Boys Allowed Hookah While Girls Do Dishes

"It's not fair" I shouted on a bustling Brooklyn street.

My response was produced after a small discussion with 6 brilliant young Egyptian American girls about gender roles and equality. One of the girls, let's call her Hanna, mentioned that her extremely religious parents allowed her brother to visit a famous Hookah cafe with friends. Their rationale was simple: exposure to such instances will make him a better man, ill-deprived of experiences of the outside, unsheltered world.

(of course the parents assume the best of their son where he will stay smoke-free and never get hooked on hookahs, busy Arab cafes or girls)

(the rest of the world knows better of course)

Another friend, Mona, asked Hanna annoyingly, "Will your parents give you the same opportunity?"

Answer: in the negative with an added 'never' sprinkled all over.

Pizza Mia

Pizza Mia, originally uploaded by Organica59.

The Secret Prayer Space

The campus I attend employs a quiet interfaith room for students to use for prayers. Turns out that mostly Muslims take advantage of the space. The only problem with the quiet room is it's located on the edge of campus and barely holds 4 people at a time. It's inconvenient when you are rushing to your next class or don't feel like taking a hike across campus.

When the weather is nice I venture by praying outdoors on the grass. I find a bush or large tree to hide behind, face East and make my salat in silence. But with cooler weather coming upon us, students at my school have devised a new prayer plan for 2009: a secret prayer space in the middle of campus. You won't find the location on any of the MSA pamphlets or website announcements, but if you know the right connections you will get an oral map to your secret destination.

The other day I was in the library fiddling with some graphs. Dhur time was almost over and I had yet to pray. I recalled my friend mentioning a hidden area that was convenient for prayers. I followed my gut and looked everywhere for this particular spot. I was instructed to look for a heater with towels and old sheets.

After 15 minutes of searching, I found it. An old polo and paper towels lay on the heater as described. I grabbed the shirt and faced East. I felt special praying here. I don't know what it was. Perhaps it was the atmosphere. Here was the meeting place where only a few people in the world have prayed facing East, facing their Lord in prayer in hopes that our efforts would in someway be rewarded with good life here and thereafter.

As I walked back to the library, I passed a brother. He looked at me; I nodded with a smile. He was heading East.

Bless.