Category Archives: Uncategorized

Egyptian Aak 2015 – Week 5 ( Jan26 – Feb 1)

Shaimaa El-Sabagh died from 3 birdshot wounds
Egyptian prosecutors to examine social media videos of El-Sabagh killing

Nervana

Sinai attacks

(Funerals have been taking place for those killed in the Sinai attacks – Photo via BBC)

Main Headlines

 Monday

Tuesday

 Wednesday

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bigotry for dollars and that’s the end of that non-storyJan Morgan woman who banned Muslims from gun range as ‘safety’ measure claims business is booming – Americas – World – The Independent

Last week, a father and son claimed they were kicked out of Ms Morgan’s range – despite being Hindu. The man tweeted: “My dad and I just got kicked out of a Muslim-free gun range. I’m not Muslim, I’m just brown.”

The Justice Department has declined to comment on the case, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas told Fox News it was “more than happy” to proceed with legal action against Ms Morgan if a client who had been turned away came forward.

via Jan Morgan woman who banned Muslims from gun range as ‘safety’ measure claims business is booming – Americas – World – The Independent.

A Time of Hope

Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland

Imbolc is the day that we celebrate the passing of Winter and the return of Spring.

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Imbolc marks the seasonal change, where the first signs of Spring and the return of the sun are noted.

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A festival of light, to celebrate the return of the sun, now gaining power in its’ ascent from its’ low travail across the horizon.

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I walked out across the gardens today, recording in image the day of Imbolc.

The rays of the sun, felt warm upon my face and as I walked away from it, warmed my back.

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This renewal that is Imbolc has cast its’ energy upon the land and myself…here I am re-sculpting the beds near the veranda and creating more of a movable pot garden.

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The hens in the hen-house are sitting against one wall of the building where the sunlight falls warmly upon them.

Even they are aware of Spring and have begun to…

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Egyptian Courts Take on FGM, But Can They Uproot the Practice Altogether?

Nervana

I wrote this piece for the Harvard Journal of Middle East Politics and policy, hope you enjoy it.

FGM

(Victim of FGM, 13-year-old Egyptian girl Suhair al-Bataa- Photo via AP)

In a landmark verdict handed down last Monday, an Egyptian doctor was convicted of the manslaughter of 13-year-old Suhair al-Bataa, who died during an illegal female genital mutilation (FGM) procedure. Dr. Raslan Fadl was initially acquitted in November 2014, triggering a wave of anger among activists and women’s rights advocates. The new verdict provides a glimmer of hope in the fight against the retrogressive practice, which originated in ancient Egypt. Nevertheless, the depth of the challenge should not be underestimated. FGM remains popular in Egypt, despite a 2008 ban on all its forms. Fadl’s conviction, though another step in the right direction, does not mean that the ugly practice will disappear anytime soon. More needs to be done to change mindsets…

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Silence is the only Truth

Zen Flash

Every person believes that they can spot their ego, not realizing that the person is the ego. The ego is only the sense that ‘I am a person’, which is created by believing thought.

When belief in thought is withdrawn, the oxygen supply to the person is cut off, but he still lives for a while, gasping for breath, panicking. In panic, he believes the most beautiful of thoughts: “I am God”, “Belief in thought is also God’s will”, etc. But he cannot rely on them, and soon even these pristine thoughts are dropped.

Then he knows. Then he knows everything that can come from this mouth is only false and there is no Truth that can be spoken.

Silence is the only Truth.

~ Ananta ~

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