PhilAsify 101

The Internet was going nuts today after tragic news broke of three young Muslim students who were gunned down by a older white man over what the news glossed over as a "parking dispute".  You can read the full story at the link below. LINK:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chapel-hill-shooting-three-young-muslims-gunned-down-in-north-carolina-at-their-family-home-10037734.html Police say a dispute over a parking space spurred the murder Tuesday of three North Carolina college students, but the Muslim father of two of the victims insisted Wednesday that his daughters' neighbor and alleged killer had menaced them before and was driven by hate. Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after turning himself in to police in Chapel Hill overnight. Although a Facebook page in Hicks' name that described him as a supporter of “Atheists for Equality” and blasted “radical Christians and radical Muslims" for ca...

Note: I actually wrote this poem about 5 years ago in my college poetry class. With all the continuing bloodshed and relentless violence and the fact that a ceasefire in Gaza only lasted 90 minutes, it's every bit as relevant now as it was then. #freepalestine Ceasefire by Asif Balouch Across my TV screen the evening news invites me to a world where smiles do not exist. Where all that lies is images of horror, devastation that knows no bounds. Gaza , where blood flows more than water. Sad story follows tragedy repeatedly in a torturous cycle. I’ve seen enough and am not the only one that cries out for those liable to bring forth a ceasefire. To city halls we go and march, embassies and consulates. The demand of a resolution we sought an end to the conflict. Cardboard signs with words big and bold spell out our disapproval. A clear message to those in power: "How much more lives must be lost before you’ve had your fill?" That would g...

The Disgusting Side Effect of the Social Media/Viral Video Age Have you heard the story of Kitty Genovese ? She was a woman who was brutally stabbed to death nearby her New York apartment by a lunatic assailant. She was attacked by the man on three separate occasions during a time span of 35 minutes, all the while crying and screaming for help. Police reports declared that over 38 people heard or saw the attack—which occurred out in public—and no one intervened or even bothered to call police until AFTER the third attack when Kitty was already dead and the man fled the scene. Do you know when this incident occurred? 1964. But judging from the subject matter, you would think it just happened the other day. In fact, if it did happen today, I can’t promise you that someone would’ve intervened and helped the poor woman out but I can wholeheartedly assure you without a doubt in my mind there would be live tweets, Facebook statuses and perhaps even footage of the murder captured on ...

Ever since my Islamic enlightenment a couple of years back, I've cut mainstream music out completely. I don't know what's "poppin' on the streets" and couldn't tell you one song looping on the Top 40 Hit Stations other than "Call Me Maybe" and that's only because today's media has allowed this song to be absolutely unavoidable. The only other times I'm exposed to hip hop and pop music is at the gym, playing video games or at certain restaurants and gatherings. Whenever I do willingly lend my ear to some tunes, it's very selectively. Hip Hop is dead for the most part. Gone are the days of a true narrative to a song which enlightens the masses on the often harsh realities of the world we live in. However, there are a handful of artists who still use the genre of hip hop for what it was meant for, preaching the truth and opening minds.

Daddy can I show you how to do a one-hit-kill? 30,000 Points! Holy Mecca! Now there's no question that their's a major issue with the kiddos these days. Their sense of entitlement is so out of whack, it's enough to make you go on a back-of-the-head slapping rampage. In these days of excess and instant gratification, people are impatient when they don't get what they want, when they want it. And this is especially the case with children. And looking at this news tidbit, it transcends race, nationality and culture.