I got sloshed at Ee-Lyn's b'day bash!

Oh damn...what a party! I got completely wasted! Can't do this too often though or I'd die of kidney failure. Heh!

I have to say, the night was a blur to me. Let's see...what do I remember?

- Oh, my name was Sanjay since that's the only way for me to get the free Guinness stout.
- May Li makes a better Muslim than me. She drank Sprite and water only.
- Julie got high faster than me, though I'm pretty sure I got more wasted than her.
- Some of Anand's colleagues came by. The chicks were pretty hawt! :P
- Laundry Bar suddenly stopped serving. Not quite sure why but that was my cue to leave the place and head to the hotel Ee-Lyn was staying for the night. I was already a bit high but I wanted more booze...
- Had more booze and talked a lot of crap in the hotel room. Aaron and Ee-Lyn were perfect hosts. Ee-Lyn got wasted. Julie wanted to see guys kiss each other (there is no amount of booze that will *ever* make me do that, my dear). Me and the toilet bowl became intimately acquainted.
- Slept over at the hotel room. Reached home about 9.30 am I think. Massive hangover...

Man...what a night!

Oh yeah, when enjoying nights like this, remember:
1. Never drink and drive.
2. Friends don't let friends drive home drunk.
3. Getting drunk with friends is fostering bonds of friendship (a very important part of Islam!). Getting drunk alone is just sad and could turn you into an alcoholic so don't do that.

PS: Yes, I'm fully aware that booze is not a respectable beverage for a Muslim. In my defence, that's about my only vice and I do plan to stop in the future. On the other hand, I believe that religion is about the relationship between me and God. I make my own choices and let God judge me when I die. I do appreciate all the well-meaning people who care about my soul. Don't worry though, I'm doing fine. When I decide to stop, I will. Thanks for caring. :)

A day of rememberance

On 6th August 1945, the a nuclear bomb was dropped over the city of Hiroshima, the first time ever that nuclear energy was ever used in such manner. Incinerating 60,000 people in an instant and causing the death of a further 90,000 people due to radiation, this event is widely acknowledged as the main factor in ending the war. Let is give a moment of silence as a form of respect to those who died then. When wars are fought, sadly it's the innocents that suffer the most. The 150,000 people who died in Hiroshima are generally not soldiers.

There are many views concerning the Hiroshima and Nagasaki incident. Debating them now will be pointless and won't change anything. I myself am divided over the issue. The fact that 150,000 people died, 90,000 of them slowly and painfully horrifies me to no end. The fact that most of them are non-combatants makes things even worse. Yet, it ended the war fast and probably saved more lives than if an invasion of Japan took place.

I hate wars. I think they serve no purpose at all. I think my former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Muhammad was right. We as a human race should ban wars. As a civilization, we must move beyond our murderous instincts and deal with issues challenging us in a mature manner. Each successive wars only brings more hatred. Right now we have the war on terrorism. What would motivate a bunch of people to blow themselves up just so that they could kill a bunch of other people? I keep wondering about this, yet all I hear is more restrictions being put in place to the community that these suicide bombers belong too. Such measures will only breed discontent and marginalise the very people you need to reach out to.

I'm a Muslim and I'm proud to be one. I strongly believe in my religion, yet I do not force my beliefs onto others. Let each choose their own way in life. Yet with all these events happening worldwide, even in Malaysia I feel a little choked in and defensive. I love UK and London, yet now as a Muslim, I don't think I'll be very welcome there. The entire mass media seems filled with articles who are all anti-Muslim, which is very sad. Islam is a very beautiful religion. Sadly, the followers are not necessarily so. If you talk about living in peace and harmony, it's everywhere in the Koran and Sunnah. If you talk about gender equality and respect for women, it is also there. Yes, Pakistan might have honour-killings (a disgraceful way to use the word honour, I believe) and Saudi Arabia doesn't allow women to drive. Please understand though. No where in the teachings of Islam does it tell followers to do as such. These are cultural values rather than Islamic values.

Perhaps I've deviated from my original subject but to me, war and Islam seems inescapably linked at the moment. I keep hoping that tomorrow will bring a better future for the entire human race but I get more and more discouraged every day. At the moment, I can only pray...