Recolor May 13

When you see this title, what is in your mind?

Yes. For Malaysian, it is a tragic date. Still remember May 13, 1969?

I don’t intend to remind you about that history, also not my intention to ask whose fault or why it happened. What had happen, had happen. We don’t want it to happen again.

Today, I got an email from Anas Zubedy. I guess many of you already knew him. A famous blogger who writes and makes campaign for Malaysian’s unity.

Here is the email:

Dear Brother and Sister Malaysians,

I would like to re-color May 13^th, to breathe new spirit into the date, to dilute and eventually erase the negative thoughts and replace them with positive meanings and values. We are placing a full page advertisement in The Star this May 13^th , with a call to re-color the day.

When reflecting on May 13^th 1969, we can blame others for what happened, blame the situation, or we can choose to transform things for the better, to be change agents and constructively fill our hearts and minds with what needs to be done so May 13^th does not ever happen again, and that no one uses the day to bring about fear and negativity.

What thoughts can we cultivate to make a difference to how May 13^th is viewed? What actions can we take to shine a light on this day so it will forever be a day we learn from mistakes, a day we strengthen unity in our diversity and recommit to respecting one another and working together?

At zubedy we believe in re-coloring May 13^th with all our brilliant hues, the many diverse peoples that we are, under this one great nation called Malaysia. We believe it is a day to reaffirm our shared values and traditions and rejoice in what unites us. A day for young and old to constructively talk about what makes us one people and how we can remain strong together.

This May 13^th we are launching two books available at MPH, Borders, Kinokuniya and newsstands to commemorate the day.

1. A Plea for Empathy, A Quest for Malaysian Unity by Chandra Muzaffar, is a collection of twenty-three articles on Malaysian national unity that appeared in newspapers, magazines and academic journals between 1974 and 2008.  Dr. Chandra looks at language, culture, religion, the economy, politics, human rights, education, ethnic accommodation, ethnic conflict and trends in ethnic relations over the decades. The writing embodies the essence of his thoughts on the causes of disunity and the solutions that are possible. ( Retail price at RM 39.20 WM)

1. The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy is a collection of reflections and childhood memoirs featuring among others, inter-faith and inter-racial friendships and depictions of how the multi-cultural Malaysian setting is fertile ground for personal growth. The book highlights universal values found in the Quran through daily life experiences and serves as a simple introduction to the Quran. (Retail price RM 36.40 WM)
   

Please join us and make May 13th a day of Unity. Find ways to understand each other better, bring to light our Unity in diversity and share your stories with children and young people. Organize gatherings and discussions, Unity parties and kenduris.  Or simply take a moment and reflect on where we are today and give thanks; we have much to be grateful for.

Peace and Let us add value,

anas zubedy

So, what are you waiting for? :) Let’s show our support by buying these books and share our opinion through blogging.

stop smoking

To My Friend in Gaza - a support and healing project

Dear folks,

Since December 27, 2008 when the Israelis started bombing Gaza, children and women have suffered the most. Over 800,000 children have been exposed to extraordinary levels of violence and insecurity, some 1,600 have been injured and more than 300 children have died. Gazan children who have survived are experiencing unimaginable trauma every day, cowering from fear and suffering from stress-related health problems such as asthma.

Even though there is now a truce, the ordeal of the children is not over. Many are still fearful, in pain and have an uncertain future because they have lost their parents and siblings.

In trying to think what I, as a mother, could do, I came up with this idea and have teamed up with UNICEF Malaysia and +wondermilk to launch To My Friend in Gaza (Untuk Kawan Ku di Gaza) today. The basic idea is to get Malaysian children to write letters/cards/postcards or make drawings for the children of Gaza to show their support, provide encouragement and let them know that they have friends here who are thinking of them and praying for their safety.

The letters will be translated into Arabic by a team of volunteers and will then be handed over to UNICEF Malaysia to be sent to UNICEF in the Occupied Territories to be then distributed among the children in Gaza. +wondermilk designed the logo which they say "is a celebration of hope, peace, love and happiness". I think it's the absolute antithesis of aggression.:-)

I believe that knowing that someone out there cares about them will help these children heal more quickly and will make them realise that there is a world out there where violence and war is not the norm and where there is hope for peace.

I've already received my first letters when the news about this project spread via email, Facebook and word-of-mouth. The first ones came from a bunch of 4 and 5-year olds from a church in PJ. Really sweet messages that say simply 'I love you, I will pray for you'. There are many parents who are asking their schools to get their students to participate so I hope there will be many many more letters that we can send over.

If you would like to help, this is what you can do:

1. Please talk to your children, their friends and their schools and ask them to participate. All letters can be sent to:

To My Friend in Gaza, c/o 48, Jalan Terasek Dua, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Preferably by February 20 please.

2. If you have a blog, could you kindly display the logo and link to mine so more people will know about it?

The letters can be in any language at all. I will try and scan some and put them on this blog from time to time.

Thank you so much, folks, from me and my partners in this project and most of all, from the children of Gaza.

(Post is taken here)

Let's Read The Quran Campaign

Peace!

We need your participation!

Campaign name: Let’s Read The Quran

Logo/icon:
On January 1st 2009, four friends Syed, Walski, Marina and Anas got together at Coffee-Bean Bangsar Village and decided to launch a campaign to encourage people to read and understand the Quran better.

This campaign is not only for Muslims, but also for our brothers and sisters who are Christians, Buddhists Hindus, Sikhs and those who believes in a God-Head but not so gung-ho about being in any brand of religion, too – come join us and share your ideas! You can join this campaign even if you are an atheist!

The goal of this campaign is to encourage people to read the Quran in the language they understand most and find in it areas of common values in our day to day living.

What is the Campaign all about?
Read the Quran in the language that you are familiar with.

When will the campaign start and end?
January 15th to February 14th (Happy Valentine’s Day!)

Where?
Participating blogs in the blogospheres.

Why?
So more people know what the Quran says and what the Quran does not say and to match it to what is really said in our daily lives.

Who?
Everyone who wants to – the more the merrier! If you have a Blog, Facebook, etc carry the logo/icon.

How?
- To join the campaign, place the accompanying logo/icon at your blog.
- Write or share short articles based on the Quranic text.
- Share what you find in the Quran with family and friends.
- Ask questions about the Quranic message
- Read the Quran – eg click here http://www.islamicity.com/QuranSearch , www.altafsir.com

Peace and Thanks,

Marina Mahathir http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com
Syed Akbar Ali http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com
Walski, http://asylum60.blogspot.com
and,
Anas Zubedy http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com

Participating Blogs

1. 3540 Jalan Sudin http://www.nursamad.blogspot.com/
2. Anas Zubedy: http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com
3. ARTiculations: http://art-harun.blogspot.com/
4. Being Human in the World: http://www.peru.name/writing
5. Cowboy Malaysia: http://cowboymalaysia.wordpress.com
6. Disquiet: http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com
7. Jebat Must Die: http://jebatmustdie.wordpress.com/
8. Lunch at the Lake Club: http://lunchatthelakeclub.blogspot.com
9. MACVAYSIA: http://macvaysia.com
10. myAsylum: http://asylum60.blogspot.com
11. O.B.E. http://shar101.wordpress.com/
12. OutSyed The Box: http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com
13. Poetic Justice: http://nizambashir.com/
14. Rantings by MM: http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com
15. Rapera: http://jahaberdeen.blogspot.com/
16. Renovatio: http://stephendoss.blogspot.com
17. Rocky's Bru: http://rockybru.com.my/
18. Write Away: http://elviza.wordpress.com/
19. Writing By Amir: http://amirmu.blogspot.com/

20. Life is too short to be ordinary: http://faisaladmar.blogspot.com/

(Post is taken here)