Muslim

The Psyche of a gay Muslim By Bashir Al-hamim for my friend

I first saw him and was struck by his soulful eyes, he a round melancholy face
He wore an 80’s porn star style moustache back in the 50’s
He was the silent type never talking always observing the world
He was a fierce man of passion; we loved but never committed the act of love with me
He was afraid he’d burn in hell for being true to himself
He was drinking Coco in Paris when I first saw him, ahh those round brown lips
I think back to that moment and repeat to myself on how beautiful he was
Once a year for forty years we met in this small musty smelling café and loved
He was a poet of sorts a fellow truly never at home in this world
For years we always stayed in a damp cold hotel, for years I begged him to hold me for years he refused, but he did love me thou he never spoke the words
When we first met he was a chain smoking fool with suicidal thoughts

As-salaamu alaykum

I had completely forgotten I use to post here. My life on the Net waned and died, focusing on little else but Second Life. It was a demise reflecting the fact I was suffering from severe Vitamin D defficiency, unbeknown to me, for which I was self-medicating with codeine, until I eventually became addicted. Last Summer, I went cold turkey, had lots of tests, got a medical diagnosis (instead of being dismissed as a looney), plus we finally got help looking after my disabled son. Nine months on, and I am beginning to feel human again. The world is drifting back into focus.

On this essay…

Over the last couple of weeks or so, I’ve seen a ton of comments hit the site about Ismailism - far more than on just about any topic I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched with some amusement and some bemusement as snark, agitprop, polemic and vitriol seemed to mingle in equal parts with reasoned debate, common sense, rational inquiry and honest questions.

There are more than a hundred comments on the initial blog posting about Ismailism by the user named ‘Haris’ and I’ll honestly admit I’ve not read each one in detail. So, in all honesty, this particular blog entry of mine may not be a full and complete summation of every argument made in that comment chain. It’s not intended to, either. It is, however, intended to make a few points about my faith that are as much about self-examination as they are about my thoughts on the legitimacy of any sect within Islam and the legitimacy of the followers of that sect as Muslims.

From Rep. Ellison's website:

He has just been named a Vice-Chair of the newly-formed Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. For someone like Keith, who has spent his entire adult life fighting for human and civil rights, helping to kick-off the LGBT Equality Caucus was an especially proud moment.

I saw a wonderful movie about two women who lost their husbands. One was a Muslim and the other a Hindu. A breath of fresh air, this movie shows how free a Muslim woman can be and how oppressed a Hindu one can be. The movie has English subtitles and is in urdu/hindi language. I don't want to tell you more b/c it might ruin some of the surprises. The title is Dor.

CALL FOR STORIES

Announcing a call for non-fiction, personal stories by American Muslim women on courtship and/or dating to be published in an anthology.

We are looking for talented writers to pitch well-written, surprising and compelling anecdotes for a book on loving and looking for love while Muslim.

Please bear with me.  I'll probably complain my first few blogs because I have had little place to vent my frustrations to more than myself or the proverbial blank wall.  Sometimes my husband will be on the receiving end, but his ability to change my complaining voice into a lulling melody to which he can fall asleep does not move me towards resolution.

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

I have posted a true story of my Out of Body experience on the Darvish blog. To those interested, here is a link:
http://darvish.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/my-out-of-body-experience-a-true...

Ya Haqq,

Irving

Recently, I received an email from a frequent poster on one of the Muslim listervs I quietly follow. It appeared to be a short article, perhaps one he had posted elsewhere, but he had sent it to me annotated with the subtitle, ‘My advice to Muslims.’  The advice was more or less summed up in the principle title: It Is Not Enough To Be Good; One Must Also Show The Right Path To Others Who Might Otherwise Do Evil.

It began with a series of arguments which then led to the following observation:

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

RAMADAN KAREEM! - Below are 30 Daily Ramadan Prayers (Duas) that will, inshallah, make the fast easier, enlighten the mind, and ennoble the heart.

Ramadan Dua: DAY 1

ALLAH, on this day make my fasts the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my standing up in prayer of those who stand up in prayer (obediently), awaken me in it from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive me my sins , O God of the worlds, and forgive me, O one who forgives the sinners.

Ramadan Dua: DAY 2