The problem with the thinking man

The problem with the thinking man,
the type more often than not
stuck in thought,
neither doing nor not,
is that his life spent in thought.

Lost

For the first time in many months
feel the need to write poetry
but not sure what to say.
Rather lost... :)>

Feedback for Emel, November 2010 issue

Feedback sent to Emel regarding the November 2010 Hajj issue:

Dear Editor,

Assalaamu 'alaykum,

Just finished reading the November 2010 issue, really liked it (as usual) and wanted to pass on some feedback (not to be published), as follows:

1. I liked the editorial. Scary to think I am busy in all kinds of commitments at the expense of having little time for the people closest to me. Not good! I wanted to point out also the saying attributed to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): "We have left the lesser struggle for the greater struggle..." I am not so sure about this. This seems to imply that people leave their egos behind when they go out for battle.
2. Don't like being a tad bit negative (twice in the same email!) but thought it might be worth mentioning that (I thought that) the choice of picture for the 'Watch this Face' feature wasn't the best. Better for certain bodily features to be not so apparent. But then I might be a bit more conservative than the majority of your readership.
3. I love reading the regular opinion features of Faisal AlYafai and Shelina Zahra Janmohamad. I hope they continue writing. It was my first writing reading Daud Bone and Lucy Bushill-Matthews and I liked them too!
4. Awesome Hajj/Ka'ba artwork and explanatory comments from the artists. Saw the cover by chance whilst passing the magazines section in Tesco supermarket and had to buy this month's issue!
5. Reading Geek Shaykh Robi Chowdhury's piece was hilarious but that's probably because I know him personally and I could hear his voice as I read it!!

In summary: another awesome issue! maa sha Allah :)>

Wassalaam,
Adil Hussain

There's only a few things worse than a PhD...

There's only a few things worse than an ill-defined PhD and an ill-defined engagement is one of them!

Going to use this post (the comments) to vent somewhat my growing frustration, without going into specifics of course!! :) Would talk to my wife-to-be about it and easily resolve matters (that would be the sensible thing to do) but that's not allowed (would require too much time alone) so this Blog post will have to do for now (til I meet material demands and am able to get married). More of a funny predicament than a serious one. Hope I don't give an impression otherwise!

Letter to MP about Babar Ahmad case

Letter I wrote to my MP just now as part of Cageprisoners' campaign/call for the public to lobby their MPs to allow for Babar Ahmad to be given justice with a fair trial in the UK:

Dear John Cryer,

I am writing to you regarding the case of Babar Ahmad, the UK's longest serving detainee without trial (6 years, 2months and counting) who awaits possible extradition to the United States of America. First of all, I want to say that I know Babar personally, know him to be a person of respectable character and if you need any further information about the case please let me know and I will provide this. (You may be interested to have a quick browse of the campaign website: freebabarahmad.com)

I am writing to ask you to please urge the Home Secretary to delay any decision on Babar’s extradition pending the Government’s review of our current extradition legislation, which is to report to Parliament in Autumn 2011.

Moreover, I request you to please write to the Attorney General urging him to instruct the Crown Prosecution Service to bring proceedings against Babar in the UK, whereby he can more readily mount a fair defence.

I understand it was the Labour government which was largely responsible for the one-sided fast-track extradition treaty which we now have and for cases such as Babar's which are against fundamental rules of law but I really hope the Labour party as a collective entity has moved on from the rashness of that era. I thank you in advance and hope to hear back from you.

Yours sincerely,
Adil Hussain

Pain in the shins - continued

Still got a quite unbearable pain in the shins. Not been sleeping properly at all last few nights - the pain really picks up after Maghrib and doesn't start to desist til after Fajr. Been getting up and watching movies, listening to audios and eating chocolates throughout the night! I even tried the full range of pain killers suggested by the A&E doctor last Friday (Paracetomol, Ibuprofen, Co-Codamel, Diclofemac - in increasing order of strength) and they all seem to *not* work!... Co-Codamel seeming to be a little more effective than the rest. Got another appointment this Wednesday, with one of my GPs this time. Was just doing some background reading online (because I don't trust my GPs!) and it seems I might have shin splints or stress/"hairline" fracture. Awesome timing btw msA: I was planning to use this time between Ramadhan (September) and starting work (January insha-Allah if I can find a job by then) to do a once-in-a-lieftime abundance of martial arts training and hiking. Oh well, we plan and God plans (has planned) for us better.

Lessons from the PhD experience

Three of the greatest lessons I learnt from the PhD experience (the past four years):

1. put in the effort without going overkill and allow things to ripen by God's permission in their own due time;
2. if things are not working out, don't get stressed, get up instead and go for a walk;
3. things always work out better than planned so enjoy the ride.