[IslamCity] GUANTANAMO TORTURE VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: ''I WANT TO MEET MY DADDY''
Little girl fights to free her father from Guantanamo
bay
John Hashcrop
Sunday, 01 May 2005
http://unspun.mithuro.com/content/view/79/43/
---
photo:
Two-year-old Fatma Abdullah
http://unspun.mithuro.com/images/stories/May2005/kuwaitprisonerchild.jpg
---
A two-year-old girl has become the focus of attempts
to free Guantanamo detainees who are being held by the
US authorities since October 2001.
I want to meet my daddy, says two-year-old Fatma Al
Kandari as she hands out yellow ribbons to other
campaigners. Fatma has never seen her father Abdullah
Kamal Al Kandari who has been in prison in Guantanamo
since before she was born. Mr. Al Kandari was a relief
worker picked up by US authorities as he was trying to
help refugees at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
She is supported in her cause by the Kuwaiti Family
Committee, an organisation formed by relatives of the
Kuwaiti Guantanamo detainees, an organization that has
lobbied tirelessly to win a fair trial for the
detainees.
At that time all Arab citizens were wanted, whether
they were warriors or members of relief agencies. Mr.
Al Kandari told his family members in October 2001,
just before he was abducted by US authorities. The
Arabs gathered in places where they thought they would
be safe and tried to seek assistance of villagers on
their way back across the borders. Unfortunately the
villagers sold them and handed them over to the
Pakistani authorities who in turn handed them over to
the Americans.
We are willing to sell everything just to get him
back. his brother Mansoor said. We think about my
brother more than anything else. We all live in one
house with our parents and we are very, very close
now. So losing a member of our family like this is too
much. It's like a part of the house is missing.
According to the High Court, the right of due process
covers U.S. citizens and non-citizens, explained Tom
Wilner, the U.S. attorney representing the Kuwaiti
prisoners.
The Court ruled that, even if Guantanamo Bay may be
viewed as foreign soil, all rights still apply there
as well. The Bush administration has no legal ground
to stand on.
The families said that they are worried by recent
reports of torture by US authorities at Guantanamo
bay.
Last week lawyers representing six Bosnian detainees
made shocking new allegations of torture by U.S.
forces against detainees, including severe beatings
resulting in facial paralysis for one prisoner,
chemical irritant gassing, near suffocation by
repeatedly ramming a prisoner's head into a toilet,
and religious persecution by forced removal of
clothing required for prayer.
Comments
No democracy - Only Demon-crazy
Written by Guest on 2005-05-01 03:39:17
How can God bless America when they do not respect
other human beings made in likeness of God
irerspective of race, religion or country of origin?
The People or politicians who preach human rights,
violate it themselves.
http://unspun.mithuro.com/content/view/79/43/
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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[IslamCity] HALAL INDUSTRY THRIVING IN US: REPORT
Halal Industry Thriving in US: Report Islam Online May 2, 2005 http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/02/article03.shtml --- photo: For decades we conformed because we really didn't have much choice when it came to meeting Islamic dietary needs, said Chaudry. http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/02/images/pic03.jpg --- CAIRO, May 2, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) The halal food industry is booming in the United States with stores and restaurants conforming with the Islamic cuisine becoming ubiquitous, a leading US daily reported on Monday, May 2. For decades we conformed because we really didn't have much choice when it came to meeting Islamic dietary needs, Muhammad Chaudry, president of the Chicago-based Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, told the Washington Post. That's changing, he added. Nowadays, more than 140 of Washingtons restaurants and grocery stores advertise themselves as halal, according to Zabihah.com, a Web site that posts reviews of halal food establishments across the US. Having no options at the time, many Muslims now recall how they had to slaughter their own chickens and lambs when they arrived in the US decades ago. Today, they have become choosy. There is no scientific count of Muslims in the US but the commonly cited figure is six to seven million, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIRO). Under Islam, Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned. Halal Pizza Popular food selling briskly in the US like pizza and burgers are also being served with halal meet. Pizza Roma in College Park serves pizzas with halal meat toppings, and Double A Burgers Shakes in Springfield Mall offers homemade, halal burgers hot off the grill. Even the White House does its part, ordering halal for visiting Muslim dignitaries. Lebanese-born Imad Rababe, who sells halal food at his Hamzah Slaughter House LLC in Williamsport, says he slaughters 500 to 700 animals a week for his wholesale and retail customers. Look, I'm not from Harvard. I have no high school education, no nothing, he told the paper. But this is the business I know best. It serves the Muslim community, and it makes me financially comfortable. In the past, Mohammad Abdul-Mateen Chida, owner of Halalco Supermarket in Virginia, had to slaughter cattle in Baltimore, goats and lambs in Manassas, and chickens near Frederick. And it wasn't an easy sell. Now there are so many places I trust to do these things for me, he said. Costly Business But the halal business is still a bit costly as the time involved and the labor-intensive requirements boost the price of meat, said Jim Williams of Midamar Corp., a Muslim-owned halal meat company in Iowa. The plants doing [Jewish] kosher or halal slaughter have to get a premium for their meat because they can't slaughter as many animals in a day, he told the paper. Williams explained that the four companies that slaughter 80 percent of federally inspected cattle in the country -- Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Excel Corp., Swift Co. and National Beef Packing Co. -- do not do religious slaughter. The halal slaughtering, he added, is more expensive than the mass-produced beef slaughtered by the conventional stun and stick method. Add to that, the cost of hiring a company to certify meat as halal. Cheat But like every flourishing business, the halal industry is subject to fraudulence. Some states, like California and New Jersey, have enacted laws fining anyone who sells or advertises meat as halal when it is not. In 1997, the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service fined Washington Lamb Inc. in Springfield $15,000 for fraudulently mislabeling and selling ordinary meats as halal. Part of the problem is that there is no standard authority to certify halal meat and poultry, the paper said. Slaughterhouses that sell halal meat are inspected by the Agriculture Department, but the agency oversees only food safety issues. It's a very sensitive topic, and there are many issues that need to be resolved, said Habib Ghanim, president of the USA Halal Chamber of Commerce. The final responsibility is on the person selling it who claims it to be halal. Ultimately, it is between him and his creator. Malaysian bi-monthly magazine, The Halal Journal [ http://islamonline.net/English/News/2005-02/21/article04.shtml ], was launched in February as the first trade and business publication serving the global halal marketplace. It provides information and updates on the global halal market and covers all aspects of the industry, from food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology to banking. http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/02/article03.shtml __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
[IslamCity] UNIVERSITY MUSLIMAH'S ASSAILANT FLEES AFTER DEATH FATWA
Assalamu aleikum. Akume has spent nothing less than 10 years insulting our religion, attacking our values, blaspheming our Prophet, victimizing our brethren and making the Faculty of Law a hell for Muslims. - Please note that 2 articles follow: *Tension Grips ABU, Muslim Students Pronounce Fatwa On Lecturer *Death Threat: Group Appeals to Varsity Students --- (1) Tension Grips ABU, Muslim Students Pronounce Fatwa On Lecturer Agaju Madugba This Day (Lagos) May 2, 2005 http://allafrica.com/stories/200505021053.html Kaduna The stage appears set at the weekend for a fresh religious upheaval at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. A lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Mr. Andrew Akume, was forced into hiding, following a Fatwa (Islamic death sentence) which a section of Muslim students at the school pronounced on him. The development engendered palpable tension at the institution's two campuses located at Samaru and Kongo. Akume who is a member of the University Senate as well as Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Law, allegedly walked out a female student from the class having failed to remove a hijab she was wearing which covered her entire face. The Fatwa order and circular tagged the resolutions by concerned Muslims Move-ment accused Akume of assault on Muslim sisters and blasphemy against Allah and Islam. A second notice circulated by the same group further warned that, our earlier Fatwa holds and it is a time bomb which will explode in a few days time; we are not a people who fight without due notice. Akume has spent nothing less than 10 years insulting our religion, attacking our values, blaspheming our Prophet, victimizing our brethren and making the Faculty of Law a hell for Muslims. But in his petition to the ABU Vice Chancellor over the issue, Akume denied the blashphemy allegation explaining that Law students were expected to adhere to a dress code as prescribed by the Council of Legal Education of the Nigerian Law School. According to him, I have also not and never assaulted nor asked any Muslim girl not to wear the hijab. Infact, the Dean instructed that we allow the wearing of hijab but that it should reveal the face and hands. This is what we are enforcing and nothing more. I am being accused of provoking Muslims because I am obeying the Dean's instruction to advise that the hijab should reveal the face, which some Muslims disagree with. The allegation of religious bias against Muslims or Islam is just a smokescreen being used by some persons in the present administration (of ABU) who want their pound of flesh for what they suffered in our hands during the 2003/2004 ASUU-ABU management crisis. The Benue State Govern-ment has already written the Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, demanding adequate protection for Akume who is an indigene of Benue State. According to the letter signed by Benue State Deputy Governor, Chief Ogiri Ajene, though the matter may sound more like a campus or an academic affair, the fears are that if over-looked or not attended to, the situation has the potential of degenerating into serious crisis with the possibility of unnecessary loss of lives and property. The ABU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shehu U. Abdullahi, said the authorities had taken appropriate action on the matter. According to him, a committee is investigating the matter and both sides will be given ample opportunity to present their cases so that justice will be done to all. The police are fully aware of the situation and, as usual, we have confidence they have taken all necessary measures to protect lives and property. The dress code from the Council of Legal Education as it affects female students prescribes white blouse, dark jacket and black skirts covering the knees (dark suit) or dark lady's dress and black shoes are to be worn. Dresses should be clean and decently sewn. There should be no embroidery and trimmings of any type and only moderate jewelry (ear-rings and watches) are to be worn. During hot weather, students may be permitted to wear white shirts with ties and dark trousers and black shoes, to class. Ladies can wear simple dresses or skirts and native attire may be allowed only to lectures and private social functions. http://allafrica.com/stories/200505021053.html --- (2) Death Threat: Group Appeals to Varsity Students From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja This Day 05.02.2005 http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=16171 A group known as Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), has called on Muslim Students at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, under the aegis of Muslim Students Association, to drop the death threat it allegedly places on a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Mr Andrew Akume. The group, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Joy Omateyi Imeli, said Nigeria has suffered so many religious, ethnic and political violence, which had led to loss of many lives and properties. There were reports yesterday of growing
[IslamCity] URLs TO TARMIYA: THE SILENT AGONY
Tarmiya: The Silent Agony I
Uruknet
April 14, 2005
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m2
Tarmiya: The Silent Agony II
Uruknet
April 28, 2005
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m11330
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
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[IslamCity] SEEKING FORGIVENESS
Seeking forgiveness Khutba by Shaykh Umar al-Subayyil Thursday, 28 April, 2005 http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2item_no=34781version=1template_id=47parent_id=27 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, his household and companions. Fellow Muslims! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and be conscious of Him in private and in public. Seek nearness to Him through performing good deeds and plentiful repentance for Allah is the Most-Kind, All-Aware. He is well aware that peoples weaknesses and deficiencies make them commit sins; It is because of this that He opened the door of hope and forgiveness and enjoined them to resort to His favours and grace. He is Merciful to those who seek Him and near to those who call unto Him. Mistakes and negligence are part of mans nature and no human being is exempt from this. The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said, By He in whose hand is my soul, if you did not sin, Allah would wipe you out and bring into existence people who did sin, ask Allah for forgiveness and He would forgive them. (Muslim) The situation of the best amongst the pious and guided people is that when they sin, they seek Allahs forgiveness and when they commit errors, they repent. The Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said, All the sons of Adam are sinners and the best among the sinners are those who repent. (Ahmad and others) It is a manifestation of the mercy of Allah upon his slaves that He stretches out His Hand during the night so that those who sin during the day may repent and stretches His Hand out during the day in order for those who sinned during the night to repent. He forgives all sins. People should therefore not despair of the mercy of their Lord however great and many their sins may be. Allah says that which translates as: And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray? (Al-Hijr: 56). At-Tirmidhi and others reported on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik who said, I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam saying: Allah says, O son of Adam! As long as you call unto Me and seek (forgiveness from) Me, I will forgive you for all of the sins that you may commit and I do not care (how many they amount to). O son of Adam! If you come to Me with what is almost as much as the earth (in volume) in sins, but you meet Me without having associated any partner with Me in worship, I will give you the same amount of forgiveness. Allah commanded His Messenger sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam even though he is the most pious of mankind to be sincere in religion and frequently seek for forgiveness when He said that which translates to: So know (O Muhammad) that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. (Muhammad: 19). The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, therefore used to seek Allahs forgiveness frequently during the day and night and said of himself, I swear by Allah, I seek Allahs forgiveness and repent to Him seventy times a day. (Bukhari). Abu Daawood narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar that he said, We used to count the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam in a single sitting, saying, O my Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most-Merciful, one hundred times. This is characteristic of the resolute and faithful Muslims; they often turn to Allah with a great deal of Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) and repent sincerely without despair or impatience. Their hearts are filled with the fear of Allah and their feet are firmly placed doing good deeds. (They are) the patient, the true, the obedient, those who spend (in the way of Allah), and those who seek forgiveness before dawn. (Aal-Imraan: 17). These are the pious people, those who observe their obligations, perform acts of obedience and seek Allahs forgiveness. Among the good deeds that they do are that They used to sleep but little of the night (invoking their Lord and praying, with fear and hope) (Adh-Dhaariyaat: 17). Allah also commanded his Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam to remember Him and seek His forgiveness after he finally finished the conveyance of his Lords Message, He says that which translates to: When the victory of Allah has come, and the conquest (of Makkah), And you see the people entering the religion of Allah in multitudes, Then exalt (Him) with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. (An-Nasr: 1-3). The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, would make Istighfaar whenever he concluded his Salaah. Similarly, all pilgrims are enjoined to make Istighfaar when they leave Arafah and Al-Masharil-Haraam. Allah says that which translates to: Then depart from the place where (all) the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (Al-Baqarah:
[IslamCity] WARNING AGAINST IMPROPER DRESS FOR WOMEN
Warning against improper dress for women Khutbah by Shaykh Usamaah Khayyat Thursday, 28 April, 2005 http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2item_no=34780version=1template_id=47parent_id=27 Slaves of Allah! Fear Allah and be pious, because piety awakens the heart, brings spiritual joy, elevates the soul, illuminates ones grave and will give salvation on the Day of Resurrection. O Muslims! Due to being deceived by the glitter and beauty of this life; and due to being fully indulged in its pleasures and desperately seeking to gain more of them, some people develop false hopes to live longer, which is commonly accompanied by being forgetful or neglectful of the great blessings and favours that Allah has bestowed upon them. The greatest and most important of all these favours and blessings is Islam and the honourable Islamic law, which is derived from the Book of Allah and the Prophetic Sunnah. This Law has outlined all that which is beneficial for mankind in this life and the Hereafter. One of the virtues of this Law is that its rules and regulations have clearly laid out preventions of all evil and immorality, and all the roads that lead to it which is a protection of the truth and morality. There are many issues for which this Law has laid out preventative measures so that people will not fall into evil, for example on some of the issues of faith, acts of worship and transactions. However, the most obvious of all of these preventative measures are those related to women and the limits that Allah has defined for them not to exceed. Islam has clearly laid the guidelines for the Muslim woman to adhere to so that her personality remains distinct and her safety, purity, and good conduct are assured. The correct dress and covering for women and the prohibition of them intermixing with men are the two most important interconnected preventative measures that Islam has laid out. Muslims must submit to the rulings which oblige women to properly cover in order to protect their chastity and purity, maintain shyness and protect them from being harassed or bothered, as Allah says that which translates as: O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known [as chaste believing women] and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful (Al-Ahzaab: 59). Moreover, in this verse, Allah addressed the wives of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, who were the furthest from immorality and evil actions; they were purest and most pious women ever and were honoured by the virtue of being married to the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. Allah addressed them as such when he said that which translates as: ... And when you ask [The wives of the Prophet] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts... (Al-Ahzaab: 53). Just as Muslims must adhere to this commandment of covering properly, they must also adhere and submit to the rulings which prohibit intermixing mixing between men and women. There are many Islamic texts in this regard, such as the Hadith which is narrated by Umar Ibn al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, said: Whenever a man is alone with a woman, then Satan is the third in their company. (Ahmad and Tirmidhi). This is clear evidence that mixing between the two sexes is prohibited. Another unambiguous proof is what Uqbah Ibn Aamir, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated; that the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, said: Do not enter into the presence of women. A man from the Ansaar then retorted: What about our in-laws referring to the relatives of a womans husband such as his brothers, cousins, and their children, so the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, replied: The in-laws are death (Bukhari and Muslim) which means that they are more harmful to women than death is to the soul. Slaves of Allah! Both of the previous evidences came from the mouth of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, who never spoke from his own desires, and everything he ever said was nothing but revelation. So how could anybody ever accept anyone elses opinion over this? How could they do so when the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam had the utmost care and concern for his nation, as Allah described him saying that which translates as: There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful. (At-Tawbah: 128). Is it possible that we can reject his words and act contrary to what he commanded after Allah clearly cautioned us against that with a severe warning when he said that which translates as: ...So let those who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophets] order, lest trials and afflictions
[IslamCity] DAJJAL SELLS 100 GUIDED BUNKER BOMBS TO ''ISRAEL''
Pentagon Proposes Bunker Bomb Sale to Israel
Reuters
Tue Apr 26, 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNewsstoryID=8303888
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon notified Congress
on Tuesday of a proposed sale to Israel of 100 guided
bunker-busting bombs, a move that analysts said could
prompt concerns about a unilateral Israel strike
against Iran.
Israel has requested the sale of the Lockheed Martin
Corp. GBU-28s worth as much as $30 million, the
Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in
a notice required by law for government-to-government
military sales.
The GBU-28 was developed for penetrating hardened
command centers located deep underground and would be
used by the Israeli Air Force on their U.S.-built F-15
aircraft, the agency said.
Israel -- believed to be the Middle East's only
nuclear armed state -- has denied speculation that it
might make a military strike on Iran to prevent it
from producing an atomic bomb.
In 1981 Israel sent jets to bomb an Iraqi reactor,
driving Saddam Hussein's quest for a bomb underground,
and fueling speculation of a similar strike on Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a interview
with CNN earlier this month, said his country was not
planning any military attack on Iran.
Sharon, in a separate interview with Fox News, said:
Of course we take all precautions and all the steps
to defend ourselves. But it's not that Israel should
give the answer to the international problem of Iran
potentially developing a bomb.
In January, Vice President Dick Cheney warned Israel
could in the future try to attack Iran's nuclear
facilities.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale
of the GBU-28s would not affect the basic military
balance in the region.
John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable
World, said the proposed sale was clearly a
provocative step that would prompt concerns about a
unilateral Israel strike, particularly in Iran and
elsewhere in the Middle East.
One could be suspicious that these bombs could be
used for an Israeli attack on Iran, Isaacs said,
noting that the bunker-busting bombs in question were
nonnuclear, which limited their ability to dig far
underground.
This particular munition is designed to destroy
deeply buried high-value assets such as command
centers or nuclear weapons facilities, agreed Loren
Thompson at the Virginia-based Lexington Institute.
Draw your own conclusions.
The success of any such strike on possible Iranian
nuclear facilities would depend on the quality of
intelligence about the location of such facilities, as
well as how far underground such sites were buried,
Isaacs said.
It's not a slam-dunk in any way, he added.
Once notified, Congress has 30 days to reject planned
foreign military sales but rarely does so.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNewsstoryID=8303888
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] HRW EXPOSES DAJJAL'S TORTURE OF MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD
U.S.: Abu Ghraib Only the Tip of the Iceberg Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/27/usint10545.htm --- Abu Ghraib was only the tip of the iceberg. Its now clear that abuse of detainees has happened all overfrom Afghanistan to Guantánamo Bay to a lot of third-country dungeons where the United States has sent prisoners. And probably quite a few other places we dont even know about. Reed Brody, special counsel --- (New York, April 27, 2005) The crimes at Abu Ghraib are part of a larger pattern of abuses against Muslim detainees around the world, Human Rights Watch said on the eve of the April 28 anniversary of the first pictures of U.S. soldiers brutalizing prisoners at the Iraqi jail. Abu Ghraib was only the tip of the iceberg, said Reed Brody, special counsel for Human Rights Watch. Its now clear that abuse of detainees has happened all overfrom Afghanistan to Guantánamo Bay to a lot of third-country dungeons where the United States has sent prisoners. And probably quite a few other places we dont even know about. Human Rights Watch called this week for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the culpability of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and ex-CIA Director George Tenet, as well as Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, formerly the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Gen. Geoffrey Miller, the former commander of the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba in cases of crimes against detainees. It rejected last weeks report by the Army Inspector General which was said to absolve Gen. Sanchez of responsibility. General Sanchez gave the troops at Abu Ghraib the green light to use dogs to terrorize detainees, and they did, and we know what happened, said Brody. And while mayhem went on under his nose for three months, Sanchez didnt step in to halt it. Human Rights Watch also expressed concern that, despite all the damage that had been done by the detainee abuse scandal, the United States had not stopped the use of illegal coercive interrogation. In January 2005, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed in a written response during his confirmation hearings that the prohibition on cruel, inhuman, or degrading (CID) treatment does not apply to U.S. personnel in the treatment of non-citizens abroad, indicating that no law would prohibit the CIA from engaging in CID treatment when it interrogates non-Americans outside the United States. Human Rights Watch said that the U.S. government was still withholding key information about the treatment of detainees, including directives reportedly signed by President George W. Bush authorizing the CIA to establish secret detention facilities and to render suspects to countries where torture is used. If the United States is to wipe away the stain of Abu Ghraib, it needs to investigate those at the top who ordered or condoned abuse and come clean on what the president has authorized, said Brody. Washington must repudiate, once and for all, the mistreatment of detainees in the name of the war on terror. U.S. Abuse of Detainees around the World Afghanistan: Nine detainees are now known to have died in U.S. custody in Afghanistanincluding four cases already determined by Army investigators to be murder or manslaughter. Former detainees have made scores of other claims of torture and other mistreatment. In a March 2004 report, Human Rights Watch documented cases of U.S. personnel arbitrarily detaining Afghan civilians, using excessive force during arrests of non-combatants, and mistreating detainees. Detainees held at military bases in 2002 and 2003 described to Human Rights Watch being beaten severely by both guards and interrogators, deprived of sleep for extended periods, and intentionally exposed to extreme cold, as well as other inhumane and degrading treatment. In December 2004, Human Rights Watch raised additional concerns about detainee deaths, including one alleged to have occurred as late as September 2004. In March 2005, The Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted. Guantánamo Bay, Cuba: There is growing evidence that detainees at Guantánamo have suffered torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Reports by FBI agents who witnessed detainee abuseincluding chained detainees forced to sit in their own excrementhave recently emerged, adding to the statements of former detainees describing the use of painful stress positions, use of military dogs to threaten detainees, threats of torture and death, and prolonged exposure to extremes of heat, cold and noise. Ex-detainees also said they had been subjected to weeks and even months in solitary confinementat times either suffocatingly hot or cold from excessive air conditioningas punishment for failure to cooperate. Videotapes of riot squads subduing suspects reportedly show the guards punching some
[IslamCity] ISLAMOPHOBE LUCAS NAMES HIS HELL AFTER RASULULLAH (S.A.W.)
Assalamu aleikum. Infamous bigot George Lucas has done it again. The same bigot who gave the world Jar Jar Binks and the Arab bountyhunter Jango Fett has now taken the opportunity in his final Star Wars episode to smear Rasulullah (S.A.W.). The name of the hellfire planet where Anakin Skywalker completes his transformation to Darth Vader is Mustafar. Given the earlier Jar Jar Binks and Jango Fett uproars that put Lucas on notice about bigoted portrayals, there can be no doubt that this designation is intentional. Why would Star Wars be used for this and who would it benefit? Read the 2002 article about Queen Padme below. --- 'Star Wars' actress helps defend Israel NAOMI PFEFFERMAN The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles June 14, 2002/Tamuz 4 5762, Vol. 54, No. 39 http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/020614/actress.shtml A month before the release of her new film Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Natalie Portman immersed herself in a more terrestrial conflict: defending Israel. The Jerusalem-born actress - who plays Darth Vader's squeeze Queen Padme Amidala - objected in her Ivy League college newspaper to a law student's essay condemning Israel. Faisal Chaudhry's essay decried a racist colonial occupation ... (in which) white Israeli soldiers destroy refugee camps of the brown people they have dispossessed. Says Portman, who emigrated to the United States at age 3: It just angered me that someone who is obviously intelligent enough to attend law school could be so misinformed. So the porcelain-skinned actress dashed off an April 12 letter to the editor dismissing the essay as a distortion of the fact that most Israelis and Palestinians are indistinguishable physically. The Israeli government itself is comprised of a great number of Sephardic Jews, may of whom originate from Arab countries. ... Until we accept the fact that we are constituents of the same family, we will blunder in believing that a loss for one 'side'- or as Chaudhry names it, a 'color' - is not a loss for all human kind. The vivacious, effusive Portman says her letter gleaned positive response on campus from both Arabs and Jews. But she was less pleased with an April 29 Time magazine story comparing Amidala to the United Nations Secretary-General. The piece suggests Padme, in a scene cut from the film, sounds like Kofi Annan pleading for Palestinians when she tells the Senate, 'If you offer the separatists violence, they can only show violence in return!' Portman, her bubbly voice suddenly hushed, says I'd hate to think I'm ever portraying Kofi Annan as a benevolent queen. She pauses, then adds with feeling, But I agree violence is not an answer. Long before Portman was proving the pen is mightier than the lightsaber, she grew up in a Star Wars-less household on Long Island. The daughter of an Israeli fertility doctor and an American-born artist, she didn't see George Lucas' original Star Wars films, which were released in the late 1970s and 1980s. I do remember a couple cousins running around on the Jewish holidays, imitating Chewbacca, confides Portman, who visited Israel twice yearly and has dual citizenship. Back in her American suburb, Portman says she attended a Conservative Jewish day school through seventh grade to preserve my Hebrew and my sense of Israel more than anything religious. Like most Israelis, her parents were proud but secular Jews, so young Natalie did not become bat mitzvah. The young actress was dismayed when her budding career caused classmates to spurn her. In seventh grade, I cried every day when I came back from shooting 'The Professional,' she says of her debut film. Portman switched schools and went on to portray gritty characters light-years away from her nice Jewish-girl self. She was a beguiling pre-teen in Beautiful Girls, a pregnant Okie in Where the Heart Is, and Susan Sarandon's beleaguered daughter in Anywhere But Here. One critic described her as a ravishing little gamine, though her protective parents wouldn't let her do sex scenes (or use her real surname - Portman is her grand-mother's maiden name). Portman's most personal role was the lead in The Diary of Anne Frank on Broadway in 1998, for which she received rave reviews while maintaining straight As. I grew up with the Holocaust, because my grandparents lost their entire families, says the actress, who noted an eerie similarity between a relative's story and Anne's. My grandfather's 14-year-old brother was also hidden, but one day he couldn't take it anymore and he ran outside and was shot. No wonder Portman frequently found herself crying offstage: It's a stunning realization when you come to see how much historical memory affects you, she says. After director George Lucas cast her in his three Star Wars prequels, Portman couldn't help but compare the saga's Clone warriors to Nazi troops. The clones actualize the sort of deindividuation necessary to give rise to something like the Holocaust, Portman says. The actress
[IslamCity] A CHRISTIAN SPEAKS UP FOR ISLAM AND THE MUSLIMS!
Assalamu aleikum. Why am I writing this note to my Muslim brethren? It is simply to alert them to be on guard against likely debasers of their religion in the name of modernity or liberalism. This was how it started with Christianity that today people who call themselves priests stand without shame or remorse to say that they are homosexuals and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that because it is a mere sexual preference. Others may choose to do it with same sex. Period. What Amina Wadud has done is a mere testing of the waters. --- A note to my Muslim brethren Idang Alibi On Thursday April 27, 2005 idangalibi~yahoo.com (replace ~ with @) Daily Trust (Nigeria) http://www.dailytrust.com/opinion.htm On Friday 18th of March, 2005, it was reported that an event took place in the United States of America that has never before happened in the history of Islam. One American Muslim woman, Dr. Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at the Virgin Common Wealth University, is reported to have made history by becoming the first woman to have led a Friday congregational prayer made up of both men and women. From facts which have emerged after that epocal event, it was more of a carefully crafted and staged drama intended to make a point more than a natural, evolutionary occurrence. Professor Wadud did not in any way claim that she got a revelation from Allah that He was tired of hearing congregational prayers led by men and that it was time women were allowed to also lead them. No. She and her supporters acted in order to make a point which is very crucial in what I consider the fastest growing religion in our world today, a religion called liberalism in which every desperate attempt is made to make the point that men and women are equal and that there is no good reason to keep women away from doing anything that men do. Wadud did what she did to make the loud statement that it was time Islam grew up and accepted the tenet of this new religion that has taken root in the West today in Europe and America. When I read of this event, or more approximately non-event, I was both amused and alarmed for Islam. I realised that this corrosive new religion which seems to consume every known virtue or principle on its path in its advance has set sight on Islam and if care is not taken, it will debase Islam the way it has debased known Christian virtues. Yes, the religion called liberalism which has as its central belief fundamental human rights of anyone to do as he or she fancies, has significantly corroded many Christian virtues. Today in the West, the home of this religion, many so called Christians who are in infact adherents of this new belief system, insist that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, lesbianism, oral sex and other forms of unnatural acts. On the streets and on radio and television, they openly campaign that their sinful lifestyle should be accepted not merely tolerated. Some candidates who stand for elections into high political offices have been known to have failed just because they were opposed to abortion and unnatural sexual orientation. They even have organised, reviewed and come out with a Bible which has been stripped of pronouns which seems to give the impression that God is a man. They use what they call gender-neutral pronoun like the: God-head to prune the Bible of its unnecessary sexism which they deem very offensive because it confers unmerited advantage on the male gender and which, by implication, puts women down. Adherents of liberalism religion are not in any very humble of all. They want to play God and possibly want the world recreated in their image. In fact, it is wrong to say they want to play God because they think they are even wiser than God. God they seem to indicate must have made a mistake in making men and women different and assigning them roles which tend to make men the superior. In much of the West today, if you are labeled a conservative, you are in for some big trouble: when the late Pope John II stood resolutely against abortion, contraceptive, gay or a same-sex marriage and many other vices which they hold dear, they were very uncomfortable with him and obviously secretly wished that he should die soon enough so that they can hope for a new and more liberal pontiff. Which explains why when the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger the chief advisor of the late Pope emerged as the new Pope, they could not hide their disappointment. They saw that the new Pope Benedict XVI will even be more conservative than the late one. These people do not want to obey Gods rules. They want an authority symbol that will somehow rationalize and endorse the sinful lifestyle they have chosen for themselves. When I read that they want a liberal Pope who will be soft on abortion, gay lifestyle, contraception, etc I often wonder to myself why they need or expect a messenger of God to tell them to do wrong things. I am amused at their discomfort
[IslamCity] MALAYSIA: TSUNAMI QUAKES HEATED EARTH WITH GREENHOUSE GAS
Assalamu aleikum. Note: the second article below details atmospheric increases in carbon dioxide from 2002 and 2003 and is provided here as background: massive events like big volcano eruptions or vast wildfires can also disrupt the system. Please note that 2 articles follow: *Warmer weather due to quakes *CO2 reading taken on Mauna Loa up sharply --- (1) Warmer weather due to quakes The Star Saturday April 23, 2005 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/4/23/nation/1077sec=nation THE recent earthquakes and aftershocks were among the factors that led to the recent rise in temperature in Malaysia, reported Sin Chew Daily. The daily quoted a source from the Meteorological Department as saying that the recent earthquakes had caused more carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere, which caused a warming effect. If the temperature continues to increase, it will bring about the El-Nino effect, said the source. Prior to the earthquakes, the department had forecast rain for this month and May. According to the source, carbon dioxide could lock in the heat from the sun, which would affect global temperatures. However, he said, the temperature was still considered to be normal. The average temperature in the country now is between 24°C and 37°C. . . . http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/4/23/nation/1077sec=nation --- (2) CO2 reading taken on Mauna Loa up sharply By Jan TenBruggencate Advertiser Science Writer Honolulu Advertiser Sunday, April 10, 2005 http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Apr/10/ln/ln27p.html The Mauna Loa Observatory measured a dramatic spike in the amount of carbon dioxide entering the global atmosphere in 2002 and 2003 the reasons for which aren't entirely clear although scientists have some suspects in the form of El Niño events and massive wildfires. The rising CO2 level is a key factor in the discussion of global climate change, because it is what's called a greenhouse gas it traps the sun's heat in the planet's atmosphere. Scientists say that the rate of increase dropped back to its normal level in 2004, but normal is still more carbon dioxide every year. The long-term trend is upward and strongly upward, said Barry Huebert, a University of Hawai'i professor of oceanography who specializes in atmospheric chemistry. The Mauna Loa Observatory data is the gold standard in climate research. Since 1958, the site has been recording atmospheric CO2 levels longer than any research facility in the world and it's considered one of the best sites for such measurements. The observatory, at more than 11,000-foot elevation on Mauna Loa, comprises buildings filled with and surrounded by complex scientific gear. The measurements are prized because they are taken from a site more than 2 miles high in the middle of the Pacific, distant from most human activity and far from sources of pollution. For most of the past few thousand years, ice cores and other sources indicate the CO2 level was generally stable at about 280 parts per million, said Pieter Tans, chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. With the start of the industrial revolution, 150 years ago or so, the level started rising. By the time Mauna Loa took its first measurements in 1958, it was up to 315.6 parts per million. The CO2 level has increased each year since then. Through the 1960s, the rate of increase was less than 1 ppm per year. During the past couple of decades, it has averaged 1.5 ppm. But occasionally, it jumps higher than that. In 1998 there was a spike. And during another spike in 2002 and 2003, the rate was 2.6 and 2.3 ppm, respectively. Preliminary indications are that the increase for 2004 will be about 1.5, Tans said. Last month, the overall CO2 level surpassed 380 ppm by far the highest it has been in thousands of years. While it's increasing regularly, the rise isn't always steady, as indicated by the recent spike. There are natural fluctuations in climate which influence the carbon budget, Tans said. Some of those fluctuations are seasonal changes. Every spring, when plants start growing aggressively, they take up carbon dioxide and the atmospheric level drops for a few months. Every fall, it climbs back up; each year it has been reaching a new peak. The world climate system is complicated. Oceans take up and release carbon dioxide, and so do soils and plants. A change in the climate such as during an El Niño event can change the rate of transfer. And massive events like big volcano eruptions or vast wildfires can also disrupt the system. There are large enough sources and sinks in things like big fires and the uptake by the ocean that it doesn't take much to cause an aberration, Huebert said. With respect to the 1998 and 2002-2003 spikes in carbon dioxide, it's notable that both periods had El Niño
[IslamCity] MUSLIM COUNTRIES 'NEED UNIFIED APPROACH TO SCIENCE'
Muslim countries 'need unified approach to science'
Aleem Ahmed
SciDev.Net
22 April 2005
http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNewsitemid=2061language=1
[ISLAMABAD] Science academies in the Muslim world
should adopt a unified approach to boost scientific
capacity and promote scientific solutions to
development issues, concluded a conference held in
Islamabad, Pakistan, on 19-20 April.
The chairs of the academies gathered at the conference
met to discuss strategies for using science to speed
up socioeconomic development in member countries of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Participants agreed that since OIC member countries
have much in common such as socioeconomic status and
cultural traditions they should also use a common
strategy to solve problems related to science and
technology.
Atta-ur-Rahman, chair of the Network of Academies of
Sciences in Islamic Countries and head of Pakistan's
Higher Education Commission, said that Pakistan's
'digital library programme' has greatly helped
scientists by giving them free access to more than
12,000 online research journals.
He said the Higher Education Commission would help
other OIC countries interested in setting up similar
digital libraries.
Rahman also offered OIC members access to PAKSAT-1,
Pakistan's communications satellite that transmits
educational programmes. Bought two years ago from
international telecoms giant Hughes, PAKSAT-1 covers
North Africa, the Middle East and parts of South-East
Asia as well as Pakistan.
Science academies in OIC states in these regions could
use the satellite at a nominal cost to enhance
distance learning, said Rahman.
Rahman said that Muslim countries spend just 0.2 per
cent of their gross domestic product on scientific
research and development. Despite this gap, he hoped
that Muslim countries would recognise the pivotal role
of science and technology in their development and in
programmes to eradicate poverty.
Though the conference focused primarily on higher
education and scientific research, it also discussed
plans to launch a popular science magazine and improve
science education for schoolchildren.
Without lower education, there is no higher
education, says Anwar Nasim, chair of Pakistan's
National Commission on Biotechnology (NCB).
Nasim says it is important to popularise science in
OIC countries, emphasising that socioeconomic
prosperity would never be achieved unless these
countries pay proper attention to their children's
scientific education.
Nasim says a passion for science at a young age
creates a more capable scientist, adding that Muslim
countries should focus on understanding science rather
than just memorising it.
The Islamabad conference was organised by the Pakistan
Academy of Sciences, the Network of Academies of
Sciences in Islamic Countries, the OIC Standing
Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTECH),
Pakistan's Higher Education Commission, and the
Academy of Science for the Developing World (TWAS)
based in Trieste, Italy.
Meeting with the scientists from Bangladesh, Egypt,
Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine,
Senegal and Uganda were representatives from TWAS and
Michael Clegg, foreign secretary of the US National
Academy of Sciences.
http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNewsitemid=2061language=1
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn
[IslamCity] DAJJAL BUSH'S SECRET MULTIMILLION PLOT TO FINANCE MUNAFIQS
Assalamu aleikum. Approved by President Bush, the Muslim World Outreach strategy is now being implemented across the government. ... Muslim World Outreach. Aimed at strengthening the hand of moderates, the plan acknowledges that America has done poorly in reaching out to them. But it goes one big step further, stating that the United States and its allies have a national security interest not only in what happens in the Islamic world but within Islam itself, according to three sources who have seen the document. It further states that because America is limited to what it can do in a religious struggle, the nation must rely on partners who share values like democracy, women's rights, and tolerance. Among those partners: allied Muslim states, private foundations, and nonprofit groups. --- Hearts, Minds, and Dollars In an Unseen Front in the War on Terrorism, America is Spending Millions...To Change the Very Face of Islam By David E. Kaplan With Aamir Latif, Kevin Whitelaw and Julian E. Barnes US News World Report 4/25/05 http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2005/04/1713502.php and http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050425/25roots.htm As war games go, this one was unique: the first-ever exercise on strategic communications, its sponsors said. It was July 2003, and the government's leading players in winning the war of ideas against terrorism had gathered at National Defense University, in Washington, D.C. There were crisis managers from the White House, diplomats from the State Department, Pentagon specialists in psyops--psychological operations. Washington's quick victory over Saddam Hussein's Army that spring had done little to quell surging anti-Americanism overseas. Across the Muslim world--including U.S. allies like Indonesia and Jordan--polls showed Osama bin Laden a more trusted figure than George W. Bush. The war game used an all-too-real scenario: As violent anti-American protests rocked a host of Muslim countries, pro-democracy students were being murdered in Iran while terrorists in Iraq were being hailed as patriots. The job for the government's top information warriors was daunting: improve the image of America in the Muslim world and help foster a stable democracy in Iraq. Halfway through the exercise, however, the war game was abruptly stopped. Things were so dysfunctional, recalls one participant, we saw little point in playing through the scenario. The problems, others said, were a mirror of what a dozen studies say has gone wrong in what may be the most critical front in the war on terrorism today--the battle for hearts and minds: no one in charge, no national strategy, and a glaring lack of resources. From the CIA to the State Department, America's once formidable means of influencing its enemies and telling its story abroad had crumbled, along with the fall of communism. In the battle of ideas, said Marc Ginsberg, a former ambassador to Morocco, we unilaterally disarmed. Radioactive. No more. Today, Washington is fighting back. After repeated missteps since the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government has embarked on a campaign of political warfare unmatched since the height of the Cold War. From military psychological-operations teams and CIA covert operatives to openly funded media and think tanks, Washington is plowing tens of millions of dollars into a campaign to influence not only Muslim societies but Islam itself. The previously undisclosed effort was identified in the course of a four-month U.S. News investigation, based on more than 100 interviews and a review of a dozen internal reports and memorandums. Although U.S. officials say they are wary of being drawn into a theological battle, many have concluded that America can no longer sit on the sidelines as radicals and moderates fight over the future of a politicized religion with over a billion followers. The result has been an extraordinary--and growing--effort to influence what officials describe as an Islamic reformation. Among the magazine's findings: The White House has approved a classified new strategy, dubbed Muslim World Outreach, that for the first time states that the United States has a national security interest in influencing what happens within Islam. Because America is, as one official put it, radioactive in the Islamic world, the plan calls for working through third parties--moderate Muslim nations, foundations, and reform groups--to promote shared values of democracy, women's rights, and tolerance. In at least two dozen countries, Washington has quietly funded Islamic radio and TV shows, coursework in Muslim schools, Muslim think tanks, political workshops, or other programs that promote moderate Islam. Federal aid is going to restore mosques, save ancient Korans, even build Islamic schools. This broad engagement with Islam has raised questions about whether the funding is legal, given the constitutional line between church and state. The CIA is revitalizing programs of covert action that once
[IslamCity] NOAH SOWOBI CONVERTS TO ISLAM AT ISLAMIC GAMES
Assalamu aleikum.
Note: the following article wrongly refers to Shahadah
as Moslem (sic) baptism. Insha'Allah they intend
that Shahadah is the formal statement of reversion to
Islam and in that context the statement makes sense
although it is wrong to call it baptism.
---
Noah Sowobi converts to Islam at Islamic Games
By Norman Katende in Jeddah
New Vision (Kampala)
Tuesday, 19th April, 2005
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/30/429954
BONIFACE Kiprop may have won Uganda her only medal at
the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, but
weightlifter Noah Sowobi has stolen the lime-light by
converting to Islam.
Sowobi, a christian until last week, has reportedly
been converted by the community at Madinnah Mosque.
Sowobi is yet to get a Muslim name but has already
undergone the initial stages of becoming a Moslem,
which include Moslem baptism (Shahadu), said Ugandas
chief de mission Salim Musoke.
He has been allowed to visit the holy land and has
been given an expense paid trip back here for Hijja
next year, Musoke added. It was agreed he will be
circumcised when he gets to Kampala.
Meanwhile, Badru Namujje finished fifth (230kg) out of
11 contestants in the 77kg category, Ugandas best
performance in weightlifting.
Some 6,500 athletes from 54 Muslim nations competed in
the sporting festival aimed at projecting a more
positive image of Islam to the world. The games end
tomorrow.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/30/429954
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
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[IslamCity] GENERAL ODONGO: AFRICA BECOMING DUMPING PLACE FOR DEFEATED WESTERN CULTURE
Assalamu aleikum.
For background on the multiple evils of Uganda's
proposed Domestic Relations Bill that is the subject
of the main article Odongo backs Muslims on DRB
(below) insha'Allah visit:
MUSLIMS FORCEFULLY REFUSE PARTICIPATION IN ZINA
PROMOTION BILL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/8056
MUSLIMS IN DEMO OVER DOMESTIC RELATIONS BILL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/8055
MUSLIMS PLAN DEMO OVER POLYGAMY TODAY
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/8049
---
Odongo backs Muslims on DRB
By Mariam Nalunkuuma
New Vision (Kampala)
Wednesday, 20th April, 2005
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/429972
---
photo: BACKS: Odongo
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/NP/1113975998Odongo.jpg
---
STATE minister for environment Lt. Gen. Abubaker Jeje
Odongo has backed the Muslim leaders stand on the
Domestic Relations Bill (DRB).
Those who want to pass the bill should understand
that it is aimed at distorting our society. As
Muslims, we should be given chance to explain
ourselves better over the bill. We do not want to
create disharmony in this country, Odongo said
yesterday.
He was meeting Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramdathan Mubajje
and the Muslim parliamentary caucus at Old Kampala
over the DRB.
Odongo said I am proud to be a Muslim. As Muslims MPs
with the guidance and leadership of the Uganda Muslim
Supreme Council (UMSC), we will struggle to protect
the beliefs of Islam and rights of Muslims. The UMSC
and the Muslim community should stand firm on position
taken on the bill, he said. He commended the UMSC for
fighting for unity among Muslims.
Mubajje asked the MPs to fight for the rights of the
Muslims, saying they were ministers and MPs for a
short period but Islam came first.
Mubajje said the bill was being transformed from the
defeated western culture because Africa has become a
dumping place.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/429972
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] MUSLIM MAGISTRATE ORDERS PAGANS TO STOP BURYING THEIR CHILDREN ALIVE
FANATICS BURY THEIR KIDS ALIVE
By Mark Ellis
Daily Mirror
Apr 15 2005
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=15404239%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=fanatics%2dbury%2dtheir%2dkids%2dalive-name_page.html
EIGHTY people have been charged with burying children
alive in an old Hindu ritual.
All the children - some under a year old - survived
their ordeal in the southern Indian state of Tamil
Nadu.
They were buried in two-feet deep graves and covered
with dirt while a prayer was said.
Police have been trying for years to stamp out the
risky festival of the pits.
Parents face a £60 fine and up to three years in jail
for putting their children through the 400-year-old
ritual.
Devotees believe it protects them from serious
illnesses.
The festival takes place every two years.
District magistrate for the Rajapalayam area, Mohammed
Aslam, said he would not tolerate the ritual.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=15404239%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=fanatics%2dbury%2dtheir%2dkids%2dalive-name_page.html
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] MUSLIMS FORCEFULLY REFUSE PARTICIPATION IN ZINA PROMOTION BILL
Muslims insist on polygamy
By Jude Etyang and M. Nalunkuuma
New Vision
Wednesday, 30th March, 2005
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/426158
---
photo:
SHARIA LAW: Muslims demonstrate against the Domestic
Relations Bill as they marched to Parliament yesterday
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/NP/1112115786polygam.jpg
---
THOUSANDS of Muslims marched through Kampala city
yesterday and declared a jihad (holy war) against the
Domestic Relations Bill (DRB) 2003, which is yet to be
enacted into law.
The demonstrators particularly opposed the clause
restricting polygamy.
Deafening chants of Allah Akbar! (God is great) echoed
through the busy streets mid-morning as men, women
clad in veils and children headed to Parliament where
they presented a memorandum to deputy Speaker Rebecca
Kadaga.
This is a war. We have to use all means to enjoy our
freedom of worship, Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly
chief Abbass Kiyimba said.
Kiyimba told Kadaga that Muslims, who were
peace-loving, opposed the Bill because it was against
the Quran and makes Muslims outlaws.
Waving four-fingers, the men shouted: Twagala kuwaasa
banna (We want to marry four wives).
The women also flashed four-fingers and said, Mutuleke
batuwasse (let them marry us).
Their banners read: The DRB is contradicting Islam,
Muslims not party to the DRB, Dont force us into
terrorism. The Quran is the Constitution of Allah
and Muslims should enjoy freedom of worship.
The Bill, up for debate in Parliament this week, bans
bride price and dowry, promotes cohabitation and
requires a divorcing couple to share equally property
acquired in marriage.
The demonstrators camped at Parliament gate as Imam
Kasozi preached to them. He said, Cohabitation is
zina (adultery) in Islam. We cannot tolerate such
provisions as in the DRB. We shall continue to fight
for our freedom of worship.
In the statement to Kadaga, Mufti Sheikh Shaban
Ramadhan Mubajje said Muslims were not interested in
the improvement of the Bill but wanted to be excluded
from it. He said attempts by Muslims to express their
concerns had failed.
It is neither possible nor necessary to improve the
DRB to the Muslims satisfaction. Therefore, we pray
that we be excluded from the application of this law,
Mubajje said. The statement was read by Haji Edris
Kasenene.
Mubajje said the DRB intended to destroy the sanctity
of marriage as envisaged in Islam and to turn Muslims
into outlaws. He said it could provoke religious
disharmony.
The Muslims are an important minority and their
rights should be respected, said Mubajje.
Kadaga said Parliament would handle the Bill with the
utmost sensitivity. But Kiyimba said Muslims would
take nothing less than exclusion from the Bill. He
said if violence broke over the law, the lawmakers
would take the blame.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/426158
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[IslamCity] MUSLIMS IN DEMO OVER DOMESTIC RELATIONS BILL
Muslims in demo over Domestic Relations Bill
By Solomon Muyita, Simon Kasyate Ibrahim Kasiita
The Monitor (Kampala)
March 30, 2005
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03302.php
---
photo:
NO NO NO: The Mufti Sheikh Ramadhan Mubajje (with
flag) flagging off the demonstrators at Old Kampala
Mosque (Photo by Wandera wOuma).
http://www.monitor.co.ug/images/cover03301.jpg
---
KAMPALA Thousands of Muslims from various parts of
the country yesterday poured onto Kampala streets to
protest against a Bill that proposes to outlaw
polygamy.
About 7,000 demonstrators, according to police
estimates, marched through the city centre carrying
branches, placards and banners opposing sections of
the Domestic Relations Bill. The Bill is before
Parliament.
The demonstrators included veiled women, young and
old, wearing hijab, the traditional Islamic dress, who
led the men clad in Islamic cloaks chanting Allah
Akbar (God is Great).
The Muslims say the Bill is aimed at forcing them to
follow Christian laws, by stopping polygamy, and forms
of marriage allowed in Islam.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission last month asked
Parliament to outlaw polygamy, saying it undermines
the dignity of women and the welfare of the family.
Yesterdays demonstrators flashed the four-finger sign
and chanted four to one. The Quran permits four
women for every man.
They first converged at the Uganda Muslim Supreme
Council (UMSC) headquarters at Old Kampala as early as
8 am before the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje,
flagged them off at 11.30 am.
Security personnel in civilian clothes and a few baton
wielding uniformed police guided the demo. Some of the
placards read: We dont accept the interference with
the Holy Quran; Marry women of your choice two,
three or four and lastly one.
Others read: Ugandan Women condemn the Domestic
Relations Bill; Dont force us to become
terrorists; Dare not tamper with our Constitution -
The Quran. We shall die for our Quran; Jihad has
arrived in Uganda; Leave Islam alone or we declare a
Jihad against you.
Mubajje called upon every Muslim in the country to
stick to the rules as they are written in the Quran.
The Quran caters for every aspect of marriage,
children and relationship. There is no need of making
another law for Muslims, he said.
Muslims give birth to many children. I repeat, give
birth to as many children as you can to increase our
(Muslim) population, he added. He reminded the
Muslims that they constitute only 12 percent of
Ugandas population.
The Quran stipulates very well everything in
marriage. A man can marry women depending on his
ability to maintain and sustain the relationship, he
said.
In a rare occasion, the mainstream Muslims united with
Tabliqs and Mubajje handed the green Muslim flag to
the Tabliq sect leader, Sheikh Jamil Kakeeto and the
Director of Sharia at the Uganda Muslim Supreme
Council, Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza, to lead the
procession through the city to Parliament.
At Parliament, the chairman of the parliamentary
Islamic caucus and Butambala county MP, Kaddunabbi
Ibrahim Lubega, led a ten-member delegation into the
Deputy Speakers chambers where they presented their
memorandum to Ms Rebecca Kadaga.
Additional reporting by Jane Nafula, Abou Kisige Ali
Senkabirwa.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03302.php
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn
[IslamCity] UK POODLE MONSTERS DEMAND ALI ABBAS ''PROVE'' WHEN HE WAS MAIMED!
Assalamu aleikum. The following article demonstrates why Muslims must not depend on the kaffirs for assistance. See also: Amid Allied Jubilation, a Child Lies in Agony, Clothes Soaked in Blood http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/4957 --- PROVE YOU ARE DISABLED ALI By Alexandra Williams Daily Mirror Mar 29 2005 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=15343074%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=prove%2dyou%2dare%2ddisabled%2dali-name_page.html --- photo: HORROR: Ali in 2003 after losing his arms http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/mirror/apr2003/0/9/00044592-264A- 1E92-820480BFB6FA.jpg --- EXCLUSIVE IRAQ war orphan Ali Abbas has been robbed of Government financial help - because officials suggest he cannot prove when he lost his limbs. Ali, who lost both arms when an Allied missile hit his home killing 15 relatives, applied for Disability Living Allowance last September. That was when aid from the Kuwaiti government stopped. Ali, now a British resident living in South West London, is otherwise dependent on charitable donations Officials at Work and Pensions lost his forms, they were re-submitted, and he got a reply dated March 7. The letter said he would not be entitled to aid until March 21 - last Monday - because the conditions have not been satisfied until then. Last night Zafar Khan, chairman of the Limbless Association, asked what on earth Ali had to do to prove his disability. He added: It is ridiculous to say he is only affected from last Monday. Payments are usually made from the time of applying. _ ANGER erupted last night as Iraq war victim Ali Abbas was told he will lose disability payments because he cannot prove his arms were blown off before last week. The world knows that the 14-year-old almost died in the Allied missile attack two years ago tomorrow that destroyed his Baghdad home and killed 15 members of his family including his parents. Zafar Khan, chairman of the Limbless Association that arranged for Alis UK treatment, said: What does this innocent little boy have to do to prove he is disabled? It is ridiculous to say he is only affected from last week. It is insensitive and appalling. Lib Dem Dr Jenny Tonge branded the Department for Work and Pensions ruling amid the row raging over the legality of the Iraq war typical bureaucratic nonsense. And shadow work and pensions secretary David Willetts said: This seems very harsh. Clearly Ali should receive proper help immediately. But, despite the indisputable evidence, DWP penpushers will not backdate his Disability Living Allowance as he cannot show his injuries were inflicted before March 21. Ali, who also suffered horrific burns to his torso and legs, was airlifted to Kuwait for a life-saving operation before he arrived in the UK in August 2003 for treatment. He is now a British resident though his future is by no means certain because he is an orphan and totally dependent on charitable donations. But he learned of the astonishing ruling that he will not get any benefit before Monday last week in a letter dated March 7 six months after he submitted his claim. Last September he applied for DLA after financial aid from the Kuwaiti government stopped. After DWP employees lost his forms, copies were submitted in January and Ali who lives in South West London at last got his reply in the letter stating he must wait two more weeks for his first payment. It read: You are not entitled to Disability Living Allowance until 21/03/05 because the conditions have not been satisfied until then. An insider at the DWP said: Alis injuries are well documented. It is insulting for some penpusher to say that not only is he not eligible months ago but that he has to wait a few more weeks. According to the rules, you are entitled to payment from the date you send off the forms so I dont know what has gone wrong. Maybe its a mistake but they should be more sensitive. DLA has two parts. Ali was granted the full rate of £58.80 a week for help with personal care but only the lower rate of £15.50 for help with getting around, the equivalent of £2.21 a day. Charity chairman Mr Khan said: We were most surprised that Ali was deemed only eligible for the lower amount when it comes to mobility. He falls down a lot because, not having arms, he obviously has problems with his balance. He is not independent at all and cannot go out on his own. Dr Tonge, the local MP, added: This adds insult to injury. It is particularly poignant considering we have inflicted these injuries on Ali. We should feel a duty of care towards him. It is the least we can do. Without arms one cant balance properly. You do not just require two legs to walk. And he cant even open the door. Do they expect him to use his teeth on door handles? Ali lives with Ahmed Hamza, 16, and Ahmeds dad Mohamed. Ahmed lost his right hand and left leg in the war. The boys met in
[IslamCity] MUSLIMS PLAN DEMO OVER POLYGAMY TODAY
Muslims plan demo over polygamy today
By Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa
The Monitor (Kampala)
March 29, 2005
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03293.php
KAMPALA - Muslims are planning to hold a demonstration
in the city today to protest against some clauses of
the Domestic Relations Bill (DRB).
The Bill is under debate in Parliament.
Hajji Nsereko Mutumba, the Public Relations Officer of
the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), told The
Monitor yesterday the demonstrators would be led by
the Director of Sharia, Sheikh Rajab Kakooza.
The demonstrators will start marching from the UMSC
headquarters at Old Kampala at 9am and move to
Parliament where they are expected to hand in a
memorandum to the Speaker, Mr Edward Ssekandi.
Mutumba said police had not yet given them a go-ahead.
We are organised to stage a demonstration tomorrow
(today). We are only waiting for permission from the
police. As soon as we get it, we shall make people
know, Mutumba said.
Police Spokesman Assumani Mugenyi said he had not
received official communication allowing the
demonstration.
I have talked to my bosses and it seems the
organisers contacted another office for clearance, he
said.
The controversial Bill has faced strong opposition
mostly from Muslims since it was first tabled last
year.
Muslims are opposed the clause that recognises
polygamy on condition that a man has to seek consent
from the first wife before marrying a second one.
They are also opposed to the proposal to scrap
bride-price, one of the requirements for solemnisation
of a marriage.
Muslims also oppose the recognition of cohabitation as
marriage for couples that have spent 10 years or more
together.
If it takes off, this will be the third demonstration
in less than two weeks - after last weeks
demonstrations organised by both pro and anti-third
term agitators.
Mutumba said the UMSC had mobilised believers from
various parts of the country for the demonstration.
We are ready to participate in this cause because we
never requested for such a law, he said.
Even what the legal committee proposes is total
rubbish as per the Islamic teachings, he said.
The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee last
week concurred with the Muslims on some provisions of
the Bill.
In its report to the Parliament on Thursday, the
committee observed that the issue of bride-price as a
requirement for solemnisation of marriage should be
left to customary law.
The committee said it would be dehumanising to the
first wife for a man to seek her consent before
marrying a second woman.
It recommended that polygamy should be left to the
customary laws that govern couples in their respective
faiths.
The Human Rights Commission had proposed that polygamy
should be outlawed.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03293.php
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
title change to daily digest.
Yahoo! Groups Links
* To visit
[IslamCity] REVAVA ANTI-MUSLIM HATE GROUP PLANS APRIL 10TH PROVOCATION
Assalamu aleikum.
***WARNING***
***WARNING***: as with ANY zionist website, the Revava
hatesite (BELOW) and those following the article
should ONLY be approached with appropriate security
cautions in place.
---
Revava to the Temple Mount Press Release
Written by Yaakov Ish Tam
10,000 Jews to ascend Temple Mount
http://www.revava.org/index.php?option=contenttask=viewid=52
Group seeks to reclaim Israeli control of holy site
JERUSALEM -- On Sunday April 10, 2005, the first day
of the Hebrew month of Nisan, Revavaa grassroots
Jewish organizationplans to bring 10,000 Jews to the
heavily restricted Temple Mount to spark Israeli
dialogue about reclaiming the holy site from its
Muslim custodians.
We're talking about our civil and religious right to
have access to the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is
the single holiest place in the world for Jews. It's
time the Israeli government restores control to the
rightful ownersthe Jewish people. David Ha'ivri,
Chairman of Revava
Contact David Ha'ivri or Yisrael Meir Cohen
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone U.S. 212-561-5924 Israel 03-906-0875
Revava English website:
http://www.revava.org/index.php
10,000 Jews to ascend Temple Mount
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43321
Far-right activists plan to bring 10,000 to Temple
Mount
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/553070.html
God-Fearing Jews Stage Temple Mount Takeover
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_7306.shtml
Temple Mount: No-prayer zone
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42895
Jewish group plans al-Aqsa march
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/650D32A1-B701-4132-9830-
65AA1DB1C4ED.htm
Katif settlers give names of extremists to authorities
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/554571.html
Settlement restrictions don't faze activists
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellitepagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowF
ullcid=375278691p=1078027574097
Police to bar masses from Temple Mt.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFullcid=461687074p=1078027574097
Israel bans Temple Mount ascent of 10,000 Jews
Says it would allow thousands of Muslims
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43426
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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[IslamCity] ATLANTA COURTROOM SHOOTER IDENTIFIED AS BRIAN NICHOLS
Assalamu aleikum.
see also:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/4275403/detail.html
---
Judge, Court Reporter Slain in Atlanta
Associated Press
March 11, 2005
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031105judge_wr,0,5845653.story?coll=la-home-headlines
ATLANTA A judge and a court reporter were shot to
death today at the Fulton County Courthouse and at
least two others wounded, authorities said. A search
for the suspect was under way.
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor confirmed that Superior Court
Judge Rowland Barnes and his court reporter were
killed. He gave no other details in announcing the
deaths in the state Senate.
The judge was shot on the eighth floor of the
courthouse, while one deputy was shot on a street
corner just outside the building, said Officer Alan
Osborne with the Atlanta Police Department.
Witnesses said the gunman carjacked a car and
authorities were searching for several vehicles
reported stolen in the area.
Fulton County Sheriff's Lt. Clarence Huber identified
the suspect as 33-year-old Brian Nichols, who was
being held on rape charges stemming from an incident
in August.
Grady Hospital reported that it was treating two
deputies. It was not immediately known the extent of
their injuries.
I saw one person on the street that they were
performing CPR on, said court reporter Amy McKee.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newsroom staff was
told that Don O'Briant, a features reporter for the
paper, was beaten by the suspect outside the
courthouse. Mike King, an editorial board member for
the paper, said O'Briant was taken to Grady.
All the judges in the building were locked in their
chambers. The courthouse and other buildings in
downtown Atlanta were on lockdown. Traffic in the
blocks surrounding the courthouse was backed up as
police cruisers flooded the area looking for the
suspect.
Among cases handled by Barnes was the fatal 2003 car
wreck by hockey star Dany Heatley that killed his
25-year-old teammate Dan Snyder. Heatley pleaded
guilty and was sentenced Feb. 4 to three years on
probation and ordered to give 150 speeches about the
dangers of speeding.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031105judge_wr,0,5845653.story?coll=la-home-headlines
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] DAJJAL FORCES ASSASSINATE NEGOTIATOR WHO GOT HOSTAGE RELEASED
Freed Italian hostage 'wounded', negotiator killed, by
US fire
AFP
3/4/2005
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=38006
ROME - Freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was
wounded when US troops opened fire on a convoy
carrying her to safety, and an Italian negotiator who
helped secure her release was killed, her newspaper Il
Manifesto said here Friday.
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed
that Sgrena had been wounded and an Italian secret
service agent killed by US troops at a coalition
checkpoint in Iraq.
The journalist was taken to a US-run hospital for
treatment for wounds to her shoulder after her vehicle
was fired on by US troops at a coalition checkpoint,
her newspaper said, adding that the 54-year-old
journalist's life was not in danger.
The negotiator, an Italian secret service agent, was
shot dead in the incident as he tried to protect
Sgrena, the paper said.
The ANSA news agency said two other Italian secret
service agents were wounded. It is not known if they
returned fire.
Only shortly before, the Italian government had
confirmed Sgrena's release, exactly a month after she
was kidnapped near a Baghdad mosque while on
assignment in Iraq.
In Rome, the immense joy and relief at the news of her
release quickly turned to concern and anger.
Sgrena's brother Ivan confirmed on Italian state
television RAI that she had been wounded.
There's little to say. The Americans nearly killed
her, Sgrena's companion Pier Scolari was quoted as
saying by the ANSA news agency.
Sources at the newspaper said the US troops had opened
fire when the convoy in which Sgrena was travelling
reached a coalition road-block as it was speeding
towards Baghdad airport.
The newspaper named the dead man as Nicola Calipari,
saying he was hit while trying to protect Sgrena.
Il Manifesto's editor Gabriele Polo paid tribute to
the Italian agent, crediting him with Sgrena's
release.
Nicola Calipari is the person we must thank most for
Giuliana's release. Unfortunately, he was killed by
American bullets, said Polo.
Italy's third-highest state official, Senate speaker
Marcello Pera, expressed satisfaction over Sgrena's
release and his condolences to Calipari's family.
The journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad last month by
an Iraqi group who called on Rome to withdraw its
troops from Iraq.
News of the shooting dampened the mood at the Rome
offices of the newspaper, where overjoyed staff were
celebrating their colleague's release and preparing
for her return.
Details of the release were not immediately clear.
News of the release, first carried in an unsourced
report by Al-Jazeera television, was confirmed by
Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who said he
had been informed by Gianni Letta, the minister
responsible for the Italian secret service.
You can't imagine my joy or emotion, said the
84-year-old Ciampi.
I'm very moved and happy. The release of Giuliana
Sgrena has given us women the most beautiful present
for March 8, said Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita
Boniver, referring to International Women's Day next
Tuesday.
Sgrena, a 56-year-old veteran Middle East
correspondent for the leftist daily Il Manifesto, was
abducted February 4 after visiting a Baghdad mosque
where refugees have been encamped since a devastating
US-led assault on the city of Fallujah in November.
Sgrena was shown pleading for her life in a video
released by her kidnappers two weeks after her
kidnapping in Baghdad.
Sobbing and looking thinner, she delivered an
impassioned message first in Italian, then in French
to plead for her life, to beg Rome to withdraw its
troops from Iraq and to warn all foreigners, including
journalists, to stay away from Iraq.
Berlusconi's centre-right government rejected the
plea, and within days used its majority to ensure the
Italian Senate voted to extend the mission of Rome's
3,000 troops in Iraq.
A few days after the video was shown, an estimated
half a million people marched in Rome to demand her
release.
Sgrena has worked since 1988 for Il Manifesto, which
opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq.
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=38006
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware
[IslamCity] MAYOR OF LONDON IDENTIFIES ARIEL SHARON AS A WAR CRIMINAL
Assalamu aleikum. Please note that 2 articles follow: *Sharon is war criminal says Livingstone *This is about Israel, not anti-semitism --- (1) Sharon is war criminal says Livingstone Hugh Muir The Guardian Friday March 4, 2005 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gla/story/0,9061,1430317,00.html Ken Livingstone has reignited his dispute with Britain's Jewish leaders by launching a provocative attack on the war criminal Ariel Sharon. In a riposte to criticism from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the London mayor accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and said its prime minister should be imprisoned. He also accused Israel of demonising Muslims. Writing in the Guardian, he again rejected accusations of anti-semitism arising from his confrontation two weeks ago with the Jewish newspaper reporter he likened to a German concentration camp guard. But while stressing his steadfast opposition to racism and his regard for the Jewish people, he accused Israel of spreading misinformation about the scale of anti-semitism in Europe, and seeking to silence critics by calling them anti-semitic. Mr Livingstone said: Israel's expansion includes ethnic cleansing. Palestinians who had lived in that land for centuries were driven out by systematic violence and terror aimed at ethnically cleansing what became a large part of the Israeli state. He added: Today the Israeli government continues seizures of Palestinian land for settlements, military incursions into surrounding countries and denial of the right of Palestinians expelled by terror to return. Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, is a war criminal who should be in prison not in office. Israel's own Kahan commission found that Sharon shared responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila [Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut] massacre. Mr Livingstone said the Israeli government presented a wholly distorted picture of racism and religious discrimination in Europe, so it appeared Jews suffered most discrimination. The reality is that the great bulk of racist attacks in Europe today are on black people, Asians and Muslims. They are the primary targets of the extreme right. Relations between the mayor and key sections of the Jewish community are tense because of his clash with the Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold and his subsequent refusal to apologise, and his invitation to the Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to speak at a conference in London last year. One of Mr Livingstone's most high-profile critics following the clash with Mr Finegold was Zvi Heifetz, the Israeli ambassador to London. He said last night: The mayor is confused once again. Ethnic cleansing was perpetrated in the concentration camps which he should know being such an expert on them. The dozens of world leaders who attended the London meeting only two days ago [all commend Mr] Sharon, for his courageous steps to achieve peace in the Middle East. Commenting on the row with an article in Wednesday's Guardian, Henry Grunwald of the Board of Deputies said Mr Livingstone must reverse his stance and make amends, adding: He has let us down. He has let his office down. Oliver Finegold deserves an apology, Holocaust survivors deserve an apology, the Jewish community deserves an apology and most of all, London deserves an apology. Then we can all move on. The Board of Deputies has triggered an investigation into Mr Livingstone's conduct by the local government watchdog, the Standards Board for England. A spokesman for the Board of Deputies last night accused Mr Livingstone of seeking to deflect attention away from his own behaviour by attacking Israel. --- (2) This is about Israel, not anti-semitism Not to speak out against this injustice would not only be wrong. It would ignore the threat it poses to us all Ken Livingstone Friday March 4, 2005 The Guardian http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gla/comment/0,9236,1430185,00.html Racism is a uniquely reactionary ideology, used to justify the greatest crimes in history - the slave trade, the extermination of all original inhabitants of the Caribbean, the elimination of every native inhabitant of Tasmania, apartheid. The Holocaust was the ultimate, industrialised expression of racist barbarity. Racism serves as the cutting edge of the most reactionary movements. An ideology that starts by declaring one human being inferior to another is the slope whose end is at Auschwitz. That is why I detest racism. No serious commentator has argued that my comments to an Evening Standard reporter outside City Hall last month were anti-semitic. So I am glad that Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, accepted on these pages that Ken is sincere when he states that he regards the Holocaust as the worst crime of the last century. The contribution of Jewish people to human civilisation and culture is unexcelled and extraordinary. You only have to think of giants such as Einstein, Freud and Marx to realise that human
[IslamCity] FULL TEXT OF ''HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD OF THE US IN 2004''
Full text of Human Rights Record of the US in 2004 Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China March 03, 2005 http://english.people.com.cn/200503/03/eng20050303_175406.html Following is the full text of the Human Rights Record of the United States in 2004, released by the Information office of China's State Council Thursday, March 3, 2005. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2004 By the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China March 3, 2005 In 2004 the atrocity of US troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the dark side of human rights performance of the United States. The scandal shocked the humanity and was condemned by the international community. It is quite ironic that on Feb. 28 of this year, the State Department of the United States once again posed as the the world human rights police and released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004. As in previous years, the reports pointed fingers at human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions (including China) but kept silent on the US misdeeds in this field. Therefore, the world people have to probe the human rights record behind the Statue of Liberty in the United States. I. On Life, Liberty and Security of Person American society is characterized with rampant violent crimes, severe infringement of people's rights by law enforcement departments and lack of guarantee for people's rights to life, liberty and security of person. Violent crimes pose a serious threat to people's lives. According to a report released by the Department of Justice of the United States on Nov. 29, 2004, in 2003 residents aged 12 and above in the United States experienced about 24 million victimizations, and there occurred 1,381,259 murders, robberies and other violent crimes, averaging 475 cases per 100,000 people. Among them there were 16,503 homicides, up 1.7 percent over 2002, or nearly six cases in every 100,000 residents, and one of every 44 Americans aged above 12 was victimized. The Associated Press reported on June 24, 2004 that the number of violent crimes in many US cities were on the rise. In 2003 Chicago alone recorded 598 homicides, 80 percent of which involved the use of guns. The Washington D.C. reported 41,738 murders, robberies and other violent crimes in 2003, averaging 6,406.4 cases per 100,000 residents. In 2004 the District recorded 198 killings, or a homicide rate of 35 per 100,000 residents. Detroit,which has less than 1 million residents, recorded 18,724 criminal cases in 2003, including 366 murders and 814 rapes, which amounted to a homicide rate of 41 per 100,000 residents. In 2003 the homicide rate in Baltimore was 43 per 100,000 residents. The Baltimore Sun reported on Dec. 17, 2004 that the city reported 271 killings from January to early December in 2004. It was reported that on Sept. 8, 2004 that by Sept. 4, 2004 there had been 368 homicides in the city, up 4.2 percent year-on-year. The USA Today reported on July 16, 2004 that in an average week in the US workplace one employee is killed and at least 25 are seriously injured in violent assaults by current or former co-workers. The Cincinnati Post reported on Nov. 12, 2004 that homicides average 17 a week and there are nearly 5,500 violent assaults a day at US job sites. The United States has the biggest number of gun owners and gun violence has affected lots of innocent lives. According to a survey released by the University of Chicago in 2001, 41.7 percent of men and 28.5 percent of women in the United States report having a gun in their homes, and 29.2 percent of men and 10.2 percent of women personally own a gun. The Los Angeles Times reported on Jul. 19, 2004 that since 2000 the number of firearm holders rose 28 percent in California. About 31,000 Americans are killed and 75,000 wounded by firearms each year, which means more than 80 people are shot dead each day. In 2002 there were 30,242 firearm killings in the United States; 54 percent of all suicides and 67 percent of all homicides were related to the use of firearms. The Associated Press reported that 808 people were shot dead in the first half of 2004 in Detroit. Police violence and infringement of human rights by law enforcement agencies also constitute a serious problem. At present, 5,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States use TASER - a kind of electric shock gun, which sends out 50,000 volts of impulse voltage after hitting the target. Since 1999, more than 80 people died from TASER shootings, 60 percent of which occurred between November 2003 and November 2004. A survey found that in the 17 years from 1985 to 2002, Los Angeles recorded more than 100 times increase in police shooting at automobile drivers, killing at least 25 and injuring more than 30 of them. Of these cases, 90 percent were due to misjudgment. (The Los Angeles Times, Feb. 29, 2004.) On Jul. 21, 2004 Chinese
[IslamCity] NO. 1? AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS
America by the numbers No. 1? by Michael Ventura Austin Chronicle via Citypages February 23, 2005 http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1264/article12985.asp --- image: http://img.citypages.com/imagebank/articles/26_1264/26_1264a12985_p.jpg Image by Jane Sherman --- No concept lies more firmly embedded in our national character than the notion that the USA is No. 1, the greatest. Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous advertisements for the brand name America Is No. 1. Any office seeker saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact, anyone saying otherwise will be labeled un-American. We're an empire, ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1. Well...this is the country you really live in: *The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004). *The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). *Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005). *The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries' (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78). *Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere! *The European Union leads the U.S. in...the number of science and engineering graduates; public research and development (RD) expenditures; and new capital raised (The European Dream, p.70). *Europe surpassed the United States in the mid-1990s as the largest producer of scientific literature (The European Dream, p.70). *Nevertheless, Congress cut funds to the National Science Foundation. The agency will issue 1,000 fewer research grants this year (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). *Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent last year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first time in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last year Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent, Indians 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). We're not the place to be anymore. *The World Health Organization ranked the countries of the world in terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]...37th. In the fairness of health care, we're 54th. The irony is that the United States spends more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world (The European Dream, pp.79-80). Pay more, get lots, lots less. *The U.S. and South Africa are the only two developed countries in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens (The European Dream, p.80). Excuse me, but since when is South Africa a developed country? Anyway, that's the company we're keeping. *Lack of health insurance coverage causes 18,000 unnecessary American deaths a year. (That's six times the number of people killed on 9/11.) (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005.) *U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among the developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower (The European Dream, p.81). Been to Mexico lately? Does it look developed to you? Yet it's the only developed country to score lower in childhood poverty. *Twelve million American families--more than 10 percent of all U.S. households--continue to struggle, and not always successfully, to feed themselves. Families that had members who actually went hungry at some point last year numbered 3.9 million (NYT, Nov. 22, 2004). *The United States is 41st in the world in infant mortality. Cuba scores higher (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005). *Women are 70 percent more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005). *The leading cause of death of pregnant women in this country is murder (CNN, Dec. 14, 2004). *Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was dead last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in the 1980s In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate grew only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent (The European Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any other industrialized country, and get less vacation time. *Sixty-one of the 140 biggest companies on the Global Fortune 500 rankings are European, while only 50 are U.S. companies (The European Dream, p.66). In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European (The European Dream, p.69). *Fourteen of the 20 largest commercial banks in the world today are European In the
[IslamCity] THE COMING END OF THE AMERICAN SUPERPOWER
The Last Waltz? The Coming End of the American Superpower By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS Counterpunch March 1, 2005 http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts03012005.html The US economy is headed toward crisis, and the political leadership of the country--if it can be called leadership--is preoccupied with nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The US economy is failing. The afflictions are serious. They could be fatal even if diagnosed and treated. America is losing the purchasing power of its currency and its ability to create middle class jobs. The dollar's sharp decline and projections of continuing trade and budgetary red ink are undermining the dollar's role as reserve currency. A number of central banks have announced that they will be diversifying their currency holdings and will not be buying dollars at the same rate as in the past. This will put more pressure on the dollar. At some point the flight will begin. Instead of buying fewer dollars, central banks will sell dollars hoping to get out before the dollar hits bottom. Suddenly, the advantage of being the reserve currency becomes a nightmare as the world's accumulations of dollars are brought to market. An enormous supply and weak demand mean a very low exchange rate for the once almighty US dollar. Overnight those cheap goods in Wal-Mart, which are the no-think economist's facile justification for Wal-Mart's decimation of communities, small businesses and employment, shoot up in price. Interest rates will escalate as the government struggles to finance its endless red ink. Heavily indebted Americans with adjustable rate mortgages will attempt to sell homes just as rising mortgage rates reduce buyers. Real estate assets, the rising value of which have been keeping the economy going, will give back gains. The US has lost its ability to create middle class jobs or for that matter any jobs. During the last four years the US has experienced a net loss of 760,000 private sector jobs (January 2001 - January 2005). Think what this means for graduating classes and people coming of age to enter the work force. Moreover, the composition of jobs has changed away from high-value-added, high-productivity jobs in tradable goods and services toward lower productivity domestic service jobs that cannot be outsourced. Even here in this last remaining area of employment for Americans, the US work force is losing job opportunities to foreign nurses and school teachers brought in on H-1b work visas as a result of budgetary pressures on local school budgets and hospitals. No-think economists and politicians continue to propose unemployment insurance and education as remedies for the jobs problem. These proposals are mindless to say the least. The same incentive to outsource holds for all tradable skills. If truth be known, job outsourcing and offshore production sound the death bell for US higher education. Americans unable to find jobs in export and import-competitive sectors find themselves searching for jobs in nontradable domestic services, where their inflow into those labor markets is augmented by illegal immigrants and foreigners on H-1b visas. Obviously, the pressure on wages is downward. No-think economists explain away the difficulties as a globalization adjustment that will require Americans to curtail their consumption of imported goods. These economists are ignorant of American's dependence on imported manufactured goods. Even American brand name goods are made abroad in whole or in part. Tightening the belt will mean much more than cutting out foreign made luxuries. The dollars' decline will drive up the price of all inputs except US labor which is being substituted out of production functions and replaced with foreign labor. Oblivious to reality, the Bush administration has proposed a Social Security privatization that will cost $4.5 trillion in borrowing over the next 10 years alone! America has no domestic savings to absorb this debt, and foreigners will not lend such enormous sums to a country with a collapsing currency--especially a country mired in a Middle East war running up hundreds of billions of dollars in war debt. A venal and self-important Washington establishment combined with a globalized corporate mentality have brought an end to America's rising living standards. America's days as a superpower are rapidly coming to an end. Isolated by the nationalistic unilateralism of the neoconservatives who control the Bush administration, the US can expect no sympathy or help from former allies and rising new powers. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts03012005.html __
[IslamCity] TEACHING KIDS TO FEAR AND HATE ISLAM AND THE MUSLIMS
Assalamu aleikum.
There's a scene in an old movie about the 50s that
goes like this:
Teen bigot to Jewish teen: You know what you are?
You're a KITE, that's what you are.
Jewish teen: The word is KIKE - K-I-K-E. You're so
stupid you're not even smart enough to be a good
bigot.
The more things change, the more they stay the same!
Note clue #8 at the crossword puzzle:
http://www.legionkids.org/pdf_files/crossword_final.pdf
And they didn't even get their intended answer
right.
It is evident from the number of spaces that they
provided for the answer (6 spaces) that their intended
answer is Muslim.
ISLAM is the name of the religion.
MUSLIM is one who embraces Islam.
They're so stupid they're not even smart enough to be
good bigots.
But the real question is WHY are they promoting fear
and hatred of Islam and the Muslims?
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
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any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
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[IslamCity] NEARLY 400,000 TSUNAMI VICTIMS TO BE MOVED TO 24 LOCATIONS
Nearly 400,000 Tsunami Victims To Be Moved To 24
Locations
Bernama
January 14, 2005
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=114353
BANDA ACEH, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Some 377,436 victims
of gigantic earthquake and subsequent tsunamis who
have been taking refuge in 64 places in Aceh will be
moved to 24 other places in the province, the
Indonesian news agency Antara reported Friday.
Humanitarian workers have been cleaning up six
locations including Simpang Ulim subdistrict in East
Aceh which will be used for the relocation of the
surving victims, head of the Aceh disaster handling
national agency's operational team, Budi Admadi Adi
Putro said.
He said the death toll of the tsunami disaster in 15
Aceh has reached 78,395 on Wednesday, and nearly
75,000 of them have already been buried.
Some 131,479 others were still missing or have taken
refuge, he said. As many as 15,376 houses, 193 office
buildings, 270 houses of worship, and 605 school
buildings in North Aceh, Nagan Raya and Simeuleu
districts were totally swept away by the strong tidal
waves, he said.
Aceh deputy governor Azwar Abubakar said recently the
shortage of heavy equipment had prevented personnel
from clearing tsunami-hit towns from rubble and debris
effectively.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=114353
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] PENTAGON PLOTTED HOMOSEXUALIZING CHEMICAL WEAPON
Pentagon reveals rejected chemical weapons
New Scientist
15 January 2005
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524823.800
THE Pentagon considered developing a host of
non-lethal chemical weapons that would disrupt
discipline and morale among enemy troops, newly
declassified documents reveal.
Most bizarre among the plans was one for the
development of an aphrodisiac chemical weapon that
would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to
each other. Provoking widespread homosexual behaviour
among troops would cause a distasteful but completely
non-lethal blow to morale, the proposal says.
Other ideas included chemical weapons that attract
swarms of enraged wasps or angry rats to troop
positions, making them uninhabitable. Another was to
develop a chemical that caused severe and lasting
halitosis, making it easy to identify guerrillas
trying to blend in with civilians. There was also the
idea of making troops' skin unbearably sensitive to
sunlight.
The proposals, from the US Air Force Wright Laboratory
in Dayton, Ohio, date from 1994. The lab sought
Pentagon funding for research into what it called
harassing, annoying and 'bad guy'-identifying
chemicals. The plans have been posted online by the
Sunshine Project, an organisation that exposes
research into chemical and biological weapons.
Spokesman Edward Hammond says it was not known if the
proposed $7.5 million, six-year research plan was ever
pursued.
From issue 2482 of New Scientist magazine, 15 January
2005, page 4
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524823.800
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
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[IslamCity] FATHER CONCERNED ABOUT TERRORIST-LEANING SON
Father concerned about terrorist-leaning son
A commentary by Kevin O'Brien
The Daily Press
Monday, January 10th, 2005
http://www.ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=6story_id=191082
Dear Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
CC: President George W. Bush
CC: Vice President Dick Cheney
I'm writing this letter because I am worried about my
son. Over the past few years, he has taken up an
interest in Islam, of all things. I've found him
reading such Muslim propaganda as Malcom X's biography
and The Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship. He even
has his own copy of the Koran! He gets many of these
books from our local library, so I wonder how long it
will be before he ends up on a suspected terrorist
list.
That's why I want to ask you about a possible Scared
Straight program at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. I've read
many news articles about the innovative techniques you
are using there to isolate terrorists and other Muslim
extremists from the rest of the civilized world. I
think my son could benefit from an extended stay at
the facility, especially if he didn't know how long it
would be before he was released. The prospect of
indefinite incarceration without charges or legal
representation is a very effective tool against these
terrorist scum, I've heard.
A regular jail or prison in the United States just
wouldn't do the trick with my son. If he saw prisoners
talking with lawyers or enjoying other freedoms, I
think it would send him the wrong message about
American justice during a time of war. He needs to
understand that terrorists don't have rights.
According to recent FBI documents I've read,
Guantanamo Bay seems to be on the cutting edge of
criminal justice in this age of international
terrorism. An agent wrote this intriguing account: On
a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to
find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal
position to the floor, with no chair, food or water.
Most times they had urinated or defecated on
themselves, and had been left there for 18, 24 hours
or more. If my son could see some of this up close
and personal, I think he would change his ways and
grow into a good Christian adult. Go easy on him,
though, he is just a kid.
I'm sure you will have to cut through some pesky red
tape for a program like this to be implemented. My
suggestion is that you don't even bring it before
Congress, since bleeding heart liberals would probably
try to water it down. Mr. Bush has done some wonderful
things with executive orders. I would be willing to
turn over my son as a prototype prisoner for the
Guantanamo Bay Scared Straight program. Just make sure
to keep it away from the media; they love to throw
around words like abuse and torture without
thinking about the bigger picture of fighting
terrorism. But I don't have to tell you that. Just
like the War on Drugs, the War on Terror starts at
home. I want to do my part as an American Patriot and
a father.
Sincerely,
Patriotic Papa in Pittsburgh
Kevin OBrien is a Daily Press staff reporter.
http://www.ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=6story_id=191082
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged
[IslamCity] KABBALAH CULT EXPLOITS TSUNAMI TRAGEDY FOR PROPAGANDA AND MONEY
Assalamu aleikum. Sweeney Investigates: The Kabbalah Centre, is scheduled for broadcast on BBC Two, Thursday 13 January, 2005 at 2150 GMT [9:50 p.m. UK time] For a photo from the Kabbalah Centre itself of its exploited South Asia tsunami victims being handed copies of the Kabbalah religious text, the Zohar: http://www.kabbalahwater.com/fund/fund-top.jpg Please note that 2 articles follow: *Sweeney Investigates The Kabbalah Centre *The great Kabbalah con exposed --- (1) Sweeney Investigates The Kabbalah Centre Thu 13 Jan, 9:50 pm - 10:30 pm 40mins http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=thursdayservice_id=4284filename=20050113/20050113_2150_4284_38105_40 Celebs like Madonna, Britney Spears and David Beckham have all been seen wearing the red string - the badge of the Kabbalah Centre. Madonna - new name Esther - drinks the special Kabbalah water to ward off evil. But there is a darker side to Hollywood's latest craze. In the first of a new investigative series, reporter John Sweeney travels from London to a hurricane-tossed Miami, to Canada and Israel to examine allegations of quack cures for cancer, group brain-washing and broken families. He also talks to former insiders who claim the Kabbalah Centre movement is a sinister religious cult. [With audio description] http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=thursdayservice_id=4284filename=20050113/20050113_2150_4284_38105_40 --- (2) The great Kabbalah con exposed The Telegraph January 10, 2005 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/01/10/ftkab10.xmlsSheet=/arts/2005/01/10/ixartright.html --- photos: Down the drain: followers pay high prices for 'healing' water http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2005/01/10/ftkab110.jpg Material girl goes 'spiritual': Madonna attends a Kabbalah talk in Tel Aviv http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2005/01/10/ftkab10.jpg --- Using a secret camera, cancer patient Tony Donnelly went inside the Kabbalah Centre in London to reveal an organisation that charges £860 for dinner, 'healing' water and some books in Aramaic The surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital had warned me after I went under the knife for bladder cancer that the third month after the operation would be the most frustrating. I had got through the chemotherapy course and the good news was that I was still alive and kicking. But, while nowhere near my original fitness, I was desperate for something exciting, anything, to break me out of the boredom of convalescence. John Sweeney, the BBC reporter, who knows me of old, had visited me at the hospital and knew that I had done covert camera work before. His call was like a tonic. This job, he explained, concerned a curious religious outfit called the Kabbalah Centre, which claimed, among other things, that its Kabbalah water was blessed with miraculous powers of restoration and healing and that its Zohar books, the core texts of Kabbalah which they marketed, did you good, too. They operated from a £3.65 million property off Bond Street in central London, and names such as Madonna and Britney Spears were mentioned as supporters [ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2004/09/17/nwmad16.xml ]. Some people said the centre helped people to understand ancient Jewish mysticism, but others who had been inside it called it a cult. My task was to test its claim that the water and the books could help cure cancer. I was to play the wealthy businessman stricken with cancer, which was at least half true. After picking up my secret camera, I headed off to the London Kabbalah Centre. On hearing of my cancer and that money was no problem, Miriam at reception filled me in: We have the Kabbalah water, that has very strong healing powers. Would it help my cells? It's a very good possibility, she said. We have one girl, who works here, her mother used to have cancer and she doesn't have it any more Because she drank the water. She comes here for Shabbat [the Sabbath]. There are a lot of connections you can do. The water is very, very good because it affects the cells, it cleanses the cells. She arranged a meeting that day for me with Chagai Shouster, a senior figure in the centre. He told me he lived there and explained that his possessions would fit into one suitcase. He didn't have money to buy clothes, but received gifts. He also said that, for the last nine years, he had only been given what he needed. He struck me as an intelligent man who, but for his devotion to the Kabbalah Centre, would be holding down a worthwhile career in the outside world. We talked about my cancer. Shouster was very careful to stress that he wasn't promising miracles, but he said there were tools that could help, including the water and the Zohar - the Kabbalah books in Aramaic and Hebrew. You need to let go of what the doctors told you, he said. Drinking the water while meditating on the places that we have a problem with - the
[IslamCity] JAKARTA DENIES ROLE IN CHRISTIAN KIDNAPPING OF MUSLIM CHILDREN AS CRISIS DEEPENS
Assalamu aleikum. - ... a spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, Marty Natalegawa, said yesterday: We have no knowledge of this. If confirmed, this would constitute a serious violation of the standing ban by the Indonesian Government on the adoption of Acehnese children affected by the tsunami disaster, and appropriate steps would be taken accordingly. Mr Natalegawa did not believe any Indonesian official would have approved the transfer. - Worries of backlash as evangelicals try to convert Muslim orphans Sydney Morning Herald January 14, 2005 http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Worries-of-backlash-as-evangelicals-try-to-convert-Muslim-orphans/2005/01/13/1105582657252.html?oneclick=true A US missionary group says it has flown 300 Muslim tsunami orphans from the Indonesian province of Aceh to the capital, Jakarta, where it plans to raise them in a Christian children's home. The group, WorldHelp, is one of dozens of religious charities providing relief to victims of the tsunami, which killed more than 150,000 people, most of whom were in Aceh. Most do not attach conditions to their aid, and many of the larger ones, such as World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and Church World Service, have policies against religious conversion. But some of the smaller groups are presenting the tragedy to evangelical Christian donors as a rare opportunity to make converts in hard-to-reach areas such as Aceh, which is predominantly Muslim. Normally, Banda Aceh is closed to foreigners and closed to the gospel. But, because of this catastrophe our partners there are earning the right to be heard and providing entrance for the gospel, WorldHelp said in an appeal on its website this week. The appeal said WorldHelp, which is based in Virginia, was working with native Christians in Indonesia to plant Christian principles as early as possible in the 300 Muslim children, all younger than 12, who lost their parents in the tsunami. These children are homeless, destitute, traumatised, orphaned, with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. If we can place them in a Christian children's home, their faith in Christ could become the foothold to reach the Aceh people, it said. The website was changed on Wednesday and the appeal removed after The Washington Post called to inquire about it. WorldHelp's president, the Reverend Vernon Brewer, said the Indonesian Government gave permission for the orphans to be flown to Jakarta last week and was aware that they would be raised as Christians. However, a spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, Marty Natalegawa, said yesterday: We have no knowledge of this. If confirmed, this would constitute a serious violation of the standing ban by the Indonesian Government on the adoption of Acehnese children affected by the tsunami disaster, and appropriate steps would be taken accordingly. Mr Natalegawa did not believe any Indonesian official would have approved the transfer. Mr Brewer said: These are children who are unclaimed or unwanted. We are not trying to rip them apart from any existing family members and change their culture and change their customs. These children are going to be raised in a Christian environment. That's no guarantee they will choose to be Christians. He said WorldHelp had collected $US70,000 ($91,200) in donations and hoped to raise another $US350,000 to build the orphanage in Jakarta. Mr Brewer, a Baptist, set up WorldHelp in 1991. It has since grown to 100 full-time employees in the US and helps support indigenous Christian missionaries in about 50 countries. Mr Brewer said WorldHelp was an independent body but had an informal relationship with Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia,of which he was the first graduate. Mr Falwell, who is the leader of the Christian evangelical Moral Majority, has given his blessing to Mr Brewer's approach: You don't preach the gospel to a hungry man; you feed him. Then if he wants to hear something you've got to say, that's nice, but it's not required. WorldHelp's primary partners in Indonesia are Henry and Roy Lanting, a father and son team who run an orphanage and school near Jakarta. The Reverend Arthur Keys, the president of the non-religious aid group International Relief and Development, fears overt evangelising could provoke a backlash. I think there's a danger that all international groups could be tarnished by this, said Mr Keys, whose group has a US Government contract to rebuild the water and sanitation system in Banda Aceh. I think we have to go out of our way to assure people that we're there to help, period. The Washington Post http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Worries-of-backlash-as-evangelicals-try-to-convert-Muslim-orphans/2005/01/13/1105582657252.html?oneclick=true __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
[IslamCity] WHY THE WEST HAS NO COMPASSION FOR HUMAN LIFE
Why the West have no compassion for human life Addu Sunday January 09, 2005 http://www.adduonline.com/articles/page2.htm ''The Unbelievers are protectors, one of another: Unless ye do this, (establish Islamic State - the Khilafah), there would be tumult and oppression on earth, and great mischief.'' [Anfal:73] ''There is the type of man whose speech of this worlds life may dazzle thee, and he calls Allah to witness about what is in his heart yet he is the most contentious of enemies. When he turns his back, his aim everywhere is to spread mischief through the earth and destroy crops and cattle. But Allah loves not mischief.'' [ 2:204-205] The belated response from western governments in pledging aid to the victims of the tsunami disaster was frowned upon by westerners and victims alike. America's initial pledge of $35 million was described by a US senator as equivalent to what the American military consumed in Iraq before breakfast. Eventually, the aid was increased to $350 million, but did little to stem the growing tide of criticism directed at the Bush administration. In Britain too, the government was censured for pledging a meagre amount to the relief fund. Sensing humiliation the government hastened to match the British public's donation of £90 million. These are the very same governments that never tire of preaching equality, human rights to the rest of the world, and setting up human rights commissions, but when given the opportunity to foster these ideals in some of the poorest countries of the world they are suddenly overcome with amnesia. [These are the same people who manufactured Maldivian ''reformists'' and put Western values in their mouths. The belligerent reformists brag about human rights to us without realising the fact they are prostituting for the colonialists. ] The failure of western governments to respond adequately to the catastrophe in Asia is not an act of God, but is the result of the capitalist ideology that makes materialism as opposed to humanitarianism the discerning factor in the disbursement of aid. Take the US for example: approximately 0.1 percent of U.S. gross national product annually goes towards foreign aid. The amount of aid offered by other western countries is slightly better, but still way below what is needed to return the disaster stricken areas back to some degree of normalcy. In marked contrast, the west spends vast amounts on exploiting the world's precious resources, creating new markets for their companies and tying developing countries to western financial institutions. In June 2004, America's cost of waging war in Iraq and Afghanistan reached 151 Billion and is expected to surpass 200 billion mark in 2005. The inequality in spending between aid and war is due to the capitalist ideology that drives western governments to prioritise materialism above anything else. In their view, the sanctity of human life and respect for fellow human beings comes a poor second to the pursuit of profit. For instance, since the beginning of the war in Iraq, an estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed according to the Lancet medical journal. This means that the US government is paying the Pentagon on average $ 1.5 million per Iraqi civilian killed in order to secure the oil fields of Iraq. On the other hand, the US government eager to avoid the label 'stingy' has pledged $ 35 per person in humanitarian assistance to the million or so displaced victims. Still there are some who boast about the size of the west's generosity in comparison to other countries. As evidence they cite the huge contribution made to the tsunami relief fund by western governments and their willingness to impose a moratorium on debt relief. However, western kindness has a notorious history of rebounding and leaving a cruel taste amongst the receipts of aid. Victims of the Bam earthquake in Iran are still living in abject poverty because only $ 17 million of the much-publicised $ 1 billion aid was delivered. Afghans, ravaged by coalition bombs are yet to receive 40% of the $ 5.4 billion in aid promised to them. Back in 2002, Bush declared that African countries would receive up to $5 billion a year in development assistance. Two years on, and not a single dollar has been dispersed. There is also overwhelming evidence that aid given to Maldives was attached with the condition that democratisation process should continue. Similarly, freezing debt repayments only to be resumed at a later date will do little to alleviate the economic plight of the countries in the region. These countries are saddled with mountains of debt and are forced to endure tough IMF measures which in most cases reverse the economic recovery. For instance, Indonesia's overall external debt is about $ 150 billion; suspending the payment of $ 3.1bn in principal and $ 1.3bn billion in interest payments as suggested by some European countries will not lift Indonesia out of poverty or help the tsunami victims.
[IslamCity] ALIEN v. PREDATOR: CHRISTIAN FANATICS BATTLE HINDOO FASCISTS FOR TSUNAMI CAMP
Assalamu aleikum. Christian cannibal cultists who want to eat the flesh of Jesus and drink his blood as part of their rituals - and want others to join them in their cannibalistic cultic rituals. Hindoos who massacred thousands of Muslims in a pogrom. No matter WHO wins, the tsunami refugees lose. - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). (See http://www.stopfundinghate.org for details.) Affiliates of this organization have been implicated by numerous national and international human rights groups as having engineered the anti-Muslim Gujarat pogroms in 2002 and the anti-Christian violence in 1998-2000. RSS itself is a secretive organization, openly sectarian in its operations, and is not legally permitted by the Government of India to accept funds from abroad; consequently, its US affiliates (IDRF, HSS etc.) are raising funds for organizations like Sewa Bharati, Jana Sankshema Samiti and Vivekananda Kendra in India, all of which are intrinsic parts of RSS operations in India and follow its divisive ideology. - Note: Swayamsevak Sangh is a designated hate group condemned by the Campaign to Stop Funding Hate http://www.stopfundinghate.org/ For more information on Swayamsevak Sangh, see: CSFH Warns Against Hate Groups Exploiting Tsunami Crisis Campaign to Stop Funding Hate January 11, 2005 http://newswire.indymedia.org/en/newswire/2005/01/817074.shtml --- Hindus, Christians fight over tsunami victims Reuters Tuesday January 11 2005 http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-01-12hidType=RINhidRecord=032142 REUTERS, BAMBOO FLAT (India) ;Mohammed Shaheen, who survived the tsunami that devastated Indias remote Andaman and Nicobar islands, stands outside a relief camp as Christian and Hindu groups argue over who would run it. How can you be fighting over victims? asks a dazed and shocked Shaheen, who has just arrived after a navy ship picked him up from Katchal island, where about half the 8,800 residents are still missing. A group led by Christian aid agencies says the administration in the islands capital, Port Blair, gave them the camp. The other group, affiliated with Indias main hardline Hindu organisation, insists it is theirs. After a while, they thrash out a compromise: the Hindu group linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will run it for the first week, then the Christian group. But its too late for Shaheen. Disgusted, he and his family pack their bags and move to another camp on Bamboo Flat island, 45 km from Port Blair. We are more comfortable here, there is no dispute here, he says, standing outside the tented camp on a hillside overlooking a smashed jetty. Scores of volunteers from Hindu, Christian and Muslim groups have landed in the palm-fringed chain of islands, more than 1,200 kilometre from mainland India, offering everything from food and water to solace and self-healing tips to the survivors. There is a competition going on, both religious and political, said Madhu Krishan, head of Islanders Sangatthan Manch, a group campaigning against an influx of outsiders to protect the fragile ecological balance and the traditions of primitive tribes largely untouched by the modern world. There is already too much upheaval, displacement. This kind of competing for influence makes it worse, he said. Hindu and Christian groups have long been at odds on the mainland with Hindu hardliners accusing Christian missionaries of effectively bribing poor people and tribals to take part in mass conversions. Christians, who make up barely 2 per cent of mainly Hindu but officially secular India, say all conversions are voluntary and in turn accuse Hindu radicals of whipping up a climate of distrust and fear against the tiny community. The two sides have also been active in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, whose 350,000 people are largely Hindu, from descendants of settlers who arrived during the British Raj to more recent migrants. But there are also about 30,000 Nicobarese tribals, the largest of about half a dozen tribes. They are mostly Christian and there is a small number of Muslims living in the Nicobar group, where outsiders are barred without government permission. Christian groups say scores of Hindu volunteers have been allowed into the outlying islands ostensibly for relief work, while they have been discouraged from travelling. We were told volunteers are already in the area, so you neednt go there, said Alex Joseph from the New Delhi-based Christian group, the Discipleship Centre. But the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, an affiliate of the RSS which focuses on tribal welfare, said the tsunami was a humanitarian disaster, and had nothing to do with religion. It instead accuses Christian agencies of partisanship in relief work. Mukesh Kumar Gupta, secretary of the Hindu group, says he ran a relief camp for five days for about 900 Nicobarese Christians without s single complaint. Reuters / The New Age BD
[IslamCity] INDONESIA WANTS FOREIGN TROOPS OUT SOON
Indonesia Wants Foreign Troops Out Soon Islam Online January 12, 2005 http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-01/12/article04.shtml --- photos: Mixing missionary activities with relief work reportedly caused Indonesia to restrict movement of aid groups. (Reuters) http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-01/12/images/pic04.jpg An Acehnese looks at a missing persons board outside a hospital in the tsunami-hit town of Banda Aceh http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-01/12/images/pic04a.jpg --- JAKARTA, January 12 (IslamOnline.net News Agencies) - Amid reports of increasing missionary work in the biggest Muslim nation on earth, Indonesia stepped up its effort to assert control over international relief operations, saying all foreign troops have to leave the country by March 26, and that its own forces would take over. The move comes one day after Indonesian military imposed sweeping restrictions on foreign aid workers in tsunami-hit Aceh amid reports that some evangelical groups are mixing Christian missionary work with humanitarian aid. In Indonesia, badly hit by the December 26 earthquake-triggered-tsunami waves, military chief General Endriartono Sutarto, told reporters the armed forces would accompany and monitor aid groups on all missions outside the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, saying the move was needed to curtail a growing threat from separatist rebels, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Foreign aircraft and ships bringing supplies into Banda Aceh, the hub of the humanitarian effort after the disaster that killed more than 100,000 people on Sumatra island, would also no longer have unrestricted access. Sutarto said a military officer would now be placed on board all foreign aircraft and ships, and they would be given clearance to operate in the province for a maximum of 14 days. He said the measures were needed to protect foreign aid workers from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for independence since 1976. No Threat But the leader of the separatist rebels in Aceh denied the military's accusations. The Aceh National Armed Forces guarantees the safety and free access to all parts of Aceh for international aid workers, said a statement from the rebel's supreme commander, Muzakir Manaf. An aid group in Aceh, Oxfam, and a security analyst, Sidney Jones, also rejected Sutarto's assertions, saying there was no threat from rebels to the relief effort. Jones, an expert from the International Crisis Group on Indonesian military and security affairs, told AFP the government's real motive was to reassert the military's control as it seeks to crush the rebellion. But a senior UN official downplayed new restrictions on tsunami relief workers. In no way has it impacted or diminished our ability to move about or to access populations, Kevin Kennedy from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. The Indonesian military imposed marital law in Aceh in May 2003, banning most foreign journalists and aid workers from the province, as it ramped up its military offensive against the fighters. The government lifted the restrictions on aid workers and journalists immediately after the tsunami disaster, although a state of emergency remains in place. Missionary Activities The restrictions on the movement of aid groups in Indonesia came hot on the heels of reports about some aid groups mixing Christian missionary work with relief operations. The Baltimore Sun reported earlier this week that some evangelical groups are mixing Christian missionary work with humanitarian aid in countries ravaged by the tsunamis and earthquake. Calling it a provocative approach shunned by the majority of faith-based relief organizations, the paper said that spreading faith this way can antagonize the people they're trying to help, and there's evidence of concern among Muslims, Hindus and others. Evangelical leaders, however, say they define humanitarian aid as having a spiritual component. Aid should share the love of Christ, said Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham and the outspoken leader of Samaritan's Purse, which is shipping shelter materials and other emergency donations to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, according to the paper. Of the victims and their families, he said, I would hope that they would come to know the God I know. The notion of sharing the love of Christ can take many forms: adoptions of orphaned children, religious pamphlets tucked into relief kits. Sometimes it's establishing relationships in the hope of future influence, the paper said. They will not give up the goal of church planting, said Scott Moreau, editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly and a Wheaton College professor. Baltimore-based World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, is focused on humanitarian aid while looking for opportunities to later encourage
[IslamCity] PILGRIMS BEGIN ARRIVING IN MECCA
Pilgrims arrive in Mecca
AFP
January 12, 2005
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1646317,00.html
Mecca - About 1.2 million foreign pilgrims and
hundreds of thousands from Saudi Arabia expected to
perform the annual hajj pilgrimage have started
converging on the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
More than 1.07 million pilgrims have already arrived
in Saudi Arabia, 972 000 of them by air for the hajj,
which officially starts on January 19, Okaz newspaper
reported on Wednesday.
Another 17 000 arrived by sea, with more than 6 500
Sudanese and 1 000 Egyptian pilgrims crossing the Red
Sea to the port of Jeddah, it said.
The desert kingdom, home to two of Islam's holiest
sites of Mecca and Medina, last year received 1.4
million foreign pilgrims, in addition to about 473 000
from within the country.
Lucrative season
The Islamic ritual is also a lucrative season for the
western region of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which
reportedly earned about 5.2 billion riyals
($1.38bn)from foreigners during last year's
pilgrimage.
The 1.4 million foreign pilgrims who flocked to Mecca
spent 1.4 billion riyals ($373.3m)on accommodation, a
survey showed. They also spent two billion ($533.3m)
on air transport, of which 20% went to state carrier
Saudi Airlines, and the remainder on other services
and gifts.
Figures on pilgrims are expected to keep rising,
forcing the kingdom to increase its capacity to
accommodate the largest annual Muslim gathering
worldwide and where deadly stampedes do happen.
Estimates expect hajj figures to grow to three million
in five years and to between 3.5 and 3.7 million in 10
years.
This would be in addition to more than 10 million
performing the umrah (minor pilgrimage) every year by
2014.
The foreign ministry announced last week that it had
issued more than 2.6 million visas for the umrah
during the current Islamic calendar year 1425, up 16%
on the previous year.
Last year's hajj saw 251 pilgrims trampled or
suffocated to death during a stampede as they vied to
stone three pillars representing the devil in Mina,
near Mecca.
The incident prompted King Fahd to announce a major
renovation project, which envisages boosting the
capacity at the stoning site from 160 000 pilgrims an
hour to 500 000.
Tragedies have occurred at the site in the past, with
14 people killed in 2002, 35 in 2001 and 118 in 1998
when more than 180 were also injured.
The highest death toll was in July 1990, when 1 426
people were crushed or suffocated during a stampede in
a tunnel in Mina.
All Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage to
Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once
in their lifetime, if they have the means to do so.
The hajj season ends on January 21, the first day of
the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha.
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1646317,00.html
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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[IslamCity] GOOGLE CACHE OF MISSIONARY PLOT TO CHRISTIANIZE 300 MUSLIM KIDS
Assalamu aleikum. As mentioned in the Washington Post article [ see: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY GROUP GRABS 300 MUSLIM TSUNAMI CHILDREN http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/7698 ], the WorldHelp christian missionaries have deleted from their website the web page that disclosed the details of their plot against 300 Muslim children. However, it remains temporarily available as a google cache at: http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:www.worldhelp.net/home/Tsunami_Orphans.asp Yahoo sometimes breaks up lengthy urls. If this happens, 1. copy the entire url to the address bar and 2. remove any empty spaces that show up. --- HELP TSUNAMI ORPHANS IN INDONESIA WorldHelp January 6, 2005 http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:www.worldhelp.net/home/Tsunami_Orphans.asp --- photos: http://www.worldhelp.net/images/Tsunami/Tsunami_Orphans.jpg http://www.worldhelp.net/Email/Child_Bandaged.jpg http://www.worldhelp.net/Email/Child_trash_Tsunami.jpg --- The death toll has reached 156,000 and is still climbing. Everyday, more bodies are found in the debris ... there are thousands still missing that may never be found ... many people fear their loved ones were washed out to sea. Banda Aceh was the epicenter of the quake and tsunami, it has been totally annihilated. They are calling it the City of the Dead ... it is now a city of corpses. It is dark and littered with dead bodies, mounds of construction debris, demolished cars, and thick mud. The Aceh people are strict Sunni Muslims and have been very instrumental in spreading Islam throughout Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. It is often stated, To be Aceh is to be Muslim. The Aceh people strongly and even violently oppose other religions. They are unreached with the gospel. The Aceh province is the only province in Indonesia where Shari'a Islamic Law has been formally instituted. They also practice a mix of animistic beliefs and various superstitions. Banda Aceh is known as the Doorway to Mecca for Muslim pilgrims from Indonesia. Normally, Banda Aceh is closed to foreigners and closed to the gospel. But, because of this catastrophe, our partners there are earning the right to be heard and providing entrance for the gospel. More than 300 children under the age of 12 became orphans last week in Banda Aceh. Their parents died in the disaster. Our partners in Medan and Jakarta want to open a children's home to take care of as many of these orphaned children as possible ... and we want to help. We have a four fold strategy for Indonesia with our partners there. 1. Focusing on keeping children alive by providing clean water, adequate sanitation, basic nutrition, and routine medical care. These basics are crucial for survival. 2. Caring for separated children finding children who have lost their families, identifying them, and reuniting them with their extended families wherever possible. 3. Making sure the children are protected from exploitation. In these devastated environments in the tsunami zone, where families are broken apart, incomes are lost, and hope is in short supply children are more vulnerable. 4. Providing housing and ongoing care for the 300 orphan children of Banda Aceh. Our partners tell us,We do not want to just distribute help and leave. We are committed to bring help and hope to these children. We want them to know that Jesus loves them and plant Christian principles as early as possible in their age. To accomplish this means long-term commitment. They need rent for housing the children, beds, cabinets, desks, food and water, children's workers ... we do not have time to place these children in our Child Sponsorship Program. It would take several months for us to get their photos and background information and to raise the $24 per month to sponsor them. We do not have time. These children are homeless, destitute, traumatized, orphaned, with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. If we can place them in a Christian children's home, their faith in Christ could become the foothold to reach the Aceh people. We must raise $70,000 immediately to begin this children's home. Thankfully, $23,000 was raised over the weekend for this project so that leaves $47,000 that we must wire this week in order to place these children in a Christian home. Normally World Help designates 12% of all donations for administrative costs, but due to the magnitude of this horrific disaster, we are sending 100% of every donation to relief and the funds are being wired daily. That means what you give today, can be in Banda Aceh tomorrow. I am asking you to once again, please help. The need is great ... the opportunity is great ... will you please help ... no gift is too small. Time is of the essence. Their survival is at stake. We only have one week to let the government know that we will take these orphaned children and provide them with a Christian home ... please let me hear from you today. Will you please send
[IslamCity] ANOTHER CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY PLOT TO EXPLOIT TSUNAMI
Assalamu aleikum.
The association, based in Fairview Twp., oversees
1,250 missionaries in 77 countries. It normally
focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church
planting rather than emergency aid, said E.C. Haskell,
the organization's executive administrator of mission
relations ... We're just seeing how we can be the
most helpful, Haskell said. We do our relief in the
name of Christ to share the Gospel and share the good
news.
---
Missionaries prepare to help tsunami victims in India
BY DIANA FISHLOCK
The Patriot-News
Monday, January 10, 2005
http://pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1105352403283342.xml
Three midstate residents plan to leave Wednesday for a
relief mission to tsunami-ravaged areas of India.
David and Martha Siwert of Conewago Twp. and team
leader Rick Caynor of Harrisburg will hand out relief
supplies in Chennai, India, as part of a team from the
Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.
The association, based in Fairview Twp., oversees
1,250 missionaries in 77 countries. It normally
focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church
planting rather than emergency aid, said E.C. Haskell,
the organization's executive administrator of mission
relations.
The association, supported by 10,000 U.S. and Canadian
churches, runs 64 colleges, six hospitals and many
clinics worldwide, he said.
The Siwerts and Caynor will join with other Americans
and Indians to hand out bedding, clothing, small
amounts of cash and cooking utensils so people can
cook rice and boil water, Caynor said.
In many cases, they don't have anything left, Caynor
said. The American team will stay in India for 10 to
14 days, said Caynor, who was the ABWE's director of
student mobilization and who is a recent appointee to
Thailand, where he'll move in about 17 months.
We're just seeing how we can be the most helpful,
Haskell said. We do our relief in the name of Christ
to share the Gospel and share the good news.
Once Indian tsunami survivors have food, clothing and
shelter, relief workers will focus on long-term needs.
They want to develop distribution centers where the
people know they can come for help, long-term, said
David Siwert, a retired engineer, who's volunteered
for the ABWE for two years.
He plans to return and help people develop businesses,
which he has done in several third-world countries on
mission work with his church, Hershey Evangelical Free
Church.
Martha Siwert, a nurse with grief counseling training,
hopes to help Indians through this devastating time,
she said. I think many of these people feel very
hopeless and helpless. It would be the same in any
country with any crisis. We really want to bring them
hope by tangibly showing God's love for them and
showing them we care for them.
The Siwerts have helped in many countries but never
after a disaster, they said.
I believe that if you're doing what God wants you to
do, that's the safest place you can be, in the center
of God's will, Martha Siwert said.
This week, the Siwerts were busy buying food to take
and getting visas and prescriptions for malaria
medication.
DIANA FISHLOCK: 255-8251 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1105352403283342.xml
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
All views
[IslamCity] SECOND US ATTACK ON CIVILIANS FEEDS CALLS FOR IRAQ WITHDRAWAL
Assalamu aleikum.
Please also see related article:
ANTICHRIST PLOTS DELIBERATE TERROR ATTACKS AGAINST
IRAQ'S CIVILIAN POPULATION AS A MATTER OF POLICY
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/7668
---
Second US Attack on Civilians Feeds Calls for Iraq
Withdrawal
by Stephen Negus in Baghdad
Financial Times
Monday, January 10, 2005
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0110-01.htm
---
photo:
Bodies of victims wait be taken away for burial
outside Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad, Sunday, Jan. 9,
2005. At least five Iraqis, including two policemen
and three civilians, were killed the previous night
when U.S. troops opened fire after their convoy was
struck by a roadside bomb at a checkpoint south of
Baghdad, police said. (AP Photo/Mohammed Uraibi)
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/0110-02.jpg
---
BAGHDAD - US soldiers mistakenly opened fire on Iraqi
police and civilians after an ambush south of Baghdad
yesterday, killing five people.
Bodies of victims wait be taken away for burial
outside Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad, Sunday, Jan. 9,
2005. At least five Iraqis, including two policemen
and three civilians, were killed the previous night
when U.S. troops opened fire after their convoy was
struck by a roadside bomb at a checkpoint south of
Baghdad, police said. (AP Photo/Mohammed Uraibi)
The incident came less than 24 hours after a mis-aimed
US bomb was dropped on a home in the north of the
country, killing another five Iraqis.
Combined, the incidents will feed calls that US forces
set a date for their withdrawal, a demand made by
several Iraqi political factions during the run-up to
the January 30 elections.
On Saturday the conservative Sunni organisation, the
Association of Muslim Scholars, joined the calls after
meeting US representatives to demand a timetable for
withdrawal. The group was reported to have said it
would abandon its election boycott in return for a
departure date for US forces.
However, despite the rhetoric about withdrawal, a
senior US official said last week that representatives
of Iraqi political groups in regular contact with the
embassy were not pushing for a departure date, while
Iyad Allawi, prime minister, argues that most Iraqis
support the presence of foreign forces.
According to Iraqi police, the soldiers shot dead two
police and two civilians after their convoy was hit by
a roadside bomb in the town of Yusufiya, while a fifth
Iraqi died of a heart attack at the scene.
The US military did not have information on the
shooting of civilians, but reported one soldier killed
by a roadside bomb in or near Baghdad.
Iraqis say US soldiers, fearing suicide car bombers,
are quick to shoot at civilian vehicles, but the
incidents often go unreported.
Meanwhile, seven Ukrainian soldiers and an eighth from
Kazakhstan were killed in a blast that occurred when
they were loading an unexploded bomb.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0110-01.htm
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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[IslamCity] 'GOD SIGNED THE TSUNAMI'
Assalamu aleikum.
The relevant photos can be viewed at:
http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/2005011011075510-tsunamisign.jpg
and
http://globalsecurity.org/eye/andaman-sri-lanka.htm
---
'God signed the tsunami'
by Bryan Pearson
AFP
10/01/2005 08:50 - (SA)
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Tsunami_Disaster/0,,2-10-1777_1645055,00.html
---
photo:
The word Allah is inset on the satellite picture.
Photo: DigitalGlobe
http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/2005011011075510-tsunamisign.jpg
---
Colombo - God signed His name in the tsunami that
battered Sri Lanka and other countries on December 26,
and sent it as punishment because humans have been
ignoring His laws, Sri Lankan Muslims say.
Proof, according to Mohamed Faizeen, manager of the
Centre for Islamic Studies in Colombo, is a satellite
picture taken seconds after the tsunami smashed into
Sri Lanka's west coast near the town of Kalutara and
as it was receding.
This clearly spells out the name 'Allah' in Arabic,
Faizeen said, pointing to the shape of the waves - a
gigantic E complete with whorls and sidewaves that
do indeed appear to combine to resemble the Arabic
script for the name Allah.
The picture was taken by the DigitalGlobe Quickbird
satellite on December 26 at 10:20am local time,
shortly after the moment of tsunami impact. It can be
viewed at the website Allah signed His name, Faizeen
said. He sent it as punishment. This comes from
ignoring His laws.
He likened the tsunami to the Old Testament account of
floods being sent by God in the time of Noah as
punishment for those who had drifted from His ways.
He added that he had visited the mainly Muslim Ulvae,
near the major town of Batticaloa, and found that a
madrassa - an Islamic religious school - had been left
untouched while 400 houses around it had been
flattened with great loss of life.
The shorelines of many Asian countries hit by the
waves had become playgrounds for Westerners and errant
Muslims. Vices such as prostitution and drinking were
rife, the cleric said.
Allah first sends small punishments - like loss of
business. If we ignore the warning, He sends bigger
ones - loss of life. If we still ignore the warnings,
the big punishments, like earthquakes and tsunamis
will come.
Faizeen said areas of Sri Lanka mainly populated by
Muslims were the hardest hit and that the waves were
aimed at Muslims in Indonesia and Sri Lanka who he
said had strayed from God's ways.
The island is around 70 percent Buddhist, 15 percent
Hindu, 7.5 percent Muslim and 7.5 percent Christian.
Another Muslim leader, Muhammed Fawmey of the
International Islamic Youth Front, said he too
believed the tsunami was sent by God.
He clearly signed His name in the waves, said
Fawmey, who said the Arabic script in the waves had
suddenly appeared to me as in a vision when he was
staring at the satellite picture.
The Koran says people can be punished through water
or through fire, he added, referring to Islam's
sacred scripture.
Scientists have a more rational explanation for the
December 26 tsunami - an undersea earthquake measuring
9.0 on the Richter scale off the west coast of
northern Sumatra.
Near the source of submarine earthquakes, the
seafloor is 'permanently' uplifted and down-dropped,
pushing the entire water column up and down, the US
Geological Survey says on its website.
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Tsunami_Disaster/0,,2-10-1777_1645055,00.html
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward
[IslamCity] RUSSIA IS DOOMED
Russia is Doomed
Said Ibrahayev
Kavkaz Center
January 6, 2005
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=3420
The words that are in the heading are not a fruit of
the author's imagination, but it is a quite
substantiated prediction based on specific figures and
facts, which are a subject of discussion right in
Russia today. It is a matter of catastrophic
demographic situation.
Ethnic Russian population of the Russian Federation is
rapidly decreasing. Entire cities and villages are
ceasing to exist due to the lack of population in
them. According to official figures of National Forum,
«Present and Future of Russia's Population», which
took place in Moscow last month, 11,000 villages and
290 cities have disappeared from the map of the
Russian Federation. 13,000 villages are still on the
map, but they remained with no inhabitants in them.
Two villages are disappearing in Russia each day,
which in one year is equal to a small province.
Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development of
Russia, Vladimir Starodubtsev, said that Russia's
population has decreased by 9 million over the last 10
years. Moreover, depopulation affected virtually
entire Russia. Even according to understated figures,
the number of the Russian population is decreasing 700
to 800 thousand each year (other reports show that the
figure is 1.2 million a year). Since 1992 death rate
among Russians exceeded birth rate and the difference
has only been increasing ever since then.
Male death rate in Russia is one of the highest in the
world. At the same time 30% of the dead are men of
working years. Average life of men is 13 years less
than that among women (women - 72 years, men - 58.8
years). Main reasons are alcoholism, oncology
(cancer), traumas and poisonings. Deaths from abuse of
alcohol in Russia skyrocketed 3.5 times over the past
5 years. Suicide rate exceeds Central European figures
2.5 times among males and 1.5 times among females. In
Russia there are twice as many deaths in traffic
accidents as there are in European states.
Russian youth ages 15 to 19 started dying 40 % more
often. Out of today's generation of 16-year-olds, only
54 % will live until they reach their retirement age.
In 1998 for the first time the number of retirees in
Russia exceeded the number of children and juveniles
under 16 by 110,000. For January 1, 2004, this number
has grown to 4.2 million. Right now the number of
children under 14 is 2.5 times lower than the number
of retirees (10.6 and 27.2 million accordingly).
According to the predictions that have been made,
starting the year 2006 the number of retirees will be
growing even more actively and by 2016 it will
comprise 25% of the entire Russian population.
According to the census of the Russian Federation, the
number of ethnic Russians was 104 million out of 144.2
million of the overall population in Russia.
Considering the fact that demographic figures in
Russia have always been considered to be a national
security issue, then proceeding from Soviet/Russian
practice of demographic overstatements, you can say
for sure that the number of 104 ethnic Russians is set
too high and it's already been quite a while since the
real number of ethnic Russians sank under the
psychological mark of 100 million.
The signs of apparent worsening of demographic
situation for Russians have been seen right in Moscow
as well. This week Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper
(«Young Communist Truth») published the figures of
ethnic structure of the population of the Russian
capital. Senior research officer of Center for
Geopolitical Research of Institute of Geography under
Russian Academy of Sciences, Olga Vendina, whose
research is based on the records from civil status
registries in all districts of Moscow over the years
of 1993 - 2003, 'ethnically tinged' neighborhoods have
already been formed in Moscow. In these parts of the
city Russian population is constantly decreasing,
while the percentage of residents of other ethnic
backgrounds is systematically increasing. Furthermore,
it is in Moscow's historical center, where birthrate
among non-Russian population is considerably higher
than birthrate among Russians, who are being naturally
ousted to the capital's outskirts.
The largest ethnic diasporas in Moscow, whose numbers
are constantly growing due to sharp increase of
newborns throughout the last 10 years are Azeris,
Tatars, Armenians and Ukrainians. At the same time
each 5th Russian woman marries a man from the
Caucasus.
But that's not all. About a year ago Novye Izvestiya
('New Tidings') newspaper published some figures about
ethnical structure of Russia, compiled by Jewish
University of Jerusalem based on the 2002 census.
According to that sensational document, in 2002 the
number of Chinese population in Russia reached almost
3.5 million, and thus the Chinese have now taken the
fourth place in Russia's population, following
Russians (104 million), Tatars (7.2 million), and
Ukrainians (5.1 million). 15 years
