Reasons why Islamic New Year is not celebrated with great happiness

Amun Jadeed (or Islamic calendar's new year) may fall on November 25, 2011 (this friday).
We all know that Islam follows the lunar calendar while Christianity follows the solar calendar. Also, as we know, the Islamic calendar starts from the time Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Makkah to al-Medina. From here begins the first year of the Islamic calender known as 'Hijri' or Migration. The Islamic calendar was organized and began being prsented as a calendar by the second righteous Caliph of Islam, Umar bin al-Khattab. Thus, according to the Hijri calender (or the Islamic calendar), Muharram is the first month of the Islamic year.
Many of my non-Muslim friends have asked the question that why isn't the Muslim new year celebrated with happiness and in ways similar to the Christian new year or the Chinese new year etc.
There are a few very important reasons for this which as Muslims, we cannot ignore.
Firstly, Islam has a different concept of celebration where permissive-style dancing of men and women together is not acceptable. Neither is consumption of alcohol or any other intoxicant allowed. All celebrations in Islam start with the remembrance of Allah and offering thanks to Him. The style of celebrations must be in accordance with the values of the Qur'an. Therefore, we are prohibited from celebrating in a way that would make us pass into a state where we have little or no control over ourselves. Practices that take away our faculty of being aware of Allah and our duties & responsibilities are totally disallowed. For this reason, all Muslims celebrations differ greatly from various modern-day non-Muslim celebrations.
Another reason is that the second righteous Caliph of Islam, Umar bin Khattab was assasinated on the 1st of Muharram after almost 20 years as one of the greatest rulers of the world. He was also a close friend and a relative of the Prophet. Umar bin Khattab's death is one of the most unfortunate and sad incidents in the history of Islam.
And after that in chronological history, the first 10 days of the month of Muharram also consist of the suffering and finally the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet, along with his entire family of women and children in the battle of Karbala. This is another extremely tragic incident in Islamic history.
Thus, the first day and first month of Muharram bring very sad memories to all Muslims. It would be highly insensitive to celebrate this month with happiness simply because it is the first month of the year.

Muslim Women attends national Physics conference

        This year’s Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (SPVM) was held at Andres Bonifacio College in Dipolog City. The annual event, now on its 13th, was a three-days activity that educate, update and allow interactions between physicists from all over the Philippines. This conference was held from October 20-22, 2011.

       Among the participants (more than 1600), there were three female Muslims. Their outfits were so distinct from the crowd. Just like any other “practicing Islam” women, they were beautifully covered from head to toe. They are the following.

1. Shalima Arriola, a Physicist from Basilan. She got her BS Physics degree from Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City and she is now working at Basilan State College, in Isabella City, Basilan.

2. Fareedah Matanog. A high school Physics teacher. She finished her BS Metallurgical Engineering in 1996 at Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). She is presently working at Datu Calaca High School, in Marantao, Lanao Del Sur.

3. Ameera Jose. She is a BS Physics student at Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City. She is one of the authors of the scientific paper entitled “Aviation’s worst nightmare: microburst” published nationally by October 2011.

          History has it that, precisely in 8th to the end of the 13th century, Islam had patronized and fostered the Greek scientific heritage in the field of medicine, astronomy,mathematics, physics, chemistry and philosophy. Islam continued to add new scientific achievements which bear witness that Muslim were deeply and seriously interested in scientific research. It was on the cream of the Islamic scientific achievement of Andalusia that the European Renaissance and its modern scientific inventions were based.

       These three brave women are among the very few Muslims in the field of Physics here in Philippines, who serve as catalysts to motivate us and the future generation to lead the "revival" of scholastic attitude and scientific advancement in this modern age among muslims.

        To these sisters, More power to all of you!