Real Tears of Joy

Tears streamed down his face as he slipped on the new pair of shoes he was handed. One foot in his old, torn shoe and one foot now in a new, black and shiny dress shoe. I had never seen tears of joy so real before. I looked at his old tattered shoe he was still wearing on his left foot—ripped at the edges with mud on the sides. I could tell they had been through so much. I could tell he had been through so much. How I wished I could be in his shoes instead of only being able to hand him new ones. How I wished I could fill the emptiness in his soul as he placed the soles of his feet into their new home. His home, though, he can’t call it a home anymore. He is a Syrian refugee now living in Turkey. I had the honor of teaching children like him during the summer this year. I noticed though that his tears were not filled with the woes of past misfortunes. They were filled with hope for a new journey. And he did not need more than one pair for that. I learned a lot from this boy. True blessings are not the materialistic things we adorn, but the feelings of gratitude that touch our hearts when we remember how much we have been given. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Count your blessings. Clichés that become so real when you see real tears of joy.

In Nizip, Turkey Summer Camp for Syrian Refugees

Light upon Light

No corner of the cosmos existing except with His light that illuminates

Closer to man than his jugular vein

Guiding him to a path away from the darkness and away from the pain

Light Upon Light

Our Creator exists eternally

His illumination, from the Infinite, perpetually flowing

His Essence infuses the universe with guidance

Showing man the correct path, living a life of true balance

Light Upon Light

Like nothing in all the universe

Allah’s guidance reaches the hearts of true believers

His eternal radiance polishing the mind and the soul

promising mankind a Paradise of bliss and much much more

To guide us along the way

He gave us the Quran here to stay

Purifying our souls and cleansing them

like a plant that grows from seed to stem

Blossoming out of the soil, widening the heart

Splitting darkness and light, far apart.

A gift from the Creator, up above

Showing Mercy, forgiveness, and beautiful love

A healer of pain, a book to cheer hearts

The book that feels the tears in your eyes

and testifies of your readings to the Most High

Food for the mind

its words so intelligent and so wise

A jewel and a treasure brought down from the skies

Revealed to our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him

A sacred treasure, a luminating jem.

Our source of guidance to the only source of Light

Our friend until the end, when no one else is in sight.

Except our Beloved Creator, may we be worthy of this sight.

Nuroun 3ala Nour.

Light Upon Light.

“O Allah we ask You from You of Your most illuminating Light, to grant us this most beautiful delight”

Ameen.

Illuminating Potential

Based off "The Allegory of the Cave" in Plato's Republic

As we grow and mature in the world we live in, we begin to learn more about our personal fears, hopes, and beliefs. We begin to mold a self-concept of who we think we are. This self-concept is a composite of ideas and attitudes that a person has about his or her own identity. Factors such as the values and opinions of others, however, can play a significant role in the shaping of this self-concept. Although this compound of ideas that we believe is true about ourselves can be one that is admirable, it can also be one that diminishes the light of true self-actualization. Instead of a person becoming more of who they already are, a self-concept can be a chain that merely traps a person in a state of longing to become something they hope they are, while at the same time fearing they are not truly that person they are striving to be. Concepts like these that are conceived in the mind usually represent abstract ideas generalized from mental perceptions about life. Who you truly are does not stem from these abstract and general ideas; however, it stems from something not conceived in your mind. Who you truly are rather stems from something deeper and more real and that is from the depth of your being, your soul.

Recognizing and being in tune with the true essence of our being is what can lead us to self-actualization and the true illumination of our potential. If we live our lives based off a false or generalized concept of who we wish we were, we will never truly realize the things we are capable of overcoming and becoming; we will be shackled in a mindset of false illusions and desires. We will find ourselves in a cave of false hopes, beliefs, and perceptions. Like the cumulative image of the Cave that Plato illustrates in The Republic, we will be trapped in our own misconceptions of reality. The Allegory of the Cave presented in Book VII helps us understand this concept further as it illustrates what is truly preventing us from being enlightened and from attaining true knowledge of ourselves and the world around us.

Through Socrates, we are able to visualize and understand the multi-faceted meanings from the Cave metaphor. These can be seen in the beginning with the presence of prisoners that are chained within the cave; they are bound to the floor and are unable to turn their heads to see what goes on behind them (514a-15a; 516a-c). Behind the prisoners, under the protection of the parapet, lie the puppeteers that create the shadows on the walls that the prisoners perceive as being reality. Since the prisoners are incapable of turning around, they are thus incapable of realizing that the realities they are witnessing are merely shadows created from wooden and iron objects. And so, through the allegory at this point, we can conclude that the prisoners have “names” for only things they can fathom with their minds and not things they are actually able to see.

This inability to see things for what they truly are is one of the major shackles that causes the prisoners to remain in their dwelling of darkness. The shadows cast by the puppets are those that keep the prisoners preoccupied with cultural myths and assumptions. In an unjust society these things can be prejudices, stereotypes, and other false conceptions that hinder members of society from seeing the truth about themselves or those around them. These false concepts are what hold back individuals from realizing their full potential; they conversely influence individuals into forming self-concepts that are not based on reality but rather on ideals and standards unjustly made. If these cultural shackles are not questioned or removed, they will continue to blind the prisoners from the truth of self-fulfillment that can only be achieved when the shackles are removed and one can witness the reality that is not a mere shadow of cultural presuppositions.

This ascent towards understanding the truth about one’s self and reality is not an easy task. Plato describes the vision of the real truth to be "aching" to the eyes of the prisoners, and that after seeing that which is truly real, a previous dweller of the cave would need some time to adjust to his new world above (516a-b). What allows the prisoner to free himself from his shackles and foolishness is the process of acquiring a certain type of education. This education is not obtained through simply putting knowledge into empty minds, but rather through making people realize that which they already know. Thus, the process of reaching enlightenment and self-actualization is not a process of creating one’s self but a process of discovering one’s self. Here we can again see the distinction between a self-concept and reality. If one is blinded about the reality of himself due to cultural assumptions or the opinions of others, he will never truly match his reality with his self-concept. This will ultimately shackle him in the cave and prevent him from illuminating his true potential.

Just like sight cannot be put into blind eyes, knowledge cannot simply be placed into souls that lack it; it requires awareness of one’s own self and understanding. Learning can only occur then when an individual frees himself from the chains that bind him, turns around towards the light, and learns to accept things as they are rather than as one perceives them to be. This learning can be marked and seen when those that achieve enlightenment can see their former chains. They no longer view these chains as being transparent, and the things that previously shackled them become noticeable. This is because the soul has become illuminated and the enlightened person has achieved true self-actualization where he understands the true essence of his being. When we realize that who we are is not the collection of abstract ideas that we have conjured in our minds and we comprehend that "the capacity to learn and the organ with which to do so are present in every person's soul" (518c), we can then begin to ascend from the shadows of our perceptions into the true awareness of our existence.

An allegory, like the Allegory of the Cave, is a representation of abstract meanings through symbolism to illustrate a truth or a moral. Being like an incomplete simile, it requires that the reader supply what is similar to the events described. For this reason, when one reads the Allegory of the Cave, he can make connections to his own life that may be different than the connections others make. These many connections that readers can establish do not take away from the elements of the allegory, but rather enforce them. Everyone must find his or her own path to self-actualization, and although the road may be tedious and difficult, it will always provide illumination to those who reach their full potential and understand reality as it truly is. No matter how strong one’s shackles were or how difficult it was to ascend into that understanding that is based on truth, the destination will yield similar results. Some may take longer than others and some may reach different answers, but no matter how shadowed their previous beliefs were, it is still possible for them to conquer the path to enlightenment.

Those who have been liberated from the cave have achieved the highest level of knowledge that comes with understanding. The contrasts formulated between the shadows, the reflections, and the actual objects are clues to discerning the different levels of enlightenment that can be attained. For example, the shadows reflected in the cave can be a wide variety of disagreements and opinions that individuals have about a certain truth. This can be how others view you or interpret your behavior. In order to “see” the real version of yourself, you must attain reliable knowledge that guides you towards a truth that is not blurred and a truth that is not changing. This truth is not always something that can be seen in your outward behavior and conduct because it stems from an intelligible source rather than a visible source—the soul. True understanding of your soul and the essence of your being is what can de-mystify the shackles that you may be blinded from; with this realization you can enter the world of thought and leave the world of only senses and wavering shadows.

The Allegory of the Cave represents a complex model of how we journey in our lives towards understanding ourselves and reality. The progress of thought, introspection, and human development is what can guide our souls to true self-actualization. Our path to complete awareness will require that we drop created self-concepts that are shadowed and adopt truths about ourselves that are based on reality. In many instances in our lives we may find ourselves placed in situations where we are challenged to stand in the integrity of our soul and who we truly are. But as we accept the reality of our essence, we may find that the opinions of others will affect us less and less. We may discover that through accepting who we are, we are able to relieve ourselves of shackles imposed on us by others; we may find our finally unveiled truths ultimately guiding us from the Cave to illuminated potential.

La crisis humanitaria en Siria [Español]

Cuando pensamos sobre nuestro mundo, querremos creer que tenemos ideales altos para la integridad y valor de cada ser humano. Cada persona no es sólo un número en este mundo, sino que es alguien que tiene derechos y un lugar especial en la sociedad. Cuando hay un evento trágico como una guerra, sería irracional concentrarse sólo en el número de víctimas, especialmente si hay personas que están heridas o son forzadas a ser refugiados. Es importante recordar que cada número es una persona, un niño o una niña, un padre o una mujer. Pueden verse historias individuales de las víctimas humanas y el sufrimiento de la gente en angustiosos detalles en miles de fotos y videos que son tomadas durante la guerra, y este debería ser el foco principal, no una lista de números. Por esta razón, creo que es más importante discutir maneras de ayudar a Siria a través de ayuda humanitaria que a través de la intervención militar.


Cuando el Presidente de Siria, Bashar Al Assad, utilizó armas químicas contra su propio pueblo, el principal debate entre los líderes era el número de víctimas y si la intervención militar era necesaria. Tanto, si cuatrocientas personas o cuatro mil personas murieron, lo que es importante es encontrar una manera de prevenir la pérdida de otra vida inocente. Unos siete millones de personas necesitan ayuda humanitaria en Siria y se estima que la mitad de la población del país se desplazará al final del año (Ibrahim). Las mujeres y los niños fueron los más afectados de esta guerra. Más de un mil niños son refugiados y muchas veces no tienen padres que los cuiden. Creo que debemos centrar nuestra atención en ayudar a esta gente de maneras humanitarias. Hay debate desde ambos lados en contra de y por la participación militar de los Estados Unidos en Siria, pero yo pienso que hay maneras de salvar las vidas de la gente en Siria sin usar la fuerza. Una manera en que los Estados Unidos puede ayudar a Siria sin utilizar las fuerzas armadas es permitir que más gente entre en el país, dar más ayuda humanitaria, y proteger las instalaciones médicas que están en Siria.


El aumento de los refugiados de Siria está creando una crisis interna y regional también. Los números están aumentando muy rápidamente y no hay un plan efectivo. Algunos países han aceptado refugiados, pero esto ha creado más tensiones regionales porque causa pérdidas económicas para los que aceptan una gran cantidad de personas. Por ejemplo, Turquía ha gastado más de 1,5 billones de dólares en asistencia humanitaria y protección de los refugiados con sólo un pequeño porcentaje de la financiación de UN (Ibrahim). Para resolver este problema, los Estados Unidos debe aumentar el número de refugiados que acepta de Siria. Si los países con menos de diez millones de personas pueden aceptar miles de refugiados, seguramente los Estados Unidos puede también. También, yo pienso que las universidades deben proporcionar becas para los estudiantes que llegan a los Estados Unidos sin mucho dinero. Un profesor de la Universidad de Oklahoma dijo que un niño educado puede ayudar a su familia con sus dificultades y sus problemas en el campamento de refugiados; es la manera más eficiente para mejorar la sociedad y es mejor que las bombas (DePillis).


Aparte de permitir que más gente entre, los Estados Unidos debe enviar más ayuda humanitaria a Siria. UNICEF reporta que hay muchos casos de desnutrición y uno de cada cinco de las familias no come comida siete días del mes (Georgieva). El acceso a los alimentos es un problema creciente y están aumentando las enfermedades transmitidas por el agua. Los Estados Unidos contribuyó mil millones de dólares en ayuda humanitaria a Siria. Esto no es nada y hay personas que necesitan más ayuda. Muchos hombres y mujeres están sufriendo de problemas psicológicos. La depresión y la ansiedad afecta a las refugiados tanto como el hambre y la sed, y es muy importante encontrar maneras de ayudar a los refugiados a recuperar su dignidad y su sentido de valor. El envió de psicólogas así como de médicos puede ayudar con esta problema.


Sin duda, una de las mayores causas de la muerte es debido a una enfermedad crónica. Muchos sufren de enfermedades renales ya que no tienen acceso a la insulina o diálisis (DePillis). Estados Unidos necesita encontrar una manera de asegurarse de que la ayuda humanitaria llegue a los refugiados, sobre-todo porque Assad ha impedido que mucha de la ayuda llegue a los campos. Esto puede hacerse a través de negociaciones con Rusia y con nuevas resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad. El enfoque militar no es la mejor solución en este caso.


Espero que cuando pasen los meses, habrá más énfasis en la humanidad y menos en la guerra. La gente de Siria sólo quiere libertad y dignidad de vivir su propia vida sin un dictador violento. Han pasado más de dos años, y Siria necesita ayuda humanitaria. Los Estados Unidos puede ayudar con la situación sin el uso del ejército. Puede aceptar más refugiados en el país, puede enviar más ayuda humanitaria y puede influenciar a Rusia para proteger los médicos de los campos de los refugiados. El daño que se ha hecho va a necesitar mucho tiempo para ser reparado, pero no podemos ignorar a las personas que necesitan nuestra ayuda. Cada persona tiene el derecho de vivir y de ser feliz.

Real Change

Made of paper, exchanged through hands, crumbled in wallets, and sometimes written on—how can this seemingly insignificant object have the power to create power. When you have a lot of it you are “rich”, but rich in what? We are told over and over again that money can’t buy happiness, but isn’t happiness the most fulfilling richness? Money can be a tool; it can get you places and give you things but it is not anything more than a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. Without you, it is worth nothing. If we live our lives thinking that money will do everything, we will eventually live to do everything for money. Money will not create the success we desire, but it can be our tool to create change. But to make any progress, we must first severe our attachment to money and our attachment to the idea that its accumulation is what can bring us success and happiness. We are the driving force behind our success and our personal enrichment. The only change money can give us is that in quarters, nickels and dimes. We have to bring about the change we wish to see and enrich ourselves with that which money can’t buy.     

Like a Sky Scraper

When you go to the city, something about your vision changes. You find yourself looking up, around, and way-ahead more than looking down at your feet in the crowd. In fact, sometimes you forget to look where you're walking because what's ahead seems more exciting. Headphones plugged in, suitcase in hand, camera to the eye--everyone seems in their own world walking to a personalized destination following their own pace, and the only thing in common is the sky scrapers above. As they watch over the busy workers of the Chicago streets, they share something in common with the explorers that search above. No need to peer from their infinite windows in horizontal rows; they stretch high into the skies vertically reaching for the clouds while abiding at the center of their being. Maybe we are all sky scrapers. 

Picture taken in Downtown Chicago 09/06/13

Nature's Stories

Life is simple, but sometimes we tend to complicate it. Life is beautiful, but sometimes we only focus on seeing the negatives. There is peace in the world, but sometimes all people can highlight is the destruction. If we only took but a moment to reflect upon our existence and the many blessings that surround us on a daily basis, we would realize that there is more love than hatred, more opportunities than sorrows, and more light than darkness in our world. Life simply is. It follows its own course. If we stop analyzing and fretting, envying and regretting, we can begin to find beauty in the day to day moments that make up life. When you give yourself to the moment, life can reveal itself to you. Nature is the first to reveal its beauty to the eyes that seek it. Take a moment and observe nature in silence; you will realize that words are not always needed. Watch how the ant never gives up trying to hold the piece of bread double its size; watch how over time green is added to each twig and branch of a once bare and empty tree. We are fascinated by words, but nature can tell stories. How the sky goes on without end can maybe teach our hearts infinitude. Slowly, we can realize again...that life is beautiful.

In my Backyard :)