On the Dangerous Topic of Islam and Conversion

From BBC: Malaysian woman can leave Islam:

A religious court in Malaysia has allowed a Muslim convert to leave the Islamic faith, in what is being hailed as a landmark ruling.

Penang's Sharia court ruled that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah was free to return to Buddhism, following the collapse of her marriage to a Muslim man.

It was decided she had not had proper counselling during her conversion.

Malaysians are rarely allowed to renounce the faith - those who do can be prosecuted under stringent laws.

That's actually a pretty fair and just ruling. Even though she was officially converted, she never did it for the right reasons. It's probably very difficult to fulfill that burden of proof, but someone who converts in name and doesn't believe it isn't really converting at all, is it? It's just getting all the right and proper documents to do the things you want to do. In this case, marriage. And boy, have I seen that happen.

Then again, I've also seen first hand how spending more than half your life in the presence of a religion can actually pull you to believe and practice. I suppose with time, it could have been possible with her. Conversion: a cardinal sin for one religion that guarantees your entry into heaven by another.

Are you awake?

So I have decided to give this thing called 'Life' another chance. Except this time, I've decided to stop fighting and struggling. I've realised that everytime I tell myself, "Well at least things can't get any worse," it inevitably does. Everytime I try and do something that I think will turn things around, it doesn't. It's gotten to the point where when one more thing goes against me, I just feel like sitting down and crying.

So that's it. I stop fighting it. I stop struggling against it. It's time to roll with the punches. What's the difference? This time I won't be stupid enough to think that I can depend on people. This time it's just me.

What question can you never answer no to?
Are you awake?

Proud to be Malaysian?

From BBC: Chelsea visit sparks Malaysia row:

Malaysian Muslim groups have called for protests when Chelsea football club visits in July because the coach, Avram Grant, and a player are Israeli.

An alliance of 21 Muslim groups is angry the Malaysian authorities have given permission for the Israelis to visit the country with the London club.

Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and the Malay Muslim majority is strongly pro-Palestinian.

Malaysian citizens are banned by their government from visiting Israel.

The Muslim groups said allowing Mr Grant and midfielder Tal Ben Haim into Malaysia for the pre-season match would be "insensitive" to the Palestinian people.

"Malaysians should boycott the match," said spokesman Muhammad Azmi.

"We should unite with the Palestinian people and fight for an independent homeland for them."

Mr Azmi said the alliance of Muslim organisations would hold a protest at the stadium ahead of the game on 29 July.

What? First I find out we have China supporters, and now I find out that I'm apparently pro-Palestinian (Before you jump to conclusions, allow me to explain that I am insufficiently versed in the Palestine-Israel conflict to consciously choose a side, even if I wanted to choose a side). Nice. Another stupid Malaysian comment. Right up there with the ever popular 'women get raped because they are seductive' sentiment.

Hell hath no fury like

I have had a totally and utterly fucked up March. It was the worst month of my life, and this is including the month that my nephew passed on. I know it's April and I should be over it, but no. April wasn't much better. On a scale of things, April was pretty fucked up too. As a result, I'm irritable and generally pissed off.

How do you survive this? Easy. Follow the how-to-survive steps listed below:

1. If you know I consider you a friend and I call, either answer the fucking phone or call me back. I know I said it was cool, but it's not. It's really not. Once or twice is excusable. Repeatedly isn't.
2. Do not ever accuse me of not helping the Malaysian poor before the rest of the world. Who the fuck are you? I single-handedly organised the donation and transportation of more than RM2,000 bags of rice to the Johor flood relief centre in a matter of hours because they didn't have enough. I volunteer at a children's centre in Chow Kit to teach them English and Math, and am organising the implementation of the programme at hardcore poor schools nationwide. I provide volunteers for events organised by NGOs. I FUCKING SET UP A RECYCLING CENTRE IN MY OFFICE. My family are the patrons of 2 schools and 1 orphanage in Johor providing them with the best financial advice in the country for free to not only give them money but to make them self-sustainable. We set up a fucking scholarship fund. Who the fuck are you to say that I should help Malaysians first?
3. If I tell you I need a night out, do not invite a girl I neither like or know very well. I spent my first Saturday night out holding in what can only be called the second coming. That took more patience than you know.
4. If I'm going on a holiday, do not invite a girl I neither like or know very well. If shit hits the fan, and it will, it's not my fault. I need this holiday like I need air. You do not understand how much I need to get away from emotional bullshit. Is that going to happen? No. What's going to happen is that I'm going to spend my fucking holiday being nice to someone I don't like. I do not have a backup to fall back on. I do not have happy thoughts to fall back on. This is it.
5. If I'm going out with you and you go to America on holiday, not answering messages is not a good way to start. It really doesn't help.

I just need things to start going right, and if it doesn't soon, then may god help us all. Or just me. I am angry, I am tired, and I just need this.

IF, Volume1

IF we're supposed to wipe with the left, why is toilet paper always on the right?