Happy Eid Al Adha To All of You!!!

HAPPY EID FOR ALL THE IRAQIS AND THEIR BROTHER, SISTERS & FRIENDS!!!

Wish You A Very Happy Eid Al Adha!!!

Khalid Ibrahim

A Happy mamma Duck Updates

I belive some of you still remember the story of Happy Mamma Duck and her nine babies. I will try to give you some updates about this nice family.

First of all, let me tell you that we lost three out of the 9 babies. The fox kidnapped two babies:



While the cat brutally killed a third baby:



So after all the killing, the remaining family includes the lovely and dedicated mother together with her six babies:



Have a look and you can see for yourself that the baby who was initially yellow colored is totally white now. For us this's not less than a miracle:



Not only white but she is the only sister for her five remaining brothers. She is so beautiful, brave, independent, adventurous and tried her best all the time to be close to her mum and also to look after her brothers and to be there for them.

She is showing an early leadership in this picture:



While here, she proves to be ready to go as far as it takes:



Myself and my colleagues enjoyed looking after them and feeding them 24 hours so they grew up so fast.I have to say that we brought for them some special tasty tablets full of vitamins so they used to run toward us whenever we tried to see them.

During the last week of their stay they continued checking out their wings and just two weeks ago we arrived in the morning to see that they have gone!!!

Farewell, my friends and confidantes!
As you go, so must all
Return upon the well-worn path
Each soul must travel by.
Wend where you will, our wanderers,
Even as you stay
Long-treasured in the lonely hearts,
Loved well, though far away.

HAPPY EID!!!

May ALLAH Accept Your Fasting!!!
May ALLAH Honour You!!!
May ALLAH Forgive you!!!
May ALLAH Inspire You!!!
May ALLAH Mercy and Protect You!!!

HAPPY EID FOR ALL MUSLIMS AND THEIR FRIENDS!!!

Wish You A Happy Eid.

Multiculturalism?No sir, It's a Joke!

I have worked very hard to promote the so called Multiculturalism in my city. I established many Multicultural initiatives including diver(c)ity, a magazine deals with intercultural issues. I brought to my College the joyful "International Food Festival", which runs every year. I aimed -with my colleagues- to bring people from different backgrounds to meet and be friends in order to discover for themselves the richness of other cultures. I'm very much involved with some NGOs, that focus on Multiculturalism, human rights and social justice.

Having said all that, I should mention the fact that I have discovered from my long on going experience that Multiculturalism is fine if it is about having a meal or a brief chat. However if you are talking about real life then I afraid Multiculturalism is no more than a joke.

First of all think with me about any possible answers for the following questions:

Does Multiculturalism in your view mean that ethnic minorities should keep their culture and tradition or they should adopt what the host country thinks is good and fit for them?

Does Multiculturalism mean that the host nation is superior and the ethnic minorities have no roots or pride and as such they have no any entitlement to whatever they think is right for them?

Could we say that Muticulturalism is a voluntary interaction between all cultures to have a healthy society in which people are equals and recognize each other's entitlement to free religion, culture and tradition?

Do you think we could agree about a specific definition for Multiculturalism?

I have to tell you that there are many other questions and the reality is, people have different answers, approaches and expectations which actually make the process of Multiculturalism difficult if not impossible.

I have lived in the west for many years and needless to say I have met many good people but I have to say that there are many communities here that live in fear of who are often referred to as "foreigners who are here to take our money", why do they think like that?

What are the implications of this way of thinking on the life of the ethnic minorities? Surely the answers need a complete and focused study to find out the roots of the problem.

Also I met many individuals who are either members of right wing parties or you could describe them as racists. However, the most astonishing thing was when some friends of mine tried to impose their own culture on me just because I live in the west.There is kind of confusion amongst my friends about "what's Multiculturalism is all about?", I was surprised to find some very educated friends telling me what I could describe as an aggressive way to impose their own values upon me. Read the following and see for yourself people's perception of Multiculturalism:

1. Khalid, forget Iraq and try Guinness.
2. Khalid, do you drink?No
do you dance?No
do you have a girlfriend?No
What's the meaning of your life then?
3. How many wives you could have in Iraq at one time?
4. Khalid, you should find a girlfriend.
5. Show some respect and come and drink with us.
6. Khalid, do you in the Middle-East force your women to wear the scarf? Do you also
keep them at home?
7. Why do you not have democracy in your countries?Is it because you love
dictatorship?
8. Why do you treat women badly?
9. How often do you have to beat women in the Middle East?
10.Why do you write from right to left?
11.Do you allow girls only to cook in the Middle East?

There are many other strange questions but these are just some examples to show you the lack of understanding amongst many western people for our religion, culture, values and traditions. I think that's the main reason why almost all the Multicultural marriages failed in our community.

Few years ago, I met a western girl and I thought we could get a future together but I was totally wrong.

She did not want to have kids until she is 35 or 40 while myself I wanted many kids as quick as possible.She feared that getting pregnant would ruin her figure.She also used to drink heavily every week-end and to marry her would meant for me as a Muslim husband to be with her and then carry her on my shoulders. How many times would I have to do that?Probably for the rest of my life if I were to marry her.

Then the straw to break the camel's back came when she went swimming wearing -at least in my view as a Middle Eastern citizen- almost nothing.

The next day I told her:

We should stay good friends.No need to destroy our friendship by trying to impose one's culture on another.We both have every right to be free and nothing like freedom.I would like to keep my values and I do not want to impose them on you.The ending was nice and we remain good friends.

The problem we have these days is that some people in the west think they have a superior culture and the others who are coming, for example, from the Middle East should learn from them.However, I strongly believe that there is no better or superior culture of any kind.We are all equals as responsible people and have the same entitlement for whatever we think is fitting for our life.

We should accept each other as we are.My or your religion, culture, tradition and values are no one's business as far as they are within the law of the land and reflect my and your legal entitlement. This fact should be protected and respected.

I do not believe in Multiculturalism if it means that I should forget my history and culture to adopt other cultures that I had never encountered before.

Multiculturalism is not going to work with people who are brought up to believe that their culture is the absolute truth and the ethnic communities should follow them; does not matter for that crowd if the minorities are obviously not willing to do so.

Multiculturalism is a joke if only the minorities are always ready to accept the others who think they have the superior culture, and not ready to move one step forward in recognition to the fact that minorities will bring enrichness to any society in which they live.

I conclude by saying that Multiculturalism, if it does not mean freedom for all cultures, should be rubbished.Those who are trying to create conflicts between the different cultures should leave people enjoying their life and building their successful future in the way they think is most suitable to their culture and values.

RAMADAN MOUBARAKرمضان مبارك

A Happy Mamma Duck & a dead Pigeon

I have two stories, which I would like to share with you.
Let me start with the happy story which took place when, on my arrival to work about ten days ago, I herd a mama duck quacking loudly at the nearby pond of water. So, I went quickly over there to see something really amazing happening. The mamma duck was in actual fact encourging her nine babies to jump into water, something which typically takes place in the first 48 hours of a duck successfull hatching.I looked at the mamma duck and her nine babies and I screamed on my mobile phone with glee as I asked my friends to join me because I felt so happy.


No doubt the ducks family reminded me that in Iraq we used to have big families, but not anymore.However, I still love to have a big family of my own.


One of the babies is yellow colored which is a very unusual color for a duck to have. My friends started to talk about genetics theories, weak and strong genes. However, one of them suggested that it could be that the mamma duck has cheated on her husband with a very attractive rooster which we keep in the garden surrounding the water pond.


The second stroy is a very sad story.
Last Saturday, as I was walking through the garden in my way to our office, I met face-to-face with a male pigeon that was not able to move.I walked closely to him but he was not attempting to run away or to fly.



I took him in my hands and assured him that he is more than welcome in here.He looked so vulnerablehe and weak.I put him back on the ground and left a bucket of water and some cereals beside him but he did n't show any interest in them either.



He closed his eyes and I started talking softly to him.

Where's your father? Where's your mother?
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
well, do you not have any cousins or friends?
The friend in need is the friend indeed but sadly enough you have none of them.

What happened to you?Why are you so lonely?
Do you want to show your discontent with the war, killing, and human arrogance?

Do you want to protest agains the continuous destruction of our lovely planet by profiteering humans?

Could it be because you are in love and your heart was destoryed by an unfaithful lover?
If your lover dumped you, please don't die, just be strong and get over it!

To this end, he fell on his left side and passed away.

I felt so sad the whole day.

The Killers - The World We Live In / Pray for Peace and Self-Control

Ahly Ya Iraqeen! My Relatives The Iraqis!

It's the start of summer holiday and all the people around me are either going home or enjoying a sunny time in Spain or some other tourists' hot spots except me as I have to work day and night to pay the cost of studying and staying here in this very expensive city.I realy miss my country and my beloved city Baghdad. I just feel so sad that I can't spend this summer with Ahly Al Iraqeen.I want to share the risks, the heat, the dusty weather and the lack of power and clean water with Ahly Al Iraqeen. I herd this song by Haitham Yousif and I want to share it with you hoping that we as a nation will be reunited again to build a new Iraq full of love. The start of the song says:

My relative the Iraqis
O people O Kind-hearted
Lets live as brothers
Human loves human
To rally distant people
My relative the Iraqis

Ammo Baba has died!

Iraq's most popular soccer player and former Iraqi national soccer coach Ammo Baba, who's real name is Emmanuel Baba Dawud, has died in a hospital on May 28, 2009, in the northern city of Dohuk from ill health.He was 74 years of age.

The picture shows Ammu Baba poses during a training session with under 17 youth players 15 February 2002 in Baghdad.

He was mourned by Iraqis and sporting officials, who said his death was a loss for Iraqi soccer. “Ammo represented all that was good about Iraqi football,” said Najih Hammoud, the first deputy of Iraq’s soccer federation.

Dawud first gained notoriety in Iraq after scoring the country’s first goal in an international game in the 1957 Pan Arab games.

He was named coach of the national team in 1978, and later lead Iraq to two Olympic appearances in 1984 and 1988.

I feel very sad because we lost a real and an honest man who served and loved Iraq and the Iraqis during the rest of his life.

May Allah bless him and grant him peace

Some beautiful pictures!

The Top Images From The Internet For Year 2008!

The best natural exterior picture
88.6% votes

The best natural interior picture
90.7% votes

The best urban picture
87.8% votes

The best “Human” picture
86.2% votes

The best “On the Spot” picture
86.3% votes

Special Category for best “Human Landscape"
87.7% votes

Special Category for Best “Animal World”
89.3% votes

Special Category for Best “Pets (Dogs)"
83.6% votes

Special Category for Best “Pets (Cats)”
82.7% votes

Special Category for Best “Urban Painting”
88.9% votes

Special Category for Best “Body Paints
86.6% votes

Special Category for Best “Adventure Sport"
80.9% votes

Special Category for Best “Transport”
86.7% Votes

Special Category for Best “Public Display (Masculine)”86.7% votes

Special Category for Best “Public Display (Feminine)”
86.7% votes

Special Category for Best “Public Display (General)”
86.2% votes

The Special Mention
86.7% votes

The Prize that leave us with the last word...
92.6% votes

Aisling weather Forecast!

Aisling is a kind colleague who is studying with me in college. She is clever, hardworking, funny, simple, ready to help others and also moody.The fact that she is a moody girl means, she might change her mind at any minute.There are many factors for this psychological phenomenon.Obviously, she bears some responsibility but I believe there are other factors such as genetics and weather.The weather here is unstable and changes quickly which means having four seasons in one day. I think the stability and instability in weather conditions is affecting people's behavior anywhere in the world.Therefore, the moody behavior of Aisling is caused in large part by the unstable weather. To have an idea about the level of her moodiness, just read what I call, Aisling weather forecast:

9am: Partly Cloudy = Approach her with caution

10am: Mostly Cloudy = Just say yes or no.It's getting very serious now

11am: Rain = Wear an anti-bullet overcoat. Risk your life by saying any thing

12am: Freezing heavy rain = Wear a very thick anti-bullet overcoat and carry with you a good quality heater1pm

1am: Thunderstorms & Zero visibility = Don't go near her, she is going to kill you

2pm: Sunny = Approach her, she is very chatty now

3pm: Sunny and hot = Good time for political, cultural, social, economical or scientific discussions

4pm: Very hot = Time to talk about love and romance

5pm: Gone to the pub = She says one drink but it means a full session of drinking specially on Friday and Saturday nights. if you are a none drinker like me better to be away

Khalid

The Physics of Love

The Physics of Love

I was asked by my friend Tara to say something about the link between love and Physics.

"A man and a girl can be just friends but at one point or another one of them will fall for the other, maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late or maybe, just maybe...forever."


Now the forces behind the act of refusing or accepting each other could be looked at using all the laws of Physics. Also the same physical laws could be used to study any relationship, a successful one or a failed one.

Therefore you could explore the physics of love and consciousness in a very easy and exciting manner using the universal laws of Physics, which are applicable to the act of loving and obviously to the act of not loving too.

So how we are going to explain in terms of physics a very important phenomenon such as your first love, your love affairs or in general the status of your heart?

There are three possibilities for any particle:

1. To have a Stable Orbit ( your heart is claimed by somebody)
The particle will achieve an orbit without loosing energy over time

2. To have a Collapsing Orbit (No real love but machinery loves)
The particle will descend into the object of attraction loosing more and more energy over time until collapse

3. To have an Infinite orbital (No love at all)
The particle will move away from the object of attraction and at such a point will move beyond the object's attractive field.

Remember that always there is an uncertainty in love due to Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty.

Heisenberg showed that no matter how accurate the instruments used, quantum mechanics limits the precision in love affairs or in Physics when two properties are measured at the same time. For the moving electron (could be your heart), the variables are in two pairs: momentum and position are one pair, and energy and time are another. Roughly speaking, the relation between momentum and position is like the relation between energy and time. This means we can not measure accurately your love momentum in whatever direction and the time together with the amount of your given energy to a certain affairs. Always there is an uncertainty there.

Finally if you want to fall in love tonight then you should study all the forces acting upon you and directing you in your day to day life and start to show your reaction to your own universe.

Chicken a la Carte:Lets help the needy

Chicken a la Carte

Synopsis: This film is about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization. There are 10,000 people dying everyday due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society. The people who lives on the refuse of men to survive. What is inspiring is the hope and spirituality that never left these people.

Director: Ferdinand Dimadura

Please share with family and friends.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

The Islam of Taliban

I believe very strongly that the Taliban should be regarded as a part of the old dark ages when there was no freedom or civilization but psychological repression, torture and unjustified killing.

Wahhabism is the extremist sect to which the Taliban belong. I have to remind you that most -if not- all the suicidal killers who attacked New York, London, Madrid, Baghdad and other cities are followers of Wahhabism.In the minds of many trained Talibanized Wahhabi, to kill somebody who just happened to have different views is normal for them. This constitutes a main part of their believes. Also, Taliban believes that society is built around the full authority of men which led to the total exclusion of Women from public life when they governed Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001.

Iran's former President Mohammad Khatami in the 2002 described the Taliban as:

"The Islam of Taliban belongs to those who are portraying the beautiful religion of God as ugly with their repellent views and backward ideology as well as their fossilized habits and rigid-mindedness and their attitude towards religion is based on a bunch of illusions and antiquated habits."

When I saw the above video yesterday for the first time I felt very sick. However, when I thought for a while about Taliban's crimes in the past and current times, I told myself this barbaric act against an innocent little girl is the least that you would expect from such narrow minded and brainless killers.

I leave it for you to think and decide about the Islam of Taliban.

The Iraqi new elected local governments

I felt so happy to see the overall success of the recent provincial elections which were held in our country Iraq on 31 January 2009. Needless to say that these elections were associated with some mistakes but we know that democracy is a learning process and our democracy will gain maturity as it goes.

I believe it is very vital to hold the new local governments accountable for what they promised to do when they were running as candidates in these elections. They should be questioned all the time about their performance and actions because they were elected to serve the people of Iraq and not for any thing else and as such they should find the most efficient and transparent ways to execute their dutiess.

Every election and the Iraqi people will be getting closer to a total prosperity they deserve and to live the nice life they want to live.

Visiting Cairo

I spent the last week in Cairo to attend an IT training. It was a fantastic time and I enjoyed every minute of it.Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Middle East and in Africa.It has a population of 7.5 Million (2003).The Arabic version of the word Cairo (Al-Kaherah) translates as "the victorious," or "the triumphant" while the Cairenes call their city Misr, which is the Arabic version of the word Egypt.The city is too big located on both banks of the Nile River near the head of the river's delta in northern Egypt.Many streets are dirty and an Egyptian friend told me laughing "The streets will be cleaned only when Hosni Mubarak's regime is removed" but I can't see this happening soon. The city at the moment is
occupied by the army and police as a result of the recent terrorist attack in Saydna Al-Hussein district. You see them every where and inside all the important buildings and hotels.

The city is a reflection of Egypt's chronic problems poverty, deteriorated infrastructure, corruption, unemployment, homelessness and massive population growth. The price for food and clothes are so cheap and the average salary for millions of Egyptians is 100 US$ per month.

I met in the training some very good Egyptian friends Ahmad, Noha, Mohammad, Ramy, Malek and others.Also, I managed to make a promising friendship with Haj Abdulrahman who works as a taxi driver.He toured me around Cairo and then he proved to be a reliable friend when he called to the reception in the hotel where I stayed asking them to wake me up because I need to be at Cairo airport by now. It was so important that he acted as I slept but thanks to ALLAH I managed to arrive in time to take my flight.In general it was a nice trip and I hope to visit Cairo again in the near future.

The Iraqi people and president Barack Obama

President Barak Hossain Obama is giving the Iraqi people and the rest of the world lot of happiness to become elected as the 44th President of the United States. He is the first Afro-America to been elected President to the most powerful public office not only in his country but also in the world.

Mr Obama's inauguration as the first black US president represents a milestone once unthinkable in a nation that has struggled with racial issues since its founding, and where segregation was practised in many Southern states just decades ago.

It has been a remarkable achievement for the 47-year-old Democrat who moves into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth youngest president, having persuaded Americans that he can turn around the economy, end the war in Afghanistan and get the troops deployed in Iraq back home.

President Obama has inspired millions around the world with his promises that he made during the campaign.His message of hope has given the Iraqi people the opportunity to feel that the occupation will be over soon.

The good thing about Mr. Obama is the fact that he did not forget his roots.He managed to make a references during his inaugural speech to Kogelo, the village in Kenya where his father was born.Also, I'm delighted that Mr. Obama is still using his middle name Hossain.

I have every hope that Mr. Obama is going to deliver and they are early signs of enthusiasm for the new president. The closure of the military prison at Guantánamo Bay should represnt a healthy start and we'll have to wait and see president Barack tested by many other issues such as the America's foreign policy toward the Muslim world.

I'm back my friends

I know it is easy to maintain your blog all the time but this time I will try to keep publishing my thoughts and love to all my fellow Iraqi citizens. Many good things happened over there in my beloved country Iraq. The terrorists are defeated, our bestest capital Baghdad is more safe and the Iraqi people are more united than before. Also, we got some bad moments as we many inoccent people in some terrorists missions done by the very same brainless killesr . We pray for Allah that our martyrs to gain forgiveness and to be placed in heaven.

In the coming days and week I will write about our national football team, the coming local elections which is to take place on the 31st of january 2009, corruption as bad as terrorism and many toher titles.

I have to wish all the people of Iraq aa prosperous and healthy year!

Talk to you soon

Khalid

The culture of Love in my College

The culture of Love in my College

By
Khalid Ibrahim

Part 1

The supreme happiness of life is the convection that we are loved.
Victor Hugo


Love doest not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.
Antoine De Saint-Exipery


Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That valleys, groves, hills and field,
Woods, and steepy mountains yield.
Christopher Marlowe

During the history of mankind, romantic love was the most beautiful and interesting human relationship ever attempted. Romantic love in all times meant truthness, loyalty, and sharing good and bad between a man and a woman forever. It was in the early decades of the last century the most appealing and satisfying feeling. Therefore true love not only became desirable, but also became the only acceptable basis for choosing a life partner.

During the last several years, I tried extremely hard in my search to find successful real love stories amongst my friends in College. However the outcome was far worst than what I predicted. I could say it was a total disappointment. I found out that most of my friends unfortunately believe that falling in love is madness or a disease. Unconsciously or consciously, they have the same views as the poet Robert Burns who was well known for his ardour. In 1784, Clarinda wrote to the Bard:

Talk not of love, it gives me pain,
For love has been my foe;
He bound me with an iron chain,
And plunged me deep in woe.

It is so difficult to find a real love story here in College. No ethics and no morals whatsoever. People change their partners often as fast as the speed of light. They are no longer interested in the principles of building up a family. Nevertheless, girls here are still very much have a tendency to be stable. However, the culture is such that it encourages everybody including girls to say “boring, it’s over, bye!”

My friend Lea whenever she meets a new comer you see her very happy and delighted. Then, after a while, she will start crying claiming, “He is not the man that I 'm looking for”. I am calling her now “the lovely bird”, a bird that's flying from a nest to another all the time. She is a very beautiful, smart and friendly girl. You never know what is wrong here and who to blame: Lea herself, her men, or the culture. May be all of them.

Elaine, who is ready to go to the moon or beyond if somebody shouted for help, spent some time with Kevin, and then they left each other saying it did not work for them.
After the era of Kevin, she spent about a year as a single during which she looked a bit stable but not happy enough. Then she met Philip who is from Germany. She loved not just him but whatever related to Germany and decided to live over there. He was very nice with her. She was happy all the time.
I thought they would have a good future together but unfortunately just very recently she came back to Dublin with the bad news raising the typical slogan “It did not work for us”. Now she is single again.

Another friend is Ruth. She is the one I thought might give a good example of a real love story for the others. However, after five years of a strong love story with a man who's from her village, they splited up to two different directions immediately after graduation.

Brendan wasted two valuable years out of the life of Musa, who is so human, so innocent, and so beautiful. She is a unique flower. However, she was devastated by the unwillingness of Brendan to be committed to their affair. Some times, you just cannot understand why people behave in this unfair way when it is about giving so little while they are getting everything so easily.

There are scientific evidences about the psychological torture of the casual culture. This culture proved to be so painful for some people. Niamh who has every thing good, tried hard to avoid the one nightstand culture. The pressure was so intense. All the girls in her class were going out with boys without even talking about their mutual feelings. Recently I got the following text from her:
“I feel so lonely Khalid. I am never gonna find someone and I am tired of being on my own!”
This should reflect the size of the crisis and its not just Niamh, many of my best friends have a similar melodrama.

Some girls who waited long time for their Mr. Right to no avail found out that the pressure on them became so huge that they were forced to swung to the dominant culture of filling their time with somebody, anybody.

On the other hand boys in College are not ready to give any kind of commitment to girls. They are also not ready to express their feelings in case it might be interpreted as a sign of weakness.

Carl advised my friend John “Do not admit any thing to a girl, be solid like a mountain”. He was trying to tell John “You are two fools, for loving a girl, and saying so.”

Mostly boys think girls are machines that need to be looked after. Then, they have to move to the next machine as soon as their mission according to their casual assessment has ended up.

Needless to say that the culture in which many reliable lovers found themselves in is a mess.

Love in my college is a game of move and manoeuvre. Love is no longer means peace or romance. No security but fear. No perfection or satisfaction but a blind walk in the dark feeling of emptiness!