BBC NEWS | Middle East | Dubai plans 'moving' skyscraper

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Dubai plans 'moving' skyscraper

The world's first moving building, an 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving a shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.

The Dynamic Tower design is made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments which will spin independently of one another.

"It's the first building that rotates, moves, and changes shape," said architect David Fisher, who is Italian, at a news conference in New York.

"This building never looks the same, not once in a lifetime," he added.

The 420-metre (1,378-foot) building's apartments would spin a full 360 degrees, at voice command, around a central column by means of 79 giant power-generating wind turbines located between each floor.

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Computer animation of David Fisher's 'Dynamic Tower'

The slender building would be energy self-sufficient as the turbines would produce enough electricity to power the entire building and even feed extra power back into the grid, said the Italian architect at the unveiling of the project in New York.

The apartments, which will take between one and three hours to make a complete rotation, will cost from $3.7m to $36m.

There are also plans to build a similar, 70-storey skyscraper in Moscow.

"I call these buildings designed by time, shaped by life," said the Florence-based architect, who has never built a sky-scraper before.

"These buildings will open our vision all around, to a new life."

The skyscraper will cost an estimated $700m to build and should be up and running in Dubai in 2010.

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil summit calls for supply boost

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil summit calls for supply boost

Leading oil exporters have acknowledged the need to boost supplies to curb soaring prices but stopped short of specific commitments on extra output.

Following their crisis summit in Saudi Arabia, officials noted price levels were "hostile" and more investment was needed to ensure "adequate" supplies.

Saudi Arabia blamed speculation, not lack of supply, for surging prices but said it was willing to raise output.

Earlier, Gordon Brown said more supply was needed to ease price "instability".

'Ready to act'

The US, UK and other major consumers of oil have urged producers to boost supply, blaming lack of capacity for the recent price surge.

Business Secretary John Hutton reacts to Jeddah summit

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting in Jeddah, officials from Opec oil exporters and consumers said "an appropriate increase in investment" in production was needed to ensure that the markets were "well supplied in a timely and adequate manner"...

continue reading here

CityNews: CityNews Exclusive: Toronto Family Terrified By Abduction Attempt In Home

CityNews: CityNews Exclusive: Toronto Family Terrified By Abduction Attempt In Home

A Toronto mother was still trembling Sunday, hours after an alleged abduction attempt was foiled just feet from her three-year-old daughter's bed.

The near-tragic turn of events apparently unfolded around 10pm Saturday, at a Regent Park home near Sumach and Gerrard.

A shadowy male figure reportedly reached through an open window into the child's room, attempting to pick up and abscond with the youngster.

Perhaps it was a mother's intuition, perhaps just saving grace, but it was reportedly at this time the girl's mother caught on, spotting the would-be abductor in the act and scaring him off with a scream.

It was then he jumped into a waiting car and sped away.

Mother Newa Begum doesn't speak English, but her eldest daughter explained the frightening exchange.

"She opened the whole thing (window) and then the guy grabbed her," Tanjila (pictured) explained. "And then my mom yelled ... and he went away."

Got My CD!

As salamu alaikum,

Boy is it getting hot in Toronto or what? With humidity it's 41 C. Which is just insane. It feels like there's a gigantic heater blowing outside along with a humidity machine...

I was supposed to be ironing, but I thought the blog needed some updating.

As you can tell, I got my NBN (NoBeatsNecessary) cd (Open Your Eyes). I actually got it a few weeks ago, just never got to update about it on the blog. What can I say? It's the only thing playing in our car other then 680 news. In the beginning we didn't really love all the tracks because it was different from all the other nasheeds we were used too. It only took a few times listening to them and they started growing on us. Now we're loving it! MashaAllah I have to say they've done an awesome job. The words have great meaning and really makes you think, like this track that I added on the blog.

Enjoy!

I'll update again later this week inshaAllah.

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BBC NEWS | Middle East | 'Bush apology' for Koran shooting

'Bush apology' for Koran shooting

US President George W Bush has made a personal apology over the shooting of a Koran by an American soldier, Iraq's government has said in a statement.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's office said Mr Bush had promised to send the accused American sniper to trial.

The soldier was sent home by the US military after the Muslim holy book was found riddled with bullet holes at a shooting range by Iraqi police.

continue reading -> BBC NEWS | Middle East | 'Bush apology' for Koran shooting

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CBC news -- Israel Doesn't Want You to See! THE OCCUPATION

CBC news -- Israel Doesn't Want You to See! THE OCCUPATION







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SubhanAllah

I've heard about this video before, but I just came across it today.



SubhanAllah



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Islamic Foundation of Toronto Events

The Annual North American Qira'at-ul-Qur'an and Hifz Competition















Click here for details



The Youth Tarbiyah Conference 2008


Unfortunately it's the same weekend as MuslimFest, but I've made up my mind already and so i'll be the YTC, inshaAllah. You cannot miss out on this when there's such an amazing list of speakers this year. I mean every year there is but this year mashaAllah it's even better. I really want to hear Shaykh Ebrahim Bham, SubhanAllah I've heard a lot about him from my husband.

Don't forget to register!

Yeah I know, I was supposed to be at MuslimFest this year to sell my paintings, since I missed out last year (for the first time because I was in Panama enjoying the palm trees and the rain forests). I guess I'll have to do it at RIS, even though the tables are so expensive! I really don't want to price them too high, inshaAllah we'll figure something out by then.

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Headscarves "R" Us

Headscarves "R" Us

I just came across this youtube video yesterday, it's pretty cool if you ask me.

NoBeatsNecessary -- Open Your Eyes

From Takbir Productions, comes NBN (NoBeatsNecessary) and their album (Open Your Eyes) is finally out!

I've already posted their first nasheed video called, "How Can You Deny" and here's another one called, "I'm Your Sinful Slave".

MashaAllah NO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!

FINALLY!!!!

You have to read the note that they have on their website. No other site has anything like this, SubhanAllah. Just when you think this Ummah is losing its self to the Fitnas of dunya, Allah (swt) sends some hope.

Read it here


I've already ordered the CD and I cannot wait to get it (InshaAllah)! It's $18.00 AUD (Australian) with shipping and all that (to Canada), it's $23.00 AUD but when it's converted to Canadian it's only $21 (and something cents). Everyone should support these brothers (and whoever worked with them) and May Allah (swt) accept their efforts, keep them on the straight path and raise them amongst those that He (swt) loves and favours. Ameen

So here's the video,

Earth Hour 2008

SubhanAllah, what an effort this is. As human beings, Canadians and especially as Muslims we should really take part in this. We can do it with the right intentions and InshaAllah we will be rewarded for trying to take action on climate change.

Allah (swt) has created the Heavens and the Earth for us, and we are the vicegerents of this world, so is it not our responsibility to take care of this Earth? Will Allah (swt) not question us on how much food we waste and on how much water we waste everyday? Will He not question us on how we polluted the earth with toxins harming not just ourselves but also all the living creatures that He (swt) has created? Knowing that all of these creatures are in constant dhikr of Allah, the Most High. Just as this body of ours is an Amana (trust) of Allah and we will be held accountable for how we used it, the same is with this world and all it contains (water, earth, air, wildlife, etc) that Allah (swt) has created for us to use. The earth is like our mother, we came from it and we shall return to it, and inshaAllah it’ll be in the best of ways.

There are millions of people (many of them Muslims) with no clean water, no food and here we are consuming, consuming and wasting everything we have.

So spread the word and turn off your lights for an hour. In that time we can do dhikr of Allah (swt), pray extra nafl salah, and reflect on how we live in this world and what we can do to change it for the better.

Here are some links for more info on earth hour 2008
http://wwf.ca/earthhour/
http://www.thestar.com/earthhour/
http://www.earthhour.org/

And here some links on Islam and the environment
Islam and the Environment
bbc
Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust Inviting Balanced Stewardship
Significance of Islam and the Environment
Preservation of the Environment


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Random Thoughts and Updates

This is going to be one random post...with many random thoughts.

Okay, I admit it, updating my blog hasn’t been on my list of priorities for a long time, but I can assure you that it has always been on my mind. I’ve started countless blog posts in my head. Unfortunately, there isn’t a USB cable that can connect to my brain and transfer my thoughts to the computer... (actually it IS fortunate we don’t have something like that!)

One thing that keeps poppin' up in my head is, "WHEN'S WINTER ENDING?!" Seriously, I'm done with the snow now...

Life is coming along just well alhamdulillah. No complaints! I started teaching at the Lote Tree Foundation. Just for the evening Qur’an classes though. Alhamdulillah, it’s going well so far. As for my Alimah course... well, we’ve finally managed to sort it out. I’m going to get taught by my husband. InshaAllah it leads me to completing the course. I’m going to have to go over all that I’ve already learnt at JAS and also continue from there on. I’m really, really looking forward to it. Make du’a Allah (swt) accepts me as a student of knowledge and gives me the reality of His Noor, so that it enters my heart and allows me to gain Ilm, put it into practice and teach it to others. I know my husband is already a great teacher. He’s really knowledgeable and motivated. May Allah (swt) make it easy for him to teach me, as I can be a difficult, lazy and forgetful student! I need all the support, motivation, determination, and patience I can get from him, and Alhamdulillah he gives me that everyday.

I’m finally moving steadily along my Child Psychology course…the course ends in July and the thing with distance learning is that you REALLY and I mean REALLY have to be motivated, and if you know me personally, you’d know that I can’t be self-motivated. If it wasn’t for my husband’s motivational talks…I’d have gone all dead with that course, the Alima course and my paintings. Alhamdulillah my paintings are coming along just fine as well. I’m actually surprised they’re turning out so good. I would post pics of them online, but everyone will have to wait and see them at Muslim Fest this year, inshaAllah. (muhahahahaha)

One of the things that I wanted to blog about was Black History Month (actually my husband gave the idea) and it’s important that we, as Muslims also educate ourselves with the History of Blacks, after all, they have a great part in our Muslim History. This brings the topic of racism, which isn’t only an issue amongst the non-Muslims but unfortunately amongst the Muslims as well. We have guji/desi parents (not all..) teaching their kids to be afraid of “karyas” or “kalais”, it’s like, “if you don’t behave the “karyas” will come and get you!!” I know a girl, who’s very VERY afraid of any black person she sees. If there’s a black person on one side of the street she’ll cross over to the other, shaking from head to toe and it tears. Sticking ideas like that isn’t going to help the future of this Ummah in anyway. We should be teaching kids that racism is not accepted in Islam and Islam was the first to oppose racism (1400 yrs ago!!!)

Black History month shouldn’t only be acknowledged at public schools but we should teach our children at home and to not just the children but it should be acknowledged in our communities and in our Masajids. There is so much to talk about; one famous example is Bilal (ra), one of the greatest Companions of Rasulullah (s.a.w). We all know his story of how he was tortured for being a Muslim and how he was given the honour of being the Mu’azzin of Rasulullah (s.a.w)’s Masjid. Umm Ayman (r.a) (also known as Barakah) who Rasulullah (s.a.w) described as “mother after my own mother. She is the rest of my family." She took care of Rasulullah (s.a.w)’s parents. She helped his mother through pregnancy and after she died she took care of Rasulullah (s.a.w) as well. She was one of the first to accept Islam, and was also tormented and tortured by the disbelievers in Makkah.

There were many great black Muslims in the past who were given the honour of being Sahabahs of Rasulullah (s.a.w), and there were many great Ulema afterwards as well. And there still are. We had great personalities like Malcolm X, he’s not only a legacy for the African Americans but for Muslims as well.

Here is a page on Sound Vision with many links on Black History month.

I can go on and on about it, but I’m kinda late with the whole black history month thing. However, it’s not something we should think about only in February!

For the brothers and sisters in the U.K-- Get Married or Die Trying - 14th Feb 2008

A Path to Piety

I can't wait!!!!!!!!!

Youth Tarbiyyah Program - Cambridge

RIS 6 pics

So I went through the pics from this year, and I have to admit, they're not as good as last years (which are still on my Xanga). It's all the broken camera's fault...

The Farm pics

As promised, here are the pics taken on Eid-ul-Adha at the Farm (Sanabil Halal Meat Farm). The pictures aren't so good because the camera, which was once working brilliantly, now doesn't work so well. It fell after some kid knocked it down and ever since then the poor camera has been coughing up some not-so-good pics. Tomorrow inshaAllah I'll post up the RIS pics. Those too aren't the best pics but they'll have to do.

Will SA law steal teens' kisses?

And the world becomes more desperate to save it's self from it's own oppression and kufr...


Will SA law steal teens' kisses?
By Alice Lander
BBC News, Durban

South Africa's new Sexual Offences Act includes a clause which could allow youngsters to be criminally charged for kissing or fondling.

Twelve to 15-year-olds fall under the new legislation, which covers acts that it describes as "consensual sexual violation".

Rights groups say the controversial clause, signed into law last month, should be seen to protect children, despite claims it is unworkable in a country plagued by far greater problems: not least of them, the rape of children...

Read more

Reviving the Islamic Spirit

InshaAllah I'll be going again this year. (I can't wait to hear Mufti Muhammed ibn Adam speak!) I really like the theme of this year, the topics regarding it are definitely needed today. Well I hope to see some familiar faces this year!

My sister (Believeress) will post the Farm (Eid-ul-Adha) pics soon (ahem ahem!) inshaAllah.

From Sandra to Salma

From Sandra to Salma

CBC News: Sunday

What is it like for a Jewish woman to convert to Islam and decide to wear the hijab? We follow her journey.

Click here to watch the short video on the CBC website.

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MashaAllah it made me very happy that CBC had done this, I'm sure it helped a lot of non-Muslims answer a lot of questions regarding the Hijab, especially after the death of Aqsa Pervez.