Auditorium has the entrance near the front stage. So, I didn't want to disturb the speaker. And I missed t he evening talk because I was having a tajwid class with Alia. But alhamdulillah I heard that the turn up was good. Hope this will be consistent throughout the whole week.

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2007 ~ Day 1

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Shabir Ally came all the way from Toronto, Canada to give 3 talks in 2 days in Cambridge. He is a PhD student in Islamic Studies in Toronto University specialise in Quran. All his talks are about Quran and alhamdulillah, due to the good publicity strategy of EIW this year, we manage to fill in the hall with a lot of people, especially the non-Muslims. The debates were hot between them.

::: Afternoon Talk :::

Quran - the Word of God?

Time: 1pm
Venue: LG17, Law Faculty, Sidgwick Site.

1.5 billion people believe that the word of God exists today, in its original state, in the form of the Quran. What enables so many people to consider this book a revelation? Join us in an investigation to see whether the theological, linguistic, scientific and mathematical claims supporting their belief hold the test of time.


::: Evening Talk :::

Jesus in Islam

Time: 7pm
Venue: Physiology LT, Downing Site.

We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come beforehim, and We sent him the Gospel wherein is guidance and light..." (Quran,5:46) Jesus, a figure given high status in the Quran, has been an inspiration forMuslims throughout history as a selfless, humble and beautiful personality. Come and find out more on the life and nature of Jesus in Islam.

I didn't have the chance to listen to the first talk because I was in the mosque helping with the Quranic classes every weekend from 9.45am to 1.30pm. However the talks can be download from here. InshaALLAH more to go for tomorrow.

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2007

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Today is the opening of this year's Experience Islam Week. I sometime wonder why ISOC here doesn't have this week as same as other university as the Islam Awareness Week (IAW). Anyway, this is a good time to have this event as this term is a busy term for event and activity. Maghrib prayer is the first event of this week.

I wasn't planning to come because prayer is not something to show off and I surely don't like the idea of showing my back (when we prostrate) to the public. Also, King's College only allows no more than 30 persons in the congregation (lawn in Cambridge is untouchable), so better give the chance to the brothers. Plus it is the brothers that need to pray in congregation, women is better pray at home privately. This is not a discrimination or anything inferior. Most of the women (including Muslims) think that saying so is a discrimination to the women. However, from my own point of view, I believe that this is not at all a discrimination but a way to protect and safe guard women. Think about it...

Anyway, during the jumaah today, Shabana said there are only 2 sisters planning to go and more sisters are needed to fill in the 15 spaces allocated for sisters (half for brothers and half for sisters). I said, I'm not comfortable and not sure about the qiblah there. If the qiblah is forcing me to show my back to the public instead of the wall, I'll definitely not praying there.

Just about a few minutes before Maghrib, a group of sisters came to the prayer room and urged some sisters there to go (we were studying in the prayer room). I said, I'll see about it. When it was Maghrib time, I prayed Maghrib in the prayer room then cycled quickly to King's College and jumped into the lawn and pray right to the end of the congregation (near the wall).

Apparently the qiblah is facing the street, so it's good and there are quite a number of sisters too. These are the pictures of the prayer:

Praying in front of the King's Chapel

The prostration - see the back?

I'm at the far left back there - you can't see me

Our backs are facing the wall not the street

Wassalam.

My Big Sister's birthday!

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Today is my big sister's birthday. She is now 28 years old and is pregnant. It's going to be her second child. I didn't even get to see the first one and now she's having a second one. Her husband will give her a nice birthday present... I think I'm going to make up all the birthday presents that I've missed for all my family members when I'm back home, one day, inshaALLAH.

Wassalam.

Alwaan in St. Columba's Church

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

After struggling for a few days of no venue for Alwaan, alhamdulillah, we got St. Columba's Church, finally. It is quite central and we will have 2 halls for the event. 1 small hall for stalls and 1 big hall for performance. The small hall is Gibson Hall that is booked from 5pm-9pm for stalls and food while the big hall is St. Columba's Hall which we can only have from 6pm-7.30pm. This is because it is booked from 3pm-6pm and 8pm-10pm by Cambridge Dancers.

Right, so this is the plan -- Have all the stalls in Gibson Hall and open the door at 5.30pm, get everyone to St. Columba's Hall at 6pm to pray maghrib and do all the performance in about 1 hour, then get everyone back to Gibson Hall for stalls and International Food Fair. Very tight schedule but hopefully a good one, inshaALLAH. Help!!! Alwaan is another 2 weeks to go.

On another note, alhamdulillah the Cambridge City Council is happy to give us sponsorship despite a very late application. That is a good news after all these tests that ALLAH has written down for us. You du'a is needed to make this event a successful one.

Wassalam.

Chinese New Year in Kuching

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

As I said, I didn't get to spend my Chinese New Year this time at home. But my sisters sended me some pictures. So, this is my family:

My grandmother

My father

My younger sister (that is the ang pau - red packet with money in it), Lee Choo

Followed by this sister, Yen Yen a.k.a. Abi

Then is this youngest sister, Nyuk Choo

My only brother, the youngest, Chin Shin

New family member - my eldest sister's first daughter, my niece, yay! Never has the chance yet to see her LIVE, inshaALLAH when I go home.

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Gong Xi!

Wassalam.

Research, research, research

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

The school's holiday is ended but there is still no news from the school teachers about revisit the school for the next stage of my research. I'm worried now because my research is a bit behind the schedule. I need to finish the data collection before the school holiday, or I'll have to carry on the data collection next year, which is the last thing I ever want to do for my research. Data collection next year would mean that I have to postponed the schedule to do my analysis and writing up. No, I don't have enough time and funding for that. Please make du'a for me...

Wassalam.

World Chechnya Day

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

1944 saw two of the most racist events in human history - the Holocaust and the Chechen mass deportation, recognised by the European Parliament as genocide. Unfortunately, the Chechen genocide went unnoticed by the world, though its devastating implications remain till today.

It is said that the Chechen people is the 'bravest people in the world'. They live in the mountain, struggling to survive not just from the harsh environment but also from the military threat from the Russian government.

23rd February is the World Chechnya Day, a day to commemorate this historical day. In Cambridge, we held this event today with two guest speakers:

• Mr Tony Wood, the writer of a new book -- 'Chechnya: the case for independance' who gave a talk on 'Chechen deportations: antecedents and aftershocks'
• Dr Satany Dorken - Chechnya: The Humanitarian Crisis Chief executive of Medical Aid and Relief for the Children of Chechnya (MARCCH)

It was in Keynes Hall, King's College. It was a great turn out alhamdulillah. May there be peace around the globe.

Wassalam.

Dr. Satany Dorken (left) and Tony Wood (right)

Chinese New Year

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Today is Chinese New Year. Celebrated by most of the Chinese around the globe. My family back in Malaysia posted me a proper Chinese New Year greeting card.


Alhamdulillah, I'm glad that they still remember me even though I'm living far away from them, although we are not having the same faith, we are still family. I pray that one day they will accept the faith that I'm in and may ALLAH guide us all to HIS straight path.

Chinese New Year reminds me of my childhood. It is the happiest day every year. We stayed up most of the night, talking, playing card-games, watching TV (there are lots of things to watch), playing with fire crackers... It was so much fun, especially when our parents gave us money (angpau or red packet). I enjoyed the hassle of moving all the furniture around to convert a shop into a big living room, ready to welcome all the guests. I enjoyed eating and drinking all those little things that we can only have during this festive season. I enjoyed the fact that we don't need to eat lunch and dinner because we were full just to eat from house to house, visiting friends and family. I enjoyed collecting money from relatives and parents' friends. It is a tradition that only unmarried persons can receive the money and once you are married, you have to start giving.

The ONE thing that I enjoyed most of this day is the Chinese New Year Eve's meal. This is a reunion dinner where everyone will come back from far just to sit together with all the family members, eat and drink and talk about life abroad. I have not done it for several years, especially after my conversion to Islam. However, if ALLAH wills, one day, inshaALLAH, I'll ve sitting there at home and eat halal food with everyone, inshaALLAH...

Wassalam.

What?! No hall for Alwaan?

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

This is so frustrating! I said I'm not going to have Alwaan if there is no confirmation of a hall for this event inshaALLAH on 3rd March 2007. Yesterday Umar said yes, we have Keynes Hall from 12pm-3pm and 5pm-9pm, and also Chetwynd Room from 12pm-9pm. So, I said, Alwaan is on. But this morning he said it's NOT! We only got Chetwynd Room from 12pm-3pm and 5pm-9pm. That is such a dodgy time for a cultural event!!!

What to do now??? We went around all the colleges to try and book a hall that can fit at least 100 people at a time but it's impossible as most of the colleges are now fully booked. So, came out the idea to look in Conference Cambridge which consists of all the halls and rooms in all the colleges in Cambridge. The problem is, big halls in the city centre are fully booked and good venue like Emmanuel can't have outsider's food and Sidgwick Hall can't have music! Law Faculty is not happy about what ISOC has done last year there. So, what next? I still don't know, maybe the best solution is to have Alwaan in Chetwynd Room (that small room) from 5pm-9pm...

Wassalam.

So, Alwan is on...

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

When the eiwcom people said that it's not worth it to have Alwan (an Islamic cultural event) as the end of EIW (Experience Islam Week) simply because the person who organised it last year failed his exams, I felt that this is too ridiculous. They made the assumption that this person spent too much time in it and didn't concentrate in his study. I felt like a big lost for ISOC for not having such an event for EIW.

So, I decided to take up this responsibility to organise a small Alwan. Before I go on, Alwan in Arabic means Colours. This is the colours of Islam where Islam is universal and Muslims are not just from one culture or ethnicity. I think it is important to have Alwan simply because EIW is packed with lectures and that doesn't give people enough 'experience' about Islam. Also, I want people to learn about Islam in a more relaxing atmosphere. And lastly, to give all the ISOCers an enjoyable evening after working for a week of EIW. I want the ISOC freshers to witness and get involved in a big event too.

So, my plan is have Alwan in a small venue, involving no more than 2 guest performers from outside Cambridge and small budget which means less sponsorship. Having already the Faculty of Education is interested, an Aunty is willing to sell her Islamic books & clothes, a calligrapher is in contact, sisters are ready to make some nice food for the International Food Fair and a couple of ISOCers are up for it, so I decided to make sure this event is a success, inshaALLAH.

So, this is Alwan, ops, people like it to be called as Alwaan which is spelt in Arabic as Alif, Lam, Wau, Alif, Nun. Please make du'a that this will be as successful as Layla.

Wassalam.

SNOW!

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Snow in Cambridge, once a year, yes this year it falled on this day. Went around to take some pictures a bit late cos got lots of work to do.

Enjoy!

Just after fajr

At the back of the house

In the front of the house - not so thick yet

In less than 1 hour - became so thick and heavy

All in white at the back

Went down to make a snow man - my first snow man!

Went to the Back at bit later today - the ice is mostly melted already.

So do in Parker's Piece

Went to New Hall

Someone made this

Can you see the trace that they have rolled the ice over?

New Hall

St. John's College

St. John's College

Don't know when is the next snow...

Wassalam.