Obviously, it is quite understandable if most of you are not feeling very kindly towards Pakistan cricket team at present, considering their abysmal loss in the one-day series against India. At the time of writing this article, Pakistan has just lost the fourth one day international in the five match series, giving India a 3-1 lead.
However, the current situation aside, cricket in Pakistan is definitely one of the most popular sports, and quite heavily sponsored as well. There are many avid fans who enjoy not just matches involving Pakistan, but also follow cricket in general, particularly, if it involves renowned teams like Australia or South Africa. And besides keeping themselves updated on the different matches and on going series, cricket fans worldwide form a significant online presence. This presence ensures that there are many websites which are solely dedicated to enable these fans to keep track of matches, read comments by experts and of course, discuss everything and anything thoroughly among themselves.
If you are a cricket fan, then no doubt you must have come across some of these websites at one point or another. However, one website which definitely stands out among the rest is Cricket 365 (http://www.cricket365.com). As the name suggests, this website is all about cricket and has just about everything related to cricket categorised effectively. Hence, whatever your purpose for visiting the website, you are sure to find something for yourself.
For instance, if you are at work and cannot watch the matches, you can straightaway access the live tracker from this website, and see the scores as they are updated. Alright, it is not the same as watching a match live, but it is certainly the next best option available. You can also use this option if none of your available sports channels are telecasting the matches live.
There is a section on cricket news as well. Here, you can find out all the latest news regarding matches, the tournaments and the players. There are match reports and match previews, plus in-depth analysis and follow-ups of any conflict between/among players. Statements given to the mainstream press are also reported here. So you can find out what is happening on the Warne-Muralitharan front, read up on what Sachin Tendulkar has to say about his recent unfinished centuries, and which player has signed up for which county.
Apart from news, there is a separate section dedicated to major teams. Each section carries news pertaining to that specific country only. Also, there are detailed profiles of player with the test and one-day statistics. Featured teams include Australia, India, Pakistan, SriLanka, South Africa and others.
There is a separate section for counties as well. If you are interested in county cricket, then you can use this to keep yourself updated on all that is happening on county level in the cricket.
There are some other interesting features as well. These features are divided into ‘soap box’ and ‘guest speakers.’ These basically constitute the expert opinions on the different aspects of cricket. So, if you want to read all about chacha cricket, look no further than this section.
As with every website these days, this one too comes with a blog and forums. The forums, of course, are the place where you can interact with cricket fans all over the world, rejoice in your team’s victory and rant and rave when they lose. There is an exclusive section on ‘Your say.’ All you need to do is register yourself and you will be ready to post your comments which are equivalent of ‘Letters to the editor.’
So basically, if you have time and the inclination – and of course if you are a die hard cricket fan – then log on to http://www.cricket365.com , and watch cricket all around the year.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Up for a laugh?
When it comes to auctioning on the web, or anything related to it, people tend to log on to ebay. Of course, ebay is one of the most popular places in the cyberspace to buy and sell stuff, but it is certainly not the only place for auctions. In fact, there are many other places dedicated for online sales, and – better believe it – few websites even poke fun at them.
Disturbing Auctions is one website that falls in the latter category. It is dedicated to stuff that people auction online, with the intention of generating a lighter look and quite a few laughs. You are not supposed to buy or sell anything here. You only can marvel at the diversity of things that are present there. And of course, you wonder what exactly does one do with these things anyway?
Even though the website says that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ – hence motivating many to sell the clutter in their homes and offices – you will eventually realise that some trash is really trash. And try as one might to jazz up these little odds and ends, you cannot deny the fact that they are just that – odds and ends. And most of the time, they do not serve even a single useful purpose for anyone to purchase them.
So how did this website come about? The webmasters have apparently gone through the cyberspace and checked out the things that people have put up for selling online at some of the auction websites. They have selected some of the most bizarre and useless items, and collected them for this website. Hence, Disturbing Auctions not only gives you a detailed description of such strange stuff, but each item also comes with an illustration to help you visualise it better. The price, of course, is also included which will certainly make you wonder who out this up for sale, and more importantly, who buys this stuff.
There are many options regarding how you would like to view the items posted here. You can either go through all of them courtesy a slideshow available on the website, or you can access the item that interests you the most. All items are categorised by art, clothing and accessories, cuisine, emotionally scary toys, figurines, furnishings, literature, terrifying dolls and miscellaneous. If you think these categories sound interesting wait till you see the items listed under them an intriguing experience, to say the least.
Another option that you have is to view the items as they are posted on a daily basis. Here, the items are categorised by the date on which they were put on the website. This will help you access the latest items to grace Disturbing Auctions.
What is more? If you come across a strange item that has been put up for an auction, you can create an account here and let the entire online world know what you have found. So the website comes with an interactive purpose as well.
Interestingly, in spite of all the fun that is poked at these on-sale items, the webmasters have mentioned that there are indeed many of them which have been bought by people. Well, as they say, this world is a strange place. And cyberspace is not no different. Who knows, you may end up buying something totally bizarre!
To check out this stuff and more, log on to http://www.disturbingauctions.com/
Disturbing Auctions is one website that falls in the latter category. It is dedicated to stuff that people auction online, with the intention of generating a lighter look and quite a few laughs. You are not supposed to buy or sell anything here. You only can marvel at the diversity of things that are present there. And of course, you wonder what exactly does one do with these things anyway?
Even though the website says that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ – hence motivating many to sell the clutter in their homes and offices – you will eventually realise that some trash is really trash. And try as one might to jazz up these little odds and ends, you cannot deny the fact that they are just that – odds and ends. And most of the time, they do not serve even a single useful purpose for anyone to purchase them.
So how did this website come about? The webmasters have apparently gone through the cyberspace and checked out the things that people have put up for selling online at some of the auction websites. They have selected some of the most bizarre and useless items, and collected them for this website. Hence, Disturbing Auctions not only gives you a detailed description of such strange stuff, but each item also comes with an illustration to help you visualise it better. The price, of course, is also included which will certainly make you wonder who out this up for sale, and more importantly, who buys this stuff.
There are many options regarding how you would like to view the items posted here. You can either go through all of them courtesy a slideshow available on the website, or you can access the item that interests you the most. All items are categorised by art, clothing and accessories, cuisine, emotionally scary toys, figurines, furnishings, literature, terrifying dolls and miscellaneous. If you think these categories sound interesting wait till you see the items listed under them an intriguing experience, to say the least.
Another option that you have is to view the items as they are posted on a daily basis. Here, the items are categorised by the date on which they were put on the website. This will help you access the latest items to grace Disturbing Auctions.
What is more? If you come across a strange item that has been put up for an auction, you can create an account here and let the entire online world know what you have found. So the website comes with an interactive purpose as well.
Interestingly, in spite of all the fun that is poked at these on-sale items, the webmasters have mentioned that there are indeed many of them which have been bought by people. Well, as they say, this world is a strange place. And cyberspace is not no different. Who knows, you may end up buying something totally bizarre!
To check out this stuff and more, log on to http://www.disturbingauctions.com/
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Cynics aboard
If you are one of those people who actually read all the emails that are forwarded to you, then you may have come across a definition of cynic. He/she is a person who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. In fact, in today’s word, it is apparently ‘fashionable’ to be a cynic, which may explain the ever-growing number of the species. So whether you think yourself as a cynic, or want to know more about this not-so-rare breed, then The Cynic’s Sanctuary is the website to dig.
The website begins by explaining a brief history of cynicism. It is said that cynics have been here around since the time of Socrates, and the word is ‘cynic’ is actually derived from Greek which means dog. Yes ‘Dog’! This revelation may take away some people’s wish to join the club. There is a also section ‘What are Cynics?’ in which you can read up the entire history of who the earlier cynics were, about their beliefs and about the more famous ones.
This section goes on to explain the meaning of cynicism that has changed from earlier to the contemporary period. Further it has some of the dictionary definitions of cynicism contrasted with the need of it, so do not be amazed if you find yourself a cynic. If anything, this will certainly boost your ego.
Then comes the most interesting part: Are you actually a cynic? It is easy to label one’s self as a cynic, but to actually confirm that you are one, take the test given on this website. Called the ‘Official Cynic’s Self Test,’ this will present you some fifteen different statements where you have to specify whether the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. After all, it takes a lot more than just reading a few books on the topic to be branded a cynic.
If you’ve cleared the test, then read on. If not, even then read on. The website gives no less than 714 reasons that justify the existence of cynicism. So there is a good chance that even if you were not a cynic earlier, you just might be converted. After all, there are enough reasons around what with living with back stabbers, hypocrites, dictators, software bugs, computer viruses and spam. Adding to this is the continuous headache of being underemployed, overworked, reprimanded, ignored, framed or demoted, and you will realise that this world is quite a difficult place to live in.
Of course, it is quite possible that besides these 700 plus reasons, there are other and more diverse reasons to be a cynic. If that is the case with you, then you will find the section on what you are cynical about, which is quite interactive and you can have your say about the subject, read others’ posts. Moreover, you can even find very unique reasons for cynicism.
While most cynicism comes for free at this website, you will have to pay for the Cynic’s Dictionary. But by the time you have finished reading this entire website, you may actually have had enough of it. Who knows, it may even turn you off! In any case, a few sample of definitions from that dictionary for presented for free, in the hope that they may motivate you into buying it.
For many, this may be a complete waste of time is terms of utility, but it is not such a bad reading for passing time. And besides, if you really are a cynic, it might just give boost to your ego!
To read more about the subject, log on to, http://www.i-cynic.com/
The website begins by explaining a brief history of cynicism. It is said that cynics have been here around since the time of Socrates, and the word is ‘cynic’ is actually derived from Greek which means dog. Yes ‘Dog’! This revelation may take away some people’s wish to join the club. There is a also section ‘What are Cynics?’ in which you can read up the entire history of who the earlier cynics were, about their beliefs and about the more famous ones.
This section goes on to explain the meaning of cynicism that has changed from earlier to the contemporary period. Further it has some of the dictionary definitions of cynicism contrasted with the need of it, so do not be amazed if you find yourself a cynic. If anything, this will certainly boost your ego.
Then comes the most interesting part: Are you actually a cynic? It is easy to label one’s self as a cynic, but to actually confirm that you are one, take the test given on this website. Called the ‘Official Cynic’s Self Test,’ this will present you some fifteen different statements where you have to specify whether the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. After all, it takes a lot more than just reading a few books on the topic to be branded a cynic.
If you’ve cleared the test, then read on. If not, even then read on. The website gives no less than 714 reasons that justify the existence of cynicism. So there is a good chance that even if you were not a cynic earlier, you just might be converted. After all, there are enough reasons around what with living with back stabbers, hypocrites, dictators, software bugs, computer viruses and spam. Adding to this is the continuous headache of being underemployed, overworked, reprimanded, ignored, framed or demoted, and you will realise that this world is quite a difficult place to live in.
Of course, it is quite possible that besides these 700 plus reasons, there are other and more diverse reasons to be a cynic. If that is the case with you, then you will find the section on what you are cynical about, which is quite interactive and you can have your say about the subject, read others’ posts. Moreover, you can even find very unique reasons for cynicism.
While most cynicism comes for free at this website, you will have to pay for the Cynic’s Dictionary. But by the time you have finished reading this entire website, you may actually have had enough of it. Who knows, it may even turn you off! In any case, a few sample of definitions from that dictionary for presented for free, in the hope that they may motivate you into buying it.
For many, this may be a complete waste of time is terms of utility, but it is not such a bad reading for passing time. And besides, if you really are a cynic, it might just give boost to your ego!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
A virtual feeling
A large number of activities, which are a part and parcel of everyday life, now come with the prefix 'e' for electronic, for instance, e- banking, e-mail and e-shopping to name a few. However, one aspect of personal communication, which has now fallen by and large to the electronic domain, is the trend of card sending and receiving. Yep, in this day and age, e-cards rule.
Previously, if one wanted to give someone a card on any occasion, whether it was a get well soon or Eid card, the process was long and required a lot of effort, like, going to a shop, browsing through all the cards available, reading the messages on them and then finally deciding upon the right one, writing down a personal message and then either giving the card in person or sending it by post.
Electronic cards make this process faster and more convenient. There is a much wider selection of cards available on various websites around the cyberspace. All you need is to browse the different websites, make your selection and enter the contact details and your message. The card will be instantly delivered to your recipient's mailbox and you will get an instant notification whenever the e-card is viewed.
Not only the e-cards but also their websites are quite attractive and appealing. Many websites allow you to edit and customise the card according to your preference. This flexibility to choose one's own colour scheme and in some cases, the text of the e-card itself, is one of their merits over conventional paper cards.
Another major advantage of electronic cards is that they are economical. Posting a card through mail would mean a drain on your budget plus you cannot even be sure if it will reach them on time or not. An e-card is free of such hassles.
However, as with everything else that is online, e-cards have their flip side as well. First and foremost, a lot of people feel that e-cards are just that - virtual. They are devoid of the real feelings with which a "hard copy card" is given. Electronic cards are considered by many to be highly impersonal.
But of course if one starts looking at it from that angle, then even the real cards can seem like mere wordiness. However, the effort that goes into sending a "hard copy card" does make the whole thing seem more real. Whereas an e-card by comparison is a mere point and click affair, which hardly takes more than five minutes.
One major issue related to e-cards is the numerous "mirror" websites, which have started to appear in cyberspace. There are now two categories of e-card websites. There is the "parent" website which is the genuine website, and then there are these "mirror" websites which contain almost the same layout as the parent website but they are faster to load and you can easily see the logo of the parent website imprinted on individual e-cards.
Some of these mirror websites are indeed harmless. But one major thing to keep in mind is that the mirror website can easily be a very sophisticated means of collecting email addresses, which means that you would be getting twice the amount of junk mail that you normally do. The best course of action is to be vigilant. Instead of giving out your personal email address here, it would be best for you to have a separate email address purely for sending out e-cards, so that even if you are spammed, at least it will not affect you that badly. After all, if that email address is purely for sending e-cards, then it's highly unlikely that you will be checking it that often.
While e-cards can be used as a means of spamming, they can also be used for phenomena called "phishing." In this you receive an email saying that says that you have received a greeting card. You click on the link and are told to enter your email address and password to access your card. And if you are naive enough to do that, then you will be given an assortment of e-cards to send them elsewhere rather than having access to any e-card sent to you. If any e-card website asks you to enter about your details to access your e-card, then warning bells should go off in your head. However, in spite of the cons, e-cards are quite popular.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Cut the clutter
Are you one of those people who, in spite of carrying a truck load of work, end up completing nothing? Do you begin your tasks just hours before the deadline? Are you stressed out because the list of your incomplete jobs keeps growing so that you are unable to keep track of them anymore? If your answer to any of these questions is a big yes, then it is time to get your life back in order.
Get Organized Now is a website that will help people who want to accomplish their tasks, whether household chores or workplace assignments, in the best possible manner. This website is flooded with ideas, newsletters, blog entries, checklists and much more to help one achieve one’s goals. The underlying aim is to assist people in organising their homes, offices and eventually lives.
But first thing first: Not everything on this website is for free. To avoid wasting time reading promotional material when you know you will not be ordering anything, visit the ‘Idea Pak’ section first after logging on. This section contains some very useful free stuff that this website gives out.
At the core of this free stuff is Idea Pak: a plethora of tips on how to manage time more effectively, manage clutter at home and office and set goals and priorities right. However, do not expect to find all this information on the website; you will have to enter your e-mail address to receive answer to your queries in your inbox. This also obviously means that you will be a recipient to all future updates on the website as well. Irksome, as this sounds – we all hate crowded inboxes – this is a small price to pay, particularly if Idea Pak actually helps us in getting ourselves organised.
Besides mailing ideas, there are other helpful sections on the website as well. For instance, quick tips are added in relevant sections regularly. One such tip says that we should have a special area in our room to serve as a ‘reading nook,’ comprising a chair, a side-table and of course, books. To perk up this space we can place bookmarks and a reading lamp. This little effort will ensure that we are motivated to take out time daily for some leisure reading.
The ‘Articles’ section is updated every month with how-to articles. At the time of writing this review, the articles pertain to clutter management, which one can imagine, is a huge issue with people. If you happen to be one of those people who are extremely reluctant to throw away even small bits of paper, you will probably benefit from the advice on how to de-clutter your home and avoid getting hit by the clutter bug.
The website also advertises many products like to-do list software and books like Easy Organizers, but obviously they are not for free. So either be willing to dole out cash, or make the best out of the articles, weekly newsletter, discussion forums, quick tips and the blog.
So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to organize yourself. Log on to http://www.getorganizednow.com/
Get Organized Now is a website that will help people who want to accomplish their tasks, whether household chores or workplace assignments, in the best possible manner. This website is flooded with ideas, newsletters, blog entries, checklists and much more to help one achieve one’s goals. The underlying aim is to assist people in organising their homes, offices and eventually lives.
But first thing first: Not everything on this website is for free. To avoid wasting time reading promotional material when you know you will not be ordering anything, visit the ‘Idea Pak’ section first after logging on. This section contains some very useful free stuff that this website gives out.
At the core of this free stuff is Idea Pak: a plethora of tips on how to manage time more effectively, manage clutter at home and office and set goals and priorities right. However, do not expect to find all this information on the website; you will have to enter your e-mail address to receive answer to your queries in your inbox. This also obviously means that you will be a recipient to all future updates on the website as well. Irksome, as this sounds – we all hate crowded inboxes – this is a small price to pay, particularly if Idea Pak actually helps us in getting ourselves organised.
Besides mailing ideas, there are other helpful sections on the website as well. For instance, quick tips are added in relevant sections regularly. One such tip says that we should have a special area in our room to serve as a ‘reading nook,’ comprising a chair, a side-table and of course, books. To perk up this space we can place bookmarks and a reading lamp. This little effort will ensure that we are motivated to take out time daily for some leisure reading.
The ‘Articles’ section is updated every month with how-to articles. At the time of writing this review, the articles pertain to clutter management, which one can imagine, is a huge issue with people. If you happen to be one of those people who are extremely reluctant to throw away even small bits of paper, you will probably benefit from the advice on how to de-clutter your home and avoid getting hit by the clutter bug.
The website also advertises many products like to-do list software and books like Easy Organizers, but obviously they are not for free. So either be willing to dole out cash, or make the best out of the articles, weekly newsletter, discussion forums, quick tips and the blog.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
What's cooking?
Whether we eat to live, or live to eat, there is no denying that we all enjoy good food. And many of us would recall the times when we craved for something more than, and other than the usual everyday cuisine. Normally we end up picking up the first menu card that we can reach, and order a pizza, or burgers and sink our teeth in the forbidden delights. Yet, there are times when our taste buds would rather opt for a scrumptious home-made recipe — but something that is different from everyday fare.
Recipe Zaar (http://www.recipezaar.com) is your answer to all these cravings. This website is must treat, not just for those who love cooking, but also those who enjoy good food. What is more, this website is not just about searching and printing recipes only. There is so much to do here that it can easily keep you occupied for hours.
But before anything else, create an account here, which is free and easy. Of course, you can browse many sections of this website even without signing up. But it is always smarter to create an account and then sign in as soon as you visit the site so that you can thoroughly enjoy all the member benefits.
The website has been divided into recipes, cookbooks, menus and a community. In the recipes section, you can browse more than 2,45,000 recipes which have been categorised in various ways. You can either browse them by courses (salads, appetisers, desserts etc.) or ingredients (say, if you want to make a chocolate flavoured dish) or for mealtimes like, brunch, lunch, dinner etc.
There are many other categories of browsing recipes as well, which you can use according to your requirement.
With each recipe that you view on the website, you have various options. You can correct typos or other errors. You can even review the recipe (and you do not necessarily have to have tried it beforehand). You can post your comments and suggests improvements or alterations to recipes as well.
The cookbooks have been uploaded by the members. If you feel you are a chef-in-making, or just are a cooking enthusiast, you can write your own recipes and upload your own cookbooks on the website. Other members will then be able to read, review and rate your recipes. Cookbooks are searchable by tags, for instance, Asian, cookies, desserts or vegetables. There are hundreds of tags and once you click on a tag, all cookbooks which have been tagged with that particular keyword will be displayed for you.
The community section is the place where you can carry on conversations with other cooking enthusiasts, and discuss the recipes that you tried and tested. If you are looking for a specific recipe, you can request it as well, and someone just might have it for you. As mentioned before, it can easily keep you occupied for hours.
There is also an elaborate help section for you, along with the frequently asked questions regarding the usage of this website and there is a kitchen dictionary too. Plus, there is a measurement converter in case you need to convert any measurements given in the recipe.
Probably the best thing is that unlike other cooking websites which have recipes with ingredients one cannot comprehend, let alone buy, this one has recipes for things as desi as ‘green chutney sandwiches.’ So basically, recipe zaar is the place to be for all the cooking buffs out there.
Recipe Zaar (http://www.recipezaar.com) is your answer to all these cravings. This website is must treat, not just for those who love cooking, but also those who enjoy good food. What is more, this website is not just about searching and printing recipes only. There is so much to do here that it can easily keep you occupied for hours.
But before anything else, create an account here, which is free and easy. Of course, you can browse many sections of this website even without signing up. But it is always smarter to create an account and then sign in as soon as you visit the site so that you can thoroughly enjoy all the member benefits.
The website has been divided into recipes, cookbooks, menus and a community. In the recipes section, you can browse more than 2,45,000 recipes which have been categorised in various ways. You can either browse them by courses (salads, appetisers, desserts etc.) or ingredients (say, if you want to make a chocolate flavoured dish) or for mealtimes like, brunch, lunch, dinner etc.
There are many other categories of browsing recipes as well, which you can use according to your requirement.
With each recipe that you view on the website, you have various options. You can correct typos or other errors. You can even review the recipe (and you do not necessarily have to have tried it beforehand). You can post your comments and suggests improvements or alterations to recipes as well.
The cookbooks have been uploaded by the members. If you feel you are a chef-in-making, or just are a cooking enthusiast, you can write your own recipes and upload your own cookbooks on the website. Other members will then be able to read, review and rate your recipes. Cookbooks are searchable by tags, for instance, Asian, cookies, desserts or vegetables. There are hundreds of tags and once you click on a tag, all cookbooks which have been tagged with that particular keyword will be displayed for you.
The community section is the place where you can carry on conversations with other cooking enthusiasts, and discuss the recipes that you tried and tested. If you are looking for a specific recipe, you can request it as well, and someone just might have it for you. As mentioned before, it can easily keep you occupied for hours.
There is also an elaborate help section for you, along with the frequently asked questions regarding the usage of this website and there is a kitchen dictionary too. Plus, there is a measurement converter in case you need to convert any measurements given in the recipe.
Probably the best thing is that unlike other cooking websites which have recipes with ingredients one cannot comprehend, let alone buy, this one has recipes for things as desi as ‘green chutney sandwiches.’ So basically, recipe zaar is the place to be for all the cooking buffs out there.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Hijabified Concerns during Weddings
When one talks about hijab generally, it is mostly to do with whether or not hijab is obligatory, who to observe hijab in front of and is the covering of face essential? Of course, these are all valid questions, which must be and have been answered at length by many scholars. This article then, will move away from these questions and look at a phenomena, which is, to say the least, quite disturbing when it comes to hijab. And that phenomena is the wedding of a hijabified girl.
The wedding itself, of course, is a happy occasion for all. But if the bride is someone who observes strict hijab, then certain guidelines automatically become binding, not only on her family members and in-laws, but on her friends as well. And, unfortunately, these very guidelines are the ones they usually choose to ignore. And sometimes, the fact is, they do not even think in those directions.
So, what are the directions? First and foremost, let's analyse some of our routine wedding practices. If you attend any wedding, you generally want to snap some photographs and take them back with you to either show them or email them to those family members who didn't attend. You also want to keep them with you as a token of good memories. But if the bride observes hijab, and she is dressed up for the wedding day only because the function is segregated, then ask yourself -- should you snap her photographs, while she is decked up?
The answer, of course, depends on who you will be showing the photographs to. If you cannot be careful about what you do with those photographs, it would be better not to snap them at all. After all, if those photos inadvertantly fall in the hands of someone who shouldn't be seeing them (namely your brothers or male relatives), it will be a gross violation of your friend's hijab on your part.
The second of our routine practices is making videos. The reasons are the same as photographs. This has become common especially after the advent of cell phone cameras. Now, everyone seems to have a video recorder on their cell phones, which is used liberally in weddings. Again, the same directions apply. If the bride observes hijab, it is better not to take her video. And in this day and age, when you have no idea when your cell phone might be snatched, it would be a good idea not to store any photos and videos in your phone. You have no idea in whose hands they might fall in and what he would do with them.
Coming back to weddings, one step which some families take is prohibiting photographs and videos altogether at their functions. If you go to such a wedding, and are stopped from taking a photograph, don't take any offence. Some people really do have issues with these things and it would be nice if you respect that.
Let's now talk about what generally happens during the wedding of a hijabied girl, and how, consciously or unconsciously, her friends and family members end up doing things, which are not only in gross violation of her hijab, but are also upsetting to the hijabified girls among the clan as well.
It is generally observed that irrespective of how strictly the bride observes hijab, a whole bunch of people from her own clan as well as in-laws surround her, snapping her photographs at random at a time when she is dressed up to the fullest, courtesy a segregated function. And even though there are girls who choose to be strict at that time and decline to be photographed, at the severe risk of offending even their in-laws, there are many others who don't dare to speak up in fear of being ostracized by their family later. The issue of these girls, of course, is that you don't know who the photographs might be showed to later on.
Another trend, which is generally witnessed during a hijabified wedding function is that the photographs are snapped by a female photographer. This is a positive step, no doubt about that. But then, the family or the in-laws give them to a male developer for printing. That, of course, defeats the entire purpose of a segregated wedding and a female photographer. The question arises, do you really need those photographs in print that badly so as to actually sacrifice someone's hijab on the way? Then, once the photographs are developed, huge albums are made and showed around to family members, whether they are male or female. Again, this amounts to nothing but a gross violation of the girl's hijab. And in this case, it is worse, because in some cases she doesn't even know that her album is being showed around indiscriminately.
Moreover, there are some families who just don't bother taking the hijab of the bride seriously. They end up having non-segregated functions, with male photographers. The poor girl has to pose in front of them for her wedding portfolio, because, in most of the cases, she is too scared to speak up.
At the end of the day, unfortunately, there are a very few people who actually follow a strict code to ensure that they respect the hijab of the girl getting married. Therefore, as a wedding attender, it becomes our responsibility to act sensibly and not only respect their hijab ourselves, but get others to do so too.
Advice for hijabified brides
This is a word of advice to all the hijabified girls getting married.
• Instead of running away when your wedding ceremony is being discussed, take an active part in it and ensure that all functions of your family are segregated. Make sure your family does not book a male photographer/male video maker.
• For the functions of the in-laws, get your parents to talk to your in-laws about having segregated functions and ensure there are no male photographers.
• There are loads of female photographers and female waitresses available. Get your family and in-laws to avail their services.
• Make sure your in-laws know your ideas about hijab and especially the fact that you are strict about it.
• Designate a couple of like-minded friends around you on the day of your functions to keep a watch out around you and politely request people against snapping your photographs indiscriminately.
• Be firm if you have to, and decline having your photograph taken indiscriminately yourself if you have to.
• Have your hijab handy so that you can quickly don it if any male members of your family come in the ladies section. You can ask a friend to hold on to your hijab for you and give it to you the minute you need it.
• If there is no way your family/in-laws agree to a segregated ceremony, get them to make a special enclosure for you so that you don't have to sit on the stage. You can also get a matching hijab stitched with your wedding dress so that your 'satar' is covered at all times.
• Understand that you cannot please anyone. There will be people who will be offended by your adherence to your hijab. Some will tell you off. Others will call you an extemist. Your key is to be firm, yet polite. And, of course, make loads and loads of duas to Allah Almighty to make things easier for you.
• Realise that there may be loads of girls attending your wedding who may look to you as their source of inspiration. If you falter in your hijab at this critical time, these hijabified girls might lose hope. And if you truly respect your hijab, it will inspire them to do the same, or at least convince them that there is such a thing as a hijabified wedding.
• And finally, learn to stand up for yourselves. Once you start voicing your concerns, a very clear message will go out that you are indeed very serious about your hijab and would like people to give it due respect. If you remain quiet, the automatic message that will go across is that you are one of those people who really don't mind anything going on. So, be firm on what you believe is right.
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