My Letter,
The sun is setting over this Ramadan, passed by like it never happened! Time's a puma! Living in the Middle East has always been a center of congregations, inspiring to actually break the rules (and I mean that in a very sentimental way). Personal belief? Religion shouldn't be held as a taunting stick! I like my religion; I love it, so why should I fear it? Why people everywhere are abusing it then? Are we in our religions because we were feared into believing, and shouldn't be faith a one person's journey into this life's intermissions? Some say fear is good, but is it what engenders religion? We're all afraid of the unknown, that's for sure, but I shouldn't be afraid of what I already know and feel, faith. I don't think religion should be associated with fear.
Blasphemy was something I learned recently (as a vocabulary word off course) and it was very interesting to take another look into what's considered blasphemous, is it ok to associate fashion and lifestyle with religion? Let's take mosques for example, aren't mosques interesting architectural figures for such backgrounds? How about breaking grounds? What's the message behind that photo that we took for our 'Summer Story'? Madonna? Controversy? Not really. I'm not afraid of who I am or what I wear and what I believe in, I'm both, why should I pick one? Can't I be both and not called a hypocrite? Considering off course both ways, and it depends on how others view faith. Many people don't respond to such calls unless the fear factor is included, and others take on with their belief based on their own faith and love. But better love your faith than fear it!
Blasphemy was something I learned recently (as a vocabulary word off course) and it was very interesting to take another look into what's considered blasphemous, is it ok to associate fashion and lifestyle with religion? Let's take mosques for example, aren't mosques interesting architectural figures for such backgrounds? How about breaking grounds? What's the message behind that photo that we took for our 'Summer Story'? Madonna? Controversy? Not really. I'm not afraid of who I am or what I wear and what I believe in, I'm both, why should I pick one? Can't I be both and not called a hypocrite? Considering off course both ways, and it depends on how others view faith. Many people don't respond to such calls unless the fear factor is included, and others take on with their belief based on their own faith and love. But better love your faith than fear it!
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Breaking stereotypes is also a stand taken when being dominated by robo-minded society. I thought about not writing such visions like a thousand times before going to publish, I didn't want people to change their idea of what's the conceptions of the magazine's vision, it is subjective after all. This magazine believes in faith, believes in independence, believes in one's own self-respect and acceptance, self-loving comes on a different level. That photo (<left) could cause me to lose face to a lot of people… but I believe in what you believe in too.
Let's talk about now! As each month passes by, we found ourselves archiving the work we worked so hard for, the writers who spend days and hours writing their pieces, searching and peddling through the net, books and papers, the people we feature, the shoots that take time to prepare, construct and edit, the designs… soon are archived, and a month isn't enough. Our last April-June issue, we featured Jordanian actress Nadia Odeh extending (first ever for My.Kali) cover story for 3 months did it's deed. Featuring a big time (straight) celeb on a gay magazine was quite the headline, so a month wasn't fair! Her shoot was shot by photographer/blogger (and also a My.Kali.mag cover boy) Rafic, where her shoot took place in the suburbs of Dabouq. Her feature 'Night Bird' was based on a dream I had, finding myself running in a green field filled with dead deserted old trees, holding oranges and wearing a long black cape that drapes all over the place, (as the robe itself was custom made only for Nadia's shoot). If you haven't viewed Nadia Odeh's feature, you might as well just do, as she talked about the pressure of marriage and accepting other minorities in our society. This issue is very rich, from Lesbo & The City columnist Alyah's piece on Iraqi LGBT refugees in 'The Indefinite Life', to Ibrahim's 7 dates of hell in 'Stories of My LBB'. But mostly, welcoming new in-house writer, Mo K. from Doha, who we had the opportunity to meet up with this summer on a visit to Amman, discussing his feature on labeling, which wins a best-read! His take on sexuality barcoding is very resourceful. Giggly and cheery, the guy is beyond intelligent and often mistaken for a candy-store adviser! Make sure to read 'The Inconsistency of Labeling'.
Let's talk about now! As each month passes by, we found ourselves archiving the work we worked so hard for, the writers who spend days and hours writing their pieces, searching and peddling through the net, books and papers, the people we feature, the shoots that take time to prepare, construct and edit, the designs… soon are archived, and a month isn't enough. Our last April-June issue, we featured Jordanian actress Nadia Odeh extending (first ever for My.Kali) cover story for 3 months did it's deed. Featuring a big time (straight) celeb on a gay magazine was quite the headline, so a month wasn't fair! Her shoot was shot by photographer/blogger (and also a My.Kali.mag cover boy) Rafic, where her shoot took place in the suburbs of Dabouq. Her feature 'Night Bird' was based on a dream I had, finding myself running in a green field filled with dead deserted old trees, holding oranges and wearing a long black cape that drapes all over the place, (as the robe itself was custom made only for Nadia's shoot). If you haven't viewed Nadia Odeh's feature, you might as well just do, as she talked about the pressure of marriage and accepting other minorities in our society. This issue is very rich, from Lesbo & The City columnist Alyah's piece on Iraqi LGBT refugees in 'The Indefinite Life', to Ibrahim's 7 dates of hell in 'Stories of My LBB'. But mostly, welcoming new in-house writer, Mo K. from Doha, who we had the opportunity to meet up with this summer on a visit to Amman, discussing his feature on labeling, which wins a best-read! His take on sexuality barcoding is very resourceful. Giggly and cheery, the guy is beyond intelligent and often mistaken for a candy-store adviser! Make sure to read 'The Inconsistency of Labeling'.
"...sometimes it feels like pain is all we know. For unexplained reasons, it's what we like to be sucked in, being vulnerable... being drugged by the numbing effect of the emotions, all could be heavy on our hearts..."
Let's talk about love. Somewhere out there, many are in pain, emotionally, physiologically… they always say, pain is the sign for us to stop and reevaluate ourselves or just think things through. A lot of us don't know how to cope with certain pains, parents getting divorced, you're having feelings for someone who doesn't share them back, death of a friend or a family member, you like someone and he/she likes your friend, you feel ugly, witnessing physical changes, feeling unaccomplished, left behind, unworthy…, how much a human heart, mind and soul can take? You can't catch a break, there's always something popping up. And sometimes it feels like pain is all we know. For unexplained reasons, it's what we like to be sucked in, being vulnerable, exposed, being drugged by the numbing effect of the emotions, all could be heavy on your heart, our hearts, and it's what we know, what we try to fight, but again finding ourselves back there. Life's a bully sometimes. "I learned that it is very easy to lose yourself in the pain. Pain comes, it seduces you, it plays with you, and you identify with it to the point that you start to believe this is how life is. When you feel that heaviness in your heart, most of the time the parameters of pain and relief become blurry, and it is very easy to stay stuck in what you already know, pain." -Ricky Martin (from his book ME).
But love is also everywhere. Many people don't feel it because they either don't take the time to notice it, or they simply just can't feel it. Loving yourself first is what you need to do. How do you expect others to love the things about you if you don't love them yourself, and that doesn't mean people aren't there for you to help you through it. In a read that my Mom once took, she told me that children and teens from age 1 till they age 18 receive about 15,000 negative messages through their 18 years, while on the same topic, the same demographic receives about only 400 positive messages. And that is alarming, but can you imagine what's it in for the adults? Don't be brainwashed or affected by life's obstacles, make sure to kick these negative thoughts away and cope of what you're already facing and try to make the best of the situation. Never let the situation control you or you let others tell you how to run your own life. Be one and only, be yourself and be loved by yourself. I wish you all a Happy Eid, and a very graceful ending for this Ramadan.
love on you
Kali
But love is also everywhere. Many people don't feel it because they either don't take the time to notice it, or they simply just can't feel it. Loving yourself first is what you need to do. How do you expect others to love the things about you if you don't love them yourself, and that doesn't mean people aren't there for you to help you through it. In a read that my Mom once took, she told me that children and teens from age 1 till they age 18 receive about 15,000 negative messages through their 18 years, while on the same topic, the same demographic receives about only 400 positive messages. And that is alarming, but can you imagine what's it in for the adults? Don't be brainwashed or affected by life's obstacles, make sure to kick these negative thoughts away and cope of what you're already facing and try to make the best of the situation. Never let the situation control you or you let others tell you how to run your own life. Be one and only, be yourself and be loved by yourself. I wish you all a Happy Eid, and a very graceful ending for this Ramadan.
love on you
Kali