Sunday, July 29, 2012

kimi

minggu 29 7 12

seharian d kos- thx u lord- sore k alfath w dian- k shibuya- thx u lord- mlm k majt- k burjo w rian- thx u lord-

sabtu 28 7 12

siang k unaki- thx u lord- k ptg- thx u lord- sore k wrg- thx u lord- mlm k majt- k kfc- k burjo w rian- thx u lord-

jumat 27 7 12

pg k unaki- thx u lord- siang k majt- thx u lord- sore k wrg- thx u lord- mlm k majt- k burjo w rian- thx u lord-

kamis 26 7 12

pg k unimus- k unaki- thx u lord- siang k ikip- thx u lord- sore k wrg- bhsl ps- thx u lord- mlm k air- thx u lord-

rabu 25 7 12

pg k alfa- unimus- unaki- alfa- thx u lord- sore k wrg- bhsl ps- thx u lord- mlm k klinik- alfa- wrg- thx u lord-

selasa 24 7 12

pg k unaki- thx u lord- sore k klinik- thx u lord-

senen 23 7 12

pg k unaki mpe sore facing asesor- sore buber w mhssw- mlm diner w asesor- thx u lord-

minggu 22 7 12

seharian tidur- bangun sore dpt sms suruh k kampus- hikssss- sore ambil laundry- k majt- ga dpt buka- hikssss- mlm k burjo w rian- thx u lord-

sabtu 21 7 12

pg k unaki mpe malam- thx u lord- mlm k majt- k bujro w rian- k kfc- thx u lord-

jumat 20 7 12

pg k unaki- thx u lord- siang k majt- k kunci- k laundry blm jd- k wrg - gagal ps- help me lord- sore raka k kos- thx u lord- mlm k majt- k burjo- thx u lord-

kamis 19 7 12

pg k dinus- k ikip- thx u lord- siang k unaki- k cimol w putu dwi sari- thx u lord- k ikip- thx u lord- sore k pedurungan- thx u lord-

rabu 18 7 12

pg pul dr papin- tidur mpe siang- thx u lord- siang ngajar d unaki- jaga d ikip mpe sore- thx u lord-

selasa 17 7 12

pg k ikip- thx u lord- siang k unaki mpe sore- thx u lord- sore k wrg- thx u lord- mlm k laundry- k tembalang papi- diner at ayam gepuk- nginep d papi- thx u lord-

senen 16 7 12

pg nyuci- k unimus- k aha- k udinus- k unaki- mpe sore- thx u lord- sore kamuflase unaki utk jaga d ikip- thx u lord- mlm p parisvanjava w dwi n putu- thx u lord-

minggu 15 7 12

pg beli helm- k kr ayu jemput cangkiran wawan- wawan k kos- thx u lord- siang maksi w wawan d wrg- ngantar k kr ayu- thx u lord- mlm k burjo- k sk- thx u lord-

SABTU 14 7 12

pg k unaki mpe siang- thx u lord- siang gagal ktm rian d paragon- help me lord- k potokopi- thx u lord-

dian on ciprut

290712 kmrn dian cerita ttg ciprut. yg suka wadul k dad. dad yg marah pd mom. mom yg nangis pd bulik. yg ikut nangis. yg semua jd tahu. yg semua jd nyuekin ciprut so that she will live in boarding house. mp: ogh family nasibmu kini.....just give all the problem to the one up there....he knows what the ebst for my fam.....

William Haines

http://www.examiner.com/article/william-haines-hollywood-bohemian-fashion-queer-iconography
& Hollywood bohemian fashion & queer iconography 0 Email Joel Nikolaou's photo Joel Nikolaou European Fashion Examiner + Subscribe William Haines. 1932 Hollywood star Ramon Navarro in painted face as was the androgonyous fashion of the day. Getty Images Related articles Androgony is an alternative to Drag William Haines ran away from home at the age of 14, with another unidentified young man whom Haines referred to as his "boyfriend". The pair went first to Richmond, Virginia and then to Hopewell, Virginia which had a reputation for immorality. Haines and his boyfriend got jobs working at the local DuPont factory, producing nitrocellulose for $50 a week. To supplement their income, the couple opened a dance hall, which may have also served as a brothel.[ His parents, frantic over his disappearance, tracked him through the police to Hopewell, Virginia. Haines did not return home with them, remaining instead in Hopewell and sending money back home to help support the family. The couple remained in Hopewell until most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1915. Haines moved to New York City. In 1933, Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square. Louis B. Mayer, the studio head at MGM, delivered an ultimatum to Haines: choose between a sham marriage or "lavender marriage," or his relationship with Shields. Haines chose Shields and they remained together for almost 50 years. Joan Crawford at the time stood up for William Haines. Joan Crawford, and William Haines were the number#1, and number#2 biggest box office stars of Hollywood at the time. The 1930 Quigley Poll, a survey of film exhibitors, listed Haines as the top box office attraction in the country. Joan Crawford threatened to tear up her contract, if they didn't relent with William Haines. Joan Crawford braved retribution, but was fearless, and the studios were afraid of antaganozing the biggest female star of the day. Still, Mayer subsequently offered an ultimatum; he either renounced his Homosexuality, or feign a "lavender marriage". These were the marriages, and relationships the studios created for 'in the closet' male stars. Haines refused to renounce his relationship with his longtime partner Jimmy Shields and Mayer terminated his contract. William Haines then went on to become one of the most celebrated designers in Hollywood Hollywood pre-code was actually more enlightnened and progressive than it is today. In 1934 the Hayes code was enacted, and the censorship, and bigotry, and sexism, were enforced. Certified boards would review all films for objectionable material. Movies made in the early '30s had strong independent women who had opinions, and who were not second class citizens. Also, openly gay acting men, were depicted on the screen and would not reappear in over 60 years. Additionally, the late '20s and early '30s, America was under what was called the pansy craze. Speakeasies in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco etc...where men in drag, emceed, were all the rage. The Speakeasies were packed with people trying to get in to these clubs; they were very popular. Also curious is the fact that a similiar backlash occurred in Germany with the rise of fascism. '20s Berlin had a similar if not more elaborate open, caberet scene. Homesexuality, transvestism, and cross dressing emcee's were the rage. Hitler, did the same on a more extreme manner, in banning what was called decadent behavior. But, still it was the same type of backlash, in both countries. But, the Hayes code of 1934 was eerily preceded in Germany with hitler's rise to power in 1933, and his attack on "Degenerate Culture". Scene from 1930 movie. Two men dancing. This wouldn't pass the censors after the 1934 Hayes code. At Tait's Speakeasy in San Francisco Ray Bourbon a prominent drag emcee, in 1933, where his "Boys Will Be Girls" review was raided by police during a live radio show. Subsequently the crackdown began. It is argued that the crackdown that came into the culture, was a result of the Depression. A religious revival of fundamental christianity swept over America, as a response to the economic hard times. People became more scared and less tolerant. Getty Images. William Haines. With the development of the new Hollywood nightlife in the early 1930s, the first significant appearance of Hollywood bohemians in Hollywood nightlife involved women wearing men’s clothing to Hollywood restaurants. Women have worn suits, hats and other clothing associated with men in a variety of world cultures, often in order to spend their lives disguised as men. However, in Hollywood, the women did not deny their biological sex. The women wore the men’s clothes as a feminist statement, as an indication of gender inversion, or both. Noone missed with these women. Getty Images. In the early 1930's, Hollywood siren Marlene Dietrich stepped out in style. Here's a male boemian outfit for a night out at the Coconut Grove. Trouser suit, bow tie and a masculine hat. It was certainly a look that shocked the more conservative. It was not long however when this androgynous style was copied by the mass market. Getty Images. Gloria Swanson, at the height of her Hollywood bohemian glamour 1921. Take notes. Make-up, hair, clothes. Perfection. Getty Images. Sex God. Effeminate male Hollywood sex God, Rudolph Valentino, in provocative pose. Does he like men, or women. Like Dietrich said it didn't matter, as long as they were beautiful. Notice the make-up, including some rouge on the lips. Ramon Navarro, and Rudolph Valentino pictured above were the two biggest male stars of the '20s, and were very effeminate by today's standards. Ramon Navarro like William Haines was openly Homosexual, and again one of the biggest stars of his day. Men would copy this for a time in the '20s.Very androgonous, but still masculine. Media portrayals of these Hollywood bohemian women echoed the general pattern of Hollywood nightlife images by emphasizing the trendy environs and presenting information about the activities and personalities of Hollywood celebrities. The magnificent Gloria Swanson, was seen having lunch today at the Trocadero with here new boy, so and so. etc... it was hard to keep track, she had a new one every week. Gloria Swanson treated men, like they were rugs, after she used them, she would toss them aside like bad rubbish. So fabulous. No phony sentiment like there is today. People loved it. Women had never been this empowered. The images used the depiction of women defying the culture’s standards for clothing as a way of showing the sophistication of Hollywood and making its nightlife appear taboo and more spectacular than the nightlife in New York City or anywhere else. The Trocadero and Cocunut Grove were the hot spots. Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo openly flaunted their lesbian affairs. Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo in androgonous fashion ruled the social life, in pre-Code Hollywood. In 1932 Marlene Dietrich went to a private Hollywood party wearing white flannel trousers, a very masculine blue blazer, and a yachting hat. She caused a sensation, and the studios took a photo of her, in the outfit, and sent out publicity releases with the caption Marlene Dietrich "The Woman Even Women Can Adore". Marlene Dietrich once said, "In Europe it doesn't matter if you are a man or woman, we make love to anyone we find attractive". More than anyone else though, Rudolph Valentino was not only the biggest Hollywood sensation, he was the trend setter of his day. His style was attacked in the press, as too effeminate. His clothes, his grooming were iconographically queer, and they created an absolute panic among homophobes. He was box office gold. The homophobes hated him with a passion. He was a threat to thier so called masculinity. His queer iconography was only matched by his adulation by women, obsessed with his style. He encouraged men to pomade, and powder their faces. For a time vending machines in men's restrooms, supplied powder for men to apply on the go. You know, men going to the restrooms to powder their face, just like women: in the fabulous'20s. Rudolph Valention powdered his face, wore extravagant green suits, beaver collars, and slave bracelets. And he was the number #1 Sex God of Hollywood. Additionally Marlene Dietrich, wore men's clothing and top hat, with red lipstick , spats, and gloves, and openly flirted in bi-sexual relations, that were fuel for the tabloids of the day. People loved scandal just as much as they do today.Lesbian, and gay tryists between Hollywood stars were open scandals in the Hollywood press. The open orange groves of undeveloped LA county were the gossip of scandalous rendezvous among stars, and people who wanted to be stars, sometimes in full flagrante, out in the open. Hollywood pre-code was tres scandelous. Early Hollywood, was a bohemian and artistic world. The commercialization of Hollywood that ensued was, more predicated on the changing morales of Americans, especially after Prohibtion. See Marlene Dietrich. See Marlene Dietrich, in the movie "Morocco" that made her a star in America. Dressed as a man. See a real star. See Marlene Dietrich, below, in the final scene, from "Dishonered" as she adusts her lipstick, and fixes her stockings, seconds before her death in front of a firing squad, in the last scene of the movie. That's a star. Gay L.A.- A history of sexual outlaws Advertisement Click here to find out more! 0 Email Print Report Joel Nikolaou, European Fashion Examiner Joseph Nikolaou is an obsessive follower of European fashion, with a knowledge of street fashion, and an ability to advise men on looks that are simple and street smart. With a personal affinity and knowledge of European Culture/Art, and a personal style to match, he offers a unique perspective... Subscribe RSS Feed Become an Examiner Comments Profile picture of Brett A Brett A 1 year ago This is a fascinating read. Hollywood used these images during the 1920s and 1930s to market itself as a unique place in the culture. It added titillation and excitement to the readers of Hollywood gossip columns and novels about Hollywood. I discuss this in my book: Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream. http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3929-4 reply Report Profile picture of Joel Nikolaou Joel Nikolaou 1 year ago Yes thank you for your comment. Yes Hollywood did appeal to Americans prurient desires. That is hypocrisy. Americans prurient desires are masked with this hypocritical morality which contradicts itself. Europeans openly comment on this hypocrisy, they don't understand it, and the irony is that a lot of Americans don't either! Please feel free to stay in touch with me or send me an email joenikolaou@comcast.net... reply Report Anonymous 8 months ago Valentino may have been gay or bisexual, but he did not seem "effeminate" in his films. Far from encouraging men to pomade their faces, he was insulted and went so far as to threaten the reporter who implied his influence was creating a generation of men who powdered their faces. Valentino worked on cars, rode horses, boxed, etc. As I said, he may have been gay, but he was not effeminate. No one in Hollywood thought so. You'll never read an article from the 1920s where a contemporary implied he was effeminate--not until the "powder puff" fiasco. Let's not rewrite history. Actual research of primary documents might help. reply Report Anonymous 8 months ago I certainly wouldn't say that Ramon Navarro (as much as I admire his work) was ever on the same level as Rudolph Valentino, popularity-wise. John Gilbert might have come close, at least in terms of romantic leads. reply Report Anonymous 8 months ago And the slave bracelet was from Valentino's wife. So . . ..

Why Stop at a Muslim Gay Bar?

Posted by Nichole Hungerford Bio ? on Aug 16th, 2010 Comments ? 4 Print This Post Print This Post # A A A Greg Gutfeld created quite a stir when he suggested building a bar catering to gay Muslim men next to the proposed Cordoba House (read: 9/11 victory mosque). But why? The simple answer is that criticizing Islam is incredibly taboo. But more paradoxically, criticizing Islam in a way that legitimately shows its intolerance and barbarous abuse of human rights around the world appears to be even more off-limits. In defiance of this mentality, here are 4 more operations we might want to consider building next to the Ground Zero mosque, for the sake of making Islamism a more tolerant, humanistic enterprise. #1 “The Aisha House,” aka Child Protective Services A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3311) In many countries in the “Muslim World,” the practice of child marriage is unconscionably widespread. In Yemen alone, well over one quarter of all marriages are with children, almost exclusively females (under the age of 15). Yet in these countries, who do you suppose fights the enactment of laws that would abolish this repulsive tradition? The Muslim clergy, of course. In fact, as the Associated Press reported: Some of Yemen’s most influential Islamic leaders…have declared supporters of a ban on child brides to be apostates. With the Koran being so crystal clear about Muhammad’s child-loving exploits, and since he is the Islamic paragon, it is no surprise that Muslim clerics would decry supporters of these laws as “apostates” of Islam. Forbidding the forced marriages of children to old lechers — what blasphemy! Some readers at this juncture are no doubt thinking that, although child marriage in a third world country like Yemen is not breaking news, the practice couldn’t possibly find its way into enlightened society. If only that were true. In Canada, for instance, not only are child brides on the rise, but the Canadian government claims “there’s little they can do” about it. Via the Toronto Sun: Federal immigration officials say there’s little they can do to stop “child brides” from being sponsored into Canada by much older husbands who wed them in arranged marriages abroad. Muslim men, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents return to their homeland to wed a “child bride” in an arranged marriage in which a dowry is given to the girl’s parents. Officials said some of the brides can be 14 years old or younger and are “forced” to marry.The practice occurs in a host of countries including: Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon. Top immigration officials in Canada and Pakistan say all they can do is reject the sponsorships of husbands trying to bring their child-brides to Canada. The men have to reapply when the bride turns 16. The marriages are permitted under Sharia Law. #2 Domestic Violence Center The wretched abuse of women in the name of Islam is hardly a secret. Like child brides, the Koran is very clear about man’s supremacy over, and brutality toward, women. Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. (Shakir’s version of the Koran, Quran, 4:34) The abuse of women in Muslim countries is stunningly savage. The occurrence of acid attacks, mutilation, beatings, honor killings, stoning, rape (for which the woman is blamed and thrown in jail or killed), not to mention the severe psychological oppression of women in Islamic countries, is as heartbreaking as it is sickening. In The Violent Oppression of Women in Islam, Robert Spencer and Dr. Phyllis Chesler discuss the trend of Islamic gender apartheid and its preservation by Muslim clerics: Dominating their women by violence is a prerogative Muslim men cling to tenaciously. In spring 2005, when the East African nation of Chad tried to institute a new family law that would outlaw wife beating, Muslim clerics led resistance to the measure as un-Islamic. … For the most part, Muslim men successfully bring this religious sanctioned violence with them when they immigrate to the West, even to the United States. The prominent American Muslim leader Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), has said that “in some cases a husband may use some light disciplinary action in order to correct the moral infraction of his wife…The Koran is very clear on is issue.” In 2004, an imam in Spain…was found guilty of “inciting violence on the basis of gender” for his book Women in Islam, which discussed the methods and limits of administering the physical punishment of women. … Indeed it is. Keep in mind that, like in the case of child brides, Islamic violence against women is not a product merely of the desperate circumstances of third world countries. It is a religiously sanctioned practice which is upheld transnationally by independent clerical establishments; even by so-called Islamic intellectuals in the West. Bearing all this in mind, let’s reflect for a moment on the Ground Zero mosque and what it is supposed to represent. Considering the information in the preceding examples, the premise of building cross-cultural tolerance becomes somewhat curious: Exactly who will be asked to show tolerance to whom? Will the Cordoba House imams repudiate the barbaric, cruel practices of pan-Islamic culture and forbid them from coming to our shores? Or will it be Westerns who are asked to demonstrate “tolerance” of the holy dictates of the Koran in the name of “mutual respect and understanding”? Where has the pattern already been established? http://frontpagemag.com/2010/08/16/why-stop-at-a-muslim-gay-bar/

What Every Negotiator Needs

[Subscribe to our RSS feed] What does it take to become effective negotiators and how to enhance your style. We learn a lot from school, but the truth is that we usually learn a lot more outside of the classroom in the mean streets we call 'real life'. Theories are always presented in nice, neat packages. They often come with clean, sanitary examples to illustrate how the theory works in practice. We read the books and smugly assume we have it all figured out. Then, we are thrust into the real world to apply theory to practice. We set out like some kind of naive Don Quixote, ready to skewer the dragons and strut about our stuff. One big problem though - nobody thought to teach us that the world doesn't read theories. Learning to be an effective negotiator is not that dissimilar either. A few of us read the books, fewer still take a theoretical course. It's not until you step up to the mark to negotiate that the really valuable learning starts. So negotiation training courses with practical hard hitting role plays with immediate video feedback of your performance are the most valuable. So, here's an 8 point checklist you can review to understand what traits make an effective negotiator. It should help to find out where you are, and where you need to go. Knows what's going on We cannot be effective negotiators if we don't know or have a handle on the goals and objectives of our company or organization. We have to be tuned in to the strategic aims of what management is striving to attain. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in the situation of 'the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing'. Naturally, it is clearly up to management to plainly state and communicate these objectives throughout the strata levels of its personnel. If you find yourself in a situation where you aren't clear where your organization is going, you need to find this out and get it right. Good negotiators always have their finger on the pulse and thrust of the long term goals and objectives of their company or organization. Prepare - Prepare - Prepare A good negotiator can only be effective when they are prepared. We have to do our homework and research before the negotiation or else we will be left groping about in the dark. We need to have all our ducks in a row by gathering all the available and applicable information to have on hand when we need it. To be unprepared is just asking for trouble. Learn - Probe - Learn An effective negotiator also has the ability to snoop like a nosy detective. When we sit down with our counterpart, we often don't have a lot of information about the aims of the other side. Every time we sit down with our counterparts we must learn to pry information from them to see the picture from their point of view. The more we can learn about them and what they need or want, the better are we able to develop our proposals or evaluate theirs. We should always know our BATNA and reservation price, but we need to learn more about what lurks behind their motivations. Sees the BIG picture One very important trait we need to develop and groom is the ability to be dexterous and flexible like a gymnast. The negotiating process is like the currents in a river. They are ever-changing. We can't go in the game with a fixed mind-set as this will result in tunnel vision. Being flexible allows us to change the rules of the negotiation as we might have to help our counterpart realize the merits of an agreement and the possibilities we both can derive together. Similarly, as we learn more from our opposite number, we can adjust our strategy as the play unfolds. Thick skinned or staying cool Learn to roll with the punches. Emotions can get heated during a negotiation. A smart negotiator never takes what's said as a personal affront and can separate the issues from the emotions. So, we must always be detached and maintain our perspective and be focused on our objectives. It's not about us and it's not about them. It's about why we are negotiating. Can break down the barriers There are many forms of barriers that act as sticking points, causing our negotiations to become bogged down. An effective negotiator learns to recognize the 'fly in the ointment' and understand the nature of the problem that stands so resolutely in their way. Once we understand the sticking point, we are able to sniff out the reasons for these barriers. Most things are the result of 'cause and effect', so once we know the nature of the beast that stands in our way, we can consider solutions and options to negate and neutralize them. Can find allies We don't always find ourselves operating from a position of strength. It even might seem we don't have much to work with at the initial stages of our negotiation, so sometimes we need to find ways to enhance our position at the table. This often occurs in multi-party negotiations either within an organization or with multiple external negotiating parties. An effective negotiator knows that there is strength in numbers and can ferret out allies to form coalitions to increase their negotiating power. Has a trusting reputation 'Fool me once - shame on you...' Everyone with whom we negotiate forms an impression of who we are as a negotiator. If we create a negative perception where we appear sneaky and disreputable, this vision is going to follow us around like a bad smell. It will likely haunt us down the road in our future negotiations. If you've haggled with a tricky negotiators who played you like a fish, how do you think you will deal with this person again? How effective will you be in trying to create a good agreement or relationship with someone you don't trust? Well, it's a two way street. We cannot be effective in our negotiator's role when our counterpart believes we are trying to stiff them. Integrity and trustworthiness are vital to our reputation as effective negotiators. Summary So, how did you fare? Take heart if you feel you are lacking in some of these traits. Once you pinpoint where you might be lacking, you can take positive steps and address any shortcomings you might have identified. Take a good training course, read material that can aid you in developing these traits. Above all else, experience is one of the best teachers that can help you in your quest to be a top-notched negotiator. Learn from your mistakes, because we've all traveled down the same road. Max H. Bazerman, Margaret A. Neale, 'Negotiating Rationally', The Free Press - MacMillian, (1992). J. Lewicki, A. Litterer, W.Minton, M. Sauders, 'Negotiation', 2nd Edition, Irwin,(1994).

Islam’s Love-Hate Relationship with Homosexuality

Weekend’s Feature Fade: Sidewalk Vergüenza – Vincenzo Aiosa Mar 15th, 2008 by fadingad. Verguenza Islamica Verguenza Islamica © Vincenzo Aiosa Shot at a movie shoot on Bedford & Broadway, Williamsburg – Brooklyn vergüenza – shame Some websites on Islamic Shame: Saudi Shame by Maryam Namazie (Published in Gay Times, June 2005)
by Serge Trifkovic Islam’s Shame: Lifting the Veil of Tears by Ibn Warraq Share3 inShare0 Posted in: Brooklyn, Homophobia, Human Rights, Religious Dogma, Vincenzo Aiosa, Williamsburg. ? Flatbush Pigeon – Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn O'Reilly's, Lunch & St. Pats 4 All! ? 19 Comments 1. Richard McBee says: March 18, 2008 at 11:47 pm While the artist needs to be a bit more careful in matters of scale; what an intriguing painting. Almost a contemporary Joseph and Potiphar. Reply 2. nur says: March 24, 2010 at 9:05 pm frank..homosexuality are soo wrong.. its out of nature.. u know what I mean right? furthermore I want to add, Islam doesn’t ask men to beat their wife, or any other women, muslims or not..u need to know that..u’re just hearing things and condemn.. yeah I know that some muslim men beat their wives, but it is because they don’t follow Islamic teachings.. not even once in my life as a Muslim, I have heard anything about beating women.. these people are doing bad things yet I know somehow people think that those doings portray Islam..No, 100% wrong, absolutely..i want to tell u this, because I feel that u need to know this. Islam is such a beautiful religion.. and people who don’t know it, is really in lost.. Reply 1. fadingad says: March 24, 2010 at 10:32 pm Nur- I totally disagree with you. I am homosexual and I was born in nature. So are some Islamic men born homosexual and Islamic women. So homosexuality must be part of nature then. That’s what makes Islam so UNbeautiful- ugly – it’s ability to make people think that other humans are not part of nature. That is crazy irrational thinking I could do without. Keep your Islam. Reply 3. enzo1960 says: March 24, 2010 at 10:47 pm Hey nur- get your head out of the sand- no pun intended. Reply 4. someone says: October 29, 2010 at 11:44 am nur come and see here in syria or in saudi arabia the real muslim people they r so f&@king bad nur u say “Islam is such a beautiful religion” ok answer me why saudi arabia don”t accept to build a church in saudi ? muslim r closed mind that all what i can say!! Reply 5. alij says: December 22, 2010 at 5:08 pm Dear Some one who told you Saudi is not allowing to build a church in saudia for your information. Two things 1. Most oldest Church in World is in Saudia from 4th century (4th Century Assyrian Church in Saudi Arabia) 2. “Pope Benedict XVI and King Abdullah have begun negotiations on opening the first Proper Catholic church in the Saudi Kingdom” If Christian’s are not having any will to go to Church in this case Muslims can’t help. I believe this information should be eye opener for you. I have seen many churches in UK sold and converted to PUB’s. Reply 6. alij says: December 22, 2010 at 5:17 pm Homosexuality is a personal act and it is prohibited in all religions that’s why in almost Christian countries marriages are banned by Christians not by Muslims. Many Muslims are homo’s it is nothing to do with religion. Being Christian I shall be thankful if you ask same question to Pope and let us know the answer here in this post. Reply 7. fadingad says: December 23, 2010 at 3:43 am All religions are based on a shared lie – an accepted myth. Since all religions are illogical, so is their treatment of homosexuals in their ill interpreted dogmatic scriptures. PS: The Pope is gay. Reply 8. ali cm says: January 16, 2011 at 7:11 am @fadingad “All religions are based on a shared lie – an accepted myth. Since all religions are illogical, so is their treatment of homosexuals in their ill interpreted dogmatic scriptures.” If you think what you are saying is logical, please produce another religious dogma favors homosexuality, can you do this? A bit easier thing to do: try to convince people that those scriptures may favor homosexuality. Although I am a Muslim, but let me use Christianity in my argument. The western rich and powerful states are dominated by Christianity. Can you or any group with antichristian mentality make minimum threat to this “illogical” domination? Homosexuality exists in all Muslim countries, this is a fact. But this can’t justify it. It is here even before Islam. However, there has never been any organized movement to purify the society from homosexuality in the Muslim world. Fascism and Catholic accusation are made by the western “logical and enlightened” mentality tried to purify the society from homosexuality. Christianity itself belongs to the same place where Islam came from and they are not to be held responsible for this “illogical mentality” of the west. The west is accepting both extreme ideas of destroying and supporting a non mainstream behavior like homosexuality. Reply 1. fadingad says: January 16, 2011 at 6:20 pm When you talk about ALL religions and then say “well let’s say Christianity” – you are still talking about the same religion. Judaism is the root of both Islam and Christianity. The people who wrote those scriptures is what has been “interpreted” to be laws against homosexuality. This is their “truth” coming from “their” mythology. These same scriptures also endorse slavery, death to adulterers, stoning of women etc, all behaviors and actions that fundamentalists find acceptable. This is not rational. Today’s gay and lesbian rights movement can’t be illuminated with a 5,000 year old candle that belonged to ONE group of oppressed people who lived in the Middle East. Even Jesus Christ said absolutely NOTHING about condemning gays and lesbians. Other religions around the world, such as Hinduism are not nearly as judgmental. Even their gods possess both male and female characteristics. Buddhists are even less judgmental, although still seek enlightenment on this issue. Human acceptance of “the other” has always been frail. There is no doubt that the incidence of homosexuality in human cultures is a static statistic. 10% of people, no matter where the are from, will be gay or lesbian or other than strictly heterosexual. That is a constant in our gene pool that perhaps is there for the survival of our species. If you look back to the days of pre-history or even at today’s cultures that are pre-historic from the Great Rift Valley to Papua New Guinea, there is a natural variation of gender identification within these cultures that is clearly evident and accepted by these cultures. Just because the Middle Eastern religions could not deal with this variation and chose to condemn it doesn’t mean we need to accept their inability to deal rationally with human behavior. If religions are wrong, they need to change. I don’t need to change because religions can’t deal with my humanness. As far as I’m concerned, most of the Middle East has their head up their behinds about many other issues, especially their attitudes towards women. This is where the problem lies. Women are second class citizens so why in the world would you want to “act like” a woman – by being attracted to men – if you were a man. The attitudes towards lesbians has always taken a back seat because in these repressive cultures, women are always with women anyway. The hypocrisy of Islamic men is amplified by their acceptance of having sex with boys since sex with women other than your wife is prohibited. Your argument is steeped in mores from the dark ages and I don’t think it is productive for us as a society to go back to archaic attitudes that historically have been counter-productive. Also, since you are so hellbent on scrutinizing the behavior of homosexuality, perhaps your preoccupation stems from your own struggle with being gay. Reply 2. fadingad says: January 16, 2011 at 7:00 pm Boy-wives and female husbands: studies of African homosexualities By Stephen O. Murray, Will Roscoe http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0312238290&id=ZjbESL6YWU0C&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&ots=WcnMQaNGuj&dq=Boy-Wives+and+Female-Husbands:+Studies+of+African+Homosexualities+By+Stephen+O.+Murray&sig=ZyvCsAJINJP9CBDqrSyTw365iVE#v=onepage&q&f=false Reply 3. fadingad says: January 17, 2011 at 3:55 am Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or antagonistic. Rigveda,one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism says ‘Vikruti Evam Prakriti’ (perversity/diversity is what nature is all about, or, what seems un-natural is also natural), which some scholars believe recognizes homosexuality as natural, if not an approval of homosexuality. Moreover, Rigveda recognizes the cyclical constancy of homosexual/transsexual dimensions of human life, like all forms of universal diversities. – Wikipedia Reply 9. Paul Rigano says: March 16, 2011 at 7:26 pm Please read “Sex At Dawn.” Brilliant, illuminating and should put this whole thing to rest. Reply 1. fadingad says: March 17, 2011 at 3:14 pm Thanks Paul, I added a link to your comments. Reply 10. Raen says: March 22, 2011 at 3:31 pm Wow, now this is hot. The debate, I mean. Well, the thing is, regardless of whether you’re gay or not, one thing can never be denied. The world works in almost an perfect way, only to have human damaging all these. The thing is, if homosexuality is the nature of human like everything else, then believe me, we wouldn’t be here. I’m a Muslim, but I don’t have anything against gay. Just that the fact that this drawing depicts both Islam and homosexuality, not to mention the debate, it is inevitable to talk about both of it. Of course, there are some Muslims, who are gay. But the thing is Islam wants the believers to practice it in and out, and homosexuality is definitely a big no-no. So these guys, they are no longer Muslims anymore. They became the unbelievers for defying God. And the thing about all those adultery issues and all, believe me, it is easier to implement those rules back in those good ol’ days, but definitely not today. Take Malaysia for instance. The local authority even denied a request from a Muslim woman who was caught for close proximity and under the influence of alcohol, to be canned. It’s not because the authority is not based on Islam, it’s not because Islam is just another religion, but it’s because that Islam is the main religion and these punishment, being implemented almost immediately although there’s none before this, give bad images towards Islam. We Muslims, believes that God had created us all in the most perfect way, and He even said that we are His greatest creation ever. And He created women for men, not because it is the ‘norm’, but because He intend it to be like that. He wants us, human, to breed and keep on living, His greatest creation, so that we can continue to worship Him. So tell me one thing, can homosexuality breed new generation of beautiful kids? Please, don’t talk about all those things like surrogate mother, sperm donation, not even adoption. Cause for all I know that’s all bullshit. To keep on living, to keep on reproducing, to make sure that we human keep on living in this Earth, we have to breed. And unless a man can give birth, then for all I know the ‘nature’ would be a man and a woman, not man and man. But then again, I still am not going to bash out all those gays. I mean, you have your own brain, your own mind, and you can certainly think for yourself. If you wanna be gay, it’s your own choice. Your loss, though. You are going against the norm, the nature, of the universe. But hey, it’s your own life, so who cares, right? Reply 1. fadingad says: March 22, 2011 at 3:50 pm No one is stopping you from having children. Keep having children and you will keep having gay ones. It’s only natural. Reply 2. fadingad says: March 23, 2011 at 11:53 am Oh, Raen PS: It’s not a choice. It’s the way Allah designed us. Reply 11. Ali Begovic´ says: March 26, 2011 at 3:54 pm How pathetic, is drawing a picture all you can do to try to attack Muslims? is that how pathetic level you have reached? There is no homosexuality in Islam and you animals in the west ought to know. we muslims don´t fear death or anything at all Except Allah. We don´t have any fear of you, you are cowards of cowards, everything that is the most disgusting is from you in the west, drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, crime, cursing, moral and ethical degeneration, the list can go on, we muslims are free from your lies. Reply 1. fadingad says: March 27, 2011 at 3:09 am Depicting gay Muslims is not an attack. It’s a celebration of Muslim diversity. To claim there are no gay Muslims is a denial. This painting that was photographed on the sidewalks of Brooklyn is both telling and provocative. http://www.fadingad.com/fadingadblog/?p=1074

Universitas Borneo Tarakan

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universitas_Borneo_Tarakan
Dari Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas Perubahan tertunda ditampilkan di halaman iniBelum Diperiksa Langsung ke: navigasi, cari Universitas Borneo Tarakan Didirikan 9 Oktober 1999 Jenis Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Rektor Dr. Ir. H. Abdul Jabarsyah Ibrahim, M.Sc Lokasi Tarakan, Kalimantan Timur Situs web www.borneo.ac.id Universitas Borneo Tarakan adalah sebuah perguruan tinggi negeri yang berkedudukan di Kota Tarakan, Kalimantan Timur. Kampus utama Universitas Borneo, terletak di Jl. Amal Lama No.1 Tarakan. Universitas Borneo didirikan oleh Yayasan Pinekindi pada tanggal 09 Oktober 1999 dan ditetapkan pada tanggal 30 Maret 2000 berdasarkan Surat Keputusan Yayasan Pinekindi Nomor: 011/YP/TRK/III/2000. Universitas Borneo secara resmi mulai menyelenggarakan proses pendidikan pada tanggal 06 Juni 2001, sesuai dengan Surat Keputusan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional No. 37/D/O/2001. Saat ini Universitas Borneo menyelenggarakan Pendidikan Strata 1 (S-1) yang dilakukan oleh 6 (enam) Fakultas dengan 14 program studi. [Rektor]] Universitas Borneo saat ini adalah H. Abdul Jabarsyah Ibrahim, PhD Universitas Borneo Tarakan dirubah statusnya menjadi negeri oleh Peraturan Presiden RI No. 19 yang dituangkan ke dalam Peraturan Presiden RI No. 65 Tahun 2010 Tentang Pendirian Universitas Bangka Belitung, Universitas Borneo Tarakan, dan Universitas Musamus yang ditetapkan di Jakarta pada tangal 19 November 2010. Fakultas Fakultas Teknik S1 Teknik Elektro S1 Teknik Sipil Fakultas Ekonomi S1 Ekonomi Pembangunan S1 Manajemen Fakultas Hukum S1 Ilmu Hukum Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan S1 Bimbingan Konseling Sekolah S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Indonesia S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris S1 Pendidikan Biologi S1 Pendidikan Matematika Fakultas Pertanian S1 Agribisnis S1 Agroteknologi Fakultas Perikanan dan Ilmu Kelautan S1 Budidaya Perairan S1 Manajemen Sumber Daya Perairan Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan D3 Ilmu Keperawatan D3 Ilmu Kebidanan

“Towards a dialogue on Muslim same-sex unions”

edited by Wajahat Ali The Best Blog in the History of the Whole Wide World
: Dr. Junaid Bin Jahangir with 24 comments i 19 Votes Quantcast Towards a dialogue on Muslim same-sex unions Dr. Junaid Bin Jahangir As in Christianity and Judaism, there has been a shift in the Islamic position on ‘homosexuality’. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said that he would not worship a homophobic God. Likewise, Rabbi Harold Schulweis has stated that the counsel of celibacy is contrary to the Judaic affirmation of sexuality. In Islam, US based Imam Suhaib Webb has expressed regret on his referral to a reparative therapy group and argues against the discrimination of gay congregants. Likewise, Sudan based Sheikh Hashim Al-Hakim has indicated that while, he used to be hard against homosexuals, he has ‘learned to respect their humanity’. US based Imam Johari Malik has said that ‘It’s time to get past our homophobia to help human beings’. In contrast to traditional Muslim views, several church denominations and synagogues bless same-sex unions. However, Muslim discourse is not shaped by alternative voices in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Groups like Muslims for Progressive Values work towards supporting Muslim LGBTQ rights. However, in contrast to Judaism and Christianity, the discussion on same-sex unions in Islam is fairly recent. * Orientation Traditional Muslims believe that any homosexual conduct is prohibited. Several Muslim medical professionals argue that homosexuality was declassified as a disorder due to pressure from gay activist groups. However, Rabbi Gershom Barnard indicates that medical opinion gradually evolved from hormonal treatment to psychoanalysis to behavioral conditioning to saying that there is no treatment to finally indicating that there is nothing to treat. Professor Hashim Kamali of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies in Malaysia has stated that both Islamic jurisprudence and science confirm that sexual orientation is inherent. Dr. Qazi Rahman from the University of London and co-author of the book ‘Born Gay: the Psychobiology of Sex Orientation’ also affirms the innateness of ‘homosexuality’. According to Dr. Bassem Nathan, three medical opinions existed among medieval Arabs. According to one school of thought, ‘homosexuality results when the maternal sperm prevails over the paternal sperm’. Like Al Razi (d. 925 CE), the Nestorian Christian Hunain Ibn Ishaq (d. 873 CE) and the Melkite Christian Qusta Ibn Luqa (d. 912 CE) also subscribed to the view that ‘homosexuality’ was an inherent trait. According to Dr. Sahar Amer, Al Kindi (d. 873 CE) and Ibn Masawayh (d. 857 CE) respectively stated that ‘lesbianism’ was explained on the basis of physical traits and exposure to the effects of certain foods during infancy. In contrast, traditional Muslims reject the prevailing psychiatric view of homosexuality and reference the works of reparative therapy groups. It is striking to note that reparative therapy groups offer suggestions that include a ‘Dad exposing his penis to his young son in the shower’. * Promiscuity, anal intercourse, fatal diseases, alcoholism and celibacy Traditional Muslims attribute suicidal behavior to ‘homosexuality’ rather than societal prejudice. They associate fatal diseases with ‘homosexual behavior’, specifically understood as male anal intercourse, rather than promiscuity. They allude to the statistics on HIV infections among ‘MSM-men who have sex with men’ and indicate that ‘homosexuality’ leads to ‘fitna-social chaos’. In contrast, dissenting Muslims distinguish between orientation and the act of ‘anal intercourse’. They indicate that anal intercourse, while strongly disliked, is permissible with the wife’s consent in Shia jurisprudence. Furthermore, they indicate that while many heterosexuals indulge in the act, many monogamous long-term gay couples do not have anal sex. Dissenting Muslims also distinguish between gay men and the ‘MSM’. The latter are occasionally heterosexuals, who indulge in homosexual acts for financial reasons or because of lack of access to women in prisons or in gender segregated cultures. According to Nadya Labi, writer of ‘The Kingdom in the Closet’, a Filipino expatriate in Saudi Arabia indicated that Saudi men stop calling him for sex after their wives are no longer pregnant or menstruating. Dissenting Muslims indicate that we do not erroneously associate high AIDS cases in Sub Saharan Africa with heterosexuality. They state that HIV and other diseases should be associated with stigma and promiscuity rather than orientation. However, traditional Muslims analogize ‘homosexuality’ with alcoholism and prescribe celibacy to homosexuals just as they prescribe self control to alcoholics. They view ‘homosexuality’ as a test of life justified by a great reward in the Hereafter. In contrast, the 14th century mystic poet Hafiz stated that ‘not even seven thousand years of joy can justify seven days of repression’. Dr. Abdul Azeem Abozaid and Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki indicate that the Sharia provides alternatives in lieu of a prohibition. They allude to the permissibility of ‘Nikah-marriage’ in lieu of adultery, many food and drinks in lieu of pork and wine and many trade based contracts in place of usury and gambling. However, no such substitute exists for gays and lesbians. Thus, dissenting Muslims argue that it would not be appropriate to create an analogy between a basic intimacy need and craving for a liquid for which exist many alternatives. Dissenting Muslims further argue that celibacy is a value foreign to Islam. They indicate that Islam, like Judaism, acknowledges basic intimacy needs and affirms a legitimate avenue for their expression. They also warn of ‘fitna-social chaos’ in the absence of a legitimate avenue for sexual expression. The Rabbis, who wrote for the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards on homosexuality, state that many celibate clergy have found it impossible to fulfill their vows. However, traditional Muslim scholars caution young Muslims against making homosexual behavior compatible with Islamic teachings. In contrast, Rabbi Schulweis states that the ‘Jewish law was not instituted to make life miserable’ and that denying intimacy to innocent people would violate his Jewish sense of fairness and compassion. * Jurisprudence Traditional scholars are bound by a forbidding legacy that either prescribes flogging or the capital penalty for ‘liwat-male anal intercourse’. These punishments were either based on analogizing ‘liwat’ with fornication or on texts that were discredited by several jurists like Imam Abu Hanifa and Ibn Hazm as inauthentic. Contemporary Muslim scholars like Sheikh El-Shinqiti also reject these narratives based on the doubts raised by Bukhari, Muslim and other Hadith experts. Rejecting the analogy with fornication, these jurists suggested a ‘tazeer-discretionary’ penalty by equating ‘liwat’ with other sexual conduct. However, the absence of correction for constitutional homosexuals and the absence of consent in analogizing ‘liwat’ with bestiality and necrophilia limits the scope of any discretionary penalty. As such, some contemporary Muslim scholars like India based Asghar Ali Engineer, Maulana Abu Zafar Hassan Nadvi and Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi are prone to the decriminalization of ‘homosexuality’. Several past scholars like Imam Abu Hanifa, Ibn Taymmiah and Al Razi assumed that ‘liwat’ was a one-sided conduct. They reasoned that in the absence of disease or financial reasons, the passive partner does not desire ‘liwat’ as it results in hatred and humiliation. However, Archbishop Tutu questions any reason to deny that homosexual love leads towards compassion. Professor Scott Kugle distinguishes between ‘liwat’, a later juristic term, and ‘amal qaum lut-actions of Lot’s people’, which is associated with apostasy, highway robbery and rebellion in some texts that allude to the Companions. This further emphasizes that any homosexual conduct was viewed as non-consensual by past authorities. Acknowledging such limitations, some traditional Muslims argue on the basis of the ‘awrah-nakedness’ texts or verses 4:15-16. However, the ‘awrah’ texts are as irrelevant to ‘Nikah-marriage’ as verses 4:15-16, by scholarly unanimity, are for homosexual conduct. * Qur’anic Analysis While addressing ‘liwat’, the Muslim tradition does not deal with the anachronistic issue of same-sex unions. Nonetheless, the eventual arguments used to prohibit same-sex unions are based on the verses on Lot’s people and verses 23:5-7 on ‘Hifz Furuj-guarding private parts’. Based on a holistic contextual analysis, dissenting Muslims argue that the verses on Lot’s people refer to acts of coercion and inhospitality. They argue that the part ‘you approach males and commit highway robbery’ in verse 29:29 refers to coercion. Whereas, the part ‘Have we not forbidden you from (entertaining) others?’ in verse 15:70 refers to inhospitality. The part ‘we have no right on your daughters’ in verse 11:79 also emphasizes coercion over orientation as the word ‘Haqq-right’ has been used in lieu of the word ‘Irba-desire’. In the context of verse 7:80, Ibn Katheer mentions that Lot’s people invented deeds unfamiliar to men and other creatures that existed before them. In contrast, historical record places homosexual conduct in Bronze Age Mesopotamia (3000 BCE), Stone Age Brazil (12,000 years ago) and several continents in the Paleolithic Age prior to the time of Lot’s people (1800 BCE or 2300 BCE). In contrast, some Muslims argue that the phrase ‘ma sabaqakum-none preceded you’ in verse 7:80 serves to emphasize the gravity of the crime of Lot’s people. As such, they disagree with the understanding of Ibn Katheer and other commentators on verse 7:80. Likewise, dissenting Muslims indicate that these verses are not referring to constitutional gays but sexual violence committed by, to borrow Ronnie Hassan’s words, “a lunatic fringe of humanity”. Dissenting Muslims substantiate these arguments by secondary texts, which, according to Professor Kugle, are relatively difficult to forge. These texts that provide the context for the conduct of Lot’s people appear in ‘Tarikh Tabari’, ‘Qisas Al Anbiya’ and the ‘Jalalyn Tafseer’. Of the various texts, three are reproduced below as examples. [Lot’s people] said: make it your tradition that if you take a stranger in your country, you penetrate him, and make him pay four Dirhams. People will not come to your place if you did that. (Tafsir Jalalyn) Greed and miserliness bid them follow its call, to the extent that if any strangers stopped to ask for their hospitality, they would rape them (fadahahu) without sexual need, in order to dishonor them. They persisted in this behavior until they began to search out men and force themselves on them. (Qisas Al Anbiya by Al Rawandi) [Yunus à Ibn Wahb à Ibn Zayd]: Concerning God’s statement, “And you commit abominations in your meetings”, their meetings were the assemblies, and the abomination was their disgusting act which they would perform. They would accost a rider and seize him and mount him. (Tarikh Tabari) Based on a linguistic analysis, dissenting Muslims argue that the phrase ‘atatoona ldhukrana-approaching males’ in verse 26:165, traditionally understood as consensual homosexual conduct, refers to coercive action. They argue that the verb ‘atatoona’, based on Edward Lane’s Lexicon, also connotes the meanings of ‘pursue’, ‘hasten’, and ‘the act of propelling or impelling – particularly of an arrow from a bow’. Whereas, based on Lisan Al-Arab, the noun ‘ldhukrana’ connotes a non-receptive entity in contrast to the noun ‘untha-female’ that connotes a receptive entity. As such, Dr. Hussein Abdul Latif argues that in Classical Arabic usage, consent is assumed to exist between a male and a female. However, such implicit consent is assumed to be absent between males. This substantiates reading the phrase plausibly as ‘pursuing non-receptive entities’. France based Imam Tarek Oubrou has confirmed that the Qur’anic narrative on Lot’s people depicts ‘violent sexual relationships’. Likewise, Dr. Youssef Seddik writes in ‘We never read the Koran’ that ‘homosexuality’ is not forbidden in the Qur’an. Based on Dr. Khaled El-Rouayheb’s work, scholars like Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami (d. 1566 CE) and Abd Al-Baqi Al-Zurqani (d. 1688 CE) walked a thin line on non-penetrative sexual conduct. The Rector of Al Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Al-Hafni (d. 1767 CE) summarized the contrasting opinion of the scholars for the permissibility of ‘liwat’ in Paradise. * Revisiting Jurisprudence Dissenting Muslims argue that verses 23:5-7 that confine legitimate sexual relations between opposite gender spouses are open to exceptional cases. They allude to past jurists who allowed ‘khuntha mushkil-intersexuals’ to marry based on their inner constitution. According to the Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh, the Hanbali jurist Al-Kharqi reasoned as follows. ‘If he [khuntha] said that he is a man and that he desires women, then he can do it [marry a female]. If he said that he is a woman and he desires men, then he can do it [marry a male]. This is because only he can decide and no one other than him can decide this. So, his word is accepted as the word of the woman is accepted on menstruation. He, the Khuntha may know himself according to the desires as he sees which of the two sexes he desires.’ These Muslims eventually reference the juristic framework of ‘maslaha-public interest’ and ‘darura-dire necessity’ to argue for Muslim same-sex unions. The Shafi’i jurist Shihab Al-Din Ahmad Al-Ramli (d. 1550 CE) is recorded to have stated that kissing the object of one’s affection was a duty if in line with the then medical theory such frustration would contribute to the lover’s death. In contemporary times, the European Council for Fatwa and Research, while recognizing usury as a major sin, allow for home mortgages on the principle of equating ‘Hajah-need’ with ‘darurah-dire necessity’ and restrict this ‘rukhsa-facility’ to those Muslims in a real need for a house. Likewise, Sheikh Hashim Al-Hakim implicitly uses the ‘darurah’ framework when he states that if ‘homosexuals’ are to continue, they must practice safe sex to avoid harm. Traditional Muslims may reject the scope of ‘aql-reason’ and such juristic frameworks by associating them with ‘hawa-desire’. They argue that the ‘necessity trumps prohibition’ maxim might apply to consuming pork but not sexual conduct. However, dissenting Muslims appeal to a higher ethic based on the Prophet’s teachings. They emphasize the Prophet’s words paraphrased as ‘do not harm and accept no harm’, ‘wish for your brother what you wish for yourself’, ‘when some Muslims hurt other Muslims ache’, ‘facilitate, do not cause difficulties or cause people to detest the law’ and ‘do not fall into extremities but seek the middle path’. US based Dr. Emran El-Badawi paraphrases Egyptian scholar Gamal Al Banna as stating that ‘Imam al-Shaf’i was great, but I am greater than him, because I learned from him and I have the benefit of centuries’ worth of knowledge beyond him’. Given our increased knowledge of sexual orientation and the injustice of condemning people to celibacy, the issue of gays and lesbians deserves to be revisited with a renewed perspective. As such, Netherlands based Imam El-Ouazzani and Spain based Abdennur Prado, President of the Junta Islámica Catalana, have indicated to make the issue more debatable. In 2006, based on human dignity, Conservative Jews sanctioned same-sex unions. Their reasoning included a reference to Rabbi Eliezer’s quote that ‘Let your neighbor’s dignity be precious to you as your own.’ Likewise, in the context of gays and lesbians, Indonesia based Dr. Siti Musdah Mulia has pointed to the Islamic emphasis on ‘Ird-dignity’ of human beings. As such, Muslim scholars are invited to heed the words of Ibn Taymmiah. When the scholars find out that their decisions are causing lots of suffering, or that people are looking for worse loopholes than the actual prohibition, or that people end up living in the ‘Haram’, then it is time for the scholars to think again about their conclusions. Dr. Junaid Bin Jahangir is Lecturer in Economics in Edmonton, Alberta. http://goatmilkblog.com/2012/02/05/towards-a-dialogue-on-muslim-same-sex-unions-dr-junaid-bin-jahangir/

Test & Learn for Sites™

APT’s Test & Learn for Sites™ enables retail banks to accurately understand the impact of new ideas and tailor them to maximize profits. Test & Learn for Sites™ is the most advanced turnkey test management solution that helps organizations efficiently design, execute, and analyze a variety of strategic and tactical programs. Banks that have institutionalized Test & Learn™ to rapidly and accurately evaluate high-potential ideas generate millions of dollar in incremental profits. The APT Value Creation The successful application of the Test & Learn for Sites™ capability to rapidly and accurately evaluate high-potential ideas throughout the organization is worth tens of millions of dollars to retail banks. Test & Learn for Sites™ enables retail banking executives to answer specific questions about any idea or initiative prior to rollout, such as: What impact will this idea have on my results – revenues, balances, new account generation, market share? Test & Learn for Sites™ enables banks to evaluate new ideas with low-cost, low-risk, in-market tests. These ideas cross the enterprise, from marketing and pricing, through operations and HR, to investments in capital improvements. For each of these program areas, Test & Learn for Sites™ allows leading retail banks to run multiple tests at once and yields rapid, reliable answers that drive consumer insight and long-term corporate value. Will the idea have a larger impact on some branches than others? What is the predicted impact by branch and by market, and can I design a rollout program that maximizes returns? Test & Learn for Sites™ allows executives to quantify the impact of new initiatives by region and segment. Using Test & Learn for Sites™, companies can: Predict which capital expenditure will be most successful in which branches Determine the optimal staffing level at each branch Identify the best surcharge amount for each ATM Determine where and when to extend hours Where to add relationship managers or teller staff Specify which operational shortfalls are creating performance gaps Identify which marketing programs work best and which branches/markets respond best What value is created by the individual components of the idea? Can the idea be engineered before rollout to maximize its value? Test & Learn for Sites™ uses built-in pattern recognition and optimization technology to automatically seek out segmentation and targeting opportunities in order to maximize the ROI of any action. It is built on the reality that most new business ideas are neither all success nor all failure — they tend to work well in certain situations but may not in others. In each analysis, the APT software automatically examines every element of data available about each branch, identifies the profile of the most successful branches, and highlights other branches that fit this profile.

Ketua KPK: Tersangka Baru Kasus Wa Ode Seorang Politisi. Mungkinkah Politisi PKS?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 situs-berita-terbaru.blogspot.com - Ketua KPK: Tersangka Baru Kasus Wa Ode Seorang Politisi. Mungkinkah Politisi PKS? Abraham Samad Samad: Tersangka Baru Kasus Wa Ode Seorang Politisi Rabu, 13 Juni 2012 12:02 WIB TRIBUNNEWS.COM, JAKARTA - Tersangka perdana kasus dugaan suap Dana Penyesuaian Infrastruktur Daerah (DPID), Wa Ode Nurhayati selaku anggota Badan Anggaran (Banggar) DPR RI, mulai menjalani sidang dakwaan di Pengadilan Tindak Pidana Korupsi (Tipikor), Jakarta, Rabu (13/6/2012) hari ini. Dalam waktu dekat, Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) akan menetapkan tersangka baru yang akan menyusul Wa Ode dan tersangka pengusaha Fahd A Rafiq. Ketua KPK, Abraham Samad mengungkapkan tersangka baru yang akan menyusul Wa Ode itu juga merupakan seorang politisi. "Memang pasti ada tersangka baru. Bukan pejabat penyelenggara negara, tapi kemungkinan dia politisi juga," beber Abraham sebelum mengikuti rapat dengan Tim Pengawas (Timwas) kasus Century di DPR RI, Jakarta, Rabu (13/6/2012). Abraham belum bersedia mengungkapkan lebih lanjut waktu penetapak tersangka kepada politisi tersebut. KPK menetapkan Wa Ode sebagai tersangka atas dugaan menerima suap dari pengusaha Fahd A Rafiq terkait pengalokasian DPID di tiga kabupaten di Aceh. Sebelumnya, pihak kuasa hukum Wa Ode meyakini permainan anggaran di Banggar akan terbongkar melalui keterangan saksi-saksi selama persidangan. Pihak Wa Ode menyatakan kasus DPID ini terkait dengan keterlibatan pimpinan DPR dan pimpinan Banggar DPR. Sebab, Wa Ode hanya anggota Banggar DPR sehingga tidak berwenang menentukan alokasi dana DPID. http://www.tribunnews.com/2012/06/13...orang-politisi Politisi yang Pernah Dipanggil KPK sbg Saksi dalam Kasus Wa Ode, adalah politisi asal PKS, Anis Matta Wa Ode Desak KPK Jerat Anis Matta RABU, 02 MEI 2012 | 07:32 WIB situs-berita-terbaru.blogspot.com - Ketua KPK: Tersangka Baru Kasus Wa Ode Seorang Politisi. Mungkinkah Politisi PKS? Wa Ode TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Wakil Ketua Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Anis Matta dinilai patut dijadikan tersangka kasus suap perkara Dana Penyesuaian Infrastruktur Daerah (DPID) 2011. "Dia menyalahgunakan wewenang," kata Sulistyowati, pengacara tersangka kasus suap DPID, Wa Ode Nurhayati, Selasa 1 Mei 2012 kemarin. Menurut dia, sebagai pemimpin DPR yang membidangi keuangan, Anis Matta berpotensi menggunakan kewenangannya secara keliru. Seperti ketika mengirim surat kepada Menteri Keuangan Agus Martowardojo, yang berisi daftar daerah penerima alokasi DPID pada 2011 sebesar Rp 7,7 triliun. Lampiran surat itu diteken oleh Ketua Badan Anggaran Melchias Markus Mekeng beserta para wakil ketua, yakni Tamsil Linrung, Olly Dondokambey, dan Mirwan Amir. Isi surat itu dinilai berbeda dengan hasil kesepakatan pemerintah dengan Badan Anggaran sebelumnya. "Ada surat balasan dari Menkeu yang mempertanyakan isi surat Anis," kata Sulistyowati. Dalam proyek itu, kata dia, telah disepakati jumlah dan kriteria daerah penerima DPID. Belakangan terjadi perubahan daftar daerah penerima tanpa sepengetahuan pemerintah dan anggota Badan Anggaran. Walau sempat mempertanyakan isi surat, akhirnya Menteri Keuangan menyetujui usulan itu dengan menerbitkan Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Nomor 25 Tahun 2011. Direktur Jenderal Perbendaharaan Kementerian Keuangan Agus Suprijanto tak bersedia menjelaskan ihwal DPID pada 2011. "Maaf, saya tak menangani hal itu, tak bisa kasih komentar," katanya Selasa malam 1 Mei 2012. Adapun Sekretaris Jenderal Kementerian Keuangan Kiagus Ahmad Badarudin dan Direktur Jenderal Perimbangan Keuangan Marwoto Harjowiryono tak menjawab panggilan telepon dan pesan pendek dari Tempo. Juru bicara Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, Johan Budi S.P., menyatakan penyidik telah menjadwalkan pemeriksaan Anis pada Kamis 3 Mei 2012 besok. "Surat pemanggilannya sudah dikirim," katanya Selasa 1 Mei 2012 kemarin. Sebelumnya, Sekretaris Jenderal Partai Keadilan Sejahtera itu tak memenuhi panggilan KPK. Anis Matta dipanggil KPK pada Jumat pekan lalu, tapi tak hadir karena bertolak ke luar negeri. Sumber Tempo di KPK menyatakan, peran Anis akan diketahui setelah menjerat politikus PKS, Tamsil Linrung; dan politikus Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, Olly Dondokambey. "Makanya pengembangan kasus ke Tamsil dan Olly dulu," kata sumber tersebut. Menurut sumber itu, keduanya, yang juga anggota Badan Anggaran, diduga ikut mendorong agar proyek DPID ditangani oleh sejumlah perusahaan di beberapa daerah. "Ada indikasi mereka ikut menerima hadiah." Olly belum bisa dimintai penjelasan kemarin, sedangkan Tamsil menyatakan siap diperiksa KPK. "Kapan pun," ujarnya. Tentang peran Anis Matta, kata Tamsil, cuma meneruskan surat dari pemimpin Badan Anggaran kepada Menteri Keuangan. Dia menjelaskan, itu merupakan balasan surat Menteri Keuangan sebelumnya soal beberapa daerah yang tak bisa memperoleh alokasi DPID karena pengajuannya terlambat. "Menkeu mengakui kesalahan. Sudah lewat batas waktu, itu sudah diketuk (DPR)," ujarnya di kantor pusat PKS, Jakarta, kemarin. Akhirnya, dari 424 daerah penerima program DPID, dikurangi 126 daerah. http://www.tempo.co/read/news/2012/0...rat-Anis-Matta situs-berita-terbaru.blogspot.com - Ketua KPK: Tersangka Baru Kasus Wa Ode Seorang Politisi. Mungkinkah Politisi PKS? Anis Matta KPK Periksa Anis Matta dan Wa Ode di Kasus Suap DPPID Kamis, 03 Mei 2012, 11:54 WIB REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Selain memeriksa Wakil Ketua DPR Anis Matta, Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), Kamis (3/5), juga memeriksa tersangka kasus suap Dana Percepatan Pembangunan Infratsruktur Daerah (DPPID) Wa Ode Nurhayati. Namun, KPK tidak mengkonfrontasi mereka berdua. Anis Matta tiba lebih dulu pada pukul 09.30 WIB menggunakan Toyota crown hitam bernomor polisi RI 45. Anis tidak langsung masuk keruang penyidikan, Ia memilih masuk keruang wartawan untuk memberikan klarifikasi kepada media terkait tudingan Wa Ode kepadanya. "Saya hadir sebagai warga negara untuk memenuhi panggilan KPK. Sebagai warga negara saya punya kewajiban moral untuk memberikan keterangan, dokumen kepada KPK sepanjang itu dibutuhkan. Disini saya bawa CV saya, kronologinya, surat dari Menkeu, surat dari Banggar dan surat balasan dari pimpinan DPR ke Menkeu," kata Anis saat memberikan keterangan di ruang pers KPK. Anis menilai dalam kasus Wa Ode ada dua persoalan, pertama soal pribadi Wa Ode sebagai Anggota Banggar dari PAN yang diduga menerima suap dan kasusnya dikembangankan menjadi TPPU. Kedua adalah mekanisme pembahasan APBN tahun anggaran 2011. "Dalam kronologi dan surat saya sebagai Wakil Ketua DPR bidang ekonomi keuangan hanya meneruskan surat jawaban klarifikasi pimpinan Banggar kepada Menkeu, sesuai permintaan Banggar dan mekanisme internal DPR di mana kalau ada surat keluar harus melalui pimpinan," ujarnya. Wa Ode datang sekitar 20 menit kemudian atau sekitar pukul 09.50 WIB. Berbeda dengan Anis, Wa Ode memilih tidak berbicara kepada wartawan dan langsung masuk ke dalam kantor KPK. Meskipun memeriksa Wa Ode dan Anis, Juru Bicara KPK, Johan Budi mengatakan, tidak ada rencana untuk mengkonfrontir Anis dengan Wa Ode dalam pemeriksaan hari ini. "Tidak ada rencana itu (konfrontir), nggak ada," ujar Johan melalui pesan singkatnya, Kamis (3/5). KPK menetapkan Wa Ode sebagai tersangka kasus DPID. Anggota DPR dari Fraksi Partai Amanat Nasional ini disangka menerima suap sebesar Rp 6 miliar dari pengusaha Fahd A Rafiq, melalui pengusaha Haris Surahman. Dalam pengembangan kasus ini, KPK juga menetapkan Wa Ode sebagai tersangka kasus tindak pidana pencucian uang. Seusai diperiksa di KPK pada 18 April, Wa Ode menyatakan, dalam kasusnya, penyalahgunaan jelas terjadi dalam proses surat-menyurat, yang kemudian merugikan kepentingan daerah. Hal itu mulai dari Anis. "Anis Matta cenderung memaksa meminta tanda tangan Menkeu untuk menandatangani surat yang bertentangan dengan rapat Banggar," kata Wa Ode. Wa Ode juga mengatakan ada pelanggaran prosedural yang dilakukan mulai dari pimpinan DPR hingga pimpinan Banggar terkait pengalokasian dana PPID. Menurut dia, ada kriteria yang dilanggar untuk menentukan daerah-daerah yang berhak menerima dana PPID. "Secara sepihak, kriteria itu diruntuhkan tanpa rapat panitia kerja lagi oleh empat pemimpin, kemudian dilegitimasi Pak Anis Matta," ujarnya. http://www.republika.co.id/berita/na...sus-suap-dppid ----------------- Dari catatan di media, satu-satunya politisi yang pernah dipanggil KPK terkait kasus korupsi Wa Ode adalah Anis Matta, politisi PKS. Dalam pembelaan dirinya, tersangka korupsi Rp 7,5 miliar dari anggota DPR Fraksi PAN, Wa Ode, terang-terangan menyebut Wakil Ketua DPR, Anis Matta, terlibat dalam kasusnya dan minta KPK menjadikannya tersangka jua. Nah lhoooo ... kalau ini betul terjadi, bisa-bisa bikin anak-anak PKS pada kebakaran jenggot dan sarung, apalagi mengingat si Anis Matta itu adalah Sekjen partai mereka. ....... http://situs-berita-terbaru.blogspot.com/2012/06/ketua-kpk-tersangka-baru-kasus-wa-ode.html#rdlink

Straight but narrow

A debate about homosexuality in Islam is beginning. But in Muslim lands persecution—and hypocrisy—are still rife Feb 4th 2012 | from the print edition * * ONE leaflet showed a wooden doll hanging from a noose and suggested burning or stoning homosexuals. “God Abhors You” read another. A third warned gays: “Turn or Burn”. Three Muslim men who handed out the leaflets in the English city of Derby were convicted of hate crimes on January 20th. One of them, Kabir Ahmed, said his Muslim duty was “to give the message”. That message—at least in the eyes of religious purists— is uncompromising condemnation. Of the seven countries that impose the death penalty for homosexuality, all are Muslim. Even when gays do not face execution, persecution is endemic. In 2010 a Saudi man was sentenced to 500 lashes and five years in jail for having sex with another man. In February last year, police in Bahrain arrested scores of men, mostly other Gulf nationals, at a “gay party”. Iranian gay men are typically tried on other trumped-up charges. But in September last year three were executed specifically for homosexuality. (Lesbians in Muslim countries tend to have an easier time: in Iran they are sentenced to death only on the fourth conviction.) In this section * »Straight but narrow * Beaten but unbowed * Hot tropic Reprints Related topics * Iraq * Turkey * Egypt * Islam * Culture and lifestyle Gay life in the open in Muslim-majority countries is rare, but the closet is spacious. Countries with fierce laws, such as Saudi Arabia, also have flourishing gay scenes at all levels of society. Syria’s otherwise fearsome police rarely arrest gays. Sibkeh park in Damascus is a tree-filled children’s playground during the day. By night it is known for the young men who linger on its benches or walls. Wealthy Afghans buy bachabazi, (dancing boys) as catamites. Where laws are gentler, authorities find other ways to crack down. In the Jordanian capital, Amman, several gay hangouts have been raided or closed on bogus charges, such as serving alcohol illegally. Even where homosexuality is legal (as in Turkey), official censure can be fierce. A former minister for women’s affairs, Aliye Kavaf, called it “a disease”; the interior minister, Idris Naim Sahin, cited it (along with Zoroastrianism and eating pork) as an example of “dishonour, immorality and inhuman situations”. A new film, “Zenne Dancer”, portrays a young man’s murder in 2008 as Turkey’s first gay “honour killing” (the suspect, the victim’s father, is on the run). Charges of homosexuality can also be used in political repression. The Malaysian opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, was twice tried for sodomy; the attorney-general is appealing against the latest acquittal. Intolerance can unite otherwise warring factions. In Nigeria Muslims and conservative Christians alike back a proposed law banning gay marriage (and indirectly criminalising all same-sex unions). The democratic upheavals of the Arab spring have brought little comfort. Hossein Alizadeh of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a New York-based lobby group, says that religious awakening is strengthening hardline interpretations of Islam and a repressive backlash on all kinds of sex-related issues. But the laws left behind by the former regimes in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt seem draconian enough to satisfy the new governments. An ominous counter-example is Iraq. The previous Iraqi regime was politically repressive but unbothered by sexual mores. Now men even suspected of being gay face kidnappings, rape, torture and extrajudicial killing. Ali Hili, head of a group called Iraqi LGBT, (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) says that since the 2003 invasion more than 700 people have been killed because of their sexuality. It is the most dangerous place in the world for sexual minorities, he says. Theology or technology One small source of hope is the internet: life online offers gays safety, secrecy and the chance to make their case. In a campaign called “We are everywhere” Iranian gays and lesbians are posting protest videos on Facebook. In one, entitled “Ali the Queer”, a man speaks of his longing for a world in which those who deviate from the heterosexual standard are no longer considered unnatural or abnormal. However, a video newly posted from the United Arab Emirates shows an effeminate gay man being “cured” by two straight men. The internet also offers a chance to debate the fundamental issue: the Islamic prohibition of homosexuality. This is based on a tale (common to all three Abrahamic religions, though details differ) of a man called Lot and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These were engulfed in fire and brimstone as divine punishment for the local penchant for gay sex. Earlier Islamic societies were less hardline. An 11th-century Persian ruler advised his son to alternate his partners seasonally: young men in the summer and women in the winter. Many of the love poems of the eighth-century Abu Nuwas in Baghdad, and of other Persian and Urdu poets, were addressed to boys. In medieval mystic writings, particularly Sufi texts, it is unclear whether the beloved being addressed is a teenage boy or God, providing a quasi-religious sanction for relationships between men and boys. Austere European chroniclers fumed at the indulgent attitudes to gay sex in the Caliphs’ courts (now the censure is the other way). Like liberal Jewish and Christian scholars in recent decades, some Muslim thinkers are now finding theological latitude. “The Koran does not condemn homosexuality,” says Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, an American Muslim convert who teaches Islamic studies at Emory University in Atlanta. The story of Lot, he argues, deals with male rape and violence, not homosexuality in general. Classical Islamic theologians and jurists were mostly concerned with stifling lustful immorality, he says. Koranic verses describe without condemnation men who have no sexual desire for women. Arash Naraghi, an Iranian academic at Moravian College in Pennsylvania, suggests that the verses decrying homosexuality, like those referring to slavery and Ptolemaic cosmology, stem from common beliefs at the time of writing, and should be re-examined. Even Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, the late spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Hizbullah party-cum-militia, conceded that more research is needed in order to understand homosexuality. Unsurprisingly, the debate, such as it is, is led by gay Muslims outside the Islamic world. Though their rights are better protected, they too can suffer from intolerance—as the trial in Derby last month highlighted. In European cities with lots of poor, pious Muslim immigrants, municipal politics brings some rum alliances. Ken Livingstone, a left-wing London politician with a strong record on gay rights, has in the past welcomed Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an America-bashing Muslim cleric from Egypt who supports the death penalty for homosexuality. In Muslim countries activists have mostly shied away from the pitfalls of theological debate. Instead, groups such as Helem, a Lebanese NGO, use the secular language of human rights, citing United Nations declarations. Mr Alizadeh sees progress, though it is slow. Even some Muslim clerics, the group most resistant to reform, are shifting slightly. After attacks on gay men in Iraq in 2009, Muqtada al-Sadr, a fiery Shia cleric, condemned the killings. He said that the “depravity” of homosexuality should indeed be eradicated, but through “preaching and guidance” rather than violence. Optimists would see that as progress, of a sort. http://www.economist.com/node/21546002

Showtime Announces New Cable Series Featuring a Gay Muslim

Oh yeah! We can hardly wait! This will be great fun to watch! No. Not the TV series, but the predictable reaction from an “offended” Muslim community along with all the inevitable ass-kissing by Showtime executives as their rainbow colored bubble is popped by the prick that is Islam: [ Haaz Sleiman ] Showtime orders new shows with gay content by Michael Jensen, Editor July 21, 2008 – After Elton During Friday’s Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles, Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment for Showtime announced the cable network was ordering two pilots to series, both with significant gay content. The first announced was the tentatively titled thirty minute dark comedy Nurse Jackie, starring The Sopranos’ Edie Falco as an iconoclastic, opinionated, self-medicating nurse in New York City. The show also features Haaz Sleiman playing Maurice, a gay Muslim who is one of Jackie’s co-workers and best friends. Regarding the role of Maurice, Greenblatt told AfterElton.com, “He’s a great character. He’s one of the six main characters … a fellow male nurse and is a really good friend of Edie’s character, Jackie.” [...] When asked if Maurice was originally written as a gay Muslim character – something still of a novelty for American television – or was something the network suggested, Greenblatt said, “He was a gay Muslim character [from the start]. We had to find an actor to play that, but it’s not the largest talent pool. We found Haaz Sleiman. He’s a terrific actor.” The Lebanese-born Sleiman has had roles on 24, ER, Veronica Mars and most recently had a major part in The Visitor, an independent film starring Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under). However, gay viewers might also recognize Sleiman from Maurice Jamal’s The Ski Trip where he had a small part as Tyson, the muscle-bound date of one of the lead characters. When Nurse Jackie debuts (reportedly in the first half of 2009) the character of Maurice will likely be the only gay character of Middle Eastern descent currently on the air and one of the few to have ever been portrayed on television. Past Middle Eastern characters include Kenny (Rami Malek) from The War at Home, Vince Taylor (Anthony Azizi) from Commander in Chief, and Salim (Omid Abtahi) from Sleeper Cell (which also aired on Showtime). http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/showtime-announces-new-cable-series-featuring-a-gay-muslim/