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