Al-Bayan Spring '12

The Muslim Student Publication atThe University of California, Berkeley

PERSPECTIVES

Spring 2012

Science and Religion

IslamIc RequIemconveyIng the message thRough an aRtIstIc foRm of communIcatIon

a look at Scientific factS pReSent in the QuRan

PRotest mIsconcePtIonsone student actIvIst attemPts to

dIsPel common mIsconcePtIons

Al-Bayan

PlusInspIratIonal poems from our poetry contest

Volume 14 Issue 2

Enter a portal of different views

The Muslim Student Publication atThe University of California, Berkeley

PERSPECTIVES

Spring 2012

Science and Religion

IslamIc RequIemconveyIng the message thRough an aRtIstIc foRm of communIcatIon

a look at Scientific factS pReSent in the QuRan

PRotestIng foR humanItyone student actIvIst attemPts to

dIsPel common mIsconcePtIons

Al-Bayan

PlusInspIratIonal poems from our poetry contest

Volume 14 Issue 2

Enter a portal of different views

confeSSionS of a female mSa pReSident

02 Al-Bayan Spring 2012

Al-BayanThe Muslim Student Publication at

The University of California, Berkeley

Volume 14 Issue 2

Editor-in-ChiefMaliha Ahmed

Managing EditorSarah Mohamed

Layout EditorLameese Eldesouky

Layout DesignersShelby Ashbaugh

Iman RaiMariam Sleiman

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Photography EditorFarhana Jahan

PhotographersMohammad Afsar

Mustafa EisaMarwa IbrahimNatalie Irwin$PDQ6X

Finance ManagerMohamed Haimoud

([WHUQDO$DLUVMinhaj Khan

Web EditorMarjon Momand

AdvisorsYusuf Chao

Amani JadallahAsnavy Sari

CONTACT [email protected]

s www.albayanmag.com

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Letter from the Editor

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Alhamdulilah (all praise is due to God)-/Al-Bayan-/ / //D/

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As-salamu alaykum (may peace be upon you)D

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Volume 14 Issue 2

Spring 2012 Al-Bayan 03

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Spring 2012

Content

05 Church and UmmahFatima Azam07

09 Syrian StruggleTaqwa Elhindi

12

14 OTI: CounterproductiveNader Atassi

17

18 Brown Farhana JahanI Followed your Dreams Erum Khan

Allah, my oneInas Hyatt

InsPIRatIonal student Poemsfrom our fIrst annual poetry

contest!

Islamic RequiemOmar Rehmane

CommunityZienab Abdelgany

Protesting ProsFatima Mekkaoui

Science in RevelationBushra Samimi


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By Bushra SamimiPhoto by Evan Bench

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By Fatima AzamPhoto by$PDQ6X

The De-separaTaion of ChurCh anD ummah


IslamicIslamic RequiemBy Omar Shameem

Photos by(left) Laura Nolan, (top right) Simon Fernandez,

(bottom right) Stephanie Bouzard

Rehmane Sial

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A YEAR OF

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SYRIA FLASH MOB AND PROTESTS ORGANIZED BY CAL MSA POLITICAL ACTIONS COMMITTEE, PHOTOS BY NATALIE IRWIN


Dont give someone criticism unless you have the solution to the problem you see. Oftentimes thats exactly what is lacking: the alternative. So until the alternative is found, one will con-

tinue to do what one knows best.


5Common MISCONCEPTIONS about PROTESTINGhat protest is hella dumb. Whats even the point?

Do they really even think theyre going to bring back the dead with that candlelight vigil of theirs?

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Using her experience of protesting since the tender age of 16 and the results of her short campus survey on protesting attitudes, UC Berkeley senior Fatima 4LRRHV\PZOLKZSPNO[VU[OLILUL[ZVMWYV[LZ[PUNHUKZVTLVM[OLJVTTVU

misconceptions that people have.

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Some people dont like protests, because it forces them to deal with an issue thats in their face on their way to work, class, school, the store, etc. They have no choice but to deal with this upwelling of moral consciousness in their faces, which makes them very uncomfortable. But no one ever said the point of a protest was to elicit any form of comfort. In fact, it is meant to do the complete opposite.

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Extending THE branchHow Dialogue Groups Can be CounterProductive to the Palestinian Cause

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THE SUGGESTION THAT ALL WE NEED IS DIALOGUE AND HONEST AND AUTHENTIC DISCOURSE TO OVERCOME OUR PROBLEMS SUGGESTS THAT THE ENTIRE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT IS A RESULT OF EACH SIDES EXTREMITY,

CLOSED-MINDEDNESS, AND REFUSAL TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER SIDE.


Extending THE branch

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P h o t o ta k e n b y F l i c k r u s e r c r a z y m a q


REFLECTIONS ON COMMUNITY: &^s

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18 Al-Bayan Spring 201218 Al-Bayan Spring 2012

&:Brown

I followed your dreams.I followed your dream and it led me through alleys and pathways,forests,Deserts in the midst of vast oasis.

I followed your dream to the end of a tunnel and back,Lost a candle and lit another,/an empty cornerFollowing all the way.

I followed along fences and over them,&rung and picket.One two three one two three

I followed your dreams.But at the end you wereNowhere to be found.

She said I probably dont use soapwhich is why my skin is so dirty,Brown.Why cant I just wash my genes clean,wear my face, arms, back, legsin the shade like forsha girls.I learned to hate the sun at a young age,and my skin long before then.

No amount of scrubbing and bleachcould fade this dirt, this hurt,when I like sunburn,if i could sunburn,and not turn brown instead.

I discerned confusion.But you live in America, you should be white!Sorry to disappoint.

That my straight As dont stand for Anglophile/California sunkissed skintranslates to itll be harder for you to

There was an uncle, whom I had never met,what was he like? I asked.Kalo. Dark.Not dark like he was broody, or found morbid humor amusing.Not even tall, dark, and handsome,because that word doesnt belong among the others--dark.

They say dark chocolates an acquired taste., turns sweet?

Then one day,You look lighter than before!/The dark shadow crossing my dark eyes,

I cant remember the color of my skin.It grows dim, brown paper bag,paper thin,for you to wash me with coloror wash me clean.

Bleaches and creams,I tried them all,not eight years old,but old enough to hatethis shamla chamra, ki nongra.

In my land of brown bodies,I must be fair of skin to be lovely.

Spring 2012 Al-Bayan 19 Spring 2012 Al-Bayan 19

Allah, my one/,

I got a good oneand I know what youre thinkin

yah yah inas we heard this beforeevery other week

you meet someoneinspires

weak at the kneesjust the awe of the visual

but this one

and my words afraid to run game

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but real talk, just the idea of this one makes me stop and just think

dang, I got a good one

but Im really digging this track

new jack city swing

swing low sweet chariotsand my mothers mothers mothers mother

lost the one the I wonso I know to love this one so deeply

and back when I was youngermisguided feelingstears soul asunder

and hearing what she said, he saidand they said

then all of a sudden I forgot how we feltand insecurity and doubt caused me to deuce out

//

and I dont know what was louder,my heart or my soul calling back the one that I thought i lost

but my arrogance made my words stay silentface stoic, the pain and trying to hide it

but then I saw other people with my oneand even though I let you go, I knew no one could love you like

I doand we had it

and I took our love for granted/

so grant me mercybecause you told me when I walk to you

you come at me in hasteso I stood at the origins of my faith

and realizedit is only god who is great

Ar RahmanAr RahimAl Wahab

Al Alim

you are always the one to me

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OPEN DAILY ^^DWDd

K&^^&

Pakoras Naan Biryani Tikka MasalaTandoori Daal and more!

Serves only HALAL food

DYARFRESH & NATURAL MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

2511 Durant Ave, Berkeley CA 94704Tel: 510-848-8119

Mediterranean Cuisine

chicken shawarmA Gyro

FalafelKababSalads

Veggie Selection

Spring '12 pg.4-5Spring '12 Issue

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Al-Bayan Spring '12