thean alhamdulillah peace be with you
welcome to the dean show I'm Eddie your
host it's Eddie not Freddy rhymes with
Teddy and you're watching the dean show
very unique show for those people tuning
in for the first time we talk about some
very unique issues very unique topics
and we have some very unique guests one
of the things that are hot in the news
this week is uh we have a famous actor
nominated for so many Emmys best actor
award Philip Seymour
Hoffman he was F found in his bathroom
on a drug overdose so we're going to
take off this week's show with talking a
little bit about his life and also we
got a brother native from hanol Lulu a
human activist we're going to be getting
to know brother Warren he was also on
the hit show called Lost if you''ve
heard of that we'll be right back with
this exciting episode here on the dean
show don't go
anywhere the
the is
the this is
the this is the
the is
the this is
the this is the is
[Music]
the back here on the native from
Honolulu Hawaii brother Warren peace be
with you
Alum how are you doing alhamdulillah
very good very good good to be here for
the people watching you you wish some uh
such a beautiful beautiful greeting you
wish me peace and the blessings of the
creator of the heavens and earth and I
wish that back upon you now I opened the
show and we talked about you actually
you're from Hawaii native from 40 years
Honolulu that's right yeah and you're
also you were um a what is it a extra or
a star on one of I was an extra on the
the program lost we did right we did
four years with them you know was either
an extra or props and all the kind of
things so you know a little bit about
acting and we mentioned also a very
famous world-renowned actor he's been
many uh hit films nominated for three
Oscars best actor Academy Award Philip
Seymour Hoffman that's right heard he
did yes he did the film capot we
actually I think he won an Oscar for his
role as Truman capot the author who
actually wrote the uh uh the book uh In
Cold Blood yes which was about a very
famous Infamous murder in 19 took place
in
1955 now this is a man who's hanging out
with George Clooney you know George
CL Tom Hanks I mean the top of the top
the top anchel you know in that Urbane
High
Society that's right he's got everything
he's got everything or should we say had
but why do you think now and obviously
you've have a lot of experience in life
and people are going to get to know you
through this program that we're doing
but let let's start off with this why do
you think now with your experience
someone who's worth over $30 million has
all these Awards one one of the best
actors out there in Hollywood why was
why would someone like this be found
dead in their bathroom on a drug heroin
overdose what do you think about that
what are your thoughts well
unfortunately I think uh What uh most
pointedly comes to mind is the fact that
with all that success with all the money
all the wealth all the recognition that
he had he was not happy he was not
satisfied all that does not give you
peace of mind it does not give you the
satisfaction in life that you feel that
it should it's materialism and nothing
more than that and yet uh without true
peace you know which Islam provides for
uh for you and I and those of us who
understand the faith uh it's a
satisfaction that goes far beyond
material wealth and materialism that's
true that's true but I'm going to play
devil Devil's Advocate now I'm I'm going
to be the skeptic I'm going say hold on
come on now I mean the man how can he be
unhappy I mean obviously he's got the
money yes you know he's got the titles
he's got I mean what people would die
you know they would die to have kill for
to be able to hang out with George
Clooney you know some of these top
celebrities and definitely what I mean
men power money and women yes so he's
got you know he's got the status he's
got the friends he's got the women why
would he be
unhappy well unfortunately it's uh um
again these things are as much as we of
those of us that should we say that
don't have those things and don't aspire
to those things or even if we did uh we
found that it it doesn't satisfy you I
mean I uh had even in my own profession
I had moved up to chief of security the
major hotel where I worked um I got to a
point to where I had status position I
was making a decent income I wasn't I
wasn't rich but uh uh when I walked away
from my profession because I was no
longer s with what I did people thought
I was absolutely crazy MH and yet I I
knew for me it was time to go and yet
unfortunately uh Philip never got to
that point to where he was able to walk
away you know he let that whole thing
suck him down and literally destroy him
which it does many many people doesn't
it absolutely it happens every day we
see it in the obituary columns every day
you now during uh your youth coming up
you've also witnessed this with a lot of
other this is not the first obviously
absolutely won't be the last absolutely
you know with with my generation you had
people like Jimmy Hendricks you know a
famous rock star you also had Jim
Morrison that was another famous rocker
um Janice Joplin that's uh that's
another woman who all three of these
people dried of massive drug overdoses
MH and so it's you know again you know
that uh uh this challenge or this this
this false Persona that you know this is
this is what we really strive and want
in our lives whether it be money power
or any the rest of it uh is wrong it's
absolutely false and yet all of us you
know we continue to run after as we call
it run after dun you know the things of
this world instead of striving to
achieve what AAS panala has you know
offered us you know which is uh Jenna
you know which is real satisfaction
which is you
know an ability to truly care for each
other to truly work with each other
as um as human real human beings yeah
now you said some obviously I I
mentioned that you were from Honolulu
you said some Arabic worm words now we
have a lot of not yet Muslims out there
because everyone has a potential to
submit to their maker you said Allah
right you said J can you define both of
these words for us please uh basically
again Allah is um the Arabic word for
God or the god um if you are a an Arab
Christian Living in Palestine uh you use
the word Allah if you are a Jew living
in you know living in an Arabic country
you grew up in an Arabic country you
also say Allah it is it is the word you
know for for God or The God not again
not multiple gods not the Trinity it is
uh for the one and only God the one
Creator that's it that's that's correct
is the same creator that Jesus worshiped
that is correct is that the same same
same creator that in the Lord's Prayer
Jesus said the one up above that's right
who's controlling this whole universe
and everything in it that's the one
we're talking about that's right great
okay good so we'll come back to uh
Philip Seymour because I think this is
very interesting I think we can derive
so much benefit that chasing the
material world it doesn't fill that void
that all of us have that void is only
filled when you give this heart back to
its maker the one who made it you're
also involved in a lot of you're
involved in a lot of human activism
that's correct and you've been a lot of
doing a lot of good work can you tell us
a little bit about this uh yes basically
I've uh been a human rights activists uh
that was a uh something a challenge I
had taken on after I left the hotel
industry and became a Muslim because uh
as uh a basic principle of Islam is that
when there is Injustice you must reach
out and change it with your hands if you
cannot do that the next step is to speak
out against it uh the the last and the
the least potential or potent step is to
actually feel bad about it your heart
but that's the weakest form of Islam so
to speak out for example as as an
activist I marched in many different
marches I had a chance to also to um go
to different rallies uh even stand up
over the freeway with a sign that said
uh free
Palestine and yet this is all these are
not only Islamic Concepts but this is
you know your Second Amendment right to
free speech and this is something that I
practice very ently there are many times
when the HPD would or H Police
Department would show up and yet they
never stopped me they just made sure
that I was following the rules as to how
I do this appropriately you know it's
it's a very empowering activity it
really truly is so when we come back you
also have uh done some some activism for
uh for women's rights that's correct we
want to talk about that uh when we come
back and we're going to talk also about
a little bit more of your background you
were coming from a Catholic background
also kind of went towards uh atheism
agnosticism is that right we have so
much more all of this and more military
brat oh that's it Air Force brat for
brat uh your parents your father was in
the military for what like 30 some years
that's right years all of these things
we're going to be talking about and more
with brother Warren here in the dean
show we'll be right
[Music]
back take that simple step that you ask
your maker to guide you that he'll guide
you yes I I I advise this a lot uh so
for people are searching put your head
on the
floor in the in the in the state of
frustration like all the prophets did
and ask the creator of the universe to
show you the way to guide you to the
straight path and someone who sincerely
asks for guidance subh they'll found it
inl that's
it do to know one
makes
then
[Music]
watch
is there is something sit watch
Dean the
[Music]
dean back here on the dean show talking
to brother Warren native from Hulu how
did they say what's up you said they say
what's how's it how's it how's it okay
so now we talked about before we went to
uh break Philip Seymour Hoffman and kind
of that lifestyle that many people live
and you also before Islam and Islam is
simply an Arabic word we know that means
submission to the Creator alone and not
his creation so you are also kind of
living would you say a life of just
following one's desires that's right
life
absolutely and and tell us a little
about this we don't have to go into any
details but tell us a little bit about
well growing up as a service kid you
know when I was going through high
school we were going through the Vietnam
War you I was very much against the war
and yet like every high schooler unfort
or too far too many you know I was
trying excessive amounts of alcohol and
uh other types of recreational drugs uh
on some level I was really just like uh
Philip was trying to do I was trying to
fill an empty void MH and it took many
many years for me to finally figure out
that it wasn't doing it you know the
excessive drinking the drugs the rest of
it uh um it just was not filling that
space and yet like I say I had a chance
to stop to quit to look at it seriously
and walk away from it um was it part of
my uh my path to Islam alhamdulillah I
do believe that that's true and yet that
in itself just being able to sober up
you know as as uh as we would say to uh
you know as many Muslims who you know
especially have been lifelong Muslims
who've never drank who've never smoked
who have maintained a lifestyle and
understand that you can be happy you can
have a great time and be perfectly sober
you don't need to get drunk you don't
need to get high to be able to enjoy
yourself that has nothing to do with it
true true you also you uh in your
activism you also stood for women's
that's right the uh uh one of the things
I used to do was uh we used to have uh
regular silent marches after a woman had
been either brutally beaten or murdered
by her husband in honu uh there were
many times that we were actually having
these silent marches around the Capital
District uh every 5 weeks or so because
uh uh men were extremely vicious and
violent the way that they uh killed
their wives or their girlfriends um
which is rather strange because you know
I as an activist or even as a Muslim
we're constantly being accused of being
brutal to women that is constantly
coming out in the meia over and over
again and every time something happens
in another country makes the front page
and yet what people don't understand is
that in this country in the United
States every 20 seconds a woman is
viciously beaten is sent to the hospital
and yet it's a subject that even when I
would go to these marches I would invite
uh various I did a lot of interfaith
work and invite these religious leaders
to march in these marches and many of
them actually didn't come because
unfortunately domestic violence is one
of the topics that frightens people uh
they don't want to talk about it they
don't want to deal with it uh when the
min and these different people would
hear about it uh in their congregations
they didn't deal with it and
unfortunately that's why we continue to
have the the brutality weight against
women in the US that we do and to say
that again this is a Muslim problem it's
not a Muslim problem it's a human
problem you know it's it's a problem for
all of us and you know are we as men
prone to violence unfortunately within
Western Society it's the only emotion
we're allowed to have anger it's the
only one we're allowed to express
whether it's on the the G iron as we saw
yesterday and saw through many sports as
hockey and other and other types of uh
Recreational Sports it's a virtue what
we see it in combat you know we see it
in movies we see it on uh novels
whatever it might be we see it in our
daily lives you know violence is is an
acceptable thing to men and that is not
acceptable in Islam the prophet Muhammad
alaihi wasallam never ever beat his
wives he never said as we would say to
them now he was always kind and
compassionate to all of his wives now
this is the opposite the antithesis what
we see on the media and how do you feel
now when you were standing for for
women's rights and obviously against
domestic abuse and these were actually
killings that were taking place against
when when we're dying yes so now you see
that many people they say that Islam
oppresses the woman when you hear this
this I mean obviously this uh foolish
statement because we know Islam
liberates women right what do you have
to say to this it's a completely false
statement I mean just for example even
the wearing of of hijab um as I would
explain to people people there are many
rules in Islam but the rules are not
there to enslave you they are there to
empower you for example the wearing of
hijab it it liberates a woman from the
makeup through all the fancy dress
through all all the needless needless
hidden ISM as far as buying this buying
that uh exposing your bodies in
inappropriate ways um it but it's it's a
choice that many women make uh the
majority of women that you see in the US
that are becoming Muslim are generally
where well educated uh many of them have
master's degrees have not postgraduate
degrees and uh they become very
extremely articulate speakers for for
Islam and Muslims that's true we're I'm
going to go to this clip real quick and
uh actually because it
opens up for this actual topic you know
let's just go to the clip and see your
thoughts on this in the Christian France
in 586 ad a Conference was held to
discuss whether the woman is a human
with a soul or not and if she has a soul
is it of a human or animal nature and is
her soul equal to the soul of the man or
not at the end they agreed that she has
a soul but it is inferior because it is
only created to serve the desires of the
man so we can see back in 586 ad they
came together in France right Christian
France to debate to see whether the
woman actually had a soul or not what
are your thoughts on this well it's
rather interesting because the prophet
Muhammad Ali wasallam who had actually
been born during this time period uh
when he began to preach at the age of 40
you know and to uh to bring Islam to the
Muslims uh he was fighting against those
very attitudes that's that that's so
true yeah and that's deep I mean let's
go also play you know Plato yes what do
you know about Plato uh Plato is
considered quite a progressive uh and
people are still batting his name around
and and quoting him centuries later I'm
going to show you I'm going to let you
see what Plato said about women okay
check this out the evil coward and
corrupt spirits of men are the ones from
which women were
created now that was Plato right but I'm
not done there we got socres you want to
hear what socres had to say let's go to
socres the existence of the woman is the
main reason and source of Crisis and
destruction in the world the woman is
like a poisonous tree her appearance is
beautiful but when birds eat from it
they die immediately and that was we we
had Plato and in socres what do you
think well it's interesting because
again you know these are two gentlemen
who are considered the Hallmarks of
Western thought I mean they are the
between the two of them and and one
other uh they're considered really the
foundation of Western liberalism and R
democracy so to hear that coming from
their mouths was really quite astounding
that's it's very ironic I mean it's very
laughable you know when we we when we
know what Islam has done because Islam
is from the Creator submission to the
will of the one God and we know that
Islam truly liberated the woman if
anybody would sincerely look at to it as
you said these really articulate um
educated women who are looking into
Islam they're accepting it because
they're seeing past all all of this
Hocus Pocus you know magic that people
are through media work and when they
really use their intelligence they see
that no Islam really liberated me that's
right yeah that that's really deep and
then when you hear people like this who
are really put up high what they
actually are saying but then they have
to compare it to what actually the
prophet Muhammad who's the last and
final messenger sent to man what he
actually said so yeah so definitely we
encourage people to really come to the
Muslims to learn and that's what you're
doing here by tuning into the dean show
hopefully you're getting a new
perspective and we'll be right back with
more here with brother Warren to talk
about your story and more on the de show
we'll be right back even now in our
modern times the Neo priests do whatever
they want to the woman they control her
and judge her she is a commodity a tool
a means we decide for her what she
should do only we can do that many
westerners believe that Islam is a
religion that restricts women a
surprising number of women are
converting to Islam especially in
America and Europe women represent More
than 70% of the converts to Islam the
question is what the reasons are for the
modern American and European women to
convert to
Islam there are personal reasons linked
to women themselves who are not
satisfied with the religion that they
have been raised in so they started to
read into religions until they found
Islam and they felt drawn to Islam
because of what they described as its
logic especially with regard to its
philosophy toward women many of them
expressed their attraction to women's
rights provided by Islam after they
correct the negative stereotypes which
they previously had and which often
associate Muslim women with oppression
violence and submission to
men Jihad often mistranslated as holy
war the word Jihad had means to struggle
Islam does not preach violence it does
not preach vicious holy war it certainly
does not condone Terror and suicide
bombing Islam preaches compassion
tolerance and Justice find the truth
about Islam call toll-free 877 why Islam
order your free copy of the Quran today
I am not afraid of stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
a li
I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
I li by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone Li
I am not afid stand
alone back here on the dean show with
brother Warren so we we talked a little
bit about your life before Islam and a
lot of this activism you actually did as
a Muslim is that correct that is correct
we can see you here in some of the
pictures that's you over here with the
beard right that's correct so it's kind
of hard to uh to miss me and the most so
how did it all happen Okay from being a
a Catholic and then you went away from
Catholicism Christianity then you were
kind of an agnostic that right that's
right talk about talk about this briefly
now um basically I had the even though I
grew up as as a Catholic I respected the
faith and yet never considered myself a
a Believer never considered myself a
Christian um it was something that
didn't I didn't move me in any way you
know I wasn't wasn't impressed uh you
know I was more focused on my own
heathenism and intellectualism and
understanding from that point of view
And yet when I had actually gone back to
school and was getting a uh working
towards a master's degree in social work
I had actually taken U read the Quran as
literature in my world literature class
and so normally as a student you read
things very slowly very thoroughly
because you're going to write a paper or
you're going to discuss it um I noticed
that when I was reading these five
different sodas that I read them very
intently and that each one of them spoke
to me very evocatively and at that time
of my life even though I felt I was very
selfmotivated and self-disciplined most
of what it was saying was no and yet
that no is what I needed to hear it's
like you can't get around this concept
by going over it you can't go under it
around it in any any possible way the
answer is no no
what no to much of the things I thought
really I understood in my life quite
honestly mhm and it uh that was a very
powerful message and it was the last
thing I needed before I was very happily
and joyful joyfully able to take my
Shahara so is it that you formed some
ideas in your head what you thought life
was about and then what now the NOS were
coming in saying no it's not like that
from the Quran that's right that is
correct from the words of Allah spala
yeah and that uh it was a very powerful
message and like I say it did speak to
me very personally it it wasn't uh
something I felt abstract to I've read
you know portions of the gospels I've
you know I've read Torah I've read uh
many other religious philosophies and
books um whether it be dosm or other
things and yet this this moved me this
was different this is a very powerful
yeah so you've read what we have
attributed because many we know that
these what we have today I mean these
are things have been changed that we
don't have the original so what whatever
we have of what people are claiming to
be a Torah or Ino you read those things
yes yes I have okay and now you're also
you've traveled a lot you mentioned that
you were a military brat that's right as
was an Air Force brat my father uh we
every three or four years we would
travel from country to Country I've
lived in all across the United States
I've lived in England and also the
Philippines and then the last place we
were station was right there in Hawaii
did that help you to be more open-minded
because a lot of times when you're stuck
in a small town and you know you haven't
seen the world it kind of just yes I I I
believe it did make me more flexible and
more open to other people other cultures
being very respectful uh of those people
and their and their ways and positions
so no it would it uh May me see myself
as a as a a citizen of the world not
just an American do do you feel okay we
we see atheism is is on the rise and do
you feel like because
the Christian message is something
that's obviously it's gone so far away
from the true message of Jesus where
Jesus only called people to worship the
Creator not the creation now you have
this whole idea of you know people
saying that Jesus was a literal Son of
God that he was God a trinity and you
know he died for your sins this
unbelievable message based on no
evidence or proof a lot of people they
go towards atheism did this also is this
one of the reasons why you became an
agnostic because it just didn't make
sense you know much of it again did not
make sense to me and yet you know after
I became a Muslim and I've had
discussions with Christians and and Jews
and others you know on aspects of our
faith I will not fight about those
issues you know I will not um trying to
push them back down their throats and
yet what I will focus on are the
commonalities of faith that you know we
as Muslims we see the gospel and the
Torah as being the legitimate words of
God these are people of the book as my
own Shake in uh in hu shake isma for
many years uh would always tell me is
that uh if you do not believe in Moses
and the go in the Torah and you do not
believe in Jesus you're not a Muslim and
alhamdulillah I believe that that's
absolutely the truth uh tell us uh now
what would you say have you talked to
many atheists at all during your time as
a Muslim have you had a chance to
certainly certainly I've had a chance to
pass the message to an awful lot of
people and
yet it you know it can be a challenge
especially when I'm meeting somebody who
I'm literally looking in my own eyes
looking I'm looking at the reflection of
my own face yeah
because you were borderline atheist yes
for a long time so now we have an
atheist watching what would you tell an
atheist now about you know why is Islam
different why is it unique from all
these different religions I believe that
the you know each person whether it be
Philip Seymour Hoffman if he never
gotten that chance unfortunately you
need to let go of your old Concepts and
perceptions that's uh very very
important you need to be able to drop
those things it's uh it's hard because
again you know we're we're taunt we're
raised with certain precepts and
Concepts if you're not capable of
walking away from any of those and
literally letting it drop you won't be
able to receive the message you won't be
able to grasp it it it does take courage
yeah takes a great deal of Courage so
what finally had you take that step to
become one who renders and submits to
the Creator not the creation a Muslim
what what finally had you do it take
your shahada that that testimony well
part of it was was an extremely negative
thing I was married for 17 years my
marriage was on the Rocks I was going
through a divorce at that within that
year I was also again pushing to uh to
get through my bachelor's program so I
could move on to my Masters program in
in social work uh there was a great deal
of pressure I also had a a physical
breakdown you know I had my diabetes had
literally uh shot through the ceiling at
828 normal uh uh your normal blood sugar
is 120 I was very very sick during those
periods and yet that was the thing that
actually in everything that was
happening in my life that at that time
really gave me a chance to let go to
really let go of it all and it wasn't
about casting it aside saying this no
longer has value and yet again grasping
it from a different perspective that was
more important what what it was it
before we go we um cut out because we're
almost out of time so was there anything
like was it really a a a a search that
you did that because many people think
that when you become religious you just
it's all about faith it just it's all
about you know there's no in it's not an
intellectual thing did you really use
your mind you know did you really use
the faculties of the Creator is this
some a blind decision you made you know
did you have a miracle that just
happened to you specifically that no one
else could relate to or was there more
to it was there proof evidence was there
things you know that were solid that
anyone who looks into Islam they can
also come to the same realization as you
have in over 1.7 billion people in the
world it was not only the Quran it was
not only the words of and the actions of
the prophet Muhammed it was actually the
the actions of many Muslims I've come to
known over all these years and the um
I've never met a warmer a tender a more
compassionate people than I've than the
Muslims I've run into in Hawaii and here
where everywhere that I've gone quite
honestly I mean uh when people will say
that oh he's a Sal he's a this man is
ass salted the Earth he will give you
the shirt off his back a Muslim will
give you the food out of their mouths
and I've seen it literally with tears
running down my face I've I've seen that
happen you know where people literally
were giving me their their their lunch
or their dinner because I was I was
hungry MH so this really helps when you
really get out of your neighborhood and
you travel a little bit huh no I do
believe that it does help a great deal
and yet you know we all get stuck on our
own ruts yeah we all
do okay I'm sad to uh have to uh go I'm
really enjoying talking with you but uh
is there anything else that you'd like
to say to the the skeptic to the person
that's out there who's kind of in your
situation they might just be going to
sleep listening to um music movies
numbing the mind you know nightclubs
hanging out living a hedonistic
lifestyle but now they tune into the
dean show and they really not dig in
this whole thing that a man died for my
sins they're kind of borderline
agnostics what would you say to a person
what's what should he
do put the bottle down put the joint
away just don't put it down throw it
away it it's not giving you what you
need you know if you really need to
either pick up the Quran to sit down
with with Muslims and talk about what
they truly believe and not only it's not
only the words it's their actions and
it's not about what the mainstream media
is showing you it's the Muslims that
you're looking at face to face the ones
that you're dealing with every day and
there are Muslims around you everywhere
there are there there's no place where
there are not Muslims and yet it's a
matter of opening your own own heart and
let letting go of your own anger letting
go of your own
fear thank you very much no we started
with peace and we end with peace thank
you very
much peace be with you and thank you so
much for tuning in to the de show
remember we're here every week with a
new exciting episode I told you we talk
about unique topics unique issues and we
have unique guests and you got to meet
one of those guests and you kind of got
to meet brother Warren kind of his
journey through life and hopefully you
can benefit from his experience and then
finally he realized that Islam
submission to the will of the Creator is
indeed a way of life for all of mankind
it's a mercy for mankind and it starts
with wanting it and we can see this void
that is in the human beings self and
people try to fill it with rock music
and drugs and sex and all of the things
that aren't meant to fill this void now
the owner of the heart he created it and
he is the one that we need to turn back
to the one who created Jesus Moses the
last and final message Prophet Muhammad
peace be upon him he is the one who has
the remedy who has what we need to fill
this void and it starts with wanting it
because the other path is a path to
destruction but the path when you submit
yourself to your maker your creator
that's a road to peace happiness Harmony
and that's how you could be successful
and start by asking say my maker the one
who made me Guide Me Guide Me Guide Me
and anything in creation can't be the
Creator because it's the creation ask
the one who created creation the same
way Jesus peace be upon him he called
upon not himself for help but he called
on the one up above the one who created
him start with that earnestly seeking
and wanting it and then from there if
you're sincere and you want it God
Almighty the Creator will facilitate a
way and then you have the whole world to
gain but if you don't ask you have the
whole world to lose and more so start
asking call us at 1800 662 Islam and you
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media tools that we have that we're
communicating with you guys on a regular
basis give us some ideas for some some
topics that You' like to see us cover
and hopefully God willing we'll see you
next time again same time same channel
here in the Deans show until then peace
be unto you