Bismillah [IslamCity] EGO.....Kills U
*EGO.Kills U* *There was once a scientist. After a lot of practice efforts, he developed a formula learned the art of reproducing himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original. * ** *One day while doing his research, he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him. In order to remain alive he reproduced a dozen copies of himself. The reproduction was so similar that all of them looked exactly like him. Now when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, confused, he left them all alone returned back to heaven. * ** *But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea. He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such perfect reproduction formula of yourself. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw. * ** *The scientist immediately jumped out shouted, Impossible! where is the flaw? Right here said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions carried him off. * ** *The whole purpose of the scientist his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his pride, so he lost his life. * *So when man's Knowledge Skills takes him to the top of the ladder makes him successful, however the three letter word EGO can pull him down to earth immediately at its double speed.* ** *So don't allow Ego to kill yourself, Instead; KILL YOUR EGO..!!!*
Bismillah [IslamCity] Indians flee Dubai as dreams crash
** *Indians flee Dubai as dreams crash* Wednesday, January 14, 2009 http://news.indiainfo.com/2009/01/14/0901140643_indians_flee_dubai_dreams_crash.html Dubai: It's the great escape by Indians whove hit the dead-end in Dubai. Local police have found at least 3,000 automobiles - sedans, SUVs, regulars - abandoned outside Dubai International Airport in the last four months. Police say most of the vehicles had keys in the ignition, a clear sign they were left behind by owners in a hurry to take flight. The global economic crisis has brought Dubai's economic progress, mirrored by its soaring towers and luxurious resorts, to a stuttering halt. Several people have been laid off in the past months after the realty boom started unraveling. On the night of December 31, 2008 alone more than 80 vehicles were found at the airport. Sixty cars were seized on the first day of this year, director general of Airport Security, Mohammed Bin Thani, told DNA over the phone. On the same day, deputy director of traffic, colonel Saif Mohair Al Mazroui, said they seized 22 cars abandoned at a prohibited area in the airport. Faced with a cash crunch and a bleak future ahead, there were no goodbyes for the migrants - overwhelmingly South Asian's, mostly Indians - just a quiet abandoning of the family car at the airport and other places. While 2,500 vehicles have been found dumped in the past four months outside Terminal III, which caters to all global airlines, Terminal II, which is only used by Emirates Airlines, had 160 cars during the same period. The construction and real estate industry has been hit following the global slowdown and the direct fallout is that professionals working in the realty industry are rapidly losing their jobs, said a senior media professional, in-charge of a realty supplement in Dubai. In fact, my weekly real estate supplement usually had 60% advertisement and ran into 300-odd pages. In the last seven weeks, its down to 80 pages and with fewer advertisments, he added. Mumbai resident D Nair (name changed) had been living in a plush highrise in Sharjah for the past four years. However, the script went horribly wrong when his contract was terminated. Nair used all his credit cards to their maximum limit, shopping for people back home. He then discarded his Honda Accord before returning to India for good. Nair, who stays in a rented apartment in Navi Mumbai today, has a Rs15 lakh loan with a Dubai bank. Another such victim of the meltdown said he bid goodbye to his car in a small bylane near the airport and hailed a cab. I was scared because a number of us were doing the same and did not want to be questioned by the police. There was no way I could afford to pay the EMI of 1100 Dhirams for my Ford Focus, he told DNA on condition of anonymity. When contacted, the dealer for Asgar Ali cars in Sharjah said, We are helpless and do not know how to tackle this issue. A large number of such owners are from Indian, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.
Bismillah [IslamCity] Hindu Terror: Suspects were trained to lie Double talks of Sangh Parivar
- *Hinduism turns to 'fascism', promote and trains to 'lies' and 'murders'!* - *Sangh Parivar's double talk... 'patriotism'!!* *Suspects were trained to lie* Wed,26 Nov 2008 http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePageid=e7f26f40-accf-4ddb-84fe-7b6c5fcdce2dHeadline=Malegaon+blast+suspects+were+trained+to+lie Injure yourself if you have to; complain of torture; make personal, embarrassing allegations against the police in court. These are some instructions members of the radical Hindu group Abhinav Bharat – under investigation for its involvement in the Malegaon blast – were given at a training camp conducted by Lt Col Prasad Purohit at Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this year. The September 29 blast in a crowded marketplace in Maharashtra's powerloom town claimed six lives. Investigators found details of these training sessions in Purohit's laptop, which was recovered after his arrest on November 5. *Hindustan Times* had access to the armyman's detailed lecture notes. Officials said at least 30 senior Abhinav Bharat members attended these sessions, referred to in the laptop as personality development workshops. The allegations made by Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and the other co-accused at the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Monday are very similar to the instructions in Purohit's sessions. *With his military intelligence background and knowledge of interrogation procedures, this strategy to derail investigation in the event of being arrested was designed by Purohit,* said a police officer involved in the probe. Maharashtra Director General of Police A.N. Roy said these are delay tactics. *It is becoming common to level allegations against investigators, to slow down the probe and to make investigators wary,* he said. The court on Monday denied the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody of seven of the 11 accused, a major setback and embarrassment for the police. The sadhvi was the first to file an affidavit that the ATS had tortured her. *It's a procedure straight out of the Al Qaeda manual. Once a precedent is set, everybody follows suit,* said advocate Raja Thackeray, who specialises in criminal matters. The allegations are similar to those made by the July 11/7 train blasts accused and Indian Mujahideen members, arrested for their links with the blasts in Ahmedabad and Delhi. ** ** *Sangh Parivar's Double Talk: Beware Perverse Patriotism* *By B G Verghese* 17 November, 2008 *Deccan Heraldhttp://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov122008/editpage2008100220.asp * http://www.countercurrents.org/verghese171108.htm *I*t causes deep concern that the armed forces may have been penetrated by ideologically driven groups. One must beware of perverse patriotism, disturbing signs of which have been recently manifest. The arrest of an Army officer on suspicion of having assisted alleged Hindu right extremist terror bombings in Malegaon and possibly elsewhere appears sinister. At the moment here are only allegations that must be thoroughly investigated before definitive conclusions are reached. Nevertheless, enough has been established to cause deep concern that the armed forces may have been penetrated by dangerous, ideologically driven groups. The civil and, specially, uniformed services are non-political servants of the people acting under the directions of the government of the day, owning allegiance to the Constitution and not to any extraneous ideology or group. The defence minister has taken note of whatever has happened and intends to get to the root of the matter so that incipient mischief is nipped in the bud. Meanwhile, the single incident that has come to light should not be considered a trend but an aberration. What is surprising, however, is the response of the spokesmen of the Parivar. They disown any association with sadhvi Pragya and other civil suspects held for the Malegaon bombing. Yet they take the line that Hindus cannot be terrorists and that the armed forces are a part of Indian society which has been horrified by the pusillanimous and apologetic approach of the UPA government to terror attacks and cannot therefore be blamed for patriotic reactions. This apologia comes close to showing sympathy for and indirectly condoning what is undoubtedly a grave dereliction of duty and rank indiscipline. It echoes the chorus from across the border in praise of freedom fighters as opposed to terrorists, our boys versus the dreadful other. Such pernicious double talk is scarcely in keeping with the Parivar's insistent demand for strong action against terror. The same attitude of patriotic anger was revealed in the disgraceful conduct of young ABVP hoodlums who broke up a Delhi University meeting on Democracy and Fascism last week and spat on one of the invited speakers, SAR Geelani, who was discharged by the Supreme Court in the parliament bombing case. What was witnessed was
Bismillah [IslamCity] Michael Jackson converts to Islam: report
Says new name is Mikaeel
*Michael Jackson converts to Islam: report*
Friday, 21 November 2008
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/21/60545.html
*Yousef Islam witnessed Jackson [a revert, previously known famous
singer as Cat Stevens] take shahada, the paper said*
DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)
Troubled U.S. star Michael Jackson has converted to Islam and changed his
name to Mikaeel, press reports said Friday.
A conversion ceremony was held at a Los Angeles mansion where Jackson was
seen wearing 'Islamic garb', British tabloid The Sun reported quoting an
unnamed source.
Jackson reportedly took the shahada—the Islamic declaration of belief—and
became a Muslim, just days before he was due in a London court where he is
being sued by a Bahraini prince.
The paper reported that British singer Yousef Islam—previously known as Cat
Stevens before he famously became a Muslim—was also at the ceremony held at
the Hollywood Hills home of Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro, 51, who
composed music on Jackson's Thriller album.
Jackson's new name is reportedly Mikaeel after he rejected the name Mustafa,
the paper said, adding the decision to convert came about as Jackson was
recording a new album.
The former 'King of Pop'—who has been accused and acquitted of child
molestation several times—is back in court after Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad
al-Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, filed a claim against
Jackson for breaching an agreement to record a new album and says the star
owes him $7 million.
*Michael Jackson has converted to Islam: Report*
21 Nov 2008,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Michael_Jackson_has_converted_to_Islam_Report/articleshow/3740517.cms
LONDON: Pop
singerhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Michael_Jackson_has_converted_to_Islam_Report/articleshow/3740517.cms#Michael
Jackson has converted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel. (
*Watch*
javascript:broadbandpopup('http://broadband.indiatimes.com/toishowvideo/3741539.cms',450,665))
[image: Michael
Jackson]javascript:openslideshownew('/slideshow/3742004.cms?imw=460','541')
javascript:openslideshownew('/slideshow/3742004.cms?imw=460','541')
*Michael Jackson waves as he arrives at the Santa Barbara County courthouse
in Santa Maria, California in May 2005. (AFP File)*
The 50-year-old star, pledged his allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a
friend's mansion in Los Angeles, the Sun reported.
Jackson sat on the floor wearing a tiny hat after an Imam was summoned to
officiate -- days before the singer is due to appear at London's High Court
where he is being sued by an Arab Sheik, the paper said.
The star decided to adopt the new religion while he was recording a
songhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Michael_Jackson_has_converted_to_Islam_Report/articleshow/3740517.cms#at
the home of his friend where a Jehovah's witness was brought up to
help
him through the ceremony.
Apparently the star of hits like 'the Way You Make Me Feel-was convinced by
his producer and songwriter friends David Wharnsby and Phillip Bubal.
They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they
had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to
the idea.
An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada,
which is the Muslim declaration of belief, the source revealed.
Mikaeel is the name of one of
Allah'shttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Michael_Jackson_has_converted_to_Islam_Report/articleshow/3740517.cms#angels.
Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa meaning the chosen
one, the source added.
The singer, who rarely ventures out without a mask, is due to give evidence
on Monday in a 4.7 million pound lawsuit brought by Prince Abdulla Al-Khalif
of Bahrain for defaulting on an exclusive recording contract.
Bismillah [IslamCity] BJP and the challenge of terrorism
** *BJP and the challenge of terrorism* *Vidya Subrahmaniam* Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008 http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111956251000.htm *Instead of acknowledging the possibility that some Hindutva elements could be involved in terrorism, the BJP and the sangh have gone on the offensive. * At a press conference held some weeks ago in Delhi, Ravi Shankar Prasad, the amiable spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party, seemed strangely out of form. If this was unusual, so too was the subject under discussion — Hindutva's terror connection. A veteran of countless television studio debates, Mr. Prasad is well schooled in the art of repartee and rejoinder. Yet here he was, stumbling and stuttering, unable to face the volley of questions on the revelations linking a handful of Hindutva followers to terror attacks in Malegaon and other places. Asked the hacks: What happened to the BJP's stand that terrorism brooked no leniency? The BJP had no qualms about labelling every Muslim terror suspect a terrorist; it campaigned for the return of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, which placed the burden of proof on the accused. Yet it now wanted the presumption of innocence applied to terror suspects from its own fold. Why? The party wanted the maximum freedom granted to terror investigators so that they felt no pressure. Yet it now complained of police excesses. Why? That was then, in the early days of some Hindutva warriors' newly discovered terror links. As the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad set off on the saffron terror trail and arrested a gaggle of activists, among them Sadhvi Pragnya Singh and a serving army officer, the BJP seemed in shock. At a loss for a strategy to deal with this unexpected twist in the terror plot, the party lurched from one unclear position to another — from the tried and tested let the law take its course through outrightly denying the terror link to urging a fair trial for the accused. Party strategists worried that they had lost the terrorism plank, and wondered how the new revelations would play out in the electoral arena. Judging by the BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's current aggression, the moment of self-doubt has passed. Evidently, the Hindutva terror angle, which formerly discomfited the parivar, has since become an opportunity to deepen the communal divide. BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who has been photographed with Pragnya Singh, earlier claimed that he was embarrassed to have been found in the same frame with her. Today he is out on a limb to defend her and others caught in the ATS terror ring, going so far as to call their arrests a huge conspiracy, and offering them the full protection of his party. *Calculated belligerence* The RSS' initial restraint has similarly given way to a belligerence calculated to incite divisive passions. The crackdown on Pragnya Singh and others has sent the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Praveen Togadia into a torrent of abuse and anger. Warning of reprisals against the ATS and the United Progressive Alliance government, he fumed: They are committing the sin of describing a sadhvi as a terrorist. I promise a political backlash against this. This is dangerous talk. Mr. Togadia's threats aside, Mr. Singh is virtually saying he will not allow the police to do their job in a serious terror case. The BJP and the sangh would have gone ballistic had one of their ideological adversaries or a Muslim cleric used similar language. The BJP's other point, that arrests should be based on hard evidence, is unexceptional, though this is an unprecedented first from a party which never before attached any importance to evidence: The Congress must realise that terrorist investigations can be solved not through propaganda but only through hard evidence and non-politicised investigation. A word of caution here for the BJP's opponents. This is not a moment for gloating or finding satisfaction over the involvement of Hindutva elements in terrorism. Terrorism is serious, whether of the Islamist or Hindutva variety, which is all the more reason to ensure that it does not become a tool for settling political scores or to target the innocent. It can be no rational person's case that investigation into Islamist terrorism must be meticulous, impartial and transparent but that a wild goose chase is permissible when the suspects are of Hindutva persuasion. The BJP is fully within its rights to question the ATS on the veracity of its findings. Yet this right by no means extends to threatening the ATS or warning of a backlash. There is also the party's blatant double standard. When the Delhi police killed two Muslim terror suspects in an encounter at Batla House on September 19, following this up with more arrests from the neighbourhood, the BJP did not wait a second to call all of them terrorists and angrily swung at human rights activists who picked holes in the police version. The party called Mushirul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia
Bismillah [IslamCity] Terror a religion? Faith shaken by blast probe
*Terror a religion? Faith shaken by blast probe* *Sun, Nov 16, 2008 * http://ibnlive.in.com/news/terror-a-religion-faith-shaken-by-blast-probe/78247-3.html [image: SHADES OF TERROR: Is it fair to use the term 'Hindu terror' for what's unraveling in Malegaon probe?] *SHADES OF TERROR: Is it fair to use the term 'Hindu terror' for what's unraveling in Malegaon probe?* http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/78247/11_2008/weekend1511_1/terror-a-religion-faith-shaken-by-blast-probe.html http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/78247/11_2008/weekend1511_1a/terror-a-religion-faith-shaken-by-blast-probe.html http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/78247/11_2008/weekend1511_1b/terror-a-religion-faith-shaken-by-blast-probe.html http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/78247/11_2008/weekend1511_1c/terror-a-religion-faith-shaken-by-blast-probe.html It's a terror investigation that's shaking a people's faith. The Malegaon blast probe, in which the Maharashtra ATS has so far arrested 10 people including an armyman, is taking sinister twists every day. In the net are several Hindu right wing leaders and the big dilemma for the BJP and the Sangh Parivar remains whether or not to support the terror accused. Following are the 10 big names under arrest *Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (38):* A native of Indore. The motorcycle on which the bomb exploded in Malegaon allegedly belonged to her. She was arrested on October 24. *Shivnarayan Kalsangra (36):* A native of Indore, he is said to be an expert from the electrical and mechanical field. He was arrested on October 24. - *Full coverage: Scary saffron?*http://topics.ibnlive.com/Malegaon+blasts.html *Shyam Bhavarlal Sahu (42):* A native of Indore, he runs a mobile shop. He was arrested on October 24 *Sameer Kulkarni (34):* Former member of *ABVP* and a co-founder of *Abhinav Bharat*. He was arrested on October 28. *Retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay (57):* A resident of Pune. He was arrested on October 28. *Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit (37):* He was stationed in Pachmarhi; Arrested on November 5. *Ajay Rahirkar (41):* The treasurer of *Abhinav Bharat*; He was arrested on November 2 *Jagdish Mhatre (40):* Resident of Dombivali, Mumbai and Member of *Abhinav Bharat*. Arrested on November 2 *Rakesh Dhawade (42):* An expert in arms and armaments; Arrested on November 2 *Dayanand Pandey (40):* self-styled Shankaracharya from UP. Arrested on November 12 So in the light of the arrests of these 10 people, all of who owe allegiance to right wing Hindu organistaions, is it fair to use the term Hindu terror? That was the big question raised on the Weekend Edition with Rajdeep Sardesai. BJP MP and Editor-in-Chief of *The Pioneer*, Chandan Mitra; Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari and Lt General (Retd) V G Patankar debated the issue. Chandan Mitra kicked off the debate by expressing his strong disapproval at the usage of the word Hindu terror. He said the terror charge against whoever (Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Srikant Prasad Purohit) has not been proved. They are a series of accusations and allegations with no evidence. I think the entire thing has been done with a political purpose and to call it Hindu terror is like equating what's been happening in India with the rest of the world, he said. *Politician vs politician* While the stand of the BJP and its supporters is very clear, the Congress stand seems interesting. While a section of the party is slamming the Sangh Parivar and the hardline Hindu groups, the other section has maintained a studied silence fearing, perhaps, a Hindu polarization in the upcoming elections. Manish Tiwari, however, said the party line was clear. Congress never believed there was any Hindu or Muslim terror because terror has no religion or creed, he said. While making the stand of his party clear, Tiwari took a dig at the BJP and said while the party was going hammer and tongs about the various terror attacks in the country, it's suddenly gone silent on the recent disclosures. BJP as a responsible party should have come out upfront and said if any of the people who are affliated with us and are found to be involved should be punished according to law, he said. The argument wasn't without logic. BJP president Rajnath Singh came out openly in defence of the Sadhvi, saffron motor-mouth Praveen Togadia too defended the accused and the VHP went a step further and said a Hindu can never be a terrorist. How fair is that? Mitra responded by saying the BJP will happily let the law take its course. If the government had shows 1/10th of the alacrity and determination when it came to cracking other cases as they have shown in this case, nobody would have made an accused, he alleged. But Tiwari would have none of it. He said it was UPA government that helped crack the other blast cases and Batla House encounter was also its initiative. Mitra retorted by saying by that logic, the government should take initiative and even Afzal guru should be hanged. The debate then
Bismillah [IslamCity] Govt Realize 'Hindu Fascism'; Ban on Bajrang Dal on cards? Centre writes to states, seeks details on Bajrang Dal
*Ban on Bajrang Dal on cards?* *Centre writes to states, seeks details on Bajrang Dal* Wednesday, November 12 ,2008 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/centre-writes-to-states-seeks-details-on-bajrang-dal/77993-3.html [image: NOT MUCH SUPPORT: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil says no state government has demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal.] *NOT MUCH SUPPORT:* Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil says no state government has demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal. http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/77993/centre-writes-to-states-seeks-details-on-bajrang-dal.html *New Delhi:* In the face of mounting demands that Hindu fundamentalist groups like the *Bajrang Dal* should be banned, the Union Home Ministry is finally taking action. Central Government has sent a strongly-worded letter to all state governments asking them to send details of activities of the *Bajrang Dal*. The letter says the activities of groups like the *Bajrang Dal* have tarnished the image of the country internationally. There are allegations of the Dal's involvement not just of communal violence but for the first time, the *Bajrang Dal* has been linked to the recent bomb blasts in the country, Centre says. The Home Ministry says demand for taking legal action against not just the Bajrang Dal but all such groups is mounting. Speaking to CNN IBN in an exclusive interview last month, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had said demands for a ban on the *Bajrang Dal* had not been made by any state government as yet. *There are politicians who are making the demands, state governments have not done that. No state government in the country has done anyting for banning any of these,* Patil had said. *Clamour to ban Bajrang Dal grows, UPA Govt cautious*http://www.ibnlive.com/news/clamour-to-ban-bajrang-dal-grows-upa-govt-cautious/75192-3.html?from=search-relatedstories *Allies pressurise Govt to ban Bajrang Dal | View chat*http://www.ibnlive.com/news/allies-pressurise-govt-to-ban-bajrang-dal--view-chat/75142-3.html?from=search-relatedstories *Bajrang Dal linked to recent blasts: Centre*http://www.ibnlive.com/news/bajrang-dal-linked-to-recent-blasts-centre/78023-3.html?from=search-relatedstories [image: LAW BREAKERS: Bajrang Dal activists are reportedly involved in acts of violence against minorities.] *LAW BREAKERS: Bajrang Dal activists are reportedly involved in acts of violence against minorities.* http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/75192/clamour-to-ban-bajrang-dal-grows-upa-govt-cautious.html http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1695868 *New Delhi: Amidst demands for a ban on Bajrang Dal, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday sought details of activities of the Hindutva organisation from all states. *In a letter to the state governments, the ministry has sought details of the action taken by them to check their activities, a Home Ministry official said. Though there was no official word whether the Centre was contemplating a ban on the organisation, as demanded by some key UPA allies, sources said such inputs were required before declaring any organisation as outlawed. Sources said the name of Bajrang Dal was specifically mentioned in the letter sent by the Home Ministry. The letter comes in the backdrop of incidents of communal violence in some parts of the country leading to demands for strict action against individuals and groups involved in the attacks. The ministry of Home Affairs has written to state governments and sought details of the action they may have taken, the official said. *The demand for strong action against the Hindutva organisations, including Bajrang Dal, VHP and RSS have been made both inside and outside the ruling UPA, with some key coalition partners demanding a ban on these groups. * *Also read *Minority panel too wants to ban Bajrang Dalhttp://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1669157 Bajrang Dal dares government to ban ithttp://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1677370 *NOT only Bajran Dal, all saffron fascist 'Hindutva' organisations, like VHP, RSS and Abhinav Bharat should be banned..*
Bismillah [IslamCity] 'Hindu Terrorists': Now One More 'Sadhu Dayanand Pandey' in ATS Net
*Hindu Terror* *Hindu groups history sheeters: ATS* | UP leader heldhttp://ibnlive.in.com/news/ats-arrests-up-religious-leader-in-malegaon-blast/77989-3.html *Wed, Nov 12, 2008* http://ibnlive.in.com/news/hindu-groups-history-sheeters-ats--up-leader-held/78021-3.html [image: NEW FACE TO TERROR TALE: Pandey is a self-styled religious guru who ran an ashram in Jammu.] *NEW FACE TO TERROR TALE: Pandey is a self-styled religious guru who ran an ashram in Jammu.* *Mumbai:* The probe into the Malegaon blasts is now revealing new links to saffron terror every day and investigators claim that the hard-line Hindu groups have been involved in several other such blasts in the recent past. On Wednesday, the spreading stain of saffron terror reached Uttar Pradesh with the arrest of Dayanand Pandey by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad from Kanpur. Pandey is a self styled *shankaracharya* (religious guru) who ran an ashram in Jammu. The ATS alleges he was directly involved in the Malegaon blasts. Sources indicate that Pandey organised a training camp for hard-line Hindutva activists in Pune's Sinhagarh in 2003. Investigators say Pandey was arrested after disclosures by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Purohit, both of whom are under arrest. Pandey was with the group that was held earlier. He attended meetings with them. He had a major role in Malegaon blasts, said Mumbai Anti-terrorism Squad Chief, Hemant Karkare. Police sources say they also have proof of a direct link between Purohit and Pandey: a CD recovered from Purohit had pictures and speeches made by Pandey and that the two, along with the Sadhvi met to plan the Malegaon blasts. Maharashtra ATS will now move for permission to take Pandey to Mumbai for further questioning. UP Police indicate there could be more arrests from the state. They had also detained Pandey's chartered accountant for questioning in Jammu. Meanwhile, the Aurangabad court has allowed Maharashtra ATS to take one of Malegaon accused, Rakesh Dhawade, into police custody. Police investigators reportedly want to probe the linkages between the Malegaon accused and their involvement in the 2004 Jalna and 2006 Nanded blasts. CBI investigators probing the Nanded blasts have indicated that they will also widen the ambit of their investigations because of the possible involvement of the same groups behind the Nanded and Malegaon blasts. *(With inputs from V K Shashikumar)* ATS arrests mutt head Dayanand Pandey Wednesday, November 12, 2008 http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1695864 *Lucknow: A Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad team on Wednesday arrested a seer, who heads a 'mutt' in Jammu, from Kanpur in connection with the Malegaon blast. *The person arrested has been identified as Dayanand Pandey, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, state Additional Director General, Law and Order, Brijlal told PTI. Pandey, he said, was the 'mathadheesh' of a 'mutt' in Jammu. The accused is being taken to Lucknow from Kanpur, he said without elaborating. Sources said that Pandey was allegedly in hiding in Kanpur. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal convenor Prakash Sharma said that Pandey had 'no links' with his outfit. I am not even aware of this person. I don't know who he is. He is not a member of Bajrang Dal, Sharma said when contacted. The two-member ATS team had reached Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday night to probe the Malegaon case.
Bismillah [IslamCity] Finding Islam on Chicago Bus
*Finding Islam on Chicago Bus* By Aisha Qidwae, IOL Correspondent http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1224694243309pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout CHICAGO — Leslie C. Toole has been considering to embrace Islam for the past ten years. But when the Chicagoan teacher saw a simple, yet striking ad on a public bus, he knew the moment has come. [image: Image] Forteen Chicagoans embraced Islam this month alone thanks to the Islam ad campaign of GainPeace. (IOL photo) I never truly committed and when I saw that sign I knew that was the final sign to complete my move, Toole, 45, told IslamOnline.net. Toole had come across Islam on a street corner ten years ago when a man handed him a pamphlet telling him he'll find enlightenment in it. And I kept reading and reading and I wanted to make sure that I understand what I got involved in. Just last month, an Islam advertisement rolled past him on one of the Chicago Transit Authority buses. The sign caught his eyes and eventually he called the number on the giant ad. How to become a member of Islam was my primary question. Toole embraced Islam on Monday, September 29. His story is similar to that of 13 other Chicagoans accepted Islam this month alone thanks to the Islam ad campaign of GainPeace, a Chicago area outreach project of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). The group spent $30,900 to place signs on 25 public buses serving across Chicago. The ads direct people to a toll-free hotline, 800.662.Islam, and a website established to help those who are seeking answers to questions about Islam. The campaign was initially to run from September 19 to October 20, but it has been extended till November 23 because of the massive positive feedback. The hotline has received thousands of calls, in addition to up to 300,000 hits on the website. When curious Chicagoans dial the hotline, GainPeace also provides them with an English copy of the Noble Qur'an, The Message magazine on Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as well as brochures and books on topics related to Islam. *Novel* Campaigners say the aim of the bus ad campaign was to find a novel way to steer people toward information on Islam. The topic [of the ad] is Islam: the way of life with different prophets' names, Sabeel Ahmed, Director of GainPeace, told IOL. The bottom and top message are supposed to generate more interest in people. Ahmed affirms that with the hotline and the website, people would get the chance to know more about Islam, with the opportunity to call knowledgeable Muslims to clear up any misconceptions, biases or fears. We want to create a channel through the website so people can interact with us and work out the commonalities, to get to know each other better. Toole, the new Muslim, believes that the simple yet stark ad which merely says Got Questions? Get Answers is a brilliant way to draw people's attention. I thought it was a neat idea…I had never seen that before. The Islam ad campaign does not run in Chicago alone. ICNA, a New York-based grassroot organization that has 22 chapters across the US, has organized similar campaigns in Seattle and New York. In Big Apple, 1,000 ads went up on the city's subway cars last month, portraying in a visual format questions that people may have about Islam. Because of campaign's success, other cities in the US and Canada have asked the group to help start similar projects. A recent US survey revealed that the majority of Americans know very little about Islam and do not see any common grounds between the Muslim faith and their own Christian beliefs. *Mentoring * We want to create a channel through the website so people can interact with us and work out the commonalities, to get to know each other better, Ahmed told IOL. GainPeace role does not end with educating people about Islam. When a person embraces Islam, the group appoints a Big Brother or Big Sister, who becomes a mentor for the new Muslim, proving information, support and advice. The mentor is like a guardian angel, says Ahmed, the GainPeace director. The mentor and the new Muslim meet face-to-face and stay in touch with mails and phone calls. Toole, who has chosen Ilyas as his new Muslim name, is very grateful to his mentor. He's been very helpful. He's provided me with tons of books to move me forward. GainPeace also provides the new Muslim with the Shahada package, which includes: A How to Pray DVD, a Help Yourself in Reading the Qur'an book, and brochures on various topics about Islam. It also offers online classes once a week for new Muslims, which Ilyas is looking forward to joining. I'll be able to learn everything from Muslims' lifestyle to prayer practices and the Arabic language. Ilyas says that the more he knows about his new religion, the more confident he feels that he has made the right decision. It's definitely perfect for me. It's hard to explain because when you know something is right, it's
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Political Framework Of Islam By Prof Khurshid Ahmad
*The Political Framework Of Islam* *By Prof Khurshid Ahmad * http://www.islamawareness.net/Politics/framework.html The political system of Islam is based on the three principles of towhid (Oneness of Allah), risala (Prophethood) and Khilifa (Caliphate). Towhid means that one Allah alone is the Creator, Sustainer and Master of the universe and of all that exists in it - organic or inorganic. He alone has the right to command or forbid. Worship and obedience are due to Him alone. No aspect of life in all its multifarious forms ¾ our own organs and faculties, the apparent control which we have over physical objects or the objects themselves ¾ has been created or a acquired by us in our own right. They are the bountiful provisions of Allah and have been bestowed on us by Him alone. Hence, it is not for us to decide the aim and purpose of our existence or to set the limits of our worldly authority; nor does anyone else have the right to make these decisions for us. This right rests only with Allah. This principle of the Oneness of Allah makes meaningless the concept of the legal and political sovereignty of human beings. No individual, family, class or race can set themselves above Allah. Allah alone is the Ruler and His commandments constitute the law of Islam. Risala is the medium through which we receive the law of Allah. We have received two things from this source: the Qur'an, the book in which Allah has expounded His law, and the authoritative interpretation and exemplification of that Book by the Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him), through word and deed, in his capacity as the representative of Allah. The Qur'an laid down the broad principles on which human life should be based and the Prophet of Allah, in accordance with these principles, established a model system of Islamic life. The combination of these two elements is called the shari'a (law). Khilifa means representation. Man, according to Islam, is the representative of Allah on earth, His vice-gerent; that is to say, by virtue of the powers delegated to him by Allah, and within the limits prescribed, he is required to exercise Divine authority. To illustrate what this means, let us take the case of an estate of yours which someone else has been appointed to administer on your behalf. Four conditions invariably obtain: First, the real ownership of the estate remains vested in you and not in the administrator; secondly, he administers your property directly in accordance with your instructions; thirdly, he exercises is authority within the limits prescribed by you; and fourthly, in the administration of the trust he executes your will and fulfils your intentions and not his own. Any representative who does not fulfil these four conditions will be abusing his authority and breaking the covenant which was implied in the concept of representation. This is exactly what Islam means when it affirms that man is the representative (khalifa) of Allah on earth. Hence, these four conditions are also involved in the concept of Khalifa. The state that is established in accordance with this political theory will in fact be a caliphate under the sovereignty of Allah. Democracy In Islam The above explanation of the term Khilafa also makes it clear that no individual or dynasty or class can be Khalifa: the authority of Khilafa is bestowed on the whole of any community which is ready to fulfil the conditions of representation after subscribing to the principles of towhid and Risala. Such a society carries the responsibility of the Khilafa as a whole and each one of its individuals shares in it. This is the point where democracy begins in Islam. Every individual in an Islamic society enjoys the rights and powers of the caliphate of Allah and in this respect all individuals are equal. No-one may deprive anyone else of his rights and powers. The agency for running the affairs of the state will be formed by agreement with these individuals, and the authority of the state will only be an extension of the powers of the individuals delegated to it. Their opinion will be decisive in the formation of the government, which will be run with their advice and in accordance with their wishes. Whoever gains their confidence will undertake the duties and obligations of the caliphate on their behalf; and when he loses this confidence he will have to step down. In this respect the political system of Islam is as perfect a dorm of democracy as there can be. What distinguishes Islamic democracy from Western democracy, therefor, is that the latter is based on the concept of popular sovereignty, while the former rests on the principle of popular Khilafa. In Western democracy, the people are sovereign; in Islam sovereignty is vested in Allah and the people are His caliphs or representatives. In the former the people make their own; in the latter they have to follow and obey the laws (shari'a) given by Allah through His Prophet. In one the government
Bismillah [IslamCity] OPEN LETTER to NIC: The continuing Muslim and minority persecution in India By Amaresh Misra
*OPEN LETTER To:* *National Integration Council* *By Amaresh Misra* http://lifethelove.wordpress.com/ ** *Subject: The continuing Muslim and minority persecution in India* RSS type Hindutva forces, created primarily by the British, are afraid of Sanatan Dharma, the true religion of Hindus. The reason is that Sanatan Dharma and Islam have worked in an historical alliance to create the great Indian composite culture which made India a superpower during the Mughal era. *I, along with my fellow citizens of India, am addressing this letter to the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) on 13th October. **This Government of India body has the premier task of fighting communal forces and facilitating Indian national Integration.* Dear senior members of the NIC, You all know me as a historian and the author of `*War of Civilizations: India 1857 AD'*, the two volume authoritative work on 1857, India's first war of Independence. I have been instrumental in making the world aware that India fought a great anti-colonial battle in the 19th century and that 10 million Indians were killed by rampaging British troops during the 1857 wars. 1857 offers a shining example of national integration. There is no place from Gilgit to Tamil Nadu and Manipur to Maharashtra which was not affected by the great war of the Indian people. Hindus and Muslims fought as brothers. Kattar Hindu Sepoys or peasant soldiers went to Delhi to install, Bahadur Shah Zafar as India's Emperor. When Rani Lakshmi Bai died she had only 250 Pathan-Muslim soldiers with her— all of whom perished in the fatal battle with the British. In Ayodhya, right near the spot where the Babari Masjid was demolished, Maulavis and Pundits were hanged together side by side. There was no distinction— *Hindus and Muslims were one*. Who can deny this history? I am a firm believer in policies and programs of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. But some elements in our society, represented by the RSS are hell bent upon in negating the Nehruvian legacy, secular-Sanatani Hindu ethos and the Muslim contribution to Indian history. Sadly, present-day secular forces seemed to have surrendered before them— how else you all, esteemed members of the NIC, can define the Batla House encounter? During this encounter, the Home Minister of a secular government was sitting in the control room of the Delhi Police supervising the suspect encounter of two Muslim boys in the Jamia Nagar area. Is this democracy? Even if we accept the police version that the boys were masterminds or something of the blasts that rocked Delhi on 12th September who has the right to kill them in full public view? Isn't this unconstitutional? During my travels to the US I unearthed a widespread plot to destabilize India. This plot is being hatched by American and Indian Right Wing elements— but is being resisted by American Democrats. Shivraj Patil and Narendra Modi are part of this plot; what do you make of Tata shifting his Nano car to Gujarat? It means that even the corporate lobby has thrown in its lot with fascists. What is the long-term design of the American-Israeli plot? It is to butcher Indian Muslims, sound a death knell to Indian nationalism, and erode India's sovereignty. Let this letter serve as a warning to people like Shivraj Patil and Narendra Modi, … A thousand Shivraj Patil, Narendra Modi and toady figures like Ratan Tata, will die a thousand deaths before their American masters can destroy India— a country built by the sacrifice of millions of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. The bomb blasts that have rocked India since July 2008 have all been planned by the Home Ministry to effect Muslim persecution and communal polarization and destroy Indian nationalism. The reason: for Shivraj Patil, Narendra Modi and Ratan Tata, and the Indian corporate lobby, the current world economic crisis presents a dilemma. These forces want to rule the world through neo-liberal economic policies, which are failing even in America. In India, the current, neo-liberal economic policies have caused untold damage: while the corporate lobby stands strengthened, the peasantry and the Adivasis, the OBCs and the Dalits are all seeing a decline in their income. Unemployment and inflation is rampant. In the name of privatization, India's Independent Industrial base has been eroded. It is clear that that impoverished masses of India, the vast majority of minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs are restless. India wants a more pro-people, anti-corporate house economic policy. People want more empowerment, progress and prosperity. They are dissatisfied not only with the Modi-Tata economic policies, which have made even the rich amongst OBCs, Dalits and minorities poor, but also with the entire ideology of fake Brahminism, which has been used since the British era to suppress minorities and Dalits. RSS type Hindutva forces, created primarily by the British, are afraid of Sanatan Dharma, the
Bismillah [IslamCity] Thoughts on Forgiveness
http://www.islamonline.net//english/index.shtml *Thoughts on Forgiveness* By Ahmad Shawqi http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1221720251625pagename=Zone-English-Family/FYELayout#**1 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1221720251625pagename=Zone-English-Family/FYELayout [image: Image] One of the best gifts that we can offer ourselves is forgiveness: forgiving anyone who might have wronged us (according to our perception), and forgiving ourselves for our own shortcomings, and not continually beat up the drums of our failures in our mind and simply concentrating our efforts on doing the good. Personally, I embrace true forgiveness, and I encourage others to embrace it. However, in my teaching, I found that many misconceptions about what true forgiveness is abound. Below are some of my thoughts about true forgiveness. *Forgiveness does not mean Condoning* Forgiving someone for his transgressions against you does not mean you condone the transgressions. For example, if I steal something from you and you later decide to forgive me, what that means is that you chose forgiveness. It does not mean that stealing is OK. It is still wrong. *Forgiveness is not an Invitation to Repeat* When you forgive someone, you are not giving them a carte-blanche to repeat the same mistake. For example: if a husband beats his wife and later she decides to forgive him and resume their married life, that does not mean that he can repeat the same mistake and expect that she should forgive him again. *Forgiveness is not Forgetting* I found this to be the most common misconception. Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting. Simply advocating forgetting the mistakes of the past is pseudo-forgiveness at best. People who practice that are typically repressing or avoiding looking at the reality of the matter. I found such people to be really unforgiving: they get easily upset, and their bodies typically manifest some form of dis-ease True forgiveness is remembering the events of the past with no negative emotion attached. For example, when you remember what you wore yesterday, you typically remember it as a fact. You are not upset over it. Similarly, you can know that you have forgiven someone from your past if you can remember the event without any stressful reaction. You remember it because it did happen. There is no power in denying that what happened did happen. The power is in lovingly remembering it, seeing what happened with different understanding (than the one that caused your hurt) and more compassion for yourself and for the people involved. There are always many lessons to learn in whatever happens to us in our lives. So we can actually end up rejoicing all our past events. This may be tough for some of us, so if you can't be happy for what happened in your life, you can at least be free of any negative emotions associated with it. In my experience, people who believe that forgiveness means forgetting are never free from the negative sting of their past. *You can Forgive and still Move On* An example: You were in a business relationship and someone cheated you. The fact that you decide to forgive them does not mean you have to remain in business with them. You can forgive them and never do business with them again. That decision does not mean you are still angry with them or that you have not forgiven them. You have forgiven them and decided not to have a relationship with them. I deal with this theme over and over especially within the context of family relationships and it is a bit difficult for people. They feel guilty to think that the best way to deal with a family member is to love them from a distance. But sometimes it could be the best thing for you and for them. A mother was confused about dealing with her brother whom she found mistreating her young girl. Won't I be cutting the ties of kinship?, What is my family going to say?, How can I explain it to people? were some of her questions. Obviously there are many ways to deal with this issue, but the point I want to make here that this mother can forgive her brother and still take measures to protect her daughter (even if one of the measures is to temporarily prevent the brother from visiting her). Another example that could also explain what I mean by 'Forgive and Still Move On': a friend of mine has a father who lies a lot, and what bothered my friend more was that his father would swear by God that what he said was true. He would swear by God to do something and shortly after swear by God that he didn't say he would. My friend was very frustrated narrating this. What I told my friend was: (1) The main source of your frustration is your expectation that he would not lie, when – according to you – you had a life-long evidence that him lying is more likely than him keeping his word (2) You can forgive your father and choose never to believe or
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ahmadinejad rails against Zionists, U.S. bullying
[image: washingtonpost.com] http://www.washingtonpost.com/?nav=globaltop *Ahmadinejad rails against Zionists, U.S. bullying* By Claudia Parsons - Reuters *Tuesday, September 23, 2008* http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092303093.html UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad railed against Zionist murderers in a speech to the United Nations on Tuesday and vowed to resist American bullying and defend Iran'shttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/iran.html?nav=elright to nuclear power. After a long discourse on God, justice and morality, Ahmadinejad said a small number of deceitful Zionists were manipulating Americans and Europeans. Ahmadinejad, who has said in the past Israelhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/israel.html?nav=elshould be wiped off the map, said there was growing resistance in the world to the aggression of bullying powers, a phrase he used repeatedly to refer to the United States and its allies. The Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters, he said, referring to Israel. American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders, Ahmadinejad said. He dwelled on what he described as Zionist control over international financial and monetary centers. The comments were swiftly denounced as anti-Semitic by the Anti-Defamation League, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, among others. Israeli President Shimon Peres said the comments echoed an anti-Semitic tract -- now considered fraudulent -- that was published in the early 1900s and described a Jewish and Masonic plot to take over the world. This is the first time in the history of the United Nations that the head of a state is appearing openly and publicly with the ugly and dark accusations of the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion,' Peres told reporters. *BULLYING ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM* Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear program was entirely peaceful and his country was cooperating fully with the U.N. atomic watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA said earlier this month that Iran was not cooperating enough with its inspectors. A few bullying powers have sought to put hurdles in the way of the peaceful nuclear activities of the Iranian nation by exerting political and economic pressures against Iran, and also through threatening and pressuring the IAEA, Ahmadinejad said. He told a news conference the IAEA was under pressure from Washington, which had made allegations against Iran that were so superficial and funny that it was clear they were forged. The forgery was so poorly done that any elementary school kid would be able to figure it out. The U.N. Security Council has demanded Iran suspend enrichment of uranium and imposed three rounds of sanctions. The United States is leading a drive for more sanctions over Iran's continued defiance of the resolutions, though Russian opposition makes it unlikely new penalties will be approved anytime soon. Iran says it is enriching uranium for nuclear power plants and has vowed to continue doing so. The great Iranian people ... will resist the bullying, and has defended and will defend its rights, Ahmadinejad said in his speech. The Iranian nation is for dialogue. But it has not accepted and will not accept illegal demands. Israel, which is believed to be the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East, views Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence. Asked about the prospect of military action by Israel against Iran's nuclear installations, Ahmadinejad cast doubt on Israel's military power and said Iran was big and strong. Iran has different ways of defending its interests and it is so powerful, or has power enough, that it will be able to stop any activities before guns are pointed at us, he said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was among several speakers earlier on Tuesday who called on Iran to act on the Security Council resolutions and cooperate more with the IAEA. (Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau; editing by Mohammad Zargham) ++ *Book Review: The Secret War With Iran* By Jim Miles http://www.countercurrents.org/miles240908.htm If one knew little about the Middle East and its many strands of religious, political, military, and strategic interests, this seemingly well written work would have the reader believing that Israel is the altruistic good guy – although making tactical mistakes in its counter terrorist endeavours – and the Iranians are the cause of all the atrocities in the Middle East
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Battle of Badr
*The Great Battle of Badr took place the 17th of Ramadan* ** *The Battle of Badr* http://www.al-islam.org/history/history/badr.html *In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful.* The battle of Badr was the most important among the Islamic battles of Destiny, this great battle took place on the seventeenth of Ramadan, two years after the Hijra. This was the first battle that the believers ever engaged in with the disbelievers, and it is, by far, the most famous and most renown, becuase of the several extraordinary events that occured during it. For the first time the followers of the new faith were put into a serious test. Had victory been the lot of the pagan army while the Islamic Forces were still at the beginning of their developments, the faith of Islam could have come to an end. Rasoolullah (saws) had encouraged the Muslims to oppose the Quraish caravan which was returning to Mecca from Sham [Syria]. The Muslims went out with 300 and some soldiers not intending to meet a caravan of about 40 men, not intending to fight but only to overpower them. The caravan escaped, but Abu Sufyan had already sent word to Quraish (in Makkah) to come and protect it. The Quraish marched with enormous army of 1000 men, six hundred wearing shields, 100 horses, and 700 camels, and luxurious provisions to last for several days. The disbelievers wanted to make this a victory that would put fear into the hearts of all the Arabs. They wanted to crush the Muslims once and for all and the odds were overwhelmingly in their favor. Imagine that the believers with their small army (including only 2 horses), going out with the intent of meeting a mere 40 unarmed man and instead meeting a well- prepared army of *3 times* their size Rasoolullah (saws) could have easily ordered the believers to fight and they wouldn't have hesitated to comply, but, he (saws) wanted to emphasize to his followers that they should fight out of conviction and iman and to teach us a lesson in the process. He gathered his followers to conduct shura (consultation). Many of the muhajireen (the Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to Medinah) spoke up, using the most eloquent of words to describe their dedication. But there was one of the sahabah whom all the others envied for his statement to Rasoolullah (saws). He, Miqdad ibn al Aswad, rose up in front of the crowd and said, *'Ya Rasoolullah! We will not say to you like Bani Israel said to Musa, 'Go you and your Lord and fight, we are here sitting (waiting).' (surat al maa'idah). Go by Allah's blessing and we are with you!* And so Rasoolullah (saws) was very pleased, but in his greeat wisdom, he waited silently, and some among the Muslims knew what he intended. So far only the muhajiroon had given their consent, but it was the Ansar (the Muslims who lived in Medinah and welcomed the Muslims into their city) who had the most to loose in this stake and it was not a part of the pledge (that Rasoolullah had taken from the Ansar at 'Aqabah) for the Ansar to fight with the Muslims in foreign territory. So, the great leader of the Ansar, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh spoke up, *Ya Rasoolullah! Maybe you mean us.* Rasoolullah (saws) responded in the affirmative. Sa'd proceeded to give a beautiful speech in which he said, among many things: *O Messenger of Allah, we have believed in you and we believe that you are saying the truth. We give you, based on that, our covenant to listen to and obey you. By Allah, the One Who sent you with the truth, if you were to enter the sea, we would rush into it with you and not one of us would stay behind... May Allah show you in our actions what will satisfy your eyes. So march with us, putting our trust in Allah's blessings. * Rasoolullah (saws) was very pleased by this and said, *Forward and be of cheer, for Allah has promised me one of the two (the caravan or the battle), and by Allah, it is as if I now saw the enemy lying prostrate. * The Muslims marched forward and encamped at the nearest spring of Badr (closest to Medinah, which is north of Mecca). One of the companions, Al-Hubab ibn Mundhir, asked Rasoolullah (saws), *Has Allah inspired you to choose this very spot or is it stratagem of war and the product of consultation? * Rasoolullah (saws) said, *It is the product of stratagem of war and consultation.* So Al-Hubab suggested that the Muslims encamp further south on the nearest water well, make a basin of water for themselves, and destroy the other wells to thereby restrict to Quraish's access to the water. Rasoolullah (saws) approved of his plan and carried it out.[*] Then, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh suggested that a trellis or hut be built for Rasoolullah (saws) as a protection for him and to serve as a headquarters for the army. Rasoolullah (saws) and Abu Bakr stayed in the hut while Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and a group of his men guarded it. Rasoolullah (saws) spent the whole night preceeding the battle in prayer and supplication evn thought he (saws) knew that Allah
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Gates of Paradise
*The Gates of Paradise ** By *Dr. Umar S. Al-Ashqarhttp://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1429/Successful_Trade/05.shtml#Dr. `Umar S. Al-Ashqar* *Professor of Shari`ah—Jordan University* http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1429/Successful_Trade/05.shtml The three cornerstones of the Prophets' messages, as mentioned by Imam Ibn Abi Al-Iz Al-Dimishqi in his book *Sharh At-Tahawiyya*, are: teaching people about Allah and His attributes, directing them how to follow the path that Almighty Allah has established for human-beings to follow, and informing them about the reward they will receive when they follow the path of Almighty Allah. If we take a look at the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the Qur'an and Sunnah, we will find that it has covered these three cornerstones. We will also find that not only are the commands and prohibitions mentioned in a detailed manner, but also the reward that the believers will receive, which is Paradise, is also described thoroughly, so their hearts become attached to it and it becomes a competition between the believers: Who will receive this great reward? Who will be able to defeat his evil desires more than anyone else? Who will be able to perfect his acts of worship like praying and fasting in order to receive this immense reward? Paradise is the tremendous reward which Allah the All-Powerful has prepared for His beloved and those who obey Him. It is perfect joy and pleasure, where there is nothing lacking and nothing can disturb its purity. What Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have told us about it makes us mystified with indescribable joy because our minds are incapable of comprehending the greatness of such blessings. Amongst the details of the description of Paradise that is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, is that it has gates through which believers will enter, as the angels enter therein: [*`Adn [Eden] of Paradise, whose doors will be opened for them.*] (Quran: Saad, 38: 50) *[… And angels shall enter unto them from every gate [with the salutation]: 'Peace be unto you for that you persevered in patience! How excellent is the final home!*] (Quran: Ar-Ra`d, 13: 23-24) Allah the Almighty has told us that these gates will be opened when the believers reach them, and that they will be welcomed by the angels with greetings of peace: [*And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein.*](Az-Zumar, 39: 73) Imam Ibn Kathir says in his *tafseer*: Allah tells us about the blessed believers, who will be taken to Paradise in groups, one group after another, starting with the best of them: those who are closest to Allah, then the most righteous, then the next best and the next best. Each group will be with others like them, prophets with prophets, the true believers with their peers, the martyrs with their counterparts, the scholars with their colleagues; every group composed of people of the same kind. There are eight gates in Paradise; one of them is called *Ar-Rayyan*, which is exclusively for those who fast. Al-Bukhari and Muslim report from Sahl ibn Sad As-Saidi that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: *In Paradise there are eight gates. There is one gate called Ar-Rayyan. No-one will enter it except those who fast, and after they enter it, it will be locked behind them, and no-one else will enter through it.* There are also gates for those who pray much, those who give in charity and those who fight in jihad, as well as the gate called *Ar-Rayyan* for those who fast. In a hadith reported by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim, Abu Hurairah narrated that Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): *Whoever spends a pair (of anything) from his wealth for the sake of Allah, will be called from the gates of Paradise, and Paradise has eight gates. Whoever will be from the people of salah (i.e. praying regularly, properly, obligatory and supererogatory), will be called from the gate of prayer; whoever will be from among the people of sadaqah (optional charity) will be called from the gate of charity; whoever will be from among the people of jihad will be called from the gate of jihad, and whoever will be from among the people of fasting (fasting obligatory and optional) will be called from the gate of fasting.* Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah, it would not matter if a person was called from any of them, but will anyone be there to be called from all of them, O' Messenger of Allah? He (peace and blessings be upon him), *Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.* Abu Bakr's question refers to a person who has all these good qualities: prayer, fasting, charity, jihad, and so on, so
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ramadan; Ten Days of Forgiveness: Ready?
*http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/Heart_Softening/School/13.shtml
*
**
*Ten Days of Forgiveness: Ready?*
By Wa'il
Shihabhttp://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/Heart_Softening/School/13.shtml#1
*Islamic Researcher— Egypt *
http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/Heart_Softening/School/13.shtml
The blessed days of Ramadan are passing so quickly. The special days of
Allah's great mercy, forgiveness and favors are going; therefore, every one
should evaluate the efforts he exerted in Ramadan before it is too late.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) told us that the first
part of Ramadan is for Allah's mercy, its middle is for forgiveness, and its
end is for salvation from Hell-fire.
No one knows whether or not he gained the mercy of Almighty Allah before the
end of the first third of Ramadan. We should all be faithful and honest when
evaluating our success in gaining His mercy in the first part of this
blessed month. We should realize our shortcomings in order not to miss out
on the blessings of the few days that remain.
Now we are favored with the days of forgiveness. Are we ready to work for
forgiveness? Have we prepared ourselves to be forgiven by Almighty Allah? It
is our great opportunity to repent, to return to Almighty Allah, and to seek
His forgiveness. It is a precious time that we should not miss out on. If we
fail to gain the forgiveness of Almighty Allah during the days of
forgiveness, when would our sins would be forgiven?
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), his companions, and the
righteous Muslims throughout the ages used to pay due attention to Ramadan
and the blessings it contains. Wise people should never miss the merits of
every single day of Ramadan.
Now, the important question is: How should we seek the forgiveness of
Almighty Allah during these blessed days of Ramadan? Below are some tips
that we should consider and implement:
1. Everybody should sincerely repent to Almighty Allah, seeking His
forgiveness,
2. Wrongdoings and prohibitions should be avoided,
3. One should offer more optional acts of worship such as Tahajjud (night
prayer), charity, dhikr, and Qur'an recitation.
4. Obligatory acts of worship such as the five daily prayers should be
carried out properly and faithfully, and
5. One should earnestly make du`aa' to Almighty Allah to bless him with His
favors and forgiveness.
O Allah, help us all to gain Your mercy, forgiveness, and blessings, Ameen.
__
*Wa'il `Abdel-Mut`aal Shihab is the deputy managing editor of the IOL
Shari`ah Department (English). He graduated from Al-Azhar University and got
his master's from Al-Azhar in Islamic studies with a major in Islamic
jurisprudence and its principles. He is working on his doctorate in the
principles of Islamic jurisprudence. He writes occasionally for
IslamOnline.net. You can reach him at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Bismillah [IslamCity] Manufacturing 'Terrorists' The Indian Way By Yoginder Sikand
*Manufacturing 'Terrorists' The Indian Way* *Yoginder Sikand* Almost every other day, newspapers are agog with stories about 'dreaded Muslim terrorists' being nabbed across the country. At the same time, savage violence unleashed by Hindutva groups continues unabated without any effective steps being taken against them. In the on-going 'war on terror'. globally as well as within India, Muslims have come to be framed collectively as 'terrorists', while terrorism engaged in by people belonging to other communities is generally condoned or ignored altogether or, at least, is not described in the same terms. In India today, Muslim youths are being indiscriminately picked up and tortured by the police, in many cases falsely accused of being terrorists. Many of them have been languishing in jails for years now and yet no one ever seems to care.] Take the case of Muhammad Parvez Abdul Qayyum Shaikh of Gujarat. According to his aunt, Qamar Jahan, on the 2nd of April 2003, while he was on his way to fit a water appliance, he was arrested by CBI officer Tarun Barot and others. For three days his family knew nothing his whereabouts. On the fourth day, she says, 'We saw the news and realized that Parvez had been arrested under allegations of having a Chinese made pistol and some gun powder. However, this powder is used for cleaning the Aqua Guard machines.' Parvez, she says, was brutally beaten and tortured by the officers, with Officer Vanzara allegedly asking Parvez to refer to him as Khuda (God) and beating him ruthlessly. While in jail they forced him to sign on blank papers. He was reportedly taken by the CBI officers to Gandhinagar where he was further tortured for 21 days. He was then charged in the DCP-6 case, Tiffin bomb blast case and in the Haren Pandya murder case (the last mentioned of which, incidentally, Pandya's own father accuses Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as having instigated). He was sentenced to fourteen years in jail for the last-mentioned case, although his aunt maintains that he is innocent. 27 year-old Sardar, a Muslim youth, works as a plumber in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He was arrested at the age of 17, some months after the February 1998 Chennai bomb blasts. The initial accusation against Sardar was that he had been involved in a street fight. He was apparently kept illegally imprisoned for a month, and only after that was an FIR was lodged against him. This time he was accused of carrying two pipe bombs and rioting. The offence was non-bailable. He was remanded and kept in the Vellore Jail for first fifteen months, even though there were no witnesses against him. The special court set up for the bomb blasts refused to let him be tried as he was a minor. Eventually, nine and half years later, in the final judgment the court apparently found him not guilty of any of the charges put on him and he was acquitted, but only after having spent almost a decade languishing in jail, where he was brutally tortured. Even after his acquittal the police have allegedly not stopped harassing and hounding him, and they still restrict his movements. Noor ul-Hoda, the son of a desperately poor daily-wage labourer from Malegaon in Maharashtra, is yet another hapless Muslim man who has, so he insists, been falsely implicated as a terrorist by the police. In September 2006, he was picked up by the police from his home. On the same day, they brought him back , searched the house (without producing a search warrant), and, finding nothing, took him back into police custody. The next day the police charged Noor with possession of twenty books considered as 'illegal literature'. While in police custody, he is said to have been forced, through torture and threats by his interrogators that they would kill his family, to sign a blank piece of paper, which was later used as evidence of a 'confession'. This was, it is claimed, used to charge him under the draconian MCOCA for allegedly being a member of the team that carried out the Malegaon bombings. This, he says, is completely false as he was at the local mosque on the day of the bomb blasts. The local special executive officer has given an affidavit validating this. Noor claims that Police Inspector Sachin Kadum had threatened him thus: 'Although I am aware of the fact that you are not involved in the bomb blast, we will still capture you and we will see if you can get out of this situation.' In October 2006 Noor was taken to Bangalore for brain mapping and narco-tests. These proved negative, but the experience was harrowing. During the narco-test he was given powerful electric shocks and was badly beaten. His ribs were also battered. The doctor, Malti , asked him to say what the police wanted him to say or else he would be more deeply implicated in the bomb blast case. 'When I did not repeat the words electric shocks were given to my ear', he says. While he was in the custody of the Nasik police, they tortured him severely at the ATS office, saying
Bismillah [IslamCity] Israel’s ‘Right to Exist’ By Phillip F. Tourney
USS LIBERTY http://ussliberty.wordpress.com/ *Israel's 'Right to Exist'* *Phillip F. Tourney - *Survivor, USS Liberty June 8 1967 July 29, 2008 — crescentandcross http://ussliberty.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/israel%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98right-to-exist%E2%80%99/http://ussliberty.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/israel's-'right-to-exist'/ I have heard it for the entirety of my 61 years of life–Israel's 'Right To Exist'. In fact, in recent memory I have heard this phrase more than I've heard 'Happy Thanksgiving' or 'Merry Christmas' or even 'Have a Good 4th of July'. Israel seems to exist quite well. Her people have a very high living standard compared to the rest of the world. Israel has the most sophisticated armed forces in the Middle East, if indeed not the world. According to one of our former presidents, Israel is said to possess several hundred nuclear weapons and if we are to believe some of the things said by Israel's leaders in recent years she is ready to destroy mankind if her leaders choose to do so. Israeli's live a very good life style, second to none. A swimming pool in every back yard on stolen land, plenty of food, jobs, stocks, cash, you name it. Their quality of life continues to grow and prosper every month of every year. Now what I have a problem with is this–doesn't the United States of America also have a 'Right to Exist'? Yes we do, but unfortunately that right is being taken away from us every second, every minute, every hour, every month and every year and all for the sake of Israel's 'Right To Exist'. What's wrong with this story? Well, I'll explain what's wrong with it and believe me, its not that hard to figure out. Israel's 'Right To Exist' has virtually bankrupted the United States, and all of it off the backs of hard-working Americans for the last sixty years. We've given Israel untold billions of dollars *NEVER TO BE REPAID*, to say nothing of the military hardware in the billions we (I should say the United States) just flat-out gives them, including free training for their fighter pilots. The United States continues to supply Israel with cash payments every day in the millions of dollars, and remember–*THIS IS BORROWED MONEY*. Do you understand this my fellow Americans? We borrow money for the sake of Israel but yet we do not barrow it for the sake and safety of our own citizens. This money must be paid back by us our children, their children and their children and this cycle will never be broken until the Untied States gives up its passionate attachment to the Jewish state. Our sons and daughters are paying a very heavy price in Iraq. 4000+ dead, tens of thousands wounded so badly that their lives will never be the same and who knows when it will end. The United States is fighting this war in Iraq all for the sake of Israel. Americans getting killed, wounded and us spending billions of tax dollars we don't have, and for what? Let me remind you, in case you have forgotten–*FOR ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST*. The ugly truth is that the United States can't take much more. It is bending to the very breaking point of no return, and now the war drums beat once again in Israel that we must attack Iran or they will. When Israel spouts this aggression the gas prices go up and up, along with the price of food and just about everything else we need so that America can exist. It is a heavy burden on the American people, Israel's benefactors. Many in this country are losing their homes, their jobs and can't even afford food and all because they gave everything they had for Israel's 'Right to Exist'. This year the United States has gone through so many natural disasters it boggles the mind. One after the other–fire, floods, tornadoes, you name it and we've had it and up to our collective eyeballs. And through all of this, where has America's greatest ally been? I haven't seen Israel hand over a red cent to this country when it was in need. Israel could care less about us, their benefactors the USA. If we were broke and down to our last cent, you can bet the ranch that Israel would demand it go into her coffers and God help any politician who would vote against it. But then, why do we even bother discussing such business as politicians voting in America's best interest? It goes without saying that when Israel wants something she gets it, no strings attached from a subservient President and congress. It's time we cut this step child Israel lose and let her make it on their own. No more wars for Israel. No more money, no more nothing. If Israel wants money let her people earn it. If they want a war *LET THEM FIGHT IT ON THEIR OWN. NO MORE AMERICAN BLOOD OR TREASURE SPENT ON ISRAEL'S 'RIGHT TO EXIST'.* For those who think I am wet behind the ears on this one, think twice–I know all too well what Israel thinks about Americans, because 41 years ago I saw them murder my shipmates in cold blood with no remorse in their black hearts or in their vacant souls. Their entire war machine was bought
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ar-Rayyan: Are you a club member?
*الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ *Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. (Qur'an 13:28) ** *Ar-Rayyan: Are you a club member?* by Yaser Birjas http://muslimmatters.org/author/yaser-birjas/ on September 8th, 2008 http://muslimmatters.org/2008/09/08/ar-rayyan-are-you-a-club-member/ [image: fancy_historical_doorhandle.jpg]If you are an elite status frequent flyer with one of the national airlines, you will realize the benefits of such status when you need it the most - when the airport is crowded and you need to secure your spot on the airplane. If you are a club member of any of the national or international flying programs, you will enjoy privileges not available to the public. The number one privilege is status. When passengers are called for departure they are mentioned by their flying status; first class is first and foremost, next comes the club members and then all other travelers through general boarding. As a club member you are recognized for your hard work. You enjoy boarding earlier than others with no long delays. You even walk through a special path with a club logo on the carpet. Once you pass through it, it closes after you leaving the rest of the crowd waiting to enter later through a different path. As a club member you enjoy traveling rewards for your hard work on the journeys you had undertaken throughout your career with the carrier. You receive rewards such as, and not limited to, spontaneous upgrades, waving charges for extra baggage, and most importantly a private lounge in the busy airport. The gates of the club are opened only for members of the flying club, and if you are not a member; no entry. *Ar-Rayyan* is a gate for exclusive heavenly elite, it is the gate of Paradise through which members of a special class will enter and once they are all in it will close. It is a gate for an exclusive club; a club for those who travel the distance with a special airline: *aS-Saa'imoon*, the fasting people. Narrated Sahl ibn Sa'ad, radiyallahu anh, the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: In paradise there is a gate which is called Ar-Rayyan through which the people who fasted will enter on the day of Judgment, and no one else shall enter along-side them. It will be asked, 'where are the Saa'imoon, those who fasted?' and they will walk through it, and upon the entry of the last of them, it will be locked, and no one else will walk through it. (Bukhari and Muslim) In order to enter through this gate you have to be a member of the club * Ar-Rayyan*. Membership was secured for all those who follow the rules of fasting, and privileges hence, will be provide thereafter. What are some of the privileges of this membership? *1. Upgrade to an elite status, the status of Muttaqeen [Righteous].* As a club member you shall receive a status upgrade, from average to exceptional from regular worshiper to *Muttaqi *- righteous, all by the will of Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may become Righteous. Al-Bakara 2:183. It was reported that Ali ibn Abi Talib, radiyallahu anh, said: Be concerned more over the acceptance of your deeds than over the deeds themselves for Allah does not accept deeds except from the righteous. Didn't you read Allah's statement: Verily, Allah accepts only from the Muttaqeen -Righteous. Al-Maa'iedah 5:27. *2. Earning bonus miles* As a club member you will receive thousands of miles and even more, that takes you far away from the heat of Jahannam to extremely outstanding destination, destination: Jannah. Narrated Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, radiyallahu anh, the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove him a distance of seventy years' from the Hell-fire.(Bukhari and Muslim) *3. No charges for extra load* As a club member you will not be charged for extra load and baggage. Now that is Forgiveness, and by the grace of Allah, all sins will be forgiven. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.Al-Ahzaab 33:35. *4. Firewall protection* As a club member you shall be protected by a firewall to shield you from sins and errors in this Dunya and from the Hellfire in the Akhira. Narrated Abu Hurayrah, radiyallahu anh, the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said: Fasting is
Bismillah [IslamCity] Tips to Making your Ramadan A Meaningful One
Muslims Unite: *The Prophet said, None of you will have faith till he
wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.* (Bukhari)
*Tips to Making your Ramadan A Meaningful One*
http://www.muslimsunite.org/tipsforameaningful.htm
Bis-millahir-rahmanir-raheem
Alhamdulilahi Rabil 'Alameena wassalatu wassalamu 'ala ashrafil anibiya wal
mursaleen nabiyyina muhammadin wa 3ala aali wa sahbihi ajma'een.
Allah's Apostle said (translation), When Ramadan begins, the gates of
Paradise are opened. –Bukhari
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) says, Ramadan has come to
you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing,
for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah
looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His
angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is
he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the
Exalted. –Tabarani
1) Fast Ramadhan with *belief and sincerity*, truly seeking the reward of
Allah (swt) so that He may accept from you your fasts good deeds and
forgive you your sins.
2) *Be especially generous *during this month in giving charity. And
remember, even a smile is charity. Allah's Apostle was the most generous
of all the people, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind
(in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds) and he used to reach the
peak of generosity in the month of Ramadan.. –Bukhari
3) Eat a pre-dawn meal, called the *Suhoor*. This is part of the Sunnah, and
a blessing from Allah (swt). The Prophet (saws) said, Take Suhoor as there
is a blessing in it. –Bukhari
4) Cook a supper or* give food* to those who are fasting, even only if it is
water. For if they break their fast on the food you have given to them, you
will earn a reward similar to theirs (on top of your own reward). He who
breaks another's fast, earns the same reward as the one who fasted without
diminishing the latter's reward in the slightest. –Bukhari
5) Hasten in *breaking your fast *after the sun has truly set at Maghrib, so
as to gain the love of Allah. Do not delay. Allah's Apostle (saws) said, The
people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of
the fast.
6) When breaking the fast, make a supplication. The supplications of three
persons are not rejected: the supplication of a fasting person at the time
of breaking fast, of a just ruler, and of a person who is wronged. Allah
causes their supplications to rise above the clouds, and gates of heaven are
opened for them, and God says, 'By My Majesty, I will help you, even it be
after a while'. –Tirmidhi
An example of a supplication is this: *Oh Allah, for You I have fasted, and
to You I have submitted myself (in Islam), and in You I have faith
believe, and on You I rely and with Your Providence I break my fast. The
thirst has gone, and the veins have been quenched and the reward has been
made, God-Willing. *[Arabic: Allahumma laka sumt, wa laka as-lamt wa bikka
aament wa 'alayka tawakkalt wa 'ala rizqiqa aftart. Tha-ha-ba thamaa
wab-tallit il-'urook wa thabbit al-ajr inshaAllah.]
7) Make more *supplications!* For yourself, your parents, children, the
Muslims who are being oppressed, the Muslims who are fasting, the Muslims
who are fighting in the cause of Allah (swt), etc. Ask for Paradise and seek
protection from the Fire. The best way to go about this, is to have a plan.
Write out the supplications you want to say in the morning and evening;
write out the supplications in which you ask for wordly or spiritual things
etc. There are in the month of Ramadhan in every day and night those to
whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim an
supplication which he can make and will be granted. -al-Bazzaar, Ahmad,
Saheeh
One of the best times to make supplications is during the night (after the
Isha prayer and long into the night). Please check these sites for a more
comprehensive way to make supplications and which ones to make. *
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/law/fiqhussunnah/fus4_65.html*javascript:OpenWin('http://64.4.36.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=ENlah=e49c6ca9b7ad885a84cb2d250b1eae71lat=1098078343hm___action=http%253a%252f%252fwww%252eusc%252eedu%252fdept%252fMSA%252flaw%252ffiqhussunnah%252ffus4_65%252ehtml');
and
*http://www.issaservices.com/random/dua.html*javascript:OpenWin('http://64.4.36.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=ENlah=dcd809b39feb2f9fa87aa3c7bd499a40lat=1098078343hm___action=http%253a%252f%252fwww%252eissaservices%252ecom%252frandom%252fdua%252ehtml');
* *
We should not cease to make the daily supplications (i.e. when waking up and
when going to sleep).
8) Increase in the *Remembrance of Allah *(swt). This is called dhikr.
Recite *SubhanAllah, Alhamdulilah, La ilaha illaAllah, waAllahu akbar* after
all obligatory prayers. Not only then, but whenever you have the chance,
whether it is on the bus, waiting in line, or shopping for groceries.
Recite
Bismillah [IslamCity] Terrorising Muslims in the Name of Countering Terrorism By Yoginder Sikand
*Terrorising Muslims in the Name of Countering Terrorism* *By Yoginder Sikand,* TwoCircles.net Submitted by kashif on 29 August 2008 http://www.twocircles.net/2008aug29/terrorising_muslims_name_countering_terrorism.html In the face of a seemingly unending wave of fake encounters, killings and arrests of innocent Muslims across the country falsely accused by the police of being 'terrorists', a three-day Peoples' Tribunal was recently held in Hyderabad on 'Atrocities Committed Against Minorities in the Name of Fighting Terrorism'. Organised by three noted Delhi-based human rights organisations, ANHAD, Peace and the Human Rights Law Network, it brought together eminent journalists, retired judges and social activists who listened to the testimonies of over 40 Muslims from different parts of India who have been victimised or whose relatives have been brutally terrorised by the police and the state machinery in the name of combating 'terrorism'. Introducing the purpose of the Public Tribunal, Apoorvanand, a Delhi-based social activist, critiqued the so-called 'mainstream' media for its obsession with what it terms as 'Muslim' or 'Islamic' terrorism while maintaining a studied silence on the terrorism unleashed on a far more menacing scale by the state and by right-wing Hindu organisations, in which, over the years, tens of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, have lost their lives, with their culprits having faced no punishment whatsoever. He remarked that now, in addition to working-class Muslims who earlier bore the brunt of police brutalities, Muslim professionals, such as doctors, computer scientists and engineers, are being arbitrarily arrested by the police, tortured in jails and branded as 'terrorists' for crimes for which no confirmed evidence of their involvement has been produced. 'Earlier, poor Muslims were arrested, branded as ignorant lumpen elements by the police and, hence, as terrorists. Now, they are catching well-educated Muslims and accusing them of being terrorists, claiming that they have access to sophisticated technology,' he remarked. Literally hundreds of Muslims have, in recent years, been picked up by the police or even killed on such fake charges, he added. The mass media simply parrots the police line, thus playing a major role in fanning anti-Muslim hatred. At the same time, he went on, the police, the so-called 'mainstream' media and the state machinery turn a completely blind eye to the terror being openly engaged in by Hindutva outfits. On a similar note, Colin Gonsalves, Supreme Court advocate and convenor of the Human Rights Law Network, noted what he called the 'fear psychosis' that had spread throughout the Muslim community in the face of police and state terror. Several Muslim victims from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh who wanted to testify at the Public Tribunal were intimidated by the police not to do so, being threatened with further trouble if they refused to comply with their orders, he said. He bitterly castigated the state for refusing to ban Hindu terror outfits and for not taking any action against the killers of literally thousands of Sikhs, Muslims and Christians. He pointed out that the police was rounding up large numbers of innocent Muslims and, through brutal torture, was forcing them to confess to terror crimes which they did not commit. For their part, the courts, too, were dragging their feet on a whole host of cases involving massacres and unwarranted arrests of religious minorities across the country. Suresh Khairnar, an intrepid human rights activist from Nagpur, rebutted the police's claim about the alleged role of Muslim militants in the attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and in several other such bomb blasts in recent years. He claimed that the Nagpur attack was a stage-managed incident, and that the three Muslim men who were killed by the police, whom the police claimed were behind the attack, were actually done to death in a fake encounter. Khairnar also raised the case of the Nanded blasts, in which some Bajrang Dal activists who were making bombs in order to attack mosques were killed. Scores of Hindutva activists were also involved in the conspiracy, but, Khairnar said, no action was taken against them. Nor did the media give this, as well as other proven cases of Hindutva groups being engaged in fomenting terror, much coverage. *Tribunal in session* 'This is the last battle for survival for India's Muslims. I cannot even dare imagine how dreadful must be the insecurity of ordinary Muslims in this country,' Khairnar opined, adding that the state, rapidly hurtling towards full-blown fascism, was hell-bent on quashing all dissent. 'While Muslims demanding justice are branded as Islamic terrorists, those of us, like myself, who have Hindu names, are being targeted as Naxalites,' he said. No political party was seriously taking up the cause of the Muslims who are being thus unfairly targeted, he pointed out, and in large
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ramadan: Iftar for Non-Muslims
*Islam Question Answers* ** *Iftar with Non Muslims* *Sheikh Muhammed Salih al-Munajjid* *http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/38125/iftar%20and%20non%20muslims*http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/38125/iftar%20and%20non%20muslims Praise be to Allaah. It is permissible to have iftaar with non-Muslims if there is a shar'i reason for doing so, such as calling them to the true religion, or softening their hearts towards Islam, etc, which are what is hoped for if they come and eat iftaar at the tables set up for communal iftaar, as happens in some countries. But if it is done just to be friendly towards them and enjoy their company, this is a dangerous matter, because the principle of al-wala' wa'l-bara' (befriending the believers and showing enmity towards the disbelievers) is one of the basic principles of Islam, and one of the most important duties of the believers. This principle is referred to in a number of verses in the Book of Allaah and ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), for example: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allaah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it is the party of Allaah that will be the successful [al-Mujaadilah 58:22] O you who believe! Take not for Awliyaa' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allaah a manifest proof against yourselves? [al-Nisa' 4:144] O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa' (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa' of each other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa'), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust) [al-Maa'idah 5:51] O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand [Aal 'Imraan 3:118] Based on this, the ruling on gathering with these people for iftaar depends on the intention. And Allaah knows best]Sympathy for the unfortunate Further, the Hadith states that it is the month of sympathy, especially for the poor and destitute. Sympathy should be of a practical nature. When ten things are placed before us for if'taar, at least two or four of them should be set aside for the poor and needy. In fact they should be treated preferentially, if not then at least equally. They should certainly be remembered. In showing sympathy for the poor, as in all other matters, the Sahaabah R.A. were living examples, and in this, it is our duty to follow or at least try to follow them. In the matter of sacrifice and sympathy only the courageous can emulate the Sahaabah. There are numerous instances, if they are cited, will only leave one in astonishment. Let us see the following example, Abu Jahm (RA) relates that: During the battle of Yarmouk he went in search of his cousins, taking with him a water bag to give him to drink and also wash his wounds if he was found alive or wounded. He found him lying among the wounded. When I asked him whether he wanted some water, he indicated 'yes'. At that moment someone near him moaned. My cousin pointed to that person indicating that I should first quench the thirst of the neighbour. I went to him and found that he too needed water, but just as I was about to give him water, a third person groaned near him. The second one pointed to this third person meaning that I should give the third one to drink first. I went to the third person but before he could drink, I found out that he had passed away, whereupon I returned to the second one only to find that he too had passed away. When I came to my cousin, he too had become a martyr. ** * http://www.islamonline.net//english/index.shtml* *Question Answers* ** *Topic: Organizing Iftar for Non-Muslims* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEcid=1119503546196 Date : November 13, 2002 *Question:* Can Muslims organize *Iftar* for non-Muslims? *Answer:* In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Next US War Crime; Big Dog, Little Tile Bush warns Israel about bombing Iran
[image: Newspaper logo] http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/ *THE NEXT U.S. WAR CRIME:* *Big Dog, Little Tail: The American Elite Resolves on War With Iran* *By Chris Floyd* Friday, 27 June 2008 http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/2008/062708Floyd.shtml *The stated casus belli in the Iran War Resolution is Iran's nuclear enrichment activities. This is presented as an unmitigated evil. The truth, of course, is that these enrichment activities are entirely legal under international treaties governing nuclear proliferation, and are being carried out under the most extensive and stringent international supervision ever imposed on a nation.* I. Let's be clear about one thing: Israel will not attack Iran without the full knowledge and approval of the United States government. The trigger of the warning shot of Israel's long-range air-strike exercise last week was actually pulled in Washington. The Israelis will not force or deceive the U.S. government into an attack on Iran; that attack – which grows more certain by the hour – will take place because America's bipartisan foreign policy establishment and military-industrial complex (to the extent that there is any real difference between the two) want it to happen, or are willing to let it happen. It is of course an article of faith for some people that the Israeli tails wags the big American dog http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/797/135/. This rather ludicrous assertion is nothing more than the pernicious doctrine of American exceptionalism tricked out in dissident drag. For its underlying assumption is that good ole true-blue American elites would never commit war crimes or seek empire and geopolitical dominion unless they had somehow been tricked into it by those wily Jews. This is exactly backwards. If Israel was of no use to the American elite's domination agenda, then it would be discarded, or at least downgraded in terms of military, economic and diplomatic support. When a nation serves the American elite's interests well, it is rewarded, and its various shortcomings are overlooked, however egregious they might be. Saudi Arabia is a prime example. Egypt is another. Iraq is a negative example. When Saddam's regime was thought useful, it was supported, copiously. When Saddam was no longer useful – especially when he threatened the Bush Family's long-time business partners in Kuwait – then he became a new Hitler. When Iran was governed by a tyrant friendly to Washington, it was lauded – and larded with the usual military support and diplomatic muscle. When unfriendly tyrants took over, Iran became a land of Persian devils. The list of such examples from American history goes on and on. If Israel had, say, opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, it would have found itself shorn of much of its American largess very quickly. Israel is in fact almost entirely dependent on the United States for its military and economic well-being; in return it gives unstinting support to the interests of the American elite. It is in many ways one of the most abject client states in the world today, outside of Iraq or Afghanistan. The fact that there is a convergence of interests and ideology between militarist elites in the United States and Israel is hardly surprising. It would only be surprising if this were not the case. And so we see a cross-pollination of ideas, strategies, techniques, technologies – and even, in some cases, personnel (e.g. the Clean Break group) – between these elites. For the same reasons, we also see a strong Jewish Lobby in the United States. For although those lobbying organizations do not actually represent the viewpoint of the majority of American Jews, they do offer unwavering support to the American elite's domination agenda. These organizations – like Israel itself – also serve as useful stalking horses and lightning rods. In the first instance, they can stake out radical positions which would be too impolitic for America's governing elite to espouse too openly. In the second instance, they can always be conveniently blamed for radicalizing or duping the American elite if one of the latter's schemes for loot and dominion go wrong. And of course they can be used to punish domestic politicians who fail to hew slavishly enough to the elite's imperial line. But if AIPAC came out tomorrow with, say, a demand that America dismantle its worldwide empire of military bases, or condemned the invasion of Iraq as a war crime, we would see its influence decline almost instantly. Again, it is the convergence of interests with the American elite, and their willingness to serve those interests, that give the government of Israel and non-representative organizations like AIPAC such a prominent role. For example, AIPAC has played the stalking horse in helping push Resolution 362, the Iran War Resolution,http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=11206216toward its virtually guaranteed passage by the House. The bill – supported by the usual broad spectrum of
Bismillah [IslamCity] Taliban's Return: A Matter of Time? Resilient Taliban
http://www.islamonline.net//english/index.shtml Analysis *Taliban's Return: A Matter of Time?* *The Battle Over Kandahar* By Naseer Ahmad Nawidy http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1213871317554pagename=Zone-English-Muslim_Affairs%2FMAELayout#**1-Writer Researcher — Islamabad http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1213871317554pagename=Zone-English-Muslim_Affairs%2FMAELayout [image: Kandahar prison] *A view of the Kandahar prison after a prison break, south of Afghanistan, June 14, 2008. (Reuters)* *For the last two weeks, fighting has been intensifying in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the NATO forces, backed by Afghan forces, over the southern part of Kandahar province, which is strategically important to both sides for its special position in the south— bordering Pakistan— and being the starting point and birthplace of the Taliban.* *Taliban's control over this province, where the majority of population supports them, will deal a tough blow to the frail regime that is losing much of its credibility being unable to fight corruption and mismanagement in nearly every aspect of Afghanistan's daily life.** ** *The break of Taliban into Arghandab — a district about 20 km north west of the Kandahar city— was an unexpected event. On June 14, about 500 armed Taliban elements sneaked into the city from Khakriz and Zeray areas occupying 11 villages within three days. Hundreds of villagers were forced to flee the area after Taliban fighters blew up three bridges and laid mines along several roadways around Arghandab. But can we say Taliban is coming back so quickly? Taliban's spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location that Taliban would use Arghandab for strategic attacks on Kandahar city. Responding to the Taliban offensive, 1,400 troops of Afghan National Army (ANA) along with 600 NATO soldiers, mostly Canadians, backed by gunship helicopters rolled into the battlefield. After massive air strikes on Taliban's positions, the Afghan and NATO forces could cautiously enter to the combat area on June 18. After a short time, the government troops claimed killing of 20 Taliban militants while Taliban, on the other hand, claimed killing many Afghan and foreign troops and destroying their tanks and armored vehicles. After 24 hours of the battle, the situation changed dramatically. A statement was released by Taliban's spokesmen on a local website saying that they had retreated from Arghandab during the night and had tactically withdrawn to Shawalikot and Khakriz following orders from their leader Mulla Omar. The Governor of Kandahar, on behalf of Afghan government, claimed that five villages had been freed from Taliban and more than hundreds of militants including a Taliban commander, Mulla Shokur, were killed. He further said that the battle was going on till the complete defeat of the attacking Taliban. Leaders of Taliban denied the reports of their loss. *The push into Arghandab came three days after a coordinated Taliban attack on the Kandahar's prison that freed 400 fighters. * *The Mortal Combat* Arghandab has a strategic location for Taliban. Being covered with trees, it allows Taliban to launch ambushes and attacks more easily than any other place in the province. The trees and terrain also enable them to hide from air strikes. Due to the strategic importance of the area the battle was a mortal combat for both sides. The Taliban attack was also accompanied by their media campaign being launched by their spokesmen. They were consistently issuing warnings of attack on Kandahar city after consolidating their positions in Arghandab. They had warned that a group of bombers called Khalid Ebinul Walid had entered Kandahar city to attack the Canadian and Afghan troops and the government officials. They also had put a hint to the joining of hundreds of their fellow fighters in Arghandab who had recently escaped from the central jail in Kandahar. The push into Arghandab came three days after a coordinated Taliban attack on the Kandahar's prison that freed 400 fighters besides 600 criminals. Several analysts believe that the successful jail-breaking operation of Taliban on June 13 was the basic motive of Taliban attack on Arghandab. The attack began when a tanker full of 1800 kg of explosives went off at the main gate of Jail, some 30 km of NATO's main base in southern Afghanistan. Shortly a walking suicide bomber blasted a hole in the wall at the back of the prison. Lastly a commando group of about 30 people (according to Taliban's spokesmen) coming on motorbikes attacked the huge wall of jail with their RPG rocket launchers resulting in the release of about a thousand prisoners out of a total 1100. This successful operation of Taliban seemed as if they were trying to strengthen themselves for further attacks on Kandahar. *Some reports suggest the BBC reporter was killed by government elements for reporting on the
Bismillah [IslamCity] Hamas’ gain, Fatah’s loss By Uriel Heilman
*Hamas' gain, Fatah's loss* *Friday - *Jun 20,2008 http://blogs.jta.org/telegraph/2008/06/20/491/hamas-gain-fatahs-loss/ Israel's new cease-fire agreement with Hamas may be good news in Sderot and Gaza City, but it's bad news for the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah. As if Fatah's routing by Hamas in elections in January 2006 and in a violent coup in June 2007 weren't enough, now Israel is signing agreements with Hamas while the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority is, once again, sidelined. And it doesn't help that P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas is virtually ignored while Bashar Assad's Syria gets all the attention in Israeli-Arab peace talks (this week, the possibility of Lebanon-Israel talks even made headlines). On Thursday night, Fatah's Kadura Fares talked to Israel's Channel 2 TV about it, and on Friday Ha'aretz carried a column by Akiva Eldar on the subject. If Israel wants to strengthen the hands of the moderate Palestinian leaders, awarding a victory to Hamas extremists and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (the deposed P.A. prime minister) is not the way to go, the argument goes. Eldar writes: Palestinian pollster Dr. Khalil Shikaki said this week at a conference in Jerusalem that if elections had been held on the day the cease-fire agreement was finalized, Hamas would have won majority support in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Shikaki saw the cease-fire agreement as the reason for this... For many months, Fatah mocked Hamas by arguing that the Qassam rockets, which Abu Mazen called toys, had no effect on Israel and were causing the people of Gaza unnecessary suffering. And here we discover that the toys are a strategic weapon. Instead of conducting the negotiations through Abu Mazen and letting him reap the accomplishment, or at least control the border crossings, Israel has turned Haniyeh into the hero of the hour. And that is not the end. Now that Hamas has shown that you can get recognition from Israel without recognizing it yourself, Haniyeh will free the prisoners that Fatah was unable to free; perhaps even their leader, Marwan Barghouti.
Bismillah [IslamCity] Video: George W. Bush is trying to pardon himself from war crimes!
George W. Bush is trying to pardon himself from war crimes! http://belowgroundsurface.org/belowgroundsurface/framespage.htm?loc=http://belowgroundsurface.org/belowgroundsurface/Comments.aspx?StoryURL=803 Bush Pardons HIMSELF of all war crimes. The bill (which was signed into law as the Military Commissions Act of 2006) gives Bush and his staff retroactive immunity for possible war crimes that date back to 9/11/2001... go figure.
Bismillah [IslamCity] Iranian president cuts down Bush America's Disease is Greed
http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/ Tuesday 17th June, 2008 *Iranian president cuts down Bush* -- Big News Network.com Wednesday 11th June, 2008 http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=369812 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday has said in a speech that US President George Bush's era is over and he can no longer harm Iran. Your era is over, and thank God you will no longer be able to even harm one centimetre of Iranian land, Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Shahre-Kord, western Iran. If someone just dared to harm even a small corner of Iran, then the youth of this nation would cut off their hands, wipe the smile off their faces and make them regret their action, Ahmadinejad said in the speech carried by the Khabar news network. President Bush said in Tuesday's European Union- US summit in Brdo, Slovenia, that the world should get tougher with Iran if the Islamic republic refused to suspend uranium enrichment. He expressed an understanding with Israel for talk about possible military action. In a joint statement issued at the EU-US summit, both sides agreed to consider additional sanctions against Iranian banks to prevent them using the international banking system to support proliferation of terrorism. Ahmadinejad once again reiterated that Western threats and sanctions would not intimidate Iran and that the county would decisively continue its nuclear programs. Although trying to act impartial in the forthcoming US presidential election, Iran is in favour of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with whom Tehran hopes to have at least a critical dialogue and end almost three decades of diplomatic estrangement. [image: Common Dreams NewsCenter] http://www.commondreams.org/ Published on Friday, August 20, 2004 by the Chicago Sun Times *America's Disease is Greed* *by Andrew Greeley* http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0820-09.htm The most serious spiritual problem in the country today is reckless and untrammeled greed. Greed caused the disgraceful corporate scandals that fill our newspapers. Greed is responsible for crooked cops and crooked politicians. Greed causes the constant efforts to destroy unions that protect basic worker rights. Greed has produced rash tax cuts that have given money to the rich and in effect taken it away from the poor. Greed has led to the immigration policy in which hundreds of poor men and women die every year as they struggle across the desert for the jobs that el norte promises them. Greed accounts for the efforts to take profitability out of the pensions and health insurance of working men and women. Greed is responsible for the fact that so many Americans have no health insurance and the fact that the recent reform of Medicare was a fraud. Greed causes newspapers to overestimate their circulation. Greed is responsible for the obscene salaries of CEOs. In the '90s the ratio of CEO compensation to average workers' compensation was 250 to 1, meaning that the boss earned on his first day of work during a year as much as the worker did in a whole year. In European countries the ratio is closer to 100 to 1. Recent estimates put the current ratio at 500 to 1 -- the boss makes as much before lunch as the worker does all year. Greed is the cause of the high wages paid to the bosses even if the company is failing. Greed is responsible for the endless stress and ruthless competition of the workplace and the strains and tensions of professional class marriages. Greed (in this instance another name for relentless ambition) explains much of the cheating on college campuses. Greed is responsible for outsourcing, which is incapable of comprehending that the employees who lose their jobs are also the consumers who sustain the economy. Greed generates the reckless ventures that in part caused the bubble of the late '90s. Greed causes expensive wars that shatter the budget. Greed is the reason that only the wealthy are benefitting so far from the economic upturn that is allegedly happening. Greed drives loan sharks. Greed is responsible for the success of big box stores that tax the poor with low wages to provide bargains for affluent suburban shoppers. Greed is the reason poor white Appalachians, poor African Americans and poor Native Americans must fight the wars that the wealthy start. Jessica Lynch joined the Army so she could go to college. Her Native American roommate, killed in action, joined so, single mother that she was, she could support her children. Greed is the reason why the country is being run by those whom the president has described, however inelegantly, as the ''haves and the have mores.'' No one said during the bizarre deification of President Reagan that he taught us that greed is good and that we should feel good about our greedy country. Greed is the reason that the country is being run by the insurance, pharmaceutical, weapons and petroleum industries. Greed causes
Bismillah [IslamCity] US Congress Members Send Bush Impeachment Resolution To House Judiciary Committee
*251 U.S. Congress Members Send Bush Impeachment Resolution To House Judiciary Committee* (InformPress.com) - U.S. Representatives voted 251 (Yes) to 166 (No) (not voting 16) on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 to send the Bush impeachment resolution (H. Res. 1258) of U.S. Congressman (D-OH) Dennis J. Kucinich to the House Judiciary Committee. The Kucinich Resolution, which lists 35 crimes of Bush, urges the House to impeach U.S. 43rd (Republican) President George W. Bush for high crimes and misdemeanors, which were committed by America's most infamous Israeli-Zionist War Criminal during the last 8 years (2001-2008) of his corrupt tyranny. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich released the following statement Wednesday after the House approved his motion to refer to the House Judiciary Committee Articles of Impeachment of President Bush: The sheer volume of the Articles required a referral to provide Members with an opportunity for review. It is now imperative that the Judiciary Committee begin a review of the 35 Articles. I will be providing supporting documentation to the Committee so that it can proceed in an orderly manner. The weight of evidence contained in the Articles makes it clear that President Bush violated the Constitution and the U.S. Code as well as International law. It is the House's responsibility as a co-equal branch of government to provide an effective check and balance to executive abuse of power. President Bush was principally responsible for directing the United States Armed Forces to attack Iraq. The June 5th Senate Intelligence report convinced me it was time to act. In a report just released, the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, [U.S.] Senator Jay Rockefeller, said: 'In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent. As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed.' I believe that there is sufficient evidence in the Articles to support the charge that President Bush allowed, authorized and sanctioned the manipulation of intelligence by those acting under his direction and control, misleading Congress to approve a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq. As a result over 4,000 United States soldiers have died in combat in Iraq, with tens of thousands injured, many of them permanently impaired. Over a million innocent Iraqis have perished in a war which was based on lies, a war which will cost the American taxpayers as much as three trillion dollars. Now it is incumbent for the Judiciary Committee to review the evidence. If it fails to hold any hearings on the resolution within the next thirty days, given the gravity of the charges and the moment, I will once again bring a similar privileged resolution of Impeachment to the House. We must not only create an historical record of the misconduct of the Bush Administration but we must make sure that any future Administration is forewarned about the Constitutionally proscribed limits of executive authority and exercise of power contravening the Constitution. -- http://kucinich.house.gov U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler: -- http://wexler.house.gov On Tuesday, 10 June 2008, U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), a senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee, co-sponsored the Kucinich Resolution (H. Res. 1258). U.S. Rep. Wexler said: The Articles of Impeachment outline numerous allegations against President Bush, including his creation of a massive propaganda campaign to mislead the [American] nation into war with Iraq, the illegal use of torture during interrogation, the authorization of a warrantless wiretapping program on American citizens and the repetitive use of signing statements to negate legislation passed by Congress. Congressman Wexler went on to say: President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power. A decision by Congress to pursue impeachment is not an option, it is a sworn duty. It is time for Congress to stand up and defend the Constitution against the blatant violations and illegalities of this Administration. Our Founding Fathers bestowed upon Congress the power of impeachment and it is now time that we use it to defend the rule of law from this corrupt Administration. This year U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler launched a nationwide campaign to hold impeachment hearings for U.S. (Republican) Vice President and Israeli-Zionist War Criminal Dick Cheney. He has also called for inherent contempt for Karl Rove for ignoring subpoenas to testify. Congressman Wexler also led an effort to bring Scott McClellan before the U.S. House of Representatives to testify about the devastating revelations made in his recently released book. U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: --
Bismillah [IslamCity] Save the Date!
-- Forwarded message -- From: MANA Events [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 1:22 AM Subject: Save the Date! To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] MANA Announcement [image: Imam Siraj leads Jumah prayer for NOI] Forward emailhttp://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101483568790ea=ekunhan%40gmail.coma=1102135551829 [image: Safe Unsubscribe]http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001peuSb9w_PdAsldZrwZIHkI5K4GHvVDtgFELQgsTjUYz_3hGTKOqppXHd_CklkeWPTUyZi4JFUbY%3Dp=un This email was sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED], by [EMAIL PROTECTED] Update Profile/Email Addresshttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001peuSb9w_PdAsldZrwZIHkI5K4GHvVDtgFELQgsTjUYz_3hGTKOqppXHd_CklkeWPTUyZi4JFUbY%3Dp=oo| Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribehttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001peuSb9w_PdAsldZrwZIHkI5K4GHvVDtgFELQgsTjUYz_3hGTKOqppXHd_CklkeWPTUyZi4JFUbY%3Dp=un™ | Privacy Policy http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp. Email Marketing http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_Card_212by http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_Card_212 MANA | 649 Cardiff Lane | Lexington | KY | 40503
Bismillah [IslamCity] U.S. Military’s Middle East Crusade For Christ
** ** *U.S. Military's Middle East Crusade For Christ* *By Robert Weitzel* 10 June, 2008 - *Countercurrents.org* http://www.countercurrents.org/weitzel100608.htm *They are proselytizing not on behalf of the Constitution of the United States . . . but rather on behalf of some sort of fanatical view of end times. And they are using our army to affect that. **-Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson* *L*ast August the watchdog group, Military Religious Freedom Foundation, foiled a Pentagon plan that would have allowed the shipment of freedom packages to soldiers and Marines in Iraq. The parcels were put together by the fundamentalist Christian ministry, Straight Up, and contained Bibles, proselytizing tracts in English and Arabic, and the apocalyptic Left Behind computer game, in which Christian Tribulation forces convert or kill infidels—nonbelievers, Muslims and Jews. On May 1 the Senate approved the promotion of Brigadier General Robert L. Caslen Jr. to Major General. Currently the commandant of cadets at West Point, he will become the commander of the 25th Infantry Division. He is also president of the stridently fundamentalist Officer's Christian Fellowship, whose vision is a spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit General Caslen was promoted despise the Defense Department's recommended disciplinary action against him and several other senior military leaders because they had improperly endorsed and participated with a nonfederal entity while in uniform by participating in a promotional video for the Campus Crusade For Christ's Christian Embassy, an evangelical organization that ministers to Beltway politicians and sponsors weekly Bible studies at the Pentagon. According to the DoD Inspector General's report, one of the generals involved asserted that Christian Embassy was treated as an instrumentality of the Pentagon Chaplain's office for over 25 years, and had effectively become a 'quasi federal entity.' Arguably, he believed his participation in the video was in the line of duty. Considering both the Pentagon's evangelical proclivity and a 2006 Pew survey which found that of the major religious groups in America, evangelicals have the most negative views of Islam and Muslims, the U.S. sniper who was recently caught using the Quran for target practice in the Baghdad neighborhood of Radhwaniya might be excused for thinking the book was a legitimate target upon which to perfect his craft . . . excused for thinking he was acting in the line duty. And is it any wonder that with evangelicals and fundamentalists at the very top of the military's officer corps —to say nothing of their Commander in Chief—that an enlisted Marine was passing out Christian witnessing coins inscribed in Arabic at a checkpoint in Fallujah? One side of the coin asked, Where will you spend eternity? An evangelical favorite, John 3:16, was on the flip side. Sheik Adul-Rahman al-Zubaie, a tribal leader in Fallujah who was outraged by the Marine's proselytizing said, This event did not happen by chance, but it was planned and done intentionally. While the Marine's proselytizing is not the official policy of the predominately Christian force occupying the predominately Islamic Iraq, it was done in the line of duty with a wink and a nod from his chain of command. Think Abu Ghraib! From Fort Jackson, the Army's largest basic training facility, where trainees are encouraged to attend Campus Crusade's weekly God's Basic Training programs, to the U.S. Air Force Academy where students are pressured to attend the Crusade's weekly cru (short for crusade) Bible study, American military personnel are, as Campus Crusade's Scot Blom gloats, government paid missionaries when they complete their training. As the demands of fighting a perpetual war against radical Islam begins to strain both the military's resources and the country's resolve, the Pentagon has begun outsourcing larger chunks of the war to private contractors. Predictably, our government paid missionaries have become more expensive and much less controllable or accountable. The Bush administration's favorite contractor, Blackwater, is the most powerful private army in the world. It commands thousands of mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan, has over a billion dollars in government contracts, and enjoys complete immunity from prosecution for its theater of operations' conduct. Blackwater's founder, Erik Prince, a staunchly conservative Catholic, has also served on the board of directors of Christian Freedom International, a crusading missionary organization operating in the overwhelmingly Islamic countries of Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Prince envisions an evangelical end time role for his warriors, Everybody carries guns, just like Jeremiah rebuilding the temple in Israel—a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. No one in the last decade has contributed more to end time, apocalyptic evangelism than John
Bismillah [IslamCity] Remembering Sayyid Qutb, an Islamic intellectual leader of rare insight and integrity
*Remembering Sayyid Qutb, an Islamic intellectual and leader of rare insight
and integrity*
By Zafar Bangash
http://www.muslimedia.com/archives/features99/qutb.htm
It is perhaps indicative of the present state of the Ummah that, outside his
native Egypt and a small circle of Islamic activists, few Muslims are aware
that August 29 marked the thirty-third anniversary of the martyrdom of
Sayyid Qutb. He was no ordinary Muslim. A man of impeccable Islamic
credentials, he made an immense contribution to Muslim political thought at
a time when the Muslim world was still mesmerised by such western notions as
nationalism, the nation-State and fathers of nations. Nationalist rhetoric
laced with socialist slogans was the vogue.
It was in this atmosphere that Sayyid Qutb raised his voice - indeed his pen
- against these false ideologies and in one clean sweep denounced them as
the modern-day *jahiliyyah* (the primitive savagery of pre-Islamic days). In
this Sayyid Qutb departed from Maulana Maudoodi's articulation of partial *
jahiliyyah* in which the late Pakistani scholar was prepared to concede to
the systems prevalent in Muslim societies some room for modification and
hence a degree of respectability. Sayyid Qutb would have none of it; he
insisted that, being a complete system of life, Islam needs no additions
from man-made systems.
It was this forthright formulation which sent him to the gallows on August
29, 1966 together with two other Ikhwan al-Muslimoon leaders, Muhammad Yusuf
Awash and Abd al-Fattah Ismail. The specific charge against Sayyid Qutb was
based on his now-celebrated book, *Ma'alim fi'l-tareeq* ('Sign-posts on the
Road', also translated as *Milestones*). The book denounced the existing
order in Muslim societies as *jahiliyyah*, provides guidelines for Muslim
activists, and describes the steps they must take to establish a society
based on divine guidance.
The Ikhwan al-Muslimoon is no longer the movement that Sayyid Qutb had
joined when he returned from the US in 1950. It has since been reduced to a
shell, being little more than a political party with an Islamic flag. Even
this mild version of Islamic expression is not tolerated by the pharaohs of
Egypt, who are beholden to their masters in Washington and Tel Aviv. Yet it
is the Muslim activists who are accused of 'intolerance.'
Sayyid Qutb was a prolific writer. His best works, however, were produced
after his sudden return from the US. What disappointed him most there was
the infatuation of American society with materialism and the widespread
sexual anarchy. He could have gone on to study for his doctoral thesis, but
decided instead to return to Egypt and devote his life to the Islamic
movement.
If there was one particular moment in his life which proved crucial in this
decision, it was his pain at the manner in which Hasan al-Banna's martyrdom
was reported in the American press. *Crescent International* readers will
not be surprised at the manner in which the *New York Times* reported the
martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Banna. It wrote: In Cairo the leader of the
outlawed terrorist Moslem Brotherhood Hasan el-Banna, was killed by an
assassin (February 13, 1949). It went on to say: Sheikh Hasan el-Banna,
39-year-old head of the outlawed Moslem Brotherhood extremist Egyptian
nationalist movement that was banned after authorities had declared it
responsible for a series of bombing outrages and killings last year, was
shot five times by a group of young men in a car and died tonight in
hospital.
The terrorist appellation for Islamic activity is not a phenomenon of the
eighties or nineties. It has been in circulation for more than 50 years. One
can immediately see the emotionally-loaded expressions - terrorist,
extremist, outlawed, etc - used for the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon by the
mouthpiece of the zionist establishment in America. Qutb's disappointment at
seeing the supposedly respectable organs of public opinion indulging in a
vicious attacks on the character of a leading Islamic leader can be
imagined.
When Sayyid Qutb returned to Egypt, he started working with the Ikhwan
al-Muslimoon, which he had not previously been a member of, as well as
continuing to think and write. At the time, the Ikhwan were working with the
'Free Officers' plotting to overthrow the monarchy of king Farouk. Among the
Free Officers were such figures as colonel Gamal Abd al-Nasser and colonel
Anwar Sadat. According to the Sadat's own account, Sayyid Qutb was the main
ideologue of the Free Officers' 'revolution.' Had the coup failed, it is
clear that Sayyid Qutb would have paid with his life. Sadat, again according
to his own account, had gone to the cinema on the day of the coup in order
to have an alibi in the event that 'things went wrong.' He went on to become
the president of Egypt after Nasser's death from a heart attack in September
1970.
The Free Officers, however, soon fell out with the Ikhwan. That can be no
surprise to those with even a superficial familiarity
Bismillah [IslamCity] Quran Explorer with english translation
*قرآن إكسبلورر انشره قدر المستطاع لتعم الفائدة** **أرجو وأتمنى نشره لتعم الفائدة للمسلمين وغير المسلمين* * ** **http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/**/*http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/ * من مميزات البرنامج أنك .. تستطيع أن تشاهد وتسمع التلاوة وكذلك تشاهد وتسمع الترجمة وتستطيع اختيار المترجم الذي ترغب به إلى أكثر من لغة وتسمع تلاوة الشيخ الذي ترغب بسماع صوته وتسمع من أي سورة وأي آية وأي جزء وأي حزب وتستطيع أن تجعله يكرر حسب العدد الذي ترغب به وتستطيع تظليل الآية التي تتلى باللون الذي ترغب وتستطيع أن تجعله تلاوة فقط بدون ترجمة أو ترجمة بدون تلاوة وتستطيع تكبير الخط وتغير النمط وتقليب الصفحات وأشياء أخرى كثيرة وهناك خدمة المساعدة تخبرك بكيفية استعمال البرنامج اللهم اجزي صاحب هذا العمل عناّ خير الجزاء وارفع ذكره في الدارين ومن قام أو سعى في نشره للخير قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : من دعا إلى هدىً، كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك م ن أجورهم شيئاً، ومن دعا إلى ضلالةٍ، كان علي من الإثم مثل آثام من تبعه لا ينقص من آثامهم شيئاً * *اللهم أغفر و أرحم راسلها و قارئها و ناشرها** **عن عبادة بن الصامت رضي الله عنه قال :سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول**: (**من استغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات كتب الله له بكل مؤمن ومؤمنة حسنة**). **ذكره الألباني في صحيح الجامع** **وهي أن تقول ' اللهم اغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات ' تعرف كم حسنة أخذت؟** **حوالي مليار ونصف حسنة في ثانيتين** ** الحياه مليئه بالحجاره فلا تتعثر بها بل اجمعها وابن بها سلما تصعد به نحو النجاح* ولا تنسوني من دعاكم
Bismillah [IslamCity] HRW Slams Turkey Hijab Ruling
*HRW Slams Turkey Hijab Ruling* Sat. June 7, 2008 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1212666061742pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *HRW said the court ruling forces Turkish women to choose between their faith and education. (Reuters)* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1212666061742pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout ANKARA — Amid calls to curtail the powers of Turkey's Constitutional Court over its ruling annulling a constitutional reform bill easing ban on hijab in universities, Human Rights Watch on Saturday, June 7, denounced the verdict as a violation of religious freedom. This decision means that women who choose to wear a headscarf in Turkey will be forced to choose between their religion and education, Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia Director at HRW, said in a statement cited by Reuters. This is truly disappointing and does not bode well for the reform process. The Constitutional Court, Turkey's highest court, on Thursday, June 5, annulled a constitutional reform bill easing restrictions on hijab on campus. The Constitutional Court decision is direct interference in parliament's legislative power, AK deputy chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat told reporters after an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday. This is an open violation of the principle of separation of powers. The parliament passed last February a constitutional change allowing students to cover their heads only with traditional scarves tied loosely under the chin. Veils covering the neck remained banned. The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) petitioned the Court, whose verdicts can't be appealed, to scrap the amendment. Many universities defied the law, refusing to allow students to don hijab, an obligatory code of dress in Islam. Hijab has been banned in public buildings, universities, schools and government buildings in Muslim-majority Turkey since shortly after a 1980 military coup. *Violation* The court ruling also drew fire as a violation of the Turkish Constitution. This decision has raised questions over the separation of powers, said parliament speaker Koksal Toptan. It has led to serious concern over the development of our democracy, added Toptan, who hails from the ruling AK party. The Constitutional Court made a decision about the contents of this law passed by 411 deputies of our parliament even though the constitution clearly states the court can only carry out procedural examinations. The speaker suggested drafting a new constitution and establishing a senate in addition to a parliament to trim the powers of the Constitutional Court. I believe it will be beneficial to debate a new constitution and the bicameral system, he said. The Turkish parliament was bicameral under the 1961 constitution, but became unicameral again under the 1982 constitution, a legacy of a 1980 military coup. Such a system will reduce the load on the Constitutional Court and allow it to work more comfortably, said Toptan. The burden of the Constitutional Court may ease in a two-chamber system. The government has not commented on the senate proposal. Turkish TV quoted the staunchly secularist, main opposition party CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal as rejecting such a move. The CHP would not be able to block it on its own and it was not immediately clear how other parties would respond. *Related Links:* Turkish Court Annuls Hijab Lawhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1212666031153pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Turkey's Delayed Hijab Dreamhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203759015320pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Turkish Campuses Fail Hijab Test http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203757440638pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Turkey Secularists Protest Hijab Lifthttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957527256pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Turkey's Hijab Dilemma Intensifies http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1199279699807pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Turkish Court Considers AKP Banhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758585387pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Why wear Hijab? http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijab2.html Hijab Protects http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijab_protect.html Hijab- Questions and Answers http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijabfaq.html Liberation by the Veil http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijbene.html Hijab: A lesson to be learned http://www.jannah.org/sisters/sultana.html Only For Allah http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijabidentity.html My Body is My Own Business http://www.jannah.org/sisters/naheed.html The War of the Women http://www.jannah.org/sisters/warwomen.html Thinking about Hijab...some steps to consider? http://www.jannah.org/sisters/hijabthink.html Some advice to a young sis who wants to wear hijab
Bismillah [IslamCity] TERRORISM is Un-Islamic; Islamic Scholars
*[image: www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com]* *TERRORISM is Un-Islamic* ** *India's Islamic scholars issue fatwa against terrorism* Posted June 2nd, 2008 by Mudassir Rizwan By IINA, http://www.twocircles.net/2008jun01/indias_islamic_scholars_issue_fatwa_against_terrorism.html New Delhi : Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of the leading Muslim organizations, along with several other Muslim outfits owing allegiance to different sects and ideologies in India, issued a fatwa against terrorism at the Anti-Terrorism Global Peace Conference at Ramlila Grounds here yesterday. The fatwa, sought by Member of Parliament and Jamiat leader Mahmood Asad Madani and issued on the letterhead of Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the leading Islamic religious institutions in the world, read: *Islam is a religion of peace and security. In its eyes, on any part over the surface of the earth spreading mischief, rioting, breach of peace, bloodshed, killing of innocent persons and plundering are the most inhuman crimes.* Delegates from various Islamic sects, numbering around 10,000, were administered a Quranic pledge to *stay away from terror* by the rector of Darul Uloom seminary Maulana Marghoobur Rahman at the peace conference. What has been promised, must be accomplished, Maulana Marghoobur Rahman said, quoting from the Quran, after formalizing Darul's anti-terror declaration issued on February 25 into a globally applicable fatwa. With this, Darul Uloom, led by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, has officially issued the world's first fatwa against terror. The fatwa, signed by Darul chief Riyasat Ali Bijnori, has been endorsed by all Muslim sects in India, especially the Barelvi, Khankahi and Sufis. The fatwa assumes significance because of the Deoband (UP)-based Darul's wide influence across the Muslim world. After the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Darul is the most important centre of Islamic theology. Aiming to ward off constant allegations of terror links, the seminary took two decisive steps that could have far-reaching effects in the Muslim world. It not only declared terror activities anti-Islam but also involved top clerics in defining terrorism in the light of the Quran and Shariah. Welcoming the fatwa, Madani said: *Terrorism has emerged as the most serious challenge faced by our nation in recent times. It threatens to strike at the very root of secular structure of our society besides causing irreparable loss in terms of human lives and property. The conference today has provided the opportunity for the entire Islamic community to come on a single platform and raise its voice against terrorism.* The conference, organized as part of a series of such public meetings across the country, adopted a seven-point declaration condemning the propaganda that *regards terrorism as synonymous with Jehad.* *There is a world of difference between terrorism and Jehad. Jehad is constructive and terrorism is destructive. Jehad is for the establishment of peace… terrorism is the gravest crime as held by Quran and Islam,* the declaration said. Addressing the huge gathering, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind President Hazrat Maulana Qari Sayed Mohammad Usman said: *We appeal to the government of India and international community that if they are sincere about rooting out the menace of terrorism they must strive to establish justice and fair play in society. The implementation of the Sachar Committee Report will help eradicate injustice and deprivation. The Government should take immediate action for its implementation.* Social activist Swami Agnivesh said: *It is wrong to attribute the wrongdoings of a few individuals to the whole community. I would not mince words to say that the United States is the terrorist number one. To defame the Holy Koran and Islam is the worst form of terrorism.* *Islam stands for peace and brotherhood and there cannot be a bigger lie than saying that Muslims are terrorists. Who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi? Were their assassins Muslims?* he asked. + *Bombs No Response to Cartoons: Qaradawi* By Mohammad Sabrah, IOL Correspondent http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1212394757797pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] Such bombings play into the hands of those who smear the image of Islam, its peaceful teachings and tolerant followers, says Qaradawi. DOHA — Prominent scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi strongly denounced the bombing attack that targeted the Danish Embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, insisting that bombs are not the way to respond to offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). We condemned the bombing of the Danish Embassy and the killing of innocent civilians, said Qaradawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars. This is a terrorizing of innocent civilians and a violation of the security pact based on which westerners entered Muslim lands. One Danish citizen of Pakistani
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ahmadinejad: Powers causing global crisis
http://www.presstv.ir/default.aspx Ahmadinejad: Powers causing global crisis Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:24:43 http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=58564sectionid=351020101 *Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad* *Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the footprints of certain bullying powers are visible in international crises. * The problem of today's world is that incompetent people are governing the international community, Ahmadinejad told reporters after attending the UN food summit in Rome on Tuesday. Ahmadinejad said global powers, who only think of domination, wage war against different countries to 'fill their pockets with money' and to sell their weapons. Humanity's problems stem from injustice and the violation of human rights, he added, noting that the wealth of nations is concentrated in the hands of a few. Referring to the occupation of Iraq by US forces, he said over one million Iraqis have been killed or wounded since the beginning of the crisis. Hatred and insecurity are the fruit of the occupation, yet the occupiers refuse to leave the country. Iran's president also said that the Israeli regime is spreading animosity, by depriving Palestinians of food and medicine and killing innocent women and children in repeated air raids and incursions. Ahmadinejad made the remarks in Rome on Tuesday, June 3, the day when Iranians mark the anniversary of the late founder of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini. The message of Imam Khomeini was the message of Jesus, said the Iranian president, describing the late leader as the 'flag bearer of peace and compassion'. Imam Khomeini stood against bullying powers and showed us the way toward freedom, human dignity, and compassion for fellow human beings, Ahmadinejad said. However, global powers lined up against his message and helped 'the most brutal dictator of our age Saddam Hussein to wage the eight year war' against Iran. They did not even prevent the former Iraqi dictator from using chemical weapons against the Iranian people, he added. The message of the Iranian people is one of friendship, brotherhood, peace, and justice for all nations of the world, he concluded. + http://www.presstv.ir/sections.aspx?sectionid=3510302 Interviews http://www.presstv.ir/sections.aspx?sectionid=3510302 *Wind of change blows over Lebanon*http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=58320sectionid=3510302
Bismillah [IslamCity] Democracy Islam: A Response to Some Misgivings
* https://icnany.org/Donation/Donation.php?a=msgsubs* ** *Democracy Islam: A Response to Some Misgivings* *Shah Abdul Hannan* http://www.messageonline.org/2002aprilmay/cover8.htm *Islam and democracy are not contradictory to each other. Democracy is the form of government based on the will of the people as well as run and changed with their consent only. This is also the form of Islamic government. But the values of western democracy are not identical with those of Islam.* (Selected Speeches and Writings of Maulana Mawdudi, Vol. 2, p.198) Democracy is the most popular and accepted political system in the modern world. Most of the political movements have made it their goal to establish this system in their respective countries. Yet, there exists some difference of opinion among the Islamic groups on democracy. While democracy and human rights have occupied very important position in the political agenda of many of the Islamic parties, there are few groups who do not accept it based on a charge that democracy speaks of sovereignty of the people. Islamic parties and Islamic scholars of the modern world almost invariably think of a political system wherein government will run the country through Parliament. They also want freedom of expression, voting right of the people, rule of law, independent free judiciary, free press, fundamental human rights etc. These are also the prerequisites of the democratic system. It is, therefore, apparent on a deeper analysis that the principles of democracy fundamentally and broadly conform with the concept of state and government of Islamic Parties. Theoretically speaking, Islam speaks of sovereignty of Allah, while western democracy advocates that sovereignty belongs to people. However, all political thinkers do not share the same view of sovereignty. Some political scientists even argue that there is no need of the concept of sovereignty at all. The concept of sovereignty is not necessarily highlighted in the books that discuss democracy, though sovereignty is discussed in great detail as a political concept in the books of political science. In this context, it is necessary to quote from the writings of Allama Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, an eminent Islamic scholar of the present time. He wrote on Political Freedom and Democracy as follows: The fear of some people here that democracy makes the people a source of power and even legislation (although legislation is Allah's alone) should not be needed here, because we are supposed to be speaking of a people that in its majority has accepted Allah as its Lord, Mohammad as its Prophet and Islam as its Religion. Such a people would not be expected to pass a legislation that contradicts Islam and its incontestable principles and conclusive rules. Anyway, these fears can be overcome by one article stipulating that any legislation contradicting the incontestable provisions of Islam shall be null and void because Islam is the religion of the State and the source of legitimacy of all its institutions and therefore may no be contradicted, as a branch may not run against the main stream. (Quoted from *'Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase'http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_Priorities/index.htm *) We find that many Islamic scholars have accepted the idea of democracy in Islam though under certain conditions. Dr. Abu Said Nuruddin has written in his book 'Mohakobi Iqbal', ( Iqbal the Great Poet) that Allama Iqbal, was not happy with the democratic system because of its secularist stance but he suggested in his writings that there was no alternative to democracy. In his 6th speech on 'Reconstruction of religious thought in Islam', Allama Iqbal stated that Islamic state is established on the principles of freedom, equality, and the absolute principles of stability. Therefore the principles of democratic rule is not only similar to the fundamental aspects of Islam, rather the executing powers are enhanced in the Muslim world by it. Iqbal observed, should the foundation of democracy rest upon spiritual and moral values, it would be the best political system. He wrote in the The New Era on its 28th July, 1917 issue: that democracy was born in Europe from economic renaissance that took place in most of its societies. … But Islamic democracy is not developed from the idea of economic advancement rather it is a spiritual principle that comes from the principle that everybody is a source of power whose possibilities can be developed through virtue and character.(ibid) That means according to Iqbal Islam prescribes democracy under the law of Allah. We see, fifty years ago. *Moulana Mawdudi* http://www.youngmuslims.ca/biographies/display.asp?ID=5used the term Theo-democracy for Islamic state in his book Political Theory of Islam. He didn't deny the term 'democracy'. Rather he accepted democracy while this system will work under the sovereignty of Allah. There is a misconception about Moulana Maududi's true
Bismillah [IslamCity] US marines in hot water over Christian coins in Iraq
*US marines in hot water over Christian coins in Iraq* Date : May 30, 2008 http://www.gulfinthemedia.com/index.php?m=afpid=143244lang=en; The US military said on Friday it was probing complaints that marines handed out coins inscribed with a verse from the Bible to a group of Sunni Muslims in Iraq, sparking outrage among local residents. It said a service member involved in the incident in the former flashpoint city of Fallujah west of Baghdad was removed from his duties on Thursday. US forces initiated an investigation into reports that a coin with a Bible verse written in Arabic was distributed to Iraqi citizens as they passed through a Fallujah entry control point, the military said in a statement. A coalition force service member was removed from his duties Thursday amid concerns from Fallujah's citizens regarding reports of inappropriate conduct. Residents of Fallujah, scene of one of the bloodiest post-invasion battles between insurgents and US forces in Iraq in 2004, said that marines had been doling out the token-like coins to residents to promote Christianity. The incident occurred less than than two weeks after a US soldier was removed from Iraq for using a Koran for target practice at a firing range near Baghdad and writing graffiti in the Muslim holy book. The incident sparked outrage from the Iraqi government of President Nuri al-Maliki and prompted an apology from US President George W. Bush. But it triggered protests that left several people dead in Afghanistan. - Original Message - ** *Iraq probes allegations of Marines' proselytizing *Muslims angered by Christian verse printed on coins McClatchy-Tribune *May 28, 2008, 10:52PM* http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/5806599.html FALLUJAH, IRAQ — At the western entrance to Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure that he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand. Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. Where will you spend eternity? it asked. On the other side it read, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. They are trying to convert us to Christianity, said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said. Fallujah, the scene of a bloody U.S. offensive against Sunni insurgents in 2004, has calmed and grown less hostile to American troops since residents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, which had tried to force its brand of Islamist extremism on the population. Now residents are abuzz that some Americans whom they consider occupiers are acting as Christian missionaries. Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a humiliating attempt to convert them to Christianity. In the markets, people crowded around men with the coins, passing them to each other and asking in surprise, Have you seen this? In an e-mail, Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, said Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed out material that is religious and evangelical in nature. Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices. ++ -- Forwarded message -- *Is This The Right way?* *Holy War Against Islam * *Watch The Movie http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6p1NzUci1I* http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6p1NzUci1I They are talking about holy war. They see themselves as martyrs. For them, other religions are heresy. You will probably think it's about radical islamists. No, this time we are talking about radical Christians. There are several millions of these fanatic fundamentalist in the U.S.A. Thanks to them, George Bush became the president. But the activities of these Christian fanatics aren't limited just to the U.S. They want to convert the whole world to Christianity. A suddent chance is given to them, with the start of the war in Iraq. Just after the occupation, came the missionaries. And while people get killed every day they are trying to convert muslims to Christianity. In most of cases secretly, but with permission of US government. John Goetz i Volker Steinhoff about christian holy war. It seems unnoticable from the outside, but this is a new-built church. Iraq Christians during liturgy. Among them there are american missionaries. The church is their base. From here, they are planning to convert the Iraq to Christianity. Tom White has dyed his hair. We disguise ourselves as tourists. I have these glasses, I dye my hair
Bismillah [IslamCity] Missionaries Holy War Against Inslam
*Is This The Right way?* *Holy War Against Islam * *Watch The Movie* http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6p1NzUci1I They are talking about holy war. They see themselves as martyrs. For them, other religions are heresy. You will probably think it's about radical islamists. No, this time we are talking about radical Christians. There are several millions of these fanatic fundamentalist in the U.S.A. Thanks to them, George Bush became the president. But the activities of these Christian fanatics aren't limited just to the U.S. They want to convert the whole world to Christianity. A suddent chance is given to them, with the start of the war in Iraq. Just after the occupation, came the missionaries. And while people get killed every day they are trying to convert muslims to Christianity. In most of cases secretly, but with permission of US government. John Goetz i Volker Steinhoff about christian holy war. It seems unnoticable from the outside, but this is a new-built church. Iraq Christians during liturgy. Among them there are american missionaries. The church is their base. From here, they are planning to convert the Iraq to Christianity. Tom White has dyed his hair. We disguise ourselves as tourists. I have these glasses, I dye my hair black, false beard etc. In the next room we have several tons of christian literature. We have given away tons of thousands of these colorful Bibles in Iraq. Bible for Children, The life of Jesus, etc. We, Christians, are always in war. The man with children bibles is a chief of a million-dollar-worth organization called Voice of the martyrs. The martyrs are Christians who have died in a holy war for their religion. For God's agressive love. This war is a material struggle. The Iraqis are to be converted to Christianity with the help of propaganda and humanitarian help. Some Muslims become very angry. In an Islamic country, a person who converts to Christianity is subject to be killed. Wouldn't that mean that your activities can lead to people dying? Our activities can lead to people dying, We are aware of that. But to spend the eternity in heaven and not in hell - seems like a good deal. Even if it results in a physical punishment here on Earth. The martyrs aren't the only missionaries in Iraq. The internet is full of propaganda videos. Christian fundamentalists have come here, with the support of the American military. The things that are forbidden in other Arabian countries, have been allowed here by the American generals. Missionary work American holy war in Iraq finds disapproval. These politically motivated missionaries support the tensions and hstility. Radical Christians as disguised humanitarians, want to convert Iraq. But the cover isn't always helpful. It's often seen missionaries being killed. Such is the case with these radical Baptists. Their organization The Southern Baptist Convention sends the biggest number of missionaries to Iraq. The imams are scared. If the Christianity gets settled here than it will continue to be the case in the whold Middle EAST. Right now the most important place is Iraq. The Southern Baptist Convention supports G. Bush's war. And he is grateful for their work. You represent more than 16 million Baptists in the whole country. And many other missionaries for from home. And all of you are feeling invited to spread the world of God and proclaim the Kingdom of God. The president of the United States G. Bush himself has spoken about the Christian war. There is a rising number of right-oriented funamentalists, seated on highest positions who see all of this as a holy war against Islam. One of them is positioned in Pentagon, and coordinates the search for Osama bin Laden. General William Boyken; When he is not busy with hunting Islamists, he loves to attend Baptist meetings. It's not about Osama bin Laden. The enemy lies in the spiritual Realm. And then the general has said something that was documented only on audio tape. For muslims, this was a huge provocation My god is greater than theirs Including Their God is a false God - an Idol This major fight against Islamists has spread his convictions in this Baptist church. This community fell in love with the general William Boyken. He has risked his life in the army. We love our military. The members of this church have the same opinions on the war in Iraq as the general himself. It's a religious war. They don't hate us they hate our God. they are believing in a lie. There have been a lot of fals Gods like their Allah, but that stays a lie, and that's what prophets have said. Mass in the city of Broken Arrow. Middwest. Hundreds of people who are a part of this Baptist church. There are over 40,000 churches like this on in America. All of these churches belong to The southern Baptist Convention Our president needs you. Our military needs you. The people will be sent on a journey. Over 5,000 of them are positioned on various places of the world. This group is going to Mexico. But they would also
Bismillah [IslamCity] Iraq probes allegations of Marines' proselytizing
*Iraq probes allegations of Marines' proselytizing *Muslims angered by Christian verse printed on coins McClatchy-Tribune *May 28, 2008, 10:52PM* http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/5806599.html FALLUJAH, IRAQ — At the western entrance to Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure that he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand. Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. Where will you spend eternity? it asked. On the other side it read, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. They are trying to convert us to Christianity, said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said. Fallujah, the scene of a bloody U.S. offensive against Sunni insurgents in 2004, has calmed and grown less hostile to American troops since residents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, which had tried to force its brand of Islamist extremism on the population. Now residents are abuzz that some Americans whom they consider occupiers are acting as Christian missionaries. Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a humiliating attempt to convert them to Christianity. In the markets, people crowded around men with the coins, passing them to each other and asking in surprise, Have you seen this? In an e-mail, Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, said Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed out material that is religious and evangelical in nature. Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices. ++ -- Forwarded message -- *Is This The Right way?* *Holy War Against Islam * *Watch The Movie http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6p1NzUci1I* http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6p1NzUci1I They are talking about holy war. They see themselves as martyrs. For them, other religions are heresy. You will probably think it's about radical islamists. No, this time we are talking about radical Christians. There are several millions of these fanatic fundamentalist in the U.S.A. Thanks to them, George Bush became the president. But the activities of these Christian fanatics aren't limited just to the U.S. They want to convert the whole world to Christianity. A suddent chance is given to them, with the start of the war in Iraq. Just after the occupation, came the missionaries. And while people get killed every day they are trying to convert muslims to Christianity. In most of cases secretly, but with permission of US government. John Goetz i Volker Steinhoff about christian holy war. It seems unnoticable from the outside, but this is a new-built church. Iraq Christians during liturgy. Among them there are american missionaries. The church is their base. From here, they are planning to convert the Iraq to Christianity. Tom White has dyed his hair. We disguise ourselves as tourists. I have these glasses, I dye my hair black, false beard etc. In the next room we have several tons of christian literature. We have given away tons of thousands of these colorful Bibles in Iraq. Bible for Children, The life of Jesus, etc. We, Christians, are always in war. The man with children bibles is a chief of a million-dollar-worth organization called Voice of the martyrs. The martyrs are Christians who have died in a holy war for their religion. For God's agressive love. This war is a material struggle. The Iraqis are to be converted to Christianity with the help of propaganda and humanitarian help. Some Muslims become very angry. In an Islamic country, a person who converts to Christianity is subject to be killed. Wouldn't that mean that your activities can lead to people dying? Our activities can lead to people dying, We are aware of that. But to spend the eternity in heaven and not in hell - seems like a good deal. Even if it results in a physical punishment here on Earth. The martyrs aren't the only missionaries in Iraq. The internet is full of propaganda videos. Christian fundamentalists have come here, with the support of the American military. The things that are forbidden in other Arabian countries, have been allowed here by the American generals. Missionary work American holy war in Iraq finds disapproval. These politically motivated missionaries support the tensions and hstility. Radical Christians as disguised humanitarians, want to convert Iraq. But the cover isn't always helpful. It's often seen missionaries being killed. Such is the case
Bismillah [IslamCity] Muhammad, the Benefactor of Humanity; Light in the Prevailing Darkness
*Muhammad, the Benefactor of Humanity* *Light in the Prevailing Darkness** By Nayeem Siddiqi http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357884381pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout#**1- http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357884381pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout [image: Image] *Before studying the life history of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we must have a clear idea of the mission for which he worked all his life. We have to understand its true nature, scope, and features. If we scan the wide range of historical characters, we will come across great reformers, founders of philosophical systems, and great rulers and revolutionaries who changed the course of history. But the common feature of all of them is that, while they influenced only one aspect of human life, they left loopholes open for evils to creep into other aspects.* *It is hard finding any movement or ideology that truly succeeded in transforming the whole nature of humans by changing their entire being from within and without, as well as their community life. But, this is what Prophet Muhammad accomplished in a way that was unique in history; indeed, no such example can be found elsewhere.* *The transformation was such that the human society from the mosque to the market, from the school to the court, and from home to the public field (the entire gamut of human life) was changed. As a result of this change, there were goodness and virtue wherever the change reached. In fact, the human life received a new base, and the foundation was laid for a real progress and a virtuous life on an international scale.* At the time of the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the entire world was steeped in darkness. Belief in multiple gods and worship of idols had shaken the foundation of civilized life. The light of civilization had faded over the then known world from Egypt to India and from Greece to China. Banners of the Roman and Persian empires immersed in the worst forms of tyranny, and terrorism fluttered over the degraded humanity. Not only did the rulers claim to be the representatives of God but, in some cases, they also claimed to be gods with whom fiefdoms and religious orders were allied. The combined forces of the three had strangled the common people, who were already overburdened with heavy taxes, bribes, and grafts and were forced to labor under duress. *Teachings of the Prophets and the wise were lost in corruption and erroneous interpretations.* No one seemed to take any notice of this malaise, and no one provided any remedy or escape from this course. The then going overlords sank in moral degradation, and the devastating wars and frequent changes in ruling dynasties further grounded the common people under heavier strain, instead of giving any relief to them. The Roman and Persian empires were frequently at war. At intervals, large territories passed from one empire to the other. After consolidating their powers, the new masters unleashed even greater forces of oppression. Churches and temples on changing hands became places of worship of the conqueror. All over the world, armed clashes were the order of the day, and the humanity suffered most. The common people were deprived of the most essential necessities of life, and they could not even raise their voice in protest. Teachings of the Prophets and the wise were lost in corruption and erroneous interpretations, and whatever remained of religion had become a profitable trade in the hands of religious orders, which were in alliance with the ruling class. When the despaired humanity found no way of escape and the crisis reached a critical stage, the light of the rescuer of the humanity emerged. The very country where Prophet Muhammad was born was steeped in utter moral degradation. The great civilizations of Ur and Nineveh, of `Aad and Thamud, and of Aden and Saba' were lost in ancient history, and there were barbarism and disruption all over Arabia. Debauching, drinking, and gambling were rampant. Idol-worshipping Quraish was trading in religion with the Ka`bah in its custody. Tribes fought with one another on flimsy grounds. The Jews were engaged in religious controversies. The usurers of Makkah and Ta'if had large-scale dealings in money lending at exorbitant interest rates, and trafficking in slavery was rife. In short, the humans lived according to their whims, and the strong were oppressing the weak. Unable to reform their surroundings, those who hated evil retired to forests, mountains, and caves and became recluses. In the midst of this degradation, Prophet Muhammad had to liberate the humanity and prove to the world that his great mission will cause a phenomenal success. He stood up single-handed to change the entire human outlook by spreading the teachings of Islam revealed to him by Almighty Allah. Prophet
Bismillah [IslamCity] 'Can Afzal be hanged when Sarabjit issue is there'
*'Can Afzal be hanged when Sarabjit issue is there'* May 21, 2008 20:35 IST http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/may/21sarab.htm In controversial remarks, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said when the government has been pressing for clemency for Sarabjit Singh http://www.rediff.com/news/sarabjit05.htmlfacing death sentence in Pakistan, how can the demand be made for the hanging of Afzal Guru, condemned prisoner in Parliament attackhttp://www.rediff.com/news/pattack.html . You want Afzal Guru to be hanged. (At the same time) you are saying that don't hang a person who has gone to Pakistan (Singh), Patil told reporters in Latur on Tuesday. These people want others to be hanged. What are you doing? You are saying don't hang that person (Singh) and you say hang this person (Guru) here, Patil said and added that law would take its own course. Guru was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court for being involved in the criminal conspiracy to attack Parliament on December 13, 2001. His clemency plea is pending with the government. The statement of Patil is likely to stir a row with main the opposition BJP already slamming Patil for his irresponsible comments. The government which has been dithering on the execution of Afzal Guru is actually supporting and playing vote bank politics by giving such absurd reasons, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. The ill-informed Union home minister of the country does not even know that while Sarabjit Singh was a case of mistaken identity, Guru's role and involvement in Parliament attack is proven, he said. +++ *Should Mohammad Afzal Guru Be Hanged?* *By Ram Puniyani* 09 October, 2006 -*Countercurrents.org* http://www.countercurrents.org/comm-puniyani091006.htm *A*s per the Supreme Court has given the judgment, Mohammad Afzal Guru is to be hanged to death on 20th October 2006. Guru was one of the accused in the case of assault on the Parliament on 13 December 2001, in which, many a security personnel were killed. Guru was not found to be to be part of any terrorist outfit, nor did he play any direct role in the same. In the trial which took place the provisions of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights had not been respected. Supreme court noted that there is no direct evidence of his involvement. The evidence was mainly circumstantial. All three courts including Supreme Court have acquitted him of the charges under POTA of belonging to either a terrorist organization or a terrorist gang. Court also noted that the evidence was fabricated. Most importantly he was not given any worthwhile legal assistance to defend him during interrogation. When Ram Jethmalani offered to be his lawyer the Hindutva goons attacked his office. One also recalls here that the lawyers offering to hold the brief of accused in 11 July 2006 Mumbai blasts were also threatened by Hindutva outfit, a real case of cowardly display of pseudo patriotism. At best Guru was facilitator in the crime and not a part of directly perpetrating the crime. Supreme Court notes that The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties, had shaken the entire nation and the collective conscience of the society will only be satisfied if capital punishment is awarded to the offender. So does it mean that the punishment is being given to assuage the collective national conscience? One must add what is presented as this conscience is the consciousness of the section of dominant middle classes. Many a Human rights activist of repute sat on a dharna demanding the commutation of the death sentence, to life imprisonment. They issued appeals to the same effect and also have floated the petitions forn clemency. Not to be left behind another section of activists have floated counter petitions demanding nothing short of death penalty for this terrorist. In various talk shows the angry audience is hooting down those talking of the facts of the case and asking for leniency in the light of the holes in the story built by the police authorities. There are two major questions involved in the case. One, that death penalty should be given in the rarest of rare cases, and two when world over the brutal capital punishment is being done away with, should we stick to it. The other peripheral issues which are trying to undermine the basic issues are the hysterical nationalism of Hindu right and sections of society who cannot think that the crime of those accused of acts of terror also needs to be proved before they are punished, and that the punishment has to be commensurate with the crime. For them once Supreme Court has ruled the doors for clemency are closed. The base on which Supreme Court has given the judgment has been built by the police with methods which are questionable, which have also been reprimanded by the court in this case. The argument on the other side is that if Guru is not hanged it will be an insult to those who have laid their lives for defending the parliament. The other question, which has
Bismillah [IslamCity] Food crisis creates an opening for Muslim fundamentalists
** *Food crisis creates an opening for Muslim fundamentalists* By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer - May 18, 2008 http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-food18-2008may18,0,1812876.story?track=rss [image: In Jordan] *IN JORDAN: A woman collects free bread at an Islamic charity in the capital, Amman. Such programs fill a gap by feeding the hungry as prices soar and help the charities' political allies.* http://www.latimes.com/news/lat-foodmo_k09qn8nc20080517225947,0,3403241,email.photo In the Middle East, Islamist charity programs fill a gap by feeding the hungry as prices soar - and their AMMAN, JORDAN -- The smell of freshly baked bread calms the room filled with women in frayed cloaks and worn slippers. Grateful for the assistance, they walk out of a Muslim Brotherhood social service center into the trash-strewn alley, clutching plastic bags packed with flat bread loaves. For five years, the Jordanian government has clamped down on the Islamist group's electoral ambitions and its charity programs, suspicious it was using good deeds to win political support. But the global food crisis has carved out new opportunities for the Brotherhood and other hard-line groups across the Muslim world. Increasingly unaffordable prices underscore criticism of autocratic governments and drive more people toward fundamentalist groups. Though the Brotherhood fared poorly last year in municipal elections, it has been steadily gaining ground in recent months, sweeping votes for the leadership of Jordan's professional associations. We used to win some and lose some. Now, we win all of them, said Zaki Bani Arshid, leader of the Islamic Action Front, the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. The government which tried to marginalize us politically for years has now given us a big gift. The increase in food prices has challenged America's goals in the Middle East at a critical juncture, when it is attempting to win support from friendly governments for an Israeli- Palestinian peace initiative and for confronting Iran and Al Qaeda. Analysts and officials worry that the crisis could result in food riots. The anger has taken on an increasingly anti-U.S. tone, even among elected officials. Egyptian lawmakers, for example, have accused the United States of causing the crisis by conspiring to keep their country dependent on wheat imports. If we look at these main factors behind the increase in world food prices and the specter of famine and political turbulence, we will easily reach the conclusion that [the] Bush administration and the bunch of neoconservatives and their foolish policies in waging external wars . . . are, in practice, behind this deep crisis, said an April column in the pro-government daily newspaper Al Watan in Oman, a staunch U.S. ally. America is being held responsible for what is happening, said Arshid, of Jordan's Islamic Action Front. It's supporting these corrupt regimes. The frustration is potentially more explosive here than in more democratic parts of the developing world. People can tolerate anything except when it comes to food, said Labib Kamhawi, a Jordanian economist and critic of the government. The security establishment cannot open a file for the hungry like you can for the political activists. One day you'll wake up and see havoc. Officials throughout the Middle East have begun importing food, implementing price controls, slashing import duties for foodstuffs and locking in prices for future purchases of wheat and rice. They've also begun preparing local fields for wheat production and making monetary reforms. Morocco has decided to spend $2 billion to raise public-sector wages. In Egypt, where subsidized bread is synonymous with the people's bond to the state, deadly riots broke out during the 1970s when then-President Anwar Sadat considered slashing the subsidies. President Hosni Mubarak is working to calm an explosive atmosphere marked by a rising inflation rate, labor unrest, strikes and fears that long bread lines may again appear. Both Jordan and Egypt have raised government salaries and pensions by more than 20%. And Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs plans to increase by eightfold the number of people it aids. Jordanian government officials consider the economic situation their highest priority, a grave, snowballing threat, analysts said. Officials remember the riots that erupted in 1971 when the price of sugar went up and in 1996 when bread prices jumped. The government understands the severity of the situation, said Fahd Khitan, a columnist and editor for the independent Amman daily Arab Today. But awareness has not been enough to forestall the economic repercussions in a country where per-capita annual income is about $5,500 and 60% of workers earn fixed wages as public-sector employees. Meat and chicken prices have risen 30% since October. The price of a dozen eggs has nearly doubled, to $2.30. And produce has climbed at an even higher rate,
Bismillah [IslamCity] Qur'an… New US Sniper Victim in Iraq
*Qur'an… New US Sniper Victim in Iraq* IslamOnLine.net Newspapers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357696341pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *the bullet-riddled Qur'an was found with graffiti inside the cover on a small-arms range near a police station in the village of Radwaniya.(AMSI photo)* BAGHDAD — An American soldier has been removed from Iraq after using a copy of the Qur'an as a target in a shooting practice, riddling the Muslim holy book with bullets. Coalition commanders have briefed local leaders on the results of the investigation and expressed their deep regret, US military spokesman Colonel Bill Buckner said in a statement cited by Agence France Presse (AFP) on Sunday, May 18. They have also undertaken disciplinary action against the soldier who was involved and he has been removed from Iraq. The soldier, who remained unnamed, was sent home for using the Qur'an for target practice in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad. The action, which happened on May 9, was discovered two days later when Iraqi police found the bullet-riddled Qur'an with graffiti inside the cover on a small-arms range near a police station in the village of Radwaniya. Beside being removed from Iraq, it was not clear what disciplinary action was being taken against the soldier. The incident was first reported by CNN which broadcast a ceremony at which the top American commander in Baghdad apologized to tribal leaders in Radwaniyah. I come before you here seeking your forgiveness, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond told the tribal leaders on Saturday, May 17. In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers. Another military official, Colonel Ted Martin, kissed a copy of the Qur'an and touched to his forehead as he handed it to the tribal leaders. *Heinous* The apologetic American commanders were met by hundreds of angry Iraqi protestors. Yes, yes to the Qur'an and America out, out, the demonstrators chanted as they carried banners and slogans condemning the American troops. In a speech on behalf of Radhwaniya tribal leaders, Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani called the incident aggression against the entire Islamic world. There was no immediate reaction from the government of Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki. The Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), the highest Sunni religious authority in Iraq,blasted the soldier's actions. We condemn this heinous crime against God's holy book, the AMS said in a statement. AMS holds the occupation and the current government fully responsible for this violation. The Qur'an shooting is the latest and the most serious known incident of desecrating Muslim holy symbols in Iraq by American troops, according to AFP. Since the 2003 US-led invasion, there had been several accusations against the US soldiers of attacking and defiling mosques. In November 2004, the killing of nearly 40 unarmed Iraqis inside a mosque in the northern city of Fallujah by a US marine battalion prompted widespread international condemnation. *Related Links:* - Pentagon Details Five Desecrations of Qur'anhttp://islamonline.net/English/News/2005-06/04/article01.shtml - US Resolution Urges Respect for Noble Qur'anhttp://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/25/article05.shtml - Fallujah Mosque Killings War Crime: Rights Groupshttp://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-11/17/article02.shtml - Qur'an Desecrators Must Be Punished: IAMShttp://islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/14/article02.shtml - Mosque Killings Unforgiving for All of Us: US Reporterhttp://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-11/23/article04.shtml *USA vs. Al-Arian* By Art Culture Team [image: Image] *USA vs. Al-Arian* movie poster. *USA vs. Al-Arian* is an intimate family portrait that documents the American-Muslim family Al-Arian's desperate attempt to fight terrorism charges leveled by the US Government. In February 2003, university professor and pro-Palestinian civil rights activist Sami Al-Arian was arrested in Tampa, Florida, charged with providing material support to a terror organization. While the Bush administration considered this a landmark case in its campaign against international terrorism, Al-Arian claims he was targeted in an attempt to silence his political views. For two and a half years Al-Arian was held in solitary confinement, denied basic privileges, and given limited access to his attorneys. After a six-month-long trial, the jury could not find Al-Arian guilty on any count, but the nightmare for Al-Arian and his family was not over with that. The documentary follows Al-Arian's wife Nahla and their five children throughout the trial and in the difficult period afterward. It is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by the trial, a battle waged both in court and in the media. It raises questions on whether it is possible for a man like Al-Arian to receive a fair
Bismillah [IslamCity] France in Hamas Talks Fading US Mideast Mystique
*France in Hamas Talks* IslamOnLine.net Newspapers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357718862pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *We are not the only ones to have them, stressed Kouchner.* PARIS — Breaking with the US-spearheaded isolation policy, France has confirmed holding contacts with the resistance group Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since June. These are not relations, they are contacts, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told Europe 1 radio on Monday, May 19. It would be difficult to deny it since the man who is in touch with them has spoken. *Le Figaro* earlier reported that retired diplomat Yves Aubin de La Messuziere, who served as ambassador to Iraq, met Hamas leaders, including ousted premier Ismail Haniyeh. Messuziere said Hamas leaders confirmed they would accept a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 war borders. They said they were prepared to stop suicide attacks and what surprised me was that the Islamist leaders recognize the legitimacy of [Palestinian President] Mahmoud Abbas. France-Hamas contacts could annoy Washington, which has been spearheading an international campaign to isolate Hamas since it trounced Abbas's Fatah in the 2006 general elections and formed the government. We are not the only ones to have them, stressed Kouchner. Last month, former US president Jimmy Carter angered the US and Israel after a series of meetings with leading Hamas figures, including Damascus-based supremo Khaled Meshaal. Carter insisted Hamas was not a bloc to peace in the Middle East and will accept a peace deal negotiated by Abbas if approved by Palestinians in a referendum. Colin Powell, the former US Secretary of State, has said that Hamas is not going away and does enjoy considerable support among the Palestinian people. *Essential* Kouchner, the French foreign minister, defended the talks as essential for its diplomacy in the region. We must be able to talk if we want to play a role, if we want our envoys to be able to get into Gaza. During a recent visit to Israel, Kouchner proposed mediating between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire agreement. He also pressured Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to open the Strip's border passes Israel has been closing for months. Hamas confirmed the French talks. We confirm the existence of contacts between the movement and several European countries, including French officials, spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Ex-Israeli army and security officials have recommended talks with Hamas for a long-term ceasefire, warning against any large-scale offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip. Non-public negotiations should take place with Hamas through Egypt or anyone else acceptable to both sides, they wrote in a letter to Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Barak. *Related Links:* - Talk To Hamas: Ex-Israel Brasshttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357675131pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout - Hamas No Peace Obstacle: Carterhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203759212247pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout - US Coup Against Hamas http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203757682602pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout - EU Reconsiders Gaza, Hamas Policyhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203515496972pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout - UK MPs Urge Softer Hamas Approachhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1184649216823pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout *Fading US Mideast Mystique* IslamOnLine.net Newspapers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357712676pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] It was clear that America is neither loved nor feared, said one activist. (Reuters) CAIRO — US President George W. Bush's Middle East tour has proven that his administration lost whatever mystique left even among its closest regional allies, analysts agreed on Monday, May 19. This trip was an exclamation point on the fact that the mystique about American power is no longer there, Steve Clemons, an analyst at the Washington-based New America Foundation, told the *US Today*. Bush concluded on Sunday, May 18, a five-day Mideast tour, which aimed to tackle two main issues; rising oil prices and the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. But the American president, who will leave office in January, was dealt a blow on both issues. Saudi Arabia rebuffed his request to increase oil production to curb soaring prices was rejected. Bush also came under criticism from his closest allies after a biased speech he gave in Israel on the 6oth anniversary of its creation on the rubble of Palestine. What the president said at the Knesset made us angry, and to be honest, we don't accept it, Abbas said. We had many things to say about it, and we
Bismillah [IslamCity] I Need to Do More on Islam: Bush
*I Need to Do More on Islam: Bush* IslamOnline.net Newspapers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357650624pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *I've got to do a better job of making it clear when I talk about Islam, I talk about a peaceful religion, which I talk about a lot, Bush said. (Washington Times photo)* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357650624pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout CAIRO — US President George W. Bush has admitted failure to do enough to dispel the widespread belief that the United States' so-called war on terror is targeting Islam, reported the *Washington Times* on Saturday, May 17. Somebody said to me, 'Well, how come you dislike Muslims?' Bush said during a meeting with a group of Jewish, Palestinian and Arab Israeli students in Jerusalem shortly before concluding a three-day visit to Israel. I don't. An Israeli Arab female student, Henriette Charcar, told the American president that he often related extremism to Islam and Muslims. Actually what I say is you're not a religious person if you're a murderer, Bush replied. But you're right. I've got to do a better job of making it clear when I talk about Islam, I talk about a peaceful religion, which I talk about a lot. Bush has repeatedly portrayed his so-called war on terror as a battle between good and evil. He upset many Muslims after the 9/11 attacks by referring to his war as a crusade, a term which for many Muslims connotes a Christian battle against Islam. Bush has recently said that the United States was at war with Islamic fascists, drawing immediate rebuke from his American Muslims. Bush arrived in Egypt on Saturday on the third leg of a regional tour that took him to Israel and Saudi Arabia. The American president, who will leave office in January, started his tour with a visit to Israel on Wednesday, May 14, to mark the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation. *Bad Image* Bush blamed poisonous state-run TV stations in the Middle East for giving the perception that the US is at war with Islam. There is a propaganda machine on state-owned TV that is poisonous and we just have got to do a better job of reaching out, he said. Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, the most popular outlet in the Middle East, has often angered the US government for its reporting of the Afghan and Iraq wars. In 2004, the Bush administration launched their own Middle East TV station, al Hurrah, in an effort to counter Al-Jazeera. One way to do it, by the way, is to invite people to America and let them see what America is all about, said Bush. A recent poll by the Washington-based Pew Research Center found that the US image has plummeted deeply across the world, even among allies, with foreign policy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan topping a long list of disappointing factors. *Palestinian Rights* Bush said that the major obstacle to peace in the Middle East is the refusal by some to accept a Jewish state. I think why people are fighting is there's a group of people that refuse to accept a Jewish state . . . a refusal to admit a certain reality, he said, drawing fire from a young Arab Israeli student. We can't wipe out a whole section of history, Charcar, the female student, said, adding that Israel refuses to recognize the Palestinians' rights and identity. The Palestinian people did exist. Did exist and do exist, Bush answered, forecasting a Palestinian state. It's going to happen. Bush pledged during a much-touted US-hosted peace conference in Annapolis in November to help Israel and the Palestinian Authority to reach a peace deal by 2008. But since then, peace talks have stalled over Israel's refusal to put the issues of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) and refugees on the agenda. Al-Quds is home to Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which includes Islam's third holiest shrine, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and represents the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel captured Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war before annexing the holy city and declaring it part of its eternal undivided capital, a claim not recognized by the UN or the world community. Palestinians insist the city will be the capital of their future independent state. Palestinians also insist on the return of almost 4.5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their homes from which they were forced out when Israel was created. *Related Links:* Israelis Praise Zionist Bushhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357637601pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Albright Slams Bush's Religion-colored Policyhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1159951519975pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Bush Worst President Since WWII: Poll http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1162385882477pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Bush Presidency Worst Ever: Carter
Bismillah [IslamCity] 27 Muslims selected for Civil Services
* Indian Muslims http://www.indianmuslims.info/ Indian Muslim News and Information * ** *27 Muslims selected for Civil Services *By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircle.net http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/may/14/17_muslims_selected_civil_services.html New Delhi: A total of 17 Muslims have cleared the written and interview process of the Civil Services Exam of 2006. The top Muslim candidate Shamim Abidi appears on rank 16. The written exam was help in October-November of 2006 and interview held in April-May of this year. The List of 474 candidates was released by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) today. The successful candidates are recommended for appointment to Indian Adminstrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service and Central Services. The list of 474 candidates include 214 General (including 13 Physically Challenged candidates), 144 Other Backward Classes (including 03 Physically challenged candidates), 80 Scheduled Castes (including 02 Physically challenged candidates) and 36 Scheduled Tribes candidates. 17 Muslims among the list of 474 successful candidates give Muslims a representation of 3.59% which considering their lower number in higher studies is quite remarkable and indication of hard work put on by Muslim students. Another welcome trend this year is an increase in number of Muslim girls clearing the Civil Services Exam. Appointment to various services is based on available vacancies and merit ranking of candidates. The number of vacancies reported by the Government for the Indian Administrative Service is 89 (45 General, 24 Other Backward Classes, 13 Scheduled Castes and 07 Scheduled Tribes); for the Indian Foreign Service is 20 (10 General, 05 Other Backward Classes and 05 Scheduled Castes); for the Indian Police Service is 103 (51 General, 28 Other Backward Classes, 16 Scheduled Castes and 08 Scheduled Tribes); for the Central Services Group is 294 (152 General, 80 Other Backward Classes, 43 Scheduled Castes and 19 Scheduled Tribes) and for Central Services Group is 27 (15 General, 07 Other Backward Classes, 03 Scheduled Caste and 02 Scheduled Tribe). This includes 18 vacancies for Physically Challenged candidates in the Indian Administrative Service and Central Services Group Rank Name 16 SHAMMI ABIDI 32 MOHAMMAD QAISER ABDULHAQUE 51 MOHAMMAD TAYYAB 71 NAAZNEEN BHASIN 121 SYED WAQUAR RAZA 207 MEERAJ KHALID 242 SHAHNAWAZ UL RAHMAN 262 FARHAT KHAN 282 ASLAM KHAN 315 SHABANA PARVEEN 338 MAIMUN NISHA ANSARI 387 MOHAMMAD IRFAN AZIZ 394 J MOHAMMED NAVFAL 407 SAYEED RASHID 410 LEYAQAT ALI AAFAQUI 439 MOHD SULEMAN CHOUDHARY 448 AYAZ AHMED KOHLI See the list here: http://www.twocircles.net/2008may17/27_muslims_selected_civil_services.html -- http://www.TwoCircles.net http://www.twocircles.net/ : news http://twitter.com/twocircles : editorials http://www.indianmuslims.info/calendar
Bismillah [IslamCity] Dutch Bishop: Christians should refer to God as 'Allah'
*Muskens believes that God knows His name in all languages* [image: Catholic News Agency] http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/ Dutch bishop: Call God '*Allah*' Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:25:52 Source: Agencies http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=10124 *Dutch Bishop: 'Allah' is a very beautiful word to use instead of the word 'God'* *A Roman Catholic Bishop in the Netherlands has proposed people of all faiths refer to God as Allah to foster understanding among religions. * Amsterdam, Aug 15, 2007 / 09:15 am (CNA http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/ ).- Bishop Martinus Muskens of Breda, Netherlands, suggested in an interview with Radio Netherlands that Christians should refer to God as Allah, which would promote better relations with Muslims. The 71-year-old Bishop, Tiny Muskens, told Radio Netherlands that God did not mind what he was named and that in Indonesia, where he had spent eight years, priests used the word Allah while celebrating Mass. Bishop Muskens Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? The bishop, who had worked in Indonesia, noted that even Christians use the term Allah for God there. The Dutch should learn to get on spontaneously with different cultures, religions and behavior patterns: Someone like me has prayed to Allah yang maha kuasa (Almighty God) for eight years in Indonesia and other priests for 20 or 30 years. In the heart of the Eucharist, God is called Allah over there, so why can't we start doing that together? he was quoted as saying. Some Dutch Muslims welcomed his comments as a valuable gesture of support coming just days after a far-right Dutch politician insulted the Holy Quran. Geert Wilders called for the Quran to be banned in the country. Wilders, whose new party won nine seats out of the 150 in parliament in last November's elections, is well known for his negative remarks on Islam. Bishop Muskens admitted that he did not think his suggestion would be welcomed readily and that it would take about 100 years before Catholics would feel comfortable calling God Allah. In an interview broadcast on Monday's edition of current affairs show Netwerk, Muskens said he had worked in Indonesia where God is referred to as Allah in Christian services. But a spokesman for one of the capital's leading mosques said he was not happy with the statement. We didn't ask for this, a spokesman for the Moroccan Mosque in Amsterdam told De Telegraaf. Now it is as if we have a problem between Muslims and Christians. Gerrit de Fijter, chairman of the General Synod of the Dutch Protestant Church, also rejected Muskens' suggestion. I applaud every attempt to encourage dialogue with Muslims, but I doubt the sense of this maneuver, De Fijter told De Telegraaf. Neither De Fijter nor Muslim community leaders returned calls seeking comment Wednesday. Speaking to a local television network Wednesday, Muskens said he was pleased his comments had sparked debate. That they are interested in how to get along with God, that is a positive result, he told Omroep Brabant. Muskens is known for controversial statements. In 1996, he declared that it was acceptable for the hungry to steal bread. He also advocated condom use to prevent the spread of AIDS and urged the abolition of celibacy for priests. In June, Muskens requested Pope Benedict XVI to grant him retirement from the bishopry. Muskens, aged 71, was appointed Bishop of Breda in November 1994. +++ *Allah* http://www.godallah.com/index.php The word Allah is the perfect description of the One God of monotheism for Jews, Christians and Muslims! Is Allah only for Islam and Muslims? [No! It is for All Three Abrahamic Faiths.] Allah is the same word used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came. On page one [1] of Genesis in the Old Testament, we find the word Allah seventeen [17] times. Every hotel and motel has a Bible. Next time you see one look in the introduction, you will find samples of the different languages they have translated. For Arabic they have translated the verse in the New Testament in Arabic from the famous verse in the Gospel John 3:16 - For God so loved the world . . . - and the word the translators used in Arabic for God is the very same word used by Muslims around the planet, Allah. Where Does the word Allah Come From? Allah comes from the Arabic word elaha god' or something worshiped. - (Arabic) means ' This word (elah) can be made plural (gods), as in aleha and it can be male or female just as the word in English can be goddess. Allah comes from elaha but it brings more clarification and understanding. Allah= Has no gender (not male and not female) - He is used only out of respect and dignity - not for gender Allah = Always singular - Never plural - We is used only as the Royal WE just as in English for royalty Allah =Means The Only One to be Worshipped +++ *The word Allah in the Arabic Bible:
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Call to American Muslims of Our Time
*[image: front main image]* *[image: front main image]* ** *The Call to American Muslims of Our Time* by Tariq Nelson (www.tariqnelson.com) http://mana-net.org/pages.php?ID=activismNUM=209 [Muslim Alliance in North America (*MANA* http://mana-net.org/) is an organization committed Muslims issues and concerns that especially impact indigenous Muslims—issues and concerns that we feel have been largely neglected. With the launch of this web site we are inviting masjids, organizations and individuals to join MANA.] On studying history, we see that everywhere Islam spread, it exerted a stimulating influence on the local culture. Islam revitalized life in a dying urban center like Constantinople by providing new civic norms and social relationships enabling people to cope with the urgent problems of city life. In towns and villages battling epidemics, Islam revolutionized care-giving by introducing the concept of a hospital. In regions filled with newcomers and strangers, Islam offered a basis for firm attachments. In places filled with the homeless and impoverished, Islam offered charity as well as hope. In areas teeming with orphans and widows, Islam provided a new and expanded sense of family. Today, we are living in times in which particular segments of our country are mired in a barrage of moral and social decay: spiraling crime, an onslaught of high-school drop outs, out of wedlock pregnancies, deadbeat dads, single mothers, infidelity, unhealthy eating, obesity, diabetes, and so much more. In 2007, 46.8% of twelfth-graders and 35.6% of tenth-graders admitted to taking illegal drugs. In 2006, 20.9% of eighth-graders admitted to taking an illegal drug in their lifetime. The perfect cultural custodian to clean up this social mess is the Muslim community. I believe that our community is the great hope of our country and is positioned like no other to influence and begin to re-shape the American culture – that is, if we decide to step back into the community and do our jobs. This is especially true, since the United States is probably the most change-oriented society in the world. I believe that the call to the American Muslims is to influence and change the culture of the community around us as past Muslims have done. Part of our challenge is to become a vital part of our neighborhoods by convening and encouraging formation of future culture that serves the common good. We must become connoisseurs of an alternative way, recognizing and celebrating the good, true and beautiful way of Islam in our communities as an example to all others. Nowhere else does this potential for synergy exist except with the Muslims of America. Sadly, we strayed away from our massive potential influence when large numbers of people (myself including) came into Islam inspired by the Malcolm X cultural craze of the 1990's. Instead, we have become just another subculture. The result has been that we have stood on the sidelines while have tolerating the destruction the future of a generation of young people in our country. So today, rather than tuning out the important discussions around us and founding our own little *Muslim bubbleshttp://tariqnelson.com/2007/02/16/signs-you-might-be-in-a-cult/ *, we should not be afraid to become mainstream and learn to appeal to the public at large. This does *not *mean that we should discard our Islamic principles. However it does mean that more of us should stop thinking we're above getting into the trenches of mainstream culture. Here are some things that I feel that each of us can do to re-establish this initiative. *Learn your religion* Educate ourselves in Islam and about the world around us. If we are educated in our religion this will insha Allah bring clarity to our responsibility to our communities. We do not need to simply condemn and be suspicious of the world around us. *Inspire* Inspire the people within our circles to get involved and pursue excellence in all fields. Help them cultivate and create culture that serves the common good. Your interest in serving them will go a long way in building their confidence in the Muslim community's understanding of their opportunity for influence. *Connect with your local neighborhood * Ask yourself, If your local masjid were removed from the community today, would anyone even notice? …Would you, as an individual, be missed if you left today? What are you contributing? As an integral piece of your local culture, integrate a duty-bound approach to the needs of your community. We should add value to the neighborhood, support local businesses, and schools and serve the community with volunteers for good events that are redemptive in nature. Be an advocate for goodness and beauty throughout your environment. *Search for Good* Instead of being offended when confronted with deviant behavior and darkness – and there is plenty - be motivated to get involved to make a constructive change. Challenge yourself to find something good in all
Bismillah [IslamCity] Islam is your Birthright
*Islam is your Birthright* http://www.thetruecall.com/home/modules.php?name=Newsfile=articlesid=232 Each person is born in a religious environment that is not of his/her own choice. From the very beginning of human existence in this world, they are assigned the religion of their family or the ideology of the state. By the time individuals reach their teens they usually accept the beliefs of their parents or that of their particular society. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other beliefs and ideologies, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. Seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that believers of every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy all claim to have the one and only correct religion or ideology. There are only three possibilities. They are either all correct; all wrong or only one is correct and the rest are wrong. They cannot all be right since all religions are different from each other in their fundamentals. Furthermore, the majority claim that they alone are correct and the rest are wrong. On the other hand, to claim that they are all wrong is to deny that God revealed His will to humankind. This proposition is absurd to those who believe in a Wise Creator. So, which religion is the right one and how can the seeker of truth know it? In beginning one's search for which religion is true, one should keep in mind four things in mind: First, God gave us abilities and intellects to make the crucial decision: WHAT IS THE TRUE RELIGION? Second, God, the Most Compassionate, did not leave us to go astray without any guidance. Indeed, He sent us prophets with scriptures to show us the right path. Third, seeking the true religion should be the most important thing in one's life because the everlasting life to come depends on it.1 Fourth, one can determine the true path and make a rational and correct decision only if emotions and prejudices, which often blind one to reality, are put aside. *I. PURPOSE FOR CREATION* Have you ever wondered about the reason of our existence? Have you ever wondered why we die, and where we go after death? What will happen to us in the end? Have you ever asked yourself why God made the earth and all that is in it under man's dominion? Why were the night and the day, and the sun and the moon created? What are we supposed to do during our lifetime? Were we created just to eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves before we die? As one poet put it: I do not know whence I have come. I saw my feet walking on the road. As they please I go and stop. What am I doing here? How did the road find me? I do not know! I do not know! I do not know! God has emphasized in many verses of the Qur'an that He did not create us without purpose. He said: *What! Do you think that I created you simply in jest ? And that you would not be returned to Me?* (23:115) He also said:*What! Does man think that he will be left to roam at his will? *(75:36) In addition, He said:* Do people think that they will be left to say: We believe, and they will not be held accountable? *(29:2) Indeed, God Has created human beings for a purpose and with a purpose: *TO WORSHIP HIM ALONE (Monotheism).* He said: *I have not created the Jinn and humankind except only to worship Me. I don't require provision or feeding from them. Surely Allah 4 is the All-provider, the Possessor of all strength, the Firm. *(51:56-58) In fact, all prophets told their people to worship God alone (Monotheism) and shun worshipping His creation (Paganism). God said: I assuredly sent among every people a messenger with the command: Worship Allah and avoid worshipping false gods. (16:36) Prophet Abraham, for example, believed in One God, who had no partner. Anyone who holds a different understanding of God than this has contradicted the religion of Abraham and follows falsehood. God says in the Qur'an: Those who reject the religion of Abraham make fools of themselves. (2:130) Prophet Jesus was reported in the Gospels to have said: It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only'. (Luke 4:8) Prophet Jacob also said (in the Quran) to his people: Indeed, those which you worship besides Allah are only names that you and your forefathers have established, for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the right religion, but most people do not understand. (12:40) *II. THE BASIC MESSAGE OF ISLAM* The basic message of Islam is the same message of all the previous prophets: worship God alone and avoid worshipping anything besides Him, whether it is a person, place or thing, directly or indirectly. This basic principle of Monotheism is contained in the opening chapter of the Qur'an, known as Soorat al-Faatihah, verse 4: You alone we worship and from you alone we do seek help. In (4:37), God also said: Worship Allah and do not associate partners with Him. Muhammad, the last Prophet (mercy and
Bismillah [IslamCity] Islamic Finance Fulfills US Home Dream
*Islamic Finance Fulfills US Home Dream* IslamOnline.net News Papers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357533688pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *The American dream is to purchase a house, and the American Muslim dream is to be able to do so in an Islamic manner, said Jaka. (Washington post Photo)* CAIRO — Mounir Elhaj was anxious to know how Islamic finance could help her avoid the dilemma of a woman she knows who lost her house after paying mortgage for 17 years once she started missing payments, the *Washington Post* reported on Tuesday, May 13. The bank still took her house, Elhaj, 45, told sales representative of Guidance Residential, a Shariah -compliant home financing company, at a recent annual community fair in Virginia's northwestern suburb of Sterling. So I want to know if I bought a house and then fail to pay, can you help me? Yes, we can, the representative immediately replied with a smile. He explained that Shariah forbids businesses from profiting from a customer's financial hardship. So, he added, if a customer falls behind on payments there is a number of ways to help him/her cover the mortgage. One way is to charge the person a flat administrative fee to cover processing the mortgage, without percentage-based penalties or piling up additional fees. Other Islamic finance companies buy the house and then sell it to the home buyer again in fixed monthly installments at an agreed-upon marked-up price. Another option is for the financier and the home buyer to enter a lease-to-own contract similar to those used to buy cars. Islam forbids Muslims from usury, receiving or paying interest on loans. Shariah-compliant financing deals resemble lease-to-own arrangements, layaway plans, joint purchase and sale agreements, or partnerships. Islamic banks and finance institutions cannot receive or provide funds for anything involving alcohol, gambling, pornography, tobacco, weapons or pork. *Popular* Nabila Zerrarka is searching for her first home and has already obtained a prequalification letter for a conventional bank loan. But after knowing of the more straightforward ways Islamic companies offer for home-finance at the Sterling annual fair, she is reweighing her options. What we've seen is that with interest-bearing loans, there are all these gimmicks and hidden costs and tricks that they can surprise you with, said the American citizen of Algerian origin. Islamic home finance companies are flourishing nationwide with more home buyers choosing the alternative, interest-free deals over conventional mortgages. Folks have been questioning the methods used by conventional mortgage companies over the last three or four years, Hussam Qutub, a spokesman for Guidance Residential, told the *Post*. I think that makes more people think, 'Well what about the emergence of this [Islamic-] compliant financing industry? Let me give it a look and educate myself about it to see if it could perhaps be more beneficial to me.' Guidance Residential, which has financed more than 5,000 home purchases since it began in 2002, is reporting its best year yet with business up 7 percent in the first quarter of 2008. Officials at University Islamic Financial, another one of the four major Islamic home-finance institutions in the US, say the number of home-financing applications quadrupled from last March. The company, which originally began working in the state of Michigan, has expanded its operations to seven other states last year. *Muslim Dream* For American Muslims, the interest-free mortgage deals are about much more than just avoiding the evils of conventional loans: it gives peace of mind. I wish I could avoid everything that Islam doesn't allow, says Hirsi Dirir, a Somali-born technology analyst. Dirir recently obtained a mortgage loan from Lariba, a major company specialized in family home financing, to buy a townhouse. He says that managing to buy the house of his dreams while adhering to his faith by not paying interests made him feel much more comfortable. So if I have the opportunity and the choice to avoid interest, then it's very important to me not to mess with it. Rizwan Jaka, president of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, recently moved with his wife and six children to a house he bought with the help of an Islamic finance company in Washington. He believes the emergence of such arrangements constitutes an important milestone in the integration of Muslims, estimated at six to seven million. It definitely marks a coming of age for us… It's part of the whole process of being a part of this country while being able to have our faith accommodated, said Jaka, 35. The American dream is to purchase a house, and the American Muslim dream is to be able to do so in an Islamic manner. *Related Links:* Debt-ridden Americans Change Lifestyle
Bismillah [IslamCity] See this film before it disappears: If Americans knew... What Israel is doing!
- Original Message - *From:* Anita Bahl [EMAIL PROTECTED] *Sent:* Sunday, 11 May, 2008 4:03 AM *Subject:* Fwd: See this film before it disappears * From: Daljit* [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2008/5/11 ** *If Americans knew...* *What Israel is doing!* ** *See this film before it disappears *http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/315.html -- Daljit Singh M.S.,D.Sc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home page: Daljiteye.com *The most propagandized country on earth, the US* Sixty years of massive, ongoing, coldly calculated human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. That's the legacy of the State of Israel. Americans pay the bills for this tyranny and our hopelessly corrupt news media and elected officials go along with it because it's politically expedient. Note: The videos of IfAmericansKnew.org are constantly removed by YouTube censors. I have no idea how long this one will be up. . [image: Palestinian Child] *The Three-Thousand-Year Battle for Palestine* *By Aisha R. Masterton* - Freelance Writer - UK http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1171431888700pagename=Zone-English-ArtCulture%2FACELayout [image: Image] The Holy Land has been fought over for more than three thousand years. Today's battle between Zionists and Palestinians is just the latest chapter. Three books can fill you in with the history: Madina to Jerusalem, Encounters with the Byzantine Empire and Palestine, Beginner's Guide, both by Ismail Adam Patel, editor of Al-Aqsa journal, and A History of Palestinian Resistance by Dr. Daud Abdullah, lecturer in Islamic Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. Madina to Jerusalem is a short history of the Muslims' expansion in to Sham after the death of the Prophet (pbuh), a period which is not usually written about in great detail. This book is clearly written and suitable for people of a young age, as well as those who do not have much time to read more densely -written histories. Thematically, it is divided into three parts: the first gives an account of the battles over Sham between the Byzantine and Persian empires, up to the seventh century CE; the second tells of how the Muslims gradually spread to the borders of the Byzantine empire and eventually took control of Sham; the third makes an interesting exploration into the motives for Muslim expansion, weighing up the evidence from different historical sources. As Patel explains, the temple of Solomon (as) was destroyed, captured by the Persians, then captured by the Greeks, who dedicated the site to Zeus; captured by the Jews, who ruled it for a century; taken over by the Romans, who built a new temple to Jupiter (Zeus); ruled by the Christians, who banished the Jews; taken over again by the Persians, who, with their Jewish allies, massacred the Christians; then taken over by the Muslims, who allowed both Christians and Jews freedom of worship. Part one is somewhat stiffly written, and could do with more rigorous editing, as there are some repetitions and grammatical errors. Patel also writes as if he assumes that the reader already has some knowledge of Byzantine history, suddenly mentioning the names of certain characters without much introduction. It is when he moves into part two that the writing comes alive and he turns history into a readable narrative, as the Muslims gradually move in on Sham, eventually taking over its towns. Here he gives an interesting account of the rules of engagement and of military strategies. What can be seen from the Muslims' take over, which Patel calls liberation – a word that smacks uncomfortably of the Soviet Union – is that it was standard practice for the Muslims to allow the inhabitants of Sham to continue living as they had before: to maintain their property, go about their business and worship freely according to their religion. The strength of the Muslim empire came about, therefore, from allowing a multi-cultural, pluralistic society. There was no interest in forcing that society to become a homogenous Islamic state. In part three, Patel successfully disproves any assertion that the Muslims expanded for material reasons: after they conquered Sham, there was no mass emigration from Arabia. Quite literally, they saw it as their duty to spread the message of Islam or to collect the jizya from those who preferred not to convert. Palestine, Beginner's Guide is set out like a text book and would be ideal for teaching in schools. It is also good for adults who may find the political complexities of the issue difficult to grasp at times. It is divided into thirty-two short chapters, with photos, illustrations, fact boxes and quotations. This is a balanced account, which tells of the history of Jews in Europe and their persecution for the last thousand years (1391: 50,000 Jews killed on the Island of Majorca; 1420: Jewish community annihilated in Toulouse, France), but which also gives a succinct and informative account of the architects of Zionism and
Bismillah [IslamCity] Terrible human rights crime in Gaza A human rights crime By Jimmy Carter
* Terrible human rights crime in Gaza **A human rights crime* *Jimmy Carter* - The Guardian - Thursday, May 8 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/08/israelandthepalestinians *The world must stop standing idle while the people of Gaza are treated with such cruelty* *The world is witnessing a terrible human rights crime in Gaza, where a million and a half human beings are being imprisoned with almost no access to the outside world. An entire population is being brutally punished.* *This gross mistreatment of the Palestinians in Gaza was escalated dramatically by Israel, with United States backing, after political candidates representing Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Authority parliament in 2006. The election was unanimously judged to be honest and fair by all international observers. * *Israel and the US refused to accept the right of Palestinians to form a unity government with Hamas and Fatah and now, after internal strife, Hamas alone controls Gaza. Forty-one of the 43 victorious Hamas candidates who lived in the West Bank have been imprisoned by Israel, plus an additional 10 who assumed positions in the short-lived coalition cabinet.* *Regardless of one's choice in the partisan struggle between Fatah and Hamas within occupied Palestine, we must remember that economic sanctions and restrictions on the supply of water, food, electricity and fuel are causing extreme hardship among the innocent people in Gaza, about one million of whom are refugees.* *Israeli bombs and missiles periodically strike the area, causing high casualties among both militants and innocent women and children. Prior to the highly publicised killing of a woman and her four children last week, this pattern had been illustrated by a report from B'Tselem, the leading Israeli human rights organisation, which stated that 106 Palestinians were killed between February 27 and March 3. Fifty-four of them were civilians, and 25 were under 18 years of age.* *On a recent trip through the Middle East, I attempted to gain a better understanding of the crisis. One of my visits was to Sderot, a community of about 20,000 in southern Israel that is frequently struck by rockets fired from nearby Gaza. I condemned these attacks as abominable acts of terrorism, since most of the 13 victims during the past seven years have been non-combatants. * *Subsequently, I met with leaders of Hamas - a delegation from Gaza and the top officials in Damascus. I made the same condemnation to them, and urged that they declare a unilateral ceasefire or orchestrate with Israel a mutual agreement to terminate all military action in and around Gaza for an extended period.* *They responded that such action by them in the past had not been reciprocated, and they reminded me that Hamas had previously insisted on a ceasefire throughout Palestine, including Gaza and the West Bank, which Israel had refused. Hamas then made a public proposal of a mutual ceasefire restricted to Gaza, which the Israelis also rejected.* *There are fervent arguments heard on both sides concerning blame for a lack of peace in the Holy Land. Israel has occupied and colonised the Palestinian West Bank, which is approximately a quarter the size of the nation of Israel as recognised by the international community. Some Israeli religious factions claim a right to the land on both sides of the Jordan river, others that their 205 settlements of some 500,000 people are necessary for security. * *All Arab nations have agreed to recognise Israel fully if it will comply with key United Nations resolutions. Hamas has agreed to accept any negotiated peace settlement between the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, provided it is approved in a referendum of the Palestinian people. * *This holds promise of progress, but despite the brief fanfare and positive statements at the peace conference last November in Annapolis, the process has gone backwards. Nine thousand new Israeli housing units have been announced in Palestine; the number of roadblocks within the West Bank has increased; and the stranglehold on Gaza has been tightened.* *It is one thing for other leaders to defer to the US in the crucial peace negotiations, but the world must not stand idle while innocent people are treated cruelly. It is time for strong voices in Europe, the US, Israel and elsewhere to speak out and condemn the human rights tragedy that has befallen the Palestinian people.* *·* Jimmy Carter, a former president of the United States, is founder of The Carter Center* **project-syndicate.org* http://www.project-syndicate.org/ +++ Washington's Battle Over Israel's Birth *By Richard Holbrooke* Wednesday, May 7, 2008; Page A21 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/06/AR2008050602447.html [image: Truman letter] In the celebrations next week surrounding Israel's 60th anniversary, it should
Bismillah [IslamCity] Death: An Ultimate Reality
*Death: An Ultimate Reality* *By Prof. Shahul Hameed* http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357335789pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout [image: Islam sees death as a reality of life, a certainty from which no one is exempt.] *Islam sees death as a reality of life, a certainty from which no one is exempt. * Throughout the ages, mankind viewed death as something gruesome and frightening, something that should be postponed indefinitely or abolished if possible, once for all. This was because of two reasons. First, death cuts short the life of this world. Second, there was no proof about the chance for a new lease of life in a world to come. Death is, as Shakespeare's Hamlet said, the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns to tell us their story. All the same, there was also the belief among religions that death served as a kind of passage to another more important arena of life. From the Islamic point of view, death is a reality of life, a certainty from which no one is exempt. God says in the Quran what means: [Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained the object (of life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.] (Aal `Imran 3:185) *Death is a necessary transition form this world to another lasting world. * As it is mentioned in the verse, there is going to be a Day of Judgment one has to face after death, when each will be paid in full the fruit of what he or she has earned in this life. Those who sowed evil will reap evil and those who sowed good will reap good. All the allure and glamour of this world would then prove to be of no real worth; what is of enduring value would be provided in that world to come. From this point of view, death is a necessary transition form this world to another lasting world. That means, death for humans is not a complete cessation of life; but it is a passing from one state of existence to another. In the life of this world, the body and the soul are not separate except during sleep, when temporarily the soul leaves the body until it returns to it, with God's permission: [It is God that takes the souls at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed. Verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.] ( Az-Zumar39:42) *Sleep: Temporal Death* The idea that sleep is a form of temporary death, whereby the soul leaves the body for a time was recognized by people of earlier religions too. Hinduism has the idea that the soul is imprisoned in the body until death liberates it. There is also the suggestion that the soul yearns to be free from the prison-house of the body. *The human soul came from God, and belongs to the world of the spirit; while the body is made up of clay or slime, and so it belongs to the world of matter. *On the other hand, we understand from the Quran that the human being is complete only when he is both body and soul. That is why the purity of both the body and the soul is required in Muslim prayers for instance. Similarly, the rewards or punishments for one's life on earth are to be experienced by the whole human being consisting of the body and soul in the hereafter. For the same reason, there is no question of a Muslim neglecting the needs of the body or even tormenting the body for the sake of the soul. The human soul came from God, and belongs to the world of the spirit; while the body is made up of clay or slime, and so it belongs to the world of matter. But once united with the body the soul transmutes the body, and a noble creation — a new being — is born deserving of honor even from the angels: [And lo! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: Behold, I am about to create mortal man out of sounding clay, out of dark slime transmuted; and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration!] (Al-Hijr 15:28-29) While living on earth, the body and soul are kept together as one being by the force of life. When a person dies, the phenomenon of death displaces that person's life. Apparently, life disappears or ceases to exist and the body and soul are separated. When life ends, the body decays; but the soul is not affected by the end of life, except that it is separated from the body. The soul lives on in the world of spirit, though it is in a state of sleep. Just as it happens during our earthly sleep when the soul leaves the body temporarily; it is then in a state of sleep. And the body during sleep is still living as life has not left it. But if the soul does not return after its appointed time, life leaves the body and death takes its place; and death is a phenomenon like life, only
Bismillah [IslamCity] Proceed with civil nuclear deal, says Kalam
*Proceed with civil nuclear deal, says Kalam* Friday, May 9, 2008 http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1376795 *APJ Abdul Kalam, One of the principal figures behind the Indian nuclear tests that shook the world in 1998* [image: Proceed with civil nuclear deal, says Kalam] New Delhi: Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, one of the principal figures behind the May 1998 nuclear tests that shook the world, has said that India should go ahead with the civil nuclear deal with the United States as it does not compromise the country's sovereignty. In a rare interview, Kalam told IANS that if at any time there was a fear that national security would be compromised by going ahead with the deal, we can at any time withdraw (from it). This was the first time that Kalam, who was among a handful of scientists who were at the nuclear explosion site at Pokhran on May 11 and 13 a decade ago in what was a highly secretive operation, has spoken out in favour of the deal that has been the subject of so much debate and political controversy in India. Yes. I think. India had made the right decision in the nuclear area in continuation of economic reforms in 1991 Kalam, who was then chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was feted as a national hero, applauded and besieged for autographs though the tests drew widespread censure in the rest of the world then. Ten years later, Kalam - who was later appointed head of state by the government of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee - believes the five nuclear tests detonated in the Rajasthan desert was the right decision and said the tests were among the most memorable moments of his career. *Excerpts from the interview:* Q: *You once said that Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. In this world, fear has no place. Only strength respects strength. Do you still believe in this maxim?* A: Yes. The philosophy of strength respects strength is valid any time, as long as earth orbits around the sun.If you look back, you can see though we faced technological and economic sanction after 1998, the confidence in the country increased that we can do it. Q: *Ten years after, do you think the nuclear tests were a good idea? It did polarise the world and there were economic sanctions against India.* A: Yes. I think. India had made the right decision in the nuclear area in continuation of economic reforms in 1991. If you look back, you can see though we faced technological and economic sanction after 1998, the confidence in the country increased that we can do it. Our scientists in multiple scientific departments have worked for self-reliance and have succeeded in making the cryogenic engine, flight control system for LCA and carbide fuel processing in the nuclear area. Similarly, the industry and service sectors have shown marked growth and our economy is in the ascent path right from 2003. All world leaders converged on India. It has been consistently growing at 8 to 9 per cent every annum, which has never been experienced before. All this clearly shows that our decision was a landmark decision for the country. Q: *In today's world would it be a good idea to conduct nuclear tests? Or has the dynamics of geopolitics changed?* A: We do not have to keep on reproving ourselves in view of new technology demands. Q: *Should the government go ahead with the civilian nuclear deal with the US? Do you share the view that it compromises India's sovereignty? *A: We should go ahead with the civilian nuclear deal. It does not compromise India's sovereignty. We can at any time withdraw, if any national security need arises in future. Q: *You are widely regarded as the central figure in India's drive to join the small club of nuclear-armed nations. Where do you see India in another 10 years?* A: We will see India as a developed nation. The people below poverty line will become near zero. The literacy level could go beyond 90 per cent. There will be employment opportunity for all both in the urban and rural areas. We will have a number of operational PURAs (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) in various parts of the country. A number of students from abroad will come for studies and work in India. Our youth will have world-class skills and higher education. Q: *You have never hidden your passion for a powerful India. Can you count the 1998 tests as one of the most memorable moments in your career? *A: First memorable moment was the SLV3 launch in 1980 putting the Rohini Satellite in orbit using an indigenous rocket system. Second memorable moment was the Agni missile launch in 1989 reaching the target. Third memorable moment was acceptance of India Vision 2020 by the government. Fourth memorable moment was India in 1998 becoming a Nuclear Weapon State. RELATED REPORTS - PM still hopeful of Indo-US nuclear dealhttp://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1371538 - UPA, Left defer decision on nuclear
Bismillah [IslamCity] Redefining Evangelicalism, Polygamy the Latter Day Saints
*Redefining Evangelicalism* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357380873pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *Wedded with Republicans to a set of beliefs, evangelicals have played a pivotal role in tilting the scales in US President George W. Bush's favor in his 2004 reelection bid. (Photo through Google)* CAIRO — Several American conservative Christian leaders are revolting against the exploitation of Evangelicalism for political gains. Today… enormous confusion surrounds Evangelicals in public life, reads the Evangelical Manifesto issued on Wednesday, May 8. It seeks clarify the confusions and corruptions surrounding the term 'evangelical' that have grown so deep that the character of what it means has been obscured and its importance lost. Signed by more than 80 evangelical leaders, theologians and pastors, the 19-page document warns that the term evangelical has lost its religious meaning. We reaffirm our identity. Evangelicals are Christians who define themselves, their faith, and their lives according to the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth, it reads. We Evangelicals are defined theologically, and not politically, socially, or culturally. The document was signed by mostly centrist evangelicals, like popular author Os Guinness, Leith Anderson, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals and evangelical academic. Evangelism is the fastest-growing faith-based group in the US. One in four American adults count themselves as evangelical or born-again Christians, including President George Bush. *Useful Idiots* The manifesto laments that faith and politics have been too closely mixed in the US. It condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express essentially political points that have lost touch with biblical truth. It warns that this way faith loses its *independence.* Christians become the 'useful idiots' for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology, it contends. Christian beliefs become the weapons of political factions. Evangelical Christians have a growing impact on America's political landscape. They have played a pivotal role in tilting the scales in Bush's favor in his 2004 reelection bid. Some 37 percent of all Republican and Republican-leaning voters are evangelical Protestants. The declaration, however, encourages evangelicals to be politically engaged and uphold teachings when it comes to social issues such as marriage and environment. We Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, or nationality. The politicization of faith is never a sign of strength but of weakness. *Related Links* Evangelicals Bring Religion in US Politics http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1160658445961pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Israel Support Biblical Duty: Evangelicalshttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1164543372201pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout US Evangelical Navy Academyhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203757823646pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout Evangelists Teach US Cadets Islamhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957685016pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout US Evangelicals Turn New Pagehttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1179664491770pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout + *Religion and America* *Polygamy and the Latter Day Saints* By Karema Akifah Saleh - Writer, Editor in Chief - US ** ** *1) **Double Standards and Racism*http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758522881pagename=Zone-English-Family%2FFYELayout * 2) **A House Divided Will Fall*http://www.islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Family/2008/04/sound/01.ram * ** 3) **Dying Unknown*http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357103378pagename=Zone-English-Family%2FFYELayout * * [image: Image] The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints is one of the largest Mormon groups and a practitioner of polygamy in the US. At one of their ranches in El Dorado, Texas, referred to as a compound by the media, the ranch was raided on the basis of a hoax call, about 430 children were removed. The parents were forced to take a DNA test to prove parentage. The 430 children being in the custody of the Texas Child Protection Services, their whereabouts remains unknown. These children being wards of the state, their parents have no rights whatsoever including access to their own children. Media response has been one of bigotry; what is the truth? And where does justice begin and end? Join Karema Akifah Saleh in Polygamy and the Latter Day Saints
Bismillah [IslamCity] Is US Fading?
Discussion Forum.. http://www.islamonline.net/discussione/thread.jspa?threadID=16331 *Have you Say..* Is US Fading? Although US is still Number 1 on the military and political levels, this is not the case on the industrial, financial, social, cultural levels. Many other powers are rising nowadays. China, India, and Russia are good examples. Famed reporter, columnist and foreign policy analyst Fareed Zakaria http://mail.google.com/mail/www.fareedzakaria.comconfirms that *a shift is taking place*. *Post-American World*http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357273450pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout * article talks in details about that matter. **History witnessed numerous civilizations and nations rising and collapsing. I believe that US is no exception. * *I agree with Zakaria's argument. Do you? * *If so, what would the world would look like in twenty years?* *Have you say. * http://www.islamonline.net/discussione/thread.jspa?threadID=16331
Bismillah [IslamCity] High oil price? Blame India and China, says Bush!
*High oil price? Blame India and China, says Bush!* *Tuesday , May 06, 2008 * http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/India-China-responsible-for-rising-oil-prices-US/306045/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080507/main4.htm Close on the heels of President George W Bush's remarks linking Indians' food habits to rising global prices of commodities, the United States has now partly attributed the surge in oil futures to the increased demand in India and China. There are a lot of different ways that we can reduce our dependence, but we have more to do and it's just – and also I would point out that, obviously, the demand for oil is growing around the world, White House Deputy Spokesman Scott Stanzel said in a briefing. Many developing nations like India or China are having greatly increased demand, which obviously is having an impact on price, the senior White House official said responding to a question on the crude oil price crossing USD 120-mark. The senior White House official stressed that it was important for the United States to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. Highlighting the need for domestic exploration, he said. We also have to do more in terms of building refineries. We haven't built refineries in about 30 years. Stanzel also spoke regarding Bush's remarks, which have drawn a lot of flak from every section in India, saying the United States saw higher living standards of people there as a good thing. We think that it is a good thing that countries are developing; that more and more people have higher and higher standards of living, he said. However, he apparently did not go back on Bush's point that Indian food habits were contributing to spiralling prices of commodities, which in turn, were worsening the global food crisis. The point that I think was to be made is that as you increase your standard of living, the food that you eat can venture more into meats that require more commodities to feed the livestock which, you know, uses more of those commodities, whether it's corn, or wheat, or other commodities and it drives up the price. So that is just a function of how those food prices that we've seen spike around the world, Stanzel said. Three days ago, Bush had specifically took the case of Indian middle class to argue that its demand for better nutrition was a factor in pushing the global food prices up. There are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class. That's bigger than America. Their middle class is larger than our entire population. And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up, Bush had said. Meanwhile, the senior White House official also defended US policy on biofuels saying it was having just a small impact on the rising prices of food commodities. There's been a lot of discussion about biofuels and the impact that biofuels have on increase food prices around the world. As you'll see here, over the last year, food prices have increased about 43 per cent around the world. Of that portion, an increase in the biofuel production, about 1.5 per cent of that is due to an increase in biofuel production, he said. So the fact that we are making more biofuels so we reduce our dependence on foreign energy has an impact, but we believe it is a small impact, he added. + *US clarifies Bush remark on food crisis Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington* Wednesday, May 7, 2008 http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080507/main4.htm The White House on Monday sought to cool passions in India ignited by President George W. Bush's remarks that an increased demand for food in India had contributed to the global food crisis. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the point Bush was trying to make was that as you increase your standard of living, the food that you eat — it can venture more into meats that require more commodities to feed the livestock, which uses more of those commodities, whether it's corn or wheat or other commodities, and it drives up the price. So that is just a function of how those food prices that we've seen spike in the — around the world. Last week Bush, citing India as an example, said, Their middle class is larger than our entire population. And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up. The comments created an uproar in New Delhi. But Stanzel was quick to clarify that a growing middle class is a good thing. Nicholas Minot, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington told The Tribune, Rather than blaming India and China for purchasing more food than they used to we need to focus on what can be done to meet those increasing demands. Analysts say the focus on producing bio-fuels, a so-called green alternative to gasoline, is in part to blame for the food crisis.
Bismillah [IslamCity] Indian politicians tell Bush to back off
*Indian politicians tell Bush to back off* *Sun, May 04, 2008* http://www.ibnlive.com/news/indian-politicians-tell-bush-to-back-off/64500-3.html * [image: SEEING RED: CPI-M Politburo member Brinda Karat says India must tells US that we can look after our welfare.] SEEING RED: CPI-M Politburo member Brinda Karat says India must tells US that we can look after our welfare. New Delhi:* One may dismiss it as another Bushism, but the Indian politicians aren't willing to do so. After US President George Bush expressed concern over a prosperous Indian middle class eating so much that it is causing food to become more expensive in American supermarkets, the Indian political leaders are an angry lot. If the Bush's brand of economics is to be believed, then India's growing middle class is responsible for food prices shooting up in the US. There are 350-million middle class people in India. They are more than the population of America. When you get wealth, you start demanding better nutrition, more food. They want to eat well so our food prices are rising, George Bush said. His comment almost exactly echoed his Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice earlier this week. But Bush's comments have not gone down well with the Indian politicians. We must certainly send out a message to the United States of America that we are going to look after the welfare of our own people, says Communist Party of India-Marxist Politburo member Brinda Karat. And the Congress, accused by the Left of being soft on America, can't stomach Bush's reasoning either. Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh says, George Bush has never been known for his knowledge of economics. I think this just proves how comprehensively wrong he is. Both US and India are in the threshold of elections and inflation is certainly a key factor in deciding which way the votes will swing. **
Bismillah [IslamCity] US Freedoms Exposed
*US Freedoms Exposed* IslamOnline.net Newspapers http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357237145pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *In recent years the freedom agenda of the Bush administration has made the most conspicuous ... effort to promote democracy across the world, and it's prompted a lot of people around the world to look at us, Melia said. (Photo through Google)* CAIRO — The US, long touting its freedom record and mission to export democracy to the world, is suffering severe flaws at home that make Americans' freedoms at best a work in progress, a leading US rights organization has concluded in a new study. In recent years the freedom agenda of the Bush administration has made the most conspicuous…effort to promote democracy across the world, and it's prompted a lot of people around the world to look at us, Thomas Melia, Executive Director of Freedom House, told the *Washington Times* on Sunday, May 4. The think tank, which conducts research on democracy and political freedom across the world, has produced its first ever assessment of the state of freedom in the US. The authors of the 300-page report, Today's American: How Free?, evaluate 20 aspects of US civil society from press and religious freedoms to the political process, criminal justice system, racial equality and immigration. They cite severe flaws in the justice system and the treatment of racial minorities and immigrants. More Americans are being imprisoned and race is clearly a factor, says the report. A black male in the United States has a one in three chance of being imprisoned, while a white male has only a one in 17 chance. The US was founded on principles of equality and justice, but several reports and rights groups accuse today's America or failing to live up to its own standards. A December report of the US Human Rights Network, a coalition of 250 civic groups, concluded that America has an abysmal record of racial discrimination with minorities, including Muslims, unfairly treated in a range of areas. Last year, thousands of Afro-Americans marched through the state of Louisiana to protest racial injustice in US courts. *War on Terror* The Freedom House report takes issue with civil liberties curbs after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Certain US policies present genuine threats to the individual rights of American and foreign citizens caught up in the war on terrorism, it says. The pro-democracy group cites the controversial Patriot Act, warrantless wiretaps, torture and extraordinary rendition, as some of the violations of civil liberties in post 9/11 America. It contends that broad electronic surveillance has affected millions, and law enforcement has been overreached in terrorism cases. The study expresses grave concern about the Bush administration's attempt to extend the White House's power without congressional or judicial review. Generally speaking, the controversies over counterterrorism policies can be traced to the Bush administration's assertion of a degree of executive authority that is extraordinary even in wartime. American newspapers have exposed serious and illegal domestic spying programs authorized by President George W. Bush. In addition, legal protections for journalists, including their ability to maintain the confidentiality of resources, have been weakened since 9/11. A US court has jailed *New York Times* journalist Judith Miller for refusing to testify in an investigation into the unmasking of a CIA agent in 2003. If journalists cannot be trusted to keep confidences, then journalists cannot function and there cannot be a free press, she said at the time. *Related Links* US Abysmal Discrimination Recordhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1196786124508pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout US World's Largest Jailerhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1196786010888pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Afro-Americans March against Injustice http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1189959320249pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Senate Approves Warrantless Spying http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1184649544605pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Another Mistrial in US Terror Plot Casehttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1196786272702pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
Bismillah [IslamCity] US eats 5 times more than India per capita
*Now, Bush blames India for rising food prices* 3 May 2008 WASHINGTON: Prosperity in countries like India is good but it triggers increased demand for better nutrition which in turn leads to higher food prices, US President George W Bush said. The comments come close on the heels of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's controversial statement that apparent improvement in the diets of people in India and China and consequent food export caps is among the causes of the current global food crisis. ** *US eats 5 times more than India per capita* 4 May 2008, 0100 hrs IST,Subodh Varma,TNN http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/US_eats_5_times_more_than_India_per_capita/rssarticleshow/3008449.cms Even as the world spins into a global food crisis, a popular theory — voiced by the likes of US President George W Bush and secretary of state Condoleezza Rice — is that the Chinese and Indians are responsible. The 'logic': due to zooming incomes, they are eating more, causing worldwide shortages. But is that true? Due to their huge populations, countries like India and China may appear to consume gigantic amounts of food. But the real elephant in the room that nobody is willing to talk about is how much each person gets to eat. And the answer will shock many. Total foodgrain consumption — wheat, rice, and all coarse grains like rye, barley etc — by each person in the US is over five times that of an Indian, according to figures released by the US Department of Agriculture for 2007. Each Indian gets to eat about 178 kg of grain in a year, while a US citizen consumes 1,046 kg. In per capita terms, US grain consumption is twice that of the European Union and thrice that of China. Grain consumption includes flour and by conversion to alcohol. In fact, per capita grain consumption has increased in the US — so actually the Americans are eating more. In 2003, US per capita grain consumption was 946 kg per year which increased to 1046 kg last year. By way of comparison, India's per capita grain consumption has remained static over the same period. It's not just grains. Milk consumption, in fluid form, is 78 kg per year for each person in the US, compared to 36 kg in India and 11 kg in China. Vegetable oils consumption per person is 41 kg per year in US, while Indians are making do with just 11 kg per year. These are figures for liquid milk, not for cheese, butter, yogurt and milk powders which are consumed in huge proportion in the more advanced countries. A significant proportion of India's population is vegetarian, and so, this is all the food that they get, apart from vegetables and pulses. But the source of carbohydrates and fats is mainly derived from food grains and oils. As far as meat consumption is concerned, the US leads the world in per capita consumption by a wide margin. Beef consumption, for example, is 42.6 kg per person per year, compared to a mere 1.6 kg in India and 5.9 kg in China. In case you are thinking that perhaps Indians might be going in for chicken, think again. In the US, 45.4 kg poultry meat is consumed every year by each person, compared to just 1.9 kg in India. Pork consumption is negligible in India, while it is a major item elsewhere. In the European Union, 42.6 kg pork is consumed per person every year, while in the US, 29.7 kgs are consumed. Pork is a staple for Chinese, and so over 35 kg are consumed per person per year. And, we are not talking about various other types of meat, like turkey. All these comparisons are for powerful economies, whether of the west or the east. But the story would not be complete without mentioning the plight of Africa, where foodgrain consumption in 2007 was a mere 162 kg per year for each person, or about 445 grams per day. Don't forget they are not getting any meat or milk products out there. Perhaps, it is time to include the lifestyle choices of the West in the whole feverish debate on how to tackle the global food crisis. These figures are collated by the US Department of Agriculture. US per capita grain consumption rose from 946 kg in 2003 to 1046 kg last year. India's per capita consumption remained static in this period. *US, EU responsible for 'explosive' food prices: UN* *29 Apr 2008* http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/File_US_EU_responsible_for_explosive_food_prices_UN_/rssarticleshow/2993499.cms ** NEW YORK: The US and the European Union have taken a criminal path by encouraging use of food crops to produce bio-fuels and thus contributing to an explosive rise in global food prices, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food has said. Jean Ziegler held fuel policies pursued by the US and the EU to be main causes for the current worldwide food crisis. Last year, the US used a third of its corn crop to create bio-fuels, while the European Union is planning to have 10 per cent of its need supplied by bio-fuels, he said and called for a for a five-year moratorium on the production of bio-fuels. Ziegler also
Bismillah [IslamCity] Iran's Package for Global Problems
Iran's package for global problems Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:13:35 http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=53543sectionid=351020101 Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili says Tehran will soon unveil a package of proposals which aims at solving the world problems. In a news conference after talks with acting Russian Security Council Secretary Valentin Sobolev in Tehran on Monday, Jalili said he discussed the 'outlines' of the package with the Russian official. Jalili added that the package could provide a basis for negotiations with world powers including p5+1. In response to a question about the details of the package, the Iranian senior official said Iran and Russia agree that the world could no longer be unipolar. All countries should participate in the developments that are brought about in the world, he added. In the move towards a multi-polar world, Iran's capacity and power can not be ignored and the country could contribute to the world security, the Iranian official said. When asked if nuclear issues were discussed during his meeting with Sobolev and if there is any relation between Iran's nuclear issue and the package, Jalili said that the package is about important international issues and we believe that the nuclear issue could be a subject for discussion between the world powers and the Islamic Republic. Iran has serious proposals on how to minimize the nuclear threat around the world and how to encourage nuclear disarmament around the globe and at the same time promote continued technological cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. Sobolev, speaking through an interpreter, said Russia supports any new suggestion which stabilizes international security and global peace. He reiterated that Iran's activities are peaceful and not a threat against any country. Russia's Sobolev arrived in Tehran late on Sunday to hold talks with Iranian officials. +++ *Mahathir calls for war crimes tribunal for US, UK leaders* AFP, LONDON Sunday, Apr 27, 2008, Page 4 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/04/27/2003410381 Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad called on Friday for an international tribunal to try Western leaders for war crimes over the war in Iraq, a spokesman for the organizers said. In a speech at Imperial College, Mahathir called for a tribunal to try US President George W. Bush and former prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain and John Howard of Australia for their part in the conflict, said a spokesman for the Muslim group the Ramadhan Foundation, which organized the event. The spokesman, Mohammed Shafiq, said that Mahathir, who was in office from 1981 to 2003, wants to see the trio tried in absence for war crimes committed in Iraq. [The speech] was a opportunity for students to put a range of questions about war crimes and the international situation. He said that people have to stop killing each other and use arbitration, negotiation and discussion as an alternative to violence, war and killing, the spokesman said. On the war in Iraq, Mahathir spoke about the thousands dying, the economic war, the power of oil and how we could utilize some of these tools to have a leverage against the people who commit countries to war, Shafiq said. He purposely did not speak about or answer questions from students on the political situation in Malaysia, Shafiq said. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is facing growing demands to quit, following an unprecedented electoral setback last month. More than 450 people attended the speech and about 200 more had to be turned away. Mahathir was in Cuba earlier this week to take part in the first International Conference of the Cuban Center for Studies on Defense Information. The Ramadhan Foundation is a leading British Muslim youth organization working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue between communities. mortazavi20080428230025718.jpg
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Path To Paradise: Hold Your Head Up High By Khurram Murad
*http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIEZone
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*The Path to Paradise*
*Hold Your Head Up High*
By Khurram
Muradhttp://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357102317pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout#**1
http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209357102317pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout
*This series is a collection of inspirational advice in an attempt to set
out the goal of the believer: Paradise, and the way to reach that ultimate
goal. *
**
*[image: Self-confidence is borne of total reliance and trust in Allah]*
**
*Reliance on Allah*
Self-confidence is borne from the believer's intimate knowledge and
understanding that Allah is ever ready to assist those who strive and
struggle in His way. Self-confidence comes from depending upon Allah and
knowing that He is there to help you, protect you and shower His mercies
upon you:
{So he who gives (in charity) and fears(Allah) and [in all sincerity] testifies
to the best – We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss.}
(Al-Layl 92:5-7)
Self-confidence also emanates from knowing that Allah in His infinite mercy
has equipped you with all that you require to undertake the tasks set before
you. It is not characteristic of the One that is Most Just and Most Merciful
to prepare you for a task without equipping you with the necessary tools.
Self-confidence is thus borne of total reliance and trust in Allah. It is
knowing that at every step of your journey, Allah is there assisting you. If
you constantly hold yourself back believing that you are weak and incapable
and blame your incompetence on minor inadequacies, then you are bound to
fail.
You must never allow yourself to believe or feel that Allah has treated you
unfairly or that He has placed upon you a burden you cannot shoulder for {On no
soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear.} (Al-Baqarah 2:286)
Likewise, having hope is central to your efforts and your success. You must
sincerely hope and believe that everything you do to earn the pleasure of
Allah will lead you to fulfillment.
A superiority complex negates the task of self development. An inferiority
complex is derived from a lack of confidence in Allah and oneself. You
should never allow yourself to believe that you cannot fulfill your
obligations nor should you despair of the mercy of Allah.
Confidence, hope and determination are all important ingredients for your
success:
{Those unto whom men said: Lo! The people have gathered against you,
therefore fear them. But it only increased them in faith and they cried:
Allah is sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!} (Aal
`Imran 3:173-174)
You must be wary, however, of the kind of self-confidence that causes a
person to proclaim himself self-sufficient. Modern concepts of
self-sufficiency are indeed an evil form of *shirk* or polytheism.
To ascribe self-sufficiency to one's self is to assume for oneself an
attribute reserved only for Allah. For the Muslim, self-confidence is wholly
dependent upon the trust one places in Allah; it is not an arrogant
proclamation of complete independence from Allah. Allah alone is
Self-Sufficient. All else is reliant upon Him for existence.
*The Best Use of Time*
*Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, and when it passes away it
never returns. *
Time is not money or gold; it is life and it is limited. You must begin to
appreciate every moment of your life and always strive to make the best use
out of it.
With all the demands of worldly life on your time, you will yet need to find
time for self development and maximize its potential.
The better route towards self development is, of course, to integrate all
your efforts into a structured daily life. Imam A l-Ghazali (may God have
mercy on him) in his great work, *Ihya Ulum ad-Din*(Revival of Islamic
Sciences), gives the following advice:
You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotions and assign to
each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority
but which it does not overstep. For if you abandon yourself to neglect and
purposelessness, as cattle do, and just do anything that may occur to you at
any time it happens to you, most of your time will be wasted.
Your time is your life, and your life is your capital; it is the basis of
your transactions with God, and the means to attain to everlasting felicity,
in the proximity of God the Exalted.
Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, and when it passes away it never
returns.
Remember also that 'the deeds most loved by Allah [are those] done
regularly, even if they are few.' (Bukhari)
While you must always strive to make the best use of your time, you must
always aim for excellence in everything you undertake, whether at school, at
home, at work or at play. Indeed, the Prophet has said, 'Verily Allah has
prescribed
Bismillah [IslamCity] Terrorist not Jihadist: US Lexicon
*Terrorist not Jihadist: US Lexicon* IslamOnline.net Newspapers - Sat. Apr. 26, 2008 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1209049673690pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] *The guide asks diplomats and officials to use violent extremists, not jihadists, when describing America's enemies. (Photo through Google)* CAIRO — The Bush administration has produced a lexicon of phrases and terms that should be used by US diplomats and other officials to avoid any link between Islam and terrorism, reported the *Guardian* on Saturday, April 26. We should not concede the terrorists' claim that they are legitimate adherents of Islam, said a guide prepared by the national counterterrorism center. The *Terminology to Define the Terrorists: Recommendations from American Muslims* guide asks diplomats to use violent extremists, not jihadists, when describing America's enemies. Don't use the term jihadist, which has broader religious meanings beyond war, or mujahedeen, which refers to holy warriors, says the guide. Use the terms 'violent extremist' or 'terrorist.' Both are widely understood terms that define our enemies appropriately and simultaneously deny them any level of legitimacy. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has dropped references to jihad in her public speeches since last September. The 14-point guide also asks diplomats to drop ill-defined and offensive terminology. Don't use Islamo-fascism and other terms that could cause religious offense, it says. US President George W. Bush upset American Muslims in 2006 when he said the US was at war with Islamic fascists. Last week, Republican White House contender John McCain has rebuffed calls by American Muslims to stop labeling terrorists and extremists as Islamic. *No Muslim Label* The US lexicon, which was approved for diplomatic use this week and circulated to all US embassies, also calls for not labeling groups as Muslims. Do use descriptive terms to define how a group fits into society. For example: South Asian youth and Arab opinion leaders. US diplomats are also asked to drop the term Al-Qaeda movement because this makes Al-Qaeda seem like a legitimate political movement. We must carefully avoid giving Bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders the legitimacy they crave, but do not possess, by characterizing them as religious figures or in terms that may make them seem to be noble in the eyes of some. The guide also calls for not using the term caliphate when explaining Al-Qaeda's goals. It's not what you say, but what they hear, said the guide. It further urges diplomats to drop using the terms salafi, Wahhabist, sufi, ummah and other words from Islamic theology. The British government recently produced a lexicon of phrases and terms that should be used to avoid any implication that there is a link between Islam and terrorism. Compiled by the Home Office, the phrasebook describes those carrying out attacks in the name of Islam as criminals, murderers or thugs rather than fundamentalist-jihadi or terrorists. The EU drafted in 2006 a document of common vocabulary on Islam to avoid stigmatizing terminology in dealing with the other. *Related Links* Criminals Not Terrorists: UKhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957569899pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout EU Drafts Lexicon on Islamhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1162385940515pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout UK Envoys Shun War on Terrorhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1165506771184pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout McCain Rebuffs Muslims on Terror Label http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=120375921pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Al-Qaeda Winning Propaganda War :UKhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1176802094389pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout
Bismillah [IslamCity] Saudis Want Control of Israeli Nuclear Arsenal
-- Forwarded message -- From: Chuck Brucks [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 7:56 AM Subject: Saudis Want Control of Israeli Nuclear Arsenal To: Chuck Brucks [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - *From:* Dr. Gunther Kümel [EMAIL PROTECTED] *To:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] *Sent:* Sunday, April 27, 2008 9:58 AM *Subject:* Saudis Want Control of Israeli Nuclear Arsenal *Betreff:* [wvns] Saudis Want Israel to sign Non-Proliferation-Treaty Riyadh: Pressure Israel to sign NPT Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:29:14 *Saudi Arabia has called for international pressure to compel Israel to accept the international monitoring over its nuclear activities. * The Issue of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is still a serious threat to peace and security in the world, IRNA quoted Saudi Arabia's deputy Foreign Minister Prince Turki Bin-Muhammad on Saturday. WMDs are dangerous whether they are used in wars or trigger arms race among countries, the Saudi official said in resort city of Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt. He described Israel as the only owner of the nuclear weapons in the Middle East, saying the regime is not subject to international monitoring. He went on to say that to resolve this problem we have to get rid of double-standard-policies. Washington is widely accused of practicing double standards over proliferation of WMDs when it comes to its allies particularly Tel Aviv. The international community must pressure Israel to open its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors and sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Bin-Muhammad concluded. . __,_._,__
Bismillah [IslamCity] Tolerance In Islam - By MM Pickthall
*Tolerance In Islam* *An Abridged Version of the 1927 Lecture* *by MM Pickthall* http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/toleran1.html *Full Article in the E-Book* http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/ebook1.htm *Introduction* Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall was an Englishman, an orientalist, and a Muslim who translated the meaning of the Holy Qur'an. His translation was first published in 1930 and he was supported in this effort by His Highness, the Nizam of Hyderabad (the ruler of Deccan, in the South), India. Pickthall traveled extensively to several Muslim countries, including Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Egypt, Arabia and India. He spent several years in India and had interacted with the Muslims of India. In 1927 Pickthall gave eight lectures on several aspects of *Islamic civilization* at the invitation of The Committee of *Madras Lectures on Islam* in Madras, India. Parts of Pickthall's lectures were made available in India at various times. All of his lectures were published under the title The Cultural Side of Islam in 1961 by Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, Lahore from a manuscript provided by M.I. Jamal Moinuddin. The book has gone through several reprints since then. An abridged version of his fifth lecture on the Tolerance in Islam is presented below. His long lecture frequently used quotations from the Holy Qur'an to emphasize many points and to support his analysis and conclusions. The major theme of his lecture is retained here. All of Pickthall's eight lectures draw upon his vast knowledge of Islamic history, the Western religious, political and intellectual history through the ages, and their reasons for rise and fall. His lectures are very enlightening, analytically useful, and of great value even today. ** *An Abridged Version of Pickthall's Lecture* *In the eyes of history, religious toleration is the highest evidence of culture in a people. It was not until the Western nations broke away from their religious law that they became more tolerant, and it was only when the Muslims fell away from their religious law that they declined in tolerance and other evidences of the highest culture. Before the coming of Islam, tolerance had never been preached as an essential part of religion. If Europe had known as much of Islam, as Muslims knew of Christendom, in those days, those mad, adventurous, occasionally chivalrous and heroic, but utterly fanatical outbreak known as the Crusades could not have taken place, for they were based on a complete misapprehension. Innumerable monasteries, with a wealth of treasure of which the worth has been calculated at not less than a hundred millions sterling, enjoyed the benefit of the Holy Prophet's (Muhammad's) Charter to the monks of Sinai and were religiously respected by the Muslims. The various sects of Christians were represented in the Council of the Empire by their patriarchs, on the provincial and district council by their bishops, in the village council by their priests, whose word was always taken without question on things which were the sole concern of their community. The tolerance within the body of Islam was, and is, something without parallel in history; class and race and color ceasing altogether to be barriers. * ** One of the commonest charges brought against Islam historically, and as a religion, by Western writers is that it is intolerant. This is turning the tables with a vengeance when one remembers various facts: One remembers that not a Muslim is left alive in Spain or Sicily or Apulia. One remembers that not a Muslim was left alive and not a mosque left standing in Greece after the great rebellion in l821. One remembers how the Muslims of the Balkan peninsula, once the majority, have been systematically reduced with the approval of the whole of Europe, how the Christian under Muslim rule have in recent times been urged on to rebel and massacre the Muslims, and how reprisals by the latter have been condemned as quite uncalled for. *In Spain* under the Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Khalifas, Christians and Jews, equally with Muslims, were admitted to the Schools and universities - not only that, but were boarded and lodged in hostels at the cost of the state. When the Moors were driven out of Spain, the Christian conquerors held a terrific persecution of the Jews. Those who were fortunate enough to escape fled, some of them to Morocco and many hundreds to the Turkish empire, where their descendants still live in separate communities, and still speak among themselves an antiquated form of Spanish. The Muslim empire was a refuge for all those who fled from persecution by the Inquisition. *The Western Christians*, till the arrival of the Encyclopaedists in the eighteenth century, did not know and did not care to know, what the Muslim believed, nor did the Western Christian seek to know the views of Eastern Christians with regard to them. The Christian Church was already split in two, and in the end, it came to such a pass
Bismillah [IslamCity] Why the Dollar is Dropping Like a Rock
*Why the Dollar is Dropping Like a Rock* h ttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/04/26/why-the-dollar-is-dropping-like-a-rock.aspx?source=nl [image: video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdm_SE76L5c http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Why+the+Dollar+is+Dropping+Like+a+Rock+search_type=# *DOLLAR* VS. GOLD STANDARD (keepvid.com EDITION)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdm_SE76L5c *DOLLAR* VS. GOLD STANDARD (keepvid.com EDITION)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdm_SE76L5c of* the** dollar** is** dropping** like** a** rock* and this video* is* to show how this* is* affecting* the* prices of everything from gas to milk. From the rising prices of gasoline and food to the mortgage meltdownhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1/17/mortgage-meltdown-american-capitalism-at-its-worst.aspx, we're all feeling the financial crunch these days. And as this revealing video points out, a large part of the problem has to do with the value of the U.S. dollar, which is dropping precipitously. Of course, the U.S. dollar is no longer as good as gold, but you will be shocked at just how little value is actually left. As I shared at the beginning of the year, it appears that the U.S. dollar is, indeed, dyinghttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1/15/the-u-s-dollar-is-dying.aspx. *Related Articles: * ** U.S. Economy Progressing to Worse Recession and Inflationhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/04/05/u-s-economy-progressing-to-worse-recession-and-inflation.aspx?PageIndex=2 Wal-Mart Gets Stronger While America Gets Weakerhttp://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Wal-Mart-Gets-Stronger-While-America-Gets-Weaker-21289.aspx *The U.S. Dollar is Dying* http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1/15/the-u-s-dollar-is-dying.aspx If you still believe that the dollar is strong and the United States is set up to be a world superpower forever, these videos are a must-see. In them, analyst Max Keiser investigates the ill health and possible demise of the dollar. Since 2003, the dollar has lost more than one-third of its value compared to other major world currencies. Now, the U.S. dollar is in critical condition and is losing ground fast. How did things go so horribly wrong, so quickly? It involves an excess supply of dollars, consumer over-spending, increasing trade deficits and national debthttp://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/How-Much-Does-the-Iraq-War-Really-Cost-America--4079.aspx, offshoring and a country (the United States) with FALLING standards of living for its people -- and it's all explained in the videos above. [image: video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MUm2P1jOU http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=People+%26+Power+-+Death+of+the+dollar+2+-+19+Dec+07+-+Part+1search_type=# *People* ** *Power* - *Death* *of* *the* *dollar* *2* - *19* *Dec* *07* - *Part* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MUm2P1jOU 1 investigates* the* ill health and possible demise* of** the** dollar*.* ...People* and* power** Power* Al Jazeera Samah El-Shahat Max Keiser* Death* * of** the** Dollar* ** [image: video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MUm2P1jOU http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=People+%26+Power+-+Death+of+the+dollar+2+-+19+Dec+07+-+Part+1search_type=# People Power - *Death* *of* *the* *dollar* 2 - 19 Dec 07 - Parthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MUm2P1jOU 2 [image: video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZbvIVkZcOo http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+U.S.+Dollar+is+Dyingsearch_type=# Ron Paulitics: *The* Sicker and Sicker *Dollar* *The* *Dying* *Dollar*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZbvIVkZcOo *Related Articles:* Wal-Mart Gets Stronger While America Gets Weakerhttp://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Wal-Mart-Gets-Stronger-While-America-Gets-Weaker-21289.aspx Shift Happens -- Some of the Most Amazing Statistics You Never Knewhttp://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Shift-HappensSome-of-the-Most-Amazing-Statistics-You-Never-Knew-11829.aspx The U.S. May Have an Oil Reserve 3 Times Larger Than Saudi Arabia'shttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/24/the-u-s-may-have-an-oil-reserve-3-times-larger-than-saudi-arabia-s.aspx [image: video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmyvEhU-gmw http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=People+%26+Power+-+Death+of+the+dollar+2+-+19+Dec+07+-+Part+1search_type=# People And Power: *Death* *of* *the* *Dollar*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmyvEhU-gmw, Max Keiser, investigates* the* US economy and reveals how* the* American officials have maintained* the* image* of* a strong* dollar* since coming off* the* Gold Standard. We Former wall street broker and HSX co-founder, Max Keiser, investigates the US economy and reveals how the American officials have maintained the image of a strong dollar since coming off the Gold Standard. We hear from authors and leading economists who claim Former wall street broker, Max Keiser, investigates the US economy
Bismillah [IslamCity] Joint panel proposed to prevent harassment of Indian Muslim youths
*Joint panel proposed to prevent harassment of Indian Muslim youths* April 22nd, 2008 by Mudassir Rizwan *By IINA,* http://www.twocircles.net/2008apr22/joint_panel_proposed_prevent_harassment_indian_muslim_youths.html New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has proposed a joint panel consisting of Muslim leaders and top intelligence and security officials to stop the harassment of young Muslims across India in the name of the fight against terrorism. He was talking to the leaders of India's major Islamic organizations, which called on him to intervene to end the harassment of Muslim youths. The delegation consisted of the leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulma-e-Hind, the Muslim Personal Law Board (MPLB) and the Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, reported Pak daily newspaper Daily Times. The leaders expressed their concerns on the security of Muslims in India and complained of random arrests and media trials of Muslim youth. Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat President Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan said the prime minister expressed sympathy towards the delegation members and proposed the joint mechanism. However, he was sceptical of the effectiveness of such a panel. Another member of the delegation, Dr. Qasim Rasool Ilyas, said the leaders presented detailed cases of such harassment at the hands of Indian intelligence agencies across the country. He said there were several cases when security agencies had asked the media to conduct media trials to influence the judiciary. Dr Ilyas, a spokesman of the Muslim Personal Law Board, said they had asked Singh to stop the profiling of Muslims — a project started by the Home Ministry. Something happens somewhere and it is linked to Islam and Muslims. Security agencies immediately arrest Muslim youth, torture them and then try them in the media, which builds up stories against them, he added. He said the negative image portrayed by the media influenced judiciary. The leaders also said that prejudice against Muslims was growing among police and security agencies. Related Stories - Muslim religious leaders call on PM Manmohan Singhhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008apr16/muslim_religious_leaders_call_pm_manmohan_singh.html - Muslims should not vote anti-Islam or anti-Muslim political parties: Islamic Fiqh Academyhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008mar17/muslims_should_not_vote_anti_islam_or_anti_muslim_political_parties_islamic_fiqh_academy.h - Mushawarat urges govt. to probe SIMI-linked arrestshttp://www.twocircles.net/2008apr11/mushawarat_urges_govt_probe_simi_linked_arrests.html - Muslim Ulema condemn anti-madrasa and anti-Muslim campaignhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb05/muslim_ulema_condemn_anti_madrasa_and_anti_muslim_campaign.html - AIMMM condemns ban on SIMIhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb08/aimmm_condemns_ban_simi.html - To suspect Muslims' patriotism is anti-national: IUMLhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb26/suspect_muslims_patriotism_anti_national_iuml.html - Jamaat-e-Islami Hind concerned over antiterrorism policyhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008apr22/jamaat_e_islami_hind_concerned_over_antiterrorism_policy.html - AIMPLB asked to take action against casteism among Muslimshttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb29/aimplb_asked_take_action_against_casteism_among_muslims.html - Majlis Bachao Tehreek presents a memorandum to National Minority Commissionhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb05/majlis_bachao_tehreek_presents_memorandum_national_minority_commission.html - Muslim leadership coming to rescue terror suspects in UPhttp://www.twocircles.net/2008feb26/muslim_leadership_coming_rescue_terror_suspects.html
Bismillah [IslamCity] Thousands Of British Elite Embrace Islam: Study Brothers in Islam
*Thousands Of British Elite Embrace Islam: Study* http://www.islamonline.net I have received letters from people … who are looking for a religion which does not compromise too much with the modern world, Eaton LONDON, February 26 (IslamOnline.net) – Jonathan Birt, the son of Lord Birt and Emma Clark, the granddaughter of former liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith, are only two of 14,000 mostly-elite white Britons having reverted to Islam. In the first authoritative study of the phenomenon, carried by the *Sunday Times* on February 22, some of the country's top landowners, celebrities and the offspring of senior Establishment figures have embraced the Muslim faith after being disillusioned with western values. The new study by Yahya (formerly Jonathan) Birt, son of Lord Birt, former director-general of the BBC, provides the first reliable data on the sensitive subject of the movement of Christians into Islam. He uses a breakdown of the latest census figures to conclude that there are now 14,200 white reverts in Britain. *Mass Conversion * Speaking publicly for the first time about his faith this weekend, Birt argued that an inspirational figure, similar to the American revert Malcolm X for Afro-Caribbeans, would first have to emerge if the next stage, a mass conversion among white Britons, were to happen. You need great transitional figures to translate something alien (like Islam) into the vernacular, Birt, whose doctorate at Oxford University is on young British Muslims, was quoted by the *Times*. The image of Islam projected by political Islamic movements is not very attractive, he said. Initially, Birt said he had no coherent reasons for reverting, but in the longer term I think it was the overall profundity, balance and coherence and spirituality of the Muslim way of life which convinced me, he said. *'All Rage' * Meanwhile, it emerged this weekend that Emma Clark, the great-granddaughter of a British prime minister has reverted. Emma, whose ancestor, the Liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith, took Britain into the first world war, said: We're all the rage, I hope it's not a passing fashion. Clark, who helped design an Islamic garden for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, is now helping create a similar garden for a mosque in Woking, Surrey, on the site of a car park, said the British newspaper. Furthermore, fresh evidence came this weekend that Islam has received formal acceptance at the heart of the Establishment. The Queen has approved new arrangements to allow Muslim staff at Buckingham Palace time off to attend Friday prayers at a mosque. A member of staff in the finance department is the first to take advantage of it, said the British paper. *'Trophy Lists' * Others have come to Islam through love or marriage. Kristiane Backer, a former girlfriend of the cricketer Imran Khan, said she was introduced to the religion through love but reverted after her break-up. She has shrunk from speaking publicly about her religion before because of fears it might affect her work prospects. Imran sowed the seeds, but when (the relationship) finished (the faith) took on a momentum of its own, she said. Drawn to Sufi mysticism, Baker said that white reverts had to overcome prejudice both from those born into Islam and from non-believers. In the mosque women come up and say to me, 'You have hair showing: you must cover up completely.' I say, 'Mind your own hair, you're here to think about God' . Many reverts have been inspired by the writings of Charles Le Gai Eaton, a former Foreign Office diplomat, it added. I have received letters from people who are put off by the wishy-washy standards of contemporary Christianity and they are looking for a religion which does not compromise too much with the modern world, said Eaton, author of Islam and the Destiny of Man. *Wary * Some prominent reverts are even more wary, said the *Times*. The Earl of Yarborough, 40, who owns a 28,000-acre estate in Lincolnshire, declined to discuss anything about his faith. I have nothing to say to you, said Yarborough, who has apparently taken the name Abdul Mateen. Muslim leaders are harnessing modern campaigning methods to promote their faith. Groups have *sprung up on the internet*http://www.salaam.co.uk/themeofthemonth/june02_index.php?l=6publishing trophy lists of white reverts. The state-funded school in London founded by Yusuf Islam, formerly the singer Cat Stevens, has turned to Premiership footballers to provide role models, said the *Times*. Sources close to the school say reverts including Nicolas Anelka, the Manchester City striker, and Omer Freddie Kanoute, of Tottenham Hotspur, have made visits. The trend is being encouraged by Muslim leaders who are convinced that the conversion of prominent society figures will help protect a community stigmatized by terrorism and fundamentalism. The Muslim Council of Britain has co-opted Joe Ahmed-Dobson, son of Frank
Bismillah [IslamCity] Rice, death and the dollar
*Apr 22, 2008* *Rice, death and the dollar* By Spengler http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JD22Dj01.html The global food crisis is a monetary phenomenon, an unintended consequence of America's attempt to inflate its way out of a market failure. There are long-term reasons for food prices to rise, but the unprecedented spike in grain prices during the past year stems from the weakness of the American dollar. Washington's economic misery now threatens to become a geopolitical catastrophe. Months ago, I offered that China, Russia and other cash-rich nations held the antidote to the incipient credit crisis: If the US wants to remain the magnet for world capital flows it became during the 1990s, it will have to allow the savers of the world to become partners in the US economy, that is, to buy into its first-rank companies.(Western grasshoppers and Chinese antshttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/II05Dj01.html, Asia Times Online, September 5, 2007.) No such thing occurred, of course, as Washington has made it clear that it would not allow sovereign funds to own the likes of Citicorp. What are the world's investors doing with the trillion dollars a year they used to invest in American securities, including subprime derivatives and various forms of collateralized obligations that turned out to have more obligation than collateral? They aren't buying American companies because they are not permitted to. They are buying food and other stores of value instead. Washington has weakened the value of the dollar as a palliative for the credit crisis, so much so that nobody seems to doubt that the US dollar will lose its status as the world's reserve currency, as journalist Amity Shlaes wrote in an April 9 Bloomberg News column entitled Monks may hold clue to dollar's future. Perhaps the dollar won't surrender its anchor role so soon, Shlaes continued. And perhaps that loss, if it comes, will happen because of events that take place nowhere near men in suits at a central bank. Maybe the answer to the dollar's riddle can be found in the cellphone photo image of a Tibetan monk in crimson and orange squaring off with a Chinese soldier ... China might recede into years of ethnic chaos. In any of these cases, the new Chinese government won't be forced to deliver the same growth, and therefore won't spend commensurate energy tending the dollar ... The flash of orange in the robe of the monk is important enough to change the picture for the greenback. Misguided is not the word for this sort of thinking. However unlikely it might be, one cannot exclude the possibility that ethnic chaos will afflict China at some future point. The one thing that can be stated with certainty is that long before chaos reaches China, it will have shattered a great deal of the rest of the world. China is exchanging its depreciating reserves of US dollars for things of value, notably rice, with frightening consequences for dependent countries, and deadly consequences for American foreign policy. The chart below shows the price of 100 pounds of rice against the euro's parity against the US dollar during the past 12 months. The regression fit is 90%. There is an even tighter relationship between the price of rice and the price of oil, another store of value against dollar depreciation. *Rice price vs Euro/US$ rate, April 15, 2007 to April 15, 2008 * As the chart makes clear, the ascent of the cost of rice to $24 from $10 per hundredweight over the past year tracks the declining value of the American dollar. The link between the declining parity of the US unit and the rising price of commodities, including oil as well as rice and other wares, is indisputable. China has bid aggressively for rice all year, and last week banned rice exports, along with Vietnam and several other producers. *Euro/US$ rate vs rice and oil, April 16, 2007 to April 16, 2008* For developing countries whose currencies track the American dollar and whose purchasing power declines along with the American unit, this is a catastrophe, as World Bank president Robert Zoellick warned the Group of Seven industrial nations in Washington last week. Food security suddenly has become the top item on the strategic agenda. Never before in history has hunger become a global threat in a period of plentiful harvests. Global rice production will hit a record of 423 million tons in the 2007-2008 crop year, enough to satisfy global demand. The trouble is that only 7% of the world's rice supply is exported, because local demand is met by local production. Any significant increase in rice stockpiles cuts deeply into available supply for export, leading to a spike in prices. Because such a small proportion of the global rice supply trades, the monetary shock from the weak dollar was sufficient to more than double its price. It is not only rice, of course, that the cash-rich countries of the world are buying as a store of value; the price of wheat, soy and other grains has
Bismillah [IslamCity] The End of the World as You Know It… and the Rise of the New Energy World Order by Michael T. Klare
*The End of the World as You Know It… and the Rise of the New Energy World Order * *by Michael T. Klare* *18-04-2008* *Throughout history, major shifts in power have normally been accompanied by violence -- in some cases, protracted violent upheavals* 17/04/08 Tomdispatch -- -Oil at $110 a barrel. Gasoline at $3.35 (or more) per gallon. Diesel fuel at $4 per gallon. Independent truckers forced off the road. Home heating oil rising to unconscionable price levels. Jet fuel so expensive that three low-cost airlines stopped flying in the past few weeks. This is just a taste of the latest energy news, signaling a profound change in how all of us, in this country and around the world, are going to live -- trends that, so far as anyone can predict, will only become more pronounced as energy supplies dwindle and the global struggle over their allocation intensifies. Energy of all sorts was once hugely abundant, making possible the worldwide economic expansion of the past six decades. This expansion benefited the United States above all -- along with its First World allies in Europe and the Pacific. Recently, however, a select group of former Third World countries -- China and India in particular -- have sought to participate in this energy bonanza by industrializing their economies and selling a wide range of goods to international markets. This, in turn, has led to an unprecedented spurt in global energy consumption -- a 47% rise in the past 20 years alone, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). An increase of this sort would not be a matter of deep anxiety if the world's primary energy suppliers were capable of producing the needed additional fuels. Instead, we face a frightening reality: a marked slowdown in the expansion of global energy supplies just as demand rises precipitously. These supplies are not exactly disappearing -- though that will occur sooner or later -- but they are not growing fast enough to satisfy soaring global demand. The combination of rising demand, the emergence of powerful new energy consumers, and the contraction of the global energy supply is demolishing the energy-abundant world we are familiar with and creating in its place a new world order. Think of it as: rising powers/shrinking planet. This new world order will be characterized by fierce international competition for dwindling stocks of oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium, as well as by a tidal shift in power and wealth from energy-deficit states like China, Japan, and the United States to energy-surplus states like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. In the process, the lives of everyone will be affected in one way or another -- with poor and middle-class consumers in the energy-deficit states experiencing the harshest effects. That's most of us and our children, in case you hadn't quite taken it in. Here, in a nutshell, are five key forces in this new world order which will change our planet: Intense competition between older and newer economic powers for available supplies of energy: Until very recently, the mature industrial powers of Europe, Asia, and North America consumed the lion's share of energy and left the dregs for the developing world. As recently as 1990, the members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the club of the world's richest nations, consumed approximately 57% of world energy; the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact bloc, 14% percent; and only 29% was left to the developing world. But that ratio is changing: With strong economic growth in the developing countries, a greater proportion of the world's energy is being consumed by them. By 2010, the developing world's share of energy use is expected to reach 40% and, if current trends persist, 47% by 2030. China plays a critical role in all this. The Chinese alone are projected to consume 17% of world energy by 2015, and 20% by 2025 -- by which time, if trend lines continue, it will have overtaken the United States as the world's leading energy consumer. India, which, in 2004, accounted for 3.4% of world energy use, is projected to reach 4.4% percent by 2025, while consumption in other rapidly industrializing nations like Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Turkey is expected to grow as well. These rising economic dynamos will have to compete with the mature economic powers for access to remaining untapped reserves of exportable energy -- in many cases, bought up long ago by the private energy firms of the mature powers like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, Total of France, and Royal Dutch Shell. Of necessity, the new contenders have developed a potent strategy for competing with the Western majors: they've created state-owned companies of their own and fashioned strategic alliances with the national oil companies that now control oil and gas reserves in many of the major energy-producing nations. China's Sinopec, for example, has established a strategic alliance with Saudi Aramco, the nationalized giant once
Bismillah [IslamCity] Shame on Arab petrodollars - Khalid Amayreh
A day's revenue of Arab oil and gas can solve all the Palestinian people's financial problems. It can enable Palestinian authorities to pay for the salaries of all civil servants and help poor college students continue their education for an entire year. It can also serve to subsidize basic consumer products such as bread, sugar and cooking oil, especially for the most impoverished segments of society. It would also save a lot of Palestinian blood since many Palestinians, desperately struggling to feed their children, often risk their lives by crossing into Israel in order to find work This writer knows of many college students who had to quit college because they can't pay their tuition. *Shame on Arab petrodollars* *Khalid Amayreh in Occupied East Jerusalem* 17-04-2008 http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/04/17/p24808#more24808 Is Arab oil more precious than Arab blood? This is a question that many Palestinians are asking these days in light of the oil-rich Arab states' reluctance to help the Palestinians withstand the most ferocious onslaught ever being waged by Zionism against the Palestinian people's very existence. Today, four Arab states, (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar) produce nearly 20 million barrels of crude oil per day. Translated into dollars, these four states alone make more than $2 billion dollars per day, or $60 billion a month, nearly $720 billion a year. Now how much of this colossal amount of money goes to prop up Palestinian steadfastness in the face of diabolical Zionism, which seeks to occupy, enslave and probably annihilate Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East and beyond? How much of it is used to enable the 1.5 million Gazans to overcome Israel's continuing Nazi-like blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has already killed and mutilated thousands and reduced the entire coastal enclave into a huge concentration camp? How much of this money goes to help Palestinian college students stay in their country and not leave because they don't have sufficient financial means to pay for their education at Palestinian colleges and universities? The Arab Sheikhs, Emirs and Kings won't have to sacrifice much of their oil and gas revenue for the sake of Palestine and its suffering people. A day's revenue of Arab oil and gas can solve all the Palestinian people's financial problems. It can enable Palestinian authorities to pay for the salaries of all civil servants and help poor college students continue their education for an entire year. It can also serve to subsidize basic consumer products such as bread, sugar and cooking oil, especially for the most impoverished segments of society. Needless to say, a sincere effort on the part of these rich Arab states would enable Palestinians to put up the most effective resistance to Israel's ethnic cleansing designs without having to worry about providing a loaf of bread for one's kids at the end of the day. It would also save a lot of Palestinian blood since many Palestinians, desperately struggling to feed their children, often risk their lives by crossing into Israel in order to find work. More to the point, a meaningful Arab solidarity with the Palestinians in their enduring plight would make it more difficult for the genocidal terrorist Israeli state to blackmail the hopelessly weak Palestinian Authority in Ramallah into surrendering to Israeli dictates and perpetuating the national rift between Fatah and Hamas. This writer knows of many college students who had to quit college because they can't pay their tuition. We are talking about intelligent young men and women who want to stay put in their ancestral homeland in order to consolidate and perpetuate Arab-Islamic presence in this land. But in order to do so, they need a real helping hand from their supposed Arab and Muslim brothers, many of them are at a loss as to what to do with the billions of dollars they have amassed. What value do Arab billions have if they can't help preserve the Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israel's nefarious designs? What value do these billions or trillions of dollars have if they can't shield a Palestinian child in Rafah or Khan Younis from the real specter of starvation, imposed by a Nazi state constantly emboldened by Arab betrayal of the struggling Palestinians who are made to pay in blood the price of Arab-Muslim weakness and subservience to an evil empire called the United States? What value does Arab money have if they can't develop a potent media machine to counter Zionist lies, propaganda and hasbara against Islam, Muslims, the Palestinians and the Arabs? To be sure, the oil-rich Arab states can do a lot to help the Palestinians who are at the forefront of a historical confrontation against Zionist expansionism and regional hegemony. The Saudis, for example, can easily resolve the nagging salary problem; the Kuwaitis can build three or four modern hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, which would help
Bismillah [IslamCity] Indian Virgins for Sale
*Indian Virgins for Sale* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758977758pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] Prostitution is rife among many of India's low-caste, also known as the Dalits. (Telegraph Photo) CAIRO — Suli, 14, sat quietly by the side of the dusty high way to the Indian city of Jaipur. She is not waiting for a ride but rather for a customer willing to buy her virginity. I will go with whoever pays the highest price, the girl, dressed up in a brand new pink sari and heavy make-up, told the *Sunday Telegraph* on April 13. Suli is the new hot selling of her small village, where some 59 families, all members of the low-caste Bedia tribe, push children as young as 12 to prostitution. I do not know how it is going to be, she said. I know other girls who are in the trade but I have not asked them how it is. A virgin is sold to the highest bidder, who can have access to her as long as he likes, for anything over 20,000 rupees ($512). If the girl is very pretty, the price could rise to some 40,000 rupees. Prostitution is rife among many of India's low-caste, also known as the Dalits. Dalits are those at the bottom of India's social system which separates people into Brahmin priests, warriors, farmers, laborers, and those beyond definition, including the Dalits. Dalits often do the most menial jobs, while they are deprived of education either out of their abject poverty or discrimination at schools and universities. *No more* Once a girl has lost her virginity she cannot marry and her prostitution rate goes down to 100 rupees. She continues to sell her body until turning forty when she is no longer considered desirable. She will then have to depend on any children she may have for financial support. But some people, even old prostitutes, are fighting this business. My daughter will get educated, and not enter this profession, says Ritu, herself a victim of the trade. I have seen what it is like. I don't want it for her. The plight of low-caste girls has drawn the attention of national and international groups who are working to break the prostitution cycle. One of those groups is GNK, an NGO that has set up several hostel and schools to cater for prostitutes' children. At one such hostels, a young boy proudly recounts how he had persuaded his grandmother not to push his aunt into prostitution. My grandmother said that she would kill herself if my aunt did not go into the trade and earn money, he told the *Telegraph*. But I persuaded her, and my aunt got married. *Related Links:* India's Disappearing Daughtershttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1184649089368pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout India Plays Cupid to End Caste Systemhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1193049425724pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout New Iraq…Sex for Lifehttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758147874pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout Israel Hub for Sex Traffickinghttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1193049507045pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout Malaysia's PAS Counsels prostituteshttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1165994172045pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
Bismillah [IslamCity] Ingrid Mattson: What is Islam? CNN Interview
*Ingrid Mattson: What is Islam?* http://archives.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/10/18/mattson.cnna/ *Ingrid Mattson is a professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary. In 1995, she was an adviser to the Afghan delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The vice president of the Islamic Society of North America, Professor Mattson is a contributor to The Muslim World Journal. She joined the CNN.com chat room from Connecticut.* CNN: *Dr. Mattson, could you give us a basic explanation of Islam?* MATTSON: Islam is a global religion practiced by approximately 1.2 billion people in the world. Religious scholars consider it one of the Abrahamic religions meaning that, like Judaism and Christianity, it traces its primary beliefs back to the message of monotheism promoted by the prophet Abraham. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *How do you react to criticism that westerners do not understand Islam?* MATTSON: I don't think that's true of all Westerners, any more than it's true that all Muslims have a misunderstanding of western culture or American life. Unfortunately, there are misunderstandings that often are the result of the limited images of each culture that are shown or promoted in the general media. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *How had bin Laden duped so many Islamic people into believing his war of terrorism is in the name of Allah? The Koran, or at least my interpretation, disallows any killing of innocents, yet many Muslims feel the acts of September 11 were warranted. * MATTSON: I think that not many Muslims, only a small number of Muslims throughout the world would support Osama bin Laden's tactics. A larger number share the grievances that he has voiced, but they would share those grievances if they were voiced by any person. One of the reasons why some poor and marginalized people in the Muslim world have turned to Osama bin Laden as a spokesperson for their grievances, is because they feel that no one else, including their own leaders, has spoken for them. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *Can you give us a view of how many people convert to Islam from other religions, as opposed to Christianity? * MATTSON: I really wouldn't be in a position to give precise figures. What I do know is that according to many scholars, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *Does Islam ever promote violence and, if so, under what circumstances? If not, why do so many Muslims take up arms? * MATTSON: Islam allows force to be used by legitimate authorities, to protect people, and to protect Muslim states, just as all nation states in the world permit themselves to use force to protect their security and interests. Again, the problem of individual Muslims taking up arms, becoming vigilantes, in a way, is related to their frustration with the lack of leadership on the part of their own government. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *What legal rights do women have in Islam? The right to vote, work, own businesses? * MATTSON: Muslim women have the same legal rights as Muslim men. The Prophet Mohammed's wife was a businesswoman. In fact, he met her working for her as her agent. The legal rights of women were enshrined in Islamic law. However, cultural practices in many societies have prevented those rights from being enforced. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *What can you tell us about the Wahhabi sect of Islam? Is it true that this is an extremely right wing sect founded and funded by the Saudi royal family, and led by Osama bin Ladin? What is the purpose of the Wahhabi?* MATTSON: No it's not true to characterized 'Wahhabism' that way. This is not a sect. It is the name of a reform movement that began 200 years ago to rid Islamic societies of cultural practices and rigid interpretation that had acquired over the centuries. It really was analogous to the European protestant reformation. Because the Wahhabi scholars became intergreated into the Saudi state, there has been some difficulty keeping that particular interpretation of religion from being enforced too broadly on the population as a whole. However, the Saudi scholars who are Wahhabi have denounced terrorism and denounced in particular the acts of September 11. Those statements are available publicly. This quesiton has arisen because last week there were a number of newspaper reports that were dealing with this. They raised the issue of the role of Saudi Arabia and the ideaology there. Frankly, I think in a way it was a reaction to the attempts of many people to look for the roots of terrorism in misguided foreign policy. It's not helpful, I believe, to create another broad category that that becomes the scape goat for terrorism. CHAT PARTICIPANT: *Is there a general feeling among the Muslims that the western world does not take them seriously? * MATTSON: I think that sometimes Muslims feel that their lives, their security, and their right to self-determination are not given very much weight by Western governments. Although, most Muslims would express
Bismillah [IslamCity] Christian Rage and Muslim Moderation
[image: Newsweek] Sponsored By *Christian Rage and Muslim Moderation* *Christopher Dickey* http://www.newsweek.com/id/129237 ** *Despite recent provocations against Islam in the West, many Muslims seem weary of the same old tit for tat.* ** Newsweek Web Exclusive Updated: 11:35 AM ET Mar 27, 2008 Pope Benedict XVI, an exiled Egyptian journalist, a bleach-blond Dutch parliamentarian and Danish cartoonists all have something in common with a Teddy bear named Mohammed. They have been at the center of that seething storm called Muslim rage in the last few months, and, with the exception of Mohammed T. Bear, they appear to be testing that anger to see if it will erupt... yet again. If it does, the crisis could peak just as Benedict begins his visit to the United States in mid-April. As he preaches world peace before the United Nations, once more we'll witness scenes of books and flags and effigies burning in the world of Muslims. If precedent holds, rioters may die in Kabul, a nun could be murdered in Somalia, a priest might be gunned down in Turkey. All this is all too predictable, as provocateurs like the peroxide blond must certainly know. And yet, this time the shockwaves may amount to nothing more than ripples. If the satellite networks allow their lenses to zoom back from the book burners, they may discover there's no raging crowd there, just the usual collection of unemployed malcontents on any street in Karachi. And what is most important, we may find that the Muslims of this world are just as weary of this sorry spectacle - maybe even more so - than the Christian, Jewish and secular publics in the West. There are several signs of change, and not always from the usual suspects. In Turkey, the once militantly secular government is now dominated by the AK Party, which has Islamic roots and recently passed a constitutional amendment that ended the ban on women wearing Muslim headscarves at state universities. Yet the same government is supporting theological scholarship intended to modernize - and moderate - traditional Islamic teachings. An initiative run out of the prime minister's office is re-examining interpretation of the Qur'an itself as well as the Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet. Fadi Hakura, an expert on Turkey at Chatham House in London, recently told the BBC, This is kind of akin to the Christian Reformation. Not exactly the same, but if you think, it's changing the theological foundations. In Lebanon, Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah once was known as the spiritual leader of Hizbullah and of its suicidal shock troops, who blew up American Marines and diplomats in Beirut in the early 1980s. Today, instead of calling the faithful to arms in response to perceived Western insults, Fadlallah calls on Muslim intellectuals, elites and religious scholars to work through the media and political organizations as well as legal, artistic and literary channels. Fadlallah tells the faithful that the goal of Westerners who commit aggressions against the Muslim world's sacred symbols is to create a rift between Muslims and Western societies - and to isolate those Muslims who live *in* Western societies. He decries those Muslims he calls *takfiri* who claim they are fighting heresy with violence. He says they play into the hands of Islam's enemies. He even calls for a united Islamic-Christian spiritual and humanitarian front. In Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah was pushing an agenda of political and religious moderation even before he assumed full control of the country in 2005. The kingdom still holds to the ultraconservative Sunni religious dogmas known as Wahhabism, and the monarchy's legitimacy is tied to its custodianship of Mecca and Medina, the two holiest sites in Islam. That won't change. But Abdullah has fired 1,000 of the Muslim prayer leaders on the government payroll and decreed that the 40,000 who remain must be retrained to make sure they are not stoking radical violence. Yes, there may be less here than meets the eye. When I talked to Hakura on the phone Wednesday morning, he cautioned that the Turkish rethink of Islam is rooted in national traditions and might be a hard sell in the Arab Middle East. Fadlallah may be enthusiastic about reconciliation with Christians, but on his Web site he still presents himself as an implacable foe of what he calls Israel's Zionist project that is based on violence, arrogance and despise [sic] of other countries. A highly placed Saudi friend assured me the other day the so-called retraining of Saudi Arabia's retrograde imams really would be more like a dialogue to discuss the best ways to preach. Islam, like any faith, has plenty of violent fools and fanatics. Certainly it is hard to credit the judgment or intelligence of anyone in Sudan connected with the arrest of British expatriate schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons a few months ago. You'll recall she made the nearly fatal mistake of letting her class of seven-year-olds in Khartoum name a
Bismillah [IslamCity] Dutch Businesses to Sue Wilders
*Dutch Businesses to Sue Wilders* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758509173pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] Major Dutch businesses threatened to sue Wilders if Muslim boycotted Dutch products over his anti-Qur'an film. THE HAGUE — Fearing a Muslim boycott, major Dutch businesses are threatening to sue far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders over his documentary portraying the Noble Qur'an as inciting violence. If they (Muslims) decide to boycott Dutch businesses, it will harm Dutch exports, Bernard Wientjes, the chairman of the Dutch employers' organization VNO-NCW, told the newspaper *Het Financieel Dagblad*, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Companies like Shell, Philips and Unilever are easily recognizable as Dutch companies. Wilders, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party, released his anti-Qur'an film on a video-sharing website on Thursday, March 27. *A Counter Movie Against Wilders'*http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758395455pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout *In Opposition to Anti-Qur'an Film*http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=8uFfp2 The film intersperses images of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and the Madrid train bombings in 2004 with verses from the Qur'an. The documentary also featured a Danish cartoon of a man said to be Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) with a bomb protruding from his turban. I don't know if Wilders is rich, or well-insured, but in the case of a boycott, we would look to see if we could make him bear responsibility, said Wientjes. Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard has already threatened legal action against the far-right politician for using the cartoon in his film without permission. Dutch-Moroccan rapper Salah Edin has also vowed to sue Wilders for using his picture to portray the killer of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh over his anti-Islam film Submission. *Effective* The anti-Qur'an film has already sparked mounting calls in the Muslim world for boycotting Dutch products. If Muslims unite, it will be easy to take action, said former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. If we boycott Dutch products, they will have to close down their businesses. If the world's 1.3 billion Muslims unite and say they won't buy, then it (the boycott) will be effective, he said. Nearly 30 Jordanian newspapers, radio stations and websites have launched a bid for boycotting Dutch businesses. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has warned it could be months before the consequences of the film were known. Muslims worldwide boycotted Danish products during the 2005 Prophet cartoon crisis, causing Danish companies nearly $1.5 million a day in losses. Denmark's leading dairy company Arla Foods, one of the hardest hit, issued at the time a strong condemnation of the cartoon and appealed to Arabs and Muslims to end their boycott of its products. *Related Links:* Muslims Rebut Wilders' Filmhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758486986pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout World Outrage of Anti-Quran Film http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758479114pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Dutch MP Releases Anti-Qur'an Film http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758475362pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Muslim Calm Vs Dutch Anti- Qur'an Film http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1199279891153pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Dutch TVs Shun Anti-Qur'an Filmhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203757794326pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout Fitna Movie: Releasing Hatred Testing Wisdomhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203758483235pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Does the Qur'an Teach Violence? http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEcid=1119503544502 Danish Cartoons, Again! (Audio)http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201958058458pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Europe's New Anti-Terror Measureshttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1162385922547pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Europe and Terrorism: The Wrong Pathhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1193049684007pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Wake Up! Integration Is Not an Optionhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1162385922504pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Fortress Europe http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1165993971762pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Freedom of Expression or Islamophobia?http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1188044021402pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout Freedom of Artistic Expression
Bismillah [IslamCity] From Pork to Islam
*From Pork to Islam* By Hamed Al-Moatasem, IOL Correspondent http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201958071962pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout [image: Image] China has 30 million Muslims, according to official data. (Reuters) BEIJING — It was around 10:00 a.m. Beijing time, nearly three hours to the Friday prayer, when the young man approached the mosque. Jang stood for sometime outside at the mosque's doorstep hesitant to step in, especially with a Muslims Only sign in Chinese, English and Arabic attached to the gate. He finally defeated a whiff of indecision and walked into the Muslim place of worship. Can we help you? asked the mosque's leading imam. I want to become a Muslim, answered Jang. The smiling imam welcomed him and accompanied him to the Islamic Society office, attached to the mosque. They offered Jang three booklets on Islam to know more about the faith he wants to embrace. To their surprise, the young man said he not only read the booklets but also many other books on the Muslim faith. Jang engaged the imams in a discussion that proved to them he knew what he was about to do. One imam walked him into Islam with the pronouncement of the *Shahadah*; testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His Messenger. *Journey to Islam* Jang, who changed his name to Selim, sat down with IslamOnline.net after the ceremony to talk about his journey to Islam. It all started with pork, he said with a smile. Islam's dietary habits, including the prohibition of pork, led a curious Jang to read about the Muslim faith. I perused medical journals and devoured books for an answer. Islam considers pigs unclean because they are omnivorous, not discerning between meat or vegetation in their natural dietary habits unlike cows and sheep for instance, which eat only plants. Some scientists say eating pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. I found the same conclusion in traditional Chinese medicine, which does not recommend eating pork and designated it as the most harmful and least healthy meat, said Selim. A jubilant Selim joined an extended family of more than 30 million Muslims in China, according to official data. Islam came to China via Muslim businessman during the era of the Tang Dynasty 1300 years ago. There have also been reports of companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) coming to China. *Related Links:* Pork Is Forbidden: But Why? http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEcid=1119503545312 Chinese Muslims Rediscovering Islam http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2001-04/03/article4.shtml Record Chinese Perform Hajjhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1196786318061pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout China Represses Muslim Uighurs: Rights Groups http://islamonline.net/English/News/2005-04/12/article03.shtml Swine Disease, Politics, and the Prohibition of Pork http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1193049589682pagename=Zone-English-HealthScience%2FHSELayout *Highlights:* - The Founder of Allah?http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203515468063pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE - The Faith of All Prophetshttp://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201958032339pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout - Prerequisites of Purificationhttp://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1203515472892pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout - Men Women: Is Interaction a Crime?http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1199108583226pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE - The Blessed Sanctuaries of Jerusalemhttp://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamEcid=1123996016030 - Love Sums It Allhttp://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957858631pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout - Turning a Blind Eye http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957857757pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout - From Fifteen Minutes for God to a Lifetime http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1154235122505pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIEZone *Reading Islam: Muhammad The Message:http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIEZone * http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIEZone
Bismillah [IslamCity] Sharia law in UK is 'UNAVOIDABLE' ArchBishop of Canterbury
*Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'* Thursday, 7 February 2008, 16:55 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7232661.stm My late father used to say: *I wish that the Prophet Mohammad could have had the correct version of the Bible in his hands, and equally I wish that Martin Luther could have **read the holy Koran* Raja Chemayel. [image: Dr Rowan Williams] [image: Dr Rowan Williams] Dr Rowan Williams addressed the General Synod in Westminster [image: A mosque] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7239786.stm *The Archbishop of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK seems unavoidable.* * * Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to face up to the fact that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system. Dr Williams argues that adopting parts of Islamic Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion. For example, Muslims could choose to have marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia court. He says Muslims should not have to choose between the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty. *'Sensational reporting'* In an exclusive interview with BBC correspondent Christopher Landau, ahead of a lecture to lawyers in London on Monday, Dr Williams argues this relies on Sharia law being better understood. At the moment, he says sensational reporting of opinion polls clouds the issue. *An approach to law which simply said - there's one law for everybody - I think that's a bit of a danger* Dr Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury *Religious courts in the UK*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7233040.stm He stresses that nobody in their right mind would want to see in this country the kind of inhumanity that's sometimes been associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states; the extreme punishments, the attitudes to women as well. But Dr Williams said an approach to law which simply said there's one law for everybody and that's all there is to be said, and anything else that commands your loyalty or allegiance is completely irrelevant in the processes of the courts - I think that's a bit of a danger. There's a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law, as we already do with some other aspects of religious law. *'Other loyalties'* Dr Williams added: What we don't want either, is I think, a stand-off, where the law squares up to people's religious consciences. *Send us your comments*http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4246 We don't either want a situation where, because there's no way of legally monitoring what communities do... people do what they like in private in such a way that that becomes another way of intensifying oppression inside a community. The issue of whether Catholic adoption agencies would be forced to accept gay parents under equality laws showed the potential for legal confusion, he said. That principle that there is only one law for everybody is an important pillar of our social identity as a western democracy, he said. But I think it is a misunderstanding to suppose that means people don't have other affiliations, other loyalties which shape and dictate how they behave in society and that the law needs to take some account of that. *'Custom and community'* Dr Williams noted that Orthodox Jewish courts already operated, and that the law accommodated the anti-abortion views of some Christians. The whole idea that there are perfectly proper ways the law of the land pays respect to custom and community, that's already there, he said. People may legally devise their own way to settle a dispute in front of an agreed third party as long as both sides agree to the process. Muslim Sharia courts and the Jewish Beth Din which already exist in the UK come into this category. The country's main Beth Din at Finchley in north London oversees a wide range of cases including divorce settlements, contractual rows between traders and tenancy disputes. Dr Williams's comments are likely to fuel the debate over multiculturalism in the UK. Last month, the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, said some places in the UK were no-go areas for non-Muslims. Dr Williams said it was not at all the case that we have absolute social exclusion. ** [image: Dr Rowan Williams] *Dr Williams says Muslims should have a choice in legal disputes* *+++* ** *Archbishop: **Taking Responsibility, No Apology* *By Radwa Khorshid - Emdad Rahman - IOL Staff* http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_Ccid=1201957836300pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims%2FEMELayout [image: Image] Dr. Rowan addressed his speech in response to the huge debate that has been stealing the attention of the UK and Millions of Muslims all over the world. Whilst some leading Church figures have strictly criticized Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of which was the Synod member Alison
