Social Media Woes - Part One

Assalamualaikum ladies and gents! I hope you are all well and enjoying your holiday so far. First, please head to my channel and watch my new video, 'Annoying People On Social Media': http://youtu.be/v4oHbRNVXVY

It's a little light hearted rant that i'm sure you will potentially find amusing. Thank you for taking the time out to read/watch my content. You do not understand how much I appreciate it. This blog post will however, contrast the video as I am going to write about the negative impact social media has upon this generation as opposed to just 'annoying people' in general. Grab a drink, relax, open up your mind and read ahead. 

You are not the selfie you post on Instagram.

You are not the amount of likes you receive on your Facebook post.

You are not the amount of retweets your tweet has.

Your identity may be placed on your social media, but your soul is not.

Social media has grasped almost every single living person's attention. In fact, we, the younger generation, are almost encouraged to use social media to our advantage. Universities look for a unique selling point in each of us, whether we blog, make videos, have a photography website or have our own online business. Yes, there are many advantages of having social media accounts, but there are still so many negatives that occur. You are what you share. I don't care how many times you've heard or read something similar to what I am about to write, but seriously, be careful and aware of how you portray yourself to be on the internet. 

No this isn't a bullying campaign, nor is it a lecture on what photographs you should post on your websites. This is something more important. 

How do you make people feel on the internet?

 

Countless amounts of times I have seen cyber-bullying on different social platforms. Whether it's a dislike on a YouTube video, a 'thumbs down' emoticon on an Facebook post or an extremely abusive comment on an Instagram photo, it is very apparent that we as a young generation can be absolute idiots on social media. We can be fake, disgusting and horrid. Just because someone favourite's your tweet, doesn't mean they like or appreciate you for the content of your character. The saying goes, "do not fear the enemy that attacks you, fear the fake friend that hugs you". People can just be fake as hell to be honest. I, myself have personally experienced this. Your online friends can admire you, tell you how pretty you are or how cool your life is, but as soon as you turn around, there they are, back biting. I don't want to be associated with a knock off version of the 'mean girls', and neither should you. This applies to you males as well.  

Do not let compliments get to your head and do not let criticisms get to your heart - a simple lesson we should all take on board. The way some people treat others on social media can be so appalling. I want you to realise that what you say to someone online, as well as face to face, can affect that person deeply. We withhold the power to make or break someone's day. Let's start making people feel better about themselves then making them feel inferior. I want to touch upon many topics within this subject, firstly for my female readers. I will post the 'male' side to this topic next week so stay tuned for that.

Why do you let the social standards of beauty get to you? Why is it that when you see an attractive female on the internet, your confidence quickly disintegrates? Are you sad that you cannot look like that individual? Are you angry that no one has recognised your beauty like they have to them? Well stop. It's extremely unfortunate that some females think they are not beautiful because they do not look like the girls that get 'worshipped' on social media. Don't think I am trying to take away anything from you ladies that receive this praise; I'm simply trying to reinforce my sisters that do not appreciate themselves that, they are in fact absolutely beautiful. Is that wrong?

This is for the ladies that feel too 'fat' and cannot embrace their curves. This is for the ladies that feel to 'anorexic' and cannot appreciate their slim physique. This is to the women who are classed as the 'plain janes' of the group because they do not wear make-up. This is for each and every one of you who feel depressed and irritated about what you look like. I appreciate you, my readers appreciate you, your family, friends, relatives and everyone else who do not openly compliment people (i.e. approach people in public) appreciates you. Embrace your appearance and focus on allowing your character to shine through. We do not have to tear each other down or envy each other on social media in order to feel some sense of empowerment. You're a Queen. I see you.

As I previously stated, there are many topics within this subject I feel the need to speak about. This was just a little reminder for my female readers that need to remember how important they are. You mean something to somebody. Treasure that. Don't feel like you're decreasing your 'womanhood' by paying someone a compliment on their page. Tell them they look good and appreciate their beauty. I'm sure you would want the same. A simple compliment can honestly make someone's day. It doesn't hurt to give it. 

As always, any questions, queries or problems you have that you want my advice on, my e-mail is always open!

tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Till next time,
SALUTATIONS x      

We're All Trying.

Assalamualikum everyone. To those who are participating, Ramadan Mubarak! I hope you reap the rewards of this beautiful and blessed month. God bless you all. Keep me and my family in your prayers In Sha Allah (God Willing). Today's post will have a sort of 'Ramadan' theme, as I shall discuss the problem of people belittling others as they try to better themselves. Before I move on to the post, click the link to watch my first official 'TasneemBlogs' YouTube video :) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfKRMDokBkY

Let's begin.


The month of Ramadan is not only when Muslims fast for 30 days (sometimes 29) from sunrise to sunset, but is also the most perfect and blessed month of the year; arguably, the most awaited 'event' for a Muslim. Shaytaan (the devil) is locked away, so all actions coming from a person is purely their doing. There is no excuse for their negative behaviour. The month enables one to starve their stomach but feed their soul with inner peace, practise, prayer and contentment. What makes it even more beautiful is when Non-Muslims decide to fast in order to 'support' their friends or family, consequently leading them into feeling the amazing feeling that we Muslims feel: tranquillity. I swear, this month is meant for utter and complete peace, but why is it when some people try to better themselves, others are quick to judge? This doesn't just apply to people in the month of Ramadan or to Muslims only, but I will explain my views on those sections too.

Muslimahs. My brothers and sisters, we need to realise and understand that Allah did not create us perfect, and does not expect perfection. However, He does expect us to try our best. When you see a brother in Ramadan wearing his Thobe (Islamic dressing) as opposed to his usual jeans and hoody, why do you feel the need to point that out to other people around you, let alone saying this to yourself? Say Ma Sha Allah (all praise be to God) and keep everyone in your prayers that they continue their good habits even after Ramadan finishes. When you see a sister wearing a Hijab (headscarf) as opposed to her summer dresses, why do you feel the need to exaggerate that she doesn't wear it outside of Ramadan?
"She's a part time Hijabi"
"Look, her hair at the front is showing"
"You can see a bit of her skinny jeans showing underneath"
"He's a roadman outside of Ramadan"
"I bet his mum told him to wear that"
"Do they even pray though?"

PLEASE STOP! 

    

Who are we to be constantly focusing our energy on judging someone who is essentially trying to better themselves. Whether it is covering themselves, praying and reading the Quran (Islamic holy book) more or even visiting the Mosque regularly, they are receiving the rewards whilst you are depriving yourself from it. The beauty of this month is that it has become a turning point for so many Muslims across the world. Don't ruin and discourage those who are trying. This could be their turning point. This isn't a competition my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. Use this month efficiently and really try to better yourselves. Back-biting is considered to be a major sin, so watch your mouth and don't say anything unless it's positive. This month is about what you do, how you treat people, what you say, what actions you commit and what you do to strive to become a better Muslim. Do not let a temporary moment of you judging another decrease the good you've committed so far. At the end of the day, we are all striving to become better. We are all trying.

Even when Ramadan ends and Shaytaan (the devil) is free again, bite your tongue and refrain from being judgemental. This is a reminder for me as well as for you: back-biting to your friends is STILL back-biting. This does not change what you are doing no matter who you are with. For you to constantly point out the flaws in others who are trying to become better human beings, is disgusting. What makes you so superior to them? Is it because you pray 5 times a day but they only do it 'sometimes'. Is it because your Hijab covers your head completely but that sister's baby hairs are sticking out? Is it because you are so prestigious, you can wear whatever you want but they can't because they are not 'always' following the modest dress code? My brothers and sisters, please stop this nonsense. Don't judge others because they sin differently to you. If you see someone sin, become a "private educator", not a "public tribunal". Also, don't use that as an excuse to view them as inferior to you. Stay humble and do not let your so called perfect self float in the sky with arrogance. 

We in general, have the tendency to judge everything and everyone. What separates us is what and how people act upon it. Some will think it, some will think it and say it, some will think it and say it to everyone they know, and the rest think it and choose to ignore their opinion and move on with their lives. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we all strived to think like that? We are all facing a battle, all trying to overcome personal problems and we are all different. 

We are all trying. That is all. 

  

As always, any questions, queries or problems you have that you want my advice on, my e-mail is always open!

tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Till next time,
SALUTATIONS x 

Don't Be Cruel To Be Kind

Assalamualaikum everyone. To all my student readers, I hope you achieve the grades you have worked so hard for in your exams. May God grant you all your wishes and dreams In Sha Allah (God Willing). Before I start, I am aware that I haven't posted in a while. This was due to my examinations that have finally ended, so In Sha Allah I do well. I have made some changes to the blog itself, tweaking it to my personal style with an official 'Finding Neem' logo. I hope you like it :)

Art credit to Tanisha Barry (has drawn all of my characters on my blog)

I have a couple of announcements to make too, so stick around till the end of the blog. Today I shall discuss the 'cruel' nature in people that claim to be 'kind'. Let's go. 


Religiously speaking, to be kind to others is heavily encouraged. The Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) stated "Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished". Kindness is innate within all of us, however, we easily seem to forget this 'trait' in our day to day antics. Some of us have the ability to withhold any sense of negativity, whilst others seem to be more interested in letting people know what they truly think of them. This is not being outspoken, 'real', or truthful. This is simply cruel. You are being cruel.

Obviously I am talking about society in general. Negativity seem's to be of a regularity. They seem to think that stating their personal opinions of others to that particular person or to a group of friends, somehow makes them a superior person. It doesn't, so please remove yourself off the high pedestal that you have solely placed yourself on. This isn't a competition of superiority, nor is it a way of expressing your thoughts and feelings. Your negativity is not wanted. If you claim that you are giving an 'honest opinion', please refrain from speaking aloud. You cannot continue to live using the excuse of "that's how I am" to excuse your rude and inconsiderate behavior. That's not how it works.

Growing up, I have come to realise the extent people go in order to make someone feel bad about themselves. From posting comments on social media to backbiting to mutual friends, there is simply no limit for these people. They seem to do as they please with a carefree attitude, thinking that it will somehow get them far in life. Guess what? It doesn't. Please don't think that your hurtful comments about an individual will not eventually 'get to that person'. Trust me, I bet that they already know what you have said about them; they are simply being the bigger person and not addressing it to you in order to avoid conflict. Seriously, grow up. Ultimately, the rude and ignorant individual want to essentially impress their 'circle', their associates and the rest of the world. They appear to think that they are better than you, when in reality, they are only trying to convince themselves of this. These people are known as the stuck up kind, let me move onto another breed of rudeness. 

Now moving onto the individuals who seem to think that they are the Lord's gift to the world, assuming that their 'critical comments' will 'help' others or are a source of good nature. Snap out of that please. These type of people seem to believe that their opinion is genuinely correct and that everyone else should believe it too. This should not be the case, as 'rudeness' should not be followed or practiced. In essence, this issue is not about people being able to "handle the truth" because at the end of the day, your opinion is "your truth". Accept it, build a bridge and get over it. No one should have to sit and listen to you continuously talk bad about someone. I honestly don't understand why people do not stick up for others. There is a distinctive difference on wanting to and being unable to. I get that some individuals do not have the confidence to speak their minds and support the victims of cruel words, but there has to be a point in which you are able to. If you, yes you, are an individual that is surrounded by people or a person who talks ill of others, what does that make you? Do you agree with what they are saying? You are being cruel. Do you disagree with what they are saying? Speak up. If you can't, leave that person. Chances are, they've spoken ill of you too. The world needs more kind people. We all can be that person. Let's try to be that person. We rise by lifting others. 




That is all I have to speak on about rudeness at this moments in time, however, I will elaborate more in the near future. Now time for the announcement!

Some of you may or may not know that I previously posted YouTube videos on my blog as a source of 'entertainment' as my blogs are arguably more on the serious side of things. I have however, decided to take those videos off and placed them as 'unlisted' on my settings. This means that you cannot search these videos on YouTube, but you can however still view them if you have the link. I will still leave the video links on my blog (you need to find the particular blog post in order to see them). The reason I have done this is because I really want to officially start a YouTube channel, with good content and a good editing style. My other videos were only for the purpose of the blog, so I was not fussed about the editing etc. If you want to support my official channel 'TasneemBlogs', then you can by clicking 'subscribe'. I want to try this whole YouTube thing out. Let's see where it takes me.. 

http://www.youtube.com/TasneemBlogs

In Sha Allah you have enjoyed this blog post, the new theme/layout and are just as excited for this whole YouTube thing. I will be posting a introduction video soon. As always, any questions, queries or problems you have that you want my advice on, my e-mail is always open!

tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Till next time,
SALUTATIONS x 

Why So Selfish?

Assalamualaikum everyone! To my student readers, I hope you are studying for exams and meeting those deadlines! It's been a while but I'll cut straight to the point. Selfish human, I am speaking to you.

Je Suis Muslim

Assalamualaikum everyone. Today I am going to get straight into it, the topic revolving around the events which occurred in Paris a couple of days ago. First watch my video where I put a couple of points across. 

Oh Allah, please continue to increase my knowledge. Ameen.

We are aware that this topic is not in my favour, nor should it be constantly discussed in a biased manner. It's honestly come to the point where I am tired of consistently repeating myself, so guess what? I won't.

The events which took place was a terrorist attack, no doubt it. And no, it wasn't called a terrorist attack because they were 'Muslim', it was called that because it was. Plain and simple.

Muslims vs the World.
I understand that the cartoons drawn by that magazine company were extremely offensive. But guess what? The cartoons were not just aimed towards Islam - but to many other sects of people: Christians, Jews and even Presidents. I fail to understand why such extreme measures were taken. What happened to petitions... discussions? Why has this world succumbed to violence being the only solution to the peoples problems. Nothing but embarrassment and sorrow is filled in my heart and I promise you, the fallen continue to be in my prayers. Yes there is an extent in which people can take regarding religious offences, but condemning violence is against the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)... it's against your religion. End of story. 

Then again, saying that there is no longer 'freedom of speech' is utterly ridiculous. Freedom of speech still exists and being disgustingly offensive will also continue to exist. Think about it like this, if you had a conversation with someone, they can essentially say anything to you because they have the right to their own opinion, however, if they intentionally offend you, that is simply rude. Yes, you can have whatever opinion you want, and you can say what you wish, but if you have the intention of hurting someone with your opinion, you are disgusting. "Always ignore hateful attitude and rude behaviour of the people. They are powerless without your response". People are rude because they want a reaction. Unfortunately the employees of "Charlie Hebdo" gained an extremely negative reaction from two individuals, and they paid the price with their lives. It's actually really sad. May Allah forgive all of our sins.

To all my Muslim brothers and sisters that supported the violence towards the Charlie Hebdo company, may Allah SWT soften your heart and guide your lost souls. You have clearly no knowledge. If you think that the actions of those 'Muslims' was justifiable, you are deluded. The Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) did NOT condone violence. Subhan'Allah - imagine if the Prophet was alive today and this occurred. How would he react? Happy? Satisfied? No, disappointed and heartbroken. Disappointed in his Ummah (followers) because they let something small break their faith. They insult our Prophet with the things that they say, but we insult our Prophet by not following his way.

I refuse to continuously state that Muslims are not terrorists. It's getting old. You can't change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it. If someone offends you, your culture, family or religion, be the bigger person and walk away. Do not give someone the chance to say something bad about you because you reacted in a bad way. Stay strong all my Muslim brothers and sisters. We will forever be blamed for actions caused by a minority. Trust me you ignorant fool, if Islam was a violent religion, you would probably not be alive. There are approximately 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, and increasing, so if we were terrorists, let's just say wars would be the 'norm'. Change the tune and break the damn record. You calling an innocent man a terrorist due to his faith is pathetic. You can break me, hate me and shake me, but you can never change me. God is good. Islam is my life. Je suis Muslim and proud.

Let me break it down for you

• Terrorism is not associated with the sect of a person, it is based on action. Use the term correctly. 
• The Paris Shootings was a tragedy full stop. My condolences are with the families of the fallen. My condolences are with everyone who has suffered a tragedy.
• The criminals are Muslim by label but not Muslim by faith. Their actions were disgusting and unjustifiable. Justice has been brought to them.
• Islam does not condone violence.
• Blame the person, not the religion.

JE SUIS MUSLIM. 

That is all.

I have more to say but I think I have covered most things. Until next time.

Salutations.

READ THIS TOO. Click.

- email me for advice and queries tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

I'm Back.

Guess who's back?

I know it's been quite a while since I've last posted something, and I know for a fact that it will take me a while to get back into the routine of blogging every week. So for that, I apologise. But, I do want to make it clear that I am aiming to post every two weeks due to a very hectic life, circulating around school and other responsibilities. This leads to my topic of dreams. Let's chase it together. 

I'll get straight to the point and not beat around the bush. Sixth form has started and wow, there are a range of personalities. I thought that high school would be a roller-coaster (it was but nonetheless), I can instantly tell that there will be a few dramas peeping around the corner. I'm not saying that it will involve me, because I will make sure it doesn't. I, along with many other strong minded individuals, have better things on our agenda than to bitch over petty things. Forgive my French, but my anger has built up for a couple of months now, and what's the best thing to do in my case? Blog. And here it is.

Whether you choose to do A-Levels or BTEC's, focus on aiming for C grades or A grades, we all have our own dream. I don't care about how many achievements you've accomplished, if you feel that everyone is essentially 'below' you, then you must quickly get off your pedestal friend. Let me explain. Focus is more important than intelligence. You may be highly able to excel in a subject that is conventional for you, and not your peer. Does that make you more intelligent? Does this particular subject you study automatically increase your status within the social hierarchy for students? Are you essentially the 'smarter' friend because you do English, Physics, Maths, Business, IT, Philosophy... The list goes on. Please, do not misunderstand me. I am not questioning your intellect, I am merely challenging your mentality and the way you think. Be honest with yourself. Do you undermine the 'creative' students? Do you think that it is so much easier to do an Art course, or a Film studies course rather than your excruciating course that will guarantee your success? Think for a second.

We all have an objective. We all aim to be great. Unfortunately, we live in a world of unfair and cruel human beings. The chances of succeeding have decreased because a vast majority of people are accomplishing what they set their hearts on, whether it is a degree or a start up business. Competition is increasing, the possession of gaining a 'chance' is decreasing. We are all chasing a dream. 

There is a stereotype placed upon the students unable to excel in academic subjects. I'm right, aren't I? Those who fail Maths and English at GCSE are labelled as 'dumb' individuals and should take BTEC's because they cannot 'cope' in an exam. No one knows you better than you know yourself. For someone to dictate your route of success is ridiculous. Teachers may not agree with me, and you know what? That doesn't matter. The way I phrase my sentences, even the way in which I choose to write a blog post may not live up to the standards that has been placed on me by certain people. It doesn't matter. I can type till my heart is content, but that will not change the fact that there are some intelligent individuals that are unable to decide on what they want to do because of obstacles such as GCSE grades. I cannot fathom the thought of a piece of paper dictating one's life in which they then carry out into further education. 

Let's go back to dreams, because this is a topic that is discussed within a few tumblr pictures but not discussed in an actual conversation. Why is that?

A situation occurred the other day which made a friend of mine cry. Yes. The extent of the pressure placed and the fact that she was displeased with her courses because no one else thought that they were worthy of acknowledgement. She does BTEC's. Stop. Did some of you assume something right there? "BTEC's aren't even hard though".

Sorry, be quiet. Re-evaluate the way you think. Just because you do all of these A-Levels, it doesn't mean you are the smartest person to step foot upon earth. I do A Levels. Okay, so what? I'm tired of the stereotypes placed upon BTEC's or even 'foundation' courses. What's the point? We are all chasing a dream.

My friend knows what she wants to achieve and knows her dream very well. She knows exactly how to accomplish that dream so let it be. Remember this, we all essentially chase a dream. Whatever we must do in order to achieve that dream comes down to us. If we need particular courses to achieve that dream, good. Do whatever you can to achieve your dream and do not let anyone, EVER, belittle your courses. Ever. 

I'll sum this up in a few bullet points. Let me get this into your head.

• Do not underestimate creative courses/subjects
• I am not saying creative subjects are better than academic ones. I only want creativity to be acknowledged more
• Do not belittle those who do less A-Levels than you, or who get lower grades... Those grades do not measure your intelligence
• "Respond intelligently to unintelligent treatment"

You know your worth and that is all I can say. Do not treat people like fools. Enjoy the rest of your day/evening. Thank you for reading.

Salutations.

*e-mail for any advice and queries at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com*

It's Getting Old Now.

Assalamualaikum everyone. Greetings my good people. Hello.

It's been a long time since you've read me eh? I hope you're well and to all those (including me) who have started college/sixth form, good luck! And to everyone else, I hope you all have a smooth school year ahead of you, filled with success In'Sha'Allah (God Willing).

It isn't Tuesday, but that doesn't mean I can't/won't blog. I came across an article a couple of days ago which really caught my attention. It was about a terrorist who was arrested but wasn't really shown in the media... I wonder why.

And no, he wasn't Asian, he didn't have a beard, he didn't have the name Muhammed or Abu or Ali. He wasn't tanned, he didn't wear ethnic clothes. His name: Robert James Talbot Jr.

I bet you didn't come across that name, did you?

Ladies and gents, lets talk about our favourite subject (not), terrorism.


I know this may seem pathetic but what do you honestly think of straight away when you hear the word "terrorist" on the news? I wont say it, but I know what you're thinking. Mr Robert was recently arrested around March for terrorism. He is a White, radical right-wing conservative who was arrested on the charge of "attempted interference with commerce by robbery, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and possession of an explosive material.” In other words, he's a terrorist, but no, you don't hear that on the news.

His scheme was to recruit five or six people who thought like him and set up a Facebook page called "American Insurgent Movement". Long story short, his plan was to rob banks to fund this 'revolution' and then blow up mosques. Subtle eh. I'll link the full article below, at the end of this post.

Now I don't know about you but I really hate these double standards. I am not going to sit here and type about how all Muslims are not terrorists because you've heard that before, whether you personally know me or have read my previous blog posts. One big thing I condemn is unfairness, unfairness to my people.
I've ranted previously, I've wrote paragraphs on my Facebook page, yet I still scroll down on my newsfeed and find my own past classmates posting comments regarding Islam. Listen here friend, don't comment on something you are not fully educated on. Period.

It's unfair that scum like him are not broadcasted in the media. It's unfair that the word 'terrorist' is and always will be attached to Muslims. It's unfair that my fellow INNOCENT Muslim brothers and sisters get blamed for the actions of pathetic monsters. It's unfair. If you've caught on yet, you'd have realised that I hate this constant terrorism talk, but you know what? I will continue to speak upon this just because not that many people do. Many people think it, but they wont say it. It's sad. You hardly see people standing up for what's right nowadays. It's so sad.


This world gets darker and darker by the day. Constant murders and crimes. What I fail to grasp the concept of is why are my people victimized when the word 'terrorist' is heard or seen. Why do you associate my people with this filthy word. You'd never associate a rapist or a robber with the word terrorist. You'd never say a White, Black or mixed person is a terrorist. However, an Asian or Arab is the picture that fits a terrorist. Isn't it? 

How disgusting.

Let's get something straight, I absolutely disagree with the message that the so called Muslims who create fear of Islam are presenting, but then again, my opinion doesn't matter, does it? My innocent Muslim brothers and sisters opinions don't matter, do they? In this day and age, we've forgotten how to love. But I promise you this: hate will consume you.

This was a short post but hey, i'll be back on Tuesday. As always, you can email me for any queries, blog post suggestions or advice at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Here is the link for the article: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/217850/so-did-you-guys-hear-we-caught-a-terrorist-last-week/

Stay happy and i'll talk to you soon,

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Tragedies Pt. 1

Assalamualaikum everyone! I hope you are all well and to those taking part, Ramadan Mubarak! I hope your fasts are going easy for you In'Sha'Allah (God willing). Today's topic is going to based around tragedies as a whole, mostly focused on murders and wars. I hope to interest you in some of my thoughts and the way I look at these social tragedies. As always, thank you for the support and enjoy reading lovelies!

"Killing under the cloak of war is no different than murder"

- Albert Einstein

 

 

I take it everyone is aware of the situation that's been occurring in Palestine for decades yet has gained more recognition from society these last couple of weeks. The media has shown the deaths of Israeli's and hasn't quite touched upon the Palestinian horrors. Constant bombing, mass murder. It's isn't a war, it's genocide.

 

 

Now many people that I've seen on social media have been accusing others of mourning over Israeli people's deaths. Why? A death is a death no matter what. Somebody loved that person, somebody cared for that person, now they're gone. They will not return upon this earth. I'm not Pro Israel and I support Palestine all the way, but this isn't about who's side we are on: its about doing the right thing. To my readers, to my fellow mourners, to the people who abuse the state of this conflict, to the people of social media, I ask you to please not tell anyone who they should mourn for and who they shouldn't. Let me explain before you decide to judge my opinion and think it's wrong.

 

 

In this case, innocent people are dying from both sides. There isn't a stop to it. There are innocent civilians in both Israel AND Palestine whether you like it or not. You cannot deny this simple fact. Let's think and forget about religion for one second. You do not have to be a Muslim to support Palestine. You just have to be human. There is no denying that what's occurring right now is the least bit humane. Videos and images have spread like wildfire on social media of death, death and more death. Without reading the caption, all I see are battered and wounded civilians. I scroll down and I see these absurd comments which states that those people deserved to die because they were Israeli, or they were a Jew, or they were Palestinian or they were Muslim. DISGUSTING!

 

 

I am outraged by the other comments coming from ignorant people, people of all colours, all religions, commenting on the fact that Hitler "should've killed all the Jews", or that "Muslims are evil and should all die. America should've nuked them". It hurts my heart. It really does. I sit there scrolling down on my phone, trying my best to reply to all these comments yet I get attacked for it because I'm either a "raghead", a "terrorist" or a "paki" - and for that, my opinion automatically isn't taken into account and is ignored. And that's not even the worst part. What makes my blood boil is the fact that people tell me that I shouldn't condemn Israeli civilian deaths. Who are you to tell me who I should or shouldn't care for. I don't care what colour, race or religion these civilians are from. They are still civilians at the end of the day. Once again, I will say this. I support Palestine. I always have and always will. But how dare you tell me I'm wrong for feeling sad that other people of another religious sect have died? They are not my enemies. They are NOT my enemies! There is no such thing in Islam.

 

 

I realise that some people may take this the wrong way. All I'm saying is that you, as a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew and a human, you should never mock the deceased. That crosses a line. As a Muslim woman, yes it is my duty to help out my Muslim brothers and Sisters in Palestine, but that doesn't mean I should just stop caring about other civilians dying too. Yes my Palestinian brothers and sisters mean the world to me, well so do my Syrian brothers and sisters, so do my Somalian brothers and sisters. I could go on and on but I feel like I'd be repeating myself until you've got the point.

 

 

I pray to God that these abusive commenters have time to reflect upon what they've written. As a human, you do not have the right to tell someone who they should and shouldn't mourn for. It isn't fair.

 

 

There are so many tragedies that occur within this world. So many forgotten ones too. This Palestinian conflict was also forgotten until recently. To all those who have been taking part in the protests and petitions, Ma'Sha'Allah. May Allah SWT continue to bless you and your righteousness. I hope that we all pray for those who have been murdered and massacred. I hope we all see that religious opinions shouldn't break us apart. I hope we have all learnt a lesson that an innocent persons death is still sad. Just as sad as the next. These are children dying, mothers dying, disabled people dying, fathers dying. People being imprisoned for no reason. Palestinians are being labelled as terrorists because all they're doing is retaliating. That is all.

 

I hope you understand what points i've tried to put across. I know for a fact some people may take this the wrong way., but don't. Understand what I'm trying to say rather than jumping to conclusions. Let us all take the time out of our days as they pass to sincerely pray for the lives that have been lost due to this genocide, as well as the other (civil)/wars occurring too. Here are some links below in which you can help the people of Palestine by signing a quick online petition. This is only part 1 of this 'Tragedy' blog post.

 

 

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67165

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/condemn-apartheid-state-israel-their-human-rights-violations-against-palestinian-peoples/CjmPSCsG

http://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/palestine/?tmad=c&tmcampid=8&tmplaceref=PLACEREF&tmclickref=[keyword]&gclid=Cj0KEQjwopOeBRC1ndXgnuvx8JYBEiQAq4RPt5abbFS5qjLumKqD0z58jHv1evfZdjk2h4m133fogMwaArxz8P8HAQ

 

 

As always, you can email me for any queries, blog post suggestions or advice at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

 

 

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Anxiety

Oh hey. Guess what? I'm back.

Assalamualaikum my ravishing readers. I hope you are all well and are excited due to the summer holidays peeping just around the corner! Yes, I am back and better than ever! Believe that. I was away for what seems like a century because of the fact that I had my GCSE exams and wanted to spend all my time focusing on revision. In'Sha'Allah (God Willing) it paid off. I'm dreading for August: results day *gasp*

In my previous blog post promised you I would make my blogs even better, fully committing to post two posts every month without excuse. I am here to fulfil that promise. Expect bigger and better blog posts and videos! Help a sister out and subscribe to my channel if you haven't already :) So today's topic of discussion is something I'm not too comfortable talking about with people face to face, so why not talk about it over the internet? Anxiety.

Start off by watching my video below and come right back to finish off reading this blog post. I apologise on the 'not so good' quality of the video but I assure you, my next videos will be much better as I have a new camera with better sound quality! Thank you for your patience and continued support. I appreciate you all.

http://youtu.be/R4HIaOhrp14

Let's start off with the simple explanation of what anxiety is and what it can do to a person. In a nutshell, the dictionary definition of anxiety is a "general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying." This 'disorder' which people class anxiety as can affect someone is a very negative way. It affects a persons behaviour, how they think and impacts and manifests real physical symptoms, something I want to personally share with you all. That's what a health website says. I'll give you my side of the story.

I 'diagnosed' myself with Anxiety almost 2 years ago when I started Year 10 - a very important year which impacted GCSE grades. It was all just an 'illness' at first, feeling horrible, hot, sick and agitated. I thought it was going to last maybe a week maximum.. boy was I wrong.
I started to realise how flustered I was getting and I honestly thought it was because my Hijab (headscarf) was wrapped too tight or the scarf itself was too thick. My 'symptoms' got worse throughout October to December and I honestly thought I had a real illness, but I didn't. I realised that as soon as I entered a classroom with this 'sick' feeling, I started panicking a lot. My hands would shake, my legs would shake and I had horrid thoughts at the back of my mind all the time. "Tasneem, everyone's going to look at you if you're sick", "Tasneem, you're going to fail your GCSE's if you don't stop shaking", "Tasneem stop". Voices in my head telling me to stop worrying but I lost control of myself. I couldn't tell myself what to think, all I wanted to do was to get out of the classroom - fast! And that's what I did. Every single time I kept getting these symptoms, I asked the teacher to let me out of the classroom to go to the medical room because I "felt sick". I did honestly feel physically horrible and ill but I was emotionally drained. It got to a point where I had to carry a bag around with me everywhere just in case I had a panic attack.

After the Christmas holidays, I came back to school with full on "worry mode". Throughout my holidays I kept thinking about how to deal with my stress from school along with other problems, whether it be family or friend related. I never got the time to "relax" during year 10. Never. I wouldn't let myself. My motto was to work hard and achieve my best otherwise those voices would tell me that I'm going to fail my exams.

The year went on where it was towards the summer holidays and the end of year 10 and my panic attacks worsened until I was able to confide in one of the teachers at my school. Long story short, I was learning relaxation and breathing techniques which I thought wouldn't help, but it honestly did, just a bit. I knew that this summer was the only time where I could relax because when I came back to school, I would be in Year 11 - my GCSE year! I guess it got better because I knew how to deal with my panic attacks but it was annoying whenever I had to leave the room, whether it be once a week or once in a blue moon! The thought of me missing even 20 minutes of a lesson just added to my "meter of worry". I didn't want a stupid disorder to affect my grades which would stay with me for the rest of my life. There were good days where there were no panic attacks, there were bad days where I felt like panicking but got over it and then there were horrible days where I missed a lesson because of a panic attack. It seriously frustrated me.

My "symptoms" stemmed from me being constantly stressed. Because of my Anxiety problems, my every day life isn't the same. I worry about the littlest things from missing my bus to job interviews. My life has changed but the most important thing is that I know how I can better my situation and calm myself down. There will be times where I feel like I need to leave a room due to the fear of the room "closing in on me", especially with many people in the room, but that's okay. I've learnt that it's not my fault and that I am in control of my mind. It's okay to panic sometimes guys.

Yes, I guess I sort of suffer from claustrophobia as well but that's okay too. I personally know some people who suffer from it as well which makes it better for me because I know I'm not alone.

I guess there was a constant fear of me thinking that it's only happening to me when it could happen to anyone. I don't want YOU to feel like you can't speak about your anxiety to someone. I don't want you to feel alone. I don't want you to worry.

 

 

You may think I'm just saying this (but I'm not), but praying was definitely a way for me to escape reality and just 'trust the process'. I didn't want to be so caught up with the world, I just wanted to be in my OWN world, just for a few minutes. It didn't hurt. It didn't waste time. It was "me time", something I didn't regularly get to have.

 

I battle with Anxiety and I won't ever be 'cured'. It's not a disease. It doesn't define me or what I stand for. It's something that makes me stronger, emotionally. I can now deal with things I thought I could never deal with. Thank you Anxiety.

 

What I want you to take from this is the fact that you may or may not suffer anxiety but if you do, don't be scared. Don't let it control your thoughts. It's hard to fight the voices, the fear, the nervousness, but you can do it. Seek someone to speak to before you let this 'disorder' control who you are. Learn breathing techniques. I'm not going to guarantee you that it'll work straight away because you need to master them. Trust the process, seriously. It takes time to perfect and learn properly but in the long run, it'll be worth it. Count the blessing you have and be thankful for everything. Here is another website which I used to help me personally deal with anxiety. Click here.

 

 

"You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it"

 

And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading this long blog post. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. My GCSE exams went better than I expected so I'm so grateful. I didn't let my anxiety get to me. I stayed in control! Stay positive. It always gets better my darlings.

 

You can e-mail me for any queries or problems you have at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

 

As always,

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Bragging

Assalamualaikum (Greetings) my lovely readers! Welcome to yet another dose of Tas Talks Tuesday. I would firstly like to give you a quick update on everything related to my blog such as my absence every now and then. As you all may know, GCSE exams will be commencing very soon with my first written exam being only 42 days away! Because of this, I hope you all understand that I will be taking breaks from blogging because of the fact that i'll be revising for these important exams. Thank you for your concern anyways. I promise that as soon as GCSE's end, it will be my mission to continue to inspire you with these blog posts EVERY week, including new videos as well. Now let's begin. Bragging.

Do you brag to people about getting the highest score in an exam? Do you brag about your new expensive shoes you've just purchased? Do you brag about how everyone compliments you? Do you brag about giving to charity because you're such a 'noble' person?

"The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it"

We have all bragged about something or even someone at one point, right? Bragging is a very "human" thing to do. If you've achieved something important to you, why not tell people about it? You'd obviously want to share your great news with those you care about right? Wait. There's a big difference with telling people about your achievement and bragging about it. Let me break it down for you.

To "brag" is just a way of boastfully saying something to someone. Bragging all the time could lead to you being associated with other negative characteristics such as arrogance and being conceited. Those sorts of characteristics are something you do not want to be identified and linked with. It creates such a bad aura for those who are surrounded by you. Bragging about your accomplishments just makes you look obnoxious, especially because of the fact that bragging is often prone to you exaggerating. On the other hand, bragging can often lead to misconceptions of yourself. You look like a show off. I don't understand the concept of people saying that they don't live to please anyone and no one can judge them. If that's the case, why do you constantly continue to try impress everyone else with your success? 

"And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth" (31:18) - The Holy Qu'ran

 

What are you getting out of bragging? Are you trying to "make your mark"? It's a bad habit that many people should try to stop. Just try.  

Now let's move on to telling someone about you success; i'll give you an example: getting a good grade in an exam and telling your friends about it. Firstly, because of the fact that they're your friends, they'll be genuinely happy and proud for you, especially if you tell them in such a way that you do not come across as being "full of yourself". Secondly, as friends, they'll support you no matter what grade you get. If you didn't do particularly well, they'll comfort you and if you did great then they'll congratulate you. When it comes down to telling someone about your success or achievement, you really need to think of how you are telling them. Do you cry with happiness or does your voice get a little high pitched because your shy about it? Or do you say it bluntly and joke about other peoples grades because they didn't do as good as you did. Don't put someone down for something. That's a horrible thing to do. "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great".

 

In'Sha'Allah (God Willing) I can continue to speak about this topic in a video soon, so watch out for that. Thank you for reading this quick blog post. Hopefully it'll get you thinking.

 

Remember to e-mail me any blog post suggestions, queries or issues you have on my e-mail at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com
God Bless you all. Good luck.

For now,
SALUTATIONS X