I love Islam and cream soda

By now, everyone has heard the story regarding Carmelo Anthony and his on-court (and after-court) NBA beef with Kevin Garnet and in the context of my own experience, I've been moved to jot on it. In the Arab/Islamic culture there is a concept called "ghairah" that, among other meanings, translates to "dignity" or "righteous jealousy" - this masculine idea is attached generally to one's spouse(s).  Hence, a part of manhood is then defined via the facets of wives.  Not wholly an Arabic idea, this concept is seen in the Hebrew commandment prohibiting the coveting of another's wife. KG referring to Melo's wife Lala as tasting like Honey Nut Cheerios is pretty much agreed upon as a real class-less and disrespectful jab. Not less than saying something about someone's mama - while they are actually present. There are things you don't do unless you want someone to fight you - what KG said was one of those things. I did find it a bit

This is the second time this year wherein my shoulders have been weighted with planet-sized fitnah. The greatest type a man can bear. It is related from Usama ibn Zayd that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I have not left after me a trial more harmful to men than women."  My marriage is is on the rocks - as in a body that has fallen off a cliff, dashed below. And I deal with the seismic shocks of raw and recent tumultuous events that have turned my life, once again, upside down - alone and picking up pieces in a whirlwind and my private pain being the fodder for a sad and searing public and wanton demonstration by the one who has my heart... I am supposed to be strong - an adopted castaway, a thug, gang member, stick up kid, who found God in the belly of the beast-and purpose- on a solo journey to redemption. But along the way, I gave myself away - unvoluntarily, mind you - and it seems that has exacted a price that I don't have the ca

Medusa is often mis-archetyped - especially in the feminist sense. She is cast as a misappropriated symbol of feminine power, because of the story that she became "ugly" as a consequence of being a rape victim - her punishment unjust at the hands of a jealous Athena. And so it goes, she is the vengeance against men. The problem is, the rape story is apocryphal - told by Ovid, while her actual story predates him. And then there is the irony that she - the symbol of woman-defeating-man - was unjustly created/punished...by another woman. Why am I writing this? I can relate. I see women revelling in the Medusa myth - the misappropriated one.  Casting men as stony things, monsters, to be moved through and destroyed, only to then point the finger of blame at them for their victimization. It is further ironic that the original story has it that Medusa turned anyone who looked at her to stone - not merely men. It is too ironic that women who fix Medusa to their personage like