Shisha, Belly Dancing and Seattle
April 29, 2007 at 10:20 pm | In Personal, Seattle | 14 CommentsLast week, Hany’s brother was in town and was in the mood for Shisha…My wife and I had discovered this shisha place in Seattle (there are very few of them!) called Zeina so we decided to take Hany and his brother there…
I miss Shisha a lot the place reminds my wife and I of home a little…The price of a shisha is a bit outrageous (17$ without tax!!) but well worth the price when you haven’t had it for a while…Anyway – when we got there it was very packed (which is strange for this place)…Luckily we were able to find seats…After a short while they started playing Arabic music which is always nice to listen to…
We then discovered the reason why it was so packed. A belly dancer came out to entertain the crowds, and the people went wild. It was entertaining as we certainly did not expect this to happen and its interesting to see a foreigner doing belly dancing…I only had my cell phone with me, but I managed to get some pics of the event (I’d like to include more pics in my blog as they are lots of fun to take!) I recently purchased a digital camera, so expect a lot more…
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sorry, but is it so normal that you watch & take pics of the belly dancer, and Oh!! your wife is with you.
hope muslims there showed a better image of Islam.
Comment by a — April 30, 2007 #
Belly dancing is part of Egyptian culture and heritage…While I wasn’t going to the shisha place seeking out the belly dancer (I didn’t even know she was coming) it does not bother me in the least…
Oh – and this doesn’t/shouldn’t have anything to do with me presenting an image of Islam – I never said someone should take me as an example. In fact, I had a belly dancer at my wedding back in Egypt.
Also – it’s easy to make comments when you hide behind a cloud of anonymity…Why don’t you come out and say who you are – I am sure that I could find things in your life that don’t present a “better image of Islam”…
Our religion dictates that only Allah is the judge, but it is interesting that you take on this role and try to judge me…hope other people besides you show a better image of Islam…
Comment by aliabdin — April 30, 2007 #
Dear a,
Commenting on you comment, is it so normal that you watch & take pics of the belly dancers? In Egypt! Yes it is! Actually it is considered a tourism attraction!
Your wife is with you? Should he go behind her back!
Hope Muslims there showed a better image of Islam.
So, Muslims here don’t show a good image of Islam?! Only Muslims back in Muslim countries do?!
I find your comment a little offensive, people vary, Do people back in Egypt go out, have fun, maybe go out watch belly dancers, yes some of them might do… Do many of them go the mosque? Yes sure…
People are different, that’s how god created us… you can’t and shouldn’t accuse some one of giving a bad image about Islam because he went to smoke shesha in a place where it happened there was a belly dancer in the place! You don’t even know him to accuse (I might consider it insult) him this way!
Plus Islam should not be affected by one man act anyway. Islam, Arabs, and Egyptians are/should be way larger than that…
For example: If Islam, Arabs, or Egypt are going to be affected by Ruby becoming an official singer, then none of them was really anything…
Ali, a Muslim, works for the largest software company in the world… Isn’t that enough a good image, that Muslims are capable of engaging the most advanced and new technologies, isn’t that a good image?! That we are here (By ‘we’ I mean Muslims), we affect others, where a Muslim works in a product that is shipped to almost every computer in the world…
Going to places, wearing a certain type of cloths, whatever he’s doing in his personal life should be only decided by him, you can’t judge others just because you lived in a different culture…
I don’t want to make Ali a hero… Because he’s not, but this doesn’t mean also that he’s giving bad impressions about Islam!! Ali is living a successful life; he has a great job, very good wife, nice career future still waiting for him… I’m sure that’s enough to let anyone think that Muslims are successful wherever they are!
I don’t like judging people, because I’m full of mistakes myself… Let’s just ask god for mercy, because all of us do and will keep doing mistakes…
Comment by Hany — May 1, 2007 #
Oh yeah – Hany reminds me of another point…I personally knew of many people in Egypt who smoke up, or get drunk, or sleep around, etc.
Even given this – I never considered these people to be giving a bad image of Islam…while they may not be great muslims, I never even considered judging their actions…what they choose to do with their lives is their own personal decision and I don’t judge them for it. I may give them advice, and/or privately pray that rabena yehdeehom which is much more constructive…
And – another point is – there is no such thing as a perfect Muslim. Each and every one us will have sins on their shoulders on the day of judgement..but in the end it is up to God to judge us and that is why he is known as The Most Merciful…
Anyway thats all I have to say pretty much on the topic – and I will only continue it if you comment publicly and not anonymously.
Comment by aliabdin — May 1, 2007 #
Dance is an art, nothing to do with any religion or claim it. Learn it else love it. Ali, you just go ahead, dont mind for this.
MAhes
Comment by Mahesh kumar R — May 1, 2007 #
Thanks Mahesh
Comment by aliabdin — May 1, 2007 #
Women who are able to be happy make the world better. How many people have been hurt with belly dancing? We need a more peaceful and happy world where women can be people of honor and there is safe treatment.
I would love to say that women are safe in all situations. We honor Allah more by respecting all people, and helping all people.
Comment by Charlotte — May 1, 2007 #
sorry Ali, but i’m not judging, i’m just showing my different opinion, “w ele5tlaf fl r2y la yofsd lelwd kadeya”, if i were in such situation, i’d prefer my spouse to make me busy from watching the belly dancer, or i’ll take her (the former not the latter
), out of the hall till the later finishes her dancing.
and yes, some people who know me could find things is my life that don’t present a better image of Islam, but i’ll be happy if they let me know about it to make better of myself.
and i’m sorry if you or Hany recieved my first comment as offensive, but frankly, i didn’t mean it, i just wish “the best” out of Muslims who work in MS, because i’m really proud of them.
about commenting anonymously, we don’t know each other in person, so i see it’s useless to reveal my identity.
last but not least, i like your blog & will continue following it even if we’ve different opinions.
with respect,
a
Comment by a — May 1, 2007 #
Well, with your short sentence at the beginning it did seem inflammatory and judgemental to be honest with you…You are specifically making a comment on me and my religion when in fact as you stated you do not know me…That is why I took offense…
Would you like someone to make comments about how religious you are when they do not know me? My blog is like my home, you are free to come in and sit with me and talk with me and everything but please don’t judge me and don’t be rude…would you say such things to a stranger face to face?
I also find it very strange about out of the hall until she finsihes her dancing…It almost makes it seem that you think it is more inappropriate for a woman to see this rather than a man. My wife is a grown woman and i am sure if she felt offended or upset by what she would saw she would have told me – and in fact, I know for a fact that she wasn’t offended at all – so i don’t know why you think i should have taken her out of the place…She, like me, has no problems watching belly dancing…
I am glad you like my blog, and you are most welcome to continue reading it…and I also respect your opinion that you don’t think its appropriate for a Muslim to watch a belly dancer…The thing that I didn’t like though was your comment was basically judging me as a Muslim…
Comment by aliabdin — May 1, 2007 #
Ohh you went to Zeina
I know some really funny Egyptian guys out there, and did you see the owner? his gf is really strange, she’s like staying over his head when he was setting with us to see what the guys are asking him to do
May be one day I should let you know them, most of them are working in Boeing (some of them are even working in military stuff), there’re also some American girls who I know there who work in Boeing as well, and they love knowing Egyptian so much, may your wife would like to know them, they are kind and love to know Egyptians so much
But you’re really bad to go without telling me, el nadala hatefdal feko 3alatol
Comment by Mohamed Meshref — May 1, 2007 #
CAN I KNOW THE ADDRESS FOR PLACES THAT HAVE SHISHA IN SEATTLE.
me62sa@yahoo.com
i will be ssoon …in 10 july..plz help,,,thanks
Comment by ahmad — June 27, 2008 #
link for sheesha places…http://www.hookahhookah.com/hookahhookah_com_-_store2/pages.php?pageid=30#WASH
As for the bellydancer/culture/Islam comments… Just because something has been accepted culturally does not mean it is correct Islamically. After all, people used to bury their daughters before the advent of Islam as Mohamed presented to the people of Mecca.
Oh – and Zaina does not serve sheesha anymore – I just called them.
fatima
Comment by Fatima — January 3, 2009 #
i like to knowe y addiras and tel or cell nobars
Comment by monaliza — July 13, 2009 #
on comment
Comment by monaliza — July 13, 2009 #