Diwali Thoughts

Nemaste and Jay Shiya Ram

I greet you with the auspicious remembrance of the sacredness of these times.
-

My regular readers might wonder why I am blogging about a "Hindu" festival. I remind them to read this entry here.

-

Right, hopefully you read that entry and any confusion is dispelled.... now to the blog of the day:
-

I am thinking about the festival and time of Diwali or Deepavali.

Many people celebrate with Lamps, reminding them of the time Lord Rama victoriously re-entered his Kingdom Ayodhya after a time of exile.

In my thoughts at this time, I am thinking beyond this.

In Lord Rama's story the Ramayana, one recalls what preceded that victorious re-entry. There is an incredibly important lesson, that some may sometimes miss.

That is the battle against the Demonic King Ravana. Rama's fighter Lakshman joined the great battle.
Lakshman was wounded in battle. Lakshman the great Warrior. Lakshman the fighter, Lakshman the hope who could possibly secure a victory for God, Lakshman was wounded.

Worse yet, there was almost no way for the Great fighter Lakshman to recover or heal from the wound, not on Ravana's battlefield.

Can you imagine then the personal anguish and profound, almost overwhelming worry of Lord Rama's aides and friends for Lakshman at that time. You see if Lakshman lost then they'd lose and there would be no hope.

In life, the present situation can overwhelm us. We can be so scared because we think that this is it. We are done, this is the end and we can't get help.

But, too Lord Rama's and Lakshman's aid came his faithful, loving, trusted and devoted friend, Lord Hanuman.

Hanuman answered his friend's call for help and just listened. With FAITH, Devotion and LOVE for God, Hanuman listened. He caught Lord Rama's instruction on how Hanuman can help the situation. Hanuman didn't worry about anything. Hanuman simply listened with love and with Faith and knew that he could do what was needed.

Hanuman was asked to get healing herbs from a medicine Mountain. And so, he went to the mountain to find them. But Hanuman had trouble locating the healing herbs. Hanuman's faith could not be dimmed even a little bit. With god-like strength he lifted up the whole mountain and took it back to the battlefield. The healing herbs were found and applied to Lakshman's wounds. Lakshman was healed and able to fight again. Victory was secured for Lord Rama and things were good again.

Here it is. The big lesson.

Hanuman is not a being of profound wisdom. Hanuman is really just a monkey-man. 
Why does Lord Rama chose a monkey-man to help him. Remember that as God on Earth, Lord Rama has the entire universe, all animals, all people Everyone. Lord Rama could've chosen anyone else. I mean, yes Hanuman had some great physical strength, but so did so many others and they also had a lot more than that, great skills to assist the Lord in what the Lord needed.
BUT, Lord Rama still chose the monkey-man. Why???

What was special about the monkey-man.

Lord Hanuman had FAITH and Devotion. When everyone else had lost hope, Hanuman's total faith in God and his ability to tune in to the words of God is what ended up not only helping Hanuman but everyone.

When everyone else was scared and overwhelmed and did not know what to do, Lord Hanuman only looked to and heard the voice of God. Through that he could then serve God.

When Hanuman lacked wisdom at the medicine Mountain, Hanuman relied on his faith. And quite literally his FAITH carried him AND the mountain to be there for God's purpose.


This to me is what I am thinking about in 2015, as the time of Diwali approaches.

We can not forget that Diwali is not just the time that the Light of God had a resounding victory which echoed down the ages. Yes, this is profound and important.

BUT!!!!  Let us also remember something of EQUAL if not Greater Importance.

Yes, Light won. But Darkness also lost.

Demonic Darkness, (which nearly overcame and took away the faith of God's people), was DEFEATED!!!

But it was not the Greatness and Glory of God that defeated that Darkness.

Darkness was defeated by the Love, Devotion and Faith held in the hearts of God's devoted followers and worshipers.

That is the lesson that I want to share with you all.

Jay Shiya Ram

Hajj Thoughts

This Islamic Month, Right now, people are undertaking the Islamic Pilgrimage. This is a Pillar of the Islamic Faith and a core belief for over 1 billion Muslims around the world. It is a commemoration of the work of the Prophet-Patriarch Abraham. It is also apart of the work of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them both)
Making reference to this Facebook Post

In the comments section, I'm asked if I want to do Hajj. I answered; I have a student loan to pay off... A house to buy for Mum and Dad.... And alot more to do for my tribe, for Auckland, for Maori.... Plus the huge exercise of finding anyone I've previously wronged and settling any disputes... Its a few years off.


I realize though, and this is a generalised (unsubstantiated) comment.
Not every Muslim today that has made Hajj, or plans to make Hajj, has the same ideal.

See, in practical terms, people pay their flights, visa, immunisations, accomodation and then just Go.

I feel that many forget about all the mental, social, emotional and psychological preparations.

In essence, Hajj is cheapened. In fact, I know that Hajj is cheapened, because the Saudi Government pays for those costs for a select few people and lets them go to Hajj. But I am not sure if that same payment covers; previous debts, a home for parents, charity for neighbours, feeding the poor of the community etc etc. In fact, I am SURE that it doesn't.
That aside, I am not sure if many Muslims today do those things and pay for them today either.


Now on the specific point of 'charity for neighbours and feeding the poor'. YES!!! THIS is a Muslim obligation. Our Faith REQUIRES this of us!!! It is a Religious Duty.
I can't give Scriptural references right now, but I KNOW that this is So.
-

I know that in many Muslim countries, there are poor neighbours and people in Poverty. I also know that people are still going on Hajj.

Therefore, someone is NOT properly fulfilling their Religious Duty.
-

As a start, I am putting it out there.

I DON'T want to make a Saudi Hajj, so long as this is all happening. So long as there a refugees that Gulf states don't care for. So long as there a African, Indian and Asian Muslims in Poverty.... even though Individual Muslims, Muslim Business, Muslim Governments all have the means to do something substantial about this

I WILL NOT MAKE HAJJ!!!! 

That is a statement of great religious gravity. But its tugging on my heart and needs to be said.
-

Thank you for reading my rant. It is just a rant. But it is still my thoughts.

May God bless you.

Welcome Oh People of Syria

Here is my response to this Te Karere Story

You'll see my comments on the Facebook story and the Youtube link.

I also have this to say;

أهلا أهلا، يا أهل سوريا

Tenei ahau ka tuku oku mihi aroha ki nga whanau no te whenua o Syria.

Hari koa te ngakau ki te rongo nga kupu o te Pirimia, me ona pohiri mai ki nga Iwi Manene o reira. Ko te rohe katoa o Arapia, he rohe kikii I te whawhai. He taniwha e ngau kino ana ki nga tamariki, nga kuia, nga kaumatua, nga whaea me nga maatua o taua whenua.

No reira, ahakoa te roa o e tatari mo enei kupu pohiri, kei te hari tonu au.

No reira,

Koutou o Syria;

Marhaba, Marhaba. Ahlan. Hayyak. Tafadhal

Nau piki mai, nau kake mai

-

Na TeRata Hikairo

-       Maori Muslim

Suicide figure rise, CASPER Responds

I did an interview on Radio Waatea:

http://secure.zeald.com/site/uma/images/podcasts/1-Te-Rata-Hikairo-_-Whakamomori_1_Pub.mp3

http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MzAyNTU=

Above are the Podcast links 

Please excuse the background sounds, this was done live while I was at home with family

Broadcast on Sunday 7pm 5^th July 2015

_

Transcripted Translation of Interview:

Pierre: Good Evening Listeners. Tonight we look at the high number of suicides in New Zealand. This is a difficult subject to address. Joining us tonight is an expert in such matters, TeRata Hikairo from CASPER, TeRata Good Evening.

TeRata: Good Evening to you Pierre and to all the listeners tonight, Good evening to you.

Pierre: In terms of this group CASPER, little is known about them. Please tell us more about yourselves and your work.

TeRata: CASPER stands for “Community Action for Suicide Prevention, Education and Research”, which means that our primary objective is to have a sound educational and evidence-base that informs our practice in terms of Community Suicide prevention activities. Casper is a network of families in New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and the USA. The purpose of our network is to gather evidence and further research to support what we know in terms of suicide prevention in terms of the personal devastation that it causes for the bereaved.

Pierre: TeRata, can we say that suicide can affect any family anywhere.

TeRata: Yes we can. The saddest thing, is that as we speak, we’ve received the latest suicide statistics from the Ministry of Health, from June 2014 to May 2015; 569, which is 40 more than last year. 569 suicides in the last 12 months alone. Indeed at CASPER, we are really sad about this. Because time and again we think that we are making headway and PREVENTION is increasing, but in fact it is the SUICIDE statistics which are actually increasing.

Pierre: That is a very surprising statistic. TeRata, could we say that if such a number marched down Queen Street that would certainly be a large number, what do you say?

TeRata: Yes truly, a lot has been done (like this) in years past. And YES, there SHOULD be marches.

Let us March to Wellington, Lets MARCH down Queen Street. BUT. But, unfortunately one of the difficulties as I have said on television in past interviews, Is Legislation. Legislation is a hinderance stopping people from speaking out. As it currently stands, anyone who broadcasts or uses Social media to talk about suicide without being sanctioned by the Coroner or the Ministry of Health, they’ll be fined and punished. Therefore that is one of the difficulties in raising awareness of these issues, is the current Legislation.

Pierre: Oh My! That is new to me. TeRata, in terms of this statistic and this number of victims, how do things fare for us, for Maori?

TeRata: I am one of those who assisted my extended whanau in taking them home when such a tragedy struck us, the victim was my own cousin. Yes, there have been many Maori affected. Many Maori are affected. The evidence from research says that it is high for Youth, for Maori and for Men. And thus many such people die like this. I did not receive a full breakdown of the specific statistics for Maori, I saw the statistics for all of New Zealand, but yes it is a high number for Maori, I am sure.

Pierre: TeRata, you work in the field of Suicide prevention. You would know more that I do about this. What are the drivers for people who die from suicide?

TeRata: The evidence and the research base rests upon 2 opposing models of Suicide prevention. One is the Mental Health model, the other is the Social model. The Mental Health model tells us that a person who dies from suicide has a form of depression or a disorder. CASPERs social model though, suggests something different. The social model suggests that if a person dies from suicide THEN they have lost their sense of belonging to their whanau and their community. The evidence in support of the social model is mounting. Maori too, require a connection to THEIR own sense of community. The evidence also suggests that if someone has sustained trauma and abuses drugs, these 3 combined aspects can all detrimentally affect someone so as to lead to suicide.

Pierre: Indeed. TeRata, something that is emerging this year is Poverty. Poverty is increasing. Do you think this also has an impact?

TeRata: Yes things like Poverty have an impact to, certainly. BUT, let us not be deceived and think that only those in Poverty die like this because even Wealthy people can die like this. No matter the economics, age or the racial background of a person ANYONE can be affected. And again this happens especially when those 3 factors of sustained drug abuse, sustained trauma and a lost sense of belonging occurs for a person.

Pierre: TeRata as an exponent of Te Reo me ona Tikanga, you’d know that Suicide exists in our ancient folklore and is a part of old stories about Tane and Hinenutepo. How do you think this affects us?

TeRata: I am informed by the research. Keri Lawson is a known Maori researcher. Keri Lawson’s research tells us that the ongoing effects of Colonisation can lead to Suicide. And yes aspects of tikanga inform all of this as well. BUT!!! Let us NOT go further and say ‘Tane and Hinenuitepo did this so it is acceptable for us as well”. Though I can agree that there are such stories in our culture.

Pierre: TeRata what will CASPER be doing in the coming days and weeks to raise awareness about Suicide Prevention?

TeRata: We are available to do workshops, facilitate meetings or even train people on Suicide Prevention. We’ll work with any schools or like-minded community organisations. So please go to our website www.casper.org.nz or call 0508 CASPER.

Pierre: We’ve unfortunately run out of time. I am very grateful to you and the knowledge that you have which you share with us. Thank you TeRata.

TeRata: Thank YOU!!

I WORSHIP MAURI

It's been nearly 2 years since I wrote a blog post about my next spiritual step .

Not all of my blog readers know me personally.

And so in brief, since at least the age of 10, I have explored every possible religion on Earth. I understand the basic teachings and known practices of all major world religions. I have looked at Sects, Religious history, Religious figures and Scripture.

I have visited Masajid (Muslim Mosque), Churches, a Synagogue, Gurdwara (Sikh Temple), Mandirs (Hindu Temple), Bahai Centre's, Buddhist Temples and so on. I have met, Imam's, Pastors, Reverends, Nuns, Monks, Poojaris, Bishops and so on.

I have met the lay people and average followers of these religions.

I have eaten with them, prayed with them, worshiped with them and met with them.

I have had both Christian and Muslim initiation. I have worked for a Church before.
-

I have also kept an abiding love and continued practice of Te Reo Maori me ona tikanga. This means that today I can stand on my marae and do karakia and mihimihi, confidently and fluently.
-

And on top of all this I have continued to try to more fully understand and deeply explore MY Own spiritual gifts and the wisdom given to me by my tupuna.
-

AT This junction in time.... THIS Matariki....

Acknowledging too the ability for movement and change. And this can all easily change... but right NOW....
--

I make the active choice to CHOOSE TO WORSHIP DIVINE ENERGY MANIFEST IN ALL.
Mai i tenei po au ka tuku karakia ki te Mauri me te Mana o te tangata mai i te Ira Atua kua tau ki runga i a ia mai i a IO Matua Kore.

I choose the one and only eternal, everlasting, all powerful, all knowing IO Matua Kore as my God.
I worship his energetic life essence in all.
-

For me his energy is the same in any church, temple, mosque, cemetery or marae. I worship that energy in the tree, the sea, the mountain, the old man, the child, the baby, the rich man or the beggar.

I seek after this energy

Maori Muslim sends Ramadhan Greetings

Tenei au ka tuku nga mihi mahana o enei wa tapu, wa hari koa.

Ara nga mihi maioha o Matariki, Otira o te marama o Ramadhan.

He poto oku mihi ki a koutou i tenei wa, mai i taku ngakau ki a koutou katoa e panui oku korero.

Kei reira ano nga oritenga o taa te nohopuku o nga Muslim me te nohopuku o wa taatou Tupuna.

Ko te mea orite o te nohopuku, ko te aronga. Ara, Ina te tangata e nohopuku ana; Kore kai, Kore Inu, Kore Onioni ka aro katoa ona whakaaro ki te Ao Wairua me nga mea tapu o te Ao.

No reira, ka mihi poto, mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa.

Noho ora mai.

-

I greet all who read these words at this sacred and joyous time.

I send happy greetings of Matariki, and of this month of Ramadhan.

I extend heartfelt greetings to all readers.

There are nice similarities between the fasting of our ancestors and of the fasting of Muslims.

The main similarity is the intended focus of one who fasts (Not eating, Not drinking and Not engaging in Sexual Activity)

And that intended focus is one’s own Spiritual development and one’s sacred growth.

These are my short greetings,

Greetings of Peace.

أحيي كل من يقرأ هذه الكلمة في هذا الوقت المقدس والفرحة.

أبعث بتحياتي سعيدة Matariki، وهذا شهر رمضان.

أقدم تحياتي القلبية لجميع القراء.

هناك تشابه طيبة بين الصوم من أجدادنا وصيام المسلمين.

التشابه الرئيسي هو التركيز المقصود من صام (وليس الأكل، عدم شرب وليس الانخراط في النشاط الجنسي)

وهذا التركيز المقصود هو التنمية الروحية الخاصة واحد والنمو مقدس واحد.

هذه هي تحياتي قصيرة،

تحيات السلام.

Maori Muslim congratulates New Zealand Police on arrest of Xenophobe

Salaam to all who read this.

I express my thanks to the New Zealand Police who have successfully arrested the 66 year old Naenae-based xenophobe who was recently filmed, verbal abusing members of the public on a bus. The man was alleged to have, ignorantly used words like ‘Islams’ even though both he and we have no indication of the religion of the men he abused.

I also applaud the Whaea who stood up to the xenophobe and reached out in support of the men that were abused by the xenophobe.

Muslims face daily discrimination and persecution across the world and it is clear that in certain rare instances this is extant in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are grateful that the large majority of Kiwis are open to having people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds in our country. This is in line with the dictates of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We thank Allah the Almighty, for his continued providence in Aotearoa New Zealand. We ask for his continued protection of all peoples across the world, both Muslim and Non-Muslim