So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.

-The Art of War by Sun Tzu

In the world of countering violent extremism (CVE), recognizing the actual enemy is as important as not mislabeling people you do not like or agree with.

In the current status quo, mixing theology with political identities, assuming religiosity is the same as radicalization and targeting social conservatives instead of extremists happens frequently.

Let’s consider an analogy below.

Suppose one end of the spectrum is vegans and the other end is cannibals. Everyone is in agreement that the cannibals must be stopped- the “War On Cannibals” must be won. Obvious, right?

Well, the reality is that most people are neither vegan or cannibal. Some eat chicken but not beef, some love hot dogs and peas, others hate carrots. And of course no matter how much someone might love steak or hate salad, they are not tempted to nibble on human flesh.

Let’s face it, all meat-eaters are not on the highway to cannibalism with Hannibal Lecter as their guide.

No one wins when the “War on Cannibals” becomes the “Battle on All Meat-Eaters.” Resources are wasted and potential allies are alienated. We need to recruit the cheeseburger-lovers, not exclude them under the pretext that they are budding Jeffrey Dahmers.

Large conference crowds are the perfect place to be alone. They’re also the best place for hijab-spotting, a relatively unknown activity that involves watching hijab styles and trying to figure out how they were created (and stay in place).

For those of you who don’t know, hijab tying and pinning ranges from being functional to an art form. There are seasonal fashions and trends, and let’s not forget the pins, clips, flowers and brooch accessories.

The basic Plain Jane pinned style scarf is timeless because of it’s simplicity, convenience. Using safety pins to stay in place, it requires no adjustment over the course of a long work day.

There is also the wrapped shawl which is easy enough for anyone; unless the shape of your head prevents it from staying on in which case you use the undercap solution. But let’s face it, who likes to have their ears squished? The real danger of this style is actually the straight pins used to secure it- those things are painful when accidently encountered during a greeting hug.

Caps, babushkas and dupattas are not going away anytime soon either.

If you notice, there is no mention of the Amira one-piecer. If you’re older than 10, not playing a sport and still wearing an Amira you need a hijab intervention. And no, the Kuwaiti Amira is not better.

So what are some of the newer hijab trends? The summer favorite Turkish style is mostly over, except by the Turks of course! The new style in the Americas seems to be the Khaleeji multi-layer, looser wraparound that in extreme cases looks like a blanket attacking your head. Great for Canadian winters no doubt (for warm and toasty ears),  but definitely not a good option in DC in the summer with humidity and 100+F days (your head might melt off your shoulders).

Flowers, brooches and chandelier-earring style pins- dangling anywhere between the ear and the chin- are mostly cute and functional, except when you see them as decoration on niqabs. Don’t do it my niqabi sisters, it’s like hanging a Christmas ornament on a palm tree. Your crazy bright patterned scarves under your niqabs are distracting enough, bling just makes it worse. Why attract attention to yourself when you are trying to avoid it?

The African turbans are beautiful as always and their ability to defy gravity during sajdah and ruku is marvelous.

The worst trend so far is the camel hump hairstyle under the hijab. High pony-tails and buns do not naturally achieve such heights. It is entirely possible however that those larger-than-their-head-bumps are hiding dreadlocks and that unbeknown to all, dreads have suddenly become very fashionable for the young muhajjibah.

No matter what style you choose for your cover, go forth sisters and may the force be with your hijabbing!

In recognition of the upcoming turkey day, I am re-posting this blog post from last year.

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Thanksgiving is that wonderful yearly holiday when American families bond over food and enjoy the typical dysfunction and drama that invariably happens when people related by blood come together.

For immigrants, Thanksgiving is the day when everything is shut down except for Chinese takeout and all their non-immigrant friends are hanging out with family to eat a big bird that they had never seen before they came to these shores. Often coming from cultures where holidays are either celebrations (religious or otherwise) or days of remembrance (e.g. birth or death anniversaries of national heroes) shared with everyone around them, they’ve mostly never come across a national holiday dedicated solely to staying home with family, eating and watching TV.

Over the past few decades American Muslims have evolved their own unique Thanksgiving culture, replete with tandoori turkey, pumpkin pie, baklava, friends, open houses and Thanksgiving-hopping.

A simple fact in life is that if you don’t have family around you, you simply create your own “family” through networks of friends. They help you, take care of you, join you at moments of joy and sorrow, and come over for turkey in November. Since everyone wants to play host it means there are LOTS of invitations and as you cannot offend anyone, you accept them all. And thus is borne the tradition of Thanksgiving-hopping.

Similar to the way Eid is celebrated where families spend the day visiting elders and friends and eating dessert at every home, Thanksgiving is when you go to several homes sampling turkey and pie before you depart to your next destination.

At the end of the day you have eaten more food than you thought it was humanly possible to consume, spent time with people whom you love even though they irritate the heck out of you and you fall asleep clutching your bottle of Tums. Only to wake up early the next morning for prayers, and because at least one woman in your life wants to make it for the early-bird sales special at the mall.

My last post was at the beginning of the Bahraini protests. Much has transpired since then, namely the conversion of the protests from reform to demanding the removal of the rulers, and the subsequent suppression of the protests through the violent use of force. Saudi troops/tanks/humvees have rolled into Manama and “taken care of matters.” People have been killed (protestors and expats who got caught in the cross-hairs of rage); the Pearl Monument (where the protestors collected) is reported to have been destroyed; a state of emergency has been declared for the next three months.

The truth of the oppression of the Shia population can no longer be denied or ignored by those who want to unequivocally support the Sunni rulers. What makes for even more messy global politics is that Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is not considered a lunatic, unlike the Libyan Gaddafi!  2011 will be the year when the State Department’s Human Rights Report will need major rewrites and careful editing!

For those of you who never saw it, and for those of you who support the protestors, a photo of the monument is attached. This picture was taken in 2008.

While the protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Libya and Iran are not a surprise, the ones in Bahrain definitely are. Not because the population is not unhappy, (the majority shia are extremely oppressed by the minority sunni ruling class), but because in this constitutional monarchy bordering Saudi Arabia, it is rare that they were not squashed on Day 1. When the current ruler came to power some years ago, he introduced some reforms; however the old guard (his uncles etc) have been extremely resistant to change. As in most cases, it is unfortunately only a matter of time before the new guard becomes the old guard, and reform for the oppressed masses is forgotten.

What distinguishes protests in Bahrain from protests in countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen is the legitimacy of the ruler. In the latter countries, the people are/were demanding that their rightful constitution be restored, and the rulers who had usurped power for decades be removed. In Bahrain, the legality of the form of governance (constitutional monarchy) is not in dispute, the issue is reform for the people. One other wrinkle in this mess is that neighboring salafi/wahabi Saudi Arabia will not be “open” to having a strong Shia influence in Bahraini politics.

The army is already rolling into Pearl Square on day 3 of protests- let’s see which way the wind will blow for this small island country.

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

To end this 18 picture series, I leave you with photos of the loudly chirping sparrows, (called asfoor because of the “seeo seeo” sounds they make), that greet you every morning in Cairo. There are not as many pigeons around probably because pigeons are eaten as a Cairene delicacy. But sparrows are everywhere, managing to survive with very little, and always cheerful the next morning; similar to the people of this ancient land.

And yes, the trees they live on are covered with some really BIG thorns!

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In Cairo, the City of 1000 Minarets,  every old street seems to have not one but two or three mosques, many times just opposite each other. The story goes that everyone rich wanted to build a mosque, and prove themselves by outdoing their neighbors mosque! Needless to say, there are HUNDREDS of mosques in Cairo that are meant for seeing, but they are unfortunately not very well utilized or maintained. It is tempting to follow the UN 1000 Minaret Heritage trail but there is really not enough time to cover it all unless you are in inhabitant of the city!

Ibn Tulun Mosque is a 9th century mosque in Cairo, known for it’s spiral minaret that features an external staircase (rather than inside the column). The view from the top of the minaret is wonderful, and you notice what Cairo is really like, not just the shiny, glossy version that is visible in travel brochures!

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Alexandria is a city on the Mediterranean coast for tourists and middle class Egyptians (the richer ones go to other resort towns!). Famous for its library (the new one is rather high tech), extremely busy (and littered!) beaches, picturesque Corniche, Roman ruins, the beautiful al-Mursi Mosque, citadel and palaces, the pace of the city is definitely slower than Cairo. You have no choice but to stop at cafés along the boardwalk to nibble on fatir (local stuffed “pizza” ), sip drinks and watch people go by. Transportation options include trains, microbuses, streetcars, taxis, buses and horse drawn buggies. The photo is of the Citadel seen from across the Corniche.

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In the city of a 1000 mosques, the Sultan Mosque is definitely one of the highlights. Built in the 14th century, its history is tragic (building accidents, assassinations etc) however the space itself is compelling. Entering through enormous doors you weave your way through winding passages to the core. Along the way you will come across old men sitting and chatting with their friends, and discover unexpected wind and light towers as you turn corners. When you finally arrive at the center, you are treated to an enormous courtyard with an ablution fountain in the middle, and four caverns (iwans) around it. Each of these were built for students from the four main sunni schools of thought. The hundreds of lanterns are old and chipped but the place has an amazing sense of calm as you find a corner for yourself in one of the iwans. There are graves and other prayers areas behind each of the caverns. The photo is of the courtyard.

In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Cairo and Egypt are known for the famous Al-Azhar University, founded in the 10th century for religious scholarship. Even with the decline in both buildings and the quality of education, the name has instant recognition around the Muslims world as being a university that teaches orthodox Islam. We had met with Sh Tantawi when we visited, however I forgot to take my camera and have no photos of the inside of the main campus. The library was quite interesting.