The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Leading Muslim scholar urges social network users to avoid pitfalls of cyberspace
- Blending in with pop art
- Be positive to speed up healing
| Leading Muslim scholar urges social network users to avoid pitfalls of cyberspace Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:18 PM PST JOHOR BARU: Social network users are advised to properly use social networking websites instead of turning them into avenues or channels to defame or spread false accusations in the cyberspace. A leading Muslim scholar, Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Saad Ash-Shafi'ie Al-Azhari Al-Hasani said it would be wiser for them to consider the results from detrimental effects and consequences that false information could bring. "You are responsible to pause, think and consult knowledgeable sources before spreading news or gossip in the cyber-world," he said in a public lecture at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia here on Thursday. "The Internet itself is not corrupted, it is merely a tool for communication, however it is the inappropriate usage of these tools that sows discord," he said. Shaykh Ahmad said users must take precautions before re-tweeting their opinions or comments as it could jeopardize the integrity and safety of other parties. He added that the convenience technology has blessed the cosmopolitan society may turn into a curse if they formulate their thoughts via friends or the internet, as they are vulnerable to corrupt ideologies. The Islamic Sciences scholar, founder and director of the United Kingdom Ihsan Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies also urged Muslims to focus on believing in divine destiny during his "Living in a Globalised World: Hadith Jibril Experience" public lecture. "Faith provides comfort and consolation when the public is mesmerized with all the news the media has bombarded them with," he said. "Society has grown accustom to all the rumours and 'noise' to an extent where it cannot accept reason and wisdom open-mindedly," he said. Shaykh Ahmad also was concerned about how Islamic verses had lost value and meaning when Muslims have used short forms for them in their text messages. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:18 PM PST JOHOR BARU: Three friends who are ardent followers of American artist Andy Warhol — a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art that flourished in the 60s and 70s — have taken the bold step of fusing Islamic elements into the genre. Looking from the artistic viewpoint, the three – Dr Zamir Hilman, Kamarul Akhbar Che Ismail and Kamarulazhan Abdullah – said they do not find it offensive to discard the traditional kufi tradition of Islamic calligraphy to portray the beauty of Islam the pop art way. "We just want to give a modern twist in the art form," said Dr Zamir, when The Star met the artists at the Creative Market Place, the art and cultural event that was held in conjunction with the just-concluded 8th Islamic Economic Forum here. Dr Zamir, 28, who graduated from the Crimea State Medical University in Ukraine, together with Kamarul Akhbar, 29, and Kamarulazhan, 30, have set up the Cufica Gallery to showcase their concept of Islamic art. The gallery at Damansara Ara, near Petaling Jaya, produces modern Islamic art on 100% matte poly-cotton canvas using the giclee printing technique with bold colours ink. "To most Malays in the region – and to some extent Muslims elsewhere – Islamic calligraphy is done in the kufi tradition. We chose to do it the modern way,'' said Dr Zamir, who is currently attached to a district hospital in Perak. Partners-in-art Kamarul Akhbar quit his job as a civil engineer and Kamarulazhan left his job as an event planner to run the gallery full time. Kamarul Akhbar said their art works, ranging from RM119 to RM1,299 a piece, attract many young buyers. Among their clients are well-known VIPs and celebrities, who include rocker Amy Search, actress Aishah Sinclair, singer Atilia Haron and 8TV executive director Ahmad Izham Omar. |
| Be positive to speed up healing Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:20 PM PST A RESPECTED psychologist I used to visit in Australia when I was learning my very first unit in psychology used to come up with effortless advice about life, that would stick in my head for years to come. She once told me, "When you are facing any issues in life, first address everything within your control. These are the things we can change about the situation but for the factors beyond your control like the past, or the traffic jam you're in due to a sudden accident on the highway, stop dwelling on the negatives and just accept there's nothing you can do about it, and move on." This made me wonder how to cope with a skin rash I used to have in my late teens that no miracle cream seemed able to rectify. I also had no apparent control over when I would have a 'break-out'. It could be three times in a year or twice in a week. This used to really worry me, as a budding model because it resembled a heat rash that made my cheeks go red and make-up obviously did not sit well on such a bumpy surface. It didn't do any wonders for my self-esteem either. At the time, as luck would have it, I was dating a doctor who gave me a cream for it, which unfortunately failed. To his credit, he warned me it might not be effective because he had started to suspect it was a "mood rash". I was dismayed. I had never heard of such a thing. Unfortunately, the cream he gave me could only help the rash to clear up once a 'break-out' occurred but it would not prevent the rash from appearing to begin with. He said stress triggered it off. This was not something I wanted to live with considering my job in the entertainment line. I asked the wise old psychologist about what I could do about this annoying 'condition' and she smiled, "Well, that's easy. Just be happy so the rash will never appear." I told her I could not possibly guarantee being happy, relaxed and not stressed in life and she nodded adding, "When you are stressed and the rash comes up, stop focusing on it. That will only prolong its presence. Don't give problems so much power. It will have a nasty habit of staying beyond its welcome." On my next 'break-out', I fully threw myself into applying this theory and recovered in record time. It took less than two days for my skin to clear up as if it never happened. One of the things that used to make it go on for more than a week is worrying about it or getting distressed every time I saw my face in a mirror. It was empowering to not give it too much thought which seemed to make the problem go away much faster. From a simple matter of a skin rash, I realised how powerful our minds are because the rate of my recovery directly correlated with my attitude toward the matter. In a recent article in the Telegraph, entitled, "Relaxed people heal twice as quickly", scientists discovered the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol reflected the differences in healing speed and this even applied to the healing of wounds. Hence, being relaxed and unstressed seemed to speed up our healing process. Whenever we feel the grip of stress taking a hold of us, we must remind ourselves that we are not powerless. We are actually wholly responsible for what we think of every day on a constant basis. It's important to monitor our thoughts and be vigilant because stress doesn't just affect our bodies. It can disturb our peace of mind. Whether the issues facing us are big or small, largely depends on our perception of them. And whatever your perception is becomes your reality. What is perceived as a big deal to you may be of no consequence to someone else. I'm fairly sure a rash on a man's face may not bother him as much as it bothered me as a model starting out because it was affecting my work. We can move much faster past problems when we do not give them so much negative attention and focus. Have you noticed how just talking to someone repeatedly about a bad experience keeps bringing back the bad feelings that come with it? So, we always have a choice over what we choose to share and what we think about every day. Hence, be careful what you wish for, as the old saying goes because our thoughts have power so why not make them positive thoughts? And if you know anyone who is sick, encourage them to be in a positive, relaxed frame of mind, so that they can expedite their healing. Jojo Struys is a TV host/producer and health enthusiast. Her positive and empowerment messages can be heard on Lite FM and she's the voice behind the "Letting Go" Guided Relaxation Audio CD. You can catch up with more of Jojo's thoughts on twitter @jojo_struys |
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