Happy 'Phew!' Year

I detest New Year's eve. It's the day when I want to crawl under my blanket and wake up on the other side - in the New Year - fast asleep.

The build up to New Year's eve reminds me of this huge wave, that once swept me off to sea at the Majorda beach in Goa.

Hype, hoopla, razzmatazz, where are you goin', what are you doin', let's go here it's the most happening, let's go there it's the most expensive - WHOOSH! You're just standing on the beach of life, watching the sun set on another year and WHOOSH! This wave of 'let's parteeee!!' hits you. And if you're not looking it sweeps you away to some farmhouse, or hotel, or pub, where your senses are numbed by booze, or drugs if you can afford it, and you're dragged into the New Year with a thousand other people you don't know, or care about.

Can some real Slim Shady please stand up and tell why is it we need to party to welcome the New Year? Or get rid of the Old One?

As far as I can see the only end-result 28 New Year's eve bashes have left me with, is thousands of rupees spent and fond memories of either me, or some friend puking. Vomit and money - the Great New Year's Eve cocktail.

Every year, I see everybody just jumping onto this roller-coaster ride to get into the New Year, as if, the New Year wasn't going to accept if they didn't land up on the other side with a cap on their heads singing Old Lang Syne.

I prefer to creep into the New Year. Almost steal upon it, while it's expecting me to burst through the front door shaking my bon-bon to Ricky Martin.

I like to believe that the New Year exists for me and not me for the New Year. I don't need to get pissed because it's New Year's eve. I need to get pissed, if at all, because I need to get pissed.

I am digging my heel into the sand and not allowing the wave to sweep me away this time. At most, I might wade into a small party with a few close friends. But no, none of that standing on the table and joining a collective inebriated scream of 'Happy New Year'!

And I'm not burning the Old Man either. Instead, I think I'll bar-be-que him. I want everything in slow motion this year. The world is just moving too fast and with every New Year's eve, it's like we go one match quicker.

Life is becoming one big cliché - and New Year's eve is the PR party that markets the cliché. It sets the tone for the year. It keeps us focussed on cloning ourselves, into what the world wants us to be.

Good Morning Pune. Don't mind me. You go ahead and have a blast!


Source: Good Morning Pune – Roopesh Raj
Pune Times

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

A demeaning and conservative call was spread all over Kuwait asking Muslims to avoid wishing Christians on Christmas or the New Year because it is 'haram' and we should not commit such a sin! Some Muslims believed it and started to wonder whether what they had been indulging in for many years was a sin! Why do we still receive and believe such degrading calls?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to people in the whole wide world, who are busy with preparations in their grand celebrations during Christmas and the New Year. But, these wishes unfortunately cannot come from us all, because we in the Arab world still have some pessimists who are good for nothing except in polluting the clean atmosphere of any occasion which involves spreading love, joy, happiness and good cheer. These pessimists denounce all celebrations enjoyed by the Christians like Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving as well as Valentine's Day.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Muslims in the Arab world, who obviously have a problem in spreading joy and in letting people around the world, to celebrate their festivities as they like, and on any occasion. Some people cannot stand the thought of others spending a little time in peace and harmony. They would rather prefer to see us all, especially the non-Muslims in misery, poverty, in conflict and on each other's throats.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all because I can't see what harm or disaster could befall me if I wished someone, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Most of us prefer to overlook the fact that we too are included in the New Year celebrations, as any new year is a new year for all of us, and well, if some pea-brained individuals chose not to herald in a Happy New Year, then it is up to them to be wretched and miserable all year through.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all peacemakers and peacekeepers of the world who strive to spread love, peace and harmony. We have never heard of any pope, priest or even heads of states of Western countries who force their peoples not to wish Muslims on their religious occasions such as the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) or on their Eid celebrations. In fact it has become increasingly evident in recent years that Christians are more eager in expressing their desire of sharing the festive spirit with Muslims on their religious occasions even more than the Muslims do among their own sects and creeds. CNN fervently telecasts a live report from Makkah during the haj season every single year, which is a very religious occasion for Muslims only. How come then nobody raised any objections against such live telecasts???

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, to all the so-called reformists in the Arab world, who condemn and denounce, anything opposing their confused way of viewing the world. Thus any attempt to change their attitude in celebrating a religious occasion, not related to their religion, or spreading joy and happiness would only incur their wrath by immediately resorting to the frequently used weapon 'fatwa' to threaten the Muslims with hell's fiery fury.

This type of warning that they always issue, of incurring Allah's wrath and punishment, have always been their weapon, which has been abused a lot throughout the Arab world, especially in recent years. What better example can be cited than the merciless slaughter going on in Iraq through the 'fatwas,' which permitted the innocent killings of Americans, Shiites and Sunnis? Now everyone is killing anybody and everybody in Iraq. Those who don't implement these 'fatwas,' are also threatened of burning in the fires of hell, while those who kill others are promised the kingdom of heaven!!!

I wish to conclude my column with sincere New Year wishes, which came my way from a European who is based in Iraq now and wanted to share his wishes with me for the New Year. He wrote to me saying, "Another year is behind us and we continue to move forward. I hope you have all had a healthy, prosperous and a spiritually enlightened year and I sincerely hope it will continue with you and your families right through the entire New Year."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!!!


Source: Local Spotlight - Muna Al Fuzai
Kuwait Times