I Woke Up Like This!

There is a new trend among women now that I find to be very disturbing. Some women are starting to refer to themselves as King's and compare their work ethic, strength, sexual availability, etc. to men. Why do we feel that in order to be considered strong we have to be strong like men? Why do we feel that to have drive means to be driven like men? Is there not a such thing as a strong, determined, goal oriented woman?

I will use a couple of verses in Beyoncé's song Flawless as an example,

We say to girls 

You can have ambition

But not too much

You should aim to be successful

But not too successful

Otherwise you will threaten the man.

Who in the world tells young girls this? Personally, I have never heard it before. If you are associated with people who have this type of mindset then that means you should surround yourself with different people. What you allow is what will continue. For example, if your workplace condones sexist behavior, a strong woman would not accept it and start her own business. Elevation requires separation and although it can be difficult to do at times we have to do what is in our best interest. 



We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings

In the way that boys are...

The fact of the matter is we aren't supposed to be sexual like men. A man can sleep with a woman regardless to what she looks like and not have any emotional or spiritual connection with her, but of course there are exceptions. As women, we are emotional beings and to have multiple partners throughout the course of our lives whether we know it or not has a greater effect on us than it does men. It's just how God created us. Why do you think there is a restaurant called Hooters and not Biceps? Women aren't as sexually attracted to men (physically) as men are to women.

To compare woman to man is to lessen the value of woman and vice versa. Men and women have complementary differences. Women are strong in areas that men are not, and men are strong in areas where women are not. For example, we are able to bare children, but you don't see men complaining about not being able to carry a child. How can you expect to be treated like a Queen by a King when you're too busy trying to be the King? Men don't want to be with someone that is always trying to one up them all the time. The goal should be to work together to build each other up. Although there is nothing wrong with being independent and standing on your own two feet, to take on the "I don't need anyone" persona is unnecessary and inaccurate. No one is truly independent. The only One who is truly self-sufficient is God.

In conclusion, we should strive to remain humble and be the best WOMAN we can be and let the men be a man.

I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. Just post a comment right below this article! Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. If you liked it share it with the world! Thank you all so much for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!



Who Let The Dogs Out!?

The Earth is modest. She covers Herself in the garments of life. Plants grow on her surface and green trees and grass cover Her mountains. Every life form has it's own protective covering. From the plasma membrane of the cell, to the leaves on a tree and to the clouds that cover the sky. Everything of value is modest in its own way. If God created the grass beneath your feet to cover the nutrient rich soil, shouldn't God's most priceless Creation (woman) be covered as well?

The fundamental unit of life, which is the cell, contains a plasma membrane that separates the chemical reactions occurring inside the cell from the chemicals outside the cell. The plasma membrane is choosy about what can pass through it, it is said to be selectively permeable. Selective permeability means that only certain substances are able to pass through. As women, we have to be like the cell- selectively permeable. We should only allow certain people to enter our atmosphere. We should not allow men to easily access our hearts, minds, and bodies. Cells do not allow anything into its plasma membrane that do not meet the required criteria. Just like the security check at the airport, we should be the same way with men. So when a no good man comes to us trying to run game, it is our duty to have a spiritual check procedure in our mind. We should separate the males who act like dogs from the men who are striving to be like God. Watch how he treats his fellow brothers. If he treats him like a dog, which is “god” spelled backwards, he is a product of God turned backward. So we must stop every man and engage in a search procedure before we let him into our life. We need to find out if he has anything in his head or in his heart that's going to injure the sacred temple of God, which is our mind, body and spirit. As women, we have to be on point, we have to be sharp, we have to have focus and determination and we have to know what a real man looks like. Minister Louis Farrakhan stated that what a real man looks like can be found in the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Heaven is a place of elevated consciousness. He said, "it is a place and a state of high knowledge, wisdom, understanding, power, and righteousness." So, a real man is a man that you can look up to. A woman can't look up to a broke man, a lazy man, a dumb man, a disloyal man, etc. He must be conscious of God. He must be a producer, a cultivator, a protector, and a visionary.

Hallowed be thy Name.

A real man is known by his good character. Whenever you are around people who know him, they should speak well of him.

Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.

A real man does not wish for a thing to be done, he says it will be done and makes it happen. He wills what he desires that is righteous into existence.

Give us this day our daily bread.

There are many names for money, one of which is bread. A 9 to 5 is not daily bread it is bi-weekly or weekly bread. A real man works daily to provide for his family and establishes a business of his own that will permanently maintain his household.

And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil

A real man does not tempt you to do that which is unrighteous. He does not put you nor himself in a situation that will allow the devil to seduce you with something you want or need.

Forgive us our trespassers as we forgive those who trespass against us, for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, forever.

No one is perfect. So he will make mistakes but a real man acknowledges his faults. He asks for forgiveness and strives to raise the current state (mentally, physically, or emotionally) he is in. He also forgives others shortcomings as they forgive or should forgive his- forever.

So as women we have to be like a gold miner separating the gold from the unwanted coarse particles. When a male is trying to "get at" you, he has to meet the sifter and if he doesn't meet the requirements, keep that no good man away from you. In the words of Major Payne, "what's your angle boy!? You plottin' on me!?" lol

I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. Just post a comment right below this article! Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Reference: The Woman: God's Second Self by Nuri Muhammad
http://www.noi.org/webcast-archive/

Muhammad Mosque #45 Lecture 6/4/2014 by Nuri Muhammad

The Meaning of Father by Minister Louis Farrakhan
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Minister_Louis_Farrakhan_9/The_Meaning_of_Father_3652.shtml

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

A teenage girl by the name of Lindsey Stocker was suspended from school for wearing denim short shorts and as a result challenged the school's dress code, declaring it is sexist. She claims that, "they should approach it in a way that doesn’t target girls at least — for starters — because that’s the first problem. They don’t really care what guys wear. They just kind of target the girls first." My question is why dress like a sexual object if you do not wish to be seen as one? The fact of the matter is that a females body will ALWAYS be attractive to any natural male and we know that. Females who choose to dress immodestly are most likely doing it to gain the attention of the opposite sex. For those who are in denial and say that it's only because they think they look cute I have a question, why do you turn around to make sure your behind is accentuated? Or make sure your bosoms are "sitting right"? Yes, we need to teach young boys that young girls are not sexual objects but that is only part of the problem. We also need to educate young girls on the importance of modesty.

There was a comment below the article that I found interesting, it stated "Men are visual creatures. If you want to parade around in a two-piece bikini, we're going to look. Personally, I love looking at women's bodies. When some 14-year-olds parade by in a bikini or a pair of booty shorts, I look. Would I ever act on some of my fantasies? Absolutely not, but thinking a man or a boy is some kind of pervert for looking at the skin you choose to flaunt in public is just plain wrong. You don't want to be gawked at? Cover up! As a grown man, I know if I strutted around the mall in a Speedo, I'd get looked at. If I strutted around the beach in a Speedo, I'd get looked at. Grow up, ladies!"- Joey

Even though the thought of a "grown man" gawking at a 14 year old is disturbing, he is telling the truth. Males do not care if you're 13 or 30, if you have breasts and a butt and you're flaunting it they're going to look. It is in the nature of a man to be attracted to a woman, and a woman to be attracted to a man. In reality, both men and women have the ability to be sexual objects but we are responsible for how we are seen. In the Holy Quran Surah (chapter) 24 verse 30-31 it states, "Say to the believing men that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions. That is purer for them. Surely Allah [God] is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions and not display their adornment except what appears thereof. And let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms. And they should not display their adornment except to their husbands..." The Holy Quran places responsibility on both the man and the woman in upholding their chastity. It doesn't say men lower your gaze and control your urges but women can do whatever they want. That in itself if sexist on the woman's part. Ultimately, we need take responsibility and start with the man or woman in the mirror.

I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. Just post a comment right below this article! Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Reference: "Girl Accuses School of Body Shaming for Ban on Short Shorts"
https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/lindsey-stocker-dress-code-shorts-beaconsfield-high-school-quebec-canada-153056456.html

Who's Who and What's What?

This week I posted a question on social media asking everyone to speak on what the meaning of self respect and self love is. I will make a few statements on this topic and below will share with you all the comments I received.

Self respect and/ or self loves starts with the mind, if you do not know what it truly means there is no way you can practice it. If we knew who we were, and our inestimable worth in the sight of God, we would expect more from ourselves. We should strive to develop a good self-image in order to gain an indestructible feeling of worth. To know what self respect or self love is, is to know yourself. You can not value yourself if you do not think you are valuable. So, how do you add value to yourself? You add value to yourself by gaining knowledge. The true knowledge of self cannot be achieved without the true knowledge of God. God is love, and if we think like God, we will experience a godly existence, regardless of the circumstances. So ask yourself, if God was standing right next to you would He be pleased with how you treat yourself? Would God treat you like you treat yourself? If the answer is no then we must strive to gain clarity and recognition of our own power. This will keep us on top of everything. We can accomplish this by reading. Reading will allow us to increase and strengthen our knowledge.

Now I will share with you the comments I received,

Anonymous 1:
"Respect is what you make it and is determined by how you define it. Respect can mean nothing or everything. You will find that there are some people that will never respect you no matter how much "better" you are than them, but you have to understand that their respect means nothing to you. Although respect is a relative term, having respect of the "right" kind of people can be very important. For example, if you come from somewhere where the respect you have on the "streets" is more important than having respect for the law it can severely blur the way you interpret this term.

Collectively, we all hope to define this as the acceptance of our peers in nothing short of a positive way to improve the society we already exist in. Usually the respect of the people that mean the most to us is the most important but all we can hope is that we have our chips in the right pot. I aspire to have the respect of all that read this and hope that my words somehow touched them in someway, anything short of that and I could not respect myself."

Anonymous 2:
"Self love: Self love is performing the duty to self of obeying the manuals of life given by God (the Creator of life). We cannot say that we love self if we are not mindful of our duty to God. Self love is constantly striving to self improve in any form or fashion.
Self respect: Is to look back at self. Respecting self is like constantly looking in a spiritual, mental and physical mirror and making the proper adjustments. Looking in the mirror immediately shows that you are looking to straighten up anything you see that is not right.

Someone with self love and respect is productive, confident and a motivation and inspiration to others. Others that love themselves usually fall in love with that man/woman immediately. A self loving person is humble because they seek to improve themselves and others and they understand that they can't learn anything outside of humility. A self loving person has a warrior and a winning mentality. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan stated, "The greater I am in my duty to myself, I am proving that I love myself."

Now I would like to ask my reader's, what does self respect and or self love mean to you? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below this article!

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

The Girl Who Cried Wolf

A college student hosted a party at his house, for the sake of this story we'll call him Trevor. The party was open to anyone who was in the area. After he went food shopping, he had 100 dollars in cash left over, so he set it on the table in the living room. It was almost time for the party to start and the money was still on the table. During the party about 20 people sat on the couch in front of the table where Trevor left the money. All of them saw the money sitting on the table, 5 of them didn't think about taking it, 10 of them thought about taking it, 4 of them picked it up but put it back and 1 of them took it. After everyone left, Trevor noticed that his money was gone and he was livid. He couldn't believe that someone stole his money.

So what is the lesson here? Even though Trevor was justified for being upset, in the end he had to realize that he had to hold himself responsible as well. Although there were people who had morals and did not steal the money there was one person who didn't have morals and took the money. If Trevor truly cared about the money he should have protected it by keeping it in a safe place, right? He could have placed the money in his wallet and kept it on him or he could have put his valuables in his room and locked the door. Either way, he should have taken precautionary measures in order to lessen the chances of him being robbed.

The same concept applies to rape. Even though no one ever asks to be raped, the way we dress can provoke and entice those who have the mind to do so. Being modest isn't about dressing for men it is about dressing for God and protecting yourself. There is a reason God wants us to be modest in our dress and actions. We, as women, should not want to display ourselves like cheap jewelry. Our self-worth does not equate to being seen. We should acquire no one's approval but God, "I [God] also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." 1 Timothy 2:9-10" It doesn't matter if you're a Muslim, Christian, Jew, etc., if you claim to be a woman of God, you should be found striving to be the woman He wants you to be. Again, I am not blaming women for being raped but just as Trevor shouldn't have left his money unprotected and vulnerable to those who are easily tempted, women should be even more cautious because we are more valuable than silver and gold.

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

What's Love Got To Do With It

Individually, men and women have different natures but in our differences is harmony, we naturally compliment the other. When a man or a woman does not manifest their natural traits, it is a result of the environment and experience, not nature. It is not natural for a woman to take on the roles of a man and it is not natural for a man to take on the roles of a woman. Nowadays everything is backwards, females think they don't need a man and males don't want to be men. Why? What happened to the relationship between men and women and the sanctity of marriage?

The sanctity of marriage declined when the spirit of the woman declined. As long as women are on display like cheap jewelry, we will continue to be disrespected and devalued. It is a shame that many young girls and women believe that the more skin you show the more confidence you have. Why do we equate the value of something with being seen? That is FALSE confidence. Because God is love, self-love and self-confidence starts with Him. Everything starts with Him. We shouldn't require approval from anyone but God. But what does this have to do with relationships? Well, many women tend to put all of the blame on men and say they need to make a come up, but we don't want to take responsibility ourselves. This needs to stop.

There's a saying that goes, "It's a man's job to respect women but it's a woman's job to give him something to respect." Both men and women need to be guided to rediscover the value in the other by understanding the value of ourselves. Women, let's look at this logically, what reason have you given him to marry you? You have already given him full access to you, he practically lives with you, you have three children with him and since you're not married, if difficulty arises he can leave as he pleases. It just doesn't make sense to him. So what will make him settle down? First and foremost, if he is a spiritually undeveloped male he will NOT settle down. He will mistreat and use a woman. He will do nothing but cause damage. But if he is a spiritually developed man, he will recognize your value and respect you, IF you are a woman who respects and values herself. If not, he will pass you by. A righteous man does not want an unrighteous woman and vise versa. Minister Farrakhan teaches that there is a difficulty factor attached to everything of value. The greater the value, the greater the difficulty. The value a man places on you is directly proportional to the challenge he faces in order to be with you. Many of us make it so easy for a man to be with us. We expose ourselves without a care in the world. Back in the day, most of the women dressed modestly. Their skirts didn't come above their knees and their shirts didn't go too far below their collarbone. Ignoring modesty plays right into the hands of the majority of the male population. Modesty forces men to respect you, acknowledge your character and interact with you as a person. Males are thrilled to see you walking down the street improperly dressed. That means that there is less work for them.

Like I always say, modesty isn't limited to the way we dress, it is also defined by how we think and act. And modesty doesn't just apply to women, it applies to men too. To practice modesty means that we are denying ourselves daily of ungodly desires. Both men and women need to start holding ourselves accountable for our actions, intentions and thoughts. If we as a whole don't straighten up we will never see the validity in the other, and it will continue to result in discombobulated (meaning: disconnected or unbalanced) relationships. We have to respect and value one another in order to benefit from each others spiritual evolution.

I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. Just post a comment right below this article! Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Reference: Queen of the Planet Earth: The Rebirth and Rise of the Original Woman by Minister Ava Muhammad 

Call Us By Our Name

Many people listen to this song and hear another hit by Ms. Badu and it is, but it is also a very powerful song and many people don't know nor understand the message in it. I want to focus on this lyric in particular, "If we were made in his image then call us by our name, most intellects do not believe in God but they fear us just the same."

In the Bible (Genesis 1:27) it states, "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." To be an image of someone means that you are a representation of the external form of them. The definition of likeness is the semblance, guise, or outward appearance of something; the fact or quality of being alike. So, if we are made in God's image and likeness then we not only have the external appearance of God but we also possess His internal qualities. His being is in our nature. But wait! If we look like God doesn't that mean that God is a Man? (Let’s think on that) The next question is, who is she talking about when she says “we” and “us”? Quite a few of you may think "humanity, duh!", but can we be so sure? According to Webster's dictionary, we refers to the speaker together with other people regarded in the same category. The definition of us is to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people as the object of a verb or preposition. What is Erykah Badu's category? She's black. Now, let's put the whole thing together, "If we [black people] were made in His [God] image then call us [black people] by our names..." Some of you may be thinking "No, that's not right! We were ALL made in the image and likeness of God!" Well, the black man and woman are known to be the original people of the planet earth. It has also been proven that the white race was made only 6,000 years ago. There are many documents chronicled by historians, scientists and different religions that support this statement. The ancient rabbis use the biblical story of Jacob grafting flocks of sheep and goat to attest to this. Genesis 30:35 states that Jacob produced unusually colored livestock through the use of a breeding technique. The book of Jewish traditions called the Midrash Rabbah uses this Bible story to explain the birth of White children to Black parents. (Myth or high science? Is there evidence of Mr. Yakub?, The Final Call)

The Baptist theologian Bernard L. Ramm explained, "By scientific breeding we can shuffle these genes with their characteristics and breed traits in or breed them out. The laws of heredity plus principles of separation or selection operating over a period of time will produce the various races of the world." The English physician James Cowles Prichard also stated that the physical differences between the races of man resulted from a method similar to “the process of artificial selection carried on by plant and animal breeders.” As stated on American Egyptomania, "Prichard is an advocate for the theory that all humankind had in fact originated in Africa, or, as he put it, that it is, 'probable that the fairest races of White people of Europe, are descended from Negroes.'” So, if black people are the Original people of the planet (and we are), then doesn't that mean that God is a Black Man? (Think on it)

Let's look at the second part of the lyric, "most intellects do not believe in God but they fear us just the same." The "us" in this statement is also referring to Black people, but who are the intellects that fear us (Black people) and why do they fear us? Historically, Black people were not allowed to read. The slave-masters feared that if the Black man and woman remained in their natural state of mind (the mind of God) they would kill them in their sleep. In the book "The Making of a Slave" Willie Lynch stated that, "both a wild horse and a wild or nature nigger are dangerous...they will have the tendency to seek their customary freedom, and in doing so might kill you in your sleep...you cannot get them to work in this natural state." The intellects that Ms. Badu is referring to are white intellects. Why do these white intellects fear Black people as much as they do God? Seeing as though we are made in God's likeness, we naturally possess His spirit. God made us to be like Him. Due to years of oppression, we have lost the knowledge of our true selves and are off the path of God. This is why they (white intellects) fear us coming into the true knowledge of ourselves because if we did, they would NOT be able to get away with "passing over the Black man with a Master's degree for a promotion that is given to Jim Bob, who barely has a GED...They don't hate the Black man and woman because of the color of their skin but they fear the genius that lies within." (Fear of an Intelligent Black Man, The Final Call)

Let's put this whole thing together, "If we [Black people] were made in His [God] image [external representation] then call us [Black people] by our [Black people] names [gods], most intellects [white intellectuals] do not believe in God but they fear us [Black people] just the same."

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

American Egyptomania

"On the Physical Characters of the Egyptians"

http://chnm.gmu.edu/egyptomania/scholarship.php?function=detail&articleid=22

The Final Call

"Myth or high science? Is there evidence of Mr. Yakub?"

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/article_7371.shtml

"The Making of a Slave"

Willie Lynch

The Final Call

"Fear of an Intelligent Black Man"

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/article_6464.shtml

Shine Bright Like a Diamond!

This week's article is dedicated to all of the young female entrepreneurs who are devoted to representing and promoting modesty through their craft.

Lateef Accessories is a small but growing brand consisting of affordable fashion jewelry and accessories handmade by, Shayba Muhammad. She is a big believer in the phrase, "you get what you [ay for" thus it has been her intention since the birth of Lateef Accessories to provide quality sans inflated prices. What makes Lateef Accessories unique is how so much is in the customers' control. Shayba love's being able to fit the customers wants and needs, be it a custom name item or choosing what stones or type of metal they might want. This way, she is able to help accommodate each customer's unique needs working within a given budget. Lateef Accessories is about making the customer the designer. Instagram: @lateefaccessories Twitter: @ShaybaMuhammad Website: www.lateefaccessories.com

Odara Creations is a collection of unique Artwork crafted and created by Nazirah Muhammad. In her collection, you will find Canvas artwork and, one of a kind hand painted jewelry inspired by the detail and intricacy that you find in cultures around the world. With her artistic talent, she hopes to help raise money for her college education at Howard University while striving to inspire others to express the beauty of their souls outwardly for others to see. Instagram: @odara_creations Twitter: @Odara_Creations Website: www.etsy.com/shop/odaracreations

Qrochez has been creating fabulous and unique crochet creations for almost 8 years now. Qrochez consist of different types of crochet hats, scarves and earrings. Instagram: @qrochez Twitter: @qrochez Website: www.etsy.com/shop/Qrochez

The shop that sells handmade Krafts with crochet, jewelry, & more, fulfilling the needs of individual's inner imaginations through the hands of a god! Kiana Muhammad a 21-year-old college student owns Kreative Krafts from Gary, Indiana. The motto is "If You Dream It, We'll Strive To Kreate It!" Website: www.kreativekrafts.net Instagram: @kreativekrafts Twitter: @kr3ativekrafts Facebook: the.kreative.krafts.

I, Naeemah Muhammad was inspired by all of the beautiful women all over the world to create my fashion line Qweens. It is designed to cater to the Qween that is in each and every one of us. Every woman deserves to be treated like a Qween but we must first have the mentality and appearance of one. We already possess the qualities of a Qween but they just need to be brought out of us and that is what Qweens is designed to do. Qweens aspires to cover you in royalty! Website: www.qweensfashions.com Instagram: @classifiedqween Twitter: @Qweens_Fashions Facebook: qweens.fashions

Nehanda is dedicated to creating a movement from the darkness of the current social climate to the light that can only be inspired by a renewing of our minds. She creates music to dance to; music to feel through; music to change you. Website: www.nehanda.bandcamp.com Instagram: @sincerely_nehanda Twitter: @OfficialNehanda

Saffiyah Muhammad designs and hand makes her own stylish bow ties for the men who want to rise above society's fashion standards, for the men who want to wear a good bow tie everyday and not that one bow tie in their closet that matches everything and for the men who just want to look good! Instagram: @_queen_of_my_domain_23 Twitter: @muslim_swagg23

These young female entrepreneur's aspire to inspire both men and women to be more modest through the talents that God has blessed them with and through their representation. The best way to defend what you believe in is to practice it. These young lady's strive to do that everyday! 

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

I Said Uh, Hyp-Poc Uh Hypi to the Hyp Hyp Hypocrisy!

I was inspired by a post that I saw on facebook, to talk about an article Beyonce' released in January about gender inequality. On January 14, 2014 Beyonce' released an article entitled "Gender Equality Is a Myth." She noted that equal pay and equal respect for women in comparison to men is lacking and urges for change. She actually encourages men to demand that their wives, mothers, daughters and sisters that they earn more money. She also makes this statement, "We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible."

I agree with her 1000% our young girls and boys need to be taught about self-respect, self-empowerment and freedom, justice and equality. I also want to state that I respect Beyonce's work ethic, talent and drive but I do not agree with how she represents herself immodestly. Now, back to her statement, gender inequality is more than just receiving equal salary. Gender inequality starts with us. It starts when young girls and boys, view the sexual innuendos of a grown woman on live TV. Gender inequality progresses as women degrade themselves, using their bodies and sex appeal to make strides in a world where the natural act of sex is already disrespected and perverted. What happened to promoting hard work and mental fortitude to reach the top? It is seen everyday how perversity gains more momentum in this world than academic achievements.

It is somewhat puzzling to me how many women complain about how they are disrespected and degraded by men, only to do a complete 360 and exhibit the exact behavior that plays right into the hands of the majority of men in this world. Beyonce' constantly talks about how she has always been in charge of her career and image. Therefore, it makes you wonder, why she would choose to prostitute herself when she has such a high status as an entertainer. Now, I am not saying that Beyonce' is a prostitute but by definition her actions go hand in hand. To prostitute means to use something of value in a way that is not appropriate or respectable in order to earn money. Beyonce' extorts women's natural sex appeal to make money all the while saying she wants to inspire young girls to become business women and world leaders. She tells them to run the world but at the same time calls them b***** and tells them to bow down.

Even though I am talking about Beyonce', this behavior does not start and end with her. She isn't the only woman that acts this way. I'm sure we all see women everyday who believe that men should respect their mind, body and spirit which is true, but they turn right around and disrespect themselves by dressing and acting immodestly. If we live in a society where the natural sexuality of women is disrespected why is immodesty accepted by so many women who disagree with it? I'm going to end with this quote written by Brother Jerard X on twitter, "We all wear suggestive clothing but the question is, what are our clothes suggesting?"

"Gender Equality is a Myth" by Beyonce' Knowles-Carter

http://shriverreport.org/gender-equality-is-a-myth-beyonce

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

1 + 1 Equals One When You Add Him

First, I just want to take the time to say that I absolutely LOVE what this man is saying!
It doesn't matter if you're a Muslim, Christian, Jew, etc. ALL women should be modest in their dress and in their speech. If you profess your love to God then be the woman of God. That is the reason why Muslim women choose to cover their hair, we aren't forced to and we are not oppressed. Just like there are Christian women who choose to live a life of modesty and cover their head and body.

It is said in the Bible, "I [God] also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." 1 Timothy 2:9-10 If you look like you're sending a signal that you want attention from men who want a one night stand even though you don't, then you shouldn't dress in that manner. Dave Chappelle once stated that many women say, "just because I'm dressed this way doesn't make me a whore" then he paints a picture with that logic saying, "just because I'm walking around in a cops uniform doesn't mean that I'm a police officer". Meaning, if you don't want to be seen as a woman who intentionally seeks inappropriate attention of men by wearing immodest clothing then why do so?

In the pursuit of modesty, it is much more than covering our heads or our bodies, it represents the covering our hearts and minds. To practice modesty means that we are to deny ourselves daily of ungodly desires. Covering ourselves reminds us to hold ourselves accountable for our actions, intentions and thoughts. It reminds us that we are the daughters of the Almighty God and should dress and act as such because it is Him who we are supposed to be representing.

"Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us."- Lauryn Hill

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Pop Goes The Weasel 'Cause the Weasel Goes Pop!

I was inspired to write this article due to the latest news about Beyonce's performance at the Grammy's. In my opinion, there was nothing new about Beyonce's performance; it was provocative and she was scantily clad. Some people say it was her worst performance and others say she killed it. But there is one thing I found to be different about it all, her daughter. What is she teaching her?

Minister Louis Farrakhan made a comment today regarding the same subject stating, "Women are beautiful and the female body is attractive, but a real man cannot think sane thoughts with the female form on his mind. Girls look at television, watching beautiful Beyonce with her beautiful body, but her moves are so provocative. The child does not know anything about sex, but sees that adults approve of those provocative dances, and begins to imitate Beyonce'. As young as four and three, girls are learning to shake their bodies in vulgar dances, yet no one seems to be speaking to this as the destruction of potential virtue." Beyonce' is telling her daughter that it is okay to be sexually explicit. She's telling her that it is okay for her to put more value in her body than in her mental and spiritual development. Although Beyonce’ has a beautiful voice, she is also known for her body among both men and women. What is the purpose of wearing revealing clothes? What does that do to the minds of not only young men but young women?

According to a team of researchers at Princeton University that performed MRI brain scans on heterosexual men, they found that the men had an unmistakable response to women wearing less clothing. The less they wore, the more likely it was for the premotor cortex and the posterior middle temporal gyrus to light up. These are the areas of the brain associated with tool use, hand manipulation, and the urge to take action. “It was as if they immediately thought about how they might act on these bodies,” psychologist Susan Fiske explained. “They are reacting to these photographs as people react to objects,” she said. Fiske and her team further examined the men for hostile sexist attitudes. They found that those that were more hostile had little activity in areas of the brain that are associated with considering another person’s thoughts and feelings when looking at sexualized photos of women in bikinis. “They are not thinking about their minds,” said Fiske. Mina Cikara, a Princeton University graduate student who was also involved in conducting the study, added that men do not view their wives or sisters in the same manner they view sexualized images of women.

When a man sees Beyonce' and other women who are inappropriately dressed, they are not looking to find out who she is as a person or for educational purposes. They are looking at her adornments. Because it is natural for both men and young boy's to have the desire look at a woman's body they are drawn to her nakedness especially since they have not been taught to control their sexual urges. This is what we, as women, are responsible for. We are responsible for what we give them to look at. We should protect ourselves from the gazes of men with weak morals, from those seeking to indulge in worldly pleasures (sex) and prevent them from being able to be so free to engage in unnecessary discussion about our bodies. Men, how would you feel if you saw men looking at or heard them talking about your mother, sister or wife's body the way you do other women? If you have any love for the women in your life, you would want to jump down their throats. Well, you should respect yourself and women enough to hold yourself up to the same standards Practice controlling your sexual urges. It is possible but unfortunately, you have to teach yourself since you haven't been taught to do so.

The young girls who see Beyonce' dancing provocatively, dressing immodestly and see all of the attention she gets, begin to imitate and emulate her. They do not understand that dressing in such a way shows lack of self-respect and self-love. They do not understand that dressing that way invites men that are interested in their physical assets. Our young girls are encouraged to behave and dress this way because the mothers, aunts and even grandmothers find it amusing when she's four years old and popping her behind to the music but when she's 16 and pregnant she is looked down upon. Our young girls and women need to be taught that they should not put value in how many men she can attract. Women should be proud to show off their intelligence. Why should we conform to the majority in what they say and wear? The answer is, we shouldn't. Modesty creates a barrier against men who stare or disrespect your boundaries. It is a barrier to prevent or change that first instinctive look men get to check you out and see what you are about. It also prevents the sexual feelings you don't intend them to feel or ideas in their heads that are created by dressing provocatively. When a woman is modestly dressed, she understands the nature of a man but teaches him without even talking to him that he needs to respect her.

As I always say, ultimately, these are the words of God. He wants both men and women to respect each other and themselves as He would.
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Question of the Week: Who, What, When , Where, Why, How!?

The question I am going to respond to is in regards to a post (the picture up above) that I put on instagram last week and I stated that, "Hmm I think this is contradicting itself. There are many women that don't want men to look or touch their body and I agree 1000% BUT they continue to wear clothing that puts everything on display. That doesn't make any sense. That's like leaving a diamond out in the open and saying you don't want anyone to steal it, and they shouldn't, but you know there are people who aren't right in the head that will. To protect something is to shield it from danger by covering it, putting it in a safe, etc. you don't leave it exposed! Moral of the story: Modesty is the best policy."

Here is the question in regards to that post...

"I dress for me, and I deserve respect regardless. I'm not an object, I am a person. There are societies that have little to no cases of sexual assault and it's a major crime to commit. It is seen as a crime against basic human rights. I read an article of a rape free environment where people face the consequences. The country was in the Middle East. If you can't control yourself then stay at home or in a crazy house. No woman should walk around in fear or told if she was covered head to toe she would be safe. People would just find another way to rape and justify it. If I want to walk around exposing my body then let me and even in a safe things are taken.

When you post things like that you are looking at life through a black and white mirror and are condemning women and putting the blame on the victims. Why do you do that?"

Answer:

Well, let me first say that the post was not specifically about rape, it was about women who oppose to men looking at them with lustful eyes and trying to touch them. I was not going as far as rape but since you mentioned it I will touch on that subject.

Now, I agree with you when you say that you deserve respect and you are not an object. I agree 1000%, all women should be treated with respect and I have never stated that women who don't cover themselves shouldn't be respected. What I do say is that both men and women should take responsibility for their actions. Men should control themselves when it comes to their sexual urges and women should do the same BUT if a man is striving to do so women should respect that and cover themselves. It does not have to be from head to toe, just wear clothes that don't show and accentuate your form. It's like putting an recovering alcoholic around a bunch of alcohol. He will be tempted to drink or even start drinking again, but if he wasn't put in that situation or put himself in that situation he wouldn't have relapsed. He was not mentally strong enough to deal with his weakness. The same with men, sex is EVERYWHERE and it is difficult for men to keep their sexual urges in check especially when they have not been taught to do so. So it does not help when he sees the majority of women with their adornments on display. To put the blame all on men saying they just need to suck it up and control themselves while women walk around half naked is selfish. To completely ignore the male population is not reality and will never be reality. So we, as women have to take that into consideration, and so do men. We were not placed on this earth haphazardly nor were we placed here to do whatever we want. That is why we were given rules on how to live in harmony with each other and those rules came from God. Even though I am saying it, the original instructions came from Him. Ultimately, He is the One we should be trying to please and listen to as best as possible. The women who were around Jesus, how would you expect them to dress and act? They did not come before him in miniskirts, crop tops, etc. They were covered because they were not only respecting themselves as the women of God but they also respected Jesus as the man of God. We are all God's children and should respect ourselves and each other as such.

Now about the Middle East, in the Middle East rape is punishable by death and they are very strict, but let's look at why that is. The majority of the people in the Middle East practice Islam and in Islam rapist, murderers, pedophiles, etc. are condemned to death. Also, in Islam both men and women have duties to uphold in regards to how they should treat each other and how they should treat themselves and this is very strict and even extreme in Islamic countries.

In the Holy Quran Surah (chapter) 24 verse 30-31 it states, "Say to the believing men that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions. That is purer for them. Surely Allah [God] is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions and not display their adornment except what appears thereof. And let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms. And they should not display their adornment except to their husbands..." The Holy Quran places responsibility on both the man and the woman in upholding their chastity. In the Middle East the men are not supposed to look at a woman with lustful eyes and the women don't give them a reason to by covering themselves up. They both strive to be responsible for their actions. The whole of society respects the woman and because of that rape is low in the Middle East.

The Quran also states, "O Children of Adam, let not the devil seduce you, as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them clothing that he might show them their shame. He surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you see them not. Surely We have made the devils to be the friends of those who believe not."- Surah 7: 27

The modest behavior that is seen in the Middle East is not advocated in America, it is the complete opposite. Women are disrespected and demeaned every single day, whether its on the radio, television, billboards, etc. They even have strip clubs here! You will not find a strip club anywhere in the Middle East. So to say that they have little to no cases of rape in the Middle East and compare it to the laws of America is not accurate due to the morals of not only the people but the whole of society in the Middle East. America has no religion. America has no morals.

I hope I answered your question clearly and thank you for your question!:)

If you would like to see your question(s) answered or topic discussed, email me your question(s) at qweensfashions@gmail.com, tweet me @Qweens_Fashions or if you're following me on facebook, Naeemah Zaakirah, inbox me.

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T Find Out What It Means To Me!

   

Love yourself enough to protect your value.

I'm sure we have all experienced a friend, family member or a random person doing something that have us saying, "why!?" But what does this have to do with modesty? Well, why in the world are there so many men and women that don't respect themselves?

Let's begin by looking at the definition of respect, most importantly self-respect. Simply put, self-respect is your ability to protect your value. One of the first steps in respecting yourself is knowing your worth. We are potential gods. Why do I say "potential" gods? Because we are not there yet. We have a lot of work to do. Do you think a god should be walking around with a muscle shirt and sagging pants? Should a goddess be walking around in a miniskirt and crop top? Emphatically no! We should always strive to treat ourselves like God has instructed us to do, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" I Cor. 3:16 When we respect ourselves we are also respecting God. We are appreciating what God has blessed us with.

After understanding who you are, it is time to act on it. Self-respect includes respecting your mind, body and spirit. When we, men and women, respect and protect our bodies we are protecting it from the eyes of those who look to gain, the hands of those who seek to destroy and the minds of those who seek to corrupt. It is no secret that this world is a world of indecency. They promote it any and every way they can. They are succeeding in their attempts to strip away our pride, self-respect, dignity and most importantly our godliness. This world is perverted! To pervert means to alter something from its original course, meaning or state to distortion or corruption of what was first intended or to cause to turn away from what is right, proper, or good. A pervert is someone whose sexual behavior is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable. This world promotes abnormal behavior such as the degradation of women, the feminization of males and other indecent behavior. We are acting other than ourselves, and we are potential gods.

Respecting your mind, as previously stated, comes with knowing your value. We must strive to protect our environment. How do you protect your environment? Good question. Let's say you're at work and some of your coworkers are involving themselves in activities that you do not agree with. What do you do? Just simply remove yourself from this environment or this may provide you with an opportunity that allows you to teach them why they shouldn't do it. Here's another example, let's say your friends invite you out to a party and you know there will be drinking, smoking and other indecent behavior, just don't go. The ultimate goal is not to allow yourself to be in an environment that warrants indecent behavior. What you constantly put yourself around is what you'll eventually become. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

Last but not least, let's talk about how to protect your spirit. The steps to protecting your spirit and protecting your mind go hand in hand. Try not to put yourself in situations that will encourage indecent behavior will always stand true. In order to combat all of the indecency on television, radio, magazines, etc. READ! Fill your mind with things that will aid in your (mental, physical and spiritual) growth not hinder you. Read about how to start your own business or learn how to be consistent. At some point or another we all have had that procrastinating streak in us:) The goal is to strive to read about and engage in things that will aid in your growth as a potential god.

Now, I am not saying that it isn't okay to have fun just have fun in a way that you won't have to compromise yourself or anyone else for that matter.

Here are some good books that I highly recommend you read: The New Psychology by Charles F. Haanel, Message To The Black Man In America by Elijah Muhammad, Trusting God Through Tears by Jehu Thomas Butron, The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews by The Nation of Islam, How To Eat To Live Book 1 and 2 by Elijah Muhammad, The Coming Economic Collapse by Stephen Leeb, PhD and The Making of a Slave by Willie Lynch

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!