Al l
Vol. 3 Issue 3
A R O U ND
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
12 Nov 2006
And We’re Back…!
With exams in the air and the holidays behind us, the CMU-Q student body officially has
its nose stuck in a book. Take a moment, and put your pencils down for this weeks issue,
which features a little bit of everything. Check out recent events on campus and hear
what the students and faculty had to say about their respective Ramadan experiences. So,
grab a coffee and read on to see what's been happening in the world of CMU-Q.
Inside this issue...
STUDENT OPINION
What was the hardest experience for students during the
month of Ramadan?
See page 3
FACULTY FASTERS
A group of CMU-Q faculty
were challenged to fast for a
day. Find out how they coped
(or didn’t cope!)
See page 5
BIG WORLD,
SMALLER ID
Ever heard of the ‘id’? Learn
about your subconscious
state with Mona Mahers latest philosophical offerings!
See page 6
TO PRACTICE OR TO
PREACH?
Marium Chandna explores
the fine line between preaching your belief s and being
content to set an example.
Read what she has to say,
and make up your own mind.
See page 9
ENTERTAINMENT
We’ve added four pages to
this issue of All Around, but
an issue is never complete
without our entertainment
section! More comics, fun
facts and our poem of the
issue in store.
See page 12
Pictured (from left): In Halloween costumes, Mohammed Al-Saadi, Samiha Kamel, Anum Bashir, Amun
Bashir, Ramsey Ramadan, Mehrunissa Kaiser Anis and Rana El Sakhawy.
UN CONVITE DE HALLOWEEN:
A HALLOWEEN TREAT
By Lina El Menshawy
Business Administration Junior
Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s very own
Spanish Professor’s; Eric Helin and Silvia Pessoa, hosted Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s Halloween party for this year. Helin and Pessoa succeeded in making it an unforgettable night full
of music, dancing, and treats!
Attendees to CMU-Q’s first official
Halloween fiesta came in of all kinds of costumes. There were the celebrities such as
Eminem and Marilyn Monroe, there were doctors, terrorists, Draculas, nerds, cats, mummies,
devils, there were historical figures such as
Cleopatra and Che Guevara and there were
those who simply came as Carnegie Mellon
students who don’t have time to get ready.
Our very own hosts came in Egyptian
costumes consisting of the famous
‘Galabiya’ (peasants’ wear) and belly dancer
outfits.
…Continued on page 6...
2
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
All Around’s
Directory
Meet the All Around Team
Executive Editor-in-Chief
NOOR AL-ATHIRAH
Managing Editor-in-Chief
YASMINE ABDELRAHMAN
Content Editor
NOORA AL-ANSARI
Copy Editors
AYSHA SIDDIQUE
WALID KHWAJA
Layout Editor
JINANNE TABRA
Assistant Layout
RANA EL SAKHAWY
Theme Editor
AMUN BASHIR
Business Manager
NOOR AL-JASSIM
Staff Writers
ROODA AL-NEAMA
MARIUM CHANDNA
DANA HADAN
MD SHAHRIAR HAQUE
MONA MAHER
MAHA OBAIDAN
Publishing Coordinator
ABDULLAH AL-OTHMAN
Photographer
YASSER KHAN
All Around is a bimonthly
student led newsletter.
It is Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s budding
student body voice. The
first issue was published
on the 28th of September
2004. A team of four students were successful in
publishing 8 issues in the
first year.
You may forward any contributions, enquiries,
questions, or suggestions to our official email address
<all-around@qatar.cmu.edu>
A Word from the Editorial Board
Year by year, maintaining All
Around becomes more enjoyable, yet
more difficult. As we grow, we face new
challenges as we continually look for
improvement. Thus, it takes us more effort and hard work to survive.
All Around is not only a published student newsletter; it is a learning
institute. Through working in All Around,
we learn how to effectively work in a
group. We also get to see for real the
fruits of our efforts through the valuable
feedback on our progress from our dear
readers.
This learning experience, in
addition to the enjoyment of working in
a mature team pays off the great effort
we exert to publish the best we could.
Maintaining the newsletter is an
achievement, and keeping you satisfied
is our main target.
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
3
STUDENT OPINION: RAMADAN RANTS
Assembled by Amun Bashir (Theme Editor)
This week’s question: What was the hardest experience for you during the month of Ramadan?
As Ramadan comes to a close, we all become a little more thankful for that midday slice of pizza, or that bag of M&M’s we hide in
our pockets for a quick snack during lectures. In this week’s opinion page, the students and faculty shared their Ramadan experiences
and discussed what made the spiritual finish line all that much harder, or easier to cross. Read on to see what they had to say...
Lulwah Al-Thani: “The Economic Theory exam!” Having
been in the same shoes, food was the least of our concerns
during this exam!
Zaina Shreidi: “Not going to Baskin Robbins for ice cream
has been so hard. I miss my Red Bull too!” There’s nothing
like the Red Bull morning intoxication to keep the eyelids
open! From the look of this picture, we’re sure Hicham
Nedjari would agree!
Lina Menshawy: “Not being able to smoke! Now especially
because I’m trying to quit, not only does it bug me during the
day, but it ALSO bugs me at night because all of Doha SUDDENLY decided to take up smoking.”
Hatem Helmy: “Time management has been my greatest
issue. I think ‘shall I do this now, or after Iftar?’ and it’s
been so hard to find a balance between praying, eating,
studying and just sleeping!”
Samiha Kamel: “Trying to concentrate during the last class
of the day, which ends at 4:50 pm, is so hard. All you see is a
bunch of blank faces and Ben Reilly (History professor) trying his hardest to get some sort of response. It was a disaster!”
Shakir Hussain: “Driving to Umm Saeed and back everyday.” Probably not the nicest thing to have to break your fast
whilst driving passed a camel or two.
Noor Al Maadeed: After a few sniffles Noor admits,
“Getting sick in Ramadan sucks. I need fluids.” With the
amount of sneezing going on around campus, we feel for
you Noor!
Iyed Jouini: “Having Ramadan and midterms seriously did
not work well together!”
Andrew Leung: “Trying to get to work at 1 pm. I think
that's rush hour these days.” We think it’s rush hour every
hour these days. The roads in Doha are off the hook!
Yasser Khan: A very intense Yasser comments, “My
toughest experiences include thinking without any food
inside of me. I would often have headaches, so I would desperately wait for Iftar. I would eat an equivalent of two
meals to gain my strength and energy, and rid myself of that
headache!”
Aysha Siddique: “Studying after Iftar was so new to me.
I’ve never studied until this late before,” Aysha comments
looking up from her 700 page calculus book.
Mona Maher: "Caffeine deficiency! By 1:30, I'm kissing
my concentration and understanding goodbye! Restraining
myself from swearing at crazy drivers on the road is also a
toughie.” Don’t worry Mona, Ramadan has brought out a
slightly neurotic side of the student body!
Next issue, in Student Opinion:
IF YOU HAD ONE WISH…
WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Whether your opinion is a deep, funny, nonchalant, thoughtful or aggressive one—Amun
Bashir is a sucker for your opinion. Forward
your thoughts to:
akbashir@qatar.cmu.edu
Your answer could feature in the next issue!
4
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
ZOOM IN: Spotlight on Caryl Tuma
By Noora Al-Ansari
Collection Editor
She joined the student affairs
team, one can easily mistake her for a
student, in fact she is has graduated
from Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh last
summer…Yes she is Caryl.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Caryl
and getting to know more about her. I
hope you all enjoy the interview as
much as I did:
Full name and current
position in Carnegie
Mellon University in
Qatar?
My full name is Caryl
Marie Tuma and I am the
community advisor.
ics-oriented as the students in Pittsburgh.
They also seem more excited about university life, which is a positive difference.
Your expectations about living in Qatar
in general? And Is it your first time living away from home?
Yes this is the longest amount of time that
I have lived away from home. I was expecting hot weather, which was right. I
had read a lot before I got here about
things like Ramadan. I
tried taking Arabic lessons
before I came, but that didn’t workout, so I am taking
them now. In general I tried
not to form many perspectives before I came. I
wanted to just experience it
without thinking constantly
about the stereotypes that
you hear in the united states
about this region.
Tell us more about your
background?
I grew up in a small town
called Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania, but my
family is originally from
Pittsburgh. I have one
younger brother who is 21
years old. He is amazing I
love my brother.
Caryl was an eager participant
What is the thing that
fascinates you the most
about the Qatari culture?
Almost everything is based
on a common morality
meaning the culture and the
religion, yet there is diversity between Muslims who
during our annual Spirit Week.
are living here; you can
What about your educaclearly see the differences between the
tional background?
I went to a private catholic high school
Qatari's the Egyptians and the Syrians.
in my small town in Pennsylvania.
And there are a lot of stereotypes about
There was no diversity among students,
this part of the world that are just not true.
but the academics were really good.
That gave me incentive to go to CarneCan you be more specific?
gie Mellon because it has good academFor example in the western media whenics and the diversity that I did not exever they show covered women, there is
perience in high school.
always the question of: who makes them
do that, but when you came here you realized that nobody is MAKING them do
Was attending Carnegie Mellon your
that. They are doing it because it's a part of
dream from the beginning?
No, actually I have always pictured my
their culture. Another thing that I have
self in a liberal arts kind of a university,
noticed is that men in traditional clothes
because I originally wanted to study
cover their head too. Nobody shows this in
literature. Once I started doing history
the media or questions why men are coverand foreign policy, I decided to go back
ing their heads.
to Pittsburgh and applied to the best
universities, which of course includes
Back to Carnegie Mellon, is there anyCarnegie Mellon University.
thing on the main campus that you
would like to see in our campus?
One the biggest things is the student orAnd now you have a degree in…?
Actually I have a double major degree
ganizations and we are starting to get those
in anthropology and international relaorganized here. I personally believe that
tions.
students can learn a lot of important things
like leadership and organizational skills
when they join these.
How do the Qatar campus students
compare to the students in Pittsburgh?
What organizations were you a member
They are just as intelligent and academof back in Pittsburgh?
And here comes the long list: I was the
president of my sorority Delta Delta
Delta, I was an orientation counselor, I
was on the dance marathon planning
committee, I was a tour guide. I was on
the senior gift committee and in a
women’s leadership group… OH and I
was a cheerleader.
Enough said about the university, tell
us more about Caryl the person; let
us start with your daily routine?
I wake up early in the morning. Sometimes I work out but not as often as I
should. I go to Arabic class four days a
week at 8 am. I come to work and I do
my job and I hang out with students as
much as possible. I go home and sometimes spend time with the faculty that I
live with, and I read a lot.
What type of books do you read?
I read mostly about culture and politics,
the things that I have studied in school.
She adds with a proud smile: I know
that I got my majors right because even
after I graduated from school I still read
about them all the time. My dad also
sends me a lot of stuff to read.
What other hobbies do you have?
Since I came to Qatar I started swimming again because the weather makes
that easier. I have heard that some people are sailing and I would like to start
doing that again. I also love dancing,
and will dance pretty much whenever I
can.
Who is your favorite musical artist?
I love U2, but you can’t really dance to
U2, so I also like 80s and Latin music.
Finally if you were asked to describe
your self in three words, what will
you say?
I will say:
openminded,
involved and
curious.
Pictured: Our
very own Carnegie Mellon
Cheerleaders
in Pittsburgh.
Can you spot
Caryl in this
picture?
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
5
Faculty fasters and the ‘Ramadan Challenge’
By Marium Shaukat Chandna
Staff Writer
Ramadan is the holy month in which all Muslims
around the world devotedly follow their rituals, and strive
even harder to maintain their integrity both on the inside and
outside.
To make this Ramadan more exciting and at the
same time rewarding, in terms of experience, we, from the
team of All Around invited all of the Staff and Faculty
members to participate in our Ramadan Challenge. Basically what happened was the Staff and Faculty were encouraged to fast from dawn to dusk, on Thursday, 28th of September.
Now I say encouraged because well we know not
all of them were able to pull through. It’s ok though we
forgive them. Anyways the importance of this little experiment is that it gave them the chance to really lift up their
sleeves and get a taste of the local culture. After their fast
the volunteers were asked to comment on their experience.
Here are a few:
"At work I often get caught up in my routine and focus on
crossing things off my to-do list. During my recent fast,
each time I felt hungry or thirsty it forced me to break that
routine and reflect on what's important in life. Overall, fasting was a extremely valuable and enlightening experience."
-Dave Stanfield
“It was good. I kind of lost it around lunch time though.”
-Lillian Muzame
“Last week reminded me of being an undergraduate. All
week long I was working on some computer programming,
pulling long hours and getting myself confused. I skipped
breakfast and lunch all week, and Wednesday and Thursday
I put my coffee cup away and actually fasted. It's hard work
running class when the students are tired and trying to review for their economics midterms, but because I was fast-
ing also, this gave me some added understanding and credibility, which worked out well. It was enjoyable and exhausting.”
-Douglas Perkins
“Fasting for a day was a valuable experience for me. I had
never tried to fast before; in fact, I generally try never to miss
meals, since I tend to get headachy and dizzy when I eat irregularly. I wasn't sure I *could* fast all day without getting
sick. Nevertheless, when we were challenged to fast before
the community iftar, I decided that this would be a good way
for me to honor Fahad's memory.Much to my surprise, fasting
wasn't that hard. The hardest part was suhoor: breakfast just
didn't sit very well at 3:30 a.m.!
All in all, fasting for a day made me realize that I am not as
much at the mercy of my physical needs as I thought I was. I
don't think it's something I'll do on a regular basis, but I'm
glad I had the experience trying it once.”
-Marjorie Carlson
“After having Swedish pancakes with Nutella at 3:30 a.m.
with Erik and Caryl, I was ready to make it through the day
without eating. I was fine for most of the day until I had some
juice and water during the Iftar and then I felt quite sick. I
guess it wasn't only the fasting but also the fact that I was very
tired. Next time I'll eat something healthier in the morning
and for Iftar, get some more sleep and then I'll be better prepared for fasting!”
-Silvia Pessoa
Well, hats off to Dave Stanfield, Iliano Cervesato,
Shelly Culbertson, Caryl Tuma, Kevin Lamb, John Barr, Professor Sham Kekre, Erik Helin, Silvia Pessoa, Ian Lacey,
Lillian Muzame, Professor Lynn Robert Carter, Justin Carlson, Marjorie Carlson, and Douglas Perkins. The all around
team thanks you.
Pictured (clockwise from top left): Professor Douglas Perkins developed a
newfound understanding of how hard it can be to focus on his class material
when his stomach was being so loud! Professor John Barr did not venture far
from his office, where he was often spotted holding his stomach in hunger. Dave
Stanfield and Caryl Tuma, however, took a leaf from the students’ book and
opted for the student lounge couches and a nice long nap. And despite encouragement from wife and colleague Silvia, Eric Helin found it hard to keep smiling!
6
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
Big world, smaller id
By Mona Maher
Staff Writer
How some humans are no
longer driven by wants or desires, but
by the rules and duties of society has
always caused my mind to race with
curiosity. It makes me sad to think of
those; be they rich or poor, educated or
not; who lose the will to dream or want
things, because the world has already
demanded so much of them. Taking
Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious, one could say that it were as if
the cries of the id were indefinitely silenced.
The id is
the third of Sigmund Freud's decomposition of the
human
subconscious. It is in this
third of our subconscious where
our wants and desires take form, and
it is the basis behind our motivational drive to get
those things for
ourselves. Our ego,
the second part of
our unconscious
minds is what provides the id with what it wants as soon
as possible i.e. the ego works to keep
the id happy.
While working to keep the id
satisfied, the ego also struggles with the
superego; the final and third part of our
unconscious. The superego represents our
ever growing memory of the profits and
losses of going after the things we desire.
Why does the ego
struggle against the
superego?
This
struggle occurs because whatever is
stored in the superego can cause the
ego to retreat from
acquiring what the
id desires, therefore
leaving the id unsatisfied.
Should not
the id become a
timid and shameful
thing in the face of
society's constraints
on its individuals;
the ones that dictate
which of us is respectable, successful and honorable?
Should not one's dreams and desires represent a thing of no value or format in a
world run by value-hunting businessmen and function-oriented programmers?
If so, should not that part of us
die out, due to the belief that the ego,
struggling against
the record of punishments
ingrained in our
superego, is no
longer
strong
enough to satisfy
it?
Unfortunately, while this
is the case for
some, I hope that
it is never so for
all of us, for then
it would be a sad
world; one so impersonal and dry
that life would not
be worth living. One should never let
dreams and desires dwindle into nothing
due to the obstacles presented by the
world. This is certainly easier said than
done and we all know of those so unfortunate in their lives, who no longer
know the meaning of dreams.
Should this happen to one of
us, I hope that this big, sometimes
seemingly dominant and cruel world
will surprise us from time to time. And
in surprising us, never gives the id inside us all the chance to fully stop wanting.
First Halloween party a raving success
...Continued from front page...
Qatar.
As the night proceeded, more
Education City students showed up and
more people made their way towards
the dance floor.
There was English music, Arabic music and of course the night could
not be complete without a little salsa
and meringue personally tutored by the
hosts themselves.
As we learned a bit of their
culture, they also learnt a bit of ours.
Helin and Pessoa are now officially on
the beginners’ level of Egyptian dancing thanks to some of the dance moves
performed by Hatem Salem, Egyptian
Business Freshman at Carnegie Mellon
I also have to mention what my
favorite costume was. I do not think anybody present at this event could forget the
green tube top and white miniskirt.
This costume would have looked
rather normal for anyone but given that
our very own Economic Theory Teacher
Assistant wore it, he (YES HE!!) looked
rather hot. Andrew S. Leung would have
gotten my vote for the best Halloween
costume.
Helin and Pessoa have provided
their students and our campus in general,
with a great student-teacher relationship
throughout this semester. T h e y h a v e
helped many of CMU-Q’s students learn
Spanish, both
inside and outside the classrooms.
Thus
far,
Spanish
classes
have
been great fun
for everyone.
They are the
first to introduce a Fiesta
de Halloween
and we hope
that there will Pictured: Andrew Leung
be more fiestas knows how get dressed up!
to come.
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
7
Religion vs Academics in Ramadan
By Dana Hadan
Staff Writer
2.
With every task that I add to my to-do list, and as I
become more and more overwhelmed by the piles of home
works and readings, I start wondering how I will survive in
Ramadan. Although many of us have been through the experience already, it is never the same, especially since the work
load doubles every year.
I recall Ramadan from my freshman year, and I remember how excited I have always been for its arrival. However, there have been questions roaming around in my head
about how academic pressure would effect my performance
as a Muslim in such an anticipated and holy month. My nonMuslim colleagues kept asking me questions that are, presumably, in reference to the strict requirements of fasting that
many Muslims adhere to during Ramadan, such as: " How
can you manage to come to college without starting the day
with a refreshing cup of coffee?!"
Most of them think that the only difficulty that faces
Muslim college students in Ramadan is hunger, but trust me,
every time we break our fast at sunset; we realize that hunger
has never been the main concern. What most Muslim students
find challenging in Ramadan is having to choose one of the
two options: either to be a good student, or to be a good Muslim and seize the opportunity to get closer to Allah. Usually,
doing both perfectly is an unattainable goal.
Personally, I found it impossible to create a sense of
balance between academics and religion. No matter how
much I tried to do my assignments and in the same time be
able to free myself for an hour or two to read Quran or pray
Taraweeh, my efforts never paid off, and I usually ended up
focussing more on my studies. By the middle of Ramadan, I
came up with some guidelines that helped me keep track of
my academics and also take advantage of this month of
mercy.
1. Try to wake up one or two hours before suhoor and read
3.
4.
5.
6.
Quran, especially since the hours before dawn are very
blessed.
After praying al-fajr, get some sleep, wake up early in the
morning and finish your work during the day.
Devote 10-15 minutes before Iftar to Dua'a, because these
are valuable minutes, in which Allah responds to whatever
his worshippers ask for. Instead of wasting these minutes
waiting for the Iftar, or watching one of those Ramadan TV
shows, make use of these moments to get closer to Allah.
Since praying Traweeh in the mosque everyday is definitely
an unfeasible mission, you can either schedule three or
four- it depends on your daily routine- days a week, in
which you completely devote 1-2 hours of your time for
praying Traweeh. For those who would like to pray
Traweeh everyday, praying at home for 30-45 minutes can
be an alternative solution.
In the last 10 days of Ramadan, when people start praying
Qeyyam- midnight prayers- attending prayers everyday is
out of the question for a college student, but scheduling five
days in the last 10 days of Ramadan, in which you pray 3
times in the mosque and 2 times at home is possible.
Always keep in your bag a small Dua'a booklet or a Quran,
so that whenever you find yourself have a few minutes
break or while your waiting for the bus, you can read and
gain more Ajer/Thawab.
Having a challenge can sometimes help. Try challenging one of your classmates or friends to read the entire Quran
during Ramadan. It really can motivate you to read more and
more Quran everyday.
So it's all about time management, prioritizing and
most importantly commitment. Given the fact that we are 24/7
jammed, what I suggested is the least one can do to take
"partial" advantage of the holy month of Ramadan. Just spend
some time before the arrival of Ramadan on creating a plan that
will make it possible for you to focus more on religion in this
sacred month, without neglecting your studies, because no one
8
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
Garangaou
By Noor Al-Jassim
Business Manager
Children are waiting for Iftar to get over, so as to go
prepare themselves. The adult members of the family have
gone to buy sweets from the market. Children are confused
about what to wear
and which bag to
carry.
Mothers
advise their kids to
be “careful” on the
road. What’s described here are
some of the scenes
one should expect
to see on the 14th
of Ramadan – the
Garangao night. It
may be pronounced
differently in different
countries,
but it is a tradition
closely followed in
all of the Gulf
countries. Garangao night brings up
a lot of joy among
the children, as
they get to walk
around in groups,
singing and enjoying,
visiting
neighbours to get
Pictured: Caryl Tuma, star of this issues sweets and nuts.
One gets
Zoom In, may have had a little more fun than
to see children
some of the kids this year!
By Maha Obaidan
Staff Writer
dressed up
traditionally
and holding
bags; obviously
to
house the
sweets and
nuts they’re
going
to
get.
The
boys will be
dressed in a
‘thoub’ and
the girls in
a traditional
dress with
golden sequins and
borders.
After iftar,
Pictured: Children at the recent Education City Gathe children rangaou festivities held on the local Virginia Comget together monwealth University campus.
and
visit
their neighbours, who are longingly waiting for them to
shower them with sweets. Sadly for the children, Garangao
lasts only for a day i.e. the 14th of Ramadan.
The Garangao song is very popular in Qatar. The
song inspires all the households to give the children their
treat. The wordings of the song is as follows: if you (the
family) give us some sweet and nuts, then God will give
what you want and take you to Mecca, which is a place every
Muslim longs to go.
By the end of the evening, the children grow very
tired, but their spirits still high, for what has made them tired
is the jolly trip and the weight of the sweet bags they’re carrying.
The fun of Eid
On the eve of Eid, you can picture around ten or
more of my family members, gathered in the majlis watching
television, eagerly awaiting the announcement of Eid.
This is a lively scene that I’ve taken part in since I
was a child. The moment Eid is declared, the children scream
with excitement and everyone gets busy.
When we were young, my mother and aunts would
go out shopping to get clothes for me and my cousins. They
would tailor the same style of clothes, but in different colors.
My cousins and I would excitedly wait for “the day”
to get our dresses, and see what our mothers have surprised
us with this time. No matter how ugly the dresses were, we
used to love them and would brag about the color of our respective dresses.
Our childish excitement used to spark the house.
My mom used to come into my room the night before to fix
my hair for the big day. Moreover, before I go to bed I would
hang my new dress, and place my new sandals under it. I
cannot express my feeling of joy on that day.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep the entire night, and
thoughts of what I would do the next day, and more importantly, how much money I would get would occupy me the
whole night.
Every year I look forward for such
a holiday with a lot of family and
friends gathering. I enjoy
meeting up with my entire
family, feasting together,
chatting and showing off our
new clothes.
I still remember our
energy on the first day of school
after Eid. We would all gather in
the Arabic class and start discussing how much money we got, and
what we wore for Eid.
Eid has been and always
will be a special holiday for me.
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
9
To practice or to preach…?
By Marium Shaukat Chandna
Staff Writer
“There are two ways of spreading light: To be the
candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” -Edith Wharton
Ever since the establishment of different spiritual
schools of thought, or religions,
the concept of cultural dispersal
is at its pinnacle.
Whether it was the effective power of the caliphs in
the 10th century that helped Islam spread over the continents,
or the notion of enlightenment
by Siddharta Gautama, more
commonly known as “The Buddha”, the idea of spreading one’s
faith has always been an integral
part of most religions.
Today, an increasing
number of conventional societies are opening up and bringing
together a wide range of religious backgrounds and contrasting beliefs regarding one or
more religions.
Religion, which once
used to be accepted through
meaningful acts of creed and
illustrious examples, has over
time been termed as a
“controversial” topic not ideal
for open discussions.
Why has religion become “controversial”? Why is
expression regarding any one faith spoken of as divisive?
Apparently, it has been fashioned in such a way that
the word “religious” provokes a sense of uneasiness to go
near what or who is being depicted as being so.
The ideology that rules the modern mind is that
there is a gap between the “religious” entity and the “not so
religious” entity that can only be filled with criticism, added
preaching, and eventually
strong dislike.
This gap widens as
more and more people misinterpret their duties as a good religious figure.
I believe that people, in
general, are more likely to take
interest in what they observe
and not what is imposed upon
them.
People are more likely
to accept a theory when they
perceive and comprehend its
importance and application
through their own understanding.
In my opinion, setting
or living life as a model is the
sole means of having an effective influence on people around
you.
Personally speaking, I
don’t think there is anything
“controversial” about religion.
I would define religion
as an individual’s faith and devotion, which is best explained,
spread and proliferated through real practice, and not unnecessary sermonizing that makes one’s religion seem like a
chore rather than a way of life.
Judaism and Islam
By Walid Khwaja
Editing Editor
After asking many of the Carnegie Mellon students about what they would like to
learn from this article I have decided to
write a short article about the similarities
between Judaism and Islam.
Even though many people believe
that these two religions don’t have much in
common it is interesting to see that it is quite
the opposite.
They actually have many things
in common. First of all both religions
are said to have originated from Abraham.
Judaism and Christianity were born from
Isaac while Islam was born from Ishmael. That’s
not all that the two faiths have in common though.
For example people of both faiths pray regularly, fast,
circumcise their children, give charity, etc.
Still though the two main
commonalities are the fact that both
religions are clearly monotheistic, and
that they both have jurisprudence that basically relates to and controls every part of
their lives.
One of the things that I found
most intriguing and defiantly surprising
is that according to the zohar which is a
work of kabala (a sect of Judaism) if a
Jew is traveling and does not have enough people to form a congregation (minyan) he may pray
alongside a Muslim in prayer.
10
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
The Passover: Seder
By Maha Obaidan
Staff Writer
I have engaged in many religious festivities such as
Eid, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter, all of which are celebrated
by Muslims and Christians. In ceremonies that I attended, I
sang, ate and enjoyed the gathering. Excitingly, this year I
was introduced to the third “God’s Book” celebration of the
Passover in Judaism.
Noor Al Athirah, the Chief-editor of All Around,
and I were studying quietly in our apartment when we heard
a knock on the door. It was a friend of ours who came to
invite us for the Passover Seder feast downstairs.
“Passover commemorates the formative experience
of the Jewish people: their transformation from scattered
tribes indentured in Egypt to a nation on the road to redemption” (http://www.answers.com/topic/passover).
Both of us did not have any background knowledge
about the Seder. Our confused expressions were obvious as
we sat around a small table with food on it. There were
“matzas, flat, yeast less crackers of flour and water, parsleys,
boiled eggs, “charosets, sweet brownish mixture usually
made of apples and nuts.” (http://www.answers.com/topic/
passover)
There was also a bowl of water that was used to
wash our hands with before eating any item. Each food re-
flected an important aspect of the Jews sufferance from
Egypt. The parsleys, which are dipped in the salted water
before eaten, symbolize the deprived origins of the Jews;
meanwhile, the salt water represents the tears of the Jewish
slaves.
Moreover, the matzas are baked without wheat,
because during the Jewish escape, there wasn’t enough time
to wait for the wheat to grow. We ate the matzas with charosets, that signified “the mortar the slaves used to build
bricks with”. (http://www.answers.com/topic/passover).
Meanwhile, we had to drink four glasses of grape
juice (in the ritual it should be wine), and a fifth glass is
poured for Prophet Elijah. Elijah is a “Hebrew prophet who
sought to abolish idolatry and restore justice” (http://
www.answers.com/topic/passover). It is believed that
Prophet Elijah joins every Passover Seder Feast.
As soon as we sat down, a Seder booklet was distributed amongst us. The booklet spoke of the Passover tale,
and its songs. We were asked to join the group reading ritual
that lasted for almost an hour.
While reading we were instructed what to eat and
when to eat during the feast. Then the gathering came to an
end with a matza balls soup, which is a soup cooked with
matza shaped balls. The feast was a unique experience that
contributed to my religious knowledge.
Pictured (from
left): Tehana
Weeks, Lourdes
GarciaCalderon, our
very own Noor
Al-Athirah,
Chris Mille,
Mac
Kravitz, Sirisha
Pillalamarri
and other residents enjoyed
some time away
from their studies as they celebrated the Seder
in the Fairfax
common room
on the Carnegie
Mellon Pittsburgh campus.
Have you missed our past issues?
Would you like an electronic copy of this issue?
ALL AROUND IS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Please visit our website at:
http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/student/index.php?pg=allaround
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
11
Lifes little things: Ramadan
By Rooda Al-Neama
Staff Writer
next class” the phrase that awakens you, ringing in your head
like the alarm clock earlier that morning.
Getting out of class you try to find the first empty
The alarm rings. One eye opens and as you reach
couch that comes your way, they all seem to be occupied by
for the alarm clock to switch off the ringing, your eye
napping students, I guess the floor of the study room will
catches a glimpse of the time: 8:30am.
make do for now.
Why is it that all the motivaThe Athan wakes you up and
tion you had the night before disapyou realize you have to go pray
pears the minute that alarm clock
‘thuhur’ as you pray jama’a with the
rings.
You drag yourself to get
others you realize all the things you
dressed, and hope you make in time
want to ask Allah for: passing that test,
for calculus, MIS or accounting.
guidance in that situation, and health
Driving to university you
for you and your family. A sudden
realize how thirsty you are, you grab
relief overcomes you and you’re ready
the bottle of water then realize its
to do some work.
Ramadan.
Three classes have passed its
“BEEEEEEP” you hear sudnow 4:30pm, time to go home. Racing
denly, and press the breaks. All hell
maniacs on the tight roads, I must be
breaks loose as every unimaginable
patient after all this isn’t like any other
curse words come to mind. Once
month.
again you realize its Ramadan, you Pictured: Students take time out in their rec room. The
As you enter your house and
look the other way, accelerate and only notable difference during Ramadan was the vend- get ready to break your fast you see the
smile at the driver. Your thoughts will ing machine suddenly seeming very neglected!
kids running around, your mother asknot conquer you this month.
ing you to eat, your father indulging in
You enter the class and the professor’s hyper “Good
his meal. “May Allah accept my fast.”
Morning” makes you enter the next phase of your awake
Indeed this month is different. I may be a little bit
state. You drag your self to your seat, open your laptop,
lazier than usual, a little slower, but it’s the little things that
check your e-mail’s and your eyes start to close slowly.
count. The patience, the spiritual aura, and the family gath“Class is over, don’t forget the assignment is due
erings.
By Aysha Siddique
Editing Editor
Ramadan Etiquette
Ramadan, the holiest month for the Muslims,
brings about a lot of different changes in people. In general, what is a Muslim expected to
do in Ramadan? Pray, Read Qur’an,
Pay Zakah, Observe fast, and devote
time to Allah.
Sometimes, some people
like to go the extra mile and challenge themselves to give up/avoid
activities that they enjoy.
Listening to music, watching movies and all other entertaining
stuff come under this list of
“challenging” activities. It’s an incredibly superior gesture towards
devoting more time to Allah, and I
shall always applaud it.
However, some of these
people often claim these challenges
that they’ve set for themselves to be
the “rules” of Ramadan.
I believe people shouldn’t
impose these supposed ‘rules’ on
fellow Muslims, because you get rewarded for the time
devoted to Allah only if you are voluntarily doing so, and
not if you are forced to.
Ramadan is a “holy” month that inspires you to
do good deeds, and should never
be portrayed as a “strict” month.
Most often, when people are
forced to avoid activities that they
enjoy, they lose respect for Ramadan and are often waiting for it to
get over so that they can resume
their fun activities.
Is this the desired effect?? No. So
let’s avoid this by removing misconceptions regarding this holy
month, and instead, spreading
awareness about the benefits of
this month.
I’d suggest all my fellow Muslims
not to impose rules on others and
at most, advice and inspire them to
take a little time out of their
schedules and remember Allah.
Meanwhile, be simple and nice
this Ramadan.
12
All Around, Vol. 3 Issue 3
Garfield
GUESS WHO
Can you identify the Carnegie
Mellon student in this fumbledup photo?
See bottom of page for answer.
Poem of the issue
GROWTH
age three
there was no past for me
age five
my past went back to yesterday
age seven
my past went back to topknotted samurai
age eleven
my past went back to dinosaurs
DID YOU
KNOW?
The average chocolate
bar has 8 insects' legs in it.
No piece of square dry
paper can be folded in
half more than 7 times.
Try it!
Elephants are the only
animals that can't jump.
It is impossible to hum if
your nose is plugged. Try
it!
The average human eats
8 spiders in their lifetime
at night.
Peanuts are one of the
ingredients of dynamite.
age fourteen
my past agreed with the text at school
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and
lived in China in 1910.
age sixteen
I look at the infinity of my past with fear
On average, 100 people
choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
age eighteen
I know not a thing about time
Goats and octopus' eyes
have rectangular pupils.
Ans: Reem Khaled, Business Admin Junior
Shuntaro Tanikawa
Shuntaro Tanikawa. "Growth." The Poetry Of Our World. Jefftery Paine. First Edition. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. 458.