Archive for the ‘Youth Development’ Category
Administrator on September 3rd, 2010
The Youth – Muslims or otherwise- throughout the world are facing many challenges.
In Britain more than 50% of the Muslim population is under the age of 25. Although Muslims are the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK, their success rate overall in the mainstream activities has not been a source of pride for the youth themselves or their parents and there are many psychological, social, political, cultural and economic reasons for that. In the recent years, there has been increasing rates of involvement in crime & violence, drugs use, gang culture and anti-social behaviour. In additions, there are further issues around relationships, mental health, school drop-outs and unemployment.
Youth Committee of MINAB- the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board-recognizes that British Muslim community has a serious challenge on its hands: to ensure that it invests in today’s children (tomorrow’s adults) so that the youth play a more fulfilling role in British society. It requires all partners involved in the upbringing of the youth working towards this objective and not wait for a crisis to occur and then react.
From religious perspective, parents, teachers, mosques and Imams, youth workers and social workers all need to work together to help the youth overcome these issues & challenges.
MINAB and Leeds Makah Mosque in join venture with Muslim Youth Skills has organised a programme around the theme: ‘A Time to Invest’. This event will cover the importance in investing in our future generations.
The event is held on Friday 3 September 2010 after Taraweeh prayer at Leeds Makkah Mosque.
The event is open to everyone.
Speaking about the event, MINAB Youth Committee chair, Qari Asim, said: “Youth are the community of tomorrow. The British Muslim Community needs to transform the mindset towards youth and development to embrace youth as equal partners in the decision making and problem solving processes of their community. It is an investment that is most needed in our community.”
Administrator on June 29th, 2010
Leeds Makkah Mosque, in conjunction with leading local and national organisations, invites you, your friends, colleagues and contacts to an event entitled ‘Communities United – Working Together for a Brighter Future’ on Wednesday 7 July 2010 at 2:30pm – 5.30pm to mark the 5th anniversary of the atrocities committed against civilians in London on 7 July 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leeds/10535443.stm
Makkah Mosque truly believes that the diversity of British society is a source of great national pride and is something that should be passionately celebrated and promoted. It has long been leading the way in holding multi-cultural events to celebrate community, culture, sports and commerce – some of the areas where diversity is a strength.
The programme will consists of worksops and inpiring speeches.
The workshops will be held between 2:30 pm – 4.00 pm and will cover issues that are common to all communities, including ‘caring for the world (environment & sustainibility)’, ‘sports breaking barriers’, ‘Islam in the media’ and ‘business connecting communities’. Brodrick Clarke, Director of Programs for the Ali Center, Louisville US, will lead a youth workshopThe core aim of the workshops is to bring people of different backgrounds together to meet, learn and connect around issues of common interest and universal appeal so that inter-community relations are enhanced.
Following the workshops, talks will be delivered by politicians, sports personalities, media representatives and entrepreneurs between 4:15-5:15pm.
http://www.myyorkshire.org/playback-video.asp?journeyid=141&resourceid=265
The Keynote speakers will be Kristiane Backer, TV presenter and journalist, and Greg Roberts, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center in the US.
Greg Roberts said that the Ali Center is honored to be a part of Communities United event. “Our headquarters is located in Louisville, Kentucky, a Sister City of Leeds so we are especially excited to be involved in this partnership and to formally recognize the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost in the 7/7 bombings.”
Roberts continued by saying, “Our mission embraces the promotion of respect, hope, and understanding among cultures through our outreach and educational initiatives. And the Center’s founder, Muhammad Ali, embodies the values that we hope will inspire people around the globe to break down barriers among us and embrace our commonalities in order to bring about true healing in the world. We are proud to be a part of this effort.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/faiths-unite-in-leeds-five-years-after-london-bombings
TV presenter and journalist Kristiane Backer will be amongst the speakers and has said “As a Muslim, I am deeply distressed at those who contort the values of my faith and its commitment to peace and justice for their own corrupt means. Life is sacred in Islam. My faith teaches me to serve God by positively contributing to society; to care for the weak and the elderly; to be kind to animals and to protect the environment.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features/JULY-7-Five-years-on.6404673.jp
The Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, commented: “The event has been organised to remember those who lost their lives in the tragic London bombings on 7/7 and also to remember all those lives that are still being lost throughout the world due to violent extremism. Makkah Mosque’s message is clear and simple – those who resort to violent extremism in the name of Islam are not following the true teachings of Islam.
The event will also seek to highlight the positive way in which communities have moved forward and have been working tirelessly for a peaceful co-existence.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/06/bombings-brought-out-best-leeds
The Chair of the MINAB, Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, expressed his support for the event by commenting, “We at the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board recognise and welcome the efforts of Makkah Mosque which has worked in collaboration with their local community to promote a culture of peace, harmony and tolerance amongst the diverse communities of Leeds.
The tragic events of 7/7 touched everyone’s hearts. The Muslim community in Leeds recognised the misrepresentation of their faith by the perpetrators of the attacks, who used religion as a despicable cover for their actions. These actions could never be justified in the name of Islam. Their attempts to divide communities in creating an atmosphere of mistrust and fear have largely failed.
Today’s events mark the coming together of those communities, who stand united together against all forms of hate which so often manifest itself into unspeakable violence. MINAB takes pride to support this event as well other similar forthcoming initiatives by its members.”
http://www.makkahmasjid.co.uk/wp/index.php/category/media-coverage/page/2/
Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds said:
“We are proud to support the Connecting Communities Workshop. As well as raising the profile of Leeds to a national and international audience, we also work with the local community through a programme of festivals and events, to celebrate and promote the culture and diversity of our city.
“This workshop, which marks the anniversary of a tragic event, will bring communities together to encourage inter-community relations and highlight the way that people in the Leeds city region work together to make the city a better place for residents and visitors alike.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, in whose constituency Makkah Mosque is located expressed his views on the forthcoming event in the following statement:
“The terrible events of 7/7 and the links to Yorkshire and to Leeds were a shock to all of us, but in the days and weeks afterwards, the community in Hyde Park and Headingley really pulled together and that strength of unity was crucial to taking us forward.
”Five years on, I am very pleased to be able to attend this important event at the Makkah Mosque to highlight the real progress that is has been made in bringing the community closer together and working together for the benefit of all.”
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=13437
Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, sent his apologies for not being able to attend in person and added:
”I applaud you for holding this commemorative event, wish you well in your work in the future and hope that we can continue to work together to realise our shared vision of a modern, multi-faith, multi-cultural Britain in which opportunity is equal for all.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/leeds-today-good-grub-holbeck-walks-and-city-varieties
Fabian Hamilton, MP for Leeds North East praised the continued working together for the welfare of our fellow citizens in the following words:
”I have always felt that my dear friends in the Leeds Muslim Community are like my family, my brothers and sisters – that we are part of one another – and that our connection becomes stronger as the years pass and as we continue our work together for the welfare of our fellow citizens, whatever their faith or background.”
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/and/My-Passion-One-man39s-unique.5668099.jp
Director, the Home Office sent well wishes as follows: ”I would like to wish you every success for the commemorative event that you are holding on the 7th July. You should be rightly proud of the positive work that Makkah Mosque, and its partner organisations, have undertaken across UK communities over a number of years. Thank you for your invitation for the Home Office to attend – please accept our apologies that were unable to do so.”
Leeds Rugby Foundation are fully behind th aims and objectives of the event, with Connecting Communities Manager Ikram Butt adding: “While in many respects sport is trivial compared to the tragedy suffered in the name of extremism, it is still a vital vehicle for bringing people together as players, volunteers or fans in common aims.”
“We are very aware in Leeds and the surrounding areas of the power of sport, in particular the community and family-based ethos of rugby league, which can be used to break down perceived barriers.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Event partners and supporters include the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), HRH Prince of Wales’ charity Mosaic, Marketing Leeds, Muhammad Ali Center, GFEvents, Leeds Rugby Foundation, Yorkshire Cricket Board, ABDN, Together4Peace, White Ribbon Campaign and Concord.
Administrator on June 12th, 2010
When the tragic events of 7 July 2005 occurred in London, the Muslim community shared the national sense of sadness and revulsion. But these emotions were soon to be clouded by an uncomfortable awareness that certain parts of society was associating the whole of the Muslim community with the mindless acts of a few individuals, and Muslims were being tarnished as “terrorists”, “extremists”, “fundamentalists” and “the other”.
In particular, for the British Muslim community of Leeds, the city from which a number of the instigators of the atrocities were from, the whole situation was extremely intense. The media attention that followed the attacks was a truly surreal affair; the narrow terraced streets of the suburbs of Hyde Park and Beeston were suddenly besieged by an international array of press and TV journalists presenting a community unrecognisable to the local residents, apart from the familiar sights of the local butcher’s shop, curry house and chip shop. Makkah Masjid itself – built some 2 years previously through the generosity and sincerity of the local Muslim community – became the preferred backdrop against which much of the media reporting took place.
The days that followed 7/7 were difficult. There was fear of reprisal from the far right and of heavy handed policing. Anger too at the way the events were being reported with the whole community being made to feel that it was on trial. And added to this, contradictory claims around how this was or was not connected to what continues to happen in Muslim lands such as Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. No wonder then that the resulting confusion was made worse by attempts to reconcile the seeming ordinariness of the alleged bombers with the carnage that they had caused.
Given this situation Makkah Masjid felt that it was incumbent on it to take a number of positive actions to try to identify some of the factors that contributed to the atrocities, with the aim of working towards tackling these. The actions Makkah Masjid took included:
i) increasing its engagement with the youth to identify factors which may have contributed to the catastrophic events, listening to the voices of disengaged youth to identify what they see as the key issues that are challenging their community and what mosques and Islamic institutes can do to overcome those challenges or what guidelines masajid can provide in respect of those challenges.
ii) Makkah Masjid also enhanced its mission of bringing to the locality an authentic Islamic voice which was both compassionate and scholarly – a voice that would convey a message rooted in sacred knowledge, branching out into a community in crisis.
iii) the Mosque has assumed a significant role in promoting understanding and tolerance between different cultural and faith groups.
In respect of engaging the youth, Leeds Muslim Council, the management committee of Makkah and Madina Masjids, held a number of workshops in Makkah Mosque, Madina Masjid and in Woodsley Community Centre. The workshops:
1) Discussed the concept of the Muslim and British identity and the challenges that were likely to arise as a result of the catastrophic events of 7/7;
2) Inspired the youth to be proud of their multiple identities and work towards a higher aim of benefitting everyone with the best elements of those identities;
3) Addressed the barriers to our youth being successful in this life and the next;
4) implemented a local youth project in Leeds to start addressing some of the responsibilities British Muslim youth have towards each other and the wider community.
As part of the findings of the workshops it was decided that annual youth conferences would be held in order to discuss religious, social, political and economic challenges and opportunities that Muslims faces living in Britain. These workshops would also analyse how young British Muslims can contribute positively to all aspects of British life.
It was also agreed that in order to assess the progress, 5 years on from 7/7 a number of extended workshops would be held in the summer of 2010 to analyse whether:
- the challenges faced by Muslims in Britain have been overcome;
- the engagement of Muslim youth has in fact increased;
- the disenfranchised British Muslim youth feel more engaged;
- the integration process has been streamlined;
- the distinction between “fundamental” and “modern” Muslim has disappeared or
- the opportunities offered by Britain have been taken up by British Muslims;
- the contribution of British Muslims to the social, political and economic fields has increased or decreased; and
- the vilification of British Muslims in the media has got better or worse.
It is now 5 years on from 2005 and Leeds Muslim Council and Young Minds has started the workshops. Young Muslims are portrayed in the media in the context of radicalisation, but their lives are far more complex than this. Much is written about young Muslims but their voices are rarely heard. These workshops aim to explore the issues of multiculturalism, Islamism and the experiences of Muslims in Britain in the light of the events of 9/11 and 7/7 and the policies and practices developed as a result of those tragic events.
These workshops are organised in partnership with the Mosques and National Advisory Board (MINAB): http://minab.org.uk/.
The first of these workshops took place on Sunday 16 May 2010. The theme of the workshop was “The Participation of Youngsters in the Mosque”.
The second of these workshops aims to identify the key challenges facing British Muslim youth today and explore practical ways in which these challenges can be managed or overcome.
This workshops will give youngsters an opportunity to air their views on issues including Mosques, madrashas, radicalization, Islamophobia, extremism, policing, body-scans, PREVENT agenda, citizenship, media, body-scans, hate crime, discrimination, challenging the violent extremist ideology
and supporting mainstream voices.
The third of these workshops will explore the opportunities presented by Britain and how Muslims are benefitting from those opportunities or can benefit from those opportunities.
The next workshop will take place on Sunday 13 June 2010 at 2:30pm.
The third workshop will take place on Sunday 11 July 2010.
Makkah Mosque, Young Minds are committed to young people find their voices within mosques, their own community and throughout society so that their aspirations can be met and their contribution can be recognized. These workshops are aimed at achieving those aspirations.
For further details, please contact: mail@makkahmasjid.co.uk or info@minab.org.uk
Administrator on May 13th, 2010
The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) consists of four umbrella organizations, namely the British Muslim Forum, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Muslim Association of Britain and the Al Khoei Foundation. The MINAB is a community-conceived and community-led initiative. It aims to facilitate good governance in mosques and improve the standards of services provided therein through a system of self- regulation.
The MINAB has a number of committees working on various projects. The MINAB Youth Committee is concerned with engaging the Youth in mosques. The Youth Committee believes in the contribution that all young people can make to the vibrancy of any community. The aim is to unlock the potential and listen to the voice of the youth: “hear them say”. With this in mind, the MINAB Youth Committee is organizing a number of workshops up and down the country to engage the Muslim youth in mosques.
These workshops will consist of talks about the role of the youth in Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a role model for the youth, discussions around “My ideal mosque” and “my ideal event” and role plays.
The Chair of the MINAB Youth Committee, Qari Asim, said that “the MINAB Youth Committee seeks to empower young Muslims across the country and facilitate their engagement in mosques. Youngsters are the future of our community and it is imperative to the future success of our mosques that we engage with them to make mosques more accessible to them.”
The following workshops are taking place on Sunday 16 May 2010 in Leeds and Blackburn
Leeds Workshop Time - 10:30am -2:30pm
Blackburn Workshop Time – 2:30-8:00
The MINAB will urge its members to take this opportunity and hold these workshops in their mosques and madrasahs for youngsters. For further details, please contact: info@minab.org.uk or mail@makkahmasjid.co.uk
These Workshops will develop leadership pootential and enhance management and team working skills.
These Workshops are FREE and open to Muslim men and women.
Refreshments will be available.
Administrator on April 13th, 2010
It is that time of the year again when mehafil and gatherings are held in honour of Professor Hafiz Fateh Muhammad Sahib (May Allah have mercy on his soul) in Makkah Masjid and in the houses of those who were very close to him. It has been five years since Professor Hafiz Fateh Muhammad Sahib suddenly passed away on the evening of 26 April 2005 (17th Rabi ul-Awwal 1426).
Hafiz Fateh Muhammad Sahib (May Allah bless his soul) always used to say that a person leaves this world doing the same activities he indulged in during his lifetime. Therefore, rather than indulging in those activities that are forbidden in Islam or are disliked by Allah and His Messenger, Muslims should keep themselves occupied in those activities and actions which will bring them closer to their Lord, so that when they leave this world, they do so doing those activities which are considered as acts of worship. We see that this was very true of Hafiz Sahib as he passed away whilst sitting in the mosque, reading a biography of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). About 45 minutes before his departure from this world, Hafiz Sahib had given a lecture on the Holy Qur’an in the daily study circle that he had been holding for the past 10 years.
Hafiz Sahib’s whole life revolved around learning, reciting, teaching and reflecting on the Holy Qur’an and studying, discussing and honouring our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He dedicated his life to the Qur’an and Sunnah, following the perfect example of the Prophet (May Allah shower blessings on him).
Professor Qari Fateh Muhammad Sahib was of very few distinguished Ulemas who excelled in both worldly and religious knowledge and understanding. He was indeed an inspirational figure who benefitted his community tremendously through teaching them the knowledge of Islam. He was a great believer in having inner peace, which would lead to establishing peace in the world. In order to provide a beacon of light, guidance, love and hope to mankind, he founded Leeds Makkah Masjid and Deen Foundation.
We pray to Allah (swt) that He grants Hafiz Sahib the highest place in Paradise, and grants him the company of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the Day of Judgement and in Paradise. Ameen.
A Jalsa and annual gathering in memory of Professor Hafiz Fateh Muhammad Sahib will be held at Leeds Makkah Masjid on Sunday 18 April 2010 at 2:30pm after the ZUHR PRAYER. In the gathering, Professor Sahib’s students, colleagues and contemporaries will talk about the life and works of the ambassador of peace and lover of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Professor Hafiz Fateh Muhammad (May Allah shower mercy on his soul).
TIME: 2:30 pm After ZUHR PRAYER
DATE: Sunday, 18th April 2010
VENUE: Makkah Masjid
Administrator on April 10th, 2010
The Chair of the MINAB Youth Committee and the Imam of Leeds Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim, said that MINAB and Makkah Mosque were pleased to work with CEDAR and Young Enterprise as they seek to empower young Muslims across Europe in their professional and personal development, an objective that is shared by both MINAB and Makkah Mosque.
The mentoring workshops at Makkah Mosque were very successful. The mentors were professional yet friendly. They displayed enthusiasm throughout the workshops and inspired the youths to strive for excellence in all aspects of their life. Even in the short space of half a day, the increase in the confidence and team working abilities of the participants was evident.
Imam Qari Qasim said: “We had a very good turnout for the CEDAR workshop. Children were very eager to participate in such a workshop. They thoroughly enjoyed working with each other and improving their life essential skills such as team-working and leadership skills.”
Kamer Hussain said: “I really enjoyed it on Thursday. I learnt how to do team work and it also helped me to improve my skills. I hop we will have another session like this another time”
Shazad Hussain said: “It was very good because the tutors gave us advice on how to improve our skills. They taught us how to be more patient when I am angry. The tutors also helped to know what we want to be in future and how we can achieve this”
Nikash Khan said: “I found the event good because it showed how much education you need because when you are older you want to have a good job and also they asked us what we want when we are older and how to reach there”
Rahil Aziz said: “The workshops were fantastic, I really enjoyed taking part in them”.
Administrator on April 6th, 2010
Makkah Masjid, Deen Foundation, Young Minds and MINAB- all believe in the contribution that all young people can make to the vibrancy of any community. The aims of all these organizations is to unlock the potential of is the challenge that lies ahead of us. With this in mind, these organizations are holding in conjunction with CEDAR (Connecting European Dynamic Achievers & Role Models) an intensive half-day mentoring session for young Muslims.
With Muslims being one of the least economically advantaged groups in the UK, there is a need to deepen engagement with developing young Muslim’s capacity for professional and entrepreneurial involvement. CEDAR is a pan-European network of Muslim professionals that seeks to generate a culture of success and leadership amongst Europe’s diverse Muslim communities.
The programme will be based on the principle of action learning and will engage Muslim and non-Muslim entrepreneurs and professionals from various professions into mosques to work with Muslim young people to develop self-confidence, employability skills and their understanding of opportunities available to them in enterprise and various professions.
Chair of MINAB Youth Committee, Qari Asim, said that MINAB and Makkah Mosque are pleased to work with CEDAR and Young Enterprise as they seek to empower young Muslims across Europe in their professional and personal development. They are committed to provide such training and ‘action learning’ which seeks to develop young people’s self confidence and employability skills, which are much needed skills in our Youth in the current economic climate.
MINAB will urge its members to take this opportunity offered by CEDAR and Young Enterprise and hold these mentoring workshops in their mosques and madrasahs for the youth.
If you are 14-16 year olds (Years 10 and 11, Key stage 4) and would like to attend the event on Thursday 8 April, please contact us on mail@makkahmasjid.co.uk
Administrator on January 7th, 2010
Woodsley Community Centre is delighted to invite you to ‘Caring for the World’ event held on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.
The event will be held at Woodsley Community Centre, 64 Woodsley Road, Leeds, LS3 1DU, Tel: 0113 2442684) between 5 – 7pm.
The event will feature a talk by Samar Minallah. Samar is an award winning Pakistani human rights activist, documentary film maker and writer. In her talk, she will discuss the contribution of Muslim women in working with disadvantaged groups in Pakistan.
This is a unique opportunity to meet and hear from someone who has first-hand experience of dealing with human rights, women rights and fighting for injustices in Pakistan
The event will also feature Yasrab Shah, who is a project manager for an international charity organisation, providing relief work in those areas which have been affected by natural disasters. He will discuss how the youth can bring positive changes in the world by being part of relief work.
Everyone is welcome.
Administrator on September 3rd, 2009
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was in the UK at the end of last month, attending various fundraising events across the country to raise money for the Muhammad Ali Center in Kentucky, USA.
The Muhammad Ali Center serves as both a cultural attraction and an international education centre that is inspired by the ideals of its founder, Muhammad Ali. Two and a half levels of interactive exhibits and captivating multimedia presentations introduce Ali’s epic life through the six core values by which he lives: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality. The Center strives to inspire its visitors to pursue their potential and explore the greatness that lies within themselves.
Makkah Mosque shares the Muhammad Ali Center’s mission of encouraging each individual to reach within themselves to fulfill the potential Allah has given them. Like the Center, Makkah Mosque is committed to helping both children and adults achieve the most that they can by encouraging engagement in activities and promoting self belief.
The President of the Muhammad Ali Center, Greg Roberts, was invited to Makkah Masjid during Muhammad Ali’s visit to the UK. Mr Roberts met the Imam of the Mosque, Imam Qari Asim, and discussed the various projects Makkah Mosque is involved in that mirror the aims of the Muhammad Ali Center. These include the promotion of youth engagement, respect for all human kind through interfaith work and communal relations, integration rather than isolation, promoting spirituality and the message that inner peace at an individual level will ultimately lead to peace on a global scale.
Greg Roberts and Imam Asim also had a positive discussion about the possibility of Makkah Masjid and the Muhammad Ali Center working together on various programmes in the future.
Mr Roberts invited Imam Asim to a fund-raising dinner held in Muhammad Ali’s honour at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, on 26 August 2009. Imam Qari Asim attended the dinner with a delegation from Leeds and had the good fortune to meet and speak to Muhammad Ali and Mrs Ali . On behalf of the Muslim community of Leeds, Imam Asim along with the some of the members of the delegation from Leeds presented a cheque to Muhammad Ali for the Muhammad Ali Center and the charities that Muhamamd Ali supports. The community of Leeds showed great generosity to the Muhammad Ali Center as a token of their great love, respect and admiration for the boxing hero , a great Muslim icon and a humanatarian.
There are currently proposals for Muhammad Ali to visit the UK again and it would be a great honour to invite the greatest boxing legend Muhammad Ali to Leeds as part his next tour to the UK, insha-Allah.
Muhammad Ali quotes:
1. ” I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. ”
2. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
3. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
4. “I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.”
5. I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ‘em out, I pick the round”
6 “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”
7. “I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark”
8. “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
