Sex and the city 2 vs. hijabies in the city

So I watched Sex and the City 2 and wow do I have some mixed feelings about it.

First of all it's filled with stereotypes. Rich Arabs in "Abu Dhabi," dubbed the "new middle-east" which equals to "modernized." So the four ladies go to Abu Dhabi and stay at this super luxurious hotel with fancy shmancy butlers and food. The ladies are awed by the females who are at the hotel, wearing 'niqwab' which is actually supposed to be 'niqab.' I mean if you're going to make a film in an Arab country (the filmed was set in Morocco by the way) then at least get the Arabic words right.

Anyway, so they think it's funny how the niqwab-ed ladies eat french fries and poke some fun at them as well as the female swimmers in burkini's (a head to toe swimmin suit). At that same scene, however, they were talking about how pretty a girl's abaya was because of it's embroidery and this was popular among young liberal females.

Fast forward to dull, unoriginal boring scenes, (and a couple of Samanatha's disturbing scenes which I thought gave American ladies a bad image --i.e. think sexual desires at 52) and in the end you see some niqwab-ed ladies take off their head covering and abayas and are dressed in sexy stylish clothing and look hot.

Anyway, the movie emphasized that in Abu Dhabi (or any Muslim country), people dressed modestly and mixing and touching of the opposite sex is illegal (Samantha got arrested for what she was doing on the beach).

At times it portrayed Arab men as controllers, but it also showed that American men the same way as the lawyer lady (I forgot her name) kept being silenced by her male colleagues). So treatment of women was an issue in the movie, that both American, Arab, Muslim, non-Muslim females can be treated negatively and unfairly.

However, most of the strict scenes that happened in the movie, is most likely not true in a country as liberal and diverse and UAE. I mean if this movie took place in Saudi Arabia, then I'd understand.

Now, for any non-muslim who sees the movie and wonders if arab women are really like that, I'll leave you with a question. Are all american women like samantha?

It was also a bit awkward to walk out of the movie theatre after the movie was done with my friends (being all hijabi's and the movie had a bunch of stereotypes). But we wore stylish clothes, handbags, sunglasses, and walked out in confidence with our hijabs on proudly and out into the city -- Hijabies in the city.


Here's an article that critics the movie:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/25/sex-and-the-city-2-review_n_589155.html

Bear hugs: spreading the love, one cartoon at a time

It's May 20, "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day."

If I had to leave every or page on Facebook except for one, it would be the "It's not that serious" page.

So you've probably heard about South Park controversy where South park depicted Prophet Muhammad as a bear. South Park then censored the episode after the creators were threatened by some guy who claims he's a Muslim and thinks he's tough, apparently.

I found the cartoon offensive. Other Muslims had found the cartoon offensive. But it's South Park. Doesn't the show poke fun at everything and everyone? Including Jesus and Moses. So why didn't Mr. Chester (of Revolution Muslim Website who posted the warning), say something a long time ago when they were being made fun of? All prophets are created equally and we should respect all. People watch South Park because of its satirical, profane humor. It's just a cartoon, therefore it's not that serious to threaten people's lives.

But Mr. Chester took it personally and threatened to kill the creators of South Park, which the media loved and made a big deal out of anything relating to such "Muslims are evils, see I told you" type of news stories because that's what people want to watch and read about.

So, on behalf of bunch of other Muslims who were flabbergasted at what Mr. Chester had said, let me clarify a couple of things. Be warned: the media might not like what I may have to say and maybe even ignore it.

A Jewish woman once brought a lamb that was poisoned to the Prophet Muhammad and he ate it. Afterward, people suggested they kill the woman. But the Prophet refused, although he felt the effects of the poison for years. The Prophet was a forgiving person. In another story, Prophet Muhammad had stones thrown at him by the people of Al-Taif. He bled from head to toe. He could have then asked cursed the people or punish them, but no. He prayed for them. In another example, Prophet Muhammad had sheep intestines thrown at him while he was prostrating in prayer, and he just prayed for justice.

See? It was all not that serious to the Prophet Muhammad. Did he threaten to kill anyone who harmed him? His acts were peaceful, just like a Muslim's acts should be. Just like any human being's acts should be. And if you did find the cartoon offensive because our beloved Prophet was mocked, then express your feelings in other ways. Blog about it. Create dialogue with others. Write a letter to the editor. Send the creators a message telling them it was offensive to you and other Muslims. But it will still go on. People will make fun of prophets and have been making fun of prophets and religion for a long period of time. There are other ways to let the anger out. In a peaceful way.

Prophet Muhammad would give a bear hug (no pun intended) to his enemies if he could, because he was so merciful and just.

As for the Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" on May 20, it's your freedom to draw whatever you wish, if it makes you feel good about yourselves. However, Muslims will not threaten to kill you. We will just invite you to read about who Prophet Muhammad really was.

So on a final note to Mr. Chester, South Park Creators, creators of the Facebook group, and the media: I'll quote the Joker: "Why so serious?"

Because it's not that serious. It's just a cartoon, get over it. Now let's just give each other bear hugs and spread love and peace throughout the world! And draw non-offensive cartoon, as well.

What are your opinions and thoughts?

Sorry it's been a while: updates, hummus, MISS USA, immigration laws!

I apologize for not keeping up to date on my blog. I don't think anyone reads this, but one day maybe someone will! Anyway some updates on things that happned the past couple of weeks:

Saudi Woman beats up virtue cop <--- sweet!

Elvis Costello cancels Israel Concerts <-- even more sweet!

Muslim designers mix the hijab with latest fashions <--- i like hijabi fashion

CAIR Video: Fla. Mosque Attack Called Terrorism, Reward Offered <--- not sweet

Arizona Ethnic Studies Classes Banned, Teachers With Accents Can No Longer Teach English <--- pathetic along with the new illegal immigration law

Congratulations America, a Muslim is Miss USA 2010 <--- seriously the most ironic thing ever. someone representing america is 'muslim and arab' hahaha. bahaha. oh and dont forget since president obama is "muslim" also, and wasn't even born in the "u.s." we have two people represeting the usa who are muslims. be. afraid. be. very. afraid. they. are. taking. over.

and the best for last (dedicated to this blog)
Biggest Serving of Hummus ever made

Muslims and movies

I love seeing Muslims and/or Arabs in the film industry. Here are some films that have come out or will soon. Both look interesting:

1- Shahada: Film explores Muslims struggling with life in West Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_8O5RWiJfQ

2- My Name Is Khan:

Not in the mainstream media: Arab-American sworn into Lackawanna office

Arab-American sworn into Lackawanna office

Well, this is good.

Arab-American sworn into Lackawanna office
By Dale Anderson
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: January 05, 2010, 10:13 pm / 19 comments
Published: January 04, 2010, 6:36 am

It was proud day Sunday for Abdulsalam Noman.

Before a crowd of about 200 family members and friends from Lackawanna’s Yemenite community, the incoming First Ward Council member took the oath of office on his father’s copy of the Quran and became the city’s first Arab-American elected government official.

He’s also the first Arab-American elected to public office in New York State and only the second in the nation. The first was in Michigan.

Lackawanna, which counts 4,000 Yemenites among its 18,000 population, also has elected two Arab- American School Board members, one of whom currently serves on the board.

All of Noman’s five brothers, including the one from Michigan, and three sisters attended the ceremony in Curly’s Banquet Facility on Ridge Road. Lackawanna City Judge Frederic Marrano swore in Noman.

Missing were only his uncle in Arizona, who wasn’t feeling well enough to make the trip, and his father, Kassim, who died in November, two weeks after Noman was elected.

“I’m proud to be an American citizen,” the new Council member said Sunday.

Noman came to Lackawanna from Yemen in 1975 with his mother and one of his sisters, two years after his father emigrated. They followed his uncle, who came to work in the steel plant in the 1950s, and another sister. The other brothers and sister came later.

He graduated from Lackawanna High School and earned a history degree at the University at Buffalo in 1986. Now the father of four, he has been a teacher’s aide and Arabic translator for the Lackawanna City School District, and the high school soccer coach, a job not nearly as bruising as the campaign for the First Ward Council seat.

“It was a tough election,” he said Sunday night. “There were four running in the primary and three candidates in November. It helped that the endorsed Democrat [Joseph Jerge, whom he defeated in the primary] threw his support behind me.”

Among his hopes as a Council member is to add more diversity to the city’s work force, which currently has only two Arab-Americans.

As for the troubles in his native land, he said he’ll be glad to see the United States send military aid to the Yemenite government.

“What’s going on over there is unacceptable,” he said. “I’d like to see the United States root it out. I support President Obama 100 percent.”

Stuff Arab Americans like.

please feel free to add more to the list: (note, some specifically apply to females. another note: don't get offended, laugh it off, even if you don't think it's true, some others might.)

1-Dressing up on Eid day. And I mean totally dressing up as in high heels, ties, suits, etc.
2- Saying Wallah way too many times.
3- Playing loud music in car.
4- Obsession with expensive make up.
5-Asking for discounts at stores.
6- Cars.
7- Pita bread.
8- Acting/speaking "ghetto."
9- Saying 'ya3ni' in the middle of English words.
10- Saying habeebti to girls you barely speak to.
11- Updating facebook statuses or writing on other people's walls in Arabic so your English speaking American friends will not understand.
12- Saying "FOB' or "Boater"
13- Laugh at other people's accents.
14- Engineering.
15- If you're a doctor, you're just better.
16- Nicknames like lele and lulu and susu
17- Arabs in the media.
18- Facebook.
19- Hookah. And bragging to your fellow American friends about all the diff. flavors.
20- Equality
21- Unity
22- Giving back