My thoughts on 2012:

Author’s note:
In light of all of the anxiety surrounding 2012, with all of the Sci-Fi movies that have come out, all of the documentaries, and Nostradamus-type prophecies about the end of the world, begin in the year 2012, I’ve decided to put everyone’s heart at ease, by reminding all of us that Allah, the Creator of the Universe is in-charge of the happenings of the Universe, both positive & negative. So, whatever will happen is unstoppable anyway. We are, however, personally responsible to Him, to be the best people possible, and to care for ourselves, one another, and the Earth as much as we’re able to.

I’m not worried about 2012:

I’m not worried about things coming to an end, or the Earth’s ice-caps drastically melting away.
When it comes to what this year will bring, Allah is the Lord of the Universe, He’ll save the day.

There is no way that any of us can tell how this new year will unfold.
To assume that we have all the answers makes us arrogant and bold.

We have know idea what’s in store for us in the future.

To ponder upon this is fruitless, we only need to concentrate on doing our very best.
The problem is most of us use the unknown as a lame excuse to be just like the rest.

What will happen won’t be in our control anyway; so, why worry?
It’s like we race towards death and destruction; what is the hurry?

When death does come, we’ll wish that we didn’t waste time.

Let us concentrate on what we do now, with whatever time that we have left.
We only need to work towards a better tomorrow; this is our only safety-net.

Whatever 2012 will bring is Allah’s test, to see what we will do, whether we will turn to Him for refuge.
Only He can protect us from whatever calamities that may occur; as long as He’s with us, we can’t lose.

Reliance upon Allah’s promise is a must.

Allah promises glad-tidings to any & all who believe and do good.
We are to trust in Him completely, as servants of our Lord should.

None of us know what will happen tomorrow.

Gareth Bryant/2011

My thoughts on the Egyptian military:

Author’s note:
This article has been written in light of the recent gruesome & shameful beating of several persons in Egypt, particularly one woman, who was not only beaten, but shamefully stripped publicly of her traditional Islamic-dress, exposing her private parts-The sad & horrible irony is that the ones who did this are Muslims, in a Muslims country. This is simply ridiculous!!! May Allah help the Muslims, because we are truly pitiful, Amen!!!

It’s bad enough that the history of modern Egyptian politics has been dominated by corrupt politicians. But, now, even the military are showing their true colors, of not having any regard for the sanctity of Human dignity. And, because they have the guns & martial authority, their oppression is left unchecked. Earlier in December, people were being beaten in the streets, which has not been unusual lately, unfortunately. But, then, someone caught on film, a very heinous beating & stripping of a woman in public, in broad daylight, by the same individuals who are supposed to ensure the safety of the people, not to use their authority to continue the legacy of tyranny that most Egyptians would die along with the power of Mubarak.

Truly, this is a very sad reality-The military has in fact not only continued where Mubarak left off, but they’re even more outlandish, as a result of the fact that there’s no governmental structure or bureaucracy which is holding people accountable. At present, the only personnel at the helm of the Egyptian government are the same military generals, whom are from the Mubarak old-guard, whom are also loyal to their troops & they to them. So, based upon these realities, it’s very safe to assume that nothing is going to be significantly done to see that due justice is served for the unnecessary violence unleashed against the recent victims of humiliation & brutality by the Egyptian military.

Of course, the international-community has had something to say about this. But, how can they put a stop to the abuses of a military that’s in control of a country which receives the most international U.S. foreign-aid in the world, with the exception of Israel? The irony, is that U.S.-aid has not been cut-off. Even while Mubarak was still in power, in spite of all of the known atrocities that he had personally co-signed, those foreign-aid checks kept rolling in.

This is something serious to think about. But, now, back to the military of Egypt. It’s very clear that the Egyptian military is being given a free-hand paint the town red, with the blood of their own people, quite literally, by the way. If the U.N. & U.S. really wanted to, they could’ve easily done the same thing that they’ve just finish doing in Libya, incite open rebellion & bomb the hell out of  this country. Why hasn’t that been done?!!!


It’s very obvious to me that the atrocities committed against Egypt’s people are deliberately being tolerated & accepted by the international community, to consolidate support & good-relations with the largest military in the Arab-World, to keep them at bay & prevent a revisit to the Egyptian-inspired Arab-Israeli conflicts/wars of the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. And, because Egypt’s military is so massive, compared to the Israeli military, any incitement of a military still spells significant problems for both Israel as a nation & the U.S., which uses Israel, as a pitbull, against the keep the spaded & neutered Arab fat-cat rulers of the Middle-East in-check/under pressure.

However, the Egyptian military is not nearly as passive as the militaries of most of their regional neighbors. So, in light of that, in order to keep Israel safe & ensure that the level of stability that the U.S. & international-community requires is maintained, Egypt’s regime-indoctrinated military will continue to practice iron-curtain tactics, that are remnants of the Soviet Union’s iron fist, which America & her allies, past & present, have continually claimed to despise greatly, unless/until America decides that they want to invade, which I can clearly see Egypt being invaded by the U.S., depending upon who the Egyptian military decides to give governmental/bureaucratic allegiance to.

#I’m just tellin’ the truth!!!

My thoughts on Aisha Khan (Part II):

This poem is in celebration of the confirmation of Aisha Khan, a student of Johnson County Community College, in Kansas, being found alive as well as unharmed in any way:

Welcome home, Aisha!!!

You’re back, and we’re glad that you’re safe & sound.
I’m happy that you’ve finally been discovered & found.
You had us so worried about you; but, now our hearts are at ease.
There’s a sense of content at your return, now we can have peace.

You’re very special to us, all though we don’t even know you.
Our love for your safety & concern for your well-being is true.

You’ve returned to your family & we’re glad that you’re back in their arms.
We are happy that Allah has chosen to protect you from any and all harms.

We were hoping only for you to just be okay, waiting for news about you day-by-day.
We were so anxious about you being gone, sad, afraid of the fact that you were away.

It’s good a joyous occasion that your safe and sound.
It’s a true blessing from Allah that you’ve been found.

Gareth Bryant/2011

My thoughts on Aisha Khan:

Author's note:
This poem is in commemoration of Aisha Khan, a student at Johnson County Community College, in Kansas, who has been missing since December 16th, 2011. It is my sincere hope that this poem will raise awareness about her & will also encourage anyone & everyone with any type of information about her to come forward & cooperate with the proper authorities working on finding her.

Aisha Khan:

I don’t even know you; yet, I love you.
You’re my Muslim sister; although we don’t have the same parents, we’re siblings in faith.
The bond that you & I share is like so spectacular, it’s divinely inspired, and it’s just great.

I don’t even know you; yet I miss you.
The fact that you’re distant from me hurts.
Knowing that you’re missing is the worst.

I don’t even know you; yet, I want you to come home.
Please, come back to your family & those who’ve expressed love & care.
Please, come back to us; we are concerned about you & we’re in despair.

I don’t even know you; yet, I’m hurt that you’re gone.
It happened so suddenly & without any warning.
I keep thinking that you’ll be back in the morning.

I don’t even know you; yet, I feel empty not knowing your whereabouts.
Not knowing where you are or how you are doing is very unbearable.
The reality of you not being around is just simply incredible & stressful.

May Allah protect you & bring you back to us safe & sound where you belong, Amen!!!

Gareth Bryant/2011

My thoughts on Kim Jong-il & the future of North Korea:

The recent death of one of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century has been confirmed. Kim Jong-il, the 40-year iron-hand ruler of North Korea has left a legacy of criticism which will long out last most of our lifetimes. He has been often ridiculed as being one of the leaders of the "Axis of Evil", he's been the brunt of many entertainment political spoofs on both T.V. & in movies.

However, when you look at this man's life in context, you can somewhat appreciate his drive to be the sole influence of his nation, ruling by his own rules, something that most world-leaders have not been able to do, nor had the balls to even attempt to do within the last century. Even though North Korea's greatest political and financial ally, China, had very frequently tried to place its reins upon Kim's administration, for "rockin'-the-boat" sort-of-speak on the international stage, pertaining to Kim's insatiable quest for an established nuclear arsenal, you must admit, he's nobody's puppet. The aid that China has & is still currently giving North Korea has in no way convinced North Korea to back down from its staunch position to acquire nuclear equal-footing with other nuclear-nations.

He definitely knew how to play the great-game, and he always came out as a winner. As far back as the Clinton years, Kim was a master political chess-player, buying time to stall & manipulate diplomatic visits from the U.S. in particular, with concerns about his provocative nuclear weapons programs, which would obviously translate as trouble for the rest of America's Asian interests & allies.

Even when Bush, Jr. was in office as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S., he managed to play with the Bush administration like a Tonka toy. In light of the recently-ended Iraq-War, Kim used this opportunity to go to the highest gear & stepped on the gas, to intensify the pursuit of nuclear establishment, with virually no definitive international opposition, other than trade & aid sanctions, which did not hurt Kim but rather the people of North Korea.

Even at the brink of his nation being starved-out, as a result of famines, financial-failure, as a result of no economic-growth, and the whole world demonizing him & his policies, Kim still managed to come out on-top, with his nuclear program in-tact, along with six confirmed nuclear war-heads, and still, the fifth largest military in the world, at 1 Million strong to-boot.

The death of Kim has placed a lot of suspicions in the air, as to whether North Korea can still sustain itself, without it's most dynamic, powerful leader to date. Kim's son, Kim Jong-un is the most likely to take the reins of leadership. However, even so, does his son, if he were to succeed him, have what it takes to withstand the onslaught of political & economic isolation, along with constant fear of potential attack both militarily by his Asian neighbors and/or international opponents? none of this is known to us.

All & all, Kim Jong-il was, in fact, a political giant-For better or worse, love him or hate him, he was a dominant presence as well as a prolific figure in the modern-politics of our times.

Help me help others!!!

Salam!!!

I'm a part of a team of Muslims, who are working to get donations to help build water-well projects all around the world. Just to let you guys know, 1/7 of the current Human population (basically 1Billion people) are dying, about to die, and just wasting away, only because they don't have access to clean-water, to drink & wash with.

We all have the ability to do something substantial about this. We have an established donation page, with a very reputable non-profit organization, by the name of Charity Water. They have been collecting money & building water-wells in countries all over the planet for the past 4 or 5 years now. We have a donation-page on their landing-page.

Here's where you can donate online, as well as learn more about what we've been doing & our current progress:

http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=21496

Help us help others!!!

Please, donate whatever you can, if not, then try to encourage others to donate to this most noble cause!!!

Thank you very much in advance

My thoughts on the official end to the War in Iraq:

Considering the brand-new announcement about the final segment of U.S. Military servicemen leaving the now further-ruined state of Iraq, let's look at just some of the results of this most unnecessary, deceptive & politically-driven military endeavor over the past seven years:

These are but some of several estimated casualties of the War in Iraq (2002-2011):

American tax-payers money spent/wasted: $1 Trillion

Iraqi civilians killed: 600,000

Iraqi Military & Police servicemen killed: 10,125

Iraqi "Insurgents" killed: 55,000

U.S. Military personnel killed: 4,486

U.S./Non-U.S. contractors & civilian-workers killed: 572

U.S./Non-U.S. journalism personnel killed: 150

Non-U.S. Military personnel killed: 316

WMD's (Weapons of Mass-Destruction) founded: 0

I think that I've made my general point quite clear by this point.

#I'm just sharin'!!!

My thoughts on Lowe's boycotting the TLC show "American Muslim":

What I have to say can pretty much be summed up with the following personal statement:

Dear Lowe's:

Y'all Niggas is mad wack for boycotting the TLC show "American Muslim" like that!!!!

That's some bullshit, period & I hope y'all Niggas go bankrupt for this, seriously!!!

#I'm just ventin'!!!

My thoughts on the economic meltdown in Europe:

It's very obvious that historically, as well as contemporarily, that if/whenever you have a globalized economy based upon the pathological acquisition of wealth, at the expense of having others perpetually financially destitute as well as having a populace of work-horses, like the middle/working-class, for example, who are used to be the engine of that economy, then that economy is bound to fail & collapse.

Now, referring to the financial meltdown in Europe, with the recent failing of the Euro, one needs to critically look back, historically as well as contemporarily, how does a financial-system fail. One of the easiest ways for a financial-system to fail is the unnecessary imposition of an interest-based economy, which wraps people up in unnecessary perpetual debt, this affects both individuals & nations alike-The accumulation of debt will rot any economy, just as dampness will rot wood.

Not that the American economy is doing any better, I mean honestly, the same reason that the Euro has been broken is the same reason that the U.S. economy has been plagued by the threat of collapse. And, the interest-based economy is in fact the main culprit. This is simply because you can only bleed people dry but for so long. Like for example, the whole Real-Estate collapse in the U.S. basically started as a direct result of American homeowners not being able to keep up with mortgage-payments that had tons of interests-rates attached to them.

Millions of Americans were thus forced to foreclose on their own homes because they just couldn’t afford the unjust interest rates imposed upon them from the Banking industry. But, of course, it was the financial institutions are the ones who received the Federal-bailouts, instead of the more deserving U.S. citizens, who were being jerked around & were economically left for dead. Now, let’s head back to Europe.

There are three main reason why in fact the Euro has not lived up to the projected expectations of the European Union:

1. Lack of economic growth, as a result of a weak job-market, as a result of lack of domestic industrial production.

2. The lack of governmental-confidence in European democracy, as a result of notorious political corruption from conservatives & leftists.

3. The European Union being dominated by a handful of powerful European nations, while marginalizing European countries with weaker governments and/or weaker economies, prior to even joining the European Union.

All of these factors, combined, have made the possibility of a utopian European political & economical network unravel right in front of their eyes. The irony is that the warning-signs were crystal-clear, yet no one wanted to take heed to the painfully obvious damage that was being caused by the lack of regulation of the crumbling value of the Euro. Can Democracy & the Euro survive? Well, we’ll just have to see whether the European Union is gonna actually work to strengthen their united governmental ideology & currency, or just pretend like nothing is wrong, and just put their heads in the sand.

#I’m just sayin’!!!

I've been nominated for the 40under40 hosted by Modest Beautiful Muslima Magazine!!!

Modest Beautiful Muslima Magazine is currently nominating Muslims from around the Globe, under the age of forty, whom have been beacons of light & of immense benefit to their respective communities, whether in the capacities of leadership, activism, writing, blogging, community-service, etc. I've been fortunate enough to have been nominee, and would appreciate all of you to nominate me as well. 


To nominate me, please go to the following link:


http://mbmuslima.com/index.html/40-under-40-nomination-form