DHI-ISLAM

Son of God was born on 25th December?

2011-12-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

When you are wishing someone 'Merry Christmas', without you realize, you are agreeing that God has a son and he (the Son of God) was born on 25th December. Astagfirullah Al Azim..

Saying God has children is a Shirk (the greatest sin in Islam), as Allah says in the Qur'an: "Allah begets not, nor was He begotten" [Quran, 112: 3]

Transitional Leader Calls for Sharia Law as Country Celebrates

2011-10-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

TRIPOLI, Libya – The transitional government leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil called on Libyans to show "patience, honesty and tolerance" and eschew hatred as they embark on rebuilding the country at the end of an 8-month civil war.

Abdul-Jalil set out a vision for the post-Qaddafi future with an Islamist tint, saying that Islamic Sharia law would be the "basic source" of legislation in the country and that existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified.

In a gesture that showed his own piety, he urged Libyans not to express their joy by firing in the air, but rather to chant "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great. He then stepped aside and knelt to offer a brief prayer of thanks.

"This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he told the crowd at the declaration ceremony in the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising against Qaddafi began. He thanked those who fell in the fight against Qaddafi's forces. "This revolution began peacefully to demand the minimum of legitimate rights, but it was met by excessive violence."

Tens of thousands gathered in the eastern city of Benghazi Sunday as Libya's transitional leader declared his country's liberation, three days after ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi was captured and killed.

President Obama congratulated Libya on their declaration of liberation.

"After four decades of brutal dictatorship and eight months of deadly conflict, the Libyan people can now celebrate their freedom and the beginning of a new era of promise," Obama said in a statement.

"We look forward to working with the NTC and an empowered transitional government as they prepare for the country's first free and fair elections," Obama said.

The liberation celebration was clouded, however, by mounting calls for an investigation into whether Qaddafi was executed while in custody.

An autopsy confirmed that Qaddafi died from a gunshot to the head, Libya's chief pathologist, Dr. Othman al-Zintani, said hours before the liberation declaration was to start the clock on a transition to democracy.

However, the pathologist said he would not disclose further details or elaborate on Qaddafi's final moments, saying he would first deliver a full report to the attorney general. Libya's acting prime minister said he would not oppose an investigation, but cited an official reporting saying a wounded Qaddafi was killed in cross-fire following his capture.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Britain's new defense secretary, Philip Hammond, said a full investigation is necessary.

The Libyan revolutionaries' image had been "a little bit stained" by Qaddafi's death, Hammond said Sunday, adding that the new government "will want to get to the bottom of it in a way that rebuilds and cleanses that reputation."

"It's certainly not the way we do things," Hammond told BBC television. "We would have liked to see Col. Qaddafi going on trial to answer for his misdeeds."

Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press" that she backs a proposal that the United Nations investigate Qaddafi's death and that Libya's National Transitional Council look into the circumstances, too.

The 69-year-old Qaddafi was captured wounded, but alive Thursday in his hometown of Sirte, the last city to fall to revolutionary forces. Bloody images of Qaddafi being taunted and beaten by his captors have raised questions about whether he was killed in crossfire as suggested by government officials or deliberately executed.

Qaddafi's body has been on public display in a commercial freezer in a shopping center in the port city of Misrata, which suffered from a bloody siege by regime forces that instilled a virulent hatred for the dictator in Misrata's residents. People have lined up for days to view the body, which was laid out on a mattress on the freezer floor. The bodies of Qaddafi's son Muatassim and his ex-defense minister Abu Bakr Younis also were put on display, and people wearing surgical masks have filed past, snapping photos of the bodies.

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch, which viewed the bodies, said video footage, photos and other information it obtained "indicate that they might have been executed after being detained."

"Finding out how they died matters," said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch. "It will set the tone for whether the new Libya will be ruled by law or by summary violence."

The Syrian-based Al-Rai TV station, which has served as a mouthpiece for the Qaddafi clan, said the dictator's wife, Safiya, also demanded an investigation.

"I am proud of the bravery of my husband, Muammar Qaddafi, the holy warrior, and my sons who confronted the aggression of 40 countries over the past six months," the station quoted the widow as saying in a statement.

Jibril, the acting Libyan prime minister, said he would not oppose an inquiry into Qaddafi's death, but that there is "no reason" to doubt the credibility of an official report that the ousted leader died in cross-fire.

"Have you seen a video of somebody killing him? I haven't seen any video tape or mobile film that shows somebody is killing Qaddafi," Jibril told reporters in Jordan where he was attending an international economic conference.

"What I told the press several times ... (is) that coroner says in the medical report that he (Qaddafi) was already wounded, taken out, put in that truck and on the way to the field hospital there was cross-fire from both sides," Jibril said. Jibril said it's unclear whether the fatal bullet was fired by loyalists or revolutionary forces.

The vast majority of Libyans seemed unconcerned about the circumstances of the hated leader's death, but rather was relieved the country's ruler of 42 years was gone, clearing the way for a new beginning.

"If he (Qaddafi) was taken to court, this would create more chaos, and would encourage his supporters," said Salah Zlitni, 31, who owns a pizza parlor in downtown Tripoli. "Now it's over."

The long-awaited declaration of liberation starts the clock on Libya's transition to democracy. The transitional leadership has said it would declare a new interim government within a month of liberation and elections for a constitutional assembly within eight months, to be followed by votes for a parliament and president within a year.

At the ceremony in Benghazi, Abdul-Jalil outlined several changes to align with Islamic law.

"This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he said.

Abdul-Jalil said new banks would be set up to follow the Islamic banking system, which bans charging interest as a practice deemed usury. For the time being, he said interest would be canceled from any personal loans already taken out and less than $7,500.

He also announced the annulment of an existing family law that limits the number of wives Libyan can take, contradicting the provision in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, that allows men up to four wives.

And he urged Libyans to hand back money or property taken during the civil war.

Abdul-Jalil thanked those who fought and fell in the fight against Qaddafi's forces.

"They are somewhere better than here, with God," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/23/calls-for-investigation-as-autopsy-reveals-qaddafi-died-from-gunshot-to-head/

1,000-liter ‘teapot’ for Haj use

2011-10-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS

MAKKAH: An engineer working for the Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims has developed an electric heater that can boil up to 1,000 liters of water to make tea and other hot drinks.

While commending the efforts of Abdul Aziz Mahboub, electrical engineer at the Tawafa’s field office No. 23, chairman of the Tawafa establishment Adnan Katib called on other field offices to benefit from the equipment, which fulfills hygienic and security specifications.

Mahboub told Arab News that his new system would make available tea and coffee to pilgrims in crowded tents at any time, day or night, without the assistance of tea boys.

The number of pilgrims in a normal pilgrim tent reaches up to 5,000 and a number of tea boys are required to serve them. He said the 1,000-liter tank will have to be heated initially for two hours and a continuous water supply could be ensured with a buoy-like device.

The equipment is priced approximately at SR15,000, including installation costs, and will have a 10-year operating life.

The external wall of the tank is heat-insulated with a fiberglass cover to protect users. The tank has nine outlets and can serve 6,000 paper cups. An inbuilt stainless steel boiler enables the preparation of tea.

Head of the field office Talal Mahboub has personally funded the development and installation of the system, the engineer said.

He added that the device was ideal for pilgrim camps and other large gatherings because of its safety and hygiene levels.

By installing the system, which minimizes the risk of fires in pilgrim camps, Tawafa establishments can save on wages of tea makers and suppliers, Mahboub said. The equipment can be operated anywhere and can easily be transported from one location to another, he added.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article517640.ece

Learning about Islam in the Maldives

2011-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

By Idris Tawfiq - The Egyptian Gazette Monday, October 17, 2011 08:08:23 PM With an average land height of just one and a half metres above sea level, the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean is the lowest country in the world. It is also, probably the most beautiful place on earth I have ever visited. The highest point on any of the country's nearly one thousand idyllic islands is just 2.3 metres above sea level. Little wonder, then, that Climate Change and Global Warming are a cause for real concern, since it would take only a very small rise in sea level to make the islands disappear altogether.

Whilst the government of the Maldives is doing everything possible to make the world aware of their plight, there is another consideration which puts all of this into its true perspective. For Muslims, all things come from Allah. In everything they do they declare, "inshallah." Even the sun coming up in the morning depends on His will. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) urged his followers to "tie your camel, then trust in Allah." In other words, Muslims should do everything they possibly can, and then when they have done everything they put their trust and their faith in the One who controls all things. On approaching Male, the capital of the Maldives, from the air, the most immediate impression is how beautiful the islands are. Upon arrival at the airport, visitors are reminded of this in a peculiar way. In most of the world's airports, travelers are asked to declare if they are bringing drugs or alcohol into the country. In the Maldives, they are not only asked this, but also if they are carrying idols of worship, which, being anathema to Muslims, are similarly banned. Islam came to the Maldive islands in the twelfth century. It was another of those countries never approached by Muslim armies, but by traders from the Arab world. Their example eventually led the whole population to embrace Islam. In a country which rejoices in being one hundred per cent Muslim, one of the first things visitors see as they travel by boat to the nation's capital is the splendid golden dome of the Sultan Mosque. Egypt’s Al-Azhar has always played a central role in leading and guiding the Muslim world. The Islamic Centre in Male, which is a truly impressive building and which incorporates the country's largest Mosque, was built with the help of many Arab and Muslim nations. This is a visible sign of the unity and brotherhood which exists among Muslims. The Opening Ceremony was attended by the late Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Jadul-Haqq, who traveled to the Maldives in November 1984 especially for this. Even today there is an Al-Azhar school in Male. There is only one Islam. The beauty of Islam, though, is that it has so many beautiful faces throughout the world. These faces don't change Islam, since Islam is at home in every country and in every culture, but they do show its colours and its diversity. In fact, they show how practical and sensible Islam has been throughout the centuries in making its message relevant to all people on the face of this earth. The Maldivian people have their own very beautiful portrayal of Islam. In fact, no matter how beautiful the sea or how white the sand, or even how peaceful the atmosphere, the real treasure of the Maldive islands is the friendliness and simplicity of its people. As Muslims we should never forget the real treasure of ordinary Muslims that is always in our midst. The Maldives, like every country, has its own particular problems. Sometimes, as Muslims, we get distracted by our own national situation and forget to look at the bigger picture. The bigger picture shows us that Islam is alive and well and that Muslims are thriving. Perhaps this is why Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the West. In a sense, the people of the Maldives can cling so closely to Islam because of their very way of life. This way of life has something to teach us all. Many of its people are fishermen, at one with the sea and its seasons, and they are in tune with their Creator. It is when we become so sophisticated and so caught up with the affairs of this world that we begin to lose something of Islam's simplicity. Islam is indeed simple, but we have managed to make it seem so complicated. Anyone staying in the Maldives for even a short time is reminded just by being there that we need to remain focused on Allah, not on the things of this world. When we do remain focused on Allah, all things fall quite naturally into perspective and we see that all things come to us from the hand of Allah. With such an attitude, there is nothing that can overcome us – not even Climate Change and Global Warming! The author of eight books about Islam, British Muslim writer, IdrisTawfiq, divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.php?action=news&id=21706&title=Culture:%20Learning%20about%20Islam%20in%20the%20Maldives

Why democracy is so good

2011-10-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Since 1973, approximately 50 million babies have been slaughtered in the United States before they were even born.

It is estimated that 500,000 babies that will be born this year will be sexually abused before they turn 18.

Law enforcement officials estimate that about 600,000 Americans and about 65,000 Canadians are trading dirty child pictures online.

More pornography is created in the United States than anywhere else on the entire globe. 89 percent is made in the U.S.A. and only 11 percent is made in the rest of the world.

The United States has more people on pharmaceutical drugs than any other country on the planet.

The United States has the highest divorce rate on the globe by a wide margin.

There are more than 3 million reports of child abuse in the United States every single year.

In the United States today, it is estimated that one out of every four girls is sexually abused before they become adults.

Maldivians voice against US Green Card Gambling

2011-09-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

A group of about 100 Maldivians have petitioned Islamic Ministry to prevent the activities carried out in Maldives by US Embassy officials to recruit Maldivians to the Green Card Lottery programme.

A petition signed by 107 people described the activities carried out by officials of the US Embassy in Colombo as “an addition to the different efforts by non-Muslims to introduce poker to the Maldives”.US Embassy officials held public presentations in Addu City on Saturday and in Male last evening to provide information about the Green Card Lottery programme.

US Embassy’s Visa Section head William Dova told an audience of about 50 last evening that winners of the lottery should pay visa fees despite the registration being open for free.The Green Card winners are eligible to apply for US citizenship after five years of residence in the country, he added.Registration for the Green Card Lottery programme will open on October 4 and will continue until November 5.

The lottery is gambling, which is haraam. Allah, may He be exalted, says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al‑Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols etc), and Al‑Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.91. Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As‑Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?”[al-Maa’idah 5:60-61].

Maldivians in Kochi under scanner

2011-09-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

KOCHI: City has been becoming a home to lot of people from various parts of the country. But the presence of many Maldivians in the city has forced the Special Branch to conduct a thorough checking of the various pockets in the city where Maldivians have been found camping.

Though the city police have not come across any incidents of smuggling or anti-national activities involving Maldivians, they have launched the drive as part of a precautionary measure.

"We don't know why there has been a surge in the arrival of people from Maldives to the city.

The special branch wing has been able to identify an area near Karugapilly in the city where large number of Maldivians has been staying," said M N Ramesh, city special branch assistant commissioner.

The official said the police had conducted a preliminary enquiry to identify the reasons for the rise in arrival of Maldivians and it had been ascertained that these people were gradually moving out of Thiruvananthapuram,where they usually camp, due to various reasons.

Ramesh said that most of Maldivians staying in the city have been making use of a loop hole in the visa rules to stay permanently in the city.

"According to the rules, people from Maldives can stay in India continuously for 90 days without visa. What they usually do is to leave India on the 89th day and return the next day.

They keep on doing this to stay permanently in India," the official said."Most of them come to Kochi for business purpose. We intercepted a couple of Maldivians on suspicion and found that they were carrying large quantity of spare parts of various vehicles.

They brought the spare parts from various shops in Kochi," said the sources in the state police.

The sources added that they would be coordinating with the immigration wing of airports in the state, mainly Thiruvananthapuram, to ascertain the exact number of Maldivians landing in the state.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Maldivians-in-Kochi-under-scanner/articleshow/9829007.cms

Woman disables anti-Islam websites

2011-08-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

DAMMAM: An Alkhobar woman studying in the United States is taking credit for destroying 23 Danish websites that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Thursday.

Nouf Rashid told the Arabic newspaper she was hacking into Danish websites having references to cartoons of the Prophet along with other sites that had questionable content in her view.

She said she had also destroyed a number of pornographic sites and hacked into the computer systems of young men who had tried to blackmail girls by threatening to publish their private photos. She gained expertise in the field out of a desire to learn new things in the IT field.

Nouf said she entered the hacking world to save a girl who was being blackmailed by a young man who wanted to marry her and had obtained a private photo of her. The victim’s friend had requested Nouf to look for a hacker in the US to save her from the man.

“In fact, I contacted some of my hacker friends at university and I learned from them the art of hacking,” she said.

“After this, I took the opportunity to save many women from youths who tried to blackmail them using their pictures. By the grace of God I was able to hack into their systems and erase most of their photos.”

Nouf said she had hacked into some of the Danish websites that denigrated the Prophet and shut them down. “I also sent messages and articles about Islam and the Prophet to those who managed those sites,” she pointed out.

Nouf urged girls to be cautious when using the Internet and not to open any suspicious e-mails. “We should take adequate protective measures. When doing computer maintenance, we should approach companies and individuals whom they can trust, because some workers in maintenance centers plant viruses that can spy on their clients,” she said.

According to Western media sources, more than 900 Danish websites have been hacked by groups in many countries along with individual hackers recently.

The BBC reported that the attacks typically replace home pages with pro-Islam messages and condemn the publication of the blasphemous images of the Prophet.

“We have never seen so many defacements that are politically targeted in such a short time,” Roberto Preatoni of the Internet monitoring group Zone H told BBC. He noted that most of the interference involves defacement of the website although some of the hackers have threatened the Danish people with revenge.

Like the United States, Saudi Arabia also maintains tough hacking laws with penalties up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $1.8 million.

Preatoni told BBC that most of the sites targeted were run by small organizations and companies that do not have dedicated security workers and cannot keep up with the latest alerts and patches for vulnerabilities. However, he noted that many of the sites had been restored within 24 hours.

Source: Arabnews

King Abdullah to lay foundation stone to Makkah Haram expansion works

2011-08-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone to the Makkah Haram expansion works in a few days. The project is called the King Abdullah Expansion of the Makkah Haram.

The king will also open a number of other development projects that aim to improve the safety and comfort of pilgrims at the two holy mosques and holy sites.

The projects currently underway at the Haram include the expansion of the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque, the Masaa (the running course between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah,) the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, the King Abdul Aziz Road, the Mashair Railway connecting Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, the Haramain Railway to link the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the Central Zone Development project and new circular roads in addition to flood drainage projects in the holy sites and the Al-Jamarat complex, Al-Riyadh daily reported on Thursday.

The project at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah include the expansion of the courtyards around the mosque in all directions so that its capacity climbs to 350,000 people.

The huge projects implemented at the orders of the king include the development of the Al-Jamarat Bridge with the aim of increasing its capacity to 5 million pilgrims and the Mashair Railway that is scheduled to become fully operational before the beginning of the upcoming Haj in November. The metro service will operate 17 trains with 12 coaches in each train. A train will carry 3,000 pilgrims.

The development of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment project comprises six residential towers and a five-star hotel. The frontal towers of the towers are 28 stories high while the rear towers are 35 stories. Its side towers are 45 stories high while the hotel tower is 60 stories. The entire complex with 11,000 rooms and suites will accommodate 35,000 pilgrims.

The water management project in the holy sites includes construction of several feeder canals to gather floodwater from nearby mountains and a number of check dams and subterranean ducts.

The canals will start from the foot of the Eastern Ras Al-Shoayb mountain and will extend to the border of Mina at the King Fahd Tunnel.

The project also includes three concrete check dams on the basin of the flood course to the north of Mina and at the western side of the Al-Shoayb mountain and at the north of the King Khaled Road near the Square 28 and the Magar Kabsh area.

Another tunnel will be built to channel the floodwater collected on the other side of the Magar Kabsh dam to the western side of the Al-Shoayb mountain. Tunnels will also be built to carry the water to Al-Moaysim side.

arabnews

World has more private security guards than police

2011-07-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

By ROBERT EVANS | REUTERS

GENEVA: The private security industry is growing rapidly around the globe and employs twice as many people as governments have police officers, according to an authoritative report issued on Wednesday.

The documented 20 million security guards, representing an increase of between 200-300 percent over the past two to three decades, form an industry whose rapid growth “has outpaced regulation and oversight mechanisms,” it said.

Efforts at the international level to fill in regulatory gaps were at a very early stage, according to the Small Arms Survey, based on a review of 70 countries.

The survey is produced annually by a team of experts based at Geneva University’s Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and tracks trade in the weaponry and moves to control it.

The latest edition puts the total trade in small weapons — like handguns — and light weapons — which include mortars, grenade launchers, recoilless rifles and portable missiles and rockets — as running at $7.1 billion a year.

It also says the trade in light weapons, which account for $1.1 billion of the total, “is significantly less transparent than the trade in other weapons, including small arms,” saying only a fifth of it is officially recorded.

In 2008, the last year for which figures could be compiled, the United States, as in previous years, was both the top importer and top exporter of small and light weapons, according to the survey.

As an exporter it was followed by Italy, Germany, Brazil and Switzerland, with Israel, Austria, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Norway and Canada also exporting this weaponry to a value of over $100 million a year each.

Behind the United States as importers at over $100 million annually were Canada, Britain, Germany, Australia, France and Pakistan, said the survey, which did not give a breakdown of each country’s imports and exports.

“Despite evidence that some private security companies have engaged in the illegal acquisition of firearms, have lost weapons through theft, or have misused their arsenals, there is no systematic reporting of such misconduct,” the report said.

Firms working in Iraq and Afghanistan had been equipped with fully automatic assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and in some cases rocket-propelled grenade launchers, “raising questions about their stated defensive roles,” it declared.

Overall, the private firms hold up to 3.7 million firearms worldwide, more if undeclared and illegally held weapons could be included, against 26 million held by police and 200 million by armed forces, according to the survey.

Outside of armed conflict settings, it said, private security companies in Latin America had the biggest arsenals with ratios of weapons per employee about 10 times higher than those for their counterparts in Europe.

Blogger's note: This shows the need for islamic sharia in the world. Isn't it?

A ferry to the Maldives in 30 hours

2011-07-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

Ruchika Chitravanshi / New Delhi July 10, 2011, 0:00 IST

Travelling to the Maldives might just get a little more exciting with the government now considering starting a sea route facility to the smallest Asian country. The shipping ministry in order to boost tourism to and from the Maldives will run a passenger liner for travellers either from Cochin port or the Tuticorin port.

“We are examining the projects. We are in discussion with the Maldives government on the modalities for a ferry service and development of ports for trade and tourism,” said K Mohandas, secretary-shipping ministry. A delegation led by the secretary, shipping, along with chairpersons of Cochin and Tuticorin Port Trust, an official from DG Shipping and Shipping Corporation of India are currently visiting the Maldives.

The sea route to the Maldives is expected to take about 30 hours to travel. The cost parameters are still being studied. Government officials will visit the ports as well as the Maldives to understand the demand and the economic viability of the project. “At this stage, we don’t have any details about the cost and frequency of such a service to the Maldives. But after Sri Lanka, this is the second neighbouring country to which we want to provide easy access,” Mohandas added.

Last month, the shipping ministry started a sea route to Sri Lanka from the Tuticorin port. The shipping service, which runs twice a week, costs about $50 for a passenger, with travelling time of 12 hours. The ship called Scotia Prince with capacity to ferry 1,044 passengers is operated by Flemingo Liners.

The Maldives is towards south of Lakshadweep Islands where the Indian Navy had captured 28 Somali pirates in February this year. “The Indian Navy has been guarding the area very well ever since the last incident occurred. Security will not be an issue,” Mohandas said.

According to tourist arrival figures of the Maldives for 2009, China ranks fourth among the top 10 tourism destinations, with over 69,000 arrivals. India stands at the 10th position with over 15,800 tourists visiting the country. In 2009, the Maldives’ total tourist arrivals were 655,852.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/a-ferry-tomaldives-in-30-hours/442157/

A small number of Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in the Maldives

2011-07-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Although Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking the country is making significant efforts to do so, the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report released Monday by the United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton which placed Sri Lanka among Tier 2 countries said.

Tier 2 countries are the countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.

Sri Lanka is yet to ratify the United Nations TIP protocol of 2000, the protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

The report noted that the Sri Lankan government convicted three traffickers, in the first case under its anti-trafficking legislation, and rejuvenated its inter-agency task force.

However, serious problems remain unaddressed, such as the detention of identified trafficking victims (including those who provided evidence to support the three convictions), the failure to achieve criminal convictions for fraudulent recruitment agencies involved in trafficking in persons, and official complicity in human trafficking, the TIP Report noted.

The Sri Lankan government increased law enforcement efforts in addressing human trafficking cases over the reporting period. Sri Lanka prohibits all forms of trafficking through an April 2006 amendment to its penal code, which prescribes punishments of up to 20 years imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious offenses, such as rape. Amendments passed in 2009 to the Foreign Employment Act expanded the powers of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to prosecute recruitment agents who engage in fraudulent recruitment, prescribing a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment and fines of $1,000, and restricting the amount that employment agents can charge. It added.

The report said Sri Lanka is primarily a source and to a much lesser extent, a destination for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.

The TIP report recommended among other things for the government of Sri Lanka to vigorously investigate and prosecute suspected trafficking offenses, and convict and punish trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for recruiting victims with fraudulent offers of employment and excessive commission fees for the purpose of subjecting them to forced labor.

Excerpt on Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA (Tier 2)

Sri Lanka is primarily a source and, to a much lesser extent, a destination for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Sri Lankan men, women, and some children (between 16 and 17 years old) migrate consensually to Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, and Singapore to work as construction workers, domestic servants, or garment factory workers. Some of these workers, however, subsequently find themselves in conditions of forced labor through practices such as restrictions on movement, withholding of passports, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and threats of detention and deportation for immigration violations. Many of these migrants pay high recruitment fees usually about $1,500 imposed by unscrupulous licensed labor recruitment agencies and their unlicensed sub-agents and assume debt in order to satisfy these costs. This indebtedness contributes to debt bondage in destination countries. A recent Human Rights Watch report noted that over one-third of Sri Lankan domestic workers in Jordan are physically abused by their employers, 11 percent were sexually assaulted, 60 percent were not paid wages, over 60 percent had their passports confiscated, and 80 percent experienced forced confinement these are abuses that indicate forced labor. In the past year, there were high-profile reports of Sri Lankan domestic workers who were subjected to forced labor and physical abuse in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan, including having more than 20 nails hammered in their bodies, or being forced to swallow nine nails. There were also reports of cases in which some Sri Lankan recruitment agencies committed fraud by engaging in contract-switching: promising one type of job and conditions but then changing the job, employer, conditions or salary after arrival, which are documented risk factors for forced labor and debt bondage. Sri Lanka is reported to be a transit country for men, some of whom may be trafficking victims, traveling from Pakistan and Bangladesh to Dubai, UAE. In several cases, men were stranded in Sri Lanka by the employment agent. Some Sri Lankan women were promised jobs as domestic workers in other countries, but after arriving were instead forced to work in brothels, mainly in Singapore. A small number of Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in the Maldives.

Within the country, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels, especially in the Anuradhapura area, which was a major transit point for members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces heading north. Boys are more likely than girls to be forced into prostitution this is generally in coastal areas for domestic child sex tourism. In 2009, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) estimated that approximately 1,000 children were subjected to commercial sexual exploitation within Sri Lanka although some NGOs believed the actual number was between 10,000 and 15,000. NGOs expressed concern that the recent increase in tourism in the very poor post-conflict areas on the east coast may increase demand for child sex tourism. There are reports of children being subjected to bonded labor and forced labor in dry-zone farming areas on plantations, and in the fireworks and fish-drying industries. Some child domestic workers in Colombo, generally from the Tamil tea-estate sector of the country, are subjected to physical, sexual, and mental abuse, nonpayment of wages, and restrictions of their movement. Some women and children were promised garment industry work by agents and were instead forced into prostitution. A small number of women from Thailand, China, and countries in South Asia, Europe, and the former Soviet Union may be subjected to forced prostitution in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government convicted three traffickers, in the first case under its anti-trafficking legislation, and rejuvenated its inter-agency
task force. However, serious problems remain unaddressed, such as the detention of identified trafficking victims (including those who provided evidence to support the three convictions), the failure to achieve criminal convictions for fraudulent recruitment agencies involved in trafficking in persons, and official complicity in human trafficking.

Recommendations for Sri Lanka: Vigorously investigate and prosecute suspected trafficking offenses, and convict and punish trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for recruiting victims with fraudulent offers of employment and excessive commission fees for the purpose of subjecting them to forced labor ensure that victims of trafficking found within Sri Lanka are not detained or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked, such as visa violations or prostitution establish law enforcement capacity at shelters in embassies abroad develop and implement formal victim referral procedures train local law enforcement and judicial officials on investigating and prosecuting trafficking crimes facilitate the speedy repatriation of foreign trafficking victims by providing airfare and not obligating them to remain in the country if they choose to initiate law enforcement proceedings provide witness protection and incentives for victims to cooperate with law enforcement to enable prosecutions stop the practice of forcing foreign trafficking victims to remain in Sri Lanka if they are witnesses in a case improve services, including quality of shelters, legal aid, availability of counseling, and numbers of trained staff at embassies and consular offices in destination countries promote safe tourism campaigns to ensure that child sex tourism does not increase with expected rapid growth of tourism and improve regulation and monitoring of recruitment agencies and village-level brokers, with an emphasis on ensuring provision of accurate and enforceable employment contracts and working to ending the charging of illegal and excessive fees.

Prosecution

The Sri Lankan government increased law enforcement efforts in addressing human trafficking cases over the reporting period. Sri Lanka prohibits all forms of trafficking through an April 2006 amendment to its penal code, which prescribes punishments of up to 20 years imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious offenses, such as rape. Amendments passed in 2009 to the Foreign Employment Act expanded the powers of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to prosecute recruitment agents who engage in fraudulent recruitment, prescribing a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment and fines of $1,000, and restricting the amount that employment agents can charge. In March 2011, three traffickers were convicted and sentenced to nine years each for forcing women into prostitution, in one case. This is the first recorded convicted case under Sri Lanka s counter-trafficking amendment. However, the Uzbek sex trafficking victims in the case were detained in an immigration detention facility in Sri Lanka for over a year until their testimony was complete. The Attorney General s Department claimed two additional convictions in 2010 for violations of the penal code s statute on child sexual exploitation both convictions may have involved human trafficking crimes. Both convictions resulted in suspended jail sentences. Each trafficker had to pay a fine of approximately $900, and one had to pay compensation of $450 to the victim. In January 2011, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) completed an investigation and could not determine the whereabouts of the remaining boys allegedly in armed service with the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP)/Karuna Faction some of these boys may be trafficking victims. There were no prosecutions against persons allegedly responsible for conscription of child soldiers.

During the year, there was some evidence of government officials complicity in trafficking. There were allegations that police and other officials accepted bribes to permit brothels to operate some of the brothels exploited trafficking victims. Many recruitment agencies were run by politicians or were politically connected. Some sub-agents cooperated with Sri Lankan officials to procure forged or modified documents, or real documents with false data, to facilitate travel abroad. There were no reported law enforcement actions taken against officials complicit in human trafficking. The Sri Lankan Police continued to teach a counter-trafficking module to all police recruits during their basic trainings. Additionally, police officers who were previously trained in IOM training-of-trainers courses conducted 16 training workshops at local police stations on counter-trafficking in the reporting period.

Protection

The government made limited progress in protecting victims of trafficking during the year. The government placed two Uzbek women who were found in forced prostitution in late 2009 in a detention center, which they were allowed to leave during the day but were locked up at night. The government did not permit them to leave Sri Lanka for over a year until they had the opportunity to provide testimony against their alleged traffickers, instead of allowing the Uzbeks to leave the country while their cases were pending or to remain in the country with protections such as immigration relief, freedom of movement, and the right to work. They were then given permission to leave the country, and with the assistance of IOM, departed Sri Lanka in December 2010. The government forces foreign trafficking victims to remain in Sri Lanka if they are witnesses in a case until evidence has been given. The government continued to provide some counseling and day care for abused children through the operation of six resource centers, although it is not known how many trafficked children, if any, were assisted in the reporting period. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) operated nine short-term shelters in 2010 in Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as well as an overnight shelter in Sri Lanka s international airport for returning female migrant workers who encountered abuse abroad. It is unknown how many trafficking victims were assisted in these shelters in the reporting period. While the missions provide shelter and legal aid, domestic workers seeking assistance complained of long waiting periods with little information about their cases. In addition, there were complaints that the shelters were grossly overcrowded with unhygienic conditions. In a news report of female Sri Lankan workers who fled their employers in Jordan due to lack of paid wages and abuse, one worker noted that the Sri Lankan embassy shelter was no better than a prison, as it did not permit the domestic workers to leave the premises. There have been some reports of abuse by Sri Lankan embassy officials in shelters abroad.

A Workers Welfare Fund is maintained by the SLBFE, also funded by fees charged to workers upon migration. Through this fund, the widely reported case of the female in domestic servitude in Saudi Arabia who returned with 24 nails in her body received approximately $4,500 to build a house, with the assistance of the National Housing Authority. Neither the government nor NGOs or international organizations provided protection facilities for men. The Ministry of Child Development and Women s Affairs (MOCDWA) has a memorandum of understanding with IOM to establish a shelter which can house 10 to 15 women and child victims of trafficking and abuse. When the building is renovated and prepared with a tentative deadline of later this year the ministry will take over operation and management of the shelter.

Government personnel did not employ formal procedures for proactively identifying victims. The National Counter Human Trafficking Resource Center of the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration trained 10 immigration officers on the identification of trafficking victims, in partnership with IOM, in 2010 50 officers were trained in 2009. The government pursued a partnership with the Salvation Army to transfer women and child victims of abuse to protection facilities, though it is unknown how many trafficking victims, if any, were referred in the reporting period. Foreign trafficking victims could not seek employment in Sri Lanka. The government permitted foreign trafficking victims to leave the country unless they were witnesses in a case, in which case the government forced them to remain until evidence had been given. IOM reported several cases of victims who chose to leave the country rather than file a complaint. The Commissioner General for Rehabilitation, with the assistance of the NCPA, continued to operate two rehabilitation centers specifically for children involved in armed conflict, some of whom may be trafficking victims, in partnership with UNICEF. The Commission also continued to run a vocational training center with donor support. These facilities served approximately 700 former child soldiers in the reporting period. The Sri Lankan government has reported that all former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) child soldiers completed rehabilitation and were released in May 2010. However, at least 250 children formerly associated with armed groups faced a number of security issues, and some were arrested by police.

The government did not encourage victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases instead, they sometimes forced victims to testify if they chose to file charges. While Sri Lankan trafficking victims in theory could file administrative cases to seek financial restitution, this did not happen in practice due to victim embarrassment and the slow pace of the Sri Lankan legal system. In addition, prosecutors were prevented under Sri Lankan law from meeting with witnesses outside of formal court proceedings. Thus, they had to rely on police to convince a witness to testify. The government penalized adult victims of trafficking through detention for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Most commonly, these acts were violations of their visa status or prostitution. All detainees who were awaiting deportation for visa violations, including trafficking victims, remained in detention facilities until they raised enough money to pay for their plane ticket home, which in some cases has taken years. The government provided no legal alternatives for the removal of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution. The SLBFE continued to provide training on protection and assistance to its staff members who worked at embassies and consulates in foreign countries, although many of the labor attaches working in labor-receiving countries are political appointees who do not receive any training.

Prevention

The Sri Lankan government made some progress in its efforts to prevent trafficking during the last year. The government formed an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking task force in October 2010, led by a coordinator from the Ministry of Justice, and developed a terms of reference on how government agencies will work together to combat trafficking. This task force took over the monthly meetings previously held by the MOCDWA, and met six times in the reporting period. While it does not include civil society, the coordinator of the task force recently announced it would soon open up quarterly meetings to NGOs and community organizations. The government limits the recruitment fees to $70 for jobs paying less than $200 per month and $100 for jobs paying over $200. The SLBFE requires migrant domestic workers with no experience working in the Middle East to complete a free 12-day pre-departure training course. It is not known how many migrant workers completed this course in the reporting period. The SLBFE and the Department of Labor conducted awareness programs on safe migration. In measures that could prevent transnational labor trafficking of Sri Lankans, the SLBFE reported that it filed 727 charges against recruitment agencies in 2010 under Sections 398 (cheating) and 457 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), conducted 84 raids against employment agents, and fined recruitment agencies found to be guilty of fraudulent practices over $40,000. The Criminal Investigation Division of the police, in cooperation with Interpol and the Royal Malaysian Police, investigated four fraudulent recruitment agents who may have been responsible for the forced labor of Sri Lankans in Malaysia.

While most Sri Lankans have birth certificates and (after the age of 16) national identity cards, many of the 250,000 to 350,000 internally displaced people a group very vulnerable to trafficking did not have these documents. The Government of Sri Lanka continued to provide personnel time to conduct mobile documentation clinics for conflict-affected people with UNDP. The Government of Sri Lanka did not report any efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts during the reporting period. The Ministry of Defense provided training to all Sri Lankan peacekeepers prior to their deployments for international peacekeeping missions relating to human rights, including trafficking. Sri Lanka is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2011/6/68443.html

Calif. Muslims, Jews File Lawsuit Against Circumcision Ban

2011-06-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

The recent efforts to ban circumcision in San Francisco have brought about one curious unintended result: Muslim and Jewish Americans have teamed up in the city to file a lawsuit against the ballot measure. The “unlikely coalition,” as dubbed by The Blaze, was formed because the ritual of circumcision is common to both the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

Now that San Francisco election officials have confirmed that there are enough signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot, the city will be the first to hold a public vote on banning male circumcision. If passed, the measure would prohibit circumcision on males under the age of 18, making it a misdemeanor punishable by either a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year in jail.

It is because the measure would permit no exemptions, including for religious reasons, that Jewish and Muslim residents are collaborating in the lawsuit. The Blaze notes,

The case filed in San Francisco Superior Court asks the court to remove the voter initiative from the city’s Nov. 8 ballot, arguing that California law bars local governments from restricting medical procedures.

The lawsuit includes five Jewish and three Muslim plaintiffs, as well as two physicians who regularly perform circumcisions. It also includes the Anti-Defamation League and the local chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council as plaintiffs.

Leticia Preza, one of the plaintiffs in the case, declares of the proposed ban:

It’s a measure that would basically infringe upon my rights as a Muslim to practice here. It would also take away my rights as a parent to choose what’s a good procedure for my child.

Supporters of the ban contend that circumcision is equitable to genital mutilation and conclude that it should not be imposed on children by their parents. They claim the procedure is too painful and dangerous to justify its continued use.

"Parents are really guardians, and guardians have to do what's in the best interest of the child. It's his body. It's his choice," claimed Lloyd Schofield, the measure's lead proponent and a longtime San Francisco resident.

The New American's Daniel Sayani notes dissembling in this assertion, however:

Yet, this is a position that reeks of hypocrisy, as the same anti-circumcision individuals often support a pro-choice position on abortion, arbitrarily defending a born child’s supposed “right” not be circumcised, while supporting the “right” of an individual parent to legally kill their unborn children as late as 36 weeks of pregnancy (approximately nine months of gestation). In fact, San Francisco’s permissive culture has been warmly embracing of several abortionists and even late-term abortion practitioners: According to attorney Leonard Moscowitz, “It is amazing that in San Francisco, you can abort a 5, 6, or 7 month old baby, but you soon may not perform a circumcision on a 9 month, 8 day-old baby.”

Meanwhile, the ban has provoked a great deal of ire from both the religious and medical communities, as well as from constitutionalists who take issue with the local government's overreach. The Blaze indicates:

The ballot measure is running into fierce opposition, especially among Jews and Muslims who consider circumcision a sacred religious rite. They say the ban would violate their constitutional rights and run counter to San Francisco’s tradition of cultural and religious tolerance.

International health organizations have promoted male circumcision to help reduce the spread of the AIDS virus, but there hasn’t been the same kind of push in the U.S., in part because nearly 80 percent of American men are already circumcised, compared with the worldwide average of 30 percent.

TNA's Sayani noted the number of health benefits associated with circumcision:

There is ample medical evidence that circumcision is linked to lower rates of penile cancer, thrush infections, balanitis (inflammation of the glans), posthitis and phimosis (two other severe inflammatory conditions), sexual dysfunction, and a reduction in HIV/AIDS and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV, which is linked to sexually-transmitted cervical cancer) transmission rates (in African and other developing societies) as well as improved hygiene.

Plaintiff Jeremy Benjamin voiced his concern over the ban: “As Jews, we take the threat of banning circumcision personally. This measure singles us out, along with the Muslim community, as illegitimate and unwanted in our own city.”

The city of Santa Monica was considering a similar ban, until the author of Santa Monica’s proposal, Matthew Hess, created an anti-Semitic comic called Foreskin Man. What Hess called a “joke” and “publicity stunt” ultimately revealed what many believed to be an underlying anti-Semitic position behind the circumcision ban. The comic provoked such a public outcry that the city of Santa Monica elected to drop the proposal.

Jena Troutman, who originally submitted the initiative to the Santa Monica city clerk, retracted her proposal, telling the Jewish Journal, “It shouldn’t have been about religion in the first place. Ninety-five percent of people aren’t doing it for religious reasons, and with everyone from the New York Times to Glenn Beck focusing on the religious issue, it’s closing Americans down to the conversation.”

As of now, the circumcision ban in San Francisco is scheduled to appear on the ballot in November. Whether the lawsuit will remove the measure from the ballot remains to be seen.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/7981-calif-muslims-jews-file-lawsuit-against-circumcision-ban

The Imperialist Suicide Epidemic in India

2011-06-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

by Larry Everest

"The children were inconsolable. Mute with shock and fighting back tears, they huddled beside their mother as friends and neighbors prepared their father's body for cremation on a blazing bonfire built on the cracked, barren fields near their home. As flames consumed the corpse, Ganjanan, 12, and Kalpana, 14, faced a grim future. While Shankara Mandaukar had hoped his son and daughter would have a better life under India's economic boom, they now face working as slave labor for a few pence a day. Landless and homeless, they will be the lowest of the low.

"Shankara, respected farmer, loving husband and father, had taken his own life. Less than 24 hours earlier, facing the loss of his land due to debt, he drank a cupful of chemical insecticide. Unable to pay back the equivalent of two years' earnings, he was in despair. He could see no way out."1

Shankara's story is not unique—or even unusual. Between 1995 and 2009, 241,679 farmers in India committed suicide, and by the end of 2010 the number had probably risen to 250,000—a quarter of a million people. In 2009 alone, 17,638 farmers committed suicide—an average of one every 30 minutes.

And it's even worse. These shocking figures "considerably underestimate the actual number of farmer suicides taking place," according to a new study by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University Law School, "Every Thirty Minutes: Farmer Suicides, Human Rights and the Agrarian Crisis in India."2 For instance, women are often excluded from suicide statistics because they don't have title to their land and therefore are not counted as "farmers."
The Roots of India's Farmer Suicide Epidemic

This suicide epidemic is not a product of "human nature," or India's culture. Mass farmer suicides were unknown in India before the 1990s. Nor are they random and unexplainable: they follow a pattern. 86.5 percent of the farmers who commit suicide are in debt. Like Shankara, 40 percent had suffered a crop failure, the majority are small farmers (with less than five acres of land), and are growing cash crops for export. Cotton is one of India's main cash crops, and one of the highest concentrations of suicides is among cotton farmers like Shankara. Roughly half of all farmer suicides occur in the Vidarbha region of central India, where there are 3.2 million cotton farmers.3

What is the connection between crushing debt, failed harvests, small plots, and cash crops? Why have hundreds of thousands felt they had no way out but to take their own lives? What does this epidemic show about India, a country the U.S. lauds as "the world's largest democracy" and celebrates as a model for economic development? And what does it show about U.S. capitalism-imperialism and how it impacts millions upon millions around the world?
Step Back... and Survey the Globe

To answer these questions, we can't just look at India's cotton industry, or Indian agriculture overall, or even just India. You have to step back and look at what kind of system we live in, how it dominates and shapes the whole globe—especially oppressed countries like India.

We live in a capitalist system. That means that all production, including of basic necessities, is driven and shaped by the maximizing of profit. Today the tentacles of that capitalist system envelop the whole world—capitalism has become imperialism. A small handful of rich, capitalist-imperialist countries dominate the rest of the planet, with the United States at the top of this global system. These imperialist powers dominate the oppressed nations—where over 80 percent of the world's people live—economically, politically, and militarily. The imperialists set the terms for what will be produced in these countries—not to meet the needs of their peoples, but to further the interests of the imperialists, in particular their profitable accumulation of capital.

Imperialist investment is not—as we're told by the capitalist media—a "boon" or a "handout" for people in oppressed countries. As Raymond Lotta has written, "the economic structure of the oppressed nations (like India) is shaped mainly by forces external to them: what is produced, exported and imported, financed, etc., reflects first and foremost their subordination, and not principally the internal requirements and interrelations of different sectors. They answer to another's 'heartbeat.'"4

Globalization, including Third World countries becoming further integrated into and subordinated to imperialism, has intensified since the end of World War 2. Imperialism's need to further integrate and subordinate Third World countries like India took a leap following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union—which by the mid-1950s was an imperialist, not a socialist, country. Suddenly, the global political, economic, and military landscape was radically changed. The U.S. and Western imperialist powers had triumphed in the Cold War. The U.S. saw the need and the opportunity to accelerate capitalist "globalization": to break down barriers to global investment, exploitation, and trade, including opening up countries formerly allied with the Soviet Union or formerly closed to the West.

Poor countries around the world, in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, have been subjected to Structural Adjustment Programs imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. These programs require that Third World governments meet strict conditions to get new loans or to obtain lower interest rates on existing loans. Both the IMF and World Bank are controlled by the imperialist powers, especially the United States. And this restructuring creates more favorable conditions for imperialist trade and investment.5

Imperialist restructuring has led to enormous changes in agricultural production in the oppressed countries. They have been more deeply integrated into the workings of an imperialist‑dominated global food system. Agriculture has been further "industrialized" and reshaped to better serve the imperialists. Traditional subsistence farming (based on producing staples like corn, beans, etc.) has more and more been overrun and swallowed up by imperialist‑controlled agribusiness.

India, the world's second most populous country, was one of the U.S.'s prime targets and has been ground zero for this agricultural restructuring. India was a longtime ally of the Soviet Union, and most of its economy was controlled and directed by the Indian state, which represented the interests of Indian capitalism and landed property, including semi-feudal landlordism.
Capitalist Globalization's Devastating Impact on India's Agriculture

India remains a predominantly agrarian society, with over 800 million people (of the 1.2 billion total population)—nearly 70 percent of the population—living in rural areas. Over half of India's workforce of nearly 500 million works in agriculture.6

The world's capitalist powers say that poor countries being integrated into the world imperialist system will lead to rapid economic growth and development and rising standards of living for all. When President Obama addressed India's Parliament in November 2010, he praised India for not "resisting the global economy," instead becoming "one of its engines." He claimed this had unleashed "an economic marvel that has lifted tens of millions from poverty and created one of the world's largest middle classes," and that advanced technology was now "empowering farmers and women" in India.7

But what globalization has actually meant for the masses of people in India is intensified exploitation, sweatshops, and growing disparity between the rich and poor. After 25 years of market reform, the average calorie intake in India has declined! And globalization has meant the ruin of many farmers, driving them into desperation. Let's look, for example, at how imperialist globalization has affected cotton farmers in India, who are a lot of the farmers committing suicide.
Compete on the Global Market... Or Go Under

Beginning in the 1990s, the U.S., the World Bank, and the IMF pressured India to privatize many of its state-owned enterprises, slash regulations on business, cut spending on social services and subsidies to small farmers, tear down barriers to foreign investment and trade, and integrate its economy, including agriculture, more closely into the imperialist-dominated global capitalist order.

Under this "neo-liberal" program, the Indian government reduced subsidies and access to credit for farmers, who had mainly been raising food crops for domestic consumption. It pushed farmers to switch from foodstuffs to cash crops for sale on the global market. And as part of this, the Indian state has promoted the expansion of cotton growing. Today there are 4 million cotton farmers in India, which is now the world's second largest cotton producer.8

However, to sell their cotton, Indian farmers now faced the volatile ups and downs of the global market, and competition with giant multi-national corporations based in the imperialist countries, which had enormous advantages in technology, marketing, and financial resources.

The report, "Every 30 Minutes" says, "In order to compete on the global market, then, Indian cotton farmers desperately turned to using new, higher-priced inputs," and "the cotton market has become increasingly commercialized, and is dominated by a small group of multinational corporations that exert increasing control over the cost, quality, and availability of agricultural inputs."

In India, giant imperialist monopolies exerted this control and extracted huge profits through the sale of genetically modified cottonseed, especially Bollgard Bt cottonseed, made by the U.S. chemical giant Monsanto, the world's largest seed producer.

When Bt cottonseed was approved by the Indian state in 2002, Monsanto launched an aggressive sales program in India with salesmen going from village to village promising these seeds would yield higher outputs—and income—including because they're resistant to some pests, so less can be spent on pesticides. By 2009, a majority of India's cotton farmers invested in the seed, and 85 percent of cotton produced in India was Bt cotton.9
"They Consume the Very Pesticide That They Purchased, in Order to Kill Themselves"

Farmer Shende shouldered at least four debts at the time of his death: one from a bank, two procured on his behalf by his sisters and one from a local moneylender. The night before his suicide, he borrowed one last time. From a fellow villager, he took the equivalent of $9, roughly the cost of a one-liter bottle of pesticide, which he used to take his life.10

Bt cottonseeds cost from two to 10 times as much as regular cottonseed, and can end up accounting for 50 percent of farming costs. Making matters worse, farmers are often prevented from reusing these genetically modified Bt seeds without paying a fee each year to Monsanto—which owns the "intellectual property rights" to the seed.11

Of the 89.35 million farmer households in India, small and marginal farmers make up 84 percent of all agricultural land holdings. These small farmers on average earn less than $2 per day, according to a 2003 study.12

And the workings of imperialism have increasingly forced these kinds of farmers into debt, squeezing them from two sides. On the one hand, these farmers have to pay more for seed, fertilizers, etc., so their costs have gone up. On the other hand, in the name of neo-liberal reform, the government has cut back in providing low-cost credit to small farmers while credit is channeled towards the largest, most profitable agricultural enterprises. This has meant that farmers have had to seek out sources of credit from local, predatory money lenders. And they end up going ever deeper into debt and desperation.

While growing Bt cotton for the global capitalist market can produce high returns, it is also highly precarious and unpredictable. Prices can swing sharply on the world market. Today the price of cotton in real terms is one-twelfth what it was 30 years ago. Also, Bt cotton requires a larger and steadier flow of water than traditional seed, yet 65 percent of cotton farmers have no access to irrigation and depend on monsoon rains. (Only 37 percent of rural households in India have electricity, and 80,000 villages are not even connected to the grid.13) Less than an average rainfall can wipe out their crop, and India's rainfall and weather patterns have become increasingly irregular, with annual monsoons failing three times in the last 10 years and drought impacting some provinces. These changes may be connected to global warming.14

Meanwhile, competition from cotton imported from the U.S. and other major capitalist countries—where farmers and agricultural corporations have much greater access to capital and advanced technology—is driving down cotton prices and ruining tens of thousands of Indian farmers.

Between 1997 and 2004, India imported some eight million bales of American cotton. This cotton was being sold at a price 50 to 65 percent lower than the cost of production because it was being subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which spent $245.2 billion to subsidize U.S. cotton farmers from 1995 to 2009, as part of promoting the interests of U.S. capital around the world.15

Smita Narula, co-author of "Every Thirty Minutes," sums up the impact of all this on tens of thousands of India's farmers: "So they've gone into insurmountable debt to purchase the inputs. They don't have the yields. They repeat this cycle for a couple of seasons. And by the end of it, they're simply trapped in a cycle that they can't get out of, and they consume the very pesticide that they purchased, in order to kill themselves."16
India's Agrarian Crisis

The plight of Indian cotton farmers is part of a broader crisis in Indian agriculture, and most farmers facing ruin have no place to turn. India's much-talked about information technology and business processing industries—the so‑called new economy—employ only 1.3 million out of India's working population of nearly 500 million.17

Oppressive traditional feudal and patriarchal relations also weigh heavily on Indian farmers. Those with daughters have to pay dowries to a prospective husband's family in order for them to be married:

"Farmers who pay these dowries fall further into debt—or face the social stigma of being unable to pay—and may commit suicide as a result. Even more startlingly, in Andhra Pradesh, unmarried daughters, wracked with guilt over their fathers' deaths, have committed suicide themselves. Finally, when husbands commit suicide, they not only leave their wives with their debt but also with the responsibility to marry off their daughters. As farmer-activist Sunanda Jayaram has noted, ‘There are debts hanging on [women's] heads which they did not incur. There are daughters whose marriages are pending. The pressure is unending.'"18

Indian farmers can no longer count on their own food production to stave off hunger and are increasingly subject to the global food crisis created by imperialism. The Revolution article, "The Global Food Crisis...and the Ravenous System of Capitalism" points out:

"Third World countries have been forced to shift much of their food production away from subsistence crops to high value exports. They have been pressured to open up their markets to cheap food imports. As a result, local food production for domestic consumption has been undercut. Now these countries are caught in a vise: The price of imported food has gone way up at the same time that the ability to produce food for local consumption has been eroded."19

In an article about the food crisis in India, Utsa Patnaik wrote, "The colonized Indian peasant starved while exporting wheat to England, and the modern Indian peasant is eating less while growing gherkins and roses for rich consumers abroad." Today, one quarter of India's population—some 300 million people—does not have enough money to eat adequately.20
"The Largest Wave of Recorded Suicides in Human History"

Imperialism has everything to do with the epidemic of farmer suicides in India. And the United States, in particular, plays a major role in shaping India's murderous agricultural system. During her visit to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in July 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that agriculture would be the "strongest and most important pillar" of the strategic partnership between the U.S. and India.

What's taken place in India over the past 16 years represents, in the words of one Indian researcher, "the largest wave of recorded suicides in human history."21

What makes this such a towering crime is that it's totally unnecessary. There is no reason that agriculture and food and other needed goods can only be produced if a profit is turned and the interests of a handful of imperialist powers are served. The basis exists, in human knowledge, technology, and resources, to solve the needs—including for food and clothing—of humanity. But what stands in the way of this is a world economic system of capitalism driven by profit.

Unless and until this system is abolished through revolution, and is replaced by a new socialist system, there will continue to be massive hunger, starvation, dislocation—and yes, farmers will be driven to drink pesticide out of horrific desperation. Under socialism, making sure people have enough food will be the first priority in agricultural production and part of building a whole world of shared abundance for everybody.

India's epidemic of farmer suicides, and understanding that it has been spawned by the workings of the capitalist-imperialist system, speaks powerfully—and achingly—to the urgent need for the revolutions that can bring that better world into being.

http://revcom.us/a/236/imperialist_suicide_epidemic-en.html

I read the Koran every day, says former prime minister Tony Blair who claims it keeps him 'faith-literate'

2011-06-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

By Ian Drury

Tony Blair has now spoken of how he reads the Koran every day

He was notoriously reluctant to discuss religion while Prime Minister, with his chief spin doctor Alastair Campbell famously commenting: ‘We don’t do God.’

But since leaving Downing Street in 2007, Tony Blair has become increasingly open about the importance of religion.

Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism months after leaving Number 10, has now spoken of how he reads the Koran every day.

Reading the Islamic religion’s holy book - considered by Muslims to be the exact words of God - ensured he remained ‘faith-literate’, the former Labour leader said.

In an interview with the Observer magazine, published yesterday he said: ‘To be faith-literate is crucial in a globalised world, I believe.

‘I read the Qur’an [Koran] every day. Partly to understand some of the things happening in the world, but mainly just because it is immensely instructive.’

Mr Blair believes that a knowledge of the faith informs his current role as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia.

The former PM’s work, which has cost British taxpayers more than £2million, aims to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr Blair has previously praised the Muslim faith as ‘beautiful’ and said the Prophet Mohammed had been ‘an enormously civilizing force’.

In 2006 he said the Koran was a ‘reforming book, it is inclusive. It extols science and knowledge and abhors superstition. It is practical and way ahead of its time in attitudes to marriage, women and governance’.

But Mr Blair has also faced the devastation wreaked by violent jihadists who interpret the Koran as a call to arms.
Mr Blair said reading the Islamic religion's holy book - considered by Muslims to be the exact words of God - ensured he remained 'faith-literate'

Mr Blair said reading the Islamic religion's holy book - considered by Muslims to be the exact words of God - ensured he remained 'faith-literate'

He was Prime Minister when the July 7 suicide bombers attacked London in 2005, murdering 52 innocent people.

Not only does reading the Koran support his peace envoy role, it also gives him something in common with sister-in-law Lauren Booth.

Journalist Miss Booth - Cherie Blair’s half sister - raised eyebrows after announcing last October that she had converted to Islam after what she described as a ‘holy experience’ during a visit to a shrine in Iran.

Mr Blair also used the Observer interview to dismiss claims he was on a Christian ‘crusade’ when taking Britain into the highly divisive war in Iraq.

His former constituency agent John Burton said two years ago that Mr Blair ‘believed strongly at the time, that intervention in Kosovo, Sierra Leone – Iraq too – was all part of the Christian battle; good should triumph over evil, making lives better.’

But the ex-Premier said: ‘People still ask me if military decisions in Iraq or Afghanistan were based on some kind of divine instruction. It’s rubbish.
‘Of course not. Just as I couldn’t go into a corner and pray to ask God what the minimum wage should be.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002883/Tony-Blair-reads-Koran-day-stay-faith-literate.html#ixzz1PAX6cRoZ

Allaah is above His Throne and He is close to us by His Knowledge

2011-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Quran says "Angels and Gabriel ascents to Allah in a day equivalent to 5000 terrestrial years. Does it imply that Allah is controlling the earthly matters sitting on the throne? Then how can be Allah nearer to us than the veins?

Praise be to Allaah. It is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and by the consensus (ijmaa’) of the salaf (early generations) of this ummah that Allaah is above His heavens on His Throne, and that He is the Exalted, Most High. He is Above all things, and there is nothing that is above Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah it is He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them in six Days. Then He rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). You (mankind) have none, besides Him, as a Wali (protector or helper) or an intercessor. Will you not then remember (or receive admonition)?” [al-Sajdah 32:4] “Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things [Yoonus 10:3] “To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allaah unless and until they are followed by good deeds) [Faatir 35:10] “He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him) [al-Hadeed 57:3] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You are the Most High and there is nothing above You…” There are many similar ayaat and ahaadeeth. But at the same time, Allaah tells us that He is with His slaves wherever they are: “Have you not seen that Allaah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa (secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), — nor of five but He is their sixth (with His Knowledge), — nor of less than that or more but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be” [al-Mujaadilah 58:7] Allaah has combined mention of His being above His Throne with mention of His being with His slaves in one aayah, where He says (interpretation of the meaning): “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be [al-Hadeed 57:4] Saying that Allaah is with us does not mean that He is mixed with (or dwells in) His creation; rather He is with His slaves by His knowledge. He is above His Throne and nothing is hidden from Him of what they do. With regard to the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge)” [Qaaf 50:16] - most of the mufassireen said that what is meant is that He is near by means of His angels whose task it is to record people’s deeds. And those who said that it means that He is near explained it as meaning that He is near by His knowledge, as is said concerning how He is with us. This is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who affirm that Allaah is above His creation and that He is also with His slaves, and they state that He is far above dwelling in His created beings. With regard to the denial of all Divine attributes as voiced by the Jahamiyyah and their followers, they deny that His Essence is above His creatures and that He rose above His Throne, and they say that He is present in His Essence everywhere. We ask Allaah to guide the Muslims. Shaykh Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak
Islamqa

Kandahar prison broken once again. A mystifying showdown of muscles between belief and technology

2011-04-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

The victorious and history producing soldiers of Allah under the leadership of Islamic Emirate have once again broken Kandahar prison, freeing more than 500 imprisoned Mujahideen which include tens of commanders, group leaders and high ranking officials and once again showed the triumph of the forces of mercy and faith over the technology plagued forces of Satan.

Mujahideen had started working on a 360 meter-long underground tunnel with great professionalism, dedication and secrecy, during which they bypassed highly secure check posts and Kandahar-Herat main highway before directly reaching their target, the prison’s political wing in a 5 month period, according to the latest information provided by the Mujahideen in Kandahar.

As planned earlier, the freeing of prisoners through the tunnel began at 11:00 pm last night when 3 previously informed inmates walked into each cell, woke up the Mujahideen and guided them to the tunnel, the process of which finished at around 03:30 am this morning when all the prisoners came out of the tunnel where they were escorted to secure destinations by vehicles.

Kandahar prison was previously broken into by Martyrdom seeking Mujahideen in the month of June 2008, breaking down its security barriers and killing dozens of security guards using an explosive-laden vehicle and heavy arms before freeing all its inmates. After this incident, the security personnel in Kabul’s stooge regime, in a failed attempt upgraded its security parameters by surrounding the prison with belts of security check posts, cameras and mobile patrol groups. The American’s and their hirelings never thought that the brave and daring Mujahideen would ever be able to free their comrades again, especially without any of the security personnel ever noticing or causing harm to any of the 500 prisoners who escaped through the tunnel. This is a sign of the help from the Almighty Allah, which no mind or technology can comprehend and this is considered as nothing more than the strike of the superiority of faith over material means.

This recent operation comes at a time when the echoes from the blow on the Ministry of Defense in Kabul are still ringing in the ears of the puppets in Kabul and their foreign masters while the theatrical drama of the blame game goes on between the two sides. The senate of Kabul regime wants the removal of the minister of defense (Raheem Wardag) from his office in connection with the incident while the high council and others go even further by proposing the changing and scrambling of all officials in security posts. But these people do not realize that they shall be witnesses to even more such Jihadic operations, which shall be even more dazzling and impressive than the previous, the blame of which shall not only force the defense minister to resign but also the “esteemed” head in Kabul! And the American commander supported by state of the art weapons, technology and overflowing dollars, who deceitfully boasts about securing Kandahar, should also ready himself for resignation and admit to his failures and defeat against the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate.

Al-Qaeda commander calls for overthrow of Gaddafi and introduction of Sharia Law

2011-03-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Abu Yahia al-Libi, the head of Sharia committee of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan/Pakistan, has urged his Muslims countrymen to overthrow the regime of Moammar Gaddafi and establish the Islamic rule, taking advantage of current events that sweep through the region, UmmaNews reports citing the Associated Press.

Sheikh Abu Yahia said in his video address that after the fall of the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, it is now Gaddafi's turn, as rebel fighters there wage a nearly month-long campaign to oust him.

He named the Arab autocratic national governments as the enemies of Islam who practiced the worst kind of oppression with the backing of the West and failed to learn from history.

"Now it is the turn of Gaddafi after he made the people of Libya suffer for more than 40 years," Sheikh Abu Yahia said, adding that it would bring shame to the Libyan people if the tyrant were allowed to die a peaceful death.

Previously, Muammar Gaddafi said that al- Qaeda was behind the Libyan uprising seeking to end his dictatorship that lasts for more than 40 years.

It is worth noting that Gaddafi brutally suppressed any attempts to appeal to Monotheism and to implement the Sharia Law which are an integral part of Islam. He forbade the imams to preach in their sermons (hutbah) on issues associated with politics, and also brutally punished the Libyans who had fought in Afghanistan.

Sheikh Abu Yahia said that the ousting of Western-backed Arab regimes was "a step to reach the goal of every Muslim, that is to make the word of Allah the supreme" and establish the Islamic rule.

It should be added that Sheikh Abu Yahia al-Libi has been held in a U.S. military prison at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan for a long time, before escaping in 2005. After that, he took an active part in the Jihad in eastern Afghanistan bordering Pakistan.

In his 31-minute video message, al-Libi also criticized the hypocrisy of the U.S. leaders who now stand on the side of the rebels and strongly support them, although recently they actively supported the Gaddafi's regime.

In conclusion, Sheikh Abu Yahia urged Lybians not to look towards the Western countries, not to seek their help, and to go by their own way:

"We have to get rid of our inferiority complex and free ourselves from the West," he said.

13 women burnt alive in 12 months here

2011-03-10T03:21:00.000-08:00

Sandhya Richariya was 18 when she was burnt alive inside her own home.

She was killed in March 2010, allegedly by four neighbours in her village in Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh. They wanted to punish her for falling in love with a man from a different caste. None of them are in jail.

After pouring kerosene on her and setting her on fire, the attackers left. Sandhya’s parents and the village sarpanch rushed her to hospital. Before she died, she identified the men who assaulted her. She gave her statement to the police.

But because the police did not get Sandhya’s doctor to testify that she was mentally alert when she made that statement, her testimony did not count in court. Sandhya died in hospital and the men arrested for her murder were released.

A month after that court verdict, we visit the small hut where Sandhya’s family lives. Her father works as a daily-wage earner. Her mother, a housewife, once looked after three children. Now there are two.

Speaking to us outside his home in a dusty, narrow street, Sandhya’s father checks repeatedly to ensure nobody is eavesdropping on our conversation.

Inside, her mother, Ramwati, explains that they have given up hope of ensuring justice for their daughter. ”The villagers said if we want to stay on here, we should not pursue the case.”

In Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh, Sandhya’s story is not an uncommon one. This is one of the country’s poorest regions, its poverty exacerbated by unforgiving drought that has staked its claim over the region in the last decade.

Bundelkhand has also become the home of the maximum brutalities against women in India – domestic violence and dowry deaths are the most prevalent crimes here.

In the last year, 13 young women have been burnt alive, either after they were raped, or because they tried to fight their attackers. Women’s rights activists who have been monitoring the cases say that the police have done little to prove the cases against the offenders, largely because of community pressure. Families of most of the victims are either threatened by the powerful or avoid approaching the police because of the stigma attached to rape.

”There are several rape cases in which no action have been taken. Soon after, the victims were either torched or they committed suicide. Timely police action could have saved them,” says Aruna Rao, the Inspector General of the Madhya Pradesh Women’s Crime Cell.

In a village not far away from Sandhya’s, we meet a father whose 15-year-old daughter was raped in November by a man known to the family. When the victim and her father went to the police, they allegedly took Rs. 400 as bribe to register their compliant. The accused and his family burnt the victim’s house in vengeful retaliation. But the accused was never arrested.

Another teen rape victim in the area was moved to a relative’s house so that she was not attacked. Her mother is seriously considering withdrawing the police case she once hoped would bring justice for her daughter.

The victim’s father explains that at the end of the day, he has to worry about how to feed his family. He has not worked in months. His wife earns Rs. 1,500 a month as a worker at the local aanganwadi. “He (daughter’s alleged rapist) sent a message that I can keep my job. He won’t trouble me or my daughter,” she says.

source: NDTV

Tunisian Revolution, Global Jihad & It Is Time For Khilafah Islamiyah To Lead The World

2011-02-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Does the Revolution in Tunisia mark the end of the era of the ruthless dictators and the beginning of the era of Khilafah Islamiyah? What is the role of the da'wah and global jihad amidst the political uproar in the Islamic countries which are affected by the domino effect from the revolution in Tunisia? Are the Islamic ummah ready to lead the world with the return of the Khilafah?

The Revolution Of A Vegetable Seller

The revolution in Tunisia originated from a vegetable seller named Muhammad Bouazizi, aged 26. Muhammad Bouazizi is a symbol of the oppressed youths in the area of Sidi Bouzid Sidi, 300 kilometers south of the capital of Tunisia. There are many youths who hold a bachelor degree there but day to day are just hanging out at the cafés in the dusty streets of the poor cities, showing the failure of governments in guaranteeing decent works.

Bouazizi, had been a vegetable seller for seven years until the police confiscated his vegetable cart on 17th December 2011 by accusing him of selling without license. Bouazizi had already tried paying 10 Tunisian dinars and paid another 7 dollars approximately, but he was slapped instead and was spat upon and his father who had died was insulted. Bouazizi could not accept being humiliated like that, and he reported it to the provincial headquarters hoping his complaints would be heard. However, as is usually the manner of the officials, they did not even want to meet him. Bouazizi then took his own steps, he doused fuel onto his body and burnt himself. It turned out that Bouazizi did not only burn himself but also burnt the anger of the entire Tunisian population against the dictatorship of the ruling regime.

Ben Ali, the dictator had the time to visit Bouazizi on 28th December to dampen the fire that had already burned the people of Tunisia. However, the fire fire in the chest of the people of Tunisia could no longer be extinguished, and on 14th January, only 10 days after Bouazizi died, the dictatorship of Ben Ali was overthrown by an intifadhah which was triggered by a vegetable seller.

Ben Ali, the dictator of Tunisia who had been in power for 23 years is a symbol of the secular governments of the Muslim countries, especially in the Arab world, who failed to perform his system of administration in all aspects of life. Unemployment, economic liberalization, free market are the sources of problems for Tunisia. Especially that Tunisia does not have the natural resources and is very highly dependent on foreign countries. Plus the corrupt and repressive government and the reticence of political access, then the sufferings of the Tunisians is complete which eventually led to the resistance for a change. A revolution had begun.

The End Of The Dictators?

The collapse of the dictatorial regime of Tunisia turned out to be a particular concern for all dictators, especially in the Arab countries. They worry that the people in their country would make the revolution in Tunisia as an inspiration, and that's what happened today!

Abdul Bari Atwan, editor Al-Quds Al-Arabi based in London wrote an article entitled “Thank You Tunisians”, expressed the concerns of the Arab dictators caused by the Tunisian revolution.

“These are critical days for most of the dictatorship of the Arab leaders. The conditions of life in Tunisia is still better compared to most other Arab countries. Furthermore, the dictator in Tunisia was less repressive than in the other Arab world.”

Abdul Bari Atwan, who wrote the book “The Secret History of Al-Qa’ida” (telling about Sheikh Usamah bin Ladin and Al-Qaeda) also provided an interesting advice for the U.S. government related to the revolution in Tunisia. Atwan advises the U.S. Government to prepare an island in the Pacific Islands to accept the Arab allies and other dictators.

An expert on Arab politics , Hussein Majdoubi also analyzed the possibility of a revolution, similar to the one in Tunisia, that would spread to Arab countries. The rulers of Morocco, Libya, Algeria and Egypt according to him are the targets of the next revolution. He was also disappointed with the West which continues to provide support to the Arab dictators and ignores the sad state of politics.

Clovis Maksoud, former Arab League envoy for the UN, said that the Tunisian revolution is an inspiration in the Arab world used by the countries which have dictatorial regimes. In an interview with Press TV, he said “The Tunisian revolution is one of the most inspirational in the Arab world in this contemporary time.”

Yvonne Ridley, a Muslimah journalist who was also a muallaf (Muslim convert ) from London, UK, believes that the people in the Arab world today has lost their sense of fear for the Arab regimes which are oppressive and corrupt as supported by the power of America and Europe, and which will start falling like dominoes. She continued:

“The first thing to do is to send the Air Force One to assemble all the dictators, tyrants and despotic rulers who are paid by America and bring them all to Washington. Like the pet droppings in the New York Central Park, you must be responsible for the mess your dogs!”

The people's revolution in Tunisia makes the Arab dictators panicky. The thing that happened to Ben Ali is an insult that has never happened to an Arab leader before. An extraordinary event, when the Tunisian dictator who had been in power for 23 years was finally overthrown by the people's resistance who are frustrated and sick of the system that had governed them all these time. The era of the dictators appears to be ending soon.

The Domino Effects Of The Tunisian Revolution

The act of the vegetable seller, Muhammad Bouazizi, that sparked the Tunisian revolution turned out to be an immediate inspiration for the people in some other Arab countries. There were nearly a dozen people who imitated the action of self-immolation in several Arab capitals, some of which were in Cairo and Algeria. In fact, until now, demonstrations demanding the departure of the Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak, is still continuing to happen in the city streets of Egypt. Egypt is now in turmoil.

The protesters in Egypt even burnt the government buildings in the Suez port town. Protests against the dictatorial government of Hosni Mubarak continued to happen in Egypt. Protesters also threw Molotov cocktails at the government buildings. The burning and throwing of bombs were also carried out at the headquarters of the ruling party, National Democratic Party.

Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets across the country to continue their protests the likes of which had never been seen before, defying the ban of the government which was earlier announced by the Interior Minister. The Protesters burned tires and threw stones at the police in Cairo, while the fully armed riot police were deployed in major cities to dissolve the masses opposing the three decades dictatorial rule of Egypt under Mubarak.

Clashes were also reported in the cities of Alexandria and Suez, where the security forces used water cannons, tear gases, batons and rubber bullets to disperse the masses. Hundreds have been killed.

Large scale demonstrations in Egypt have been running for two weeks and to date it got even more heated. The Egyptian police even shot 17 people who were trying to attack the police station in Cairo, Egypt. This action occurred following a statement by the dictator Hosni Mubarak, who refused to step down. This statement further heated the atmosphere instantly and pepped up tens of thousands of masses to take to the streets in major cities in Egypt. The domino effect of the Tunisian revolution is creeping and now happening in Egypt with one common goal, to depose the dictator!

In Yemen, the people are also demanding the resignation of the ruthless dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Thousands of people are demonstrating in the capital, Sanaa, calling for the dictator of 30 years, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step down. The courage the people of Yemen in trying to overthrow their president emerged after the mass protests in Egypt and the revolution in Tunisia which succeeded in overthrowing the ruling regime.

The people of Yemen complained about the increasing poverty among the young people and frustration with the lack of political freedom. Also complaining about corrupt officials.

“We are gathered today to demand the abdication of President Saleh and his corrupt government,” said the demonstrators.

The Tunisian revolution sparked the solidarity of the common citizens in the Arab world, especially the Muslims who are fed up with the dictatorial and secular system of government which has been applied all these time. After Tunisia, the revolution spread to Egypt, and it could be spreading to Yemen, and probably will continue throughout the other regions of the Arab world. A big change is happening. The Pharaohs are facing the anger and resistance of 'Moses' who rose up against oppression!

The Call Of Da'wah & Global Jihad

The Tunisian revolution is also supported and in synergy with the calls of da'wah and global jihad. All geared towards the same end, the implementation of Islamic Shari'ah and the establishment of Khilafah Islamiyah.

Dozens of Muslim activists in London demonstrated in front of the embassy of Tunisia in London, Friday (21/1) calling on the Muslims in Tunisia to apply the Islamic Shari'ah (Khilafah). In the demonstration, Islamic activists carried the inscription “Shari'ah For Tunisia”, in English, Arabic and French. They also shouted “Shari'ah Will Return” and “Khilafah Will Return” followed by echoes of Takbeer!

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda for the territories of Maghrib or which is better known as AQIM, supported the Tunisian revolution and called for the implementation of the Islamic Shari'ah immediately in Tunisia. In a 13-minute video, Sheikh Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, the amir of AQIM, stated his support for the rallies of the Tunisians in overthrowing the dictator Ben Ali. In the video posted to jihadist forums, he also provided a number of strategic advices, including their readiness to provide training in the use of weapons.

Sheikh Abu Musab Abdul Wadud also criticized Ben Ali for committing oppression, corruption, and for neglecting the welfare of ordinary people. He asked the demonstrators to immediately overthrow Ben Ali and apply the Islamic Shari'ah law in Tunisia. He said, the Tunisian Muslims should expand the revolution into a nationwide scale.

Leader of AQIM Sheikh Abu Musab Abdul Wadud is the tandzim of Al-Qaeda in Al-Jazair (Algeria), or in full the Tandzim Al-Qaeda Biladil Maghrib Islami (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Countries of North Africa) which until now existed and continues to expand its influence. Previously, before joining Al-Qaeda, this tandzim's name was The Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC) or in Arabic “Al-Jama’ah As-Salafiyyah lidakwah wal Qital.”

According to experts, the bases of AQIM increasingly widened to a number of countries, such as Tunisia, Al-Jazair, Mauritania and Mali. The AQIM also said:

“Your disaster is our disaster and your suffering is our suffering.”

What System Will Be Used?

Where is the direction of the Tunisian revolution? Will the Islamic Shari'ah be implemented there? Tunisia is an Arab country with Muslim populations located in North Africa, on the coast of Mediterranean Sea to be exact. Tunisia is bordered with Algeria to the west, and Libya in the south and east.

Among the countries situated in the Atlas Mountains , the region of Tunisia is one of the easternmost and smallest. 40% of the Tunisian region is made up of the Saharan desert, the rest are fertile lands.

Tunisia used the secular system i.e. Republic for regulating its state sand society after getting independence from the kafir French colonial on 20th March 1956. Ben Ali, rose to power through a bloodless coup in 1987 to later become the ruling dictator for a period of 23 years.

When in power, Ben Ali kept on committing evils to the Islamic ummah of Tunisia and this shows that he was a genuine dictator. In fact, Ben Ali is a staunch supporter of Zionist Israel where he forbade the people of Tunisia from carrying out Anti-Israel demos, in fact he even prohibited the efforts of collecting relief aids for the Muslim in Gaza. Too much!

Ben Ali is also a loyal American stooge, as well as anti-Islamic Shari'ah. He banned the jilbab, in the 1990's, Ben Ali started rounding up Muslims who grew beard in Tunisia- which in truth are people who want to go back to the Islamic Shari'ah- banning them from going to masjids and being at workplaces and learning institutions.

Apparently, Ben Ali and his family also liked to steal the wealth of the Tunisian people while at the same time, the people of Tunisia are left to live in poverty, no job and under opprerssion every day. Corruptions and collusions become a daily meal for Tunisian officials which ultimately makes the people of Tunisia sick with the system of administration and dictatorship of Ben Ali, that they finally were moving against and overthrew the dictator.

After the overthrow of Ben Ali, for the first time in 23 years, Muslim youths performed their prayers in congregation in the streets of the cities in Tunisia. The spirit to return and implement the Islamic Shari'ah became one of the alternatives for the Tunisian folks, especially the youths. This is of course a concern for the secular officials and former proponents of the dictator, Ben Ali.

The Regional Development Minister, Silvan Shalom, expressed his concern about the overthrowing of the dictatorial ruler, Ben Ali, because “This step will facilitate the movement of Islam in this country.”

The Tunisians who do not feel enough with the results of the coup against the government of that country, called for radical changes in politics. They held a mass action demanding the release of political prisoners from the jails of the dictator, Ben Ali.

Most people in Tunisia call for the establishment of an Islamic state and the implementation of Islamic Shari'ah and to ensure the consolidation of the Muslim countries. The people who marched in Tunisia shouted: “There is no other way, there is no other way, Islam is the only solution!” “With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice for You, O Islam!”

Standing before the Tunisian army, they addressed this kalimah to: “You in Palestine, you in Iraq, drop the chains of the rulers off your neck and fulfill your duties!” “O Muslim forces, we are ready with you, with our blood, with our souls and our children! Topple the oppressive regimes!”

An appropriate choice for the people of Tunisia is to implement the Shari’ah of Islam and establish the Islamic system of government i.e. by establishing the Khilafah of Islam. The people of Tunisia should be getting this ‘blessing’ from Allah SWT, that with the fall of the dictatorial regime of Ben Ali, they could make use of this precious moment and not be fooled by the gentle persuasion and deceptions of satan which offers the poison of democracy.

A Mujahid had told us a valuable experience in the struggle:

“We are busy with military combats, success is forged on the sincere souls, and we managed to revive the love of dying shaheed. But we forgot to think of power (politics). Because we do not embrace it wholeheartedly. We still view politics as a filthy thing. The result? We are successful in changing the direction of the wind of victory with very invaluable sacrifices, until upon approaching the last chapter, when victory is ready to be plucked, the enemies are opening the fires of “mercy” at us – thus was the vocabulary that they usually use in order to tame us.”

The fact is, until now it is still not known where the Tunisian revolution would gear toward. The situation is still uncertain. At this time, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghannouchi who serves the interim government promised to immediately held an election which will replace the presidential system with a parliamentary system. Of course this promise was just a lie which will not bring about meaningful impacts of change. Because the change of the regime and its system is still in the corridor of the system of democracy which is anti-Islamic Shari’ah.

The change of a regime or dictator in a country is not a sure guarantee for a change in life in that country. Experience has proven that the change of a regime without being followed up by a comprehensive change in the system of life would not bring any change whatsoever. Not to mention the sweet promises of changes and reformation which are always shouted out by the enemies of Islam, who are not prepared for the Islam Shari’ah and Khilafah to be applied as the only system which regulates the life of the Islamic society. In the end, it is democracy which is always offered as the best alternative for a change. Whereas, democracy is a very deadly venomous poison for the Islamic ummah who are longing for the return of the Islamic Shari’ah in the entire aspects of life. For that, there is no other alternative, and there is no other system for the Islamic ummah anywhere except to reapply the Islamic Shari’ah in kaafah (in its entirety) in the frame of Islamic Khilafah.

Khilafah, Ready To Lead The World

From Nu’man bin Basyir from Hudzaifah bin Yaman radliallahu ‘anhu, he said that Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

“The Prophethood will remain among you for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it when He wishes to, then it will be a Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophethood (KHILAFAH ‘ALAA MINHAJIN NUBUWWAH), it will remain for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it if He wishes, then it will be a hereditary leadership (MULKAN ADLON) which will remain for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if he wishes, then it will be a tyrannical rule (MULKAN JABARIYYAH), and it will remain so for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if He wishes, then it will be a Khilafah on the method of the Prophethood (KHILAFAH ‘ALAA MINHAJIN NUBUWWAH), then he kept silen.” (H.R. Ahmad and Al Baihaqi. Mishkatul Masabih: Bab Al-Indzar wa Tahdzir, Al-Maktabah Ar-Rahimiah, Delhi, India. Page 461. Musnad Ahmad, juz 4, page 273).

The news from Prophet SAW above becomes a glad tiding for the Muslims today. The time or era of the Khilafah (Islamic state system) which follows in the footsteps of prophethood will soon be starting after the collapse of the era of ‘mulkan jabariyah’ or the era of the arrogant (cruel) kings alias dictators.

The phenomena of the Tunisian revolution, followed by the Egyptian and beyond, could be a mark of the truth of the hadith which is believed as the phases of history of the Islamic ummah’s decline and revival. After the collapse of the last Islamic Khilafah in Turkey, 3rd March 1924, the Muslims entered the bad periods in its history. The system of Islamic Khilafah was toppled by ‘dajjal’ Mustafa Kemal At-Tatruk, giving birth to the secular system and which gave birth to dictatorial leaders all over the countries of Muslims. It was at that time that the period of “mulkan adlon” ended and the period of “mulkan jabariyyah” alias the dictators was started. These dictators, under the pressure of the West, used the system of secular democracy with elections, as the jargon of freedom and change.

Now the ummah realizes how cruel their kings and leaders, the dictators, are. The system of secular democracy also turned out to be only promise for the winds of paradise without any reality at all. The living condition which is sunken due to applying the system and ideology of kufr democracy ultimately raises the awareness and wind of change in all countries of the Muslims. The Tunisian revolution becomes a trigger, and an inspiration at the same time.

Based on the good news from Prophet SAW, in the haidth about the history of the Islamic ummah, then the collapse of the cruel dictators marks the beginning of the emergence of a system of Islamic Khilafah and the reimplementation of the Islamic Shari’ah in all aspects of life.

The ummah is also longing for the emergence of Al-Mahdi, the figure of a Khalifah who would emerge after the expiration of the period of “mulkan jabbariyah” or cruel dictators. The collapse of Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, and followed by the other dictators insha Allah, becomes a sign of the nearness of that period promised by Rasulullah SAW, about the emergence of Khilafah Islamiyah based on the method of prophethood. The Tunisian revolution could be an introduction to the promised advent of that period, where the Islamic ummah and in fact the entire people of the world will live in peace, prosperity and mercy. Therefore, be prepared O Muslimeen to receive the return of the Khilafah Islamiyah to lead the world!

Wallahu’alam bis sowab!

Source: arrahmah.com

Democracy, A Religion?

2011-02-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Democracy is a catchword that becomes a controversy for all Islamic activists today, diverse interpretations of democracy are being served like a meal, but in essence all Islamic activists agreed on one thing about democracy, that democracy is the product of the kafir and thus contrary to the Islamic law. There are a few people who claim that democracy is a shura like in Islam, but this is also invalidated. The presence of some similarities on systems that are incompatible does not mean that the systems are alike. One side of good may not be able to justify that all sides are good, let alone a system that is very incompatible to human beings.

However, to this day there is still a group of people who refuse to budge from the view that democracy is not a religion but a vehicle for heading towards a civil society or heading towards a society with the Shari'ah of Islam. So is it true that democracy is a religion? Let us prove with the daleels from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Democracy Is A Religion

In the daleels of the Qura’an and Sunnah, or the books of the ulama's of Ahlus-Sunnah, yes, the word democracy has never been mentioned explicitly because at the time of Rasulullah SAW or in the old days, this word had never been known or was still foreign, but this does not fool us and make us fall into the trap.

In understanding democracy, we should go back to the fundamental subject of one's Islam, namely iman. Iman is a pledge that makes a person being called Muslim and that makes him different from the people who disbelieve (kafir) although they are practising good deeds in the eyes of the world, without iman all those do not mean anything.

And the basis of one's faith (iman) is like what Allah SWT says in the Holy Qur’an:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (QS. Adz-Dzriyaat: 56)

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah and avoid Thaghut.'” (QS. An-Nahl: 36)

“The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Thaghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it.” (QS. Al-Baqarah : 256)

“But those who have avoided Thaghut, lest they worship it, and turned back to Allah - for them are good tidings. So give good tidings to My servants.” (QS. Az-Zumar: 17)

The above verses are the commands of Allah to mankind after they have iman, to keep away from all kinds of obedience and submission to others besides Allah SWT which in the Qur’an is called Thaghut. So one's iman is not valid before they deny (to be kafir toward) and be free of all the millah, manhaj and aqeedah of others besides Islam.

Included in the category of thaghut is every one who positions himself as a musharri' (legislation and law maker) along with Allah, whether he is a leader or a common citizen, a people's representatives in the legislature or the people whom he represents from among those who elected him (in the general elections), because with that deed, he has exceeded the limit which Allah SAW created for him, because he is created as a slave of Allah, and his Lord orders him to surrender submissively to His Shari'ah, but he is reluctant, and he becomes arrogant instead and oversteps the limits which Allah SWT has set, he on the other hand wants to make himself as a match for Allah and affiliate with Him in the authority of tashri' (establishment of law and legislation), whereas it should not be turned to any other except to Allah SWT and for anyone who does that, then he has made himself as ilaah musharri' (God the lawmaker), while it cannot be doubted anymore that for such a person, he is a part of the ru'uusuth thawaghiit (frontmen of thaghut) where one's Tawheed and Islam is not valid until he is kafir towards that thaghut, avoiding it, as well as bara'ah (be free) from its worshippers and troops.

Allah SWT says:

“They wish to refer legislation to Thaghut, while they were commanded to reject that Thaghut.” (QS. An-Nisa': 60)

Imam Mujahid rahimahullah said: “Thaghut is devil in human form, where the humans refer the laws to him, while he is taking control of them.”

Shaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyyah rahimahullah said: “On that account, one who rules by other than Kitabullah (God's Book) where he becomes the legal reference, he is called thaghut.”

Imam Ibnul Qayyim rahimahullah said: “Thaghut is anything in which the limit is exceeded by the slaves, be it the one worshipped, or followed, or obeyed, that the thaghut of every society is the people whom they make as legal reference other than Allah and His Rasul, or which they worship besides Allah, or that which they followed without any foundation of daleels from Allah, or the people whom they obeyed in matters which they do not know that it is a form of obedience to Allah”.

And he said further: “Anyone who refers the law or reports lawsuits to others in addition to what has been brought about by Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, then it means that he had been referring the law and reporting lawsuits to the thaghut.”

And among the types of thaghut worshipped besides Allah SWT today, and which becomes the obligation of every Muwahhid to be kafir towards them and be free from them, as well as from their followers so he can hold on to al 'urwatul wutsqa (the most trustworthy handhold [Luqman : 22]) and be safe the fires of hell, are the false gods and arbaab maz’um which have been made by many people as shurakaa musharri'iin (allies who make the laws and legislation) besides Allah SWT.

"Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented? But if not for the decisive word, it would have been concluded between them." (QS. Ash-Shuura: 21)

That's a brief explanation of democracy and why Islam is so opposed to it and threatens the perpetrators of democracy as a people who are out of Islam.

“There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, 'Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah . We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone' …” (Al-Mumtahanah: 4)

A Dream Come True

2011-01-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Abu Ubaydah al-Khidramy

So many times I would hear about the Mujahideen and about their purity; and their noble characters and many times I would hear and see the news of the Mujahideen and their heroism, and I would ask myself: how do I reach them? Would it be possible for me to sit with them and be with them?!

This was the dream that enticed us, despite media (attempts) to obscure and spread rumors about (the Mujahideen). Indeed a significant matter and great calamity is the misguidance by some of those who claim to adhere to ‘Ilm by issuing disgraceful fatwas to the effect that “any of the Mujahideen” are corrupters on earth and they destroy homes and kill innocents. But I do not know which innocents they mean. Despite all this, that dream was in mind as the days disappeared and events moved swiftly. The banner was becoming clearer every day and Paradise was receiving the martyrs.

My days were decreasing and my life hastening onward as the shaytan with all his might and trickery to deter me from achieving my desired goal. But through the Grace of Allah, after it had been difficult for us to migrate to the lands of Jihad like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, a front was opened for me, and it was one of the greatest battle fronts: the Peninsula of Muhammad, صلى الله عليه وسلم. After Allah granted me the good fortune to join my Mujahideen brothers, I saw the wonder of wonders. I saw the brothers sacrifice their persons, their wealth and all that they possessed for their Lord.

I saw the brothers who were humble to the Believers and hard upon the infidels. I saw brothers preferring poverty for themselves. I saw brothers rising in the night and fasting in the day. I saw brothers who loved one another. I saw brothers who possessed the qualities of goodness and piety: a great thing. Amongst the beautiful qualities I perceived in them was following the guidance of Shari’ah in their Jihadist lives and in their dealings with their enemies. I felt a life of happiness and spiritual ease despite the fact I was far from my family and loved ones, but believe Allah Who says: “He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth many a refuge, wide and spacious: should he die as a refugee from home for Allah and His messenger, his reward becomes due and sure with Allah: and Allah is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”And believe the words of the Messenger of Allah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, when he said: “You must wage Jihad in the cause of Allah Almighty and Blessed, for it is one of the gates of Paradise by which Allah banishes concern and sorrow” (1). For rest; all rest, is to be found in jihad fi sabeel Allah to elevate the Word of Allah Almighty in order to achieve the desired dream and aspiration.

Finally, I advise myself and my brothers to praise Allah and thank Him for what he has bestowed upon us to serve His Deen. By Allah, how many of the deprived and the idle are shown that, in Jihad, it is Allah from whom we seek aid. And, my brothers, we must beseech from Allah steadfastness and dedication and that He destine for us Martyrdom head on and not from behind.

(1) Narated by Ahmad in his Musnad 23094 Translated From Sada al-Malahim Magazine Issue #15

Are we this foolish?

2011-01-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

There lived in a town a very rich man, who was given every comfort and luxury by Allah. He had a servant who was slightly foolish. One day the rich man called him and presented him with a gift saying: “Keep this in a safe place until you find someone more foolish than yourself. When you do, give it to Him.”

The servant replied: “Very good, Sir!”

After some time, the rich man became very ill. Many doctors treated him but there was no sign of recovery. He finally lost hope and called for his servant and said to Him: “I am leaving now. If I have caused you any grief, please forgive me.”

Servant: “Sir, where are you going?”

Rich Man: “Where everyone has to go.”

Servant: “When wil you return?”

Rich Man: “I am going to a place from where there is no return.”

Servant: “I see…Have you made your preparations for your comfort there, sir?”

Rich Man: “No.”

Servant: “Sir, have you made arangements to safeguard yourself from heat and cold?”

Rich Man: “No.”

Servant: “What have you done about your food and drink, sir?”

RichMan: “Nothing.”

Hearing this, the servant laughed and said: “Sir, this is most surprising. In your temporary home, you have made all sorts of arrangements of joy and comfort; buildings and bungalows, gardens and parks, servants and maids, beautiful cars, shops, factories and all sorts of luxuries, but for your permanent home, you have made no preparations whatsoever.
Now tell me sir! Where will I find someone more foolish than you? Hence I am giving this gift to you.”

The moral of the story is that we should take time out and review frequently whether our actions are solely for the life of this world or for the eternal life in the hereafter.

Tunisians demand to establish Sharia law and Islamic State

2011-01-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

For the first time in the last 23 years, Muslim youth read prayers in the street of Tunisian city

This became possible after the overthrown of the Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Earlier, the Zionist Minister of Regional Development Silvan Shalom expressed his concern about the overthrow of the dictator of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, because "this step will facilitate the activities of Islamist movements in the country".

A Zionist ringleader Shalom, a former native of Tunisia's Jewish community, acknowledged that the West had a blind eye on human rights violations by the regime of Ben Ali.

"Now, after the fall of this regime, there are fears that Islamist movements that have been outlawed, not only comes back, but also seizes power", the Zionist rascal lamented.

It is to be pointed out in this connection that during the riots in Tunisia police arrested a number of armed foreigners, including one with German passports, who were suspected of organizing attacks and shootings.

It is to be recalled that the Zionists often use fake passports of other countries sending terrorist groups to commit murders and terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, the people of Tunisia are not satisfied with the result of the coup against the country's government and call for radical changes in politics, The Muslim reports.

On January 15, Tunisians organized a march demanding the release of political prisoners from the prisons of the dictator. Peaceful demonstration was also supported by the Tunisian military and police.

The rally, which attracted thousands of people, openly called to establish an Islamic state and Sharia Law, and to ensure the consolidation of Muslim nations.

In addition, the demonstrators demanded a report from the rulers for their relationship with America and so an illegal entity called "Israel".

Protesting Tunisians chanted: "No recourse, no recourse! Islam is the only solution!", "With our souls, with our blood, we shall sacrifices ourselves for you, oh Islam!". Click to see video.

Standing in front of soldiers of the Tunisian army, they addressed to them: "Where are you in Palestine?, Where are you in Iraq?" "Remove the chains of the rulers from your necks, and fulfill your duties!" "Oh Muslim armies, we are ready to be with you, with our blood, our souls, and our sons! Overthrow these oppressive regimes!". The demonstration took place without violence and bloodshed.

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Allah is enough for me

2010-12-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

When he was placed in the well
or locked in the dungeon
betrayed by his own flesh and blood
convicted of what he did not
handsome Yusuf sighed
Allah is enough for me!

Taken in as a slave made to work
night and day resisting all temptation
Allah is enough for me!

Until the king had a dream
Many hard years had gone
by patience and repentance
Allah is enough for me!

Till...the fortunate day
there he sees his father
in the land of content
Allah is enough for me!

Handsome Yusuf cried
Allah is enough for me!

Every night brings a new day
Allah alleviates all pain
Everything has its end
Allah is enough for me!

Everything has its end
Allah is enough for me!

Allah is enough for me!

Hellfire is real

2010-12-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

Islam teaches that Hell is a real place prepared by God for those who do not believe in Him, rebel against His laws, and reject His messengers. Hell is an actual place, not a mere state of mind or a spiritual entity. The horrors, pain, anguish, and punishment are all real, but different in nature than their earthly counterparts. Hell is the ultimate humiliation and loss, and nothing is worse than it:

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

“Our Lord! Surely, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed You have disgraced him, and never will the wrongdoers find any helpers.” (Quran 3:192)

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّهُ مَن يُحَادِدِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا فِيهَا ذَلِكَ الْخِزْيُ الْعَظِيمُ

“Know they not that whoever opposes God and His Messenger (Muhammad), certainly for him will be the Fire of Hell to abide therein? That is the extreme disgrace.” (Quran 9:63)

IMPORTANCE OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION

2010-12-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Prophet PBUH said: Seeking knowledge is obligatory to every Muslim Men and Women

The reason that the Quran has urged us to reflect upon Creation and to study the natural world and acquire knowledge is to confirm in us mankind’s instinctual freedom of thought upon which all sages are in agreement, in order that the power of human understanding and thinking may be so enlightened that it may fulfill the function of which it was Created.

Children are invaluable assets of future generations. Islam has given particular attention for their education and training as well as for their respect, love, and affection. Islam provides detailed instructions for preservation of children’s rights and emphasize for their guidance so that they could endeavor for perfection as human beings with an aim of worshiping Allah and serving the humanity

And if they fail in this duty, their children will say : my parents and grandparents were Muslims but I am an atheist.

If a person learns knowledge, then he fear Allah and he follow his command only, then he should not depend or rely on any one but Allah. Allah is Maula and Wakeel, He knows inside of our hearts that's the teaching of Quran.

33/39 Quran

	(It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear none but Allah. And enough is Allah to call (men) to account.

Rape Rampant In US Military

2010-12-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

By Dahr Jamail
21 December, 2010
Aljazeera

Statistics and soldiers' testimonies reveal a harrowing epidemic of sexual assault in the US military Sexual assault within the ranks of the military is not a new problem. It is a systemic problem that has necessitated that the military conduct its own annual reporting on the crisis. A 2003 Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal prompted the department of defense to include a provision in the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act that required investigations and reports of sexual harassment and assaults within US military academies to be filed.
The personal toll is, nevertheless, devastating. Military sexual trauma (MST) survivor Susan Avila-Smith is director of the veteran’s advocacy group Women Organizing Women. She has been serving female and scores of male clients in various stages of recovery from MST for 15 years and knows of its devastating effects up close. “People cannot conceive how badly wounded these people are,” she told Al Jazeera, “Of the 3,000 I’ve worked with, only one is employed. Combat trauma is bad enough, but with MST it’s not the enemy, it’s our guys who are doing it. You’re fighting your friends, your peers, people you’ve been told have your back.

That betrayal, then the betrayal from the command is, they say, worse than the sexual assault itself.” On December 13, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups filed a federal lawsuit seeking Pentagon records in order to get the real facts about the incidence of sexual assault in the ranks. The Pentagon has consistently refused to release records that fully document the problem and how it is handled. Sexual assaults on women in the US military have claimed some degree of visibility, but about male victims there is absolute silence. Pack Parachute, a non-profit in Seattle, assists veterans who are sexual assault survivors. Its founder Kira Mountjoy-Pepka, was raped as a cadet at the Air Force Academy. In July 2003 she was member of a team of female cadets handpicked by Donald Rumsfeld, at the time the secretary of defense, to tell their stories of having been sexually assaulted. The ensuing media coverage and a Pentagon investigation forced the academy to make the aforementioned major policy changes. Report reveals alarming statistics Mountjoy-Pepka often works with male survivors of MST. She stated in a telephone interview that four per cent of men in the military experience MST. “Most choose not to talk about it until after their discharge from the military, largely because the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in over 60 percent of MST cases is too overwhelming,” she informed Al Jazeera.

Last week the Pentagon released its “annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies”. At its three academies, the number of reports of sexual assault and harassment has risen a staggering 64 percent from last year. The report attributes the huge increase to better reporting of incidents due to increased training and education about sexual assault and harassment. Veteran’s Administration (VA) statistics show that more than 50 percent of the veterans who screen positive for MST are men. According to the US Census Bureau, there are roughly 22 million male veterans compared to less than two million female vets. In Congressional testimony in the summer of 2008, Lt. Gen. Rochelle, the army chief of personnel, reported the little known statistic that 12 percent (approximately 260) of the 2,200 reported rapes in the military in 2007 were reported by military male victims. Due to their sheer numbers in the military, more men (at a rough estimate one in twenty), have experienced MST than women. Shamed into silence Billy Capshaw was 17 when he joined the Army in 1977.

After being trained as a medic he was transferred to Baumholder, Germany. His roommate, Jeffrey Dahmer, by virtue of his seniority ensured that Capshaw had no formal assignment, no mail, and no pay. Having completely isolated the young medic, Dahmer regularly sexually assaulted, raped, and tortured him. Dahmer went on to become the infamous serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 boys and men before being beaten to death by an inmate at Columbia Correction Institution in 1994. Capshaw reflects back, “At that young age I didn’t know how to deal with it. My commander did not believe me. Nobody helped me, even though I begged and begged and begged.” The debilitating lifelong struggle Capshaw has had to face is common among survivors of military sexual assault. Later during therapy he needed to go public. Since then he says, “I’ve talked to a lot of men, many of them soldiers, who are raped but who won’t go public with their story. The shame alone is overwhelming.” In 1985 Michael Warren enlisted in the navy and for three years worked as a submarine machinist mate on a nuclear submarine. One day he awoke to find another soldier performing fellatio on him. He recollects with horror, “I was paralyzed with fear. I was in disbelief... shame. When I reported it to the commander he said it was better for me to deal with it after being discharged. Nobody helped me, not even the chaplain. The commander at the processing centre wouldn’t look me in the face. When I filled out my claim later they didn’t believe me. It’s so frustrating.” Armando Javier was an active duty Marine from 1990 to 1994. He was a Lance Corporal at Camp Lejeune in 1993 when he was raped. Five Marines jumped Javier and beat him until he was nearly unconscious, before taking turns raping him. His sexual victimization narrative reads, “One of them, a corporal, pulled down my shorts and instructed the others to ‘Get the grease’. Another corporal instructed someone to bring the stick. They began to insert the stick inside my anus.

The people present during this sadistic and ritual-like ceremony started to cajole, cheer, and laugh, saying “stick em’ – stick-em’.” Extreme shame and trauma compelled him not to disclose the crime to anyone except a friend in his unit. He wrote in his account, “My experience left me torn apart physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was dehumanized and treated with ultimate cruelty, by my perpetrators… I was embarrassed and ashamed and didn’t know what to do. I was young at that time. And being part of an elite organization that values brotherhood, integrity and faithfulness made it hard to come forward and reveal what happened.” The reality of being less equal Women in America were first allowed into the military during the Revolutionary War in 1775 and their travails are as old. Drill instructors indoctrinate new recruits into it at the outset by routinely referring to them as “girl,” “pussy,” “bitch,” and “dyke.” A Command Sergeant Major told Catherine Jayne West of the Mississippi National Guard, “There aren’t but two places for women - in the kitchen or in the bedroom. Women have no place in the military.” She was raped by fellow soldier Private First Class Kevin Lemeiux, at the sprawling Camp Anaconda, north of Baghdad. The defense lawyer in court merely wanted to know why, as a member of the army, she had not fought back. The morning after the rape, an army doctor gave her a thorough examination. The army’s criminal investigation team concluded her story was true.

Moreover, Lemeiux had bragged about the incident to his buddies and they had turned him in. It seemed like a closed case, but in court the defense claimed that the fact that West had not fought back during the rape was what incriminated her. In addition, her commanding officer and 1st Sergeant declared, in court, that she was a “promiscuous female.” In contrast, Lemeiux, after the third court hearing of the trial, was promoted to a Specialist. Meanwhile his lawyer entered a plea of insanity. He was later found guilty of kidnapping but not rape, despite his own admission of the crime. He was given three years for kidnapping, half of which was knocked off. The long term affects of MST Jasmine Black, a human resources specialist in the Army National Guard from June 2006 to September 2008 was raped by another soldier in her battalion when she was stationed in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

She reported it to her Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and the Military Police, but the culprit was not brought to book. After an early discharge due to MST and treatment at a PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) facility, she was raped again by a higher-ranking member of the air force in February 2009. Administrator for a combat engineering instruction unit in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tracey Harmon has no illusions. “For women in the military, you are either a bitch, a dyke, or a whore. If you sleep with one person in your unit you are a whore. If you are a lesbian you are a dyke, and if you don’t sleep with other soldiers you are a bitch.” Maricela Guzman served in the navy from 1998 to 2002 as a computer technician on the island of Diego Garcia. She was raped while in boot camp, but fear of consequences kept her from talking about it for the rest of her time in the military. “I survived by becoming a workaholic and was much awarded as a soldier for my work ethic.” On witnessing the way it treated the native population in Diego Garcia, she chose to dissociate from the military. Post discharge, her life became unmanageable.

She underwent a divorce, survived a failed suicide attempt and became homeless before deciding to move in with her parents. A chance encounter with a female veteran at a political event in Los Angeles prompted her to contact the VA for help. Her therapist there diagnosed her with PTSD from her rape. The VA denied her claim nevertheless, “Because they said I couldn’t prove it … since I had not brought it up when it happened and also because I had not shown any deviant behavior while in the service. I was outraged and felt compelled to talk about what happened.” While it will go to any length to maintain public silence over the issue, the military machine has no such qualms within its own corridors. Guzman discloses, “Through the gossip mill we would hear of women who had reported being raped. No confidentiality was maintained nor any protection given to victims. The boys’ club culture is strong and the competition exclusive. That forces many not to report rape, because it is a blemish and can ruin your career.” The department of defence reported that in fiscal year 2009, there were 3,230 reports of sexual assault, an increase of 11 percent over the prior year. However, as high as the military’s own figures are of rape and sexual assault, victims and advocates Al Jazeera spoke with believe the real figures are sure to be higher. Veteran April Fitzsimmons, another victim of sexual assault, knows what an uphill battle it is for women to take on the military system. “When victims come forward, they are ostracized and isolated from their communities.

Many of the perpetrators are officers who use their ranks to coerce women to sleep with them. It’s a closely interwoven community, so they are safe and move fearlessly amongst their victims.” Her advice to women considering joining the US military? “The crisis is so severe that I’m telling women to simply not join the military because it’s completely unsafe and puts them at risk. Until something changes at the top, no woman should join the military.” This is the first in a two part series on sexual harassment in the US military. Research support was provided by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.

Where is Allah?

2010-12-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Some other religions teach "God is everywhere." This is actually called "pantheism" and it is the opposite of our belief system in Islam. Allah tells us clearly there is nothing, anywhere in the universe like Him similar to his likeness, nor is He ever in His creation.

He tells us in the Quran He created the universe in six "yawm" (periods of time) and then He "astawah 'ala al Arsh" (rose up, above His Throne). He is there (above His Throne)

Allah has such complete Knowledge as to be able to Know all things past, present and future in all places at exactly the same time. The same can be said for His absolute Hearing and Seeing. In this way, His Knowledge, His Hearing, His Sight is everywhere simultaneously.

Press TV- Maldivians want Israeli surgeons out

2010-12-18T02:58:00.000-08:00

An Israeli delegation of "eye surgeons" has received a chilly welcome in the Republic of Maldives, where angry people accused them of organ harvesting.

The delegation of “Eye from Zion” organization arrived in the islands on Thursday, a year after Tel Aviv renewed diplomatic relations with the nation.

The relations between the two countries were severed following the 1973 Ramadan war, Israel's Ynet news website reported on Tuesday.

The angry protesters held demonstrations in front of the hotel where the eye surgeons stayed, burning the Israeli flag and calling for the deportation of the delegation.

Islamic opposition party Adhaalath and the Islamic Association of the Republic of Maldives condemned the travel of the Israeli doctors to the country, considering it as a part of an Israeli-Zionist conspiracy intending to steal the Maldivians' organs.

The association's website said there is a secret agenda behind the Israelis' visit to the Maldives, stressing that these physicians, who are members of an Israel-Jewish organization, are sent overseas to harvest organs for implantation.

They added that Israelis similarly steal organs from the Palestinian bodies.

The party further demanded the government to expel the Israeli delegation immediately and not to allow them to operate in the country.

MRS/PKH/AKM

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155440.html

Italian Court Increases Sentences for 23 CIA Agents

2010-12-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

by AFP

(Dec 15, 2010) An Italian court upped the sentences for 23 CIA agents convicted in absentia of abducting an Egyptian imam in one of the biggest cases against the US "extraordinary rendition" programme.

The 23 CIA agents, originally sentenced in November 2009 to five to eight years in prison, had their sentences increased to seven to nine years on appeal in what one of the defence lawyers described as a "shocking blow" for the US.

They were also ordered to pay 1.5 million euros (two million dollars) in damages to the imam and his wife for the 2003 abduction.

Washington has refused to extradite the agents, who all remain at liberty but now risk arrest if they travel to Europe.

US military says won’t release rape records

2010-12-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

Sexual assault pervades the military, but the Pentagon refuses to release records that fully document the problem and how it is handled, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups said in a federal lawsuit that seeks access to the records. Tens of thousands of service members have reported some form of sexual assault, harassment or trauma in the past decade, according to the lawsuit filed on Monday in New Haven against the departments of Defence and Veterans Affairs. The plaintiffs include the Service Women’s Action Network, the ACLU of Connecticut and Yale Law School students.

The groups want information on the number of acquittals, convictions and sentences, the number of disability claims related to sexual trauma that were accepted and rejected, and the number of sexual harassment complaints. The records are needed to determine the extent of the problem and what has been done to address it, the groups say. The Department of Defence does not comment on pending lawsuits, a spokeswoman said. A message was left on Monday with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The government prosecutes 8 percent of military sex offenders, while 40 percent of civilian sex offenders are prosecuted, according to the lawsuit. Post-traumatic stress disorder claims related to sexual trauma are often denied for failing to prove the case, even when men and women in uniform have been diagnosed with the disorder, the lawsuit said.

The Department of Defence said there were 3,230 reports of sexual assault involving military service members as victims or subjects in fiscal year 2009, an increase of 11 percent from the prior year, keeping in mind that 90 % of rape and sexual assault are not reported. The report said part of the increase stemmed from a social marketing campaign aimed at preventing sexual assault.

Communist China plans to build mosques across the country

2010-12-14T13:00:00.001-08:00

In an apparent move to appease its 20-million-strong Muslim minority, Communist China plans to build mosques across the country to meet their religious requirement.

Authorities are addressing a lack of religious facilities for millions of Muslims who have moved to coastal cities in search of jobs and livelihood, a senior official at the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said.

A large number of Muslims have migrated to cities from inland regions since 1978 leading to a growing demand for religious facilities, primarily more mosques, greater availability of Islamic food and special graveyards, Deputy Director of the Islamic Department of the SARA Ma Jin was quoted as saying by the state-run China Daily.

By 2008, about three million Muslims, or more than 10 per cent of the country's total Muslim population, had migrated from rural areas in traditional Muslim-concentrated western provinces to coastal cities, according to the Annual Report on China's Religions in 2009.

A book is a garden

2010-12-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

“A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.” – Arab proverb

A book in your pocket is like a secret treasure. It is a magical means of transportation, a source of knowledge, a historical record, and a treasure chest containing the knowledge of human minds and hearts, or in the case of the Quran, the message of Allah to humanity.

You can take the book out of your pocket and lose yourself in it, forgetting about all the worries of the world, just as you can do in a beautiful garden.

Indian Worshipers Of Idols Occupied Army Terrorists Martyr 93,537 Kashmiris In 21 Years, Mirwaiz Denounces Indian State Terrorism In IHK

2010-12-10T03:12:00.000-08:00

Srinagar, December 09 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops during their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 93,537 innocent Kashmiris including 6,981 in custody during the last 21 years.

According to a report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the eve of International Human Rights Day, these killings rendered 22,747 women widowed and 107,397 children orphaned. It added that the troops molested 9,984 women and destroyed 105,900 structures during the period. In the current uprising, 122 peaceful demonstrators were killed by Indian police since June 2010 and at least 1,500 Kashmiris are currently detained under draconian law, Public Safety Act. Addressing a seminar in Srinagar, today, the speakers appealed the international community to impress upon India to stop human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. Presiding over the seminar, the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said that the ongoing phase of the Kashmiris’ struggle had clearly manifested its indigenous and peaceful nature. He denounced the state terrorism unleashed by India to suppress the movement of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. An Indian Army vehicle crushed to death a Kashmiri social worker, Malik Javed Ahmad, in Barzalla area of Srinagar.

The members of Joint Association of Kashmiri Affected Families staged a silent sit-in at Bagh-e-Mehtab in Srinagar on the eve of World Human rights Day. They were carrying placards to press their demand of knowing the whereabouts of the Kashmiri people, disappeared in custody. The speakers at a seminar, held in connection with International Human Rights Day in Brussels, expressed concern over the continued gross human rights violations being committed by Indian troops in the occupied territory. They said that Kashmiris had been deprived of their inalienable right to self-determination for the last more than six decades. The speakers included Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, James Elles, Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl, Ms. Victoria Schofield, Khalid Mehmood, Ronald Barnes and Frank Schawalba-Hoth.

Taliban Not Responsible For Cutting Aisha's Nose, Ears

2010-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Taliban were not behind the slicing off of a woman’s nose and ears in central Uruzgan province, chief of the human rights commission said on Monday. The story of how Aisha Bibi, 19, was mutilated as punishment for running away from her abusive husband and in-laws a year ago caused an international outcry.

She was given refuge by an Afghan non-governmental organization, and sent to the US for reconstructive surgery and psychological treatment. Much of the western media blamed the Taliban for the brutal act, saying Aisha’s husband was a Taliban member and he and his father had orchestrated the punishment. The Taliban, however, denied any involvement. On Monday, Abdul Ghaffar Stanakzay, head of the AIHRC in Uruzgan, also absolved the Taliban after what he said was a “thorough investigation of the case”. "This was because of domestic violence which Aisha fell victim to," he told reporters. Aisha - who was reportedly given away by her family in childhood as a "blood debt" - had her trip to California for reconstructive surgery documented by ABC News.

The front cover of Time magazine generated debate over the headline "What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan" and over the use of the photo itself. Aisha's case has been used in the West to illustrate the fear of what will happen if US, British and other international forces leave prematurely.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a courageous man.

2010-11-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

Some might say he is troublemaking or foolish. Since he released earlier caches of US military documents on Afghanistan and Iraq, he’s had to go underground for fear of reprisals. He regularly alters his appearance and camps out on friends’ sofas. Nobody knows for sure where he is now but there’s a suspicion that he’s traveling around the UK.

With the release of American diplomatic cables on Sunday evening, published by newspapers in the US, Britain, France, Germany and Spain, Assange has “target’ written on his back. Once again, Washington shies away from explaining itself in favor of shooting the messenger when the blame should go to those responsible for US national security. If America has failed to guard its own secrets, it deserves to be embarrassed.

Assange’s website and Twitter page has come under attack, US lawyers are attempting to take him to court as a spy, Peter King, a New York Republican Congressman wants WikiLeaks to be designated “a terrorist organization” that will open the door to assassination squads, and the Swedish appeals court has upheld an arrest warrant accusing Assange of rape that has been forwarded to Interpol.

But however the powers that be decide to punish Assange, the grim truth is out there and may irreparably damage State Department diplomacy for the foreseeable future.

Thus far, comparatively few of the 251,287 leaked US Embassy cables, dating from 1966 until the end of February 2010, have been put into the public domain; the rest are to be published in stages over the coming months, leaving the State Department on tenterhooks. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just begun a tour of the Arabian Gulf and Asia during which she will, no doubt, have much red-faced explaining to do.

President Barack Obama has yet to address the leaks, preferring to spend time on the basketball court...and who can blame him! Usual diplomatic damage control isn’t helpful when world leaders now know exactly what the US government really thinks about them. The macho Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin might be flattered to be known as an “Alpha Dog” but President Dmitry Medvedev will be furious at being characterized as a “pale and hesitant” person who “plays Robin to Putin’s Batman”.

Other leaders whose feathers have been ruffled include the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, “an emperor with no clothes, with a thin-skinned and authoritarian personal style”, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel who “avoids risk and is rarely creative”, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi labeled “feckless and vain”, the Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad likened to “Hitler”, the Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi thought of as “strange”, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai described as “paranoid” and the North Korean leader Kim-Jong-Il who was called “a flabby old chap”.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron must be bracing to learn what unflattering comments were written about him that The Guardian newspaper promises to reveal later in the week. The Tory leader has been warned that the Americans don’t think too highly of him. Cables yet to be published are expected to cast aspersions on former British PM Gordon Brown, the British military’s record in Afghanistan, and a member of the royal family said to have behaved inappropriately. The British Foreign Office has condemned the leaks and stresses upon the importance of the “special” trans-Atlantic relationship.

However, until now there is a resounding sound of silence from Number Ten Downing Street. So much for Britain standing shoulder to shoulder with the US in its time of need to the extent of engaging in two wars of aggression that have taken a crippling toll in lives and treasure! The UK’s military establishment, in particular, must be seething while hardly a week passes when a flag-draped coffin isn’t flown home. Unsurprisingly, the only world leader to get a partial thumbs up is the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; someone who is “elegant and charming” but never keeps his promises.

It can’t have made comfortable reading for world leaders and UN delegates to learn that US diplomats have been instructed by Hillary Clinton to garner their personal credit card and frequent flier numbers, iris scans, fingerprints, work schedules, e-mail addresses, fax numbers, passwords and encryption keys. This secret “National Human Intelligence Collection Directive” was sent by the State Department to its embassies all over the world.” US ambassadors can now expect to be monitored during official visits to heads of state to ensure they don’t walk away with the drinks glasses or access computers.

Aside from the hurtful rude remarks and invasions of privacy, which thicker-skinned leaders may be able to brush aside, the cables contain extremely serious revelations.

They show a regional nervousness concerning Iran’s increasing nuclear capability and the need to do something about it. For example, in May last year, the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told members of Congress that the international community had only six to 18 months to stop “Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons” before “any military solution would result in unacceptable collateral damage.”

And, according to US intelligence, Iran has purchased missiles from North Korea capable of reaching European capitals. One cable, dated Feb. 12, 2010, focuses on a meeting between US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the then French Defense Minister Hervé Morin who asked his American counterpart whether Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own. Gates answered in the affirmative but added that he wasn’t sure the Israelis would be successful and any such strike “would only delay Iranian plans by one to three years while unifying the Iranian people to be forever embittered against the attacker.”

We have also learned that the US has tried to bribe small countries such as Belgium to take-in Guantanamo detainees using such carrots as an official visit from Barack Obama and that Germany was pressured not to prosecute CIA operatives who abducted Khaled Al-Masri, an innocent German car salesman, for rendition to a secret prison at Bagram air base in Afghanistan where he was tortured.

One question yet to be answered is whether the US can ever be trusted again. Will the leaks cause a major rift between the superpower and the rest of the world or will most countries try to play the controversy down? All that we know for sure is this: With a lot more secrets bursting to get out of the box, Obama and his administration are in for the rollercoaster ride of their lives.

Man executed in Tabuk for killing 5-year-old daughter

2010-11-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

TABUK: A man was executed on Friday for killing his five-year old daughter in the northwestern town of Tabuk, a statement of the Interior Ministry said.“Musleh bin Saleem Eid Al-Atawi was beheaded for beating his daughter Bayan, 5 to death with an electrical wire. The accused had a criminal background besides being a drug trafficker,” the statement added.

Al-Atawi is the 24th to be executed this year in the Kingdom, where the crimes of drug trafficking, rape, murder, armed robbery and apostasy are punishable by death.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article201121.ece

12,000 American Muslims To Make Pilgrimage To Mecca

2010-11-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

Some 12,000 American Muslims are expected to join an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for the hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage that this year runs between Nov. 14 and 18.

The number of pilgrims expected is about the same as in recent years, said Nail Al-Jubeir, a spokesman for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C., which limits pilgrims to making the pilgrimage no more than once every five years.

Islam requires followers who are physically and financially capable to complete the hajj once in their lifetime.

Overcrowding and catastrophic stampedes have led Saudi authorities to issue special hajj visas; since 1990, more than 2,500 pilgrims have been killed in stampedes, while hundreds more die each year as a result of sickness, heart attacks, traffic accidents and other incidents.

Most problems have occurred at an elevated platform known as the Jamarat, from which pilgrims throw stones at walls representing the devil. To ease overcrowding, Saudi authorities have gradually expanded the Jamarat to five levels and added exits.

Despite efforts to limit the number of pilgrims, hundreds of thousands of mainly Saudi residents still try to perform hajj without permits. "Quite a few people get turned back because of overcrowding," said Al-Jubeir.

Many unauthorized pilgrims evade detection and camp out in the hills surrounding Mecca, where Muslims believe Islam's prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from God in 610 A.D. "It becomes a sanitation nightmare," he said.

For American Muslims, the most difficult part of the journey may be the return home. In recent years, many Muslims returning from travel abroad have complained about religious profiling and lengthy searches and questioning at airports and border crossings.

In response, Muslim civil rights groups have issued travel advisories for pilgrims, telling them to expect questioning and advising them what types of questions are legal, such as name and residency, and which are not, including questions about religious or political beliefs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Murderers should be killed

2010-09-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

"...If anyone kills a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all people. And if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people" (Qur'an 5:32).

Life is sacred, according to Islam and most other world faiths. But how can one hold life sacred, yet still support capital punishment? The Qur'an answers, "...Take not life, which God has made sacred, except by way of justice and law. Thus does He command you, so that you may learn wisdom" (6:151). The key point is that one may take life only "by way of justice and law." In Islam, therefore, the death penalty can be applied by a court as punishment for the most serious of crimes. Ultimately, one's eternal punishment is in God's hands, but there is a place for punishment in this life as well. The spirit of the Islamic penal code is to save lives, promote justice, and prevent corruption and tyranny. Islamic philosophy holds that a harsh punishment serves as a deterrent to serious crimes that harm individual victims, or threaten to destabilize the foundation of society.

According to Islamic law (in the first verse quoted above), the following two crimes can be punishable by death: * Intentional murder * Fasad fil-ardh ("spreading mischief in the land") Intentional Murder
The Qur'an legislates the death penalty for murder, although forgiveness and compassion are strongly encouraged. The murder victim's family is given a choice to either insist on the death penalty, or to pardon the perpetrator and accept monetary compensation for their loss (2:178).
Fasaad fi al-ardh The second crime for which capital punishment can be applied is a bit more open to interpretation. "Spreading mischief in the land" can mean many different things, but is generally interpreted to mean those crimes that affect the community as a whole, and destabilize the society. Crimes that have fallen under this description have included: * Treason / Apostacy (when one leaves the faith and joins the enemy in fighting against the Muslim community) * Terrorism * Land, sea, or air piracy * Rape * Adultery * Homosexual behavior

Actual methods of capital punishment vary from place to place. In some Muslim countries, methods have included beheading, hanging, stoning, and firing squad. Executions are held publicly, to serve as warnings to would-be criminals. It is important to note that there is no place for vigilantism in Islam -- one must be properly convicted in an Islamic court of law before the punishment can be meted out.

The severity of the punishment requires that very strict evidence standards must be met before a conviction is found. The court also has flexibility to order less than the ultimate punishment (for example, imposing fines or prison sentences), on a case-by-case basis.

What if I don't pay zakat?

2010-09-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has strongly warned those who are negligent in the fulfillment of these duties. Thus He said, "Those who hoard up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of Allah; give them the news of a painful punishment, on the Day when that (wealth) will be heated in the Fire of Hell and with it will be branded their forehead, their sides, and their backs, (and it will be said to them:) 'This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard.'" [Al-Quran 9:34-35]

And also: "And let not those who hoard up that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. That which they hoard will be their collar on the Day of Resurrection. Allah's is the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Informed of what you do." [Al-Quran 3:180]

Further, At-Tabarani relates, on the authority of 'Ali, that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Allah has enjoined upon rich Muslims a due to be taken from their properties corresponding to the needs of the poor among them. The poor will never suffer from starvation or lack of clothes unless the rich neglect their due. If they do, Allah will surely hold them accountable and punish them severely." (related by At-Tabarani in Al-'Aswat and as-Saghir).

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure.'" (Bukhari, Vol. 2, Book 24, No.486)

Many parents back BlackBerry ban

2010-08-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

JEDDAH: Although owners of BlackBerry mobile phones are unhappy at the announcement by the Kingdom’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) to block BlackBerry services, many people have welcomed the ban, which they say will benefit young people who have been swept away by the fad.

The Saudi telecom regulator announced on Tuesday that it is to block BlackBerry services starting Aug. 6 until its maker, Research In Motion (RIM), follows the country’s regulations. CITC had given a three-month grace period for service providers to comply with its requirements. Security reasons have been cited for the ban.

One hundred and seventy eight people in the Kingdom surveyed out of 331 said the decision is wrong because no prior notice or warning was issued about it. They added that it has come as a shock to them. Some said they only purchased their BlackBerries a few days ago and had hardly taken advantage of them. Many asked for refunds as they believe the Kingdom’s mobile phone operators have not been transparent over the matter.

Nevertheless, 153 people said they support the move as BlackBerries have had a very negative effect on the youth. Many said there was already a need for society to do something to tackle the problem.

According to another online poll conducted by the Technology World Blog — a site that provides up-to-date technology information with a focus on Saudi Arabia (www.tech-wd.com) — 49.4 percent of 3,662 participants said they support the decision, whereas 36.5 said they disagree with it, while 14.1 percent said they do not know what a BlackBerry is.

Ahmed Sulaiman, a 40-year-old Saudi who works in marketing, supports the CITC decision as BlackBerries are harmful to society and the service allows youngsters to contact strangers at any time without any control. “I hope they block Facebook and YouTube as well,” he said.

Many of those supporting the ban include parents who have been in tussles with their children over the matter.

Um Aisha confiscated her daughter’s BlackBerry some time ago after she became overly attached to it that it began affecting her general health. “My daughter collapsed once. When we took her to hospital the doctor said she was suffering from fatigue. After getting her BlackBerry phone, she became so attached to it that she even used to be on it while in bed. She reads every SMS she receives and even replies to them late at night,” she said.

“Now I can enjoy my time with my friend just like the old days,” said May, a 23-year-old university student. “I will now be able to see them properly and even their eyes which are always looking down at their BlackBerries,” added May who refused to buy a BlackBerry.

Commenting on the varying views, Dr. Adil Abdul Aziz, a consultant in social behavior at Hira General Hospital, said people look at such issues from their own perspective.

“As sociologists, we look at the effects of such decisions on the public with careful attention to the behavior of the youth who constitute about 48 percent of the Kingdom’s population,” he said.

Although he believes the youth will find ways to circumvent the block, he said parents should supervise their children.

“It is not a matter about just BlackBerries. There are other things that are misused in society, including cars and the Internet,” he said, adding that rather than waiting for an official decision, parents should assert themselves and guide their children to the right path.

He also said that it is not just poor parents who are critical of BlackBerry phones, and that many critics also belong to the Kingdom’s affluent classes.

The United Arab Emirates made a decision to block BlackBerry services earlier this week, sparking skepticism that the Kingdom would follow suit. This was, however, confirmed on Tuesday evening.

There are an estimated 750,000 BlackBerry Messenger users in Saudi Arabia and 500,000 in the UAE.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article95606.ece

A Soul’s Burden

2010-07-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Trials and tribulations are a part of life. We do not like them; we do not like to go through them; but eventually we accept them. Even if we pray, fast, pay our zakat and do all different forms of ibadat we still get tested. Sadness sometimes fills our hearts. We could be the best of practicing Muslims, yet poor and unable to put food on our table. We could be rich yet lonely, or young yet unhealthy.

It is in these instances that shaytan starts toying with our head. We look at what others have, especially the non-Muslims, and our core gets rattled. The shaytan ignites a fire that gets our blood boiling, hopelessness and frustration set in, and we ask “Oh Allah, why me?! Why am I being punished?”

Psychologists tell us that human beings go through five stages of emotion when struck with a calamity. Understanding the different stages of grief minimizes the first four stages (which are denial, anger, bargaining and depression) and gets us to the final stage – which is acceptance. I went through these stages on many different occasions, as I am sure you have.

I am not a psychologist nor am I trying to refute the works of psychology, but I would nonetheless like to offer a different view, a Qur’anic view, on how to deal with life’s trials.

Though we do not have a say in when we are born nor in when we die, life has a clear beginning and a clear end. What is sometimes unclear is the journey between the two points. For Muslims, however, the journey could not be any clearer. Allah says in Surat Adh-Dhariyat:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” (Qur’an, 51:56).

Now think back to the first paragraph of this article. You might think to yourself, “I pray five times a day, I fast during Ramadan and pay my zakat, yet I have an ill child, or still can’t find a job, or this stressor or that.” You begin to wonder why you are going through this and why you are being “punished.” Before you know it, shaytan takes the helm and you are on a slippery slope of anger and denial.

Before falling down that slope, one must take a deep breath and ponder the following question: is it punishment or is it a manifestation of what Allah has told us in Surat Al-Ankabut:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested?” (Qur’an, 29:2)

Allah tells us that through this journey we call life we will be tested. In Surat Al-Baqarah, He says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits…” (Qur’an, 2:155)

Tribulations are a part of life but that doesn’t make them easy. We still grieve — but how could we not? We are, after all, a very emotional creation. So how does one cope with adversity? There are many ayat in the Qur’an that talk about different mechanisms of coping such as patience, faith, prayer and acceptance. But what I find the most profound and the most comforting is what Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286).

If you stand back and take a look at the whole picture, you will realize that what you have when faced by a tragedy is a choice. Will you go through the stages of grief, denying Allah’s destiny and the wisdom of His plan for you? Or will you realize that what you are going through is something you know you can handle? Whatever trial comes your way is something that Allah has planned and which He has guaranteed you can handle. This ayah is comforting because I, as a faithful mu’min who believes in Allah and His wisdom, know deep in my heart that although the sadness is cumbersome it will not be overwhelming; that although the times might be tough, I am tougher; and that whatever comes my way will go away; and that eventually I will face my Lord whom, I hope, will be pleased with me as I am pleased with Him.

So when you go through a difficult situation, be it the inevitable death of a loved one or the loss of a job or just a flat tire on the side of the highway, take a deep breath and say:

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا
“Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allâh has ordained for us…’” (9:51).

Article from Islamgreatreligion

Why suicide? Do Wahhabis commit suicide?

2010-07-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

Every breath of a human, every moment of his or hers life in all Religious traditions, their teachings, their guidance, their viewpoints, their perspectives is worth more than a priceless gem. These breaths the human being takes in order to survive in life and the moments of life itself are like the pearls of a necklace. Just as a pearl will embellish the appearance of that neck that wears the necklace of pearls, in the same way the life of a individual is enhanced by that person who looks after the moments of his life. No Treasure trove of any Ruler, no Sultanate of any Sultan, no Kingdom of any King, no Rulership of any Queen in tantamount is equal in value to one moment of an individuals life. Life in-fact in numerous places of the Quraan, either directly or indirectly, is described by Allah as a favour on human beings.
In one verse of the Quraan, Allah says,
" How can you disbelieve? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return." (Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 28)

Out of all the bounties Allah has bestowed upon human beings, the most precious is the gift of life. Each one us should remember that this life Allah has granted us, it is not our personal possession or our personal property. In-fact it is a trust from Allah, making us merely trustees. Because we are trustees we should utilise each and every moment of our lives in the paths that please Allah.
In one verse of the Quraan Allah informs mankind,
"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)". (Surah Adh-Dhariyat Verse 56)
From this verse we can learn the reason why Allah created mankind.
How precious is this gift of life, we can learn through the Holy Quraan, Ahadeeth (Traditions and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) and the Shariah (Islamic Law).
For instance, in one verse of the Quraan, Allah says,
"He has forbidden you only the carrion (flesh of dead animals), and blood, and flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned whilst slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."(Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 173)
In the closing stages of this verse Allah talks about one who is forced to consume Haraam (unlawful) items due to the fear of death. Allah says, then there is no sin in him. For example, one is in severe hunger, such hunger that could lead to ones death, he consumes something that is Haraam (unlawful) e.g. Carrion, on the Day of Judgement he will not be questioned regarding these Haraam (Unlawful) items he consumed in order to save his life. Similarly one is fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan and severe thirst over-takes him, again it is permissible for him to break his fast in order to saves ones life. Even if he broke the fast by consuming Haraam (Unlawful) fluids e.g. Blood, Alcohol he will not be questioned regarding this. From this verse we can undoubtedly acknowledge how precious and valuable life is in the eyes of The Almighty Allah.

Life in many people’s opinion is a journey. Some even sees it as a pilgrimage. In the Islamic perspective it is a journey far beyond death. It is like a trip around the world. We stop in many different Continents, Countries, Cities, Towns and Villages. Some bring happiness and some give us grief. The white beaches, beautiful rainforests, buildings etc would force a smile on the face of many a person regardless of what grief he is in, but the sight of the poor, war-stricken and weak will give one intense grief. Life is a test from Allah, He tests people in various ways and times. He tests some by blessing them with countless bounties to see if the servant appreciates what he has been blessed with by Allah and he shows gratitude towards Allah for blessing him with these bounties. At times Allah in his infinite wisdom, puts a person in intense grief, to see if the servant turns to Allah and seeks guidance and help.
Excellent examples of both situations are found in the life and story of the Prophet of Allah, Ayyub (AS). Allah granted him many bounties, then he gave him such illness that the people around him could not bear. Prophet Ayyub (AS) turned to Allah for help and Allah in his infinite mercy returned all the past bounties upon him. In some narrations it has been said that Allah gave him more bounties than the amount he had before his illness.
In the Quraan Allah has mentioned the call for help of Prophet Ayyub (AS). Allah says:
"And (Remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord: "Verily, distress has seized me, and you are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy". So We answered his call, and removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a reminder for all those who worship Us. (Surah Al-Anbiya Verse 83-84)
In another Surah of the Quraan Allah says regarding Prophet Ayyub (AS):
"And remember Our slave Ayyub (Job), when he invoked his Lord (saying):"Verily Satan has touched me with distress (by ruining my health) and torment (by ruining my wealth)! (Allah said to him): "Strike the ground with your foot: This is (a spring of) water to wash in, cool and a (refreshing) drink". And We gave him back his family, and along with them the like thereof, as a Mercy from Us, and a Reminder for those who understand."And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath. Truly, We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft- returning in repentance (to Us).
Like Prophet Ayyub, each and every one of us is tested by Allah in someway or another. Some turn to Allah and seek help, as in the case of Prophet Ayyub and others turn completely to the opposite side, which leaves many in grief. These people upon whom many grieve and mourn are the people who have turned to suicide.

Suicide, or self-killing, has been known throughout the whole of recorded history and has been a phenomenon in every culture and social setting. It was noted in the Biblical Times within the Jewish and Christian faiths. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita within the Hindu faith, in classical Greece and Rome, and later throughout the Middle-Ages, when the reaction to the heresy of suicide was severe hostility from the Universal Church, whose later fathers railed against the canonical sin of despair.
Suicide occurs in every culture, not only in the Western developed world, but also in India, China and, despite severe theological prohibitions, in Islam.

Within the Judaeo-Christian tradition, there are eleven instances of suicide described in the Bible's Old Testament and one in the New Testament. Perhaps the most famous death in the former is the suicide of King Saul following his defeat in the hands of the Philistines, heard in David’s lament, and ‘how are the mighty fallen’. Saul had sought the assistance of his bodyguard to help kill himself. The soldier was horrified at the irreligious notion of killing his appointed King, and turned the sword upon himself. Saul, apparently aided by such an example, then followed suit. It appears that the avert prohibition against suicide was first formerly pronounced by Saint Augustine, who in his City of God describes the action as a ‘moral sin’.
The Church did not always condemn suicide when, for example, following some severe assault, such as rape, the victim took a ‘virtuous’ or honourable way out. She could then claim sympathy and the forgiveness of her society and family, in both Roman and Christian times.

As shown, neither the Judaic nor Christian parts of the Bible are there direct injunctions against suicide. However, this is not the case in the traditions of the true religion, Islam, which continues to be a major influence upon many Islamic people.
There are a few quite specific sanctions expressed in the Quraan against self-killing. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also assigns suicide to the lower levels of Hell.
Allah says explicitly in the Quraan,
"And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you". (Surah An-Nisa Verse 29)
In another verse of the Quraan, Allah says:
"And do not throw yourselves in destruction". (Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 195)
The impact of this injunction still has considerable force in Islamic countries, and it may be one reason why, with the exception of Jordan and Turkey, there is no recorded suicide in national statistics of the Islamic Nations. But, in the last decade or so there has been a substantial increase of suicide in Muslims living in Non-Muslim countries, namely Britain and America.

The current attitude and dilemmas, unlike in previous times, suicide can be discussed relatively easily today, even within the mass media of the late twentieth century. For example, in the worldwide magazine Time there have been three major articles concerning suicide, which while acknowledging dilemmas, were mainly concerned with where firm baselines should be drawn, accepting without question the ‘obvious’ rationality of such actions in many situations. Yet a little more than 100 years ago, Robert Louis Stevenson, in what was considered to be a horrendous book, The Suicide Club, found himself almost at the extreme end of the case of language, because he could not describe in sufficiently villainous terms the leader of this ‘devilish’ club. Constantly, modern poets and novelist have almost celebrated suicide.

The reasons that lead a person to commit suicide are as numerous and complex as the thousands of people who do so every year. Below are a few contributing causes of suicide:
Unipolar affective disorder (Depression)
The mental disorder usually called ‘depression’ is now described as ‘unipolar affective disorder’. The term depression is of course problematic, in that a low mood, or sometimes a feeling of emotional glumness, of living ‘out of sorts’ or ‘fed up’, is a frequent experience for many people. In this sense it is ‘normal’ and many people can feel ‘depressed’ without having depression. There is another side to this coin, where a person can feel particularly well, ‘on a high’ or with a feeling of well being. This can be the experience of a large number of people without it being felt, thought or obseverd as a problem or a disorder. A person simply feels in a ‘good mood’.
The causes of depression are many:
1. Mood: There is a profound disturbance of mood, which is one of the prevailing sadness and misery.
2. Cognition (To think deeply): There is an important disturbance of cognition, so that everything around them is interpreted dismally. Sufferers can believe they are hateful, worthless and, at the extreme, that they are already dead and responsible for the evils in the world.
3. Energy: There are very often tell-tale changes in mood and energy, in which the mood is especially low in the early morning hours, with relative lighting of misery in the afternoon.
4. Sleep: There is a disturbance of sleep, where it is quite usual for a person to be able to sleep almost as soon as going to bed, but with early waking, sometimes accompanied by quite enclosed changes of mood.
5. Appetite: There is a loss in appetite, and an apparently liked food turns to such, that you cannot bear the sight of it.
6. Stress: Stress at work, home, school etc can cause severe depression which can lead to suicide.

Isolation and detachment
One of the most common sentiments expressed by many of those who resort to suicidal behaviour is a sense of detachment from others. This is not so much physical isolation but refers more to a sense of moral insulation, where the individual has come to define his, or her, situation as so hopeless that others cannot help to put it right.

Substance misuse (Drugs and alcohol)
Addiction to drugs and alcohol, in this day and age, has become a major factor, which leads a person to suicide. In the past few months the media around the world have shown many cases of suicide due to drug use. Some have also predicted if drugs like cannabis was to be made legal, the death toll will increase due to this. The media have shown the devastating effects suicide has on the society around the world through drug use.

Loss of family or friends
One may feel isolated after the death or separation from family members or friends. Loss of a relative/friend causes immense grief, which may cause one to think about suicide. Some commit suicide thinking they will join the dead in the grave.

Relationship break-ups
This many times has the same effect as the death of a loved one. Sometimes it may, make some feel life is not worth living.

Financial problems
One who is large debts, thinking he will never be able to pay-up and may resort to suicide, thinking he will no more have this burdensome responsibility on his head, leaving his next of kin this problem.

Sickness and disability
Severe sicknesses, which one cannot bear, can lead one to take his life. In many cases taking help from others in doing this act (Euthanasia).

(Above are only a few reasons why one may resort into taking his own life. Many others can be found through thorough research.)

Few events in life have the same impact on us as the suicide of a friend or a loved one. The loss of a loved one, from any cause, brings out intense grief and mourning. The response and emotions felt by the bereaved following suicide are very different to those felt after other types of deaths. The fact that a loved one's death appears to involve an element of choice, raise painful questions which deaths from natural or accidental causes do not. Bereavement by suicide is usually prolonged. The grief is characterised by agonising, questioning and the search for some explanation as to why the death of his loved one has happened. Bereavement in this way often encompasses strong feelings of abandonment and rejection.
The sense of shock and disbelief following suicide is very intense. The most common and disturbing aspect of grief after suicide is recurring images of death, even if it was not witnessed. The finding of the body can be a traumatic experience. Going over and over the very frightening and painful images of the death, and the feelings these create, is a normal process of grief.

Newly bereaved people always ask ‘why?’ However bereavement through suicide often involves a prolonged search for a reason or explanation to tragedy. Most people bereaved by suicide usually come to accept that they will never know the reason why a loved one did what they did. In the search for answers, different members of the same family may have different ideas as to why he/she took their life, it could strain family relationships, especially if an element of blame is involved.
Below, I have included statistics, which I have obtained for many different sources, including The Samaritans (www.thesamaritans.org).
· The World Health Organisation estimates that in the year 2002 approximately 1.1million people will die from suicide
· A global mortality rate of 17 per 100,000
· One death every 40 seconds from suicide
· In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 65% worldwide.
· Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death amongst those aged 14-44(both sexes)
· Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicide
· Although suicide rates have traditionally been highest amongst the elderly, rates among young people have been increasing to such a rate that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of all countries
· More people die from suicide than homicide in the USA, in 1997 there were 1.5 times as many suicides as homicide
· Mental disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all causes of suicide
· Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than women are. However , females are more likely to attempt suicide than males
· 2 suicides every day by young people in the UK and Republic of Ireland
· 80% of suicides by young men
· Suicide accounts for a fifth of all deaths of young people
· An estimated 24,000 adolescents self-harmed in 1998 – 3 every hour
· Alcohol and substance misuse are significant factors in youth suicide
· Contributory factors to youth suicide include unemployment, social isolation, recent inter personal life events and difficulties with parents, peers and partners
· 6,216 suicides in the UK, 439 suicides in the Republic of Ireland
· One suicide every 79 minutes in the UK and the Republic of Ireland
· More than two young people commit suicide every day in the UK
· Suicide figures are double the death toll from road traffic accidents
· Suicide is now the second most common cause of death in the UK for young people aged between 15-24
· People who make suicide attempts or threats are not just "attention seeking", but are at the risk of harming themselves
· Most suicidal people are undecided about living or dying, and try beforehand to let others know how they are feeling, or give clues or warnings
· Somebody tries to take his own life every three minutes
· In any given week, at least 463,000 people have serious thoughts about suicide
· Every year around 2500 children or young people phone child-line about feeling suicidal
· Overdosing accounts for 50% of female suicides and 25% of male suicides
· Under 25 year olds account for 9.26% of all suicides in East Lancashire. Of which 2.3% are of Asian heritage

Statistics about suicide are difficult to collate, and many are inaccurate because of the sensitivity of the issue. According to some research suicide rates are 50%-60% higher than the official rate.

There are three areas where the law is relevant to suicide. First, while attempting to commit suicide has not been illegal in Britain since 1961, it is still a criminal offence under the ‘Suicide Act 1961’ to help someone commit suicide. Second, health professionals who do not take reasonable precautions to safeguard a suicidal patient who then goes on to commit suicide may be sued for negligence in the civil courts. Third, in some cases, people felt to be at grave risk of harming themselves can be detained for their own safety under the ‘Mental Health Act 1983’ (England and Wales), 1984 (Scotland), or ‘Mental Health Order 1986’ (Northern Ireland).

Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) mentioned suicide many times, a few of these incidents are recorded in Muhammad Ibn Ismael's, 'Sahih Al-Bukhari'. In one incident narrated by Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak (RA): the Prophet (SAW) said, "Whoever intentionally swears falsely by a religion other than Islam, then he is what he has said, (e.g. if he says, 'If such thing is not true then I am a Jew,' he is really a Jew if he is a liar). And whoever commits suicide with a piece of iron, he will be punished with the same piece of iron in the Hell-fire."
Narrated by Jundub: The Prophet (SAW) said, "A man was inflicted with wounds and he commited suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him."
Narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA): The Prophet (SAW) said, "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Hell-fire (forever), and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself, he shall keep stabbing himself in the Hell-fire (forever)."
From the sayings of Allah and his Prophet (SAW), we can see suicide is not accepted in Islam and we can also see through other sources, it is also prohibited in other religions.

If one is thinking of committing suicide he should think about his friends and family, then he should turn to Allah and ask for his help. Talking to the Scholars and others would also help. Confidential information is also available through your GP. Many centres also offer help for people in these troubled times.

May Allah save us from this sin and give us all guidance to the straight path. May Allah save us from all types of grief and give us all entrance into Paradise.

Article taken from inter islam

Common mistakes in Salaah

2010-07-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

Common mistakes in Salaah

Please fix mistakes in Salaah so ALLAH accepts

7 Common mistakes in Salaah

Mistake 1: Reciting Surat al-Fatiha fast without pausing after each verse.

The Prophet (SAW) used to pause after each verse of this surah. (Abu Dawood)

Mistake 2: Sticking the arms to the sides of the body, in rukoo' or sujood, and sticking the belly to the thighs in sujood.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Let not one of you support himself on his forearms (in sujood) like the dog. Let him rest on his palms and keep his elbows away from his body.' (Sahih Muslim) . The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to keep his arms away from his body during rukoo' and sujood that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen (Sahih Muslim).

Mistake 3: Gazing upward during prayer.

This may cause loss of concentration. We are commanded to lower our gaze, and look at the point at which the head rests during sujood. The Prophet (SAW) warned: 'Let those who raise their gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them. i.e. lose their eyesight].' (Muslim)

Mistake 4 : Resting only the tip of the head on the floor during sujood.

The Prophet (SAW) said: 'I am commanded to prostrate on seven bones the forehead and the nose, the two hands [palms], the two knees, and the two feet.' (Sahih Muslim) Applying the above command necessitates resting the forehead and the nose on the ground during sujood.

Mistake 5 : Hasty performance of prayer which does not allow repose and calmness in rukoo' or sujood.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) saw a man who did not complete his rukoo' [bowing], and made a very short sujood [prostration] ; he (SAW) said: 'If this man dies while praying in this manner, he would die upholding a religion other than the religion of Muhammad.' Abu Hurairah (RA) said:

'My beloved friend, Muhammad (SAW) forbade me to perform postures of prayer copying the picking of a rooster; (signifying fast performance of prayer), moving eyes around like a fox and the sitting like monkeys ( i.e. to sit on thighs).' (Imam Ahmad & at-Tayalisi) The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ' The worst thief is the one who steals from his own prayer.' People asked, 'Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from his own prayer?' He ( SAW) said: 'By not completing its rukoo' and sujood.' (At Tabarani & al-Hakim).

To complete rukoo' is to stay in that posture long enough to recite 'Subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three times, SLOWLY, and 'Subhana rabbiyal-a'ala' three times, SLOWLY, in sujood. He (SAW) also announced: 'He who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood, his prayer is void.' (Abu Dawood & others)

Mistake 6 : Counting tasbeeh with the left hand

The Prophet (SAW) used to count tasbeeh on the fingers of his right hand after salah. Ibn Qudamah (RA) sai d: ' The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used his right hand for tasbeeh.' (Abu Dawood). The above hadeeth indicates clearly that the Prophet (SAW) used only one hand for counting tasbeeh. No Muslim with sound mind would imagine that the Prophet (SAW) used his left hand for counting tasbeeh. Aa'ishah (RA) said that the Prophet (SAW) used his left hand only for Istinjaa', or cleaning himself after responding to the call of nature. He never used it for tasbeeh. Yasirah (RA) reported: The Prophet (SAW) commanded women to count tasbeeh on their fingers.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'They (the fingers) will be made to speak, and will be questioned (on the Day of Resurrection. )' (At-Tirmidhi) .. The above Hadeeth indicates that it is preferable to count tasbeeh on the fingers of the right hand than to do so on masbahah (rosary).

Mistake 7 : Crossing in front of a praying person.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) warned: 'Were the one who crosses in front of a praying person to know the consequences of doing so, he would have waited for *forty better than to cross in front of him.' (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim). *The forty in the tradition may be days months or even years. Allah knows best.

Common Errors in Prayer That MUST Be Avoided

Please educate others also so their Salaah becomes better.

Questions Awaiting ur Answers

2010-07-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Please take your time and read, observe, analyze and practice it for the sake of Allah.

Its a simple Questions needed to be answered by every Muslim concerning his/her obligations and promises between he/her and his/her Creator.
-------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------
Ever Ask yourself these?What if, Allah couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?

What if Allah decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today?

What if, we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when Allah sent the Rain?

What if Allah didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it
as His day?

What if, Allah took away the Quran tomorrow because we would not read it today?

What if,Allah took away His message because we failed to listen to the
messenger?

What if, the door of the Mosque was closed because we did not
open the door of our heart?

What if, Allah stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love
and care for others?

What if, Allah would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him?

What if, Allah answered our prayers the way we answer His calls .

What if, Allah met our needs the way we give Him our lives???

What if, We failed to send this message on?
--
May Allah continue to guide and protects us.

THE END

2010-06-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I sipped my favourite wine,
With flirting women I sat to dine.

It was early in the morning at four,
When death knocked upon a bedroom door, Who is there? the sleeping one cried.
I'm Malakal Mauth, let me inside.
At once, the man began to shiver,
As one sweating in deadly fever,
He shouted to his sleeping wife,
Don't let him take away my life.
Please go away, O Angel of Death!
Leave me alone, I'm not ready yet.
My family on me depends,
Give me a chance, O please prepense!
The angel knocked again and again,
Friend! I'll take your life without a pain,
Tis your soul Allah requires,
I come not with my own desire.
Bewildered, the man began to cry,
O Angel I'm so afraid to die,
I'll give you gold and be your slave,
Don't send me to the unlit grave.
Let me in, O Friend! The Angel said,
Open the door, get up from your bed,
If you do not allow me in,
I will walk through it, like a jinn.
The man held a gun in his right hand,
Ready to defy the Angel's stand.
I'll point my gun, towards your head,
You dare come in, I'll shoot you dead.
By now the Angel was in the room,
Saying, O Friend! prepare for you doom.
Foolish man, Angels never die,
Put down your gun and do not sigh.
Why are you afraid! Tell me O man,
To die according to Allah's plan?
Come smile at me, do not be grim,
Be Happy to return to Him.
O Angel! I bow my head in shame,
I had no time to take Allah's Name.
From morning till dusk,I made my wealth,
Not even caring for my health.
Allah's command I never obeyed,
Nor five times a day I ever prayed.
A Ramadan came and a Ramadan went,
But no time had I to repent.
The Hajj was already FARD on me,
But I would not part with my money.
All charities I did ignore,
Taking usury more and more.
Sometimes I sipped my favourite wine,
With flirting women I sat to dine.
O Angel! I appeal to you,
Spare my life for a year or two.
The Laws of Quran I will obey,
I'll begin SALAT this very day.
My Fast and Hajj, I will complete,
And keep away from self conceit.
I will refrain from usury,
And give all my wealth to charity,
Wine and wenches I will detest,
Allah's oneness I will attest.
We Angels do what Allah demands,
We cannot go against His commands.
Death is ordained for everyone,
Father, mother, daughter or son.
I'm afraid this moment is your last,
Now be reminded, of your past,
I do understand your fears,
But it is now too late for tears.
You lived in this world, two score and more,
Never did you, your people adore.
Your parents, you did not obey,
Hungry beggars, you turned away.
Your two ill-gotten, female offspring,
In night-clubs, for livelihood they sing.
Instead of making more Muslims,
You made your children non-Muslims.
You ignored the Mua'dhin Adhaan,
Nor did you read the Holy Quran.
Breaking promises all your life,
Backbiting friends, and causing strife.
From hoarded goods, great profits you made,
And your poor workers, you underpaid.
Horses and cards were your leisure,
Money-making was your pleasure.
You ate vitamins and grew more fat,
With the very sick, you never sat.
A pint of blood you never gave,
Which could a little baby save.
O Human, you have done enough wrong,
You bought good properties for a song.
When the farmers appealed to you,
You did not have mercy, tis true.
Paradise for you? I cannot tell,
Undoubtedly you will dwell in hell.
There is no time for you to repent,
I'll take your soul for which I am sent.
The ending however, is very sad,
Eventually the man became mad
With a cry, he jumped out of bed,
And suddenly, he fell down dead.
O Reader! Take moral from here,
you never know, your end may be near
change your living and make amends
For heaven, on your deeds depends.
If this poem inspires you,
it can help someone too.

The story of a small step turning in to one GIANT leap

2010-06-07T02:58:00.000-07:00

Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide.I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Abu Dharr (Radiallahu anhu) along with his family settled in some place close to Macca. Abu Dharr said that, “My brother Unays went to do some business in Macca and he met a man who claims to be a prophet, he met Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam)” so Unays came back and said “I found a man who is preaching a new religion, worshipping Allah alone” Abu Dharr said that he at that time had already worshipped Allah for three years and revoked all of the worshipping of idols, he renounced it. Subhan-Allah, you see the fitra of these people which guides them and tells them that this is wrong, this is false. Abu Dharr said, “I’ve been praying to Allah for three years” so Abu Dharr was asked “How were you praying to Allah?” he said, “I would pray to which ever direction Allah would point me to, and I would pray in whatever way Allah would guide me to, and I would pray at night until I fall asleep and only the sun would wake me up in the morning”. So he would pray, though he didn’t know how to but he would pray to Allah for three years. Abu Dharr asked his brother Unays, “What does he teach?” so Unays mentioned some of the teachings of Islam that he learned from Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and then he asked “What are the people saying about him?” Unays said that, “They are claiming that he is a sorcerer, a magician, a liar…” and he went down the list. Abu Dharr said, “maa ashfaita galeeli (You haven’t satisfied my hunger)” and then he said “I want to go and investigate the matter myself, what the people say might not necessarily be right”. The media of Macca, the CNN of the day or the ABC or whatever you call it had all of these labels that they would brand Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) with but Abu Dharr did not have trust in what the people were saying, he wanted to go and meet Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and hear it from the messenger himself. And that is what a muslim is required to do. Allah says that, “When you receive some information verify it”- tabaiyyanu, and that’s where our scholars learn the science of hadith, they would verify it. It’s not just enough to hear a hadith narrated from someone. The scholars use to say, “haatu rijaalakum au sammu lana rijaalakum”, whenever they would hear a hadith they would say “Mention the names of your men. Where did you hear this from? Tell us the names we want to know who you got this information from. We just don’t follow any hearsay.” Abu Dharr said “I went into Macca and I asked the first man that I saw in front of me and asked him ‘Can you guide me towards Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam)?’ That man immediately started calling the men of Quraysh and they started pelting me with stones, rocks whatever they could get their hands on until I fell unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was like ‘Nusub Ahmar’ (the people of Quraysh use to have these idols which they would slaughter and sacrifice their animals over. So they would be soaked with blood)” that is the description Abu Dharr gave of himself- like a red pole, soaked with blood from head to toe. He said, “So I went to the well of Zamzam, I drank water and I washed the blood off my body. Then I went next to Al-Kaaba” in the narration of Imam Ahmed it says that he stayed there for 30 days not knowing where to meet Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and Abu Dharr said “I did not have any food for the entire period except for drinking the water of Zamzam.” Now, I think physicians can tell us that a person can survive by drinking water for quite a while so may be that’s not such a surprise but the surprising thing is what comes next. Abu Dharr said “and I started picking up weight until I was getting folds on my stomach”. You know the Bedouins, they would have flat tummies. They were very fit. Abu Dharr said “I was gaining weight and the flesh of my stomach was folding”. You know when you sit down and the flesh of the stomach folds.

Abu Dharr states that he then saw two women making tawaf and they would touch Isaf an- Naeela on every turn. What’s the story of Isaf an-Naeela? Isaf an-Naeela were a man and a women who were in love and they couldn’t get married and they had an appointment or a date to meet next to al-Kaaba and they intended to fornicate next to the house of Allah ‘Aoozubillah. Allah (Subhahana wa ‘Ta’ala) turned them in to stones on the spot. After the passage of some time the mushrikeen of Quraysh started worshipping these two stones- Isaf an-Naeela .To show you how when you open the flood gate for shaitan you can’t close it, he just throws you in dungeons of darkness and can never get out of it. You just get in and never come out. Darkness over darkness, one veil over another. Now, the story of idol worshipping actually started as erecting statues after righteous men die. Shaitan came to the people of Nuh (‘Alaihiassalam) then told them after the righteous man have passed away, “Why don’t you erect statues of these righteous men so that they would remind you about Allah?” so they did that. Then after a few generations he started telling them “Worship them” and that’s how the idol worshipping grew. So here you have Isaf an-Naeela being worshipped and these two women would make tawaf and they would touch Isaf an-Naeela on every turn. Now Abu Dharr, he despised idol worshipping, so he threw out a comment. He said, “Why don’t you make one of them have intercourse with the other?” Either the women did not understand what he said or they didn’t believe what they heard, they continued. When Abu Dharr saw that his words did not deter them, he threw out an even more vulgar comment. Now the women were sure of what they heard. They immediately just started running and screaming, wailing down the streets of Macca. And who did they run in to? - Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and Abu Bakr (Radiallahu anhu). Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and Abu Bakr were seeing these two women running in the street screaming, he asked, “What’s wrong with you?” they said, “That heretic over there!” Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) asked “What’s the issue with him?” they said, “He spoke a word that fills the mouth!”- “Fa imla ul faan” in other words something that is unspeakable. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and Abu Bakr went to meet this man- Abu Dharr (Radiallahu anhu) and they started the conversation. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) asked Abu Dharr, “Where are you from?”- “Min ayna ar- rajar?” he said “Ana min Gheefar (I am from Gheefar)”. After hearing this Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) placed his hand on his forehead. Abu Dharr said, “Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) was surprised and amazed to see somebody from Gheefar coming to Macca in search of the truth”. From Gheefar, these people who rob caravans, the ones who do not follow any rules or any customs; and he is searching for the truth in Macca and the people of Macca, the ones who are considered to be the religious authority of Arabia are rejecting Rasulullah’s (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) message. Abu Dharr said “Fakariha an intasabtu ila Gheefar (I felt he might have disliked that I have mentioned that I am from Gheefar) so I extended my hand to pull his hand from his forehead. But Abu Bakr slammed my hand and told me to put my hand down”. And then the conversation continued and Abu Dharr ended up embracing Islam. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) told Abu Dharr, “Uktum Iman (Keep your iman secret)”. Abu Dharr, he went out the next day, rather than keeping his iman secret he went in front of the people of Quraysh and said “Ashhadu al laa ilaha Illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah!”. He didn’t care about the consequence. He said, “They gathered around me and they beat me up so bad that I was going to die” until ‘Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib came in and he said, “Do you know where this man is from? He is from Gheefar!” Abu Dharr said “Immediately they just ran away”. They were fleeing, running away from him. But he did the same thing the next day and he did the same thing on the third day and everyday the same thing would happen, they would come and beat him up until Al ‘Abbas comes and tells this new group of people who are hitting him that this man is from Gheefar. Al ‘Abbas said, “And you know, if this man gets killed by you, none of your trade will make it safely to Syria. They are going to take revenge of you”. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) then told Abu Dharr “Go back to your people and convey the message to them and when you hear that I prevailed, come back to me”.

How long did Abu Dharr stay with Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam)? - For quite a short time. How much did he learn from him? – Probably not a lot. A few verses, a few hadith here and there and that was it. Abu Dharr went back to his people in Gheefar and he started giving them da’wah. Slowly and slowly people were accepting Islam among the people of Gheefar. He said, “By the time Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) made hijrah, almost half of my tribe was Muslim. Then we decided to go and visit Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and the rest of the tribe have said, ‘When Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) arrives and when we go and meet him, we will become Muslim’” So now the whole tribe is Muslim. All of them are Muslim. The other half just said that, “We are going to wait, it is a matter of time and then we will become Muslim” and they did. So when Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) was in Medinah they saw in the horizon this dust cloud, sign of an army approaching, large group of people. So some of the sahaba rushed to their weapons thinking that an army is approaching towards them. But Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) said “Qun Aba Dharr (Be Abu Dharr) and the prophecy of Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) was true. It was Abu Dharr and all of his tribe of Gheefar coming to pledge their allegiance to Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam), the entire tribe. Now there was rivalry between two tribes, Gheefar and Aslam. When Aslam heard that Gheefar became Muslim and they went and pledged their allegiance to Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam), they immediately went to Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and said that “We also want to become Msulim”, two tribes. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) said, “Gheefar, Ghafara Allahu laha wa Aslam SalamahuAllah (Gheefar! May Allah forgive them and Aslam! May Allah give them peace)”. All of it started by the work of one man and how much did this man know? Was he a scholar at that time? No, he just knew a few ayat. Later on Abu Dharr came to know a lot. But at that stage, he just spent a few days with Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) and that was it. All of Gheefar became Muslim. The last people in the desert that you would expect to accept Islam, they did become Muslim Subhan-Allah.

Now, what can we learn from the story of Abu Dharr? First, “Wa Alladheena ahtada wa zada humuAllah hada” (The ones who search fro guidance, Allah will give it to them). Abu Dharr investigated the matter and Allah showed him the light, showed him the truth. Second, Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) said “Balighu anni wa Al-ayah” (Convey even one verse from me). Whatever you have convey it, share it, teach it. Don’t keep it to yourself. Third, that is courage. Abu Dharr is an example of a person who has courage; he wasn’t intimidated by the fact that he was a foreigner in Macca. He stood and he said, “I am a Muslim” and he was proud and he paid for it dearly. Then he went to his people and he preached the message to them. So this shows you the courage and the personality of Abu Dharr which is shown again and again by the sahaba of Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) which was the one of the qualities that they had and this is one of the reasons why Allah (Subhahana wa ‘Ta’ala) chose them to be the bearers of the message. They had simplicity, they had courage, they had honesty and they had commitment to a cause. When they believed in something they would commit their lives to it. Fourth, verifying the truth. Just because the people said that he is a sorcerer, a liar, a magician etc doesn’t mean anything. You have to go to the source and verify the information yourself. Allah has given you a mind, Allah has given you intelligence- use it. Don’t just follow what the people are saying. Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) said that “Don’t be an Imma’” and when he was asked what is the meaning of Imma’, he said, “Whenever the people say ‘Yes’ you say ‘Yes’ and whenever they say ‘No’ you say ‘No’”. Don’t just follow. Fifth, “La tahtiranna min al ma’rufi shai an wa la antalka hakabi wajab hasan al falq” Rasulullah (Sallallahu ‘alaihiwassalam) says in this hadith “Do not belittle any good deed even it is as small as smiling in the face of your brother”. Don’t belittle anything. Whatever good there is don’t consider it to be insignificant because everything good is significant and may be that small thing will make a difference on the Day of Judgment for you and it will be the criterion between Hell fire and Paradise. May be one small deed that you would do which you don’t pay any attention to will take the scale to your side for your favor. And how do we derive this lesson from the story of Abu Dharr? Abu Dharr (Radiallahu anhu), he learned very little and all what he wanted was to propagate the message and may be he never expected that this small effort of his would end up causing the whole tribe of Gheefar and the whole tribe of Aslam to become Muslim. May be he only thought that he could convince a few group of people, may be a few of his relatives but for this work to end up bearing the fruits of two major tribes becoming Muslim couldn’t have crossed Abu Dharr’s mind. But you throw the seed and Allah (Subhahana wa ‘Ta’ala) will make it grow. There is a hadith by the way that says that – A person might speak a word that might please Allah and they don’t pay attention to it but Allah (Subhahana wa ‘Ta’ala) will raise them up levels because of that and a person might speak a word that will anger Allah and because of that they will be thrown in Hell fire. It’s a matter of a word here or there.

From the transcription of Imam Anwar Awlaki's lecture (The life of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihiwassalam- the Maccan period)

SO AM I GOING TO HELL?

2010-06-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up suddenly one night and saw a strange light in my room.
The problem is that the lights are off I saw the clock, it was 3.30 in the morning
Okay…so where is all this light coming from??
I turned around and saw something very strange..My body was half way through the wall (??!)
I immediately pulled it out and sat down to see if i’m okay This is strange…
I tried to push onto the wall, but MY ARM GOES THROUGH
I heard a sound,I turned to my brother’s bed to see him sleeping
I was really scared of what was happening to me…so I tried to wake him up….but….he doesn’t reply!!
I went to my parent’s bedroom..I tried to wake up my mother…and father…I just wanted somebody to react to me… but nobody did.
I tried to wake my mother up again…she woke up this time…she got up … but didn’t communicate to me
She was saying “In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Gracious” (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) again and again…
She woke my dad up saying ‘get up, man, I want to check up on the kids.’
My dad replied in disinterest .. ‘it’s not time for this, let me sleep and inshAllah tomorrow i’ll get to that’ But she was insisting..so he woke up.
I was THERE. I was screaming..’dad’, ‘mum’ … nobody was replying.I held mother’s clothes to grab her attention..but she didn’t recognise my existence.I followed her ’till she got to my bedroom.They got into the room and turned on the lights…
it wasn’t making any difference to me anyway because there was a strong light there.
I then saw the strangest thing in my life…

my OWN BODY.…on my bed.
I was trembling…how can there be two of me??
how can that person look so much like me??
and what is he doing on my bed????
I started hitting/slapping myself to wake up from this nightmare…
but it was too real to be a nightmare.
Dad said ‘Yalla, see the kids are sleeping. Let’s go back to bed.’
but mother wasn’t at all confident…she went to the person sleeping in my bed and said
‘Khalid, wake up!! … WAKE UP!!’
but he wouldn’t reply.She tried again and again….but no reply.
Then i turned to see my dad tearing.Today witnesses the first time in my life that I have seen my dad’s tears.The place was shaking with the screaming,…
My brother woke up…“What’s going on??!”
In a very sad tone, with tears rolling down her cheek, mother replied
‘your brother’s dead! Khalid is DEAD!!’
I went to mother and said ‘please mum…don’t cry..I’m right here look at me!’

But nobody’s replying to me..WHY??
I turned to Allah and asked Him to wake me up from the nightmare!
quickly following my dua was a voice saying (Quran):

” You were in negligence from this, so We uncovered the blinds and today your sight is (like iron) “
لقد كنت في غفلة من هذا فكشفنا عنك غطاءك فبصرك اليوم حديد
Suddenly two creatures held my arm..they weren’t human!!
“Leave me ALONE! Who are you and what do you want from me??”
‘We’re your grave’s guards‘
I said ‘but I’m not dead yet! let go of me!!‘ I can still see, hear, touch, and speak..I’m not dead!

They replied with a smile : “You humans are fascinating! You think that by dying your life ends, while in fact life on Earth is a small dream compared to the Here after; a dream that ends at your death.”

They started pulling me towards my grave…On the way I saw people just like me, each had two guards like mine.Some were smiling, others crying, others screaming.
I asked the guards ‘why are they all doing that?‘
They replied ‘These people now know their fate…some were in ignorance so they–’
‘–so they go to Hell??!’
I interrupted They said ‘yes.‘ and continued.‘and those laughing are going to Heaven’
I quickly replied: ‘What about me..where will I go??‘
They said ‘you were at times a good Muslim, while other times not. One day you obey Allah, the next you disobey Him. And you weren’t clear with yourself and your fate will remain so: lost.‘
I replied, shaking: ‘SO AM I GOING TO HELL??‘
They said: ‘ Allah’s mercy is great, and the journey is long ‘
I turned to see my family carrying my dead body in a coffin..so i ran to them ..
I said: ‘make dua for me‘.but nobody replied..
I went to my brother and warned him .
‘be careful with what you do in this life… don’t be a fool like myself!’

I was really hoping that he could hear me…
The two angels (guards) tied up my soul on top of my body ..
I saw my relatives pouring sand over me ..at that moment I was hoping that I would be in their place…
that I can turn to Allah and do as much as He wants from me…
that I would ask for forgiveness and once and for all repent my sins that angered Him…
but unfortunately I couldn’t.
I shouted ‘ People, don’t let this life tempt you! Wake up to the truth… one day you will DIE, and you never know when..or how. ‘
I hoped for somebody to hear me….nobody there did

but YOU . DID YOU HEARD ME ??
Save Your Self.
Smile to others, forgive them when you have the power to punish them. Allah forgives those that forgive others. Do your prayers regularly with an open heart. Let Allah guide your life, not Satan. Read the Quran regularly and let the Prophet (p.b.u.h) be your role model in life.

Work in this timed life for your salvation in an eternal one.
And … make dua for me because I’m not perfect.
And I point the above to myself just as much as I do to my friends.

MARK THE WORDS,I DO SAY !
WHO KNOWS TOMMOROW COULD BE YOUR DAY!
AT LAST ,IT COMES
HEAVEN OR HELL

Please take a moment to relax your mind and humble your heart

2010-05-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc.,we should give the same respect tothis DUA. Friends that pray together, stay together. Let's pray... OH ALLAH, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are forgiving and understanding. Oh Allah! You have done so much for me & You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask YOU now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through YOUR eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent,and receive YOUR forgiveness. And when this world closes in on me, let me remember YOU - to slip away and find a quiet place to make DUA. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't make DUA, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I make DUA for those that are lost and can't find their way. I make DUA for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I make DUA for those who don't know You intimately. I make DUA for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I make DUA for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe. I believe that Allah changes people and Allah changes things. I make DUA for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I make DUA for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I make DUA that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than Allah. Every battle is in your hands for You to fight. I make DUA that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly. This is my DUA n This is Yours Too . Aameen

Importance of teaching subject of islam in Maldives

2010-05-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

"There he saw some people atop the date palms pollinating them. Since dates were not grown in Mecca the Prophet had to ask what these people were doing to the trees. He thereupon forbade them to do this, and the following year date crop was very poor as compared to previous year. When the Prophet asked the reason, he was told that the yield depended on pollination. He then told the date-growers to resume this practice, admitting that they knew more about "worldly matters" than he did."

The field of education, covering ethics, religion, skills and general knowledge, is a very broad and very vital one. The importance of learning in enabling the individual to put his potentials to optimal use is self-evident. Without education, the training of the human minds is incomplete. No individual is a human being in the proper sense until he has been educated.

Education makes man a right thinker and a correct decision-maker. It achieves this by bringing him knowledge from the external world, teaching him to reason, and acquainting him with past history, so that he may be a better judge of the present. Without education, man, as it were, is shut up in a windowless room. With education, he finds himself in a room with all its windows open to the outside world.

This is why Islam attaches such great importance to knowledge and education. The Qur’an, it should be noted repeatedly asks us to observe the earth and heavens. This instills in man the desire to learn natural science. When the Qur’an began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was ‘Iqra!’ that is, ‘Read.’ Education is thus the starting point of every successful human activity.

All the books of hadith have a chapter on knowledge (ilm). In Sahih Bukhari, there is a chapter entitled, "The virtue of one who acquires ilm (learning) and imparts it to others.} In the hadith, the scholar is accorded great respect. According to one tradition, the ink of a scholar’s pen is more precious than the blood of a martyr, the reason being that while a martyr is engaged in the task of defense, an alim (scholar) builds individuals and nations along positive lines. In this way, he bestows upon the world a real life treasure.

The very great importance attached to learning in Islam is illustrated by an event in the life of the Prophet. At the battle of Badr, in which the Prophet was victorious, seventy of his enemies were taken prisoner. Now these captives were all literate people. So, in order to benefit from their erudition, the Prophet declared that if each prisoner taught ten Medinan children how to read and write, that would serve as his ransom and he would be set free. This was the first school in the history of Islam, established by the Prophet himself. It was of no matter to him that all its teachers were non-Muslims, all were prisoners of war, and all were likely to create problems again for Islam and Muslims once they were released. This Sunnah of the Prophet showed that whatever the risk involved, education was paramount.

Islam not only stresses the importance of learning, but demonstrates how all the factors necessary to progress in learning have been provided by God. An especially vital factor is the freedom to conduct research. Such freedom was encouraged right from the beginning, as is illustrated by an incident which took place after the Prophet had migrated from Mecca to Medina. There he saw some people atop the date palms pollinating them. Since dates were not grown in Mecca the Prophet had to ask what these people were doing to the trees. He thereupon forbade them to do this, and the following year date crop was very poor as compared to previous year. When the Prophet asked the reason, he was told that the yield depended on pollination. He then told the date-growers to resume this practice, admitting that they knew more about "worldly matters" than he did.

In this way, the Prophet separated practical matters from religion, thus paving the way for the free conduct of research throughout the world of nature and the adoption of conclusions based thereon. This great emphasis placed on exact knowledge resulted in the awakening of a great desire for learning among the Muslims of the first phase. This process began in Mecca, then reached Medina and Damascus, later centering on Baghdad. Ultimately it entered Spain. Spain flourished, with extraordinary progress made in various academic and scientific disciplines. This flood of scientific progress then entered Europe, ultimately ushering in the modern, scientific age

Is it permissible for a woman to be a judge?.

2010-05-10T03:09:00.000-07:00

This indicates that women are not qualified to be judges.

Praise be to Allaah.
The majority of scholars are of the view that it is not permissible for a woman to be appointed as a judge, and if she is appointed, the one who appointed her is sinning, and her appointment is invalid, and her judgements carry no weight, no matter what ruling she passes. This is the view of the Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis, and of some of the Hanafis.

See: Bidaayat al-Mujtahid (2/531); al-Majmoo’ (20/127); al-Mughni (11/350).

They quoted a number of texts as evidence for that:

1 –Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means”

[al-Nisa’ 4:34]

So the men are the protectors and maintainers of women, in the sense that they are in charge of them. So the verse may be understood as meaning that women cannot be appointed in charge, otherwise women would be the protectors and maintainers of men, which is the opposite of what the verse says.

2 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them”

[al-Baqarah 2:228]

Allaah has granted men a degree over women ,and if a woman were to be appointed as judge that would contradict the degree that Allaah has given men in this verse, because in order for a judge to judge between two disputants, he must have a degree over them.

3 – It was narrated that Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard that the people of Persia had appointed the daughter of Chosroes as their ruler, he said: “No people will ever prosper who appoint a woman in charge of their affairs.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4425).

The fuqaha’ quoted this verse as evidence that it is not permissible to appoint a woman as a judge, because lack of prospering is a kind of harm, the causes of which must be avoided. The hadeeth is general in meaning and applies to all positions of public authority. So it is not permissible to appoint a woman, because the word “affairs” is general in meaning and includes all the public affairs of the Muslims.

Al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There is no stern warning greater than stating that they will never prosper, and the most important issue is to rule according to the rulings of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and therefore this warning applies more emphatically to women. End quote.

Al-Sayl al-Jaraar (4/273)

The Fatwa Committee of al-Azhar said:

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not intend by this hadeeth only to state that the people who appoint a woman in charge of their affairs will not prosper, because his task was to explain everything that is permissible for his ummah, so that they may succeed and prosper, and everything that is not permissible for them so that they may be safe from evil and loss. Rather he intended to forbid his ummah from imitating those people (the Persians) by delegating any of their public affairs to a woman, and he used this incident to convey this message to the people who were keen to be prosperous so that they would comply with this advice. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used definitive language to state that lack of prosperity is inevitable when a woman is appointed in charge of any affairs. Undoubtedly the prohibition that is derived from this hadeeth applies to any woman in any era; women are not to be appointed to positions of public authority. This general meaning is understood from the wording of the hadeeth. End quote.

4 – Moreover, the nature of woman means that a woman should not be appointed to a position of public authority.

The Fatwa Committee of al-Azhar said, after mentioning the arguments based on the hadeeth:

This ruling is based on this hadeeth, which is that the ruling that women should not be appointed to positions of public authority is not a ruling which is to be followed as a religious ritual without necessarily understanding the wisdom behind it, rather it is one of the rulings that are based on reasons which are obvious to those who understand the differences between the two types of human beings, men and women. This ruling is not connected to anything other than the femininity which is indicated by the word “woman” in the hadeeth. So femininity alone is the reason. … Because of her nature, woman is designed to fulfil the mission for which she was created, which is the role of mother and caring for and raising children. This means that she is likely to be affected by emotion. In addition to that she is faced with natural events that happen repeatedly over the months and years, which may weaken her strength and resolve in forming opinions and adhering to them and in fighting for them. This is something which women themselves cannot deny, and we do not need to quote examples and evidence to prove the emotional nature of woman throughout the ages. End quote.

5 – Practical experience in some countries indicates that women are not fit to play the role of judge. When Islam forbade women to be appointed to positions of public authority, it brought something that would protect people’s rights and ward off corruption, which is something that is not understood by those who are short-sighted.

In one of the Muslim countries the Ministry of Justice opened the door for talented women to become judges, but after five years they dismissed all of these female judges and banned women from entering the graduate school for judges because of their failure despite the opportunities they had for learning and training, and despite the fact that they got higher grades than the men in the theoretical field.

In another Muslim country women were given the opportunity to become judges, but after they failed the state had to remove them from the courts to the technical and research fields.

This indicates that women are not qualified to be judges.

6 – The judge is required to be present among men’s gatherings and to mix with disputants and witnesses, and may need to be alone with them. Islam seeks to protect women and preserve their honour and dignity, and protect them from those who would toy with them. So Islam tells women to stay in their homes and not go out except in cases of necessity. And it forbids them from mixing with men and being alone with them, because that poses a threat to women and their honour.

7 – The position of judge requires a high level of intelligence, insight and reason, and women have less of these qualities than men, and they have little experience in the affairs of life and disputes.

In addition to that, women are faced with natural phenomena during certain days, months and years, namely menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding etc, which weakens their bodies and affects their understanding of things, which is incompatible with the position and status of a judge.
See: Wilaayat al-Mar’ah fi’l-Fiqh al-Islami (p. 217-250) – Master’s Thesis by Muhammad Anwar.

Taken from most authentic islamic website on the internet. And this website is not corrupted with mixed syllabi and mixed cultures and mixed flavours of western ideologies.

To read click here

Ex-US Marine's journey to Islam

2010-05-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

My name is Jacian Fares. I come from the Al-Fares family of Hebron. My father was born in Lebanon, my mother is a Spaniard. I was the first generation born in America (Dearborn, Michigan in fact).My father took no stock in religion nor did he live it, although my grandparents are devout Muslims, I do imagine his choice and path in life had saddened their hearts. Needless to say my siblings and I were born without a specific religion. We were to be raised as American kids.Under odd circumstances I was the only one of the three of us to go live in Lebanon for six years, during which I was a teenager. I shall call this time period my first encounter with Middle East culture.

My second phase of encounter came when I was in the U.S. Marine Corps. I led the invasion into Iraq - not a war I agreed with, but I was a soldier just doing his job.

In Fallujah and other areas of the Al Anbar province, I came to know locals. I had witnessed other Arabs during Ramadan over the years. I had watched how devoted to their religion they were.

Unfortunately I was shot in Iraq and lost a kidney - but it is as Allah wills. I had always believed everything happens for a reason. When I had come home I was depressed and feeling like I had nothing to follow in life.

I was used to having routine and now it was taken from me. My relationship at the time went downhill. So I was alone. My grandparents had hinted at Islam, as well as my aunt. Finally a girl I had met from Kuwait suggested it,too.

During August of 2008 I read the Quran. And it just clicked. It made sense to me, more so than the Bible or the Torah. It was very straight to the point. Muslim life has routine. I needed this change in my life, to find my true self.

[This Quran does indeed show the straightest way. It gives the faithful who do right the good news that they will have a great reward.] (Al-Israa17:9)

Finally I had routine. I had reasons to live for and make my life that much better.

I can say I had made many friends over the past year, all of different Middle Eastern countries. From Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, and Qatar. And these friends helped in developing who I am now. And for that I am forever thankful.

There is even a woman in my life who is Muslim and Palestinian. And she inspires me to be a better Muslim, and to get in touch with my roots. My grandparents are thankful for this also.

 This year I have witnessed my second Ramadan. Sadly, I could not fast because I am a juvenile diabetic. But I donated food, money, and time to people in need for all thirty days. And this year is special, my birthday falls on Eid al-Fitr.

And while I am stuck here in America, alone, I am not alone. People in the Muslim communities treat me as any other family member.

And I have to say this life we live, the deen (Islamic way of life) we live, it brings us all together. It brings us together and makes us brothers and sisters every day of our lives; even without feasts.

So I promise I will always treat everyone as my brother or sister, help out ones in need, even in times without special purpose. I will do this every day of my life.

[Worship God; join nothing with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and to your slaves: For God does not like arrogant, boastful people.] (An-Nisaa4:36)

I love Ramadan and what it represents. It reminds us what being a good Muslim is. But I propose that we make everyday of our lives like Ramadan and share with our fellow man and woman.

As Muslims we can make this world a better place, no matter how the media tries projecting us as, no matter how ignorant people believe we are, we can honestly make this world a better place.

[Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.](Al-Aaraf 7:199)

We should never push our God onto anyone, but we should inform the ones interested correctly. That's how it was done with me; I've come a long way with the support and help of my brothers and sisters, my friends and family in Islam.

I choose Islam because it's part of who I am. I've reverted back to what my family has believed. I now live how they live. This is all because reading the Quran was suggested to me. I'm happy and proud of myself for doing so. The Quran has led me to finding my true self. And now my God has a name: Allah.

I suggest to non-believers to keep an open mind and just look at what the Quran has to say. There is more there to it, if read with open eyes. The Quran is simply a tool and guide that we should use to live a correct path. It promotes peace, love, and a strong trust in Allah.

[What will explain to you what the steep path is? It is to free a slave, to feed at a time of hunger an orphaned relative or a poor person in distress, and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.] (Al-Balad 12-17)

Dajjaal is a man

2010-04-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Dajjaal is a man who will appear towards the end of time, and Jews will follow him. His appearance is a sign of the Last Hour, and he will bring with him immense Fitan (tests and trials) which will have an adverse effect on the Iman (of Muslims). Quite possibly many people may perish because of his Fitnah, except those whom Allah protects

From the virtues of Sooratul Kahf:

From Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, who said: "Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu'ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka'bah)." (Narrated by al-Daarimi, 3407. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6471)

(b) "Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next."
(Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 6470)
The soorah may be read during the night or the day of Jumu'ah. The night of Jumu'ah starts from sunset on Thursday, and the day of Jumu'ah ends at sunset.

Therefore the time for reading this soorah extends from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Friday.

Dajjaal is a man who will appear towards the end of time, and Jews will follow him. His appearance is a sign of the Last Hour, and he will bring with him immense Fitan (tests and trials) which will have an adverse effect on the Iman (of Muslims). Quite possibly many people may perish because of his Fitnah, except those whom Allah protects.
As for his attributes, he would be a Kafir man, blind in one eye. He will seek to divert people from their religion by whatever means possible. So his Fitnah and danger will be immense. It is obligatory upon us to seek refuge in Allah from his Fitnah, as we have been commanded (to do so) by the Prophet (peace be upon him).

– Sheikh Salih Bin Fowzaan; Al-Muntaqaa Min Fatawa, vol. 2, pg. 97.

There are saheeh ahaadeeth that indicate that the Mahdi (peace be upon him) will appear at the end of time. He is one of the signs of the Hour. Among these ahaadeeth are the following:

1. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "At the end of the time of my ummah, the Mahdi will appear. Allaah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great. He will rule for seven or eight years. (Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a hadeeth whose isnaad is saheeh, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, and al-Albaani said: this is a saheeh sanad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy), Silsilat al-ahaadeeth al-saheehah, vol. 2, p. 336, hadeeth 771)

2. ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘The Mahdi is one of us, a member of my family. Allaah will guide him in a single night.’" (Musnad Ahmad, 2/58, hadeeth 645, edited by Ahmad al-Shaakir, who said: its isnaad is saheeh; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1367. This hadeeth was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 6735). Ibn Katheer said: "This means that Allaah will forgive him, grant him help, inspire him and guide him, when he was not like this before." (Al-Nihaayah, al-Fitan wa’l-Malaahim, 1/29; edited by Taha Zayni).

3. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and a long, thin, curved nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule for seven years.’" (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitaab al-Mahdi, 11/375, hadeeth 4265; Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557; he said: this is a saheeh hadeeth according to the conditions of Muslim, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. See also Saheeh al-Jaami, 6736).

4. Umm Salamah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) say: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Faatimah.’" (Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah. 2/1368. Al-Albaani said that it is saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6734)

5. Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will descend, and their leader the Mahdi will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No, one of them should lead them as an honour to this ummah from Allaah."’" The version narrated by Muslim says: "… Then ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (Peace be upon him) will descend and their leader will say, ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will say, ‘No, some of you are leaders over others as an honour from Allaah to this ummah.’" (Reported by Muslim, 225)

6. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "He is one of us, behind whom ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will pray." (Reported by Abi Na’eem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi. Al-Albaani said it is saheeh; see al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadeeth 5796).

7. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "The world will not come to an end until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/199, hadeeth 3573. Another version says: "… whose name is the same as mine and whose father’s name is the same as my father’s." Sunan Abi Dawud, 11/370).

You should be aware that some liars have fabricated ahaadeeth about the Mahdi, and others have even claimed to be he, or that he belongs to a group other than Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Some of these "false mahdis" have tried to deceive the slaves of Allaah for some worldly gain and to distort the picture of Islaam. Some have started movements and revolutions and gathered those people and supporters whom they were able to deceive. Then they were destroyed, and their lies and falsehood were exposed. None of this affects the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in the Mahdi, upon whom be peace, and that he will undoubtedly appear and rule the earth in accordance with Islamic Sharee’ah. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Reliance On Allah

2010-04-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Relying on Allah is one of the greatest forms of worship. Allah says (what means):

"...And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers." [Noble Quran 5:23]

Akon Ringtone Released

2010-04-11T04:03:00.000-07:00

Akon Ringtone Released. To download the ringtone press this link.
އޭކަން ރިންގްޓޯން ޢާއްމުކުރެވިއްޖެ. ރިންގްޓޯން ޑައުންލޯޑްކުރެއްވުމަށް މި ފާލަމަށް ފިތާލައްވާ

އަނެއްފިކުރުގެ ދެވަނަ ޕްރޮގްރާމްގައި އޭކަންގެ ޙަޤީޤަތް

2010-04-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

އަނެއްފިކުރުގެ ދެވަނަ ޕްރޮގްރާމްގައި އޭކަންގެ ޙަޤީޤަތް

Maldivian Atheists worried because Dr Zakir is coming to Maldives

2010-04-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

It seems that the so called fake Atheists of Maldives are very worried about the planned visit of Dr Zakir Naik to Maldives. Dr Zakir is a prominent Islamic Dhaaee operating from India. As a founder of Islamic Research Foundation, he has become popular as 'a man of peace" because of his mission Peace Tv. Peace Tv is an international channel formed for the propagation of the true message of islam.

Dr Zakir Naik,a master mind, with the incredible memory Allah has bestoed upon him, sacrifices all of this time in the cause of Allah, propagation of the true islam. Atheist hate him because he has helped many atheists to discover Islam. And He is a great hero who argues with atheists, all the time proving their false illogical claims and winning over them.

Here is what he often talks regarding atheists

PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF ALLAH (SWT) TO AN ATHEIST
by Dr. Zakir Naik
CONGRATULATING AN ATHEIST
Normally, when I meet an atheist, the first thing I like to do is to congratulate him and say, " My special congratulations to you", because most of the people who believe in God are doing blind belief - he is a Christian, because his father is a Christian; he is a Hindu, because his father is a Hindu; the majority of the people in the world are blindly following the religion of their fathers. An atheist, on the other hand, even though he may belong to a religious family, uses his intellect to deny the existence of God; what ever concept or qualities of God he may have learnt in his religion may not seem to be logical to him.

My Muslim brothers may question me, "Zakir, why are you congratulating an atheist?" The reason that I am congratulating an atheist is because he agrees with the first part of the Shahada i.e. the Islamic Creed, ‘La ilaaha’ - meaning ‘there is no God’.

So half my job is already done; now the only part left is ‘il lallah’ i.e. ‘BUT ALLAH’ which I shall do Insha Allah. With others (who are not atheists) I have to first remove from their minds the wrong concept of God they may have and then put the correct concept of one true God.

LOGICAL CONCEPT OF GOD
My first question to the atheist will be: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say there is no God, he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that ‘this is a pen’, for the opposite person to say, ‘it is not a pen’, he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognise or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say ‘there is no God’, he should at least know the concept of God. His concept of God would be derived from the surroundings in which he lives. The god that a large number of people worship has got human qualities - therefore he does not believe in such a god. Similarly a Muslim too does not and should not believe in such false gods.

If a non-Muslim believes that Islam is a merciless religion with something to do with terrorism; a religion which does not give rights to women; a religion which contradicts science; in his limited sense that non-Muslim is correct to reject such Islam. The problem is he has a wrong picture of Islam. Even I reject such a false picture of Islam, but at the same time, it becomes my duty as a Muslim to present the correct picture of Islam to that non-Muslim i.e. Islam is a merciful religion, it gives equal rights to the women, it is not incompatible with logic, reason and science; if I present the correct facts about Islam, that non-Muslim may Inshallah accept Islam.

Similarly the atheist rejects the false gods and the duty of every Muslim is to present the correct concept of God which he shall Insha Allah not refuse.

(You may refer to my article, ‘Concept of God in Islam’, for more details)

QUR’AN AND MODERN SCIENCE
The methods of proving the existence of God with usage of the material provided in the ‘Concept of God in Islam’ to an atheist may satisfy some but not all.

Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of God. I agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use scientific knowledge to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to prove the existence of God and simultaneously prove that the Qur’an is a revelation of God.

If a new object or a machine, which no one in the world has ever seen or heard of before, is shown to an atheist or any person and then a question is asked, " Who is the first person who will be able to provide details of the mechanism of this unknown object? After little bit of thinking, he will reply, ‘the creator of that object.’ Some may say ‘the producer’ while others may say ‘the manufacturer.’ What ever answer the person gives, keep it in your mind, the answer will always be either the creator, the producer, the manufacturer or some what of the same meaning, i.e. the person who has made it or created it. Don’t grapple with words, whatever answer he gives, the meaning will be same, therefore accept it.

SCIENTIFIC FACTS MENTIONED IN THE QUR’AN: for details on this subject please refer to my book, ‘THE QUR’AN AND MODERN SCIENCE – COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE?
THEORY OF PROBABILITY
In mathematics there is a theory known as ‘Theory of Probability’. If you have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances that you will chose the right one is half, i.e. one out of the two will be correct. You have 50% chances of being correct. Similarly if you toss a coin the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. 1/2. If you toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second toss is again 50% i.e. half. But the chances that you will be correct in both the tosses is half multiplied by half (1/2 x 1/2) which is equal to 1/4 i.e. 50% of 50% which is equal to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all three times is (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12½%.

A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1 to 6, the chances that your guess will be correct is 1/6. If you throw the dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is equal to 1/216 that is less than 0.5 %.

Let us apply this theory of probability to the Qur’an, and assume that a person has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Qur’an which was unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being simultaneously correct.

At the time when the Qur’an was revealed, people thought the world was flat, there are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be triangular, it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, spherical, etc. Lets assume there are about 30 different options for the shape of the earth. The Qur’an rightly says it is spherical, if it was a guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30.

The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Qur’an rightly says it is a reflected light. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/2 and the probability that both the guesses i.e the earth is spherical and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x 1/2 = 1/60.

Further, the Qur’an also mentions every living thing is made of water. Every living thing can be made up of either wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete, etc. The options are say about 10,000. The Qur’an rightly says that everything is made up of water. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e. the earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected light and everything is created from water being correct is 1/30 x 1/2 x 1/10,000 = 1/60,000 which is equal to about .0017%.

The Qur’an speaks about hundreds of things that were not known to men at the time of its revelation. Only in three options the result is .0017%. I leave it upto you, to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all of them being correct guesses simultaneously and there being not a single wrong guess. It is beyond human capacity to make all correct guesses without a single mistake, which itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Qur’an is Divine.

CREATOR IS THE AUTHOR OF THE QUR’AN
The only logical answer to the question as to who could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the same answer initially given by the atheist or any person, to the question who will be the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the unknown object. It is the ‘CREATOR’, the producer, the Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents. In the English language He is ‘God’, or more appropriate in the Arabic language, ‘ALLAH’.

QUR’AN IS A BOOK OF SIGNS AND NOT SCIENCE
Let me remind you that the Qur’an is not a book of Science, ‘S-C-I-E-N-C-E’ but a book of Signs ‘S-I-G-N-S’ i.e. a book of ayaats. The Qur’an contains more than 6,000 ayaats, i.e. ‘signs’, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. I am not trying to prove that the Qur’an is the word of God using scientific knowledge as a yard stick because any yardstick is supposed to be more superior than what is being checked or verified. For us Muslims the Qur’an is the Furqan i.e. criteria to judge right from wrong and the ultimate yardstick which is more superior to scientific knowledge.

But for an educated man who is an atheist, scientific knowledge is the ultimate test which he believes in. We do know that science many a times takes ‘U’ turns, therefore I have restricted the examples only to scientific facts which have sufficient proof and evidence and not scientific theories based on assumptions. Using the ultimate yardstick of the atheist, I am trying to prove to him that the Qur’an is the word of God and it contains the scientific knowledge which is his yardstick which was discovered recently, while the Qur’an was revealed 1400 year ago. At the end of the discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God though superior to science, is not incompatible with it.

SCIENCE IS ELIMINATING MODELS OF GOD BUT NOT GOD
Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little knowledge of science makes man an atheist, but an in-depth study of science makes him a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God, but they are not eliminating God. If you translate this into Arabic, it is La illaha illal la, There is no god, (god with a small ‘g’ that is fake god) but God (with a capital ‘G’).

Surah Fussilat:

"Soon We will show them our signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?"

[Al-Quran 41:53]

Smile to others, forgive them when you have the power to punish them

2010-04-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

woke up suddenly one night and saw a strange light in my room.
The problem is that the lights are off I saw the clock, it was 3.30 in the morning
Okay…so where is all this light coming from??
I turned around and saw something very strange..My body was half way through the wall (??!)
I immediately pulled it out and sat down to see if i’m okay This is strange…

I tried to push onto the wall, but MY ARM GOES THROUGH
I heard a sound,I turned to my brother’s bed to see him sleeping
I was really scared of what was happening to me…so I tried to wake him up….but….he doesn’t reply!!
I went to my parent’s bedroom..I tried to wake up my mother…and father…I just wanted somebody to react to me… but nobody did.
I tried to wake my mother up again…she woke up this time…she got up … but didn’t communicate to me
She was saying “In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Gracious” (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) again and again…
She woke my dad up saying ‘get up, man, I want to check up on the kids.’
My dad replied in disinterest .. ‘it’s not time for this, let me sleep and inshAllah tomorrow i’ll get to that’ But she was insisting..so he woke up.
I was THERE. I was screaming..’dad’, ‘mum’ … nobody was replying.I held mother’s clothes to grab her attention..but she didn’t recognise my existence.I followed her ’till she got to my bedroom.They got into the room and turned on the lights…
it wasn’t making any difference to me anyway because there was a strong light there.
I then saw the strangest thing in my life…

my OWN BODY.…on my bed.
I was trembling…how can there be two of me??
how can that person look so much like me??
and what is he doing on my bed????
I started hitting/slapping myself to wake up from this nightmare…
but it was too real to be a nightmare.
Dad said ‘Yalla, see the kids are sleeping. Let’s go back to bed.’
but mother wasn’t at all confident…she went to the person sleeping in my bed and said
‘Khalid, wake up!! … WAKE UP!!’
but he wouldn’t reply.She tried again and again….but no reply.
Then i turned to see my dad tearing.Today witnesses the first time in my life that I have seen my dad’s tears.The place was shaking with the screaming,…
My brother woke up…“What’s going on??!”
In a very sad tone, with tears rolling down her cheek, mother replied
‘your brother’s dead! Khalid is DEAD!!’
I went to mother and said ‘please mum…don’t cry..I’m right here look at me!’

But nobody’s replying to me..WHY??
I turned to Allah and asked Him to wake me up from the nightmare!
quickly following my dua was a voice saying (Quran):

” You were in negligence from this, so We uncovered the blinds and today your sight is (like iron) “
لقد كنت في غفلة من هذا فكشفنا عنك غطاءك فبصرك اليوم حديد
Suddenly two creatures held my arm..they weren’t human!!
“Leave me ALONE! Who are you and what do you want from me??”
‘We’re your grave’s guards‘
I said ‘but I’m not dead yet! let go of me!!‘ I can still see, hear, touch, and speak..I’m not dead!

They replied with a smile : “You humans are fascinating! You think that by dying your life ends, while in fact life on Earth is a small dream compared to the Here after; a dream that ends at your death.”

They started pulling me towards my grave…On the way I saw people just like me, each had two guards like mine.Some were smiling, others crying, others screaming.
I asked the guards ‘why are they all doing that?‘
They replied ‘These people now know their fate…some were in ignorance so they–’
‘–so they go to Hell??!’
I interrupted They said ‘yes.‘ and continued.‘and those laughing are going to Heaven’
I quickly replied: ‘What about me..where will I go??‘
They said ‘you were at times a good Muslim, while other times not. One day you obey Allah, the next you disobey Him. And you weren’t clear with yourself and your fate will remain so: lost.‘

I replied, shaking: ‘SO AM I GOING TO HELL??‘
They said: ‘ Allah’s mercy is great, and the journey is long ‘
I turned to see my family carrying my dead body in a coffin..so i ran to them ..
I said: ‘make dua for me‘.but nobody replied..
I went to my brother and warned him .
‘be careful with what you do in this life… don’t be a fool like myself!’

I was really hoping that he could hear me…
The two angels (guards) tied up my soul on top of my body ..
I saw my relatives pouring sand over me ..at that moment I was hoping that I would be in their place…
that I can turn to Allah and do as much as He wants from me…
that I would ask for forgiveness and once and for all repent my sins that angered Him…
but unfortunately I couldn’t.
I shouted ‘ People, don’t let this life tempt you! Wake up to the truth… one day you will DIE, and you never know when..or how. ‘
I hoped for somebody to hear me….nobody there did

but YOU . DID YOU HEARD ME ??
Save Your Self.
Smile to others, forgive them when you have the power to punish them. Allah forgives those that forgive others. Do your prayers regularly with an open heart. Let Allah guide your life, not Satan. Read the Quran regularly and let the Prophet (p.b.u.h) be your role model in life.

Work in this timed life for your salvation in an eternal one.
And … make dua for me because I’m not perfect.
And I point the above to myself just as much as I do to my friends.

MARK THE WORDS,I DO SAY !

WHO KNOWS TOMMOROW COULD BE YOUR DAY!

AT LAST ,IT COMES

HEAVEN OR HELL

DECIDE WHICH NOW,

DON’T DELAY !

COMMON BROTHER AND SISTERS,FRIENDS…

LET US PRAY !

Why Allah thanked him

2010-03-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Oppression - 14th Rabi' al-Thani 1431 (30th March 2010) Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu): Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "While a man was onthe way, he found a thorny branch of a tree there on the way and removedit. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him." Bukhari Vol. 3 : No. 652 --Ma'asalaam