Without further ado, here are the three inspiring poems we've selected for today…

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My Love Story
By an anonymous submitter

She came into my life, when I needed her the most
When I had lost it all, the trust, the care, emotion.

She taught me that I could trust people again
That I could love and respect once more.

Making me think different to how others would perceive.
When I felt weak, she'd empower me.

Her presence was pleasing and brought peace to my heart
The scenes of the world were colorful now, pure art.

She encouraged me to ask Allāh, and He would give..
So by His Mercy I'd learn patience, and to forgive.

We'd work together and be strong.
Even though our journey was tiresome, and long.

But time moved forward, and situations changed.
The world distracted. The love didn't increase, just conflicted.

“I'm sorry,” I'd say regretfully.
“Repent to Allāh,” she would reply.

But the love wouldn't rise again. Sins would rise. Our relationship began to change…
My heart was greedy, and it wanted more.

The gaze wouldn't lower when passers flaunted
The heart said no, but the desires taunted.

The heart covered itself in dirt of black.
Soon.. she left, and didn't come back…

The regret hurt, and loneliness messed my head.
Couldn't go sleep, couldn't rest.

I covered the pain with sin
Might remove this pain I'm in?

The pain persisted and the desire more
So I increased in rebellion but this feeling wouldnt go..

I had lost myself…
My regret overpowered

I went in search, she was with her protector
Waiting to be found, just waiting for me to come around.

She missed me too
But I couldn't be with her, until I gave her her due.

What is your due, I humbly asked?

“To pray, to obey, and be steadfast
That's the only way our relationship lasts.”

“To be the friend of Allāh, and think of death often.
To humble yourself, and do good action.”

“To prepare for that moment, when we all run away
Except the one who prepared for that Day.”

“So fear Allāh and be committed
To our relationship, so you're admitted…
In the gardens of joy.”

“Don't be the people of hell
the home of destruction, a fire filled cell.”

“Mend your ways now, it's the right thing to do,
Deep down, you know I care for you…”

I listened attentively, understanding.
I was wrong in desiring more.

When she was enough for me, when she gave me joy.
That smile of that kid, who finds his best toy.

The simplicity, the balance, the pact we kept.
That's what we wanted – without regret.

I asked her Protector, who gave her to me, back.
This experience had put me on track.

Except this time I was sure
I didn't need to exceed desires for more.

The experience gave me fresh strength
The true Joy was in being content.

…

We're now together – together till death,
A promise we've, up till now, kept.

I hope it remains this way.
Oh Allāh, don't let us stray.
From your Mercy and pleasure.
Since that's the only way, we'll stay together.

Now you know, this was my love story…
Except, it wasn't what you expected it to be.

This girl, her name was Imaan*.
Except she wasn't a girl, she's my faith – that kept me strong.

Imaan is my joy, my love, and pleasure.
The one I've tried to find – through many – in Haram,
Except this caused the least harm,
The one I still treasure.

* Meaning Faith/trust [i.e. Iman billah (a trust/contract with Allāh/God)

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I am the child
By Manal Wazeer

I am the child that was rudely taken away,

The one whose picture in the newspaper, brought a storm of sadness and dismay

Stories were told, people felt – few wept

Perhaps, my murderer to him no guilt crept

I am the child who soon will become a mere body count

In the numbers that have long been forgotten, to whose account?

Some unlike me , didn't have a picture taken

Nameless, faceless to the world. Never to awaken.

I am the child whose mother's devastated face was lined with tears

As she held me in her hands, bidding good bye for a handful of years

Oh this suffocating pain, so cruelly unjust

Slowly she picks up the pieces of her now broken heart, only in Allāh will she trust

I am the child that defines the word oppression

The one whose now shut eyes , plead to all without discretion

Say a prayer, if you cannot do much

For in your silence, the invisible count just went up a notch

Soon enough, in a time to come – I am the child that will get my justice

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A War of Words
By Jasmine Javid
Silver Pens
Bleeding golden expressions
Thoughts manifest,
Subtle, yet powerful,
Toting abysmal meaning
Akin to these words, I seek to validate my existence
I know I've been chosen for a noble cause
So with this silver pen, my sword, and these thoughts, my steed,
The desolate lands of in cognizance await me

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Since 2003, under British extradition law, you can be arrested by the British Police subject to a US extradition warrant, not told why and put into prison for years on end without charge or trial.  London's Evening Standard newspaper last week reported that home secretary Theresa May, is preparing to reject reviews of this unjust legislature on the grounds that 'concerns about flaws are misplaced' and that changing it would have very little effect.

British lawyers and grass-roots campaigners have been exercising their democratic right to protest about this legislation, yet the government has been slow to respond.

The issue was put under the spotlight recently when over  140,000 people signed a petition calling for Babar Ahmad, a British Muslim who has been imprisoned without charge or trial for eight years, to be allowed a court case.  This led to a House of Commons forum on the wider issue of extradition.   Many cases of abuse under this legislation were discussed and the overwhelming majority of members of parliament spoke out in favour of changes to the current extradition treaty.  Whilst the legislature was put in place to deal with suspected terrorists, not only have people accused of other crimes been subjected to it, but guilt is not established before defendants are shipped off to the United States.

Other such cases include that of Talha Ahsan and Gary Mackinnon who both suffer from forms of Autism and who are awaiting extradition to the US, despite concerns that extradition will jeopardise a fair trial due to their mental health.

Defendants sent across to America may face detention in super-max prisons, where they are kept in solitary confinement for 23 out of 24 hours in the day, are kept under constant surveillance in rooms with metal or concrete furniture and have limited time in which to exercise.  Pre-trial detention can be lengthy and at best affect defendants mood and motivation.  At worst, these conditions have been described as 'torture under international law' by a New York Bar association study.

Following the house of commons debate on 5^th December, the British government has fallen silent and Babar Ahmad's case has remained low profile.  It is up to defenders of justice and freedom, to prevent this issue from being sidelined and maintain pressure on the government to respond as a civilised democracy should.

If government wants its citizens to believe in the power of democracy it needs to respond quickly and fairly and end the suffering of many caught in this unjust legal web.  Every day that the accused languish in prisons without trial adds further to the shame that those in power must be made to feel.

(Note: Muslim Kids Matter is a monthly feature at Muslim Matters. You're welcome to send in your entries to muslimkidsmatter@muslimmatters.org!)

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I've been working on a project for kids to enjoy learning about the Qur'an and Ahadith.

Last Saturday was the first day of the Learning the Deen Class at the Zakat Foundation Community Center for this January/February session. The students from grades 3-5 (and one second-grader) were very attentive and enthusiastic during the class. I was surprised that they could learn the meaning of the ayahs in Surah Fatiha so quickly.

I told the students that their goal should be to get 100 points so that they could get a prize from the Treasure Box.  By memorizing the meanings of the ayahs, Ahadith, completing worksheets, completing Challenge Projects, and other such activities, they can get points. They also each have their own username and password with which they can go to the online website for the Learning the Deen class and can see their grades and points.

The students found the class more interesting and interactive because they could see their lists of weekly homework assignments there and they had fun taking the online quizzes.  The online quizzes were great learning tools for the students and is aimed to help them  study for their tests easily.

Even kids who don't live in Delaware and can't physically attend the class can still participate.  If you're interested in taking this free class, you can email me at nrkose@gmail.com and I'll send you the information as well as the worksheets you will need to participate in the class.  You may also send me your completed homework assignments and I'll grade them for you.

Learning the Deen Class Website:

www.wix.com/nrkose/learningthedeenl

Here is a sample worksheet from the class:

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Using Lessons from Surah Fatiha in Our Daily Lives

Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow:

“Sparkles!” Hafsa exclaimed when she entered her room.  “What did you do?”

Her pet cat purred and jumped up, paws dancing in the air.

“Bad Kitty!” Hafsa shouted when she saw what Sparkles had done.  “You ruined my favorite doll.  You're the worst cat in the whole world!  I don't want to take care of you anymore.”  With that Hafsa picked Sparkles up and put her in the hallway.  She slammed the door shut and locked it even though she knew there was no way Sparkles could open the door.

1.      What did Hafsa do wrong?

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2.      What do you think she should have done instead?

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3.      What ayah or Hadith would you tell Hafsa to explain to her what she did was wrong?

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“Finally!” Hamza exclaimed.  “Thank you so much!”  He excitedly took the wrapped package from his elder brother and ripped off the wrapping paper.  He had been waiting to get this remote control car for so months and his brother had finally saved up enough money to buy it for him.

“Red?!” Hamza groaned.  “I wanted a blue one!”  He threw the remote control box onto the floor and stormed out of the room.

1.      What did Hamza do wrong?

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2.      What do you think he should have done instead?

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3.      What ayah or Hadith would you quote to him to tell him what he did was wrong?

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Khadijah angrily stormed into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.  Why did she always have to say mean things to her little brother and make him cry?  She hadn't meant to say anything but the words just spilled out.

“I hate you Shaytaan!” she exclaimed.  “You always tell me to do bad things.  Why do you tell me to do bad things?  Why can't you just leave me alone?”  She kicked her foot hard against the side of her bed and threw a pillow across the room.

1.      What did Khadijah do wrong?

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2.      What do you think she should have done instead?

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3.      What ayah or Hadith would you quote to her to tell her what she did was wrong?

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I've been having as much fun as the kids in preparing the worksheets, making the website look fun, and teaching them special things about the Qur'an.  I hope lots of other kids will join too, inshā'Allāh.
- Nur

A 32-year old mother is set to become the first woman imprisoned by the French government following its introduction of the niqab ban in April.  Hind Ahmas, courageously flying the flag for women's freedom, was first arrested on 11^th April in Paris.  She refused to pay the £100 fine and abide by the court's sentence that she spend 15 days learning citizenship.  'There is no possibility of me removing the veil,' Ahmas said 'I'm not taking it off. The judge needs citizenship lessons, not me.'

Ahmas was not even allowed into her own trial, due to the veil and now faces up to two years in prison and a £27,000 fine.

She has launched a pressure group 'Do Not Touch my Constitution' along with Kenza Drider a fellow niqabi who is running for president in Spring.

Since France announced its ban in April, Belgium has swiftly followed suit.  Women wearing niqab there, do not face fines, rather automatic seven day prison sentences.  In Italy, the right wing Northern League have resurrected a 1975 law against face coverings resulting in the issuing of fines in the North. The Italian government is currently drafting anti-niqab legislation, as is Denmark and Austria.  The Netherlands and Switzerland are actively pushing for bans and it has been debated although sidelined in Britain.

Whilst the furor over the ban was intense earlier this year, dialogue has since died down.  Muslim bloggers and newspapers were active in their responses and much discussion ensued on forums by email.  A website was created in Britain to better educate the public about the niqab.  Yet the ummah seems to have fallen silent.  Are there no men or women prepared to stand up for the rights of Hind Ahmas?  Must our best hopes rest on the shoulders of Rachid Nekkaz, the French Algerian businessman financially supporting fined women, but who does not actually believe in the need to wear niqab.

Since the ban, Muslim women have been increasingly stigmatised and abused in French society.  An Open Society Foundation report which surveyed 32 French women following the ban, described many cases of verbal and sometimes physical abuse on the street as a direct result of wearing it.  It also definitively concluded that women had freely chosen to wear it, often in opposition to family and friends.

Kenza Drider described her experiences: “I still go out in my car, on foot, to the shops, to collect my kids. I'm insulted about three to four times a day,” she says. Most say, “Go home”; some say, “We'll kill you.” One said: “We'll do to you what we did to the Jews.” In the worst attack, before the law came in, a man tried to run her down in his car.

Not only is freedom to practice religion enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but any violation of those rights is a clear Islamic indication for action, whether that be political participation or making hijrah.

The speed at which bans are spreading across Europe, suggests that unless this tide of discrimination is nipped in the bud, through education and demonstrations, there is a real risk that matters could get out of control.  It is up to the wider Muslim community to unite and organize from now so that we have the ground covered for successive crises.

What started with niqab, may develop into hijab, before eroding the fundamental principles of Islam.  Hijab bans in schools and universities are already in place in Tunisia and Turkey. Quite frankly, it is embarrassing how we have limited Muslim women from making their own choices even in our own backyard.

Luckily Sarkozy's anti-niqab legislation, failed to improve his popularity ratings.  What remains to be seen is whether his little trick will be one of the most successful means to unite what has hitherto been a somewhat divided ummah.

By: Mehmudah Rehman

The still night descended upon a pensive Fatima like a canopy of dark opportunity. She gazed blankly at the glass in front of her. The deep red wine caressed the contours of the glass, its soft bubbles leaving their trace on the goblet. She sighed and licked her lips as she held the glass up, staring into the ruby-red beverage. She brought the cup to her lips, but put it down again, not sipping the wine.

She wanted to get drunk; it was always a good escape. All she wanted was to soar far, far away into a place where she could be happy. Into a place where being the person she was didn't matter.

And what was so bad about this little pleasure anyway? It wasn't like her liver would curl up and die if she got tipsy every now and then. She smelled the wine — ah, how satisfying the smell was! Once again, she brought the glass to her lips only to put it down again, frustrated by her inability to drink.

Alcohol had been a very significant part of her life ever since she met Ali and his friends. The first time she had been drunk was divine, and from then on Fatima indulged herself with sweet ambrosia. Possibly no one but her roommate knew just how much liquor Fatima could consume in one night. But then Fatima stumbled across a YouTube lecture about drinking in Islam.

Not that she cared — she was as far off the path of Islam as a Muslim could be. She remembered praying many years ago alongside her mother, but now Fatima enjoyed herself by doing as she pleased. First there had been Ali, then a couple others, but thankfully, she'd never gotten pregnant. Drugs were crass, but she had tried them as well. Drinking was where Fatima really found her liberty. And yet she was plagued by the lecture that clearly forbid drinking in Islam. She slept with men for crying out loud! Why was drinking such a tempting glass of wine suddenly so difficult?

And then, for the first time in years, Fatima rose from her seat on the couch and purified herself by performing wudu. With every passing moment, she breathed better. With every movement of the water cleansing her body, she felt as though her heart cleansed itself. The wine still sat on the table, enticing her, and unable to take the sight of it any more, Fatima gathered her resolve and poured it down the sink. Peace filled her heart; a different peace than what the drink would have brought her. It was a sort of tranquility that she had never known.

But then she thought of herself and the way the past few years had been. What good was a single isolated incident in the eyes of God? Did it even matter? Looking for answers and assurances, Fatima searched the sayings of Prophet Muhammed (SAW). If she ever needed a sign that God was indeed with her, this was it.

“Allāh says, take one step towards Me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.”

The words were magnanimous, simple yet powerful and suddenly, the tears fell. Fatima had never known how sincere tears of remorse could wash away the grime that encrusted a heart. She realized she had taken one meager step towards Allāh, and, because of that, He, the Almighty had taken ten steps towards her.

Her effort was a drop of goodness in an ocean of darkness and sin, but the most respected Deity had taken ten steps towards her because of it. Tomorrow would be a new day, a new beginning. Who knew where one step in the right direction would lead her? Drunk with a feeling of contentment that she had scarcely ever experienced, Fatima settled into a satisfying slumber.

We have confirmation from the family that Aisha Khan has been found safe in her home city of Overland. Read rest here.

For locals in the Kansas City Area: There will be an organized search effort for Aisha today and we need to mobilize as many people and as soon as possible. Please meet at the Clarion Hotel on 7000 W 108th St (next to the Metcalf 435 overpass) in Overland Park at 1PM.

Though police say all possibilities are being considered in the case of missing Kansas student Aisha Khan, her husband of five months firmly believes she was kidnapped.

“My message to the kidnapper is, let her go,” Waseem Khan told “Good Morning America” today. “You have the power to let her go and I will completely forgive you if you let her go.”

“Aisha, if you are listening to this, we love you a lot and we are doing everything to get you back home safely,” said Waseem Khan.

“I'm just hoping that the bell rings and I'll see her and the phone rings and she'll be right in front of my eyes,” Khan's mother Fouzia Khan said through tears. “That's what I'm dreaming about.”

Read rest here

19-year old college student Aisha Khan has been missing for over 72 hours from the university where she was studying for an exam.

Keep her in your duas.

And please in the US, if any one harasses you or assaults you please call 911 first before you call your family.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A message from the family:

Friends, especially in the Greater Kansas City Area, we kindly and strongly encourage you all to sacrifice your Facebook profile picture for the time being and post up Aisha's missing person's flier.

Keep up with the latest updates at the family's official facebook page. The family is offering a $10,000 award for any information about this case. You can also sign a petition asking for Aishaslaw – making it mandatory that all universities and colleges have proper surveillance in order to protect the students and staff.

Dear kids, your blog post could also be featured on MuslimKidsMatter like the one below! Send in your contribution and inshā'Allāh, it may just be published here! Write to muslimkidsmatter@muslimmatters.org, with your name, age and your article attached.

Lessons Learnt from Surah Yusuf

He said: “No reproach on you this day, may Allâh forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!” (Qurʾān 12:92)

This is what Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) said when his brothers came to Egypt from Can'aan and realized who he was.  After all his brothers did to him, Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) didn't even remind them of all the bad things they did to him.  They threw him in a well to die when he was a little kid just because their father loved him more than he loved them.

Nowadays, it's very difficult to forgive others when they do something bad to you.  I come across this problem all the time with my siblings, especially during our trip in the South. At home, it's relatively easy for me to study in my room.  I have my table, a bright lamp, and privacy so I can fully concentrate.  However, for the past few weeks, whenever I try to study, one or more of siblings come barging into the room and make a lot of noise, not caring if I'm trying to concentrate or not. This really drives me nuts, so much so that I start thinking that I should spell my name N-U-T instead of N-U-R.

But Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) did not get angry at his brothers, even though he had full power.  By this point in his lifetime, he had greater influence than the king and could basically do whatever he wanted.  But he forgave his brothers and didn't even tell them of how much he suffered because of them.

Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) said, 'La tathreeb alaykumul yawm,' which means 'no tathreeb on you today'.  In the Pearls from Surah Yusuf series, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explained that tathreeb means blame, humiliation, reminding someone of the embarrassing things they did.

When my brothers start reminding me of embarrassing things I did in my life, I start thinking of embarrassing things they did before to remind them of.
But Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) didn't even do that.  He could have done anything he wanted with them.  They did something wrong to him when he didn't do anything to them, so he could have paid them back because he was in full power to do anything.  But he didn't and he forgave them. So thinking about that, I realize that Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām)'s brothers did something much worse to him than what my brothers do to me.

I really admire Yusuf ('alayhi'l-salām) and I wonder how he really could forgive his brothers so easily. But a good Muslim, or Muslimah in my case, should always be forgiving, so I will try to forgive my brothers the next time they stomp all over my clean clothes with their muddy shoes in the car and my sisters the next time they wear my only clean socks that I brought with me on our trip.

Now, I just have to hope they don't read this post so they don't try doing the above on purpose just to test me… ;)

This leave Ron Paul as the only candidate in the presidential campaign fighting the bill and generally advocating civil liberties as a rallying point for his campaign. Paul offered another strong argument against the Patriot Act and other expansions of police powers in his last debate. He also noted that the Patriot Act provisions were long advocated before 9-11, which was used as an opportunity to expand police powers. As discussed in a prior column, Obama has destroyed the civil liberties movement in the United States and has convinced many liberals to fight for an Administration that blocked torture prosecutions, expanded warrantless surveillance, continued military tribunals, killed Americans on the sole authority of the President, and other core violations of civil liberties.

The White House is saying that changes to the law made it unnecessary to veto the legislation. That spin is facially ridiculous. The changes were the inclusion of some meaningless rhetoric after key amendments protecting citizens were defeated. The provision merely states that nothing in the provisions could be construed to alter Americans' legal rights. Since the Senate clearly views citizens are not just subject to indefinite detention but even execution without a trial, the change offers nothing but rhetoric to hide the harsh reality. The Administration and Democratic members are in full spin — using language designed to obscure the authority given to the military. The exemption for American citizens from the mandatory detention requirement (section 1032) is the screening language for the next section, 1031, which offers no exemption for American citizens from the authorization to use the military to indefinitely detain people without charge or trial.

At least Senator Lindsey Graham was honest when he said on the Senate floor that “1031, the statement of authority to detain, does apply to American citizens and it designates the world as the battlefield, including the homeland.”

I am not sure which is worse: the loss of core civil liberties or the almost mocking post hoc rationalization for abandoning principle. The Congress and the President have now completed a law that would have horrified the Framers. Indefinite detention of citizens is something that the Framers were intimately familiar with and expressly sought to bar in the Bill of Rights. While the Framers would have likely expected citizens in the streets defending their freedoms, this measure was greeted with a shrug and a yawn by most citizens and reporters. Instead, we are captivated by whether a $10,000 bet by Romney was real or pretend in the last debate.

Even more distressing is the statement from sponsor Senator Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee that “The language which precluded the application of Section 1031 to American citizens was in the bill that we originally approved … and the administration asked us to remove the language which says that U.S. citizens and lawful residents would not be subject to this section.”

Source: Guardian