A few things I’m liking at present…
Album: Brain Thrust Mastery – We Are Scientists
Fiction: The Body Artist – Don DeLillo
Short Story: ‘Other People’ from Fragile Things – Neil Gaiman
Non-fiction: The Culture of Time and Space – Stephen Kern
Fashion: I don’t wear the Hijab myself, but I still prefer to dress modestly… how fabulous is this?? With their rather charming tagline, Discover the Beauty of Modesty
… I think such fashion has great empowering potential. x
<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–> <!–[endif]–>
A Few NEWish Songs:
- Needy Girl – Chromeo
- 11h30 – Danger
- DVNO – Justice
- The Bears are Coming – Late of the Pier
- Flux – Bloc Party
- Flex – Dizzie Rascal
- With You – Chris Brown
Slightly – A lot older:
- Paper Planes – M.I.A.
- Street Guru Pt1 – Nitin Sawnhey [this is rather brilliant] Pt2
- High Hopes – Pink Floyd
- Black Swan – Thom Yorke
- Take You On A Cruise – Interpol
Particularly cool videos:
- I Am Somebody – DJ Mehdi (Feat Chromeo)
- A Million Ways To Be Cruel – OKGO (Everyone’s already seen Here It Goes Again, yes?)
- D.A.N.C.E. – Justice
- This DUDE rapping – read the lyrics alongside it, my brother sent me the link. CRAZY SHIT! His remixes like this of Justin Timberlake’s My Love are also pretty damn SICk. “Keep it locked!” x
Reda Haq
I’m in the middle of Fragile Things right now. Weirdly enough, I just read ‘Other People’ last night. I’m now on ‘Keepsakes and Treasures’ … but my favourite one so far has to be ‘Bitter Grounds’. I think it reads like a Raymond Carver story, and I love Carver, and Gaiman, so both together in one story is fiction heaven!
The MSLM stuff looks quite exciting…especially the blue and pink gowns! They are beautiful! I have to say that I find a slight contradiction in something being modest and yet eye-catching and stunning…doesn’t it almost defeat the object?
I was wondering if anyone would comment on the contradiction… glad you did!
Yes, one can say that because the intention of loose-fitting garb and covering the head is to divert attention, or more precisely, to not attract unwanted attention, by wearing vivid colours and striking designs, these fashion-forward examples of Shariah-appropriate dress are infact going against the ideals of Islam.
But if we look deeper, the aim is to not attract attention to the form and figure, something which is achieved by loose fits and extensively draped and folded fabrics. Fashion is always a concern… Even in the middle-east Abayas [the long black cloaks] are now adorned with diamontes and sequins and cut-work and lavishly embellished… historically Islamic dress has been full of exciting colours, as it says in the article…
The reason it doesn’t quite defeat the object because it doesn’t promote figurehugging clothes. the requirements are coverage and loose clothing… not boring clothing.
This MSLM fashion sortof strikes a practical balance between the codes of Islam and the trends of the society lived in… Infact, it’s probably more Islamic in that it doesn’t make you stand out from the crowd, whilst still maintaining the standards. x
*is silly and ignorant and has completely skipped over everyone elses undoubtedly well thought out comments*
I am nothing resembling Muslim (though I don’t eat pork!), but I want me a pair of those shiney trousers!
And ‘High Hopes’ by Pink Floyd is AMAZING.
wow, i have never seen anything like this…usually when one hears the word hijab, they link it with all sorts of usually negative connotations, but never fashion! I was a bit shocked and am still a little confused at the sight of this new revolution of empowering through fashionable hijabs, seems intriguing though! I do feel it does beat the purpose of modesty, but if that’s what it takes to get the message out there to all the critics who think that hijab is a form of oppression, then kudos!
ps. i love me some chris brown anytime!
I KNOW THIS DUDE! Would love 2 c a vid of ur brother readin the lyrics alongside it, since we’re friends now. Also much love goes out 2 Nitin Sawhney, respect 4 the knowledge Little Red x