Speech of the Century...!

Just thought of sharing the unique speech President Barack Hussein Obama gave today in Cairo, Egypt.



And yes, it is in deed very relevant to us...

Who should win the Parliamentary Elections?

The Maldives is about to achieve an important milestone in its road to meaningful democracy and good governance. The first every multiparty parliamentary elections is due to take part on 9th of this month. An election that could potentially change the Maldives, forever - for good or for worse…

As I understand, there are heated debates going on regarding which candidates should win the 77 seats, which party should get the majority and win the elections. I believe that the real winner of this historic election must be none other than…the Maldivian people!

The people of the Maldives, the general public, must take this opportunity to exercise their social and religious responsibility to the best of their abilities; so that the future generations would be inheriting a nation that is better than that of today!

We, the common Maldivian, have the responsibility to elect the most able and trustworthy persons to the extremely responsible job of representing us in the parliament and making laws that would define the future of this country.

As such, it is extremely important that we make an informed and unbiased judgement in selecting the candidate to vote for. Social and economic status quo, family ties, friendship, party or business alignments, sense of revenge, personal prejudices etc should not be allowed to influence, in any way, in choosing the best candidate for the job. In contrary, a choice has to be made based on merit. The most capable, trustworthy and responsible person should be preferred from amongst the list of candidates, bearing in mind also that there will not be any ideal candidate!

If we do this, if we remember we have this undeniable responsibility, and exercise the responsibility to the best of our ability and then put our trust in God Almighty, then for sure, it is us who are the real winners of this historic milestone!

"Moon Bay Marina of Maldives"...

A friend of mine happened to show me this video (see below) on Youtube last night...



Looks like it was a conceptual plan former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom made up to 'sell' to the people at one of the elections, but somehow did not go ahead with doing so. It looks like the plan fell apart at an initial stage due to whatever reason.

There are a huge number of talking points regarding this concept, varying from the economical, social, environmental and political aspects (for example, if someone wants to run this project for real).

As my friend put it, one may wonder if the fact that this did not come into reality was either a 'missed opportunity' or a 'blessing in dis-guise' for the Maldives and its people...

Men objectify ‘Hijab-less’ women – it seems (well, at least scientifically)…

When psychologist Susan Fiske and a team of researchers at Princeton University performed MRI brain scans on heterosexual men who viewed a series of images showing both scantily clad and fully clothed men and women, they found that the men had an unmistakable response to women wearing less clothing.

The less they wore, the more likely it was for the premotor cortex and the posterior middle temporal gyrus to light up. These are the areas of the brain associated with tool use, hand manipulation, and the urge to take action [4,5].

"It was as if they immediately thought about how they might act on these bodies," Fiske explained during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science which was held in Chicago, February 12-16. "They are reacting to these photographs as people react to objects," she said [7].

Fiske and her team further examined the men for hostile sexist attitudes. They found that those rated as more hostile had little activity in areas of the brain that are associated with considering another person's thoughts and feelings (a phenomenon called "mentalizing") when looking at sexualized photos of women in bikinis. "They are not thinking about their minds," said Fiske. [4-6].

According to Fiske, the results of the study have important implications for women, especially in the workplace as it has previously been shown that viewing sexualized images of women can affect how men perceive women and interact with them afterwards [6,8].

A sexism study conducted by Lawrence University professor, Peter Glick, also found that professional women who wear provocative attire in the workplace are perceived by their co-workers as being less competent and less intelligent, especially when they are in positions of power. According to DiversityJobs.com, Glick's study suggests that "women in higher level and high power jobs may need to dress more modestly and conservatively to win the respect of their colleagues." [9].

Despite mounting evidence showing the benefits of modest and conservative dress, media portrayals of the hijab frequently depict Muslim women as victims of oppression, mind-control, and abuse.

However, the truth being that hijab (religiously mandated modest dress that covers the shape of the body and includes the headscarf or veil) is a means of being recognised as a Muslim woman, as clearly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. It gives protection and respect – ofcourse it all comes with how you behave and goes about in your daily life too (unlike what we get today in Maldives- where some 'buruga'-clad women are actually sexually more provocative and prone to greater objectification than some others!...).


[References (No.2-9 as originally referred by No.1):

1.Islamonline.net: [Accessed 17 March 2009] – Original article.
2. Alleyne, Richard. "Men Really do See Half Naked Women as 'Objects', Scientists Claim." The Telegraph. 16 Feb 2009.
3. Chew, Huibin Amee. "Why the War is Sexist (And Why We Can't Ignore Gender Anymore)." History News Network. 13 March, 2006.
4. Cikara, Mina; Eberhardt, Jennifer L.; Fiske, Susan T. "From Subjects to Objects: Sexist Attitudes and Neural Responses to Sexualized Targets." Lay Summary of Study Conducted at Princeton University.
5. Dell'Amore, Christine. "Bikinis Make Men See Women as Objects, Scans Confirm." Nat Geog News.16 Feb2009.
6. Landau, Elizabeth. "Men See Bikini-Clad Women as Objects, Psychologists Say." CNN.
7. Nicholson, Christie. "Women as Sex Objects." Scientific American. 17 Feb. 2009.
8. Sample, Ian. "Sex Objects: Pictures Shift Men's View of Women." The Guardian. 16 Feb. 2009.
9. "Wearing Provocative Attire May Impair Women's Progress in the Workplace." DiversityJobs. 14 May 2007. ]

Let’s protect our children…from them!

We have recently been shocked to discover the damage done and the horrible extent to which paedophiles have been able to operate in our small community for so long without being noticed. The extent to which this has spread dictates the urgency of stepping up the measures to stop it spreading further. It is a responsibility of everyone to stand up against the spread of this heinous crime in our society.

Thus I would like to share here some information I gathered regarding how to recognize paedophiles and what we, as parents, can do to protect our children against them!

How do paedophiles look like?

•Paedophiles may seem perfectly respectable and 'nice'. They are extremely cunning and clever at worming their way into your confidence so that you trust them alone with your children.

•Paedophiles do not necessarily look dirty, weird or creepy or act suspiciously - they often behave like everyone else and look 'normal'.

•Paedophiles come from all classes, professions, racial and religious backgrounds.

•The majority of paedophiles are men, though some women paedophiles too.

How do they operate?

•They are good at making friends with children. They offer to teach them games, sports or how to play a musical instrument. They take them on outings, give them gifts, bribes, toys & money or treats and trick children into trusting them, before abusing them.

•They often tell children that their relationship must be a secret

•They often target families where mothers might be especially grateful for help with looking after the children, such as families where mother and father are divorced, and where there are often no one except the mother to look after the children.

•They may make children feel chosen or special - children who feel they don't have enough love and attention at home may be especially vulnerable, such as families where mother and father are divorced, or where there many children in the family.

•They may use their position to threaten a child - for example, a sports coach who won't let a child stay on the team if they tell

•Paedophiles find victims by hanging around places children are likely to go, such as, arcades, school premises, parks, playgrounds and swimming areas.

•Be suspicious if someone is more interested in your children than in you, someone who always wants to babysit, take your children on outings -someone who wants to get your children alone.

What can we do?

•Check on anyone who is left in charge of your children or wants to spend time alone with them. Talk to other people they have worked for.

•Encourage discussions about personal safety, getting lost, and bullying by playing 'What if?' games with children.

•Encourage open communication in your family. Make time to talk and listen to your children so they know they can tell you anything.

•Explain to children the difference between "safe" and "unsafe" secrets. For example, a secret about a surprise birthday party is OK, but no one should ever ask them to keep kisses or touches secret.

•Arrange to have a family codeword. Tell your child that if anyone ever tries to collect them for you (from school or anywere), the person will always know the codeword. "No Code, No Go".

•Keep computers (especially those with internet access) in sitting room or other ‘family areas’ instead of childrens’ own rooms etc.

•Most paedophiles are not strangers. Tell children that if anyone, even someone they know, touches them in a confusing or frightening way they should tell you.

•Tell children that if someone you don't know speaks to you, pretend you haven't heard and walk quickly away.

•Tell children to never take sweets, presents, or lifts from people you don't know.

•Tell children that if something bad does happen to you, even if you have broken a rule, you should tell me (mother/father) about it and I will help sort things out.


Let us all take this issue extremely seriously and start taking action to keeping our children safe!

(Information gathered from:
http://www.kidscape.org.uk/
http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids/safety_stranger.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia)

Parents: what is your child listening to?...

In one of my previous posts (on 20/12/08: http://www.muizzu.com/2008/12/parents-what-is-your-daughter-watching.html) I tried to highlight the importance of being mindful of what our young children, especially girls, are exposed to from the local and global media and the entertainment industry.

I would like to stress more on this topic, based on a recent US study into how music and its lyrics affect the sexual behaviour of our teenage girls and boys.

It was found that teens listening to songs of sex-degrading lyrics are more likely to indulge in sexual behaviour at young age than others who don't.

Brian Primack, the study lead author, told Agence France Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, March 4 that "These lyrics frequently portray aggressive males subduing submissive females, which may lead adolescents to incorporate this 'script' for sexual experience into their world view"

The study, conducted by researchers of the University of Pittsburgh, graded the sexual aggressiveness of lyrics, using songs by popular artists on the US Billboard chart, from the least to the most sexually degrading.

"Non-degrading" lyrics described sex in a non-specific way and as a mutually consensual act, while "degrading" lyrics described sexual acts as a purely physical, graphic and dominant act.

Researchers then surveyed over 711 high school students aged 15 to 16 concerning their music preferences and their sexual behaviour. They found that 31 percent of the surveyed students had had intercourse. The rate was 44.6 percent among those exposed to sexually degrading lyrics and only 20.6 percent among those who had been least exposed. The findings were affirmed by consensus figures putting the number of pregnant American teenage at 750,000, the highest amongst the so-called ‘developed countries’.

In the United States the study was hailed by experts as ringing an alarm bill for establishing parental and governmental censorship to sexualizing music.

"The need is for parents to be aware so that they can place limits and criticize and understand what their children are listening to," Steven Martino, a behavioural scientist in Pittsburgh with the Rand Corporation, told AFP.

Martino, the author of a study published in 2000 that also made the same association between music and sexual behaviour, said the findings were “a wakeup call”.

It must be however stressed the mode of action that parents should adopt must be based on patience and wisdom. A physical censure of what is being watched or listened would simply not work, as expressed by Helen Ward, president of the Kids First Parents Association of Canada, who asserts that technology means it is "physically impossible" for parents to monitor what their children listen to or watch.

Thus a more holistic approach based on knowledge-based faith that is commenced from an appropriate early age of the child may perhaps be the only workable solution…

Religious extremism in our country…

Religious extremism is a term that is much debated across various spheres around the world. Thus it becomes imperative to give a meaningful definition to this term before proceeding. I believe it is very clear that one could be regarded as an extremist in general if he/she steps outside any set boundaries. Thus in this regard one can be referred to as a religious extremist if the person steps out of boundaries set by that particular religion.

As such it is becoming increasingly evident that in today’s Maldivian community we are increasingly facing with the problem of religious extremism. The consequences of this problem is severely detrimental to the country in whatever way we think about it; be it socially, economically, politically, or religious-wise. The problem has also been officially recognised by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, in its recently released Annual Report.

Hence we should be giving this real issue a more serious attention and look into the matter in terms of its historical background, in terms of how extremism began in the Islamic history and what could and should be done to ‘move back’ into the boundaries of Islam.

In this regard we know from historical literature that Islam’s third Khalifa Othman bin Affan was killed during a great turmoil by a group of youth and young aged Muslims who unfortunately dared to kill him.

History makes it clear that indeed this group (which was called the Khawarij) consisted of rushed and inexperienced youth. They were the kind of people who were taken in by delusions, who did not investigate before judging and did not learn the knowledge of what is permissible and what is impermissible.

It can be deduced that those people and whoever is similar to them in the present time (such as some we find in our country) share common features such as:

1- Weak knowledge of the truth of religion. Lacking understanding of its rulings and purposes. Some of them might think that they are scholars but they do not have the right knowledge.

2- Some of them care much about appearances and neglect true meanings. Such people know the words of the texts but they are unaware of the contents and purposes of that text. They do not hesitate in discussing the most difficult of matters and end up rushing the rulings and indulging their tongues in deciding what is permissible and what is not.

3- People like this excessively and extremely insist on their opinions without recognising the opinion of others or admitting the truth with their opponents. They are so narrow in their thinking and so limited in their sight yet they claim to acquire the truth and accuse their opponents of rebellion and debauchery or following their desires!

4- They usually choose the extreme position without regard for whether this was appropriate to the time, person or place. Their approach of the religion is always extreme and they close all doors of ease and concession for Muslims.

5- Being always extreme leads them to be harsh in their dealings with others, rough in the way they approach people and cruel in the way they call to Islam.

6- This kind of person always has a negative assumption of others. They only see the shortcomings of the others and treat them whilst assuming the worst. They do not try to find excuses for others and they do not start with the right intention and the good assumption.

7- The only thing left after that is issuing a judgment upon anyone that does not agree with them that they are disobedient or disbelievers. They make the blood and properties lawful for themselves and they don’t care about the sanctity of anything.

This was the trap that the group known as the Khawarij fell into at the early time of Islam. They were the most adherent to acts of worship (praying, fasting and reciting Quran) but they were tested by the corruption of their own minds and judgments. This kind of people killed Othman and fought Ali.

They fit the description of those whom their deeds has been made attractive so they considers them good - they are those whose effort is lost in worldly life - while they think that they are doing well in work. They were described by the Prophet when he said to his companions: “If you compare your prayers with their prayers and your fasting with theirs, you will look down upon your prayers and fasting, in comparison to theirs.” Despite that, he (pbuh) continued to say: “Yet they will go out of the religion as an arrow darts through the game's body”.

It is a duty for every Muslim to seek the right knowledge. This knowledge should be taken from trusted scholars who exert effort to acquire knowledge and to be god-fearing and just.

The practice of the Prophet and his companions was to bring ease and prevent hardship. He (pbuh) said: “Beware of being extreme and exceeding the limits in the religion, for that which destroyed the people before you was none other than extremism in the religion” and in another hadith: “Destroyed are those who are extreme, he said it three times”.

May we strive, as one united body, towards the common cause of eradicating religious extremism from our country!