Half a Life

Do not love half lovers
Do not entertain half friends
Do not indulge in works of the half talented
Do not live half a life
and do not die a half death
If you choose silence, then be silent
When you speak, do so until you are finished
Do not silence yourself to say something
And do not speak to be silent
If you accept, then express it bluntly
Do not mask it
If you refuse then be clear about it
for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance
Do not accept half a solution
Do not believe half truths
Do not dream half a dream
Do not fantasize about half hopes
Half a drink will not quench your thirst
Half a meal will not satiate your hunger
Half the way will get you no where
Half an idea will bear you no results
Your other half is not the one you love
It is you in another time yet in the same space
It is you when you are not
Half a life is a life you didn't live,
A word you have not said
A smile you postponed
A love you have not had
A friendship you did not know
To reach and not arrive
Work and not work
Attend only to be absent
What makes you a stranger to them closest to you
and they strangers to you
The half is a mere moment of inability
but you are able for you are not half a being
You are a whole that exists to live a life
not half a life

--Gibran Khalil Gibran

Below Rock Bottom.

So I was having breakfast this morning and sat down to watch Euro News to see whats happening around in the world.

Here's a quick scoop: 

So Tokyo is apparently hosting the 2020 Olympic games and Turkey is apparently bummed that it won't get to do it.
Some riots in Brazil on Independence day.
Elections is Germany.
Political debates everywhere.
New Technologies.
Safety and quality control standards.

All these people are all focused on bettering their lives, making use of new technologies, hosting Olympic games and making necessary arrangements and don't get me started on the quality control; while we're here struggling to hold on to the last of our humanity trying to keep ourselves afloat while they drag us again below rock bottom.

But I'm fairly sure that this time we won't go down without a fight. That we either succeed or die trying Insha'Allah.

So He Left.

He was happy up until he wasn't.
His grandfather died and so did the magic. The place lost its spirit, its sense of humor. It no longer took him to wherever he wished to go. The doors were no longer portals to different lands, but mere wood. He tried to bring the magic back and if people could live on the moon they would here him banging on doors, shouting at the house, and trying so hard to go somewhere .. anywhere, but the house refused.
And every time he opened a door, he found furniture, he found the attic, he found the kitchen but he never found the magic.
The disappointment was just so heart wrenching, It was getting too much for him to handle.
He hadn't just lost his grandfather, He also lost himself.
He lost his escape whenever the world got too loud for him to handle.
So he left.
He left the house he's always loved and ventured into the unknown.
Little did he know, that with every step he took away from it, the magic slowly returned.
But once again, the memories started to fade.

This Whole Thing With Syria

I do not need to lay down reasons as to why this regime -The Assad Regime- needs to go down and go down now; with all the massacres and war crimes being committed daily against innocent children, women and men.
So really, what I am about to say has nothing to do with how mad the Assad Regime is, I am most definitely against that.
But to yet again commit the same mistake of letting the US get involved in an Arab country playing the role of the noble patriot that so gracefully helps the people get rid of their dictator, would be foolish.
I do not have to go very far down in history to know that, US intervention is never a good thing.
Example: Iraq.
As always, the US had to justify its actions to the public.
The official story was that the  US armies would barge in to get rid of -what they called- nuclear weapons that were apparently present in Iraq and also get rid of Saddam Hussein; because of his so called relations with Al Qaeda -Even though it seemed highly unlikely due to the totally different Ideological and Intellectual systems of both Al Qaeda and the Secular Iraqi Regime, back then-.
And as Ironic as it sounds, the US also believed that It could help spread democracy by sounding the drums of war on Iraq.

So what did the US really do?

• Well, It did get rid of Saddam -this is a fact-.

• They took over Baghdad, destroyed and robbed important historical artifacts and museums.

• *no surprise there* It found no nuclear weapons whatsoever, during its stay form the 20th of March 2003 till the  18th of September 2011, 
• It totally destroyed the Iraqi infrastructure, and the country still suffers till this very day.

• It also caused 114,392 – 125,353 of documented Civilian deaths. 

Its clear that the intervention was not intended to help the people of Iraq as the US had promoted to its own people and to the world.
Sure, they got rid of Saddam, who was a notorious criminal and killer but they also destroyed and invaded the country for 10 years.
In Short, the US went into war for its own personal Interest -AKA- Oil.
In 2000, Saddam issued a  decision that the euro would be the only currency that could be used to purchase Iraqi oil.
The US so wickedly manufactured a cover up story that would get it into Iraq; to dominate the oil market and support the US dollar.

So forgive me, if i am somewhat skyptical *scratch that* I am not skeptical, I am sure.
The US doesn't fool me when it says it wants to bomb Syria to protect the Syrian people.
If you're so torn up over Syria, why do you continuously use the Veto whenever the Israelis commit war crimes against the Palestinians?
This time, when The US goes in, it would be to protect Israel.
The US fears the downfall of the Assad regime because that means Israel would be left unprotected.

Besides, The Assad Regime has been viciously killing Syrians for over two years now, why has the US suddenly realized it needs to step in? 
When did the US administration suddenly grow a conscience ? 

This is where I am not really sure :
will the US really sacrifice the Assad regime in order to protect Israel, and invade Syria till their is nothing left to fear -like it did in Iraq-? 
Or
will it actually target the Syrian free army and mark them as terrorist to -of course- also keep Israel safe?

The US always uses the slogan "Fighting terrorism" to justify its intervention and its meddling in other peoples countries. And apparently here in Egypt, the Egyptian coup leaders have resorted to such slogan to try and justify their actions as well.

When will the time come, when we as Arabs are strong enough to stand together and protect our own?
When will the time come, when we as Arabs get to decide for ourselves and not let the US act as the all mighty guardian of the poor unfortunate people of the world ? 

Hopefully soon.
But not until we stop fighting amongst ourselves ..
Not until, we stand together to stop the coup in our country and stop believing the accusations of terrorism the media casts on our brothers and sisters.
Not until we are free.
But most importantly, not until Allah says: "كن فيكون"
May Allah protect Syria and Egypt and all Arab Countries and may he take revenge on all those who
conspire against them. Amen.

Down

Yet another day on this planet and what have I offered to humanity? Nothing. 

Maybe tomorrow. 

Hopefully tomorrow. 

Leave

You can:

Leave a place where closest friends betray you. 

Leave a place where people cheer those who march to kill you. 

Leave a place where people breathe in lies. 

A place where humanity barely survives. 

You can Leave. 

Or Better yet,

You can:

Stay and smile at those who betrayed you .. 

but never again call them friends.

Stay to fix what they have broken and make the wrong they did right.

Stay to cleanse the air we breathe from all the lies and all the hate. 

Stay so humanity has a chance to survive.

These are mad times we're living and as much as i'd like to leave; I choose to stay and fight another day. 

I Do Not Know You.

I  admit that I had high expectations for college and college life and how I was going to love the subjects I was going to take, and the doctors they would be something else, Yeah pretty much I thought it would be great. 
Reality is, college is just a bunch of people who get together, walk around campus wondering if they should attend this lecture, or that one or if they should just skip altogether. 
The most interesting part though, is the people part. I've met some remarkable people this year, and if you've been paying attention my expectations didn't really mention anything to do with people whom I was going to meet at college, you see I didn't really give them much thought -maybe because subconsciously I thought  I wouldn't fit in . Ironically though, people can be the best thing about college life -either because they teach you stuff or they're just naturally awesome.
People .. I like you and all but I do not know you well enough, sure we hang out, we laugh and we have good times, but again I do not know who you are -at least not fully. 

So I'll never judge you. Because I've had my fair share of "Boy, I did not know that" moments about a lot of people .. about what they have to go through every day .. about their lives and how the pain they may feel inside is just behind that curved line forming up on their faces.
I thought I had problems, but come to think of it;,actually I don't. I look at others and I see my fortune and that reminds me to be thankful always. Cause Even though my world may seem like it's collapsing, it's not. I'm fine and so are you; so just say "Alhamdulilah" and try to make people smile, try to make them happy; they need it. 
A simple "Thank you" .. a simple "You look beautiful today" or even a Hug makes a difference.
For as long as I can remember it's always been like this: when my parents would take us on a trip of some sort and then give us the usual "You should be thankful" and we would give them the usual "Thank You" in a nonchalant tone. I've always regarded this exchange as quite insignificant , i mean the whole thanking part. But now I see .. now I understand; Prophet Muhammad -Peace Be Upon Him- said that he who does not thank the people does not thank God. 

I guess what I am trying to say is, don't judge and just Be Thankful for every thing that you have that others do not and everything that you are that makes you different, but most importantly how you are alive; so leave a footprint before you leave.   
                                                                  
                                                                 Thank You