Gareth Bryant's Pageviews

Monday, June 4, 2012

Donate & support my particiaption in this year's AFSP: Out of the Darkness Overnight Suicide Walk!!!

Salam/Hello!!!

I’m going to be participating in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Overnight Anti-Suicide Walk again, in the San Fransisco Bay Area, on the 9th. & 10th. of June, 2012. It would be great if you all could join me in this walk. But, if you’re not able to, at least donate online to my profile donation page, or tell others about this event. Suicide is a very serious issue that is a growing problem in the U.S., especially among our youth. Please, support me, in my efforts, to promote Suicide-Awareness & Suicide-Prevention. I’m trying to use my participation in this walk as a platform, to promote activism within my respective Muslim-Community, because unfortunately, Muslims are not given a lot of press, when we do partake in noble causes such as this one. Rather, we’re almost always portrayed negatively in the media. So, basically, it’s my intention to be a representative of the Muslim-Community at this walk, but I need help to raise as much money as I possibly can between now & June.

This is the link where you can go to to register for the walk with me and/or donate:

http://www.theovernight.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=501&participantID=5925

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My thoughts on Hate-Crimes!!!

When are we as a people going to stop hurting & killing one another, for things that we've not done wrong?!!! When are we going to stop hurting one another, over things which we have no control over?!!! Why must a person be oppressed, just because of the color of their skin, the family they born into, what ethnic group they belong to, or the part of the world that they come from? Have we really become that savage & barbaric, that we have to treat one another like we're predator & prey, in the animal-kingdom? Have we really devalued the preciousness of the Humanity of others, to this great extent, that they don't even have the right to live, because of genetic features that Allah has chosen to create them with, without their consent?!!!

These are all questions that I've been thinking about, during the past two weeks, concerning the recent deaths, more accurately, the murders, of Trayvon Martin, of Orlando, Fl & Shaima Alawadi, of El Cajon, Ca. These people were the obvious victims of blatant xenophobic bias & discrimination. Yet, little to nothing is being substantially done about either case. Imean, take Trayvon Martin's murderer, George Zimmerman, for example: His killer hasn't even been arrested, or even brought in for questioning yet-He's allowed to walk around, as free as a bird, while he's directly responsible for the death of a Human being, without any valid cause.

And, in the case of Shaima Alawadi, there was a note left near her body, which stated "Go back home", indicating that not only was she brutally murdered by someone that she new personally, or was familiar with, but, this person had targeted her, exclusively because she was not an American citizen at birth.
We have truly sunk so low as a society: Human-life, like all life, is priceless; however, we've wrongly placed a price-tag on it, and whoever we deem as not as Humanly valuable as others are labelled as expendable. But, who in the hell gave us the right, or justification, to decide whose life is more or most valuable? We must, as a Human family, as a global society, as a people, really reevaluate what our core-values are. And, honestly, values without morals, are like flames without heat. And, morals without divine-direction are like a volcanoes which are dormant.

Sometimes, I wonder what type of world am I going to leave behind for any children that I may have. More accurately, I don't even want to raise children, in a world, where they can be hunted down like they're in-season, like they're a duck or whale, just because they are Muslim, or Black, or from a major-city, from an urbanized neighborhood. It's truly depressing that we have our following generations, whom will succeed us in this Mundane-Life, have to inherit this. This world, that we're leaving behind to them, is full of our innumerable fuck-ups & errors. We've destroyed whole civilizations of people, national-infrastructures, indigenous ways of life, the air-quality, the environment generally, the natural habitats of wild-life, etc.

What we have evolved into, spiritually, mentally, and socially, are monsters, and this is not what Allah, our Creator, has placed us into existence for. He didn’t make us to inhabit the Earth to destroy it, and consequently destroy ourselves in the process. He didn’t make us to wage war upon one another, just because of skin color, ethnicity, social, or political status. He didn’t make us to be of those whom are strong to prey upon the weak, just as the wolf preys upon the lamb. It's like all of us have turned into the real-life versions of Anakin Skywalker, in Episode 3, when he officially turned to the Darkside, and began to manifest his insatiable thirst for bloodshed & destruction. But, instead of the title being "Revenge of the Sith", it's "Revenge of Savagery". When is our real-life Episode 6 going to come out? Instead of "Return of the Jedi", we need our episode to be named "Return of Humanity".

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

My thoughts on Women & Women’s History Month (Part III):

Women worth all the respect in the world:

1. Eve-
The mother of the Human race, Eve (also known as Hawwa’ [Peace be upon her]) is the pinnacle of womanhood. The first to mother a child-She was the first to nurturer & educate people. She was the first woman to cover herself, commanding respect, honor, pride, and dignity, by not revealing her body to others, setting an ever important precedent & example for any & all of her female descendants to come after her.

2. Hager-
Known as Hajar in Arabic, Hager (Peace be upon her) was the wife & mother of Prophets, Abraham, her husband & Ishmael, her son (Peace be upon both of them). She taught us all how to deal with the separation of family, during hard times. She taught us that a woman can raise a man, in the absence of a father. She taught us the resilience, drive, ambition, and iron-will that is required for survival. She taught us gratitude, in the absence of security & hope.

3. Mary-
The mother of Jesus (Peace be upon him), Mary, known as Maryam in Arabic (Peace be upon her) was an outcast of the Children of Israel, because she had a child, but no father for him. Because of this, she was scrutinized, ridiculed, and slandered. But, through all of this, she was still an honorable woman & a mother like no other, whom in the face of adversity, raised a man, whom Allah is well-pleased with, who became a Prophet, Messenger, the Christ, and will return to this Earth, as the one who will rid the world of the corruption of the Anti-Christ. Through Allah’s guidance & direction, Mary gave her son his foundation, to commit himself to the service of his creator.

4. Khadijah-
The first wife of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), our mother Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) was the first from among his nation to believe in his Prophethood & the first to accept the teachings of Islam, even when he doubted the legitimacy of his own calling. She gave him the encouragement that he needed to endure through those early years in Makkah, when he really didn’t know whether he was suitable for this mission, and when the Muslims were mocked & persecuted, just for their belief in the existence & oneness of Allah. There was never anyone before or after her whom the Prophet could’ve individually count on for moral support in the fashion that was provided to him by Khadijah.

5. `A’ishah-
The wife of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) & the daughter of his most trusted friend, Abu-Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), our mother `A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) set the standard for leadership & scholarship among women. She set an unprecedented & unchallenged authority of narrating the most Prophetic-Statements about Muhammad (Peace be upon him), about his military campaigns, his home/family life, his character, his business practices, his humor. All of the narrations about Muhammad, through her, gave us humanized aspects of his life, that we may have never known without her exposing them to us, through teaching them to countless persons, many of whom were men. After all, she came from a society where women were not Humanly valued as they should be. But, through the guidance of Islam, she was able to establish herself as a religious, social, and political authority that no one would dare violate the sanctity of.

Friday, March 9, 2012

My thoughts on Women & Women's History Month (Part II):

Women are the best!!!

Women are so important to both you and me.
It’s so obvious; yet, we still can’t come to see.

They are our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends & comforters.
Yet, we show no thanks in return for selflessly giving all of themselves.

We depend upon women in so many ways, we don’t even realize.
It’s through them, that Allah has decided to ensure that we survive.

When we are young, frail & weak, they provide us with nutrition.
They give us all that they have, and without any type of hesitation.

They always care for us, setting us on the right path, so we won’t go astray.
But, when it’s time for us care & do for them, we’re so quick to turn away.

We often forget that when we’re at a state of strength, they helped us to get there.
Loving, nurturing & supporting us from birth to manhood, they don’t ever despair.

All that they have, they give; but, we seem to have no concern whether they lived or died.
Allah made them special parts our lives, to be their allies, to stand with them, side by side.

They are so important to all of us because without them, there’s no us.
And, without us there’s no them; so, helping them to improve is a plus.

It is high time to stand & defend women, let them know that we will never abandon them.
We need to view the woman as she truly is, the most valued of our race, our Human gem.

Gareth Bryant/2012

Thursday, March 1, 2012

My thoughts on Women & Women’s History Month (Part I):

Author’s note: Since the month March is Women’s History Month, I will be writing several things about women, at randoms times during this month. In this particular post, I plan to highlight some things about the unjust treatment of women all around the world, particularly & especially in the Muslim-World, more specifically in the Arab-World. I find it very relevant & important that we are made aware of the realities of the general mistreatment of women everywhere. The subject matter in which my discussion will be based upon highlights only one of many types of problems which women globally face. Human-Trafficking & the hypocrisy of Politics which fuels it: Human-Trafficking is a Human disease of the heart. It’s a disgusting industry, which ruins the lives of millions of Human beings each and every day, particularly the lives of women & young girls. It is my hope that this post will shed some knowledge and/or awareness of the reality of the ugliness of Human-Trafficking, whose involved & who profits from it. What is Human-Trafficking? Human-Trafficking- The illegal trade, transportation of Human beings, for the exclusive purposes of reproductive slavery and/or commercial sexual exploitation (i.e. prostitution), forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery. The Evils of Human-Trafficking: I won’t go through the ridiculously long lists of stats, which recall how sinister this trade is. It’s very obvious how inhumane & disgusting Human-Trafficking is. However, what I do plan to do is expose the incredible levels of hypocrisy, which are displayed, when countries like the United States condemns nations who indulge in Human-Trafficking, yet the ironic fact is that in countries which are red-flagged as being the lowest-tier Human-Trafficking countries (meaning the the nations with the highest reported cases of Human-Trafficking), are outright allies of the United States & vice-versa. These countries which I plan to highlight for this discussion are the following: Bahrain- Bahrain is a country where both men & women from places like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, migrate voluntarily to work as domestic workers or as unskilled laborers in the construction and service industries. But, unfortunately, they are often duped & coerced into forced labor & more specifically, forced prostitution. Some of the classic abuses that people who migrate to Bahrain, in search of greater economic opportunities for themselves & their families are the following: unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on traveling through the country, under-handed contract substitution, non-payment of wages, threats, and even physical or sexual abuse. According to a study, by the Bahraini government’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), 65% of average migrant workers in Bahrain had not seen their employment contracts, and 89% of migrant workers were unaware of their terms of employment upon arrival in Bahrain. Many labor recruitment agencies in Bahrain require workers to pay high recruitment fees, a practice which makes workers highly vulnerable to forced labor once in the country. This same LMRA study also revealed that 70% of migrant workers either borrowed money or sold property, in their countries of origin, in order to secure employment in Bahrain. Some Bahraini employers illegally charge workers non-contractual fees in order to keep them in Bahrain, working for third-party employers, under the “free-visa” arrangement facade. The LMRA estimates that 10% of migrant workers in Bahrain work under illegal “free-visa” arrangements, a practice that can contribute to debt-bondage. The Bahraini Chamber of Commerce and Industry puts this statistic at 25%. Women whom are most likely forced into prostitution in Bahrain are from Thailand, the Philippines, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China, Vietnam and Eastern European states. Israel- In Israel, men and women are trafficked & often used for forced labor and commercial prostitution. Low-skilled workers from China, Romania, Turkey, Thailand, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India flock to Israel for contract labor in the construction, agriculture, and health care industries. Israeli migrant workers are often confronted terrible conditions of forced labor. Many labor recruitment agencies in Israel charge fees ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. This causes migrant workers in Israel to become highly vulnerable to trafficking once in the country, and in some cases, situations of debt-bondage are ever prevalent. Israel is also a destination country for women being trafficked from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, China, South Korea and possibly the Philippines, for the exclusive purposes of sexual exploitation. In addition, NGO’s note an increase in the internal trafficking of Israeli nationals, for commercial sexual exploitation, and report new instances of trafficking of Israeli women abroad to Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Kuwait- Men and women readily migrate to Kuwait, from countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines, looking for employment as domestic servants or low-skilled laborers. Upon arrival, however, some are often subjected to conditions of forced labor, especially women, who are most often, once caught up in the web of Human-Trafficking, forced into commercial sexual exploitation. For example, some female domestic workers are forced into prostitution after running away from abusive employers, or after being deceived with promises of employment in different sectors. Kuwait is also a transit country for South and East Asian workers recruited by Kuwaiti labor recruitment agencies for low-skilled work in Iraq. Oftentimes, these workers are deceived, as to the true location and nature of this work, while others willingly transit to Iraq through Kuwait, but endure conditions of involuntary servitude while in Iraq. Some Kuwaiti nationals have even reportedly traveled to foreign destinations, including Morocco, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to engage indulge commercial sexual exploitation. Oman- For men and women, primarily from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia, some of whom are subjected to being trafficked, specifically under conditions indicative of forced labor, Oman is a haven for Human-Trafficking. Most of these South and Southeast Asian migrants travel willingly to Oman, with the expectation of employment as either domestic servants, or as low-skilled workers in the country’s construction, agriculture, or service industries. Some of them face conditions indicative of working for long working hours without food or rest, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Recruitment agents, as well as labor brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Iran, very often deceive workers into accepting work, that in some instances constitutes forced labor. Many of these agencies produce falsified contracts for employment, either with fictitious employers or with fictitious wage rates, charging workers high recruitment fees (often exceeding $1,000), and urge workers to enter Oman with tourist-visas. Oman is also a destination and transit country for women from China, India, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and South Asia, who may be forced into commercial sexual exploitation, generally by nationals of their own countries. Male Pakistani laborers, and others from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and East Asia, transit Oman en route to the UAE, are often exploited in situations of forced labor upon reaching their countries of destination. Qatar- People from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and China travel to Qatar as laborers and domestic servants, but some face very inhumane conditions once in Qatar, among many other things, predominately involuntary servitude. These conditions include threats of serious physical or financial harm, withholding wages, charging workers unnecessarily for employment benefits, which the employer is fully responsible for by default, traveling restrictions, including the confiscation of passports and identification documents, illegal detention, threats of deportation, as well as physical, mental, and sexual abuse. In some cases, arriving migrant workers have found that the terms of employment in Qatar are wholly different from those they had previously agreed to in their home countries. Individuals employed as domestic servants are particularly vulnerable to Human-Trafficking, since they are not covered under the provisions of the labor laws in Qatar. Small numbers of foreign workers transit Qatar and are forced to work on farms in Saudi Arabia. Qatar is also a destination for women who become caught up in prostitution-rings, but the extent to which these women are subjected to forced prostitution is unknown. Saudi Arabia- Regarding Human-Trafficking, Saudi Arabia is notoriously known to not fully comply with the minimum standards of anti-trafficking enforcement & are currently not any making significant efforts to do so. Saudi Arabia is a destination for both men & women, from South East Asia & East Africa, to be trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation. Also, children, from countries like Yemen & Afghanistan, have very often been trafficking victims, for forced begging. Hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers from places like India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya migrate travel to Saudi Arabia, some fall into conditions of involuntary servitude, suffering from physical and sexual abuse, non-payment or delayed payment of wages, withholding of identification & traveling documents, restrictions on their freedom to travel within Saudi itself and non-consensual contract alterations. According to international organizations, such as the Ansar Burney Trust, young children from Bangladesh and India are also smuggled into Saudi Arabia, to be used as camel-jockeys. These children are underfed, to reduce their weights, in order to lighten the load on the camels used for racing. Saudi Arabia has been classified as having a Human-Trafficking Tier-3 status, since 2005. United Arab Emirates- Women from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Philippines travel to the U.A.E. to work as domestic servants, but some subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude such as excessive work hours without pay, unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on traveling, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse. Oftentimes, they are not even given legitimate employment, but rather, they’re smuggled into the sex trade in the U.A.E. Similarly, men from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are drawn to the U.A.E. to work in the construction industry, but are often subjected to similar conditions of coercive labor, as we as debt-bondage, as they work to pay off recruitment costs, often exceeding the equivalent of a 2-year salary. Women from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Uganda, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, the Philippines, Iraq, Iran, and Morocco are reportedly trafficked to the U.A.E. for commercial prostitution. Non-Emirate women are reportedly recruited to work as secretaries or hotel workers by third-party recruiters, perhaps even in their countries of origin. But, they were often coerced into prostitution or involuntary domestic servitude. The U.A.E. may also serve as a transit country for women trafficked into forced labor in Oman, and men deceived into working involuntarily in Iraq. And, much like the neighboring Tier-3, oil-rich Arab states, which border the U.A.E., the Emirate government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of Human-Trafficking. What all of these countries have in common- What these countries have in common is their collective importance to U.S. interests in the Middle-East. each of these countries provide enormous resources, like petroleum, as well as influence & insight into the Muslim-World, the Arab-World, and the region known as the Middle-East generally, which is essential for America to maintain dominance in this part of the world. These particular countries are highly valued by the U.S. America has deeply vested interests in the economic sustainability as well as the geo-political survival of these nations, against any of their would-be rivals in the region. Likewise, these nations have also managed to acquire a substantial influential foot-hole into the economic fabric of the U.S., to such an extent that many of these countries have so much money invested into our economy, that if they were to remove their assets, America’s entire economy would collapse. And, because of this need for the U.S. to keep these countries invested in the American economy & to ensure the safety & security of these regimes to stay in power, they’re willing to turn blind-eyes when it comes to things like Human-Trafficking. Honestly, if the U.S. really wanted to do something really substantial to these countries, for their lack of diligence in dealing with the issue of Human-Trafficking, they would put them on blast at U.N. meetings, commence economic-sanctions against these countries, decrease the amounts of foreign-aid given to these countries, decrease their consumption of foreign goods from these countries, thereby making the economies of these Human-Trafficking havens stronger via U.S.-patronage, etc. But, which should not be surprising, none of what I’ve mentioned is happening, and it won’t happen, so long as the symbiotic relationship between money & power exist in our world. The U.S. thrives particularly upon maintaining its dominance & influence in the Middle-East, via supporting the following countries mentioned whom clearly, blatantly violate the sanctity of basic Human-Rights, on a daily basis; yet, they are left alone, to do as they please.

Monday, February 6, 2012

My thoughts on the Mawlid (Celebration of the birthday ofMuhammad [Peace be upon him]):


Author's note:
I know people are gona be kinda pissed with me on this one, but, like I always say, "Sometimes, you just gotta say somethin'".
So, here it goes:
During the month of Rabi`-ul-Awwal, the fourth month on the Islamic-Calendar, Muslims, from all over the Muslim-World, are celebrating the birth of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). This celebration of his date of birth has been an annual, staple celebration for centuries. However, for Muslims, there's a very crucial question that they must seriously ask themselves: What justification do they have in celebrating the birthday of a dead person, regardless of whether they're a Prophet or not?

Now, as I've said in the author's note, I know that there are gonna be some people whom will not necessarily take very kindly to my reservations against the celebration of the birthday of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). But, let it be...
...I'm more than willing & able to deal with any & all backlash that can/will come with this article.

Anyway, there's yet additional question that Muslims, who commit themselves to the celebration of the birthday of a dead person, must ask themselves: Where did this practice originate from? Whom from among the Muslims originated this practice? Did they adopt this practice from peoples of a foreign religion, that celebrates the birthdays of the dead, "holy-men", righteous people, etc.?

Now, Islamically, based upon principle, which is based upon classic text, any & all actions to & for a dead person are automatically considered acts of worship, and Islamically, any & all acts of worship are automatically prohibited, unless there is specific, non-abrogated evidence, directly from either the book of Allah (the Qur'an), or the Prophetic-Tradition (the Sunnah), which warrants the Islamic lawfulness of such an action.

And, I can say, very confidently in fact, that there is no such evidence, from neither the Qur'an nor the Prophetic-Tradition, which gives credence for Muslims to celebrate the birthdays of either prophetic or non-prophetic individuals whom are dead. And, I simply say this, because there is direct evidence in both the Qur'an & Sunnah which give detail as to how Human beings began to deviate from the purity of Islamic-Monotheism.

This historical path to Shirk (Ascribing false qualities to Allah/Polytheism) actually begins with the deaths of 5 righteous persons from among the people of Noah (Peace be upon him), their names are the following: Wadd, Suwa`, Yaghuth, Yau`q, and Nasr. (Qur'an: Chpt.71, V.23) After their deaths, the Devil came to the people of Noah, in an evil attempt, which unfortunately, worked, to lure them away from worshipping Allah, and to begin worshipping idols. The people of Noah had begun to build monuments in honor of the righteousness of these 5 individauls. But, as time went on, they were inspired by the Devil, to diviate further & even further from the path of Allah, until they had eventually began to commit full-throttle polytheism. (Qasas-ul-Anbiya' [Stories of the Prophets], Ibn-Kathir)

So, it was because of the people of Noah, that we as Muslims are in no position to do anything to or for the dead, unless it is Islamically legislated, for fear that it may very well lead to Shirk. However, unfortunately, most Muslims are not concerned with the danger in celebrating the birthday of a dead person, in spite of the fact that there are no Islamic justifications for it to occur.
Even Muhammad (Peace be upon him) himself, once said, "And do not exaggerate in praising me, like the Christians exaggerate in the praise of Jesus the Son of Mary." (Bukhari)

Now, in knowing the general character of Muhammad, and his eagerness to prevent anyone from his nation, especially during his respective lifetime, would he even tolerate the celebration of his own birthday. I can confidently say that he would never tolerate such a thing. So, in closing, my final statement is the following: People claim to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) out of some type of respect or that they have for him. But, check this out: How can a person celebrate the birthday of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), claiming to respect him & love him, when they don't live their lives according to the standards that he lived his life?

First & foremost, he worshipped Allah, exclusively, he was respectful to all of creation, even towards those who oppressed him, even when it came to fight in battle, he protected the innocent & never abused his authority over anyone, he was a loving father, husband, leader, teacher, man, and Human.
If we truly claim to respect & love Muhammad (Peace be upon him) we had better live our lives according to how he lived his, as opposed to celebrating something that is not Islamically sanctioned, which can potentially be the cause for being placed in the Fire, if Allah so chooses to not forgive us for doing something that is a Bid`ah (an unsanctioned religious action).

#I'm just sayin'!!!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

My thoughts on the victims of the water-crisis:


Author’s note:
The following poem is based upon the trials & perils of life that some of the most victimized individuals in this global water crisis are: Children. They suffer the highest consequences of this water crisis & usually are the last to get help. These same children whom are often the first casualties of this water-crisis, are also those whom are sent into war-torn territories, where they run the risks of being attacked by dangerous animals, murdered, kidnapped, or raped. It is my hope that, through this poem, you may find it in your heart, to find & make a way to help in any/every cause that you can, to help relieve the burdens placed upon those from among us whom are the most vulnerable of us & have less than we do. In all honesty, no Human being deserves to not water clean water. Clean water is a basic Human-right & all of us who have it must/should be willing to see fit that those who don’t have it get it.

The Narrative of a Victim:

Mama...Papa...I’m simply dying of thirst!!!
But, this waters’ contaminated & cursed...
...that’s what she said.

I walk...miles & miles...these are just some of my many trials.
The water I fetch for my family’s so filthy...the taste just hurts...
...that’s what she said.

I’m cryin’ out to Humanity, for help...my stomach curls.
Disease-ridden and mosquito-infested...this is the worst...
...that’s what she said.

I risk getting gang-raped by mercenaries.
I’m in fear of being devoured by parasites...
...that’s what she said.

I don’t wanna die...but, there’s no hope for me.
Millions of children share my dreadful plights...
...that’s what she said.

What will you do?!!!

Gareth Bryant/2012

To do something about it, to prevent the narrative of another victim from coming to fruition, donate to the following:

http://www.mycharitywater.org/givethanksforcleanwater

Sunday, January 22, 2012

My thoughts on `Asabiyyyah (Bias):



Author’s note:`Asabiyyah, in the Arabic-Language, represents an unwarranted bias, either for or against someone, generally based upon things which a person has no control over (like family-ties, ethnicity, national-origin, gender, etc.). There are also other manifestations of `Asabiyyah as well (like cultural, religious, inter-religious or social discrimination, etc.). This new poem that I’ve written will be based mostly upon the ethnic & cultural & inter-religious manifestations of `Asabiyyah.

Wishful-Thinking:

What if…
…my skin had no color, that Muslims viewed me exclusively as their true brother?
…people looked past my blackness, and saw only my heart, not my outer cover?

What if…
…people never gave me a dirty-look, for coming into a Mosque in Jeans and a Graphic-Tee?
…people could just let me be alone, leave me be to practice my Islam, as a man who is free?

What if…
…I were not deemed a Muslim social-outcast, just because I don’t look like a desert Sheik?
…why must I forfeit all that I am, as a Black man, just to conform & wear a robe and sheet?

What if…
…people judged me only by my actions, instead of just my physical, mortal shell?
…they did not deem me as “Un-Islamic”, because of what I wear, headed for hell?

What if…
…people just saw me, as opposed to my natural, genetic topography?
…the Muslims did not care whether I was Sunni, Sufi, Shi`i, or Salafi?

What if…
…people respected & appreciated my differences that Allah granted me, instead of curse them?
…people did not label me as the “bad-guy”, for defending myself, against blatant, harsh racism?

What if…
…we were just unified as one, putting ethnicity, color, culture, dress & pride aside?

If “What if” were a reality…
...then, this world of ours would be such a peaceful, and awesome place to reside!!!

Gareth Bryant/2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

My thoughts of my father:


Author’s note:
Recently, I’ve just been thinking about how much having a father has been important in my life, regardless of the fact that he wasn’t even a Muslim & died when I was very young. I thought that it would be good to just share this importance to you all-I’m often left thinking, to myself, that if my father could be the man whom he was, without Islam, then I owe it to Allah to strive towards being at least half of the man that he was, with Islam. This particular poem is meant to celebrate the utter importance of having a father, generally, which domestically in the U.S., as well as other parts of the world, the status of fatherhood has really become a pathetic joke, not taken seriously at all, and we’ve all been more & more bombarded with this global, socio-culturally-influenced/encouraged “dead-beat dad” syndrome, which has taken the world by storm, as one of the greatest negative phenomenons of our lifetimes. Every Human being has the absolute right to have two parents, both mother & father, to be there for them, as long as they live, to give them some sort of positive rearing & direction in this material-existence.

I know my Father:

He was the  man from whom I’ve inherited 23 of my 46 chromosomes.
He was never like a rollin’-stone, in & out of different women’s homes.

Although he died when I was only 8, my time with him was just great.
Alas, Allah decided to take him from me, it was just his destined fate.

It was always known he loved me & I knew that he cared.
He had the heart of a lion, he was so brave, never scared.

I know that he loved and cared for his own kids.
He even fathered children who weren’t even his.

He was A-Class, with great personality & a legendary smile.
No other father in the world could’ve ever imitated his style.

I’m simply in awe, oftentimes, at the mark of a man that he has made.
It’s been over 20 years after his death, yet his legacy just won’t fade.

If only I were ½ of who my father was.
Striving for that is such a worthy cause.

Gareth Bryant/2012

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

My nomination for the 4th annual Shorty Awards:


One may ask the question:
"What the heck are the 'Shorty Awards'?!!!"

Well, here's the answer:
The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media, recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short form content on across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare, and the rest of the social Web.

Fortunately, I've been given the exposure & opportunity to be recognized for my work, and be nominated, in the category of Blogger, for  this award, along with the likes of previous nominees & winners, like: Conan O'Brien, Newark, NJ Mayor, Cory Booker, Suze Orman, Ted Leo, and so many other notables. In short, this award is kind of a big deal in a sense.

About the voting process:
The public is invited to nominate social media users for excellence over the past year. Each award recognizes a content creator's entire body of work, not just an individual tweet or post. Nominations are made by tweeting or through ShortyAwards.com.

To vote for me, please, go to:

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

My thoughts on what Allah sees:

Author’s note:
It’s very important that we (regardless to whether you’re a Muslim or Non-Muslim) reflect upon what the Creator of the Universe sees us saying and doing, as well as what He sees within our minds & hearts. Most of us just live our lives with only minimal to no reflection of how we’re being dutiful to the one who’s responsible for our very existence.

I think that now is a good a time as any to start:

Try to look for what Allah sees:

Allah sees:
The depths of our souls, what we harbor within ourselves, what we hide from one another.
He sees the hatred, bias, & bigotry that we hold against others, what we keep undercover.

Allah sees:
The true colors of the ego, where arrogance & narcissism reside.
It’s where envy and malice is fueled by ambition and unjust pride.

Allah sees:
The evil intentions of our hearts, as we plot and plan ways to follow a blatant desire.
The likes of which are no good, and will only lead us all to a dreadful pit of the Fire.

Allah sees:
Our true selves, when no one is ever around, when we are completely by ourselves, alone.
He views our actions, behind closed-doors; yet, we pretend that we’re so slick & complex.

Allah sees:
The ill-willed seductiveness of our voices, as we attempt to kiss through the telephone.
We use our tongues as pawns, to advance in the game of chess, with the opposite-sex.

Why must we seek to see what Allah sees?!!!
To be able to recognize the wrong within us, that our hearts have been tainted with rust.
We must make amends with our Lord, regain His respect, honor, mercy, love, and trust.

We must make strides towards pleasing Allah, by making sincere and meaningful recompense.
If we want to have security in the Hereafter, we must turn back to Allah with pure repentance.

Gareth/2012

My thoughts on Feminism (The hatred & disrespect of Men):


Author’s note:
Since I’ve already written a poem about Misogyny, it’s just as fair to write one about Feminism as well. Feminism, as we know it to be has been incepted to be an alternative for women to Misogyny, to combat Misogyny even. However, unfortunately, it has begun to cause the same ill-affects that Misogyny has. We as Muslims, fellow Human beings, need to find better alternatives to dealing with the opposite gender, as opposed to attempting to get one leg up over one another. I’ve exclusively targeted the modern Muslim woman, who has full-throtled accepted this pathological concept known as Feminism, which basically teaches women that we’re crap, as a result of what’s between our legs, which we didn’t even give ourselves and/or what the next man has done negatively. Bitterness, as a result of negative experiences with men generally, have promoted & propelled the women of our world to view men as untrustworthy & worthless at the same time. This poem is geared towards shedding some light on this issue, that we, as men & women (particularly Muslim men & women) can ween ourselves off of having enmity against one another, based upon biological factors that none of us are in control over.

Please, don’t hate me:

Why must you be against me?
What have I ever done to you, to make you not wanna be my ally?
I have been prosecuted, without an opportunity to produce an alibi.

What have I done as a man, to make you look at me with utter disgust?
I’m not your enemy; don’t view me as the one who’s scared you.
I care for you; whether you believe it or not, what I tell you is true.

Why am I always the one to blame for the next man’s folly?
Never have I beaten you, but you’d threaten me with the dreaded “9-11” call.
You would throw all my faults in my face, just to prevent me from standing tall.

You claim to be an independent woman, yet you expect me to maintain you, and to be used as a tool.
Then, you turn around & attempt to disgrace me; you go out of your way to make me look like a fool.

Your resentment for my gender doesn’t make you superior, it just makes you petty.
Don’t make biases against other creations of Allah, the Devil has done this already.

He hated our father Adam, just because he wasn’t a Jinn.
What makes you think that hating men will give you a win?

Gareth Bryant/2012

Monday, January 9, 2012

My thoughts on Misogyny (The hatred & disrespect of Women):


Author’s note:
I wrote this poem, to shed some much-needed light on how men (Muslim men particularly) have allowed this disgusting concept, that we know as Misogyny, to dictate how we are to treat the most precious & priceless of all of the creation of Allah: the Human female. Allah has placed inside the mind, heart, soul, and body of the Human female so much blessing and abilities to cultivate the growth & development of all of us, generation after generation, century after century, and millennium after millennium. Yet, unfortunately, we’ve allowed ourselves to view the woman as a worthless sexual-prize, only to satisfy the carnal cravings of men. We need to start having real conversations as to why we’ve allowed the Devil to encourage us to treat women in such a demoralized fashion, and we have to correct this vicious cycle of pathological thinking. It’s no wonder why so many women have converted to Feminism, because they’ve been short-changed and pushed around, by the same men Allah has created to respect, honor, protect, secure, cherish & love. And, it is my sincere hope that this poem can help in some way spark some interesting conversations about this topic, as well as get people uncomfortable enough to want to change the Non-Islamic status-quo of how women are allowed to be viewed and treated in our societies.

P.S. Don’t get pissed-off concerning the title of the poem:

Bitches:

Why are our women “Bitches”?
We degrade at them, beat them & crush them.
We belittle them, and destroy their self-esteem.

Why are our mothers “Bitches”?
We don’t respect, honor, appreciate, or love them.
We make them weep, their tears flow like a stream.

Why are the mothers of our children “Bitches”?
We deny responsibility and neglect the Child-Support.
They’re forced to be both parents, it’s the only resort.

Why are our daughters “Bitches”?
Daddy’s little-girl is helpless and completely alone.
No clue how a man is to treat her, he’s long gone.

Why is a “Woman” a female-dog?
It’s really sad how easy it is to call a woman by other than her real name.
This word “Bitch” hurts so many and saying it so comfortably is a shame.

When did our love for women turn into hate?
We seem to let our bad experiences determine how we treat others.
We have to end this cycle and be examples for our young brothers.

If someone calls a woman we care about a “Bitch”, we all wanna fight.
But, if we say the same thing to woman, it’s just supposed to be alright.

We were all birthed by women, so let’s start honoring females.
When we view women as “Bitches”, we disrespect ourselves.

Gareth Bryant/2009

Friday, January 6, 2012

My thoughts on Monsanto: The farmers of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ:


The mass global rising in food-prices, the destructive nature of famine stricken countries & regions of the world, the globalization of privatizing/monopolizing agriculture are just some of the many recurring signs that the Dajjal/Anti-Christ is on his way & bringing hell-on-Earth right with him. But, there’s some things that need to be established first before he’s able to rule uncontested: One of the main sources of his power, before the return of Jesus (Peace be upon him), who will end up killing the Dajjal/Anti-Christ, will be control over the worlds food-supplies.

It is mentioned in great detail, in the Prophetic-Tradition of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that the Dajjal/Anti-Christ will appear before the people (of the world), with abundance of food & water, in exchange for loyalty & fellowship towards him. Anyone who refuses to accept his false claims to legitimate global-rulership, prophecy & divinity, will suffer severely under his tenture of temporary rule over the Earth, until Jesus (Peace be upon him) comes back to Earth & does away with him, thus liberating the Earth of his immense tyranny.

Now, one may ask, who would be helping someone like the Dajjal/Anti-Christ attain world-domination, via control over food-supplies? Well, let’s get to Monsanto, the main focus of this whole article.

Monsanto: Past, present & future objectives:

Past:
Monsanto started off as a chemical company. From it’s founding in 1901, until the present-day, Monsanto has been responsible for producing such chemicals from DDT (an insecticide which had been banned for agricultural use by the U.S. Congress in 1972, for its harmful side-affects to people vegetation & the environment generally) to Agent-Orange (a chemical-weapon used during the Vietnam-War, which decimated the natural-environment of Vietnam & Cambodia, as well as cause immense death & various other health defects found in both U.S. Military personnel & the people of both Vietnam & Cambodia) that have caused innumerably unchangeable negative affects to both people & the environment globally. They’ve managed to successfully establish themselves as the leading pioneers of chemical-manipulation of agriculture, via producing herbicides (pesticides for plant-life) genetically-engineered crops.

Present:
At present, Monsanto possesses one of the most powerful lobbying bodies on this planet, soliciting support from wealthy business persons in the agricultural industry, as well as corrupt politicians, in achieving theirs goals of genetically modifying & patenting every seed known to man, in order to consolidate complete control over all things agricultural. They’ve become extremely powerful over the past century, since their intial inception, in the early 1900’s until now. Thye’ve faced nearly no practical opposition from the Washington “watch-dogs” who are supposed to be there to protect the better interest of the American people & people around the world. Instead, they’ve given Monsanto a free-hand, to continue its immoral quest to undercut any & all organic-farmers, who resist the political/governmental & financial onslaught, to pressure them to use genetically-engineered agricultural techniques, which include the usage of genetically-engineered seeds, to contribute to the global domination of agriculture by Monsanto.

Future:
From the Islamic perspective, it’s very obvious, based upon the Prophetic-Statements of our Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that the Dajjal/Anti-Christ will use food-supplies, as a significant tool, to lure the people (globally) away from the worship of Allah & towards the worship of himself. There are various narrations by a particular Companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), named al-Mughirah ibn-Shu`bah (May Allah be pleased with him), of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ coming to the people, presenting abundance of food & water. But, for those who truly believe in Allah & the Last day, the illusion of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ will cause their faith to waiver under threat of starvation (Muslim). However, as Muslims, it is our responsibilty to Allah, to recognize the signs that He & His Messenger (Peace be upon him) have left behind for us to benefit from, to have the knowledge and develop the integrity & fortitude to resist the temptation of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ if/when he comes during our lifetimes. This will be the most trying times for those who believe in Allah & the Last-Day, and companies like Monsanto have shown & proven that they are on the side of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ, by contributing to the immoral privatization/monopolization of agricultural resources. We, who believe in Allah & the Last-Day have to be ready to face the Dajjal/Anti-Christ head-on!!! However, we can’t be ready to oppose him, if we’re not prepared for him, and we can’t prepared for him, if we don’t know about him, and we can’t know about him, unless we’re gaining knowledge about him, by taking heed to the authentically recorded signs present in the Qur’an & Prophetic-Tradition, about his coming & his reign of terror as well as the present reign of terror by those whom are is avid supporters, like Monsanto, for example.

May Allah protect us from the deception of the Dajjal/Anti-Christ & all those who aid him & support him...Amen!!!

#I’m just sayin’!!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

My thoughts on Water: Part II (The Poem):


Author’s note:
This is part two, of the two-part series that I’ve presented, about the Water-Crisis & our obligation as those who can make a serious difference to do something about it.

Water is Vital:

We’re all in need of this blessing, regardless of our religions, ethnicities, genders and ages.

Acquisition of this precious resource is required for proper development of our life-stages.

Terrible is the fact that so many people waste away & die for not having just a little bit.

Everything living thing on this planet has a birthright to have all rights to their share of it.

Recognition of its significance is imperative for our basic survival.

Its importance in all of our day-to-day lives has no equal nor rival.

Sad is the fact that Millions of our fellow Humans have not this life-supporting liquid.

Vigorous is our need to ensure that they receive it; denial of this resource is so putrid.

It just takes a little bit of effort and money to make a lot of difference, to help someone else live.

To those who have more, we’re obligated to provide for those who have less; so, let’s just give.

Any of us could be affected by not having; we would want someone to give us a hand.

Let not your selfishness, or fear of poverty, prevent you from helping your fellow man.

Gareth Bryant/2012

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

My thoughts on Water: Part I (The Article):


In the name of Allah, the Source of Mercy, the Most-Merciful:

Author’s note:
Unlike my other articles, I didn’t write this all by myself. This article before you is the compilation of a great team of individuals (Khadeejah Bari, Sarah Elalem, Ruann Ibrahim, and Guadalupe Mercado), known formally as The One Ummah Team (we’re the X-Men-version of Non-Profits...he he he), whom I am very proud to be working with diligently, in raising much-need awareness concerning our planet’s devastating global water-crisis. As anyone who’s been paying attention to this issue knows full-well, basically, 1 Billion Human beings (1/7 of our Human family) are dying and/or wasting away from curable/treatable diseases, like Malaria, only because of three words: NO...CLEAN...WATER!!!

This a two-part article, with part two being an actual poem...stay tuned for the poetic version of this two-part article series.

Water (not just water, but clean-water) is one of life’s most undeniable basic needs. Can you ever imagine living without it for just a single day? Nearly 1 billion people in the world today, have been subjugated to live without clean-water everyday of their lives, resulting in their untimely suffering & unnecessary deaths-One in every seven people world-wide do not have access to safe, clean water to drink and/or wash with. A mother loses her child, every nineteen seconds, due to one or more water-related diseases, like Malaria for example. Just try to imagine, being a parent, forced to give her children water from a local swamp, a swamp that animals bathe in, because it is the only source of water nearby-Your imagination is sadly their reality.

Showers lasting up to 30 minutes, leaving the faucet running, as we do our dishes, brushing our teeth, doing our laundry on a regular basis, all without realizing the precious value of this tremendous blessing. For most of us, it is not until we are sacrificing food and drink in, during Ramadhan, that we begin to reflect upon the utmost importance of this great favor bestowed upon us by our ever-giving Creator-I think that it’s pretty safe to assume that most of you out there reading this article, whom were either born & raised or have lived most of your lives in the Developed/Western-World, have never been denied water-None of us have never had to leave our homes, having to walk anywhere between 5-20 miles, to fetch water that’s not even clean, but rather dirty & disease-infested. We simply turn on the tap, and clean-water comes out.

Allah says, in the Qur’an, “Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delights.” [Chpt.102, V.8]. We will all be asked about the enumerable blessings & privileges that we have been given abundantly by our Creator-We are immensely obligated to show gratitude to Allah, for all of His endless endowments. Allah also says, "If you are grateful, I will give you more. But, verily, My Punishment is indeed severe, if you are ungrateful." [Chpt.14, V.7]. We have been chosen to have this gift of existence, life senses, resources, etc.-It is upon us, as a duty to Allah, for us to be grateful any & all that Allah provides for us without even having to ask or work for.. If we do that, we will be given more of Allah’s bounties-What better way to thank Allah, for this gift of clean water, than to help those who doesn’t even have clean water, one of the simplest of Allah’s immense gifts?

Some may shrug their shoulders, some may shake their heads, few will ask how to help, and even fewer will actually reach out their helping hands. It is our moral obligation, as people chosen to have this incredibly divine blessing, that we ensure that everyone else has sustainable sustenance. It is not our greed or selfishness, but our indifference that has plagued our society and led our nation away from the foundation that our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) & his Companions (May Allah be pleased with them all-together) have laid down for us, a foundation that directs us to compete and rush to do good.

We all have the ability to do something substantial about this water crisis. I'm a part of a team of Muslims, who joined efforts to raise $20,000 to sponsor a water-well that will supply 4 communities through a reputable nonprofit organization named charity water. Our initiative, Give Thanks for Clean Water, is intended to be an annual effort until everyone in our world has clean water. This reading just took 2.5 minutes to read, that is almost 8 children who have died who didn’t have to die if more of us would’ve done something about it.

Please, join our team, donate, propagate, or whatever you can do, or at the very least, share this message with others!!!

Learn more about what we've been doing & our current progress & donate to our cause: http://mycharitywater.org/givethanksforcleanwater.

“Like” us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Give-Thanks-for-Clean-Water/279668625408538

Follow us on twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/oneummahwater

Holla back on Tumblr:
http://www.givethanksforcleanwater.tumblr.com

Watch the Charity Water promo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7viqHIZPnY&feature=autoplay&list=ULbzGb12fN3Uc&lf=mfu_in_order&playnext=3

I will also be co-hosting with my One Ummah Team, as well as performing at a charity event, geared towards raising awareness & monies for this most noble & important issue. If you’re in the New York City/Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, please, try your best to come through for this event & support our efforts:
https://www.facebook.com/events/157955127641522/

Thank you in advance,
The One Ummah Team

May Allah instill utmost compassion in every member of Humanity, so that we empathize with the plight of others. May Allah make us love for our Human brothers & sisters what we love for ourselves. May Allah make us always extremely grateful for our blessings. May Allah protect us from indifference, one of the greatest evils that plagues our society...Amen!!!