In seeking You, you led me to love

In seeking you, you led me to love
You suffered my pains and my angst
And lead me to love
You looked within my core and tore away the unnecessary
The foibles and follies
The misguided judgment and unfair prejudice
In seeking you,
You led me to love
You stripped away the tired dishevelled exterior of earthly needs
And lead me to love
All that I sought you took
In its place you gave me love
I came seeking you amidst the throws of my human frailty
And you gave me love
You shielded me from myself
And in thus doing
You gave me love
Am repentant, for now I have my true love

For: The journey we must all take
Remember: runningwater is a life source, a giver a source proficient.

dans la Casablanca 201220001@6.45am

You Stole From Me – Revisited

There is the temptation to despise and hate those that have done us great and perceived hurt or injustice. Those that hide behind the facility of law to gain where they did not earn. Those who dwell in the lower depth of human existence yet daily claim normality in ignorance. I was raised never to hate nor use the word hate by a father, way ahead of his time. Yet nothing more brings you to the brink of h,.. than having one’s work, ambition and future of one’s children stolen in one unjust and calculated cut of her majesty’s law and clever legal moves.

That which really brings you to the brink is not the law, the posturing, the bile of divorce. That which brings the nearness of the brink of h,… is the inability of the misguided not to see the impossibility of their situation. To not seek redemption is to court personal disasters. To nurture the enemy within. You know the type: in every situation, they bear no responsibility for anything. They are in their mind in essence perfect, thus equalling themselves to God!

What we have on earth shall never be taken to our true purpose. We came with nothing and we shall leave with nothing except that which we shall answer for. The question is, what will your answer be when you are asked, how have you lived your life?

The healing process is complete. One has atoned for one’s sins and daily beg God to perceive of one not which one has done but to judge one on the content of one’s heart. We hate no-one, despise none and have no affectation. We serve only one true Allah, Bismillah Alhamdollilah. He is the ultimate provider and without him we are nothing, with him we are everything.

For: the stolen and for those that steal

Remember – Runningwater fulfils, it cleanses.
Casablanca 20122001@6.35am

Racism – discuss!

In the UK there has been a furore on the issue of racism. A. Suarez vs Evra. B. The alleged issue of John Terry vs Anton Ferdinand. And after 18 years the parents of Steven Lawrence finally got partial justice for the racist slaying of their son. We have indeed come a long way from the “lynch mob” (* you can google the historical term ), but have we?
Its often said by certain black people that no other race can appreciate racism unless they are black. Is this true? Let’s examine this closely. In my humble opinion, racism is not necessarily about race, creed or colour. It is more about power and mind-set.
Let us look at history. For example in over 200 years of the slave trade, manipulation of Black Africans by European Super-powers was essentially about superiority of technology and the effectiveness of the “divide & rule” concept of separation. Afterall, before the advent of Europeans on African soil, we had proud African empires such as the Songhai dynasty, Mali and Benin to name a few. These empires subjugated neighbours and sold them freely in the sub-saharan trade routes. All the participants in these matters were black, can this then be racism?
These differences were latterly exploited by Europeans in pitting African against African to achieve their aim of superiority control. They may have despised the indigene population or thought them beneath them, but is that racism or prejudice?
Secondly, let’s examine briefly the Jewish question. A horrid era in the white European history. We all know what the Germans did to the jews in this period. Looking closer at the issue, was it about colour, race or creed? Jews were known for their tenacity in trade, excelled in the world of finance, were and are intelligent and pretty much looked like their German oppressors. Could we determine then that it wasn’t about colour creed or race and perhaps about power? I believe you can only oppress other if you have the power and mental fortitude to do so, or you are misguided. Hitler’s Germany believed the Jews to be abhorrent essentially because of a misinterpreted historical believe about Jesus and Christianity and his death. The Jewish community are equally powerful today and walk tall in the lobby of the most powerful nation in the world (USA). The power base of the Jew was perhaps a more reasonable reason for such massive devastation of a people. They were a direct threat. For, how can you hate a race yet covet their art, artistry, intelligence??
Most people assume that racism is about colour. Beg to differ. The vitriol experienced throughout the world is usually about POWER.
This does not necessarily mean the majority against the minority as in the Lynch Mob case of Steven Lawrence. The minority usually hold power in a twisted but little understood issue of who holds the power.
In a way, do we all not make prejudicial choices? What we should all be looking at is: What everlasting damage did slavery cause all those that shared the same skin colour. Ironically, the damage is a two way issue. The oppressed and the oppressors. Africans in their many guises today have had to live with the mental legacy of the Slave trade. One cannot underplay the level of damage as expressed by the late Robert Nestor Malley: “ emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but us can free our mind” To me, this is the real issue. The legacy of the slave trade was not about colour, it was about power. Blacks must fight their internal demons that unconsciously blocks their mental capacity to overcome most obstacles they face.
Getting back their personal power is the priority. Blacks need to be the boss of themselves. Know that when you are faced by a perceived racial slur, know that it is about arresting from you, your power. Even when it is from someone who you have thought unable to disempower you.
Your fortunes are yours to claim. It is an issue of risk and reward. What are you willing to risk to empower yourself? Ask yourself, have I given up my right to be the boss of me?
My current bug-bears:
1. When sexual orientation is likened to race or skin colour.
2. Why does a white person abuse the colour of a person when there is an issue. Is it to inflict presupposed superiority complex?, please, how misguided!
3. How can you oppress others when you have felt the pangs of oppression yourself? ( Israel – Palestine question )
Remember: running water is a life giving source. One we cannot live without.
This article is of my own thoughts and experiences and I do not represent any group or parties. Bismillah Alhamdollilah – mercy be upon his name.

False Dawn!

Its with mild amusement that I look upon the issue of the on-going problems with the Euro-zone. The Euro, an admirable and a-times much maligned currency of a group of European nations was essentially brought in to bring balance, parity and union in economics, providing somewhat, a powerful economic trading bloc for all members. However, like most member of a family, we all have differing outlook on life and how we see our fortunes and our future. A family consist of a mother and father( France & Germany) if you will. With all the sibling vying for attention. Most educated people will already see the flaw in the initial gambit.
Once, where you needed a suitcase full of Lira to buy a loaf of bread. Or parcel full of Peseta to buy a Paella, you could now do everything with the Euro in all member countries. Most common people, myself included believed and bought into this new exchange rate mechanism. A power-house of economic union that was going to see off the likes of America and developing economies in South America and Asia. Hello!
The Elephant in the room, which all these policy makers forgot to monitor is that the union should be based upon stringent, equitable and balanced fiscal policies. The very nature of which a free market economy does not support. Keeping it simple, we should all be retiring at the same age, paying around the same tax and keeping a summary GDP. However, what we got instead was each member nation playing what I call the classic game of charade. In Greece, a country loaded with government employee’s and little fiscal monitoring policies, what we got was individual buying new cars instead of saving for that rainy day. In Portugal & Ireland, it was not much better. Spain & Portugal went on an unsustainable real estate expansionist program and toxic lending which summarily came home to roost. I hear you ask about mom & dad! ( France & Germany ) Lend me your ear. In these two nations, there is more of a culture of savings and working to live rather than living to work. They save, in the UK we don’t, we don’t even really plan for our retirement. Over 75% of people in the UK do not understand fiscal planning, GDP or what the government is really doing with our hard paid taxes.
I began my piece by saying it is with mild amusement I look upon,….. What I was trying to get to is that, even now government of the west with the crisis in which we find ourselves are merely masking over the issue. The truth is: With technology, there are no real jobs anymore. We have more leisure time as human beings. In some Westernised nations, we have become essentially a consumer society. We produce nothing. A service nation can only provide shelter for the movement of money. There was a time money actually had creditable spine behind the trade. We are led to believe we need to work longer to provide for our future, but where are the jobs? University student have no upward mobility as the older people who should be stepping aside for them to enter the work force are holding on dearly to their jobs for fear of being unable to meet daily liabilities. Training such as apprenticeship no longer exist, we have work-shy and feral youths who only want to be famous, our hero’s are no longer our hard-working parents.
What the politicians and our leaders really need to address is: where is the love?
Where is the love for fellow human-beings? While we worry about not being able to afford a 3D TV, in some parts of the world the daily question is: what do I eat today, and where am I going to get my next meal or drink-able water. I watch and wonder as people consume bottled water supplied by Evian. Have you ever considered what evian reads at when read backwards? Yes, it spells: NAÏVE.
We are naïve to think we can keep violating this planet without consequence. We have to address the truth that there really isn’t work for all our people anymore. We have to help bring fellow human’s in less disadvantaged countries to parity, without cost. I can say these things because I am not a politician and do not need your vote. Many admirable people selflessly work for this end and they know the reality of all our future’s is the common ground of universal and global human parity.
Remember: These ranting are the work of a stable mind which has no affiliation with any political or economic bodies. I am a universal soldier of Allah.Peace be upon his name.
Remember: running-water cannot be stopped, it always find a way.
NB: if there is a specific topic you would like me to share my thoughts on, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Got To Share This

Time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary"

Steve Jobs - Co-Founder Apple

Listen and learn folks

Remember Runningwater flows, runs deep - always finding a way.

My Unshakeable Belief In Allah!

Four months ago I began my journey in Islam. The religion I was practising had failed me. It offered me no restitude from questions which troubled me. You see, I was a Catholic Christian.

I watched and listened as the Pope would not allow contraception. Contraception, which would reduce the spread of Aids in Third world countries.

I watched and listened as the Pope would not allow contraception in The Phillipines a deeply religious Catholic country. Some women in this country have up to 10 children. They are usually women on the extreme edge of poverty.

I also watched and listened as Catholics in the West would engage in all manners of sexual deviance, pornography, and then hypocritically go to Confession. “ forgive me father for I have sinned,…” You know the drill. “That’s okay my son, your sins are forgiven, take 40 Hail Mary’s and 20 Our fathers” For JC died for our sins.

This last bit threw me finally over the cliff.

Almighty Allah saved me! I did not find Islam, Islam found me!

In the third world, where poverty is endemic, faith is at a feverish level. People believe so fervently because to get out of poverty there has to be faith, right?

So, they listen.

When the Pope said : Do not use condoms for protection. No sex! They are not pretentious as the educated elite that are Catholic. They do whatever,…go to confession and are absolved of their sins. Lastly, it seemed to me the Pope occupied too much of an elevated position. So marked, that people forget the lessons of JC.

I am Moslem ( meaning simply:- those that submit ) My faith gives me direction, love and free will to commune directly with Allah. I do not need someone to help me speak to Allah. I go direct. He has even made things really simple for me. He has asked only for one thing,…complete submission! Since Allah is my creator and knows everything about me. I am nothing without him. Alluha Wakba!

Every time I bow my head in supplication to Allah, I am at peace. I feel complete. I try to be a good Moslem and every day I am enriched in my journey in Islam, Alhamdollilah. Those who cast judgement on my choice without understanding my motive and my faith, do so based on their perception of what one ought to be.

Allah sees all our faults, but also sees all the good we do. Anyone calling themselves Moslem cannot but have anything but love in their heart. Those who kill and maim in the name of Islam are no better than the leader of the faith I left behind. How a man like all of us that has never witnessed the life of the ordinary can make proclamations that affect the life of so many is beyond me.

I can testify that my faith in Allah makes me complete as I am nothing without him.

Remember Runningwater is a life source.

Thoughts contained here are my own, I belong to no sect nor follow any radical movements. May Allah be praised.

Afrique Mon Afrique - David Diop

A frique mon Afrique Afrique des fiers guerriers dans les savanes ancestrales Afrique que me chantait ma grand-mère Au bord de son fleuve lointain Je ne t’ai jamais connue Mais mon regard est plein de ton sang Ton beau sang noir à travers les champs répandu Le sang de ta sueur La sueur de ton travail Le travail de l’esclavage L’esclavage de tes enfants Afrique dis-moi Afrique Est-ce donc toi ce dos qui se courbe Et se couche sous le poids de l’humilité Ce dos tremblant à zébrures rouges Qui dit oui au fouet sur les routes de midi Alors gravement une voix me répondit Fils impétueux cet arbre robuste et jeune Cet arbre là -bas Splendidement seul au milieu de fleurs blanches et fanées C’est l’Afrique ton Afrique qui repousse Qui repousse patiemment obstinément Et dont les fruits ont peu à peu L’amère saveur de la liberté. David Diop ~ we remember you This poem resonates in my life amid the hope that one day Africa will truly rise.( je taime ) remember: running water is always current.

A frica my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs Africa of whom my grandmother sings On the banks of the distant river I have never known you But your blood flows in my veins Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields The blood of your sweat The sweat of your work The work of your slavery Africa, tell me Africa Is this your back that is unbent This back that never breaks under the weight of humiliation This back trembling with red scars And saying no to the whip under the midday sun But a grave voice answers me Impetuous child that tree, young and strong That tree over there Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers That is your Africa springing up anew Springing up patiently, obstinately Whose fruit bit by bit acquires The bitter taste of liberty.