Culled from OFA

Starting: 1st Ramadan 1437.

Deadline: 30th Ramadan 1437.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation OIC is pleased to announce the first edition of Ramadan Social Media Photo Competition. The competition is open to all citizens of an OIC member state aged 18 and above. The winning pictures can depict social, economic and cultural aspect of the theme of the competition;

The Human Face of Ramadan .

Entries can depict Ramadan’s spirituality, generosity, spirit of sharing, gathering, divers Muslims’ traditions and cultures during Ramadan which all fall within the OIC’s objectives of promoting Islamic solidarity, brotherhood and cultural awareness.

Prize : 6 winners with 6 best photographs will be sponsored for Hajj pilgrimage.

Eligibility : Open to all citizens of an OIC member state aged 18 and above.

Award

The 6 winners with 6 best photographs will be sponsored for Hajj pilgrimage.

The prize is transferable to another person nominated by the winner.

If a winner is suspected to have committed fraud in the process of winning the competition, his/her winning slot will be awarded to the runner up in the competition.

Selection:

The pictures will be published on OIC website and social Media platforms throughout the month of Ramadan.

OIC special jury will then select 6 winners 2 weeks after the close of the competition using specific criteria and the winners will be announced on OIC website 3-4 weeks after the close of the competition.

How to enter the contest?

To enter the competition, simply upload a picture taken during the 1437 Ramadan fast depicting the Human Face of Ramadan. Including your name, age, location, date of the picture, tittle and a short caption. Only non-professional photographers with keen eye and creative mind are eligible to participate. Pictures entered for other competitions are not eligible. The competition closes on 30th Ramadan 1437 .

Entries received after this date will not be considered. Competitors must also like or follow OIC Social Media Platforms.

How to submit my photos?

You can submit your photos on www.oic-oci.org only and by filling the form below. For practical reasons, the upload process will not accept images greater than 7 MB.

Please ensure it is in JPEG format. OIC cannot be held responsible for problems associated with entry submission. Describe the view and location of the image so we can verify its authenticity and eligibility for the competition. (Languages: Arabic, English and French).

Caution: Please avoid digital manipulation. Your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it. Only photos deemed suitable for public viewing will be published on OIC website and Social Media platforms.

Many have wondered; scientists and even lay thinkers, how come some people get fatter during the fasting month. A lay thinker would make this hypothetical conclusion:  Those who get fatter are hypocrites who only pretend to be fasting. However, as a Biochemist, I've taken some time to research the true reason behind this mysterious swell in size. 

Here are my explanations::

Exaggeration of Sahur and Iftar: Almost everyone is a culprit of this. And of course, it is logical... The volume of fuel in a car determines how far it can travel. But,there is a but...eating so much leads to obesity. Remember? So, even though we don't eat during the day, it most times doesn't matter at all.

            Sleep, Sleep, Sleep:

 Ask around, most of those who get fatter during Ramadan probably sleep immediately after Fajr and after Taraweeh. And who said it is wrong to sleep at these times? Just make sure your fats are not bioaccumulating into obesity.lol...Some folks even sleep or hybernate  during the day in bid to minimize energy loss through work and strenuous activities.

King Diet: 

Seriously, most of us do not enjoy so much diversity in diet and nutrition as we do during Ramadan. We break with dates, orange, Banana or other variety of fruits. And we drink a whole lot of water to replenish the 14 hours old dehydration. After devouring appetizers, we move ahead to the main course; Fried rice and roasted chicken, Beans and plantain...ecetra. These contributes to the number calories we accumulate per day. As I said, I am a Biochemist, believe me when I say Ramadan is a great opportunity to get really chubby.

I added comments of some Muslims on the question

Do you gain or loss weight during Ramadan?

Here are the answers:

Yusuf Ibrahim: Lol...I don't notice. But I guess I remain the same. It doesn't matter if one loses or gains weight, but the norm is you are supposed to lose weight due to the rigorous activities...There're some individuals that their nature is just being bodied.....and that doesn't mean they didn't do ibaadat.

Akande Dhikrah: I remain the same...I don't know about others

Yusuf Ayodele: Well, I don't borther check my weight in Ramadan. But I think I become thinner.

Olatunji Mustapha: I think I remain the same

You can add yours in the comment box below .Asalamualeikum

One interesting thing about this news is the fact that it most likely will not end here. I am almost certain that Trump will hit back at the US president for taking sides with the Muslims. Just predictions though.
However,  it is obvious that Obama came out on Sunday evening with a will to enjoin good in the world when he said e

in written statement,

"For many, this month is an opportunity to focus on reflection and spiritual growth, forgiveness, patience and resilience, compassion for those less fortunate, and unity across communities," 

"Here in the United States, we are blessed with Muslim communities as diverse as our nation itself. There are those whose heritage can be traced back to the very beginning of our nation, as well as those who have only just arrived,"

And this is the part Trump might take personal:

"I stand firmly with Muslim American communities in rejection of the voices that seek to divide us or limit our religious freedoms or civil rights."
"We will continue to welcome immigrants and refugees into our nation, including those who are Muslim," he added.

But, please, let us begin to pray for our brothers and sisters in the United States. May Donald Trump not succeed in his dirty ambition of oppressing the Muslims. Ameen.

Okay, I'm half glad and half nervous that I'll be doing this. I'm not much of a writer, infact there's every possibility that you'd be a better writer than I am (and that's saying something, my fam can attest to my vanity).
However, what I'd like to pass on to you guys this week is how to write with "Emotional honesty". Some of my best pieces according to my critiques was when I *let go*; I wasn't worried about how many rhymes I could do or how big the words were. I wanted to my reader to feel my emotions. I poured my heart into it and though it didn't have that polished finish to it but it was raw with emotion and inherently honest. The thing is, when you write with your heart and sincerity and you're not trying to impress anyone, you say the things you're afraid to say normally. You've laid your heart bare for someone you've probably never met to see. I once saw a quote that said "A great writer must make a fool of himself" and I agree. At least in my experience, I'd say it's true.

As an active member on wattpad, I've come across stories written by people with English being their second, third and even fourth language and they struggle to write a story in English. However, I've stuck with the terrible grammar because I can see they have a story worth telling.

As a reader, I try to point out and help them convey their stories. I remember writing a story about some of my experiences as a teenager. I was very *coughs* rebellious back then and I ended up going to four secondary schools. Some of the experiences weren't so pleasant and I had no one to talk to about them. So before I entered university, I decided to write letters to people that had hurt me or touched me and I put the on wattpad. It's my least read books on wattpad, given that it's very short but every comment says almost the same thing, "I could feel her pain".
I hope reading this had opened your eyes to a thing or two.