Poetry: In My Cage

By Nusaiba Mirza I am a lost dove With no one to see me, Trapped in a cage Of silver base and invisible grills, And a guardian of stone Who never leaves me alone. My white wings are clipped The bright feathers cut away, So I have no hope of being free. My cage is in a haven A haven of green leaves and roses. Around my neck is a locket of diamond. My door is locked, The key is in my heart. And my cage is placed on a stone table, Nearby flowing is a fountain of light. Hanging from my cage Is a crystal chandelier. Round and round the grills, Wound the vines while the red roses bloom. I am a trapped dove, Locked in my cage. (3) Comments

Posted: 1/10/2008 8:01:55 AM

Poetry: Why do you cry?

By Nusaiba Mirza Little girl, why do you cry? Do you know how much pain you cause with those tears? You remind me of another girl, With an empty plate at hand Another spoon of food would be all That would fulfill her little demand. Little girl, why do you cry? Do you not know that it breaks my heart? You flash across my eyes The scene of orphaned child in a blood-smeared land of death Where no one is there to call his name And none to calm his breath. Little girl, why do you cry? Why wet your face with pains? Do you not know the story of that child? Education was all she wanted But nay, little girl Reality got her hopes decanted. Little girl, why do you cry? Are you the saddest person in the world? Come, little girl, tell me your pains Tell me what your sorrow is about. For I know it will make you feel better, As my ones never got out. (1) Comments

Posted: 1/5/2008 12:37:58 AM

Poetry: ToLive

There once was a very cautious man Who never laughed or cried. He never cared, he never dared, He never dreamed or tried. Then one day, when he passed away, His insurance was denied. For since he never really lived They claimed he never died. -Author Unknown (1) Comments

Posted: 1/2/2008 5:39:48 AM

Poetry: Words to live by

If you think you're beaten, you are; IF you think you dare not, you don't; If you like to win, but think you can't It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost; For out of the world we find, success begins with a fellow's will, It's all in the state of mind. If you think you're outclassed, you are; You've got to think high to rise. You've got to hustle before You can ever win a prize. Life's battle don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But sooner or later the man who wins is the one who thinks he can. -Anonymous (0) Comments

Posted: 12/20/2007 10:09:20 AM

No Time

I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work for bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees. My Muslim duty was now done my soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Allah to friends, they'd laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, That was my constant cry, No time to give to souls in need But at last the time, the time to die. I went before the Lord, I came, and I stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; it was the book of life. God looked into his book and said your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down... But never found the time" (0) Comments

Posted: 12/19/2007 4:16:27 AM

Current situation: Battle with Cyclone Sidr

By Nusaiba Mirza On the fifteenth of November, 2007, a raging cyclone by the name Sidr, hit the coastal areas of Khulna, Bangladesh. At a violent speed of 240 kilometers per hour, it tore apart localities, ruined uncountable fields of paddy and uprooted houses and trees in a matter of seconds. Thousands of lives were lost, numerous still not found, and many others injured. The main reason why cyclone Sidr even formed in the first place is because of Global Warming. The excessive greenhouse gases released by the combustion in industries, vehicles, etc, absorb more heat from the sun than normal, which causes the temperature of this planet to rise. This in turn melts the glaciers which cause the sea level to rise. A rise in sea level makes cyclones such as Sidr more likely, which is why it is not surprising to find cyclone Nargis, another cyclone, to be predicted to hit this country at the end of this month. Cyclone Sidr destroyed 133 sub districts along with 962 unions, affecting 314,400 people of about 887,000 families. To add it all, another 242,000 cattle were killed by the storm. The Red Crescent Society estimated a death toll of about 10,000, while Save the Children organization predicted a death toll of 15,000. Though the national death toll remains far lower, fresh corpses are being found every day. 600,000 metric tons of rice was utterly destroyed, along with about 23,122 acres of land. With such a catastrophe at hand, more than 60% of the country’s winter rice crops were ruined. As Bangladesh is an agriculture based country, it is not surprising to expect inflation soon. The crops were just recovering from the damage done by the recent floods and the effects of the cyclone may be beyond repair. In such an emergency, all of humanity should come to extend a hand of assistance. Higher funds should be raised and relief should be distributed justly. There should be better cyclone shelters built. People should be advised to move away from the cyclonic areas and be provided other places to stay. All these problems can only be solved if the government takes the right action. The present government is not working hard enough for the situation of the flood affected victims. That is why it is found in some cases that when people rushed to the cyclone shelters, they found it locked. The ultimate solution is to get a government which is liable to some one and is watched over, so that the country is not ruled by a group of corrupted leaders who would only rule it for his/her benefit. What this country really needs is a government that is accountable to Allah, in other words, an established Islamic State, the Khilafah. (1) Comments

Posted: 12/19/2007 3:35:19 AM

Poetry: The Unheeded Warrior

By Nusaiba Mirza Oh glory! The silver moon aloft shines And the night stars’ tantalizing beauty Guiding me to a place unknown Where my life is not guaranteed, my limbs unsafe. The cold breeze blows, ever sweet on my face And the desert sand stretches afar. The sun lifts its sleepy head from the east Enemies march from the horizon, Outnumbering us all. The time has come to unsheathe my sword I do so as I call my Lord “Oh my Creator! Make me firm on my path As You did for those muslims in the past.” If death overcomes, martyrdom shall it be Or I return home with victory. I strike, though not a fighter am I For I am just an unheeded warrior. (6) Comments

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:36:38 AM

Current situation: Iran: An Islamic state?

By Nusaiba Mirza I have heard many of my relatives say that Iran is an Islamic state. They say that Iran has actually managed to be the only state ruled by something Islamic. Why do they think like this? And is this really true? To find the answer, let’s dig a little deeper into the scene. Iran is ruled by Islamic democracy. Come again, Islamic democracy? What on God’s green earth is Islamic democracy? Or to be more precise, is there any true statement such as Islamic democracy? To know the precise answer, we need to know the meanings of the terms Islam and democracy. What is meant by democracy? It is meant that sovereignty belongs to Man. By the People. Of the People. For the People. What is meant by Islam? Sovereignty belongs to Allah! Aren’t these two subjects totally contradictory? So what conclusion do we draw from here? There is no such thing as Islamic democracy! So, if there is no such thing as Islamic democracy, what is the sort of ruling that rules Iran? It’s democracy, really. That Islamic bit is to satisfy the fellow citizens of Iran. So is Iran really Islamic, when it can’t even tell its own citizens what it’s ruled by? But then again, the scholars of Iran are admirably bold. They warn the U.S not to touch their precious little Nazaf and Karbala. They say, ‘if you dare touch our Nazaf and Karbala, we will take action.’ Very brave isn’t it? Meaning, which country does that? Now, perhaps Nazaf and Karbala are really sacred. But can any true Muslim tell me that they are more sacred then the Ka’ba? Isn’t the Ka’ba referred to as Baitullah (House of Allah)? Of course it is. Then Iran should know that one drop of Muslim blood is far more precious to Allah then the Ka’ba. One drop of Muslim blood! The cheapest thing in this world is Muslim blood! Is Nazaf and Karbala more precious than Muslim blood? Iran is an Islamic state, right? Very Islamic to just sit and watch neighboring Muslims being killed by foreign troops in their own country, Muslim sisters being raped, neighboring countries being bombed for no good reason, citizens being driven out of their own houses. Who are these neighbors? Muslims! And Iran is being very brave to warn the U.S and protect Nazaf and Karbala. Astonishingly courageous! Why is Iran silent? Is it because those neighbors who are being murdered are Iraqis? Why is Iran silent? Is it because those citizens being kicked out of their homes are Palestinians? Is it because those children whose limbs are being blown off by bombs are Afghanis? Is this why is Iran silent? What sort of Islamic state is Iran? What sort of Quran does Iran read, a nationalist Quran or read the Quran through a nationalist eye? Which prophet does Iran follow? Is it Muhammad (saw) or George W. Bush? The Prophet (saw) said, ‘The believers are like a body, if the eye is in pain, the whole body is in pain…’ My question is, does Iran feel anything about the bombings of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir, and other oppressed countries? Has it really proved itself to be an Islamic state? Is Iran really Islamic, when it keeps its own citizens in ignorance about its politics? Is Iran really Islamic, when it just watches its neighboring Muslim lands being bathed in their own blood and no reason to justify it? Bravo, Iran, Bravo! Bear in mind, oh rulers of Iran, that if American bombs hit Iraq, they will one day hit you. If people are killed mercilessly in Afghanistan by foreign troops, they will one day come to kill you. If you don’t help now, fear the day when no one will help you. Fear the day when these oppressed Muslims will rise up against you on the Day of Judgment and say, ‘Ya Allah! I asked help from the Muslim Ummah, but they did not react!’ How will you stand in front of your lord that Day? Now tell me, IS IRAN REALLY AN ISLAMIC STATE?! (2) Comments

Posted: 8/18/2007 10:06:20 AM

The War Unheard

Nusaiba Mirza Everything suddenly went quiet. Has the fight stopped? Adam looked out of the window. The shooting had stopped as quickly as it started. What happened? Twenty-third July, 2006. This was one of the uncountable invasions of the American army. Tania pushed the curtain further away. Outside lay the bloody remains of the crossfire. Dead corpses could be seen everywhere. “Let’s get out,” Adam mumbled, getting up. The two children crept downstairs and opened the front door. Dust glided gracefully in. Right at they’re footstep lay they’re mother, unrecognizable by her bloody appearance. The body was rolled in like a ball and shot at for the very least fifteen different places. Not far off was their dead uncle, his brains oozing out of a distinct cut on his head. Adam kneeled over his once alive father and moaned. But he knew there was no point. Tania stood still, looking around, but not a living soul could be seen. She could have called for help, but what was the point? Every one except them was dead. The two siblings hurried into the open road, not knowing what to do. They walked on and on silently, wordlessly. Where are they going? They asked themselves, but there was no answer. “Do you think this will go to the news?’ Tania asked her brother. ‘Like it matters,’ Adam replied, looking quite blank. When Tania and Adam had reached the main road, it was almost dusk. The two sat at the edge of a huge field near the road. A sudden shock of emotion overtook them and they cried themselves to sleep. When Tania woke up, the sun was right on top of her. Every limbs of her body ached. She looked down and saw that she was chained to an army jeep. Adam was also chained up, muttering under his breath. The soldiers had caught them! There was a group of soldiers nearby, playing cards. Seeing them, Tania immediately screamed out, “What have we done?” Suddenly, she was aware of a deep scar across Adam’s forehead. She really should have kept quiet. One of the men looked up, a taunting sneer playing across his face. ‘What have you done, eh?’ He snarled at Tania. ‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, EH? TERRORISTS! CHILDREN OF FILTH!’ The man was halfway in going to shoot her when another man stopped him. He whispered something in his ear and they both looked up, leering at Tania. Soon, the soldiers drove to some unknown hell, with Tania and Adam dragged along in chains at the back. Do I really need to tell you what happens next, or can you guess? Obviously, if you know something about this world, you can guess this might occur in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine or any other place of the sort. As you lead your life every day, how many times have you ever thought about children like Adam and Tania? Is THIS called freeing people? (0) Comments

Posted: 7/18/2007 9:30:26 AM