Reality Bytes

So, U.S. Presedential Candidate John McCain would not rule out a pre-emptive war against another country, wanna guess what country he'd go after?

Gas in Michigan is $3.49/gal while U.S. oil companies made a $168Billion profit. How long before a revolt?

The FAA, charged with regulating airlines, keep quite thousands of airline violations and allowed unsafe airplanes to fly. Still afraid of a terror strike?

The U.S. administration and the generals in charge of the war on Iraq, can not point out what the qualifiers are to withdraw from Iraq. We may be there for a 100 years as McCain implied.

Food safety is at an all time low, yet everything from poisoned fish to expired milk is approved for sale by the people hired to protect us.

Some packaged foods include human byproducts, animal waste, incests, poisons, and fat that can keep you from decomposing long after you've died.

Everyone is talking about all the lead in toys from China, yet thousands of beauty products like lipstick made by U.S. companies have high levels of lead, and they are still on the store shelves. 

And this is just what i can remember at 3:00am, what about everything I've missed?

A word of advice...don't eat any packaged food, don't eat fast food, don't fly, don't drink milk, don't buy into any politician's bull, don't vote Republican, don't sit quite, don't...

I'd pray for peace but my Mosque is about to be demolished.

Another racist and Islamphobic U.S. Representative or Congressman has made comments that just plain scare me.
Rep. Peter King (R-NY) who is the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee said, "Unfortunately, we have too many mosques in this country. There are too many people who are sympathetic to radical Islam. We should be looking at them more carefully. We should be finding out how we can infiltrate. […] King added, "I think there's been a lack of full cooperation from too many people in the Muslim community. And it's a real threat here in this country."

Great, that’s how you get cooperation, by bashing the people you need help from. I’d be scared to talk to such a person. And what type of cooperation does he want? Why is it ok for him to assume there is something wrong at my mosque? Does he want me to stand at the door of my mosque and point a finger at my innocent brothers as he tears down the place I worship? Would the world’s problems go away if there weren’t any mosques? Or would they go away if there weren’t any hate-mongers like Rep. King? These guys only want us to be informant citizens without voicing any concerns or opposing views. If we speak up we will go to jail, get tazered, have our assets frozen, or even get killed by some of his gung-ho, beer-drinking, flag-wearing, ignorant constituents. While we’re at it, who do I talk to about the hate crimes against my mosque and it’s congregation?

BTW, does anyone remember who other than Presidential Candidate Tom Tancerdo wants to bomb Mecca? (I’m planning on going to Haj this year, I’d like to know what’s coming)



To watch the King interview see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMydUdKtA_Q&;


From an ADC alert:
Rep. King has a history of racism and bigotry toward Arab and Muslim Americans. In the past, he has said, Muslims are "an enemy living amongst us." He has also called for ethnic and racial profiling of Arabs and Muslims. It should be noted that Rep. King also serves as a top advisor to presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani alongside leading Islamophobe Daniel Pipes. Pipes also serves on the board of coalition which tried to derail the opening of the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, New York. For more information see: http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=3157

May the chips lay where they fall.

So, if it wasn't enough to be teased by co-workers endlessly about what we Muslims can and can not eat, now we discover that that list is growing. Say Kosher and everyone understands and is supportive, but say Halal and you get confused looks and ignorant statements. I don't mind the ignorance as much as the deck being stacked against us. It becomes more and more apparent that this world is oblivious to our concerns.

Perhaps that is the way Allah created it, we are constantly tested. Certainly the concern of a few food products not being Halal is trivial compared to the wars being waged and the daily oppression millions face, but it is a concern none-the-less, especially when you have children.

The reason for this topic is because I keep getting emails about a new popular food that is now found to be Haram. I've heard of McDonald's fries (beef flavoring), then Wrigley's gum (animal based gelatin) , then Altoids (pork based flavor crystals), then Doritos and other chips (pork based seasoning) and even recently about Burger King and their practise of frying Fish in the same fryer as pork and other meats. The list goes on and on. The crazy part is that you won't find this information from reading the ingredients and that is the part the gets me mad the most. Burger King says they fry in vegetable oil, but said nothing about using the same fryer as pork and other meats. McDonald's says they fry in vegetable oil but didn't say the fries are seasoned with beef. I'm slightly concerned about not being able to eat most of the chips made by Frito-Lay anymore, but I'll live.

The products that I'm most concern with are products like Advil, Tylenol and Motrin, they use a pork based coating of all things. Now that's the three most popular pain killers. (only Advil relieves my headache) Where will Muslims turn in that department? Anyone have alternatives?

I won't list every product I've found, there are sites that do this. I'm just frustrated. I expect companies to use whatever product makes their food taste addictive and cost less. I can't blame them for doing so, but can blame them if they hide these products as McDonald's did for years. Right now I'm not sure if this is worth an uproar, I'll just have to be more careful and less trusting (with corporations).

Anyone want to recommend sites that track this issue?

What about alternative products?

Am I wrong about any of these?