I have this probably annoying habit of exclaiming, “Praise be to Allah!” to signal relief. I do it in a variety of languages and at least once a day.
I need to bring some paperwork to campus but I’ve been leaving it at home for weeks. This neurotic game has been going on for at least two months, and today I arrived on campus and had a horrible suspicion that I had left the papers at home yet again. But then I reached into my handbag and discovered the paperwork there.
So I’m standing in the university parking lot, bellowing, “Praise be to Allah!” when a young man approaches me.
“Yes, me, too!” he exclaims. “Muslim! From Pakistan! Muslim! Nice to meet you!!!”
He looked like he had tears in his eyes, so I didn’t want to disappoint.
“Assalamu alaikum!” I said enthusiastically.
“Student?” the man asked.
“Professor,” I said with a quiet dignity that must have looked a bit preposterous in somebody who had recently been speaking loudly to herself in a parking lot and who can’t manage to bring a stupid piece of paper to campus for two months.
“Oh! Oh!” the young man exclaimed, beaming. “This is a GOOD university.”
“The best,” I responded with conviction.
Clarissa's Blog 
Oi. If you visit Israel, you will need to be careful, not to do that.
A true case: one Russian-speaking immigrant woman loudly calls another by her name in a public place: “Alla! Alla!” A third woman stops the former. Since many terrorists shout “Allah ahbar!” before exploding, people may become frightened. If an armed guard would hear that and think … Unpleasant.
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I shouldn’t have laughed when I read this disturbing story but I did. Man, this is a disturbing story.
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Do laugh. It’s better than numerous other reactions.
Now read about frightening incident on a school bus for Jewish kids in Australia:
Bondi racist bus attack: Jewish schools on alert after eight men threaten to cut schoolchildren’s throats
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/bondi-racist-bus-attack-jewish-schools-on-alert-after-eight-men-threaten-to-cut-schoolchildrens-throats/story-fni0cx4q-1227015860427?nk=6e39e607ae66ab83aed44abd4b9e8766
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What can I say about Australia that will not upset my numerous Australian readers?
Australians, your country is becoming a racist, sexist cesspool, and that sucks.
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and peace be upon you Clarissa, remembering YOU are the Diety, Goddess!
…observer Jules….
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I always like your comments, Jules. 🙂
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しかたがない 。。。Shikataganai — it can’t be helped.
Apparently I can’t type in the kana for “shikataganai” within the text entry box for your blog … sumimasen, y’all. 🙂
(I say “shikataganai” instead, BTW.)
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Wow, that’s strange, it showed up as invisible hiragana that I couldn’t see.
Shikataganai. 🙂
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