I find it highly problematic that someone found my blog by googling "dont desire marriage muslim female."

For the Love

This makes me happy.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

I kind of wish I was in a black and white movie. Or over the rainbow. Whichever is more doable.

I'm so tired of being strong.

Joseph was kind,
the beautiful manifestation of faith:
full heart, firm patience.

His heart held no spite from the bottom of the well–
just overflowing faith,
only speaking good words about God
through prison bars and between dusty travels.

I found Your Joseph in history,
and I loved him.
Would that the Josephs of our time
were as beautiful.

What's all this talk about...Niqab?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you'll know that there has been major talk about niqab. The Muslim Canadian Congress released a statement in response to the issue (which first surfaced in Egypt): http://www.muslimcanadiancongress.org/20091008.html

I have nothing intricately intelligent to say with regards to the niqab issue. I have nothing to say about the religious backing for niqab, or the opinions of Islamic scholars. Essentially, this issue has nothing to do with that. It's about intolerance and racism.

But I would like to say is this: men need to stop telling women what and what not to wear. The thing that angers me the most is the presumptuous positions that people and groups take on issues that they have no experience with.

If you're a man, you've never had to experience the racism that comes along with wearing hijab or niqab. If you're a man, you haven't made that choice to wear something that will forever change the perceptions of people about you. You haven't, so what right do you have to speak on the issue as if you own it?

As for women who are speaking out against niqab - what if you're next? What if your clothing and way of life comes under the scrutiny of the government, and you feel powerless and hurt and defensive? If a niqab-ban is put into place, what and who is going to be next? When your turn comes, no one will be left to fight for you.

So stop talking, or we might make you stop.

No Longer Human

That's right. I am no longer a human. I am officially an email-replying, conference-call-making, minutes-taking, research-building, small-talk-yapping, organizing MACHINE.

Who does not have time for much sleep.

Eating, however, I always have time for. And I find myself eating more than usual these days. It's to make up for the lack of sleep, promise.

ish.

I have the memory of a goldfish; I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, or when any of my assignments are due. If I run into you and look a little uncomfortable, chances are I've forgotten your name. It makes multi-tasking a nightmare, because I will forget something extremely important.

But my heart remembers things much further back...and sometimes they are things I wish I could make it forget.

Organized Stalkers

Someone came to my blog from here. It makes me laugh. (Sorry for exposing you, stalker)

Unethicalnessness

Hi folks.

This year, I'm doing my social work placement at a hospital in Toronto. Gathering experience from my last placement as well as my current, I've come to the conclusion that unpaid internships/placements are unethical and problematic.

During my hospital orientation, one of the staff said "if it weren’t for the yearly social work students, we would not be able to function properly, or serve all the patients here." A statement like this makes me wonder about the use of my and other students' labour without proper (i.e. any) compensation. We're clearly an asset to the hospital – without which the hospital social workers would be there longer hours. So to use us without paying us seems like an unfair system.

To further this point, we are actually paying tuition through the nose to our educational institutions to give us these exploitative placements. That's right, "exploitative." Attempting to think about this logically will kill your brain cells. It is true that we gain valuable experience that will help us in our future employment opportunities and blah blah. But we could also learn just as well if we were being financially compensated.

I'm not saying I should be paid full wages with benefits. I'd like to simply point out the inherently unethical system.

End of rant. For now.