Islam and Politics *Time for a people’s coup against Pak Army <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1479>*
President Asif Ali Zardari must remove all the stops in repealing the dictatorial aspects of the 17th Amendment (the Amendment allows the President of Pakistan to stay on as the Chief of Army Staff); and implement the Charter of Democracy immediately. Only this will block the way for future Army interventions: is it too much to say that the political forces must come together at the earliest to deflate the hot-air balloons even now being floated by some of the tight buddies of the establishment who are advocating an early return to Army rule because of the most outlandish conspiracies that only they can see? -- *Kamran Shafi, Dawn, Karachi* More...<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1479> Radical Islamism & Jihad *The Truth About Jihad <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1478>* Can jihad be declared against a non-Muslim government that does not in any way oppress Muslims? Can such a government be told either to accept Islam or else hand over power to Muslims? This is a very crucial question. ... it should be kept in mind that in those days all states were identified with one religion or the other. Every state was strictly identified with a particular religion, and so it was simply inconceivable that any non-Muslim government would allow Muslims to invite its subjects to God’s path. This is why the issue was never even discussed then of how Muslims should relate to a non-Muslim state that explicitly allowed Islam to be practiced in its territory or that permitted its subjects to accept Islam and follow it. In the view of some scholars, in such a situation Muslims must adopt the path of peacefully inviting others to the faith, making use of it to the utmost extent possible so much as to that all the adequate proofs (hujjat) of God be made known. After this, God will decide, in accordance with His practice, which He invariably does after all His proofs have been clearly established, and which can take any form. My own limited understanding leads me to believe that this opinion is in closer accordance with reason, the spirit of the shariah, and the aims and wisdom of God’s revelation. This position can be backed by Hadith reports that insist on the need for peaceful propagation of Islam before fighting can at all be envisaged. And, it must be remembered, today it is no longer forbidden for Muslims to communicate their faith to non-Muslim rulers or non-Muslims in general. -- *Maulvi Yahya Nomani (*Translated from Urdu by *Yoginder Sikand)* More...<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1478> Radical Islamism & Jihad *Kashmir’s rising tide of hate <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1476>* *Islamists’ deceitful politics of death *Pro-Islamist media have been helping to ensure that the venom spreads as far as possible. In a June 16 article, Riyaz Masoor, editor, Rising Kashmir, suggested that the victims “represented the nation Kashmir and the rapists represented the state of India; it was the Hindu India raping the Muslim Kashmir.” Mr. Masroor accused the Indian Army, which until now has not been alleged to have played any role in the Shopian deaths, of going “on a raping spree.” “Let them carry a poison pill with them,” he advised the State’s women: “if, God forbid, they are caught, let them swallow the poison and embrace death and defeat the evil military man of the world’s largest democracy.”… Last year, Kashmir’s people decisively rejected Mr. Geelani’s communal chauvinism and defeated his demand for a boycott of the Assembly elections. The candidates they elected, though, have so far shown little integrity or commitment to those they represent: both the National Conference and the PDP have sought accommodation with Islamist secessionists. They must summon up the courage to take on Mr. Geelani — or risk being swept away by the rising tide of hate. -- *Praveen Swami* More...<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1476> Current affairs *Gujarat: Getting away with murder <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1477>* The Supreme Court’s decision, however, has rekindled hope. It is vital that the SIT works swiftly and effectively at this crucial juncture. Will the SIT bring in Justice Iyer and members of the Tribunal as witnesses? The Tribunal comprises human rights defenders with impeccable records. Justice Iyer is revered for his integrity and intelligence. The Tribunal boasts of heavyweights who can provide invaluable information to the SIT. Others who have worked for justice, peace and reconciliation since 2002 include Harsh Mander, Gagan Sethi, Martin Macwan, Mallika Sarabhai, Cedric Prakash and Manjula Pradeep…. Gujarat is a litmus test for justice for minorities. If Modi and his henchmen get away, quite literally, with murder, Gujarat, as the Hindutva laboratory, will have succeeded. The cancerous doctrine of hate and intolerance will spread. All those who believe in a secular, democratic State are praying that the Supreme Court will ensure that justice, even if delayed, will not be denied. -- *Mari Marcel Thekaekara* -- Syed.Asadullah --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Asalam o Alaikum, You Are Receiving This Message, Because You Are A Member Of FOCUS ON ISLAM, A Google Group [..:: The Best Group For Nice Islamic Mails ::..] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ You can Post Your Comments and Suggestions to Me [Moderator of this Group] on this email address: [email protected] To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/focusonislam/ To post messages/mails to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Please forward our Mails to Your friends, and convence them to join our Group. 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