On the heels of the grand jury decision against indicting (former) Officer Darren Wilson of murdering Michael Brown, Sheik Yaser Birjas holds a mirror up to Muslims in the past and present and how they perpetuated racist ideals as well as how they fought racism.

About Sh. Yaser Birjas

is originally from Palestine. He received his Bachelors degree from Islamic University of Madinah in 1996 in Fiqh & Usool, graduating as the class valedictorian. After graduating, he went on to work as a youth counselor and relief program aide in war-torn Bosnia. Thereafter, he immigrated to the U.S. and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. He is also an instructor at AlMaghrib Institute, where he teaches popular seminars such as Fiqh of Love, The Code Evolved, and Heavenly Hues.

Temari Balls

Temari, originally uploaded by Just Leon.

About 7 years ago, I featured this post on the Japanese craft of temari. Well, it seems as though it's finally catching on and I'm excited. What are temari balls, again? Read a brief synopsis here or read all about it in The Craft of Temari.

Detroit: Large-scale farming projects in the city

Morning in Downtown Detroit

There's talk about large-scale farming projects in Detroit, and I hope it's successful. I traveled to Detroit a couple of summers ago and it was so vacant I could do twenty cartwheels in the street without getting hit. The thing about that city, is that is has so much potential. It still has the bones of a city. It has a light rail system. There are a lot of great buildings there in need of renewal. My visit was short, so all I really saw was hot dogs and casinos, but the people? They were really fantastic and deserve a successful new start. It may take a long time for them to reinvigorate the place, but I hope it happens soon.

AZIZAH MAGAZINE'S 10th Anniversary GALA!

Support our magazine. You can get your tickets or find more information here.

You can check out Azizah's new website at azizahmagazine.com.

Ramadan/Eid Template on Google Docs

As salaamu alaikum, all,

Did you know that you can draw in Google Docs and save those drawings in common image formats such as, JPEG, PNG, GIF and SVG?

Loving to try new things, I worked up a super simple Ramadan/Eid Kit. It is freely available through Google Docs Templates.

The graphics are scalable free to use. Ad them to any documents used within Google Docs. I think they can be downloaded as well, but I'm not sure. The colors and text are customizable. I've also updated the by adding yellow starbursts. These starbursts are info bubbles and can be easily deleted.




Here's the Ramadan/Eid kit:

Simple Ramadan/Eid Kit 32 users 0 ratings Rate It A very simple Ramadan/Eid kit  Preview

Agnostic Jew on the Quran

Movember Desktop Wallpaper Tile!

Movember Desktop Wallpaper Tile!, originally uploaded by Dynamite.

Like the wallpaper? Download, then DONATE as a sign of your support!us.movember.com/mospace/1240306/

Fine moustachery and immaculate grooming doesn't grow on trees. Pls donate to #Movember!

I created this wallpaper to promote the Movember movement and promote awareness regarding cancers affecting men.

Behind every great man, there's a woman raising funds to help fight cancers that might target him

Bring Your A Game - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

From the Bring Your 'A' Game (22mins) video site:

To generate a national conversation on the plight of Black men and boys, the Twenty-First Century Foundation (21CF) has partnered with actor–director Mario Van Peebles and producer Karen Williams to create BRING YOUR A GAME — a groundbreaking documentary film that, in Van Peebles’ words, “sheds light on the resilience and influence of Black males.” BRING YOUR A GAME is a film that will use screenings accompanied by community discussions as a catalyst to transform the lives of urban youth. Using a cinematic style influenced by popular culture and employing innovative technologies, the film detailsstrategies that have improved the lives of Black men and boys. It underscores how essential educational achievement and high school graduation are to survival and success in today’s world.

Interviewees include such Black male icons as Richard “Dick” Parsons, Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Dr. Cornel West, Ice Cube, Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, Lou Gossett Jr., Lupe Fiasco, Hill Harper, Damon Dash, Kevin Powell, Melvin Van Peebles, Geoffrey Canada, Bruce Gordon and former NBA star Alan Houston, among others.

The Magnetism Of The Ka'ba

Iron Fillings by Ahmad Mater

Here are some very beautiful artistic interpretations of the Kaba in this November 2010 issue of Emel magazine. I loved the various ways these artists depicted the same subject. All of them seem to capture some essence of circumambulating the Kaba.

Strafe - Set It Off (Original Club Remix)

One of the best songs, ever!