Abdul Al-Baseer begins by washing his hands three times, then rinsing his mouth three times, he then brings water into his nostrils with his right hand and blows out with his left three times, next he washes up to his forearms (including the elbows) three times, then the top of his head once, the ears three times, the neck once, and each foot three times always remembering to get in between the toes.  Al-Baseer completes this ritual five times a day, once before every prayer.

“There is this external washing going on but the most important thing is to make the intention to become pure in order to pray to God” Said Al-Baseer.

Al-Baseer is one of the Muslims who practices his faith at the Mosque on 5820 Overbrook Ave. The Mosque is open to anyone who wants to stop by and become closer to God, learn more about themselves, or simply understand what the Islamic Faith is really about. To understand the purpose of this Mosque Al-Baseer frequently turns to the founder, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.

“I came here because I had come into contact with some of Bawa’s teaching, and in my understanding they definitely transcend religion” Said Al-Baseer describing his path to Islam.

Bawa came to the Philadelphia area in 1971, and the Mosque has been functional since 1973. He is the figure that many Muslims at the Mosque follow and look up to. Al-Baseer gave the example that when people would come into his room hungry, he could sense it and would immediately start cooking them food. When followers of the Muslim belief would come to the mosque, sometimes Bawa would give them names that better reflected their belief and personality. For example, Abdul Al-Baseer’s real name is actually Michael. Abdul means servant of Allah (God).

The Mosque as it looks today was built in 1984. Al-Baseer can recall the location of tomatoes, carrots, and pathways leading around the vegetable garden that grew where the Mosque now stands.  Construction was completed in six months in the dead of winter. Al-Baseer said “You’re kind of asking about wonders” when he mentioned the possibility of accomplishing such a feat. However, it is difficult to imagine snow and temperature holding off for six whole months so that cinderblocks could be placed and concrete laid. That is unless you believe there was some divine intervention involved.

“If he wants to make it easy for you to reach your destination on time, then he can do that.  And if hes protecting you so you don’t reach your destination on time he can do that too” Said Al-Baseer regarding God’s involvement in the miracle.

The Mosque looks like a normal house from the road; however when you go around back you begin to see the extensions which make it so unique. There are teal domes next to the building, which are being repainted and prepped to be reattached to the top of the Mosque.  One side of the Mosque is covered with white stone and has 99 circles with the names of 99 prophets all etched into the stone in golden Arabic calligraphy. Most of the circles are small, but there are three very large circles, which each have “Allah” written in Arabic. There are speakers placed all over the grounds so that everyone can hear the call to prayer (signaling everyone to pray five times a day) and the actual prayer service.

“If you’re comparing religions you want to compare what unites us, not what separates us” said Quadir Bibi

Quadir Bibi, the receptionist and also a strong follower of the Muslim religion also goes through the cleansing process five times a day for prayer. The small light blue woman’s bathroom has no mirrors. She sits on a short seat facing a faucet that comes out of the wall and goes through the same process as Al-Baseer. Her pale skin and light blue eyes are all you can see under the white shawl she wears around her head and face. She says the reason women wear shawls around their heads is to take distractions away from the face which is the main focus. Her sweater and long skirt cover everything but her dark brown loafers.

Before entering the mosque, everyone must remove their shoes and place them by the door. Inside, Bibi kneels on the light green carpet of a small room with three white boards, two classroom desks, and two small windows. As she talks, Arabic prayer is projected from speakers throughout the room. This room is used for Arabic, Qur’an recitation classes given once a week for children. It is also used as an “overflow room” for women with babies who cannot be controlled.

Bibi also talked about her pilgrimage to Mecca in 1987. The purpose of the pilgrimage “is to leave the world behind,” she said. However, before you go on a pilgrimage you must settle any affairs such as debt, asking for forgiveness where needed, and putting your will in order. Bibi has also gone on lesser pilgrimages in either 1999 or 2000. Many others from the Mosque have gone on pilgrimages as well.

“When it comes to the body and soul, we believe ourselves to be the body, not the soul, this is why we feel the need to polish it,” said Bibi. She explains this is why people are very surprised when the body comes to an end. “We’re very busy with the body,” she said. She believes people should remember to stop long enough to just look at living things; it doesn’t take long to wonder over their being and what they’re capable of.

During prayer, men and woman must pray separately as to keep the men from being distracted. Women must wear clothing that covers their legs, arms, chest and head, and cannot enter the prayer room if they are going through their menstrual cycle. The prayer room is located on the top floor of the mosque. The carpet is dark green and a lace sheet splits the room in half, one side for men and the other for women. On the men’s side there is a man sized indentation in the wall at the front of the room. This is where the person leading prayer will stand. Around the indentation are Arabic prayers from the Qur’an.

The life of the Muslim revolves around Allah and prayer. Praying five times a day and cleansing before each prayer, Allah is always in their hearts and minds. Before entering any house, any store or any door, Abdul Al-Baseer says a prayer. This helps him to keep Allah and his faith present at all times.

Enjoy!

Today, in the Campion Banquet Hall in Campion Student Center on the campus of Saint Joseph’s University, a remarkable female journalist spoke about diversity. Her name is María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien and she is a television journalist with CNN.

O’Brien spoke about diversity through the telling of stories that she has personally covered in her twenty plus years in the industry.  It was an amazing site today seeing all the students and faculty packed into a rather warm room on yet another glorious day in Philadelphia. But still all these were there to listen to this woman speak, yes a woman, speak about diversity today.

She made a point to say that diversity is not Latino, or Black, but diversity is everyone. Everyone has some talent to share with the world that makes them who they are. This is a new idea I have heard about diversity considering when most hear the word they normally think about the black and white lines of race. She gave a fresh spin on the subject matter and spoke to the crowd and made a point to address the crowd as what the majority was college students.

O’Brien said that does not like when at talks they throw a lot of quotes at you but she did give one quote. Dante said, “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of moral crises maintain their neutrality.” She said now is time to change your thinking, lets actually have a conversation about diversity.

This quote really stuck with me because I recently attended a town hall meeting on campus after political posters were placed around campus by the College Republicans with President Obama depicted as the joker from the movie “Dark Knight.” I spoke to one student after the meeting and she said that she hoped the meeting would help the conversation continue about race on campus.

During the Q&A section at the end of the talk an interesting conversation was started very relevant to my journalism calls the future of news media. O’Brien said that twenty years ago when she started her career that same was said to her, that the nightly news was dying. But she said look today, its not dead and look at the stories we are able to tell because of the advance in technology. The news is not dying it is just changing and people are just unaware of how it is going to end up.

She made another comment that I find stuck in my head after walking out of the talk. So many stories don’t get told and they need to be. I guess I am finally beginning to understand that I might find talking to others an uncomfortable situation but their stories need to be told because so many will go forgotten or unnoticed when they mattered to someone.

To me nothing is better than Philadelphia on a beautiful day, but only if I am outside. Today I was trapped in the little engine that could as a made my tour around “A Love Letter for You”. I figured the best way to experience murals that are to  be viewed from the train is to view them from the train.

I think that I have seen a lot of pretty cool things in my life, but this has got to be one of the coolest I have seen in a while. I have to admit though that I do not know much about art but I do know what I like, and these murals I sure as all he double hockey sticks like.

Philadelphia is a city, and with that comes graffiti but The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and “A Love Letter For You” are taking back city buildings and making them something people want to look at. I could see the faces of the people on the train with me and they brighten as we passed each mural. Normally you can see people make faces at the sometime obscene graffiti on the buildings but today instead I saw people take pleasure at looking at the buildings.

I am still trying to piece together how each mural fits together to make one giant love letter. I am starting to think that each mural stands alone as a love letter to someone out there. And maybe that is the point that some people are going to see all the murals and put them together while others are going to find the one that stands out the most to them, like I did.

What I liked about this story is the length. It never seemed too long or not long enough but instead the perfect length to tell the story. I also like that without images inside the piece itself online, I felt like I could see Mohamed Aden.

“ABOVE the shimmering horizon, in the middle of a deserted highway, stands an oversize figure wearing a golf cap, huge sunglasses, baggy jeans, and an iPhone on his hip, not your typical outfit in war-torn Somalia. But then again, Mohamed Aden, the man waiting in the road, is not your typical Somali. The instant his guests arrive, he spreads his arms wide, ready for a bear hug.”

I liked the detail in the description of what Aden was wearing, and how it is clear that as part Westerner he stands out in a place like Somalia. But at the same time you can see that those things that make him part Westerner are no barrier to his people, he is still very much accepted because he is there to help them . I also liked the little bit of humor in the piece as well, like the comment Gettleman makes about him being dressed like a rapper and speaking like one too but he is putting his best foot forward to create a local government.

The little details about what Aden is wearing and how he speaks helps to show a little bit of who he really is. He is comfortable in his own skin that he does not have to dress like a typical Somalian to be considered one. And also taking advantage of modern technology shows that he is willing to help his people in the best way possible because he is using all the resources available to him. I also see who is, with the back story I am given, it shows me as a reader his character because I know what he has gone through in his life.

I am not sure this story would have the same effect if his back story isn’t given because we would not understand how this modern man is running a part of Somalia. It is understanding that he has lived a life different from what most people do, and it is that life that makes him the person that he is today. I think Gettleman did a great job of showing his readers, what made Aden the man he is today with the details he choose to share.

The main themes of this story center around what Aden is attempting to do in Somalia. First Gettleman sets the stage for the reader about what Somalia is. He is showing the reader what Aden has to deal with in this small war torn region of the world. Gettleman pieces the story and themes together by placing quotes that set up the next section of the story, each piece seems to reveal just a little more of the bigger picture.

Gettleman paints Aden as a bridge between Somalia and The United States. Through the quotes and story’s detail one can see the bridge form on the page.

“A Love Letter for You” is currently the featured project for The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.  This awesome program is celebrating 25 years for making the city of brotherly love beautiful. This program unities both artists and communities through the traditions of mural making. It is program that builds community by transforming public spaces into beautiful pieces of art and helps change peoples lives.

The Mural Arts Program creates over hundred community murals each year throughout Philadelphia. This simple idea of making art brings together thousands of residents within the greater Philadelphia community. It also provides free art education programs to at-risk youth. It also provides restorative justice for youth serving in local prisons to use the power of art to break the cycle of crime.

The program was started in 1984 in trying to put an to graffiti throughout the city behind the one and only Jane Golden. She is a former artist and was hired by former Mayor Wilson Goode. Golden saw the talent of graffiti artists and wanted to turn their raw talent into a positive force with mural making. The awesome murals transformed city neighborhoods by giving them a fresh start and brighter them up.

The project will have a total of 50 painted walls between 63rd and 45th street on Market Street. And to go along with this life sized art there will be a documentary film, a sign school and shop to provide training for youth and free signage for businesses, and finally 2 books showing the project.

One of the books will be distributed to areas business for them to sell to visitors of the area, while the other book will be in hardcover an will not only have the awesome murals but also the neighborhood and the inspirations behind the project.

Mr. Powers is not alone in his efforts also behind the project is The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. It is funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative.

The piece Children of the Sword by Bill Meagher is a profile of John “Red” Stuart who followed through. This is one of the coolest articles I have read in a long time. It took me back to being a little kid and being entranced by Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This profile is very much a visual one, it is a story that catches your eye and makes you wonder what that picture has to do with.

The City Paper though needs to do a better job with their online form of their paper. Because this is such a visual piece I want to see more. How cool would have been an online video of one of the performers doing their tricks?  Or what about a side show of different pictures? Or even better could be a video of Stuart walking us through how he swallows a sword. This piece makes you ask questions like how did he do that, why don’t you show me. The internet is a great tool and I feel like the City Paper isn’t using that tool properly.

The KISS ad has to go, I can’t handle it anymore! I know last week in class we talked about online advertising and how it just does not work and I must say I fully agree if anything it takes me away from reading.

The thing about this story that I was most taken with besides just how freaking cool sword swallowing is how it is a story about community. We talk so much about finding the inner story and I think this is the perfect example of that. So you want to talk about communities and what brings people together, so you go out and find the most unusual community you can. Who does not want to read about circus freaks that are made into legends when we are younger.

Now tell me that this isn’t cool…………

Andrew Thompson the author of the piece you can tell put a lot of time and effort into finding the story within the story. The only way to eat an elephant is in little chunks. Thats how I look at this profile the story as a whole is the elephant but Thompson found the little chunks that worked together and told a pretty cool story about a beer drinking Rabbi.

It is clear that Thompson had his work cut out for him when he wrote this story. Covering Rabbi Schimdt meant that he had to be prepared to learn about the religion in which he is a part of. He took his job very seriously and it strikes me that he was so willing to go out and learn and then follow the rules in order just to be able to profile one man.

I understand now that a profile is not just a simple story about a person that I find interesting but it is so much more than that. It takes a great amount of time to make a profile something truly great a story that is truly worth reading. Thompson went into another world a world of Orthodox Jews that most people see and never dare enter into. The Judaism is what makes this story so much better is that okay Schmidt is a pretty cool guy but the fact that he is an Orthodox Jew kicks it up a notch. Thompson found a story off the beaten path and turned it into a pretty awesome story in my opinion.

I think it was a very compelling story because of the personal stories that were told about specific students attending UNC. Adding the personal element to the story made it much more interesting to read because I found myself identifying with the students. It was almost as though MacLaggan was appealing to readers that could find themselves as a “different” kind of a minority somewhere.

I personally can identify with this story coming from a small town to a big city to attend college. St. Joe’s is a college very much on the small scale but it is still a culture shock to come here from a little town in Virginia. I think when you can find something to identify with in a personal interest story it makes it that much more compelling to read.

I think to make it better I would take it one more step further and find out what those specific students are doing at the university. The specific students make the story and therefore should be the main focus of the story. Also the length for me was a little too much I found myself getting tired of reading. About half way through I wanted to hear more about the students that I was introduced to at the beginning of the piece. I wanted more of a conclusion to wrap the piece all together as well.