Khalil Shafiq

29/06/2024

Once upon a time there was an Islamic Caliphate in Europe where Muslims, Christians, Jews lived in relative peace. Truth or a fable?
And as it is truth, what should we learn about Al-Andalus?

Two years ago, I wrote about the fascinating history of Al-Andalus and the legacy it should have left in modern-day European societies. Back almost a millennium ago, we had a place where Muslims, C…

25/06/2024

Ready for something that might be typical of my writing, yet it is something that each and everyone of us should read.

The citizens of the world watch in horror whilst the major governments stay suspiciously silent, or rooting for the Israeli ever-present “right to defend themselves” mantra, as allegati…

23/06/2024

Good morning, everyone! It is Sunday, and you know what that means: A NEW BLOG POST! 🥳

This time, it's all about going back to the roots, and realising that it's been just about two years of writing!

Hey there, my wonderful word wanderers! Back in the summer of 2022, my wifey and I found ourselves cozied up on the couch, indulging in a marathon of S*x and the City. We’d devoured most of t…

20/06/2024

Just to brighten your day, where ever you are, here is a short video of a handsome doggo boy enjoying his ice cream in Sweden.

Mika, our poodle boy enjoying his fist ice-cream of 2024 during a road trip from Spain to Finland. NOM!

19/06/2024

Can you remember when you were young, and fell for someone else for the first time... here is my story.

Daily writing promptWrite about your first crush.View all responses He had a short-ish buzz cut for the whole of high school, dark brown hair that never grew so long that it would start to curl. I …

17/06/2024

So, havestories.com has been officially repainted and I am still in the process of reinstalling all the old blog texts. It will still take a while 😮‍💨

MEANWHILE, you can take a look at the newest text that commemorates the revamp of the whole site!



http://havestories.com/2024/06/16/travelling-thoughts-2-0-a-new-chapter-begins/

Hello, lovely readers, both familiar and new! It’s me, Khalil, your friendly neighbourhood blogger, back with a fresh coat of paint on Travelling Thoughts. You can’t imagine what it was…

16/06/2024

Guess what! 🤩

Havestories.com is back online - WITH A NEW POST and new lick of paint! 🥳

Take a look! 🧐

Stories, travels, and everything else

14/06/2024

Dear all, don't worry!
Havestories.com hasn't vanished 😶‍🌫️, it is undergoing a makeover and will be back, newer and better very soon! 🤩

Meanwhile, you could tell me what is it about travelling that excites you? 🤔

13/06/2024

Do you know that feeling when you just want to pack your bag and go travel?

Ever since I was young, since my early twenties, I have had the feeling that I need to find something more. Throughout the years, I have finally realised the feeling has a name: wanderlust.

12/06/2024

"Peace be with you."
But does that include the people too, or are religions like secret societies - not for everyone?

And should we, LGBTQ people even believe?

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) That is one of the most profound messages in the Bible that there is. But is the message for…

09/06/2024

❗️Trigger warning. You will not like this post, which is exactly why you need to read it.

Has humanity failed? When we watch news about genocide waged by Israel in Gaza, it seems to clearly show that. The West has failed with their so-called enlightened values, and the Muslim world has …

06/06/2024

It's Month, and pride is about the people.

During this year’s Pride Month I want to try to explain what PRIDE means for me. Whilst researching for this blog text, I noticed that there are so many different meanings for PRIDE, but many…

02/06/2024

Happy Month, everyone! Celebrate, be who you are, but remember why Pride started.

Welcome, June! The month of Juno, goddess of childbirth and fertility. The month that has Midsummer in the Northern hemisphere and Midwinter in the Southern hemisphere. But it is also the month tha…

23/05/2024

Controversial and complicated topic, I know.
But is it really, or are we just made to believe that the topic is complicated - because it would mean we need to say "no"?

With the possible exception of small indigenous tribes in small islands or in the middle of a jungle, most of the globe is aware of the war in the Palestine-Israel region of the Middle East. We hav…

22/05/2024

We live in a time when all we need is unity, and harmonies. But is it just these things, the Ghosts of Eurovisions Past that herald the demise of the competition?

One of the staples of Eurovision Song Contest, for me, has been the jury votes. Yes, the very ones that are currently criticized for making Sweden win and Finland lose. For me, however, that is par…

20/05/2024

Have you ever wanted to assist your favourite creator, but are not sure what is the best way? Become a monthly supporter through Patreon, perhaps?
Or maybe not!

Buy me a coffee, that is the way to go! Sure, you can make sure that there is a steady flow of coffee for me, but you can also just offer me a cup, or two! Thanks for your support, it means a world to me! ❤️

There once was a story of a poor nurse, who only wanted to write a book, and blog about things... It's not a story - it's me! 😀 But because I am Finnish, I need coffee. Lots of it! So, please buy me a

18/05/2024

In life, we live to face the inevitable.

Death comes to us all, and like I have mentioned before, it is one certainty in the universe. But did it have to happen just now?! Innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn. Verily, we belong to Allah, a…