Their mosque burned down in LA-area wildfire. They're still determined to gather for Ramadan
PASADENA, California — All that remains of Masjid Al-Taqwa is a sign that bears its name.
The mosque in Altadena, which served a tight-knit Muslim community for 42 years, burned to the ground in one of the Los Angeles area's deadliest fires in January — leaving the congregation heartbroken and without a place to pray and break their upcoming Ramadan fast together.
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10 hours ago
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Happy Meal Bakery: Chinatown's 20+ y.o. bakery serving moist banana cake, rich durian puff & silky egg tarts on a budget
As the heart of KL grows ever more congested, and the air turns thick with traffic fumes, it's no wonder some of us have quietly drifted away from it. I used to wander down Jalan Tun H S Lee often for the flower stalls lining the pavement. These days, even they've become more expensive, thanks to inflation and life's little inevitabilities. Perhaps it was the crowded display of sunflowers and baby breath spilling over the curb that kept me from noticing the establishment nestled just beside them: Happy Meal Bakery. If, like me, you've traded the city's chaos for quieter corners and haven't yet stumbled upon this humble, time-worn bakery, allow me to let you in on something lovely. I can't quite say how long they've been around. Some sources claim over 2 decades, while loyal customers say it's been even longer, recalling childhood afternoons spent picking out sweet treats from behind those same glass counters. Before my visit, I'll admit, my expectations were rather low. It's not that I have anything against old-school spots, but too often lately, the charm of nostalgia is dampened by steep prices or declining quality. There are bakeries I hold close to my heart, of course, but many have become occasional indulgences rather than everyday comforts due to, again, sky-high prices. When I arrived, I was met with rows of fresh bakes that looked anything but dry or dull, and the prices were refreshingly affordable. Even better, the bakery is Muslim-friendly. While it's not certified halal by JAKIM, they refrain from using pork, lard, or alcohol in their offerings. Not to spoil the surprise so soon, but I must confess. While picking out my treats, I kept reminding myself to not let greed get the better of me. Yet, less than an hour after returning home, with every crumb gone and not a trace left behind, I realised I'd made a grave mistake: I should've bought more. Either way, I settled with the popular options among customers (which I gathered from Google reviews), and let me bring you the first one: Banana Cake (RM5 for small). At first glance, it was already promising. It was the kind of cake with tight, generous pores that screamed moist, not dry. The surface had that gentle, almost glossy sheen, the kind that catches light like sun on ripened fruit. When I picked it up, the cake yielded ever so slightly to my fingers, leaving behind a light trace of oil. To me, that's a love letter from a banana cake that knows exactly what it's doing. Biting into it was nothing short of heavenly. The banana taste was there but not too overpowering on the palate. It was moist and fluffy, and most importantly, it wasn't too sweet! Kafei Dian: Dine under RM20 at century-old post office serving famous Hainanese chicken chop & Penang prawn noodles Next on the list was what I had imagined to be the banana cake's zesty cousin. Also priced at RM5 for a small portion, the Poppyseed & Cranberry Cake fell a touch flat. Instead of the tart brightness I'd anticipated, what I got was something closer to a standard butter cake. It lacked the punch of cranberry I had quietly looked forward to. Nestled at the bottom were just 2 solitary pieces of dried cranberry, as if they'd wandered in by accident and never made it to the party. But don't let that minor hiccup dampen your spirits, the show was far from over. From their cream puff offerings, I couldn't resist picking the Durian Puff (RM9 for 4 pieces), and what a glorious decision that turned out to be. For the price, the portions were more than generous. The pillowy puffs were each brimming with a luscious filling that seemed ready to escape at the lightest touch. Even before I took a bite, the unmistakable, heady perfume of durian greeted me like an old friend. Love it or loathe it, there's no mistaking that scent. And for me, it was a prelude to indulgence. The first bite was nothing short of divine. The sweet, bold essence of durian bloomed instantly, wrapped in a cloud of whipped cream that was rich without being cloying. The cream leaned slightly on the greasier side and wasn't the light-as-air type, but it melded beautifully with the durian. Of course, I couldn't leave without sampling the stars of the show, their famed tarts. I picked the Coconut Tart (RM3.50) and their classic Egg Tart (RM2.50). The Coconut Tart, at first glance, appeared a little on the dry side, the kind you'd expect to crumble the moment you touch it. But oh, how deceiving looks can be. It yielded effortlessly as I tore it in half, revealing a soft, semolina-based interior that held its shape beautifully. It was moist, dense, and almost fudgy in texture. The Egg Tart, too, split easily into 2 clean halves with nothing more than my hands. This one leaned towards the agar-like spectrum, rather than the creamy, custardy type. The egg flavour was subtle, understated, while the crust provided a delicate crunch without disintegrating into a shower of crumbs. It's been quite some time since an old-timer managed to charm me like Happy Meal Bakery did. While the Poppyseed & Cranberry Cake didn't quite hit the mark, the rest more than made up for it. Each bite quietly reminds me of why places like this still matter. By the next morning, I found myself already plotting a return, fingers twitching to tap my card to the nearest MRT station. Expected damage: RM2.50 – RM5 per pax Din Sun Kopitiam: Must-try affordable dragon fruit dim sum, salted egg bun & chee cheong fun in Chinatown The post Happy Meal Bakery: Chinatown's 20+ y.o. bakery serving moist banana cake, rich durian puff & silky egg tarts on a budget appeared first on
Yahoo
a day ago
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Editorial: The people of Central Florida stand as the real tribute to Pulse
The story of what happened in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, began with gunshots, pain and terror. Forty-nine lives lost, dozens more injured in bodies and souls. The violence unleashed by a single gunman at Pulse nightclub left scars on this community that will never disappear. And at long last, local leaders have a plan for a fitting memorial to that tragedy. But that is not the end of this story, and that memorial will not be the most important way the Orlando area honors the legacy of Pulse. Even before the sun set on that fateful day, Central Floridians were building their own monuments, written in flowers, candles, prayers and tears. In public spaces across the region, people gathered, strangers coming together to reassure each other that this ugly act did not represent what this community stood for. And before the eyes of the world, that steadfast insistence made a difference. Orlando rebutted any suggestion that it provided a haven for hatred — by responding to ugly violence with love, kindness and solidarity. That response was anchored in common but often unspoken knowledge. Even before the Pulse massacre, Orlando was known as a place where members of the LGBTQ community could live in relative peace, even though homosexuality was a crime in Florida until 2003, and same-sex marriage was only legalized in 2015. It was also recognized as a haven for people from all over the world — not just tourists, but those who came to this country looking for a new start, even if they didn't speak perfect English. Clubs like Pulse provided safe spaces for people regardless of sexuality, national origin or skin color to come together in safety, to dance, to celebrate their common humanity instead of focusing on their differences. But many of Orlando's neighborhoods, businesses and houses of worship also worked to ensure that all were welcome. That made Central Florida unusual, particularly in the South. But what happened after Pulse made it extraordinary. Even as the shock of the massacre reverberated, there was little tolerance for intolerance. We're certain that there were people who attempted to preach the massacre as the wages of this area's acceptance of alternative sexualities, or who attempted to use the Islamic ideology of the killer (who also died that night) as a wedge for anti-Muslim hatred. But those voices were barely heard — even when they came from presidential campaigns. Instead, the Orlando LGBTQ community quickly forged an alliance with local Muslim leaders and Latino organizations, standing together against the kind of persecution that each community had far too much experience with. This is the legacy of Pulse, and one that we need today more than ever. Over recent years, Americans have seen their state and national leaders attempt to exploit ugly prejudice for political gain. In Florida, elected leaders tried to parlay angst about drag queen story hours and overly 'woke' teachers to distract attention from their attempts to weaken the strength of public schools and erase history lessons that underscore the toll that hatred extracts from today's society. More recently, unfounded antagonism against immigrants is being used to sow fear across many Orlando-area communities. The goal seems obvious: Every attempt to divide our communities makes us more vulnerable, more easily manipulated, more vulnerable to acts of political aggression that can easily flower into actual violence. That reality also hit hard locally in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol: The revelation that many of the ringleaders and their misguided followers hailed from Central Florida was a gut check, but that knowledge was tempered by the understanding that these groups, who called themselves 'Oath Keepers' and 'Proud Boys,' were in fact too ashamed of their own hateful ideology to embrace it publicly. Within a year, Orlando residents will see the new Pulse memorial taking shape at the corner of Kaley Street and Orange Avenue, and it will be beautiful: A stirring, color-shifting tribute to the 49 angels who died that morning, and the community that is still brought to tears by their memory. But residents don't need to wait for architects or builders to remember those victims, or to protect their legacy. We honor the victims of Pulse by rejecting attempts to divide us, by celebrating our shared humanity, and by remaining Orlando United — not just today, but every day. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Ottoman-era burial found in Israel may violate Islamic tradition
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In an apparent violation of Islamic tradition, an Ottoman-era grave in Israel's Negev desert holds the remains of not one, but two people: a woman and a boy who might be her son. Islamic tradition states only one person should be buried in a single grave, although allowances can be made for practicality and emergencies. In this case, government archaeologists investigating the grave site, near Rahat in the northern Negev, were surprised to find two individuals in the same grave, which dates from a time when most of the Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul. Radiocarbon dates from the woman's bones are imprecise, but they suggest she died between the ages of 30 and 50 in the middle of the 19th century; her grave was opened again a few years later when the bones of the second person were added, and then they were both reburied. A small limestone slab was found at the head of the grave; tombstones are uncommon for Islamic graves, and the researchers think it was placed at the time of the unusual second burial. Archaeologists think the woman and boy, who lived to between 10 and 15 years old, may have been mother and son, and that the son had first been buried somewhere else. But his bones were likely dug up and reburied alongside his mother so they could be together in death, possibly because of an emotional belief by their living family. "The most important aspect of this find, in my opinion, is the emotional aspect that may have been involved in this unusual burial," Yossi Nagar, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), told Live Science. Related: AI analysis suggests Dead Sea Scrolls are older than scientists thought, but not all experts are convinced He noted that the grave was located in front of the ruins of an ancient mosque that may be from the seventh century and the earliest in Israel, perhaps because it was considered a spiritually important place. But it was impossible to know exactly why these two people had been buried in the same grave. "This is a practice that is unusual in the Muslim burial tradition," he said in an email. "There must be a story behind it!" Nagar added that it's likely, but not yet proven, that the boy was the woman's son. Their ages and sexes were determined through careful study of the bones and teeth. But no DNA studies were attempted, and the researchers noted there have been no successful attempts to extract DNA from bones found in the Negev. (DNA does not preserve well in extremely arid conditions.) Nagar is the lead author of a study published in the latest issue of the IAA journal 'Atiqot that describes excavations of the strange grave, which was unearthed in 2022 on the edge of the archaeological site at Rahat. The modern town is dominated by the descendants of formerly nomadic Arabs, called Bedouins, and archaeological excavations have revealed traces of settlements there since the Iron Age. The land that is now Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria came under Ottoman Turkish rule when they defeated the Mamluk Sultans in the 16th century; and Ottoman rule there lasted until late 1917 and 1918, when the British Army seized the region near the end of World War I. Archaeologist and historian Uzi Baram, a professor emeritus at the New College of Florida, told Live Science the unusual burial at Rahat may show that family feelings had overcome traditions. RELATED STORIES —'Very rare' African ebony figurines found in 1,500-year-old Christian burials in Israeli desert —3,300-year-old cave 'frozen in time' from reign of Ramesses II uncovered in Israel —Ancient cave burial of 'Jesus' midwife' may actually hold a princess The grave was "a moment in time, captured by archaeological excavation and research [and] a facet of the lives of the Bedouin of the Negev, a group otherwise in the shadows of archival records," he said in an email. Baram, who was not involved in the latest study, added the Arab and Ottoman periods in Israel were now better studied than before: "The archaeology of the recent past has become a standard practice, and has produced meaningful insights into historical developments," he said.
