'If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and a short black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never before worn such revealing clothing while in my father's presence.

As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us.Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget.

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'Hana, everything that Allah made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them.'

He looked at me with serious eyes. 'Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.'
Source: 'More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes.'

Turning off your television will gain you, on average, about 4 hours per day. Imagine if you took that time to exercise, give your brain a workout and develop strong relationships. Not only would you be adding years to your life, you would become more interesting, energetic, and fun. So take the plunge and try not watching TV for a week. At first it will be strange and awkward, but stick with it and soon you will love all the extra time.

1. Television Eats Your Time
The average U.S. adult watches more than 4 hours of television a day. That's 25 percent of waking time spent every day. Imagine if you suddenly had 25 percent more time -- that's three extra months per year! You could get in all your exercise, cook your meals from scratch and still have time left over to write a novel.

Over a lifetime, an 80-year-old person would have watched 116,800 hours of television, compared to only 98,000 hours of work. As a nation, adults watch 880 million hours of television every day or 321 billion hours per year. Whew! Imagine what could get done if we all just stopped watching TV.

2. Television makes you stressed
With the average of four hours a day gone, it's no wonder everyone is feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. We put aside paying bills, finishing projects, making phone calls and cleaning our homes to watch TV. We feel overwhelmed because of all the things we should be doing (exercising, spending time with family, eating right) go undone.

And when we feel overwhelmed, tired, and exhausted we don't have energy to anything but -- you guessed it -- watch TV. It is a dreadful cycle. So take a break from TV for a week and see what happens to your life.

3. Television Makes You Overweight
Eating while distracted limits your ability to assess how much you have consumed. According to Eliot Blass at the University of Massachusetts, people eat between 31 and 74 percent more calories while watching TV.

This could add, on average, about 300 calories extra per TV meal. Now consider that at least 40 percent of families watch TV while eating dinner. It becomes clear that TV is a big part of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and that TV, in fact, makes you gain weight.

4. Television Makes You Uninteresting
Many people have whole conversations that are recaps of TV programs, sporting events and sitcoms. When asked about their real lives, there is little or nothing to report and no stories to tell (except the TV shows they have watched).

Life is too interesting and wonderful to spend your time either watching TV or recapping television to your friends. Find something interesting to do: volunteer, read, paint -- anything but watch more TV.

5. Television Ruins Your Relationships
A television is turned on an average of 7 hours and 40 minutes per day in many U.S. households. With the TV on that much, there is little time for you and your significant other or children to spend time together, share experiences, and develop deeper relationships.

Sitting together and watching TV does not grow a relationship. Turn that TV off and find something to do together --cooking, exercising, taking a walk, anything.

6. Television is Not Relaxation
TV is the opposite of exercise. If you are watching TV you are usually sitting, reclining or lying down. You are burning as few calories as possible. All that extra food you eat while watching TV does not get burned off. Your brain goes into a lull.

But you are not relaxing -- your mind is still receiving stimuli from the TV, you are processing information and reacting emotionally. Have you ever found yourself thinking about TV characters? Do you ever dream about TV shows? These are signs that the brain is working hard to process all the TV you have been watching.

7. Television Loses Opportunities
If you are sitting and watching TV, nothing new or exciting is going to happen to you. New opportunities and ideas come from being out in the world, talking to people, and reading interesting things.

Watching TV isolates you. Nothing is going to change in your world if you are watching TV. Turn off the TV, go out into the world, talk to people, and see what happens.

8. Television is Addictive
Television can become addictive. Signs of TV addiction include:

• using the TV to calm down
• not being able to control your viewing
• feeling angry or disappointed in how much TV you watched
• feeling on edge if kept from watching
• feeling a loss of control while watching

If the idea of giving up TV for a week is horrifying, you may be addicted to television. Luckily, TV addiction is a habit and not a physical addiction like smoking. You should be able to control it once you are aware of the problem and make a decision to change.

9. Television Makes You Buy Things
By age 65, the average American has seen 2 million commercials. Your knowledge of products and brands comes from these TV commercials. Your perception of what you need also comes from these commercials.

If you didn't know that your iPod could talk to your running shoes, you wouldn't feel like your current shoes are too low-tech. If you didn't know about vacuums that never lose suction, your current vacuum would seem fine. Our perception of need is determined by what we see. Need less by watching less TV.

10. Television Costs Money
A basic cable package costs $43 per month and many packages cost much more than that. That comes to at least $500 a year spent on TV. For that much money you could: buy a membership to every museum or zoo in your town, get a gym membership, buy a nice bicycle, invest it every year for 10 years at 10 percent interest* and have more than $10,000.

Sources: TvTurnOff.org; US Census Bureau

Jamiat Comment: There isn't much left to say except that for a Muslim home the most dangerous part about the TV is that it corrodes Islamic values. All the sex, violence, bad language and rotten attitudes of characters on TV have turned generations of innocent young children into monsters which even their parents cannot recognize. And then we ask ourselves: where did we go wrong as parents?

Added to that, the TV is without doubt the most powerful propaganda machine ever created by man. Want to make the masses beleive in something? Show it on TV. In this way our children accept the worked ideologies of the atheists and liberals without even being concsciously aware of it!.

There is only one solution – Break the TV and then throw it into the garbage bin. This may seem harsh, but there is no time left for subtleties. Get rid of that Shaytaan box immediately, and feel the goodness return to your home.

* remember that this article is not written by a Muslim, hence the mention of consuming interest. This is obviously incorrect for a Muslim, as interest is Haraam. But the principle behind what the author is saying applies to Muslims as well: save your money and invest in some Halaal way.

Transcript of video: Rev. Kenneth Meshoe speaking to his supporters

“There are other countries that I believe God wants us to help. Now we need to talk about this because it is God’s appointed time. The other country we need to help is Israel. I am very concerned about what’s happening in the US at the moment. It looks like the Democratic Party is going to win, if we judge on what is happening right now. I mean they still have a number of months but anything can happen but judging from what’s happening now looks like Hillary Clinton will win and Ossa …Obama might be (unintelligible). Obama who is a Muslim might be his deputy. Now if the Democratic Alliance..the Democratic Party in America wins, they are going to change their position against Israel. They are going to turn against Israel. Some people do not understand the importance of standing with Israel. Some people don’t understand it. Let me say one or two things about it. Genesis 12:3 That the Lord says those who bless you I will bless and those who curse you, I will curse. Let me paint two scenarios for you. During the height of Apartheid in South Africa, when South Africa was isolated, when South Africa was hated by many nations and countries in the world..actually all countries… do you know that Kenyan passport was endorsed authorized to travel all over the world except South Africa. South Africa was almost like a swearword…. almost like a swearword. During that time the wise thing that was done by the National Party government for them not to see the country sink was to stand with Israel. The National Party government prayed for Israel, they stood with Israel and I’m told the Israeli jets were refueling in .er .what’s .. … Woodspruit. Er.. ok….They were having…Because South Africa stood with Israel God ensured that it does not sink even though her back was against the wall. Alright? Today America owes IMF and the World Bank much more than Zimbabwe owes. Some people don’t know that. America owes more than Zimbabwe. And yet America's economy is still strong today. What’s the secret? America stands with Israel. And the Gods of Israel is stopping them from collapsing. When the Twin Towers.. I just forgot something important I’ll come back to that when (unintelligible) but today I can’t commit myself..I forgot. When the Twin Towers were bombed, it was after a decision that was made by Congress against Israel I forgot was told I forgot what happened but God allowed that to happen to shake them. If you realize..if you remember Ariel Sharon, the former prime minister of Israel is still in a coma today. When did he go into a coma? After forcing his people to leave Judea and Samaria…he went into the coma. It’s true. This is history. Look at the facts. What am I saying friends: those who bless Israel, God has promised to bless them. So now if the Democratic Party of the US wins the elections 2008, and then Israel in the United Nations has nobody standing with them. Let me put it this way: if the Democratic Party wins the elections in 2008 to me that will almost be like a guarantee that the ACDP is going to win in 2009 so that we can stand with Israel in (unintelligible). So watch American politics, watch American politics. I say if the Democratic Party wins the elections, knowing that they are going to turn against Israel and Israel will be without somebody standing with them in the United Nations, to me that will be like a one hundred percent guarantee that 2009 appointed time will be manifested. Because we must stand with Israel. The African continent has to change her attitude towards Israel. Many leaders on the continent who have betrayed their people have taken bribes from the Muslims. Ok? They have taken bribes.But Islam cannot do anything for the continent of Africa. They cannot do anything for the continent of Africa. Those who know what the Israeli scientists can do..those who read, check who won the most Nobel Peace prizes The most were won by Israelis because there is just something that God has decided to do with that nation. That’s why he says those who stand with me.. those who bless them, he is going to bless them. So they have their expertise, they have the qualifications to help Africa out of poverty In famine they are among the best. They know how to make a desert to blossom. They know how to do that. So they can help us. I’m telling you I know they want to help us. That is why it’s important that ACDP must help Israel. Even if it means that the Lord allows ACDP to win the elections just to stand with Israel..God is going to do that. God is going to do that. Those who bless them, he is going to do what? …he is going to bless.”