I'm back! Awards and working with charitable organisations.

Yes, it has been a while since I have last written my blog but I have been busy with family commitments, teaching and other creative projects. I do apologise for my long absence but if you don’t hear from me for some time then you know I am working on something! Lol!

So much has happened over the last few months that I would like to share it with everyone. Remember Brightside’? My short documentary? Well? it has won a number of awards from film festivals around the world!

Just to mention a few, The Impact Documentary Award based in San Diego, California, awarded Brightside the short documentary award a few months ago. Apart from that the International Film Festival for Women, Social Issues and Zero Discrimination based in Indonesia also awarded ‘Brightside’ with International Short Documentary award for 2016. Yippee! The Indonesian film festival was a huge success for us with more than two hundred media articles, Radio interviews and TV News covering the event. The festival was also attended by two women government ministers who presented awards during the ceremony. It was a proud moment for both me, my co-producer Clair Haynes and my film crew. Yes, without my film crew ‘Brightside’ could not have been possible.

As a result of winning these film awards a number of TV shows have shown interest in airing ‘Brightside’ on their channels. I’ll keep you posted as and when that happens ):

Phew! If that was not enough I have been busy with teaching. I am proud to say my refugee class has been increasing over the year. It has been really rewarding  teaching these students. Sigh! What many people fail to understand is how many of these people are suffering and at the mercy of charities to help them out. Unlike the media coverage of refugees, very few of these people are receiving benefits or handouts. Working with a charitable organisation, I have seen first- hand the difficulties they are facing in just trying to help the most vulnerable and needy. Most of them are not just working with refugees but they are also helping out with the homeless and most helpless in the UK. I cannot tell you how in awe I am of these organisations who help the less fortunate.

I am actually embarrassed to say this but last month I was awarded Star Volunteer Tutor by Leicester City Council. It was a pleasant surprise for me but this is nothing compared to my students who attend my lessons. They are the real stars behind my teaching.

Before I go it is our fasting month. This is month of tolerance, patience, forgiveness and mercy. Any Muslim who fasts will try to strive to meet these qualities This is a month when Muslims are trying to get closer to God which means praying and carrying out good deeds. For anyone to carry out horrific acts in the name of Allah is wasting their time and effort. I hope and pray people can look past the isolated terrorist attacks that sometimes occurs in the name of Islam and see the peaceful loving religion for what it is, and its 1.6 billion followers who are striving to be better people.

Belated Ramadan Mubarak and & Eid Mubarak everyone!

Paris, Lebanon and Baghdad attacks.

The Isis massacre in Paris on Friday is far from the beginning of these terrible attacks. These major occurrences have been happening around the world for many months. Sadly, many of these assaults have gone unnoticed by the rest of the world and not until the Paris attacks on Friday did it shed some light on these awful events taking place. Again, this has to do with media coverage and on who matters the most on this planet.

Before the Paris violence on Thursday night, Lebanon faced its most terrible terror attack in Beirut. 43 people died and over 250 were injured in the double suicide bombing which nearly brought the vibrant city to a stop. Isis took the blame for the carnage but most of the world media was less than non- existent on the situation. As the Paris attacks unfolded on Friday it forced numerous media agencies to shed some light on the Middle East aftermaths.

It seems Lebanon was not the only victim in the latest senseless killings. Early on Friday morning an Isis militant blew himself up at the funeral of a pro-government Shia fighter in Baghdad, killing more than 18 people and wounding 41 people.

Unaware to most people many of these terror attacks take place in Middle Eastern countries. According to the latest statistics, Iraq has the highest claim of terrorist attacks followed by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. It seems the West and Europe come very down low in the list and account for only a small fraction.

Not to belittle the situation in Paris. Violence anywhere in the world should not be tolerated but fought against under all circumstances. Those who lost their lives on Friday in Paris came from a variety of backgrounds, faiths and countries. Paris is a multicultural city and Parisians are very proud of their beautiful hometown. To mourn the dead is mourning people of all cultures, nationalities and religions. This includes refugees washed up on the shores off Greek Islands or those fleeing persecution from tyrant regimes. To stand against terrorism it to stand for solidarity against violence and learning to be tolerant of one another. All in the hope that one day there is an integrated world and peace in all countries. (Ameen) :)

Refugees and migrants need protection

The distressing pictures of the young Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, who drowned with his mother and his older brother was finally laid to rest today in his home town of Koban. His father Abdullah Kurdi the only survivor from this tragedy returned home to bury his family in Syria.   As a result of what has happened to Mr Kurdi his only wish is to be buried alongside his family.

What started out as a family fleeing a war torn country ended in tragedy when the overcrowded boat they were travelling in capsized. Mr Kurdi tried to save his family from the big waves but sadly watched them pass away before his very eyes. It was only after Mr Kurdi lost everything that the Canadian government came forward and offered him citizenship which he declined.

Lately it seems tragedies such as these are the only way to force people to sit up and take notice. The situation in Calais and Hungary is not so different to what happened to the Kurdi family. It has to be said people who leave war torn countries to come to Europe do so for safety and protection. They do not come to the West because it’s a good life or they are trying to jump the immigration queue. It seems there will always be a few cynical, twisted individuals who want to make every immigrant out to be parasites. For the majority of us we will see these people are suffering and acknowledge them as human beings.

Thankfully, lesson have been learnt in the wake of Aylan’s tragedy. There has been such a great response from the people of Europe it replaces one faith in humanity again. In Iceland alone 12,000 people have offered to take refugees. Germany has also taken 800,000 refugees and will take more from Syria. Sadly, the British government has been slow in responding to the situation but hundreds of Britons are calling on the government to take in more refugees and some are offering their homes. A number of petitions have also been signed to get the British government to do more.

Charities like The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCCR), Refugee Action, Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, World Vision, Doctors of the world, (just a few mentioned) who are on the ground in Calais and Hungary are looking for volunteers to collect on their behalf.

Amazon wish list has also been set up for people to buy specific items such as shoes and sleeping bags to be delivered to Calais in the coming weeks. Getting in touch with these grassroots groups you will be helping the refugee situation. Currently, there are roughly 32 countries involved with migrant fundraising efforts.

Finally, I appreciate how lucky I am to have been born in the UK and that my children are growing up safe here too. We all have a responsibility not to be ignorant of those in need. To be given a chance to help others is a chance to engage with our own humanity. Please let’s not forget that and make change today.
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Ramadan & What it means to be a Muslim

The problem with writing is that you can become so immersed in your own work that you forget what is happening around you. By the time you get round to dealing with things then other stuff tend to pile up for you too. I don’t want to sound like a broken record but a lot has been happening on my end. That and keeping busy with various other projects is keeping me on my toes!

No matter how busy I am, I look forward to one particular month every year in the Islamic calendar. Yes, you guessed it right it’s Ramadan. It is the month full of countless blessings and virtues. Fasting is one of the Pillars of Islam. The act of fasting is itself an act of mercy. It is a time when Muslims try to purify their souls by reconnecting with Allah and abstaining from all kinds of wrong doings. The word ‘Sawm’ literally means ‘to refrain’ not just from food and drink but from bad thoughts and evil actions. Ramadan is also the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed. A month when Muslims will increase their reading of the Quran and put it into practise in their daily lives.

During Ramadan Muslims will engage in extra prayers and worship in the hope of becoming better people. Ramadan is known as the month if empathy. A time when Muslims will reflect on people less fortunate than themselves and try to help better their situations. The virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the virtues is that God chose fasting for Himself. Prophet Muhammad said:

"Allah said) "Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting;it is for Me. I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.' Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk." (Al-Bukhari) 

The beauty of the first ten days of Ramadan is that it is full of mercy and blessings. As Muslims are actively seeking to please Allah in this month their reward will increase up to seventy folds. It is important to point out for a Muslim to gain Allah's pleasure in this month is only possible through sincere repentance and pleasing Him and Him alone. If a person's intention is to please another person or organisation then they will have wasted their time and made no gains for themselves in this world or the hereafter

It is at this point I need to express that sometimes in the media we see individuals carrying out horrific acts of violence in the name of Islam. For some strange reason they like to choose the blessed month of Ramadan to carry out their evil. These perpetrators do not represent ordinary Muslims, what they do has nothing to do with Islam. According to Islamic teachings they should be held accountable for their wrong doings in this world and will certainly in the hereafter. Most Islamic scholars and Muslims dissociate themselves from such evil people and organisations. However as it is the Holy Month of Ramadan most Muslims are trying to avoid speaking ill of anyone and keeping up with their worship in this blessed month. Most Muslims will be praying for all those who have lost someone in the latest tragic event that took place abroad. For Muslims this month is better than a thousand months. It is best time to ask for Allah’s help in all circumstances.

On a different note, I have also been involved in a homeless project with a Christian/Muslim organisation. A humbling experience and something that I will continue to do over the coming months.It takes place once a month and suitable for anyone to get involved. Without sounding patronising I feel working on this project is building bridges and bringing communities together. We all live in hope for a better world Insh-Allah. :)

Working on my novel

For all those who have been waiting for my next blog I do apologise for the delay. Phew! This has been quite an intense period in my life. I have been working hard on my novel which is taking most of my time. There is just a lot to do. Just because you may finish writing a novel does not automatically mean it is ready for publish. As many of you know there is a lot to do in between what with the rewrites, adding missing bits to the plot, character building etc.etc..Sigh! 

Writing can be such a lonely business. I did not realise how many hours and days would be spent trying to get my novel structured the way I want it to be. Again, you are never satisfied with the results. There is always a part of you that wishes you could have done better. The worst bit is when you send it out there to agents and publishers, you know if it get’s picked up there will be more work to do! Lol! I am cool with that!

Apart from my novel writing I have been also been working on some articles which will be shortly published. It has been a hectic time for me.  If anyone is waiting to hear from me I will be in touch soon.

I am still sending Brightside to a couple of film festivals and waiting to see what happens. There is so much going on. The most important thing for me at the moment is I am on standby for my son who is sitting his GCSES this year. I am proud to say he has been relentless with his revision. I am hoping and praying he get the results he deserves. :) He’s probably going to get annoyed I put this section in. lol! Teenagers get so embarrassed quickly these days. Lol! Well, I am his mum and will think the best for him.:) 

Glad to be blogging again!

Yes, it has been a long time since I last wrote on my blog. For personal reasons I have been kept away and focusing on other creative projects. Actually, it has not been a bad thing doing other things. It has opened my eyes to the amount of creativity out there and how easy it is to get involved in such projects.

Whilst, I’ve been off radar, I have also focused on my novel and other writing materials too. It has been very interesting point in my life. Something that I will always cherish. In this period, I have also been working for charitable organisations like Friends of Alqsa. I have been writing a series of articles and literature leaflets for their charity.

I have to admit, it has been very therapeutic focusing on my writing projects. I have just completed my children’s fantasy novel and in the process of filling in the gaps and tidying it up. I am surprised it is nearly a 65,000 word novel. Hopefully, in a couple of months, I hope to send it out there. God willing it will get picked up somewhere. Who knows what might happen? Anyway, I am back now and still hoping to do more film projects in the future.

For all those who remember Brightside? Well, I am still sending it out there to film festivals. It doesn’t matter when it was made a creative body will always appreciate its purpose. So, yes, there are plenty of opportunities to send my documentary to good film organisations. I am quite excited this time round. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on things.

Brightside -Indiegogo campaign

Please donate to support the documentary we've been working on. We need to finish it and get it out to festivals which is expensive business. go to http://www.indiegogo.com/Brightside We have about 45 days to raise what we need. 

Brightside is a documentary which gives a voice to 5 British Muslim Women so the audience can hear their thoughts, perspectives, hopes and dreams.