Blog classic

Thoughts of a Migrant The following is a text written by an Iranian national, Syed Amir Bassam, who migrated away from his own country and lived in both Australia and New Zealand before migrating back to the Islamic Republic of Iran.   Is the West the paradise that we are truly seeking? This is a piece that is written by someone who has lived 21 years in the west, in two countries - Australia and New Zealand, and 21 years living in Iran, and so what ever is written here comes from real life personal experiences. I won’t keep you waiting and will give you the conclusion from the outset. If you are looking for this world only (Dunya) there is nothing to wait for, you should go to the West now. If you are after your Faith and looking […]

Another Fallacy Many Muslims have migrated to Polytheistic Nations, a migration that may have been due to certain circumstances that have either forced them to do so, or they may have voluntarily migrate.   Circumstances such as wars and persecution have especially affected many Muslims and in particular Shia Muslims.  Voluntary migration such as migrating to seek worldly gains, education, business, family, and the like.  Such migrants may have a particular fallacy created within them: And that is that that they are not affected by its spiritual weaknesses, outward perversion, and carelessness be it of an ideological nature or of mannerisms. And they have reached this position, according to their pretense, because they have become so accustomed and saturated to the environment in which they now live in - they are no longer affected by what they run against daily.  This […]

A fallacy It is often said that raising children in the west is possible, and that there are many examples of children who have been raised in the west who are role models and examples of excellent Muslims.  While there is no denying the possibility, the argument used is a fallacy. This fallacy, which is to identify those children who have been raised well in that society and showcasing them as examples of how it is possible to raise children in the best possible way and to their highest potential, should be viewed with in context. By in large, those children are indeed the minority and represent a smaller percentage of the Muslim population than is portrayed in the argument.  Most children will have been affected somehow when it comes to their fundamentals in faith, where fallacies are inserted in […]

Cognitive Dissonance At times, one may find themselves in a position of mental discomfort or psychological stress due to being in a conflict between what one believes or when new information is presented with what one does or is doing. This real psychological discomfort, which can translate into physical anxiety, was first proposed as the theory of cognitive dissonance by psychologist Leon Festinger. To counteract this discomfort, one must find a way to resolve this new piece of information with ones action in order to restore the balance and comfort the mind needs in order to function properly again. Cognitive dissonance is when one is faced with some new form of evidence or a thought that conflicts with another belief or previously held thought.  A common example given is that of a smoker, where there is information to suggest that […]