Fascinating Love Facts

"Feminist women are more likely than other females to be in a romantic relationship."

AMAZING. The Muslim community seems to have a false perception that any woman who gives an inkling for her God given rights is a crazy feminist and that all crazy feminist are man haters. Further Muslim men have the audacity to repeatedly seek quiet, submissive, non-opinionated women all of which are traits antithetical to "feminism." No, I'm not making this up. Some men actually seek these qualities in women.

"Falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind and raises levels of nerve growth factor for about a year, which helps to restore the nervous system and improves the lover's memory."

I wonder if this has an impact on finals stress levels.

"Love can also exert the same stress on your body as deep fear. You see the same physiological responses — pupil dilation, sweaty palms, and increased heart rate."

Ironic.

"Brain scans show that people who view photos of a beloved experience an activation of the caudate — the part of the brain involving cravings."

Showing me a picture of my husband will have the same impact as showing me one of chocolate, according to this. No complaints.

"Eleven percent of women have gone online and done research on a person they were dating or were about to meet, versus seven percent of men."

Why wouldn't you do online research about the person you are dating, or being otherwise courted by. In the era of Google searches, it seems like the most responsible first step.

"Forty-three percent of women prefer their partners never sign "love" to a card unless they are ready for commitment."

Makes perfect sense. No time for mixed signals when life is busy and short.

"Philadelphia International Airport finished as the No. 1 best airport for making a love connection, according to an online survey."

It's settled. When the rishta attempts fail, and there's nobody on the MSA scene catching your eye head to the airport. No joke. Let's be creative.

"One in five long-term love relationships began with one or both partners being involved with others."

Disturbing, beyond words.

More at: MSNBC

Hijab Flutter: S. AlHabib

Policewomen in Gaza

Despite my skepticism regarding anything police force related this is semi-cool:

There's the uniform, for instance, in a society where ultra-modest dress codes mean the typical female apparel is a long wide gown, or Jilbab, and head scarf. Sometimes it's even a face-covering veil with only a slit for the eyes.

The new female police force in Gaza--formed a year and a half ago, with about 1,000 police officers and growing--adapts by wearing a long, dark blue skirt, a blue tunic and a head scarf.
. . .
"I believe that my colleagues and I are doing a big favor for people in Gaza by protecting women and giving them more privacy. We also help our male colleagues when raiding houses of suspected drug dealers or criminals."


Aisha Abu Nada, 50, is an investigator in the new female division. The mother of seven said that unlike many of her colleagues, her family didn't offer any opposition.

She attributed that to her background as a practicing lawyer. She said she changed fields because she wanted a new experience and thought that she could help her community by serving in the police force. Nada said two of her daughters have joined the force, with her encouragement.

Nada, however, has had to give up her new line of work. Her house was badly damaged when an Israeli warplane shelled a neighbor's house. After that she decided to stay home to take care of her younger children, who were badly upset by the attack, and to help rebuild their home.

In an interview before he was killed in the police compound attack in late December, Tawfiq Jaber, director of police in Gaza, spoke highly of the progress the force had made in establishing its female forces and gaining surprisingly widespread social support. "In a very short time we have gone very far with the female division, which means we are on the right track."

More at: Women's E-News

More Happy Female News From the Kingdom of Saud

Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that "if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment."
. . .
Arab News reported that Al-Razine made his remark as he was attempting to explain why incidents of domestic violence had increased in Saudi Arabia. He said that women and men shared responsibility, but added that "nobody puts even a fraction of blame" on women, the newspaper said.

Al-Razine "also pointed out that women's indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country," it added.

Of course, leave it to some genius in Saudi Arabia to 

blame women for domestic violence. More at CNN.com.

Rear View Mirror "Decorations" Can Get You Pulled Over

...for those of with tasbihs/masbahas and other Islamic "decorations" hanging from our rear view mirrors:

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has decided, after consulting with Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox’s office, that the state’s law is clear on the matter: A dangling object of any size constitutes something that can obstruct the view of a driver, and therefore is illegal and grounds for cops to stop motorists.
. . .
“They basically say that anything dangling from the mirror provides probable cause for pulling people over,” Helfrick said. “The question becomes, how does the officer determine what obstructs your vision?”

More at: FreeP.com

Hijri Calendar in Google Calendar

If you're a Google Calendar user, open up your calendars page and:

1. Hit "settings"
2. Scroll down until you see the "alternative calendars" section
3. Select one of the Hijri calendars
4. Hit "save"
5. Voila! Google calendars will now run the Hijri dates parallel to the Gregorian ones in your calendars!