Mind Soup

... and I am back!

If you have noticed that I haven't posted much during the past few weeks, I was taking a little break due to lots other engagements. But now I'm back and I'm hoping to post regularly again.

Yesterday (Tuesday), there was a tweet up gathering in Copper - Gemayzeh. I (@mhijazi) went with a close friend of mine @jrsaba [blog]. @loulouhilal and @sarahilal000 [blog] generously picked us up with @haythamelzein from Hamra and we headed to Gemayzeh.

It was a little weird at first, but we started mingling and meeting people we have only @-replied before.

People who I already knew personally include: @JumRamK [tumblr], @GinoRaidy [blog], @YasmineHajjar [blog] and @BMaks88.

But I got to meet really awesome people who I have been in contact with online. Below are a few examples:


I also got to meet @lnlne @Rabih @Kay_Kayyy @FunkyOzzi @ZAMGEO @Shanty2 @NEMRCOMEDY @Rawadelhoyek @DinaMyColors @krikOrianM @christinkik @bahaafe @dabukalam @

I was in Baalback this past weekend with the AUB Ambassadors and the new students showing them around Bekaa and AUB's farm (AREC).

What caught my attention is that everywhere I looked, there was a guy or a stand of Hezbollah T-shirts. What's worse is the look on the seller's face when you decline to buy a shirt from him. Seriously, I don't want to buy a shirt from you! I wouldn't even take it if you offered it to me, even if it was covered with gold!

Is this how Hezbollah is now funding its illegal weapons now?
(By the way, rumors are that these shirts are Made in Iran...)

[Via]

CNN: A Florida pastor Thursday called off his controversial plan to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The Rev. Terry Jones of the Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center, standing with a Florida Muslim leader, also said the imam who planned a mosque and Islamic center near ground zero in New York has agreed to move it to another location. But the imam who appeared with him said that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf in New York agreed to speak with Jones about possibly moving the center.

A spokesman from Soho Properties told CNN producer Vivienne Foley that "the Muslim community center called Park51 in lower Manhattan is not being moved."

Jones, meanwhile, said he will travel to New York on Saturday to meet with Rauf.

The pastor appeared at an afternoon press conference with Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, who said he will make the trip with Jones.

"I think the location of the mos…

I would like to wish all my readers, on Behalf of all the Mind Soup authors, Eid Fitr Mubarak and May the guidance and blessings of God be with you and your families.
Dar al Fatwa in Beirut announced on Wednesday night that Eid el Fitr will fall this year on Friday the 10th, making Ramadan this year 30 days. For more information about Eid el Fitr, you can find it here (wikipedia).

MIND SOUP: For weeks now, a minute church by the name of "Dove World Outreach Center" in Gainesville, Florida, has been advertising for an event it calls "International Burn a Qur'an Day".

Pastor Terry Jones is insisting to hold this "event" on September the 11th "to honor those killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington."

He says the burning of the Qur'an will "send a message to violent Islamic extremists like al-Qaida, which carried out the attacks against the United States."

The second day of Eid el-Fitr falls this year on the same day.

As many world leaders and institutions, including the Vatican, US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others, have denounced this act, this pastor is insisting on carrying out this event.

This is as much facts as I am willing to give about this issue. Below in ten points is my opinionated response.

First of all, as a Muslim, I don't give a ra…