BNP demonstrates against 'Muslim paedo gangs' and Marxists ... at the BBC

on Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Simon Childs of Vice talks to BNP members demonstrating against paedophilia outside Broadcasting House.

VICE: What's brought you out here today?
It's my duty as a nationalist, mate. The BBC have got a pretty entrenched problem here. The whole BBC is a big cover up at the moment.

What's nationalism got to do with being against paedophilia?
We've got to stand up against these grooming gangs. There’s a problem with the Islamic people targeting Christian children and not their own. Alright, you've got British paedophiles – I can't deny that – but you haven't got nine or ten British people in a gang doing it.

What? There are far more examples of white paedophile gangs in Britain than Muslim ones.
There's no evidence of that.

I'm pretty sure that there is.
You know what? Leave me alone. All you journos are the bloody same.

VICE: What are your thoughts around all this?
Paedophilia is part of Muslim culture. They all vote Labour. The Labour Party is Marxist and they're involved with this Marxist mob here.

Wait, the BBC is Marxist?
It's full of them. It's been riddled with Marxists since its inception.

Really? One of the first things the BBC did was help break the General Strike in 1926. 
And?

Well, strike-breaking isn't very Marxist.
That's just offerings; just crumbs.

Do you think the BBC's Marxism manifests itself in its programming?
Well, just look what happened when they let Nick Griffin on Question Time if you want an answer to that. They selected the audience – full of Marxists. And the panel was absolutely full of them.

Baroness Warsi is a Marxist?
No, she's a Muslim. Her father is an immigrant. He’s got nothing to offer this country. It’s take, take, take.

That's funny, because I read he started a successful company that employs a bunch of British people. It's funny what you can choose to ignore.

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Imran Khan completes US tour

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Imran khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician and former cricket captain has been the center of attention ever since the popular rally on Oct 30th , 2011.

Mr. Khan completed his trip to America successfully where he went to raise funds for the elections coming up. Mr Khan has already held three fundraisers in New York, Seattle and San Francisco, collecting more than $600,000 for his election campaign. He expects to raise another $200,000 in Los Angeles on Monday night before flying out to Dubai. (D,IK,30)

On Friday, Mr Khan boarded an American Airlines plane from Toronto to New York to speak at a fundraising dinner in Long Island for the election campaign but was offloaded and interrogated for an hour.

“I was taken off from plane and interrogated by US immigration in Canada on my views on drones,” he said in a twitter message on Friday afternoon. “My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop.”

Later Mr. Khan attended the dinner where he requested the Pakistani-Canadian to support his political party if they want Pakistan to stabilize and to bring change in Pakistan.

The US State Department has said the issue which caused American authorities to offload and interrogate Mr Khan had been solved.

“We are aware that Imran Khan was briefly delayed in Toronto before boarding the next flight to the United States,” a State Department spokesperson told reporters. “The issue was resolved. Mr Khan is welcome in the United States.” (D,IK,30)

US Customs and Border Protection spokesman Joanne Ferreira told reporters there was nothing unusual about Mr Khan’s interrogation.

“Under US immigration laws, applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States,” she said

The interrogation done by off boarding Mr. Khan from the flight which made him miss the dinner to be held in New York but Khan was strong in his aims and nothing could shake him at all

“Nothing will change my stance. My stand on drones is very clear. I did not say sorry to them,” Mr Khan later told reporters. (D,IK,30)

A vilification campaign preceded Mr Khan’s arrival in North America, mainly by people of Pakistani origin unhappy with his views.

“Will Hillary Clinton do the honorable thing and bar Imran Khan from entering the US and sullying American soil? Will she put an end to the appeasement of Islamists?” Tariq Fateh, a Pakistani Canadian, wrote in the Toronto Sun newspaper, calling Mr Khan a “hate monger” and a Taliban supporter.

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition from Phoenix, Arizona, wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this week, urging her to revoke the US visa granted to Mr Khan.

“Granting individuals like Khan Access to the US to fund-raise is against the interest of the people of Pakistan and the national security interests of the US,” the group wrote.

Mr. Khan has been successful in generating funds from USA for his election campaign which shows how many people are supporting him to bring change among the people in Pakistan.

 



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Questioning the relationship between religion and culture (6)

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In the previous post, I began analyzing the Quran’s verse 14:31, in which we read: “Tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange, nor any friendships.” In order to proceed, let me recall what I’ve wrote… “According to Edward William Lane’s Arabic Lexicon, the primary signification of Arabic root بيع (bi’), that translates as exchange – and that’s nowadays used as meaning to sell, sale or being sold - is the exchanging, or exchange, of property; or the making an exchange with property. It may also be used in relation to someone that has gained the mastery over another. As for friendship, it is conveyed by root خل (khl), that also denotes habit, custom, social behaviour – as well as the filling with holes and vinegar.The two main features of vinegar is that it’s bitter, and is an astringent agent. A substance is said to be astringent roughly speaking when it tends to draw organic tissues together, an attribute whose name derives from Latin astringo, to draw close, to bind, to tighten. Interesting though it may seem, this same verb, when used metaphorically, meant to put under obligation, which is interesting indeed, since the sense of friendship in the Arabic root appears side by side with the notion of close connection, agreement in ideas, feelings, etc. But there’s coherence here – I mean, it is certainly not a coincidence to find vinegar and social behaviour side by side, because something similar happens with ثقف (thqf), a root that is the cradle of the Arabic word equivalent to English culture (ثقافة)… the same root that, when used in relation to vinegar, means very acid… Besides this, we find one other meaning that is becoming familiar: to have the mastery over.”
I wish to expatiate a bit more on astringency, the tendency some substances have of drawing tissues together, and that has in styptic one other name. This word derives from Latin stypsis, meaning the contracting power; itself a derivation from Greek stuys, contraction, astringency. Originally, the Latin verb contraho had this same sense, that is, to draw several things together, assemble, and generally used as a synonym for colligo, from where Portuguese got coligação, similar to English coallition. These two words are commonly used in relation to the alliance, or union, between political parties, but in a wider sense they both point to temporary alliances that have come into being for the fulfillment of a specific purpose. It is interesting to know that this notion is present in contraho as well. In fact, the verb was used figuratively in the language of business to denote to make a contract. As you’ve already noted, contract derives from this same verb we’ve been analyzing. By contract is meant not only an agreement but one that is enforceable by law, which ultimately means that if one of the parts fails to fulfill it, there’s compensations that ought to be made.
The word translated as spend is conveyed by the Arabic root نفق (nfq), that tells us about that which is easy to be sold – hence, something in much demand; and this is why it is used to describe a market as being brisk . One other meaning is tunnels, that is, artificial underground passages, or channels – a meaning that seems to have derived from the fact that the root denotes the holes excavated by rats.
In the previous post, I’ve suggested looking at custom as a channel collecting water and conveying them to a single place for a specific purpose. The market is one of the best known symbols of a place of assembly. There’s many words to name it, but I wish to focus on conciliabulum, Latin name for a place of assembly, a public place – especially a place for public traffic, hence marketplace. The word is akin to conciliatio, a connection, union; a sense that through figurative use came to denote the making friendly. As for the verbal form, concilio, it meant to bring several objects into a whole, to unite – as well as to purchase, acquire; and friendly. Not all these meanings, especially not the one dealing with traffic, managed to be preserved in English conciliate, that seems to have preferred to transform itself in a synonym of to pacify. In fact, the English word is generally used as meaning to appease, to try to reconquer friendship by pleasant behaviour – so, in general, it converges to the notion of overcoming the sense of distrust or animosity. But perhaps there’s some transaction here… As I’ve said in another place, nothing is capable of effacing the traces of its own origin, and so the word does maintain the image of the marketplace… In a very subtle way, our modern way of looking at conciliation preserves the idea of a transaction that’s being made.
Let us know see what رزق (rzq) will tell us. That’s the root being translated as provided, and its main meaning is means of subsistence in general. One other meaning is a thing from which one derives advantage, which seems to be logical, as means of subsistence embrace everything having to do with food, nourishment, whereby creatures are able to subsist. And as feeding is a sort of daily obligation, the root also denotes a daily allowance of food – that is, the fixed amount considered to be sufficient for the creature’s subsistence; in other words, a daily ration. Although we do not in general pay much attention to it so natural it seems to us, the fact is that feeding is a basic act that’s common to all living organisms. And despite the fact that we tend to see living organisms as creatures, or animals, the fact is that even the sun has its daily ration of food. The same way we need victuals to keep ourselves alive, the sun is dependent on the existence of hydrogen to keep its fusion into helium. Why am I talking about the sun? It is simply to stress the idea that everything in the universe is forced to have to have some sort of energy in order to be able to hope to be present when tomorrow arrives. But the word ration inspires me something else… as it derives from Latin ratio, from where we ourselves inherited reason, I think that when God exorths believers to spend of that which He has provided them with, He is also exhorting us to think – which takes us back to vinegar… When analyzing خل, in 14:31 – “Tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange, nor any friendships.” -  translated as friendship, we’ve seen that it alluded to the filling with holes, a meaning that is akin to something having interstices, breaks. According to the root, this fact seems to be in relation to that which is loose, unfirm, or defective, and that is why it denotes looseness, laxness. This seems to be in contradiction with vinegar being an astringent… but the point is that vinegar’s astringency is very limited, as it only works when applied externally. When in need to confine the bowels, for instance, vinegar is of no help at all, and so one will have to ingest an astringent medicine – and this is exactly what we find in عقل, a root that means both an astringent and the capacity of thinking and understanding – that is, reason.
[to be continued…]



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Physical Benefits of Salat

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Salat is the most important act of worship for all Muslims. Salat is the second pillar of Islam. It is a fact that salat is the soul of all prayers in Islam. If a Muslim does not perform salat five times a day then God will not accept his other ibaadat. Therefore, every Muslim should be punctual in his salat because it is the most important ibaadat. According to hadith, there are unlimited benefits of salat. The first benefit of salat is that it prevents stress, tension and brain disorders. The physical benefits of salat are also reported by experts. It is reported that salat reduces the amount or level of cholesterol in the blood thereby reducing the chances of hypertension, diabetes and heart strokes. The accumulation of cholesterol and fat in the human blood vessels is the major cause of hypertension. Therefore when a person performs salat five times a day the level of cholesterol reduces very fast. Those people who pray regularly enjoy good health.

The second benefit of salat is that it prevents indigestion. It enhances the performance of the stomach by digesting food fast. When Muslims say takbir in salat then the flow of blood increases towards the torso. The tissues and cells in the torso receive sufficient blood for their growth and development. Now, modern science has confirmed several physical benefits of salat for the human body. Similarly in tashah’hud the body releases tension and relaxes. Therefore, tashah’hud provides great benefit to people who are suffering from stress and tension. The blood supply increases to the human brain when he performs sajda and touches his head to ground surface. This supply of blood to the brain increases the performance of the human brain. It is a fact that when brain is healthy the whole body is healthy as the brain controls the whole functions of the human body.

The heart is also a very important part of the human body and salat provides exercise to the heart. The heart supplies blood to all the body organs. Now the heart disorders are increasing with time. Therefore salat can protect us from all types of heart conditions like stroke, angina or even heart failure. It is reported that salat also protects the human body from the attack of bacteria and viruses. It keeps the human body in a good condition. The chances of arthritis, joint pain and paralysis reduce due to salat. Therefore, all Muslims should perform salat regularly because it has a large number of physical benefits for the human body.

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Afghanistan war Ends in 2013

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U.S. forces are now winding up all their business in Afghanistan as the war is in its 12th year. The U.S. couldn’t leave a substantial impact, in fact it got hundreds of soldiers killed, despite having flawless technology and equipment. On the other hand, Afghan forces are showing very little interest in the peace talks, which is alarming the U.S. troops who have to shut down before 2014 approaches.

”We are probably headed for stalemate in 2014,” says Stephen Biddle, a George Washington University political science professor who has advised U.S. commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq. If that is the case, the U.S. will have to pump billions of dollars a year into Afghanistan for decades to prevent its collapse, Biddle says.

In the year 2001,”Operation Enduring Freedom,” was begun to achieve its goals and free the people of the Taliban atrocities, but in reality, it has become an operation enduring exit.

The Afghan Taliban is very strong and also maintains their close ties with extremist groups in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, al-Qaida and the Pakistan-based Haqqani network.

U.S. commanders say with confidence that their war campaign is on track, and President Barack Obama seemed to agree in his debate last Monday with Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

”There’s no reason why Americans should die when Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country,” Obama said. Yet the path forward is dotted with question marks: Will Afghanistan’s security forces be capable of holding off the Taliban on their own? (Dawn, Afghan,30)

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who championed the additional American troops, remains optimistic.

”We’ve come too far, we’ve fought too many battles, we have spilled too much blood not to finish the job that we are all about,” Panetta said in Brussels this month after meeting with his counterparts from Nato nations. The “job” Panetta referenced is no longer to defeat the Taliban before 2015 or to eradicate al-Qaida in its Afghan redoubts, but to create an Afghan security force that can at least hold the substantial gains achieved by the US-led international alliance. (Dawn, Afghan,30)

Several things indicate that the U.S. may not really be into talking with the Taliban to sort out this issue, ”Our task is to put our first down the throat of the Taliban and squeeze his heart so that he will talk,” said Australian Maj. Gen. Stephen Day, the coalition’s chief of plans.

The U.S. now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, joined by about 37,000 from allied countries, and it’s still to be decided how many will be withdrawn by 2013, next year.

 



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Rights of Neighbors in islam

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“And worship Allah, and do not associate anyone with Him and do good to parents, and to relatives and orphans, and the needy, and the near neighbor and the distant neighbor and the companion of your side and the wayfarer.” (Surah Nisa, verse 36)

Neighbors are generally taken as those families or persons that reside in the houses near to you.  If you don’t live in a joint family system, then your neighbors are more closely located to your place of residence than your relatives. Your every single act is capable of producing impressions upon the lives and routines of your neighbors. For this reason, in Islam, a very high value has been allotted to the rights of neighbors.

You all must agree to the fact that your neighbors are close to you in some way in which not even your relatives are close to you. At the time of need, the first ones who you will call or expect help from will obviously be your neighbors. If you have established good relations with the people who live near your residence, then no doubt, at the time of need, they will come to your aid without any hesitation. In addition to this, you and your neighbors share the same area and will have to interact frequently with each other. For this reason, it is very important that an atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation should exist between you. This is very important for the peace and harmony of your life.

Rights of Neighbors in islam

It has been mentioned by our beloved Prophet PBUH that:

“I swear in the name of One in Whose custody is my life, the rights of neighbors can be rightly paid by one on whom Allah showers His Mercy. And few among you know about the rights of neighbors. (The rights of neighbors include),Help them in fulfilling their necessities, give them loans, if they are happy greet them, and if they are sad, share their sorrow, if they are sick, visit them to help them and if they die, offer funeral Prayer for them (Namaz e Janaza) and be with them until they are buried.” (Tafseer Roohul Bayaan,part 5/page 530)

From the above instructions of our Holy Prophet PBUH, it can easily be judged that a great value and responsibility lies upon the shoulder of every Muslim in relation to the rights of neighbors. Till the day of buruial, you need to stay attentive towards the rights of neighbors, and this is surely an indication of a huge responsibility. In relation to the rights of neighbors, our beloved Prophet said that:

“There are three kinds of neighbors. Some have three rights, some have two rights and some have one right. A neighbor who is a Muslim as well as being a relative has three rights .The right of neighborhood, the Islamic right and the right of a relative. A neighbor who is a Muslim has two rights, the right of neighborhood and the right of Islam. The non-Muslim neighbor has only one right that is the right of a neighbor.”

From the above discussion, the importance of being attentive towards the rights of neighbors can easily be judged. So Muslims, stay attentive towards your responsibilities as neighbors.



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The Birth Anniversary of Imam Ali B.Hossein (A.S.)

on Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The successor of Hossein B.Ali (AS) was his heir, Ali B.Hossein Zayn A-Abidin (AS). The latter was more commonly known as Imam Sajjad. The holy city of Madina was his birthplace. In the beginning, he passed his life under the supervision of his grandfather, the chief of the bona fide Imam Ali (AS), for almost two years. After that he lived with his uncle, Imam Hassan (AS), for twelve years and finally with his beloved father, for a long twenty-three years. As a successor, after his father, he spent the last year as an Imam.

He was the next Imam, as he was one of the few gifted human beings, the same as his father, in cultural knowledge and practices.His grandfather had found the next successor in him, and formally chosen him during the living age of his father. The testamentary bequests were performed by his father and these were presented with Umm Salama for him. They were made available to him after his father’s death. The circumstances of his father’s martyrdom still vivid in the minds of the people were crucially important for his activities in the spreading of Islamic principles and expressing his views of the incident.

It is a proven fact that dictatorship and cruelty are the methods of weak and unpopular authorities. This is solely a factual observation: it does not exonerate those who use savagery as a weapon from any moral blame that may be put on them by their victims or by anyone else. Nor, does it tend to convey the sense that the victims are morally lower to the authority which implements the barbaric act. This is particularly more applicable when the noble people of the family of the Prophet is concerned.

The very high cruelty and intolerable behavior of a dictator can been witnessed in a lot of ways and at many times. The unjust rulers of the nation as a mere watcher keep them away from the cruel plots laid by the barbarians of the time. These cruel people are nine out of ten times very close to their victims. And most often the case, the victims of cruelty are the God-fearing members of the society. This is indeed a heart wrenching scenario which has to be taken into consideration.

It is against common sense that the damage infliction cruel authority and its victims can, at any point, come close. It seems a distant reality that there will be any form of understanding and agreement between the two classes, considering the behavior of the authority in power. But an agreement in falsehood is far more damaging than a split for the sake of truth. It will remain as it is, the mere watching ruling class will always justify its evil acts and unlawful tactics, by convincing the public by ill means.



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Imperative information about war on terror against Taliban

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The war on terror, also known as the war on terrorism or the global war on terror, is an international military operation led by the United Kingdom and the United States. It is supported by the NATO and other non NATO countries. Initially, the campaign was conducted in order to eliminate the famous terror group al-Qaeda, which had indulged in many attacks of innocent lives. However, as the operation continued, it was discovered that the group had links with other insurgent organizations such as, al-Shabab and the Taliban. The first person to lead the operation against terrorism was George W. Bush, who encouraged many political, legal and military leaders to come together in order to eliminate these organizations completely.

Over the years, terrorism in Pakistan has been on the increase and has carried with it much destruction to the society. This is evident from the rise in the number of deaths in recent years. According to the Pakistan government, the war against these insurgent groups has cost the country over $68 billion. All the presidents who served the country have admitted that a lot of people have suffered the consequences. Many tactics have been employed to eliminate the Taliban group. The Pakistan government states that the main causal factors of terrorism in the country are the sectarian or religious violence, and nurturing of the terrorist proxies. The political leaders are following a strategy similar to a dictatorship to sweep off these insurgent groups. These insurgent groups operate both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Two of the leading countries in the war against the insurgent groups are the USA and the United Kingdom. These two countries have provided their military soldiers, to assist the Pakistan government in their efforts to wipe out extremist groups in the country. Though, both United States and Pakistan have some common objectives and goals, they differ in terms of their priorities. United States declared war on these illegal groups after the September attacks. Since then, they have vowed to destroy the entire terrorist groups across the globe. Pakistan, on the other hand, has been struggling in fighting both the Indians and the Taliban at the same time. Possibly, the Taliban may have developed due to the fight between the Indians and the Pakistanis. The war started as a cold war after both countries became independent of the Britain regime, which left many people dead.

NATO has set up base near the Pakistan border, to conduct military operations against the Taliban and any other extremist group. This has been confirmed by many people who move across the Afghan towns such as, the Naushki, Shorawak, and Sar Lath; they reported having heard heavy gun fire at a distance. This proves that many nations are on a mission to eliminate the Taliban.



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Oman Ethnic Summary

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Oman is easternmost country of the Arab-speaking countries, and the majority of its inhabitants are Arabs. The way of life in Oman is profoundly grounded in Islam. Within the 17th century AD, Abdullah ibn Ibadh founded an exclusive form of Islam known as Ibadhism. It has a big following within Oman.

Omanis firmly follow Islam, particularly throughout Ramadan, however, Omanis are hugely tolerant towards different sorts of Islam and towards other religions.  Strict endowments and also fees just like awqaf in addition to zakat tend to be obtained from the open public and used for charitable trust and faith based functions.

Arabic Language:

Since Oman is a Arab-speaking country, Arabic is the established language of the land. Nonetheless, you can discover lots of people conversing Bathari, Baloochi as well as Swahili because of the tribal and also traditional links with some other sections. The government has adopted English as the secondary language.

Islamic Clothes in Oman

The nationwide outfit connected with Omani men is known as dishdasha, a straightforward collarless dress with lengthy sleeves that touches the ankles. Generally, this dress is mostly seen in white, even though one may possibly discover some color variations. Furakha is a tassel stitched in to the neckline of this dress and dipped in cologne. An ordinary piece of fabric is donned on the waistline covering the entire body, called a dishdasha. Omanis also don several types of headdresses like the muzzar. Omanis also gain great inner pride by wearing a particular form of dagger referred to as Khanjar, which is supported about waistbands as well as belts.

This dress of Omani women of all ages is usually colorful and opulent thus reflecting local tastes. The key component of a woman’s outfit is attire which is put on above the pants known as sirwal and the headdress referred to as lihaf. This particularly complex embellishment on women’s outfits can take up to two months until completion. Omani women normally wear gold and silver diamond jewelry round the scalp, neck, wrists, ankles, fingers as well as toes. The majority of the women wear normal shoes or western style sneakers. Some women color their hands and wrists and feet using henna, especially just before wedding ceremonies, getaways and celebrations.

Omani Cuisine

A wide array of cuisines are associated with Oman. They are very delicious and distinctive from various other Arab-speaking places. Kahwa is usually a astringent beverage similar to caffeine tasting together with cardamom. This is often served together with Lokhemat, a deep-fried ball involving flour along with fungus spiced using dry fruits. Prepared hemp, meat, fish along with bread are the key materials of most Omani food dishes like maqbous as well as aursia. Some other Omani special deals are generally buttermilk refreshments, and salads along with sauces.

Omani’s Social Life:

With the passage of time, Oman has progressed a lot and has appeared as a developing country. You will find a western touch in the people, as they have started speaking English in their every day life, yet they are very close to their religion and values.

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ISLAM CONDEMNS TERRORISM AND VIOLENCE

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Islam is the most peaceful and loving religion in the world, which is based on the principles of brotherhood and equality. Islam does not permit any Muslim to harm others. Today, it is a negative perception that Islam promotes terrorism, violence and war. The general media has played a very negative role in changing the views of the people around the globe. People rely on the media and is easily influenced by it. It is said that behind every trouble there is always a Muslim, but the following questions will bring you closer to reality:

  • Were the first and the second world wars started by the Muslims?
  • Were the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed by the Muslims?
  • Who is responsible for the thousands of innocent civilians killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
  • More than 20 million Aborigines were killed in Australia. By whom? The Muslims?
  • Who was behind the mass murder of over 6 million Jews in Germany? The Muslims?
  • Were Muslims responsible for enslaving around 180 million Africans and later throwing them into the Atlantic Ocean?

ISLAM CONDEMNS TERRORISM

No, they were not Muslims but people from other religions. These are very few examples which never came into discussion in the international media. Islam is a religion of peace and Allah and his messenger have not granted any permission to kill or terrorize other people. There are certain conditions in which Muslims are allowed to fight, but only in self defense. The Prophet Mohammad S.A.W instructed the Muslims during the war time, such that, “Do not kill women or children or non-combatants and do not kill old people or religious people.” The Prophet (PBUH) even ordered, not to cut fruit bearing trees and not to poison the water wells.  Then, how can such a peaceful religion promote terrorism? Islam promotes harmony, and believes in equality, no matter to which religion you belong. Islam does not only believe in ideals, but is also a very practical religion. Islam never allows anyone to enter into war, except in certain conditions. This includes self defense and to fight against any aggression and injustice. Muslims are allowed to fight when they are persecuted and subjected to injustice and cruelty.

In the Holy Qur’an (Surah 22, Verses 39-40), Allah gives permission of war to Muslims who are under oppression and unjust rule. This does not mean that during a war the Muslims are allowed to do whatever they want. Islam does not permit brutal atrocities and condemns the barbaric killing of people. Even the enemy, captured during a war, is to be treated the same way as the Muslims treat their own people. Prophet S.A.W ordered Muslims to offer the enemy, captured during a war, the same food and clothes that the Muslims wear themselves. Islam is a caring religion, and tolerance towards the various cultures in different parts of the world should be practiced always, be it peace or war.

 



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جمال الدين الأفغاني والنهضة

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جمال الدين الأفغاني
ظهر جمال الدين الأفعاني في الشرق، في لحظة حرجة وحاسمة من تاريخ التحول في المنطقة العربية والإسلامية. جاء الرجل من أقصى الشرق، ليجوب المنطقة من إيران إلى تركيا، والشام ومصر، ويسافر إلى روسيا وانجلترا، ويجالس الملوك والأمراء وأصحاب الفكر. كانت السمات الشخصية والفكرية للرجل على درجة عالية من النضج لدرجة أن يجتمع بالغالبية العظمى من أعلام عصره، ويؤثر في جيل قادم. وكان حديثه يدور حول الإصلاح والنهضة. فهو بالطبع لم يكن سعيداً لحال الدول العربية والإسلامية في ذلك الوقت الذي ظهرت فيه علامات التحلل على الإمبراطورية العثمانية: شيخ أوروبا المريض. والتي عجزت عن إدارة الأمور، أو إدارة الصراع في المنطقة، ضد الغزو الانجليزي والفرنسي، والأطماع الأوروبية في المنطقة.

وكان الأفغاني يرى أن الفوارق القومية أو المذهبية لا يجب أن تقف عائقاً في وجه الوحدة والتطور، وبد أنه يحمل طرحاً غير محدد المعالم في ذلك الوقت عن الجامعة الإسلامية. فهو من أفغانستان الحالية، عاش في الهند، وتعلم في النجف الأشرف، وقضى وقتاً في إيران. وأطلع على أحوال الخلافة وأدرك ما ستؤول إليه في وقت قريب. أي أنه مسح المنطقة من أقصاها إلى أقصاها كما يقولون. ولم كن بالزائر العابر الذي يلقي نظرة خاطفة ويرحل . بل كان يعايش أحوال البلد الذي يقيم به، ويطلع على ثقافته ومعارفه بالإضافة إلى أحواله المعيشية.

وكثيراً ما تعرض الأفغاني للطرد، أو النفي، بعد حديثه مع قيصر روسيا، أخبره القيصر أنه غير مرغوب به. وفي مصر كان مصدراً للمشاكل، ولم يختلف الأمر كثيراً في تركيا. حيث كان الخطاب الذي يطرحه مزعجاً للأمراء والسلاطين، الذين كانوا يرحبون به في البداية ويكتشوف أن ما يسعى إليه من تطوير وتحديث للقواعد السياسية كمقدمة لنهضة شاملة لن يخدم مصالحهم، وقد يزلزل عروشهم.

ويبدو أن الرجل كان حركياً أكثر من كونه مفكر وكاتب. فلم يخلف تراثاً نظرياً يذكر، بينما أخباره وأسفاره ومقولاته وحواراته ونقاشاته تملأ الكتب والسير. فلا نجد كتاباً يتحدث عن تلك الفترة من التاريخ دون ذكر للأفغاني الذي حاز قبولاً وأعترافاً ببلاغته وقدرته على التأثير وبراعته في الحوار. شهادات كثيرة تجعلنا نعتقد أن الرجل فضل الحركة على الكتابة. وأن مشروعه كان واضحاً في رأسه لدرجة لا تحتاج إلى تسجيل، وهو ما تسبب بعد ذلك في الطعن عليه. فقد تعرض الرجل إلى الهجوم ومحاولة التصفية التاريخية، واتهامه بأنه كان عميلاً للغرب، أو أنه ينتمي إلى المحفل الماسوني ويسعى إلى تدمير العالم الإسلامي!! وبالطبع لم تلصق تلك الاتهامات التافهة بالرجل، حيث كان تضمن حملة لتشويهه.

فحيث وجد جمال الدين الأفغاني، ظهر حديث عن التمرد ورفض الواقع والدعوة إلى التغيير، ولم يظهر أحد من آباء التنوير في المنطقة العربية لم يتأثر به وينقل عنه أو يحضر دروسه أويعتبره المعلم الأستاذ. إن نظرة على قائمة من حضروا جلساته في مصر تعبر دليلاً كافيا على قدرته على التغيير السياسي وزرع بذور التغيير. كما كانت جريدته التي أصدرها في باريس ” العروة الوثقى ” منبراً قوي التأثير في الأمة العربية والإسلامية، ولا عجب أن تصادر أعدادها وتمنع من دخول الدول الإسلامية، لأنها كانت تمثل صرخة تحذير من الواقع السيء، ودعوة تمرد من أجل تجاوز الماضي واستقبال المستقبل.



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Freudian slip at the Daily Mail

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This is the headline to an article in the Daily Mail reporting claims that Israel has destroyed a Sudanese weapons factory in a bombing raid. The article itself suggests that "the raid acted as a 'dry run' for a forthcoming strike on Iran's nuclear facilities". The subeditor's substitution of "Islam" for "Iran" in the headline tells us a lot about the general mindset at the Mail.

Update:  The headline has now been amended.

Earlier this year the Mail reported that the existence of the Freudian slip had been confirmed by scientific research: "A new study has revealed how the theory, which forms part of the basis of psychoanalysis, is linked to the conscious symptoms of people with anxiety disorders such as phobias."



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Seattle: Anti-Muslim bigot beat Sikh cab driver

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A Federal Way man accused of viciously beating a Sikh cab driver while shouting anti-Muslim slurs now faces a hate crime charge.

King County prosecutors contend Jamie W. Larson attacked the cab driver during an Oct. 17 ride after commenting on the man's turban. According to charging documents, Larson, 48, tore out chunks of the man's beard during the assault, which also loosened one of the driver's teeth.

"Two witnesses saw the attack which was described as savage, and the defendant continued his tirade after officers arrived," Deputy Prosecutor Gretchen Holmgren told the court, noting that the cab driver was taken to a hospital following the 4:30 p.m. attack.

The afternoon attack came after Auburn police called a cab to pick up Larson, who was apparently too intoxicated to drive or walk. According to charging documents, the STITA Taxi driver arrived at the Auburn police station to retrieve Larson. During the drive to Larson's Federal Way home, Larson began questioning the driver about his turban.

Larson then attacked the driver while making anti-Muslim comments, a Federal Way detective told the court. The driver was able to stop the car in the 1200 block of Southwest 301st Street, where police found him injured and Larson attempting to return to the parked taxi.

During the attack, Larson pulled out parts of the driver's beard and punched him repeatedly, according to charging documents. Police report the attack left the driver dazed and with a loose tooth.

Even after police arrived, Larson continued making bigoted comments about the driver, an immigrant from India. According to police, Larson referred to him derisively as Iranian and Iraqi, and used several anti-Arab slurs before also using an anti-gay slur. "We have Americans fighting overseas in his country and why doesn't he go back to there?" Larson allegedly asked officers at the scene.

Writing the court, the Federal Way detective noted Larson's comments were not only hateful but based on his misperception of the driver's heritage. "Officers noted that (the driver), a follower of the Sikhism religion, wore a turban headdress, kirpana, kara and a Kanga; items that symbolize (his) religion," the detective told the court.

Larson was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with malicious harassment under Washington's hate crime statute. He remains jailed on $60,000 bail.

Seattle Post Intillegencer, 28 October 2012



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Bulgarian far right demonstrates outside Muslims' trial

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Volen Siderov, leader of the fascist party Ataka, addresses supporters in PazardzhikHundreds of nationalists rallied in a southern Bulgarian town on Monday in support of the prosecution of 13 religious leaders accused of spreading radical Islam in a case causing communal strains in the Balkan country.

The trial, just months after a suicide bomber killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver at the Black Sea port of Burgas, has tested a delicate ethnic balance between the country's minority Muslims and its Orthodox Christian majority.

Prosecutors in the southern town of Pazardzhik have charged 12 Bulgarian citizens, most of them Muslim prayer leaders, and one woman for preaching radical Islam between 2008 and 2010. Three of them are also charged with inciting religious hatred.

Protesters, led by far-right parties Attack and VMRO, waved banners reading "Our religion is Bulgaria" and "Tough sentences for fanatics", and said the march aimed to counter gatherings of Muslims in front of the courthouse in support of the accused.

The suspects, who deny any wrongdoing, face up to five years in prison if convicted. They are accused of working with an unregistered branch of Al Waqf-Al Islami, an Islamic foundation set up in the Netherlands and funded mainly by "Salafi circles" from Saudi Arabia, the court said, referring to an ultra-conservative brand of Islam.

About 100 Muslims also rallied near the court under heavy police protection in support of the accused, saying the 13 had preached only traditional Islam. Bulgaria's Mufti Office has also declared its support for the accused.

The trial has the potential to threaten a culture of tolerance in Bulgaria, where Muslims make up about 12 percent of the 7.3 million population, analysts said.

Bulgaria is the only European Union (EU) country where Muslims are not recent immigrants but a centuries-old local community, mostly ethnic Turkish descendants of Ottoman rule that ended in 1878.

"Trials like this could dramatically raise tension in the places where Bulgarian Muslims live," said Antonina Zhelyazkova, head of the Sofia-based International Center for Minority Studies.

The trial has revived memories of the 1980s when hundreds of Muslims were forced to change their names to Bulgarian ones and over 300,000 left the country as a result of a campaign by late communist dictator Todor Zhivkov to revive mainstream Bulgarian culture.

Nationalist parties are also trying to use the trial to gain popularity before a general election next year, analysts said.

Reuters, 29 October 2012

See also "Divided Bulgarian xenophobes stage anti-Muslim protests", Novinite, 29 October 2012

Update:  See "Bulgarian Imams' trial resumes", Press TV, 29 October 2012



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Rotherham town stands ready against fascist threat

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Anti-fascists in the Yorkshire town of Rotherham vowed today to maintain and build their campaign after racists targeted the community for a second time.

Twice the community has rallied in the face of demonstrations first by the English Defence League (EDL) and then by the National Front (NF). On both occasions the racists and fascists were heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters – and organisers said they were ready to mobilise again.

The most recent fascist action was on Saturday when the NF had a pitiful turn-out. Counter-demonstration organiser Phil Turner said: "At first there were only seven or eight of them and later it was 20 to 30. They couldn't meet in the pub where they'd planned to go because the landlord wouldn't let them.

"They weren't allowed to march. The police told them to go to their rally point which was the most isolated part of the town centre, near some buildings waiting to be demolished. They were really quite isolated. We had 300 to 400. We had a big turnout from the local Asian community as well as trade unionists, faith groups etc."

He said the fascist and racist EDL and National Front were trying to exploit the grooming issue. Mr Turner said: "There has been an issue of sexual exploitation of young women which they are trying to use to whip up racism. Obviously they don't give a toss about the victims.

"It is a serious issue and the authorities have a lot to answer for but that is not the issue when it comes to the fascists. They are just using it to whip things up. It is a criminal issue, not a racial one. The Jimmy Savile scandal shows you that."

The Rotherham community has united in the face of the EDL and NF demonstrations with trade union activists and a growing number of protesters from the Asian community, including many young people, joined forces to oppose the fascists.

Morning Star, 29 October 2012



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Eid in Pakistan 2012 in a tradional manner

on Monday, October 29, 2012

Pakistan celebrates Eid ul Adha very passionately this year as well. Eid ul adha is known mainly for the sacrifice of an animal where a goat or camel/cow is slaughtered and meat is distributed among relatives and poor and needy people.

Eid ul Adha, known as the “Feast of sacrifice”, honors hazrat Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son before the almighty. Later, God swapped his son with an animal’s body and since then, this tradition is religiously being carried out among Muslims.  Allah Subhanah ransomed the life of Prophet Ismail (a.s.) and commanded Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) to slaughter and sacrifice a ram instead of his son. Such was the nature of this Great and Momentous Sacrifice of Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.), and so loved and appreciated was this act of the Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.) and Prophet Ismail (a.s.) to Allah Subhanah, that The Lord Most Gracious honored these great Prophets, and made their act an obligatory rite for the Hajj pilgrimage, a remembrance and a commemoration of their momentous sacrifice amongst the generations to come until the end of time!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 37 Surah Saafaat verses 100-110:

100 (Ibraheem (a.s.) prayed): ”O my Lord! grant me a righteous (son)!”

101 So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.

102 Then when (the son, Ismail (a.s.)) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him he said: “O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: now see what is thy view!”(Ismail (a.s.)) said: “O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills, one practicing Patience and Constancy!”

103 So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah) and He had laid Him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice)

104 We called out to him “O Ibraheem!

105 ”Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!” thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

106 For this was obviously a trial

107 And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice (or a ram)

108 And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times

109 ”Peace and salutation to Ibraheem!”

110 Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

After Muslims sacrifice an animal by obeying they almighty, then is the time to divide meat into the following parts. For this, we get teachings from sunnah.  The meat is divided into three parts, one is to be kept for the family itself, second is distributed among the relatives an third is shared with the poor and needy of the particular area.

Similarly, in Pakistan, Eid ul adha has been celebrated greatly. All Muslims have shared the flesh with the ordered group of people. From Morning Prayer in the first day till the third day, Pakistan is very traditional and hospitable. All families have gathered together and enjoyed the divine festival to obey the almighty Allah by scarifying the animal. Different animals such as goats, cows and camels are preferred for this regard.

 



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The pilgrimage/hajj performed 2012

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Hundreds and thousands of Muslims performed pilgrimage this year in October and stoned the devil in Saudi Arabia’s Mina Valley on Saturday, as the hajj reached its final stages.

Men and women from around 189 countries worldwide reached Saudi Arabia to perform pilgrimage, and many people had saved their money for years.

Since the people are so huge in numbers, they are grouped together according to their nationality. And groups are moved from one pillar to another under their country’s flags.

Most of the Muslims are seen involved in the prayers, and some are also keen at taking their pictures with the pillars and sharing them with their loved ones. The photographing was criticized by members of the security forces who said through loudspeakers, “How are you people stoning Satan and taking pictures with him at the same time?” In a corner, 77-year-old Afghan pilgrim Aysha Mohammed sat down panting, “There’s a sweet feeling about getting tired during hajj.”

“Ever since I was a child I had dreamt of standing on the Mount of Mercy in Arafat,”  she said with a smile. “They were purely spiritual moments.” (NT,Hajj, 22)

”The trip to perform the hajj has cost me all the money I had,” Aysha Mohammed told AFP. “I had been saving small amounts for over 15 years and I finally sold all my jewelry to reach this place.”

In order to maintain the security of the area, police and security forces were deployed to the three adjacent pillars representing Satan. Although there have never been any incidents. It’s a great achievement for them to perform the pilgrimage whole heartedly. But just to maintain the discipline and guide the newcomers, the security forces provide remain in the places, so that no one is distracted or feels any difficulty in reaching the exact location.

The location of mina is the most problematic of all as there are stampedes and fires into the camps. The stoning area has been expanded over the years to avoid the overcrowding and tents being used are fire proofed.  “Saudi authorities have built a five-level structure around the three stoning sites, allowing for a smooth flow of pilgrims who are only permitted to move in one direction throughout the area to prevent congestion, According to the authorities, 168,000 police officers and civil defense personnel were mobilized for this year’s hajj. For the stoning, they organized specific times of day for groups of pilgrims to perform the ritual.’ (NT,Hajj, 22)

Overall, the arrangements in terms of security and grouping have been up to the mark, and Muslims thoroughly enjoyed performing pilgrimage, taking the best memories out of the pilgrimage.

 



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Beirut Lebanon, conflicts with Syria rise

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The tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims are still prevailing in Lebanon. The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has been in support with the Syrian government, this has made The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah face many problems inside Lebanon and with the Syrian government as well.

The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has given many open signs of its sympathy towards the Syrian government over the past many months. The major sign came forth after the car bomb blast that killed Lebanese Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, a Lebanese intelligence chief aligned with the Sunni-led bloc that is opposed to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah kept denying these accusations as it had no link or intention in turning down the Lebanese Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, a Lebanese intelligence chief aligned.

Hezbollah’s closet political allies such as Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, have turned their backs towards Hezbollah after they found out that Hezbollah has close ties with the Syrian government, and had a major role in the car bomb blast that killed Lebanese Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, a Lebanese intelligence chief aligned with the Sunni-led bloc that is opposed to the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Hezbollah commands a well-trained armed militia; moreover, it also has a political party in the country with members in parliament. It’s well trained militia is a fighting force around the country mainly known as a Shiite Muslim group as well.  Hezbollah maintained a low profile, even when an enraged Sunni gunmen hit the streets of Beirut after Hassan’s funeral.

It was a particularly muted response from a bombastic group.

“You know how we find out that Hezbollah is under pressure?” asked Hilal Khashan, a professor in the political science department at the American University of Beirut. “They remain quiet. They are keeping a very low profile during these days. There is already pressure on Hezbollah and the pressure is mounting.”

Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria last year, Hezbollah has been in a bind. The group presents itself as the champion of the downtrodden, but as the conflict next door got bloodier and bloodier, with thousands dying, the group could not back down from its support for Assad.

Hezbollah right now is facing an existential threat in Syria,” Khashan said.

Syria has not only given Hezbollah steadfast political support, but Syrian territory has also been used to send rockets and conventional arms overland to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. If the Assad regime goes, Hezbollah would lose its primary logistical chain for arms, leaving it isolated in the event of any conflict with Israel.’ (WP, conflict, 28)

Many believe that the Hezbollah group has been targeted from the day of its inception in Lebanon, but some also say that Hezbollah remains under pressure from the Syrian government and it can’t openly accept or deny its support and sympathy for the Syrian government.

The revelation of Hezbollah has come forth after the Hassan‘s murder, and the country has developed a suspicious attitude against Hezbollah for its involvements with the Syrian government

 



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Malala Yousafzai and Salman taseer, one survived and the other died

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To the world who has gathered all of its attention to the cause which a young brave girl is advocating, I ask, why is it always too late to shed light on the grave problems which the Pakistani society faces?

Malala Yousafzai, a brave 14-year-old girl, who was shot by the Taliban, is spotted fighting the toughest battle at a tender age.

Malala Yousafzai stood up for the cause of girls’ education in the Swat valley, Pakistan, after the Taliban had banned the further education of girls. It was this little angel’s courage that was noticed and heard across the world, when she vented out her emotions on the atrocities of the Taliban.

Writers assess the already adverse situation prevailing in Pakistan relating to radicalism and explain the Malala Yousafzai episode as an extension of the Taliban mindset. Earlier, there have been several incidents and, sadly, the government of Pakistan failed to accomplish its parameters in this regard. We are at sheer discomfort with sprawling attacks every now and then by the Taliban. Why do we always blame the Taliban factor? Is it the easy method of passing the buck?

Salman Taseer, was penetrated with 27 bullets when he spoke up against the lawlessness against the minorities in Pakistan. Although many politicians supported him on this cause, they backed-off after his murder. How can we change as a society when we are too afraid to stand up against our grave problems?

We should be ashamed of not building up the courage to bring down the root causes. The whole society, individually or collectively, fails to look at the pertaining issues. Today, the matter of terrorism is the cancer of our society, which is brutally killing the minds and hearts of the people. We are so afraid to stand up or speak out and have no courage to admire or even support our own souls. Malala Yousafzai, who was not the product of our society produced the courage in her, despite a number of threats from left, right and center. Far less privileged, as compared to rest of the people of Pakistan who are technologically advanced and well secure, she didn’t let the element of courage leave her.

Her father, speaking to the media, said lately that surgeons in Pakistan worked for days to save her life after removing a bullet from her neck. Mr. Yousafzai said he was grateful for all their efforts.

“The way they saved my daughter was miraculous,” he said. He said he had stayed in daily contact with medical staff in Birmingham, but had not yet been able to speak to his daughter.

“She is all right. She is improving day by day, inshallah,” he said. “It has been difficult not being with her but at least we knew she was getting better.”

Malala Yousafzai has written a new chapter in the world’s book with her courage and belief in herself; she has achieved galore prayers to fight through this challenge.

 



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Questioning the relationship between religion and culture (5)

on Sunday, October 28, 2012

In the previous articles, I’ve tried to show why custom seems to be such an important aspect of culture. An overview of all that’s been written shows that we may see custom as the practical side of culture, this meaning that it is directly connected with actions, ways of proceeding – or, in a word, with conduct; a general conduct followed by the majority of the members of any given human culture. In general, conduct is synonym with behavior, that is, the peculiar shape assumed by an individual, or group’s actions. The sense we tend to attribute to conduct  originates in Latin verb conduco, a verb which is interesting to observe as it will allow us to perceive the peculiar nature of conduct from one very different perspective.
As a synonym of behaviour, conduct is a word that may be used in relation to both individual and group actions. Anyway, from its very origin, the Latin verb from where it derives, conduco, meant to lead, collect, assemble together, with a special focus on the intensity of this assembling, so much so that it also meant to unite. This verb owes its existence to being a contraction with one other verb: duco, to conduct, bring forward. When used with the words road or way, it alluded to their leading, or guiding, to some place. Let us now try to assimilate these notions into our modern way of looking at conduct.
The idea that most interests me is the one having to do with conduct as a being guided along a road that seems to lead to a place where something collects. To say it in other words,  we’re invited to look at custom as being a channel, a conduit collecting water and driving it to one specific place. When looked at this way, custom seems to be much less of a personal option than of a common acquiescence to follow a way that has been previously prepared, and that serves as a means for conveying something. Please keep this verb in mind: to convey. Would you say that behavior has anything to do with transporting? If the answer is no, then think twice. The verb to transport derives from porto, meaning to bear, convey or carry along – which is also the source of comportamento, the Portuguese equivalent of English comport, meaning to bear oneself in a specific way.
Custom may then be seen as a way commonly used – a sort of thoroughfare – to convey some kind of merchandise. We still do not know what’s being conveyed, but we now know that individual behavior, as well as group behavior, is lead through that common road, which means that, in general, custom is just another way of naming a conduct to which individuals are drawn together. This kind of behavior is not the same that arises from an individual’s own decision; quite the opposite: this is the behavior following previously established roads – a channel collecting water that is not flowing freely; a conduit that will lead that water to a place where it will fulfill a purpose. If we accept this new face of custom, then we’ll have to see it as a procedure – in other words, as a series of of established forms or methods that are conducted in a specific way to achieve one specific result.

I do not wish to focus on what the result may be; but I do wish to emphasize that when one follows a procedure, that is, one is surrendering the possession of something that one owed. This is not a personal opinion. This is a fact that can be witnessed in the Latin word from where procedure derives. No doubt that procedo points to a going forwards, to an advancing – but, according to cedo, the verb from where procedo was generated, the direction of that motion – that is, the advancing -  was gained at the expenses of the yielding, giving preference, submitting to something, someone, that is superior. In English, as well as in Portuguese, the verb to cede is sometimes used as a synonym of to give up, surrender. So it seems that custom is founded on a rather puzzling scheme: the individual’s transference of a possession to the group – which is nothing more than an alienation. If I define alienation as a turning away, estrangment, you’ll probably think that I’m rendering things a bit obscure, as you not only do not see any relation between custom and estrangement – but, what’s more, they seem to be the opposite of each other… This apparent obscurity will vanish as soon as I tell you that I’m using the word alienation in its original meaning, as conveyed by Latin alienatio: the transferring of something owned to the possession of another so as to make it his legal property. We find something similar in cedo, as this was the verb used in relation to a debtor that handed over his property instead of payment. Perhaps the transference enunciated by alienatio had something to do with this, as the word was also embeded with the sense of a desertion, aversion, as well as, in relation to the mind, loss of reason. Anyway, this discomfort that shows in the word was somehow mitigated in its verbal form, alieno, that kept the idea of making something the property of another, while adding the notion of the transference of property through sale, and so nowadays, its Portuguese derivative, alienar, means to transfer to other’s possession through sale, exchange, donation, etc…  Anyway, as nothing, and no one, is capable of effacing the traces of its own origin, alienar keeps on meaning to hallucinate, grow mad as well.
We read in the Qu’ran: “Tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange, nor any friendships. (14:31). According to Edward William Lane’s Arabic Lexicon, the primary signification of Arabic root بيع (bi’), that translates as exchange – and that’s nowadays used as meaning to sell, sale or being sold - is the exchanging, or exchange, of property; or the making an exchange with property. It may also be used in relation to someone that has gained the mastery over another.
As for friendship, it is conveyed by root خل (khl), that also denotes habit, custom, social behaviour – as well as the filling with holes and vinegar. The two main features of vinegar is that it’s bitter, and is an astringent agent. A substance is said to be astringent roughly speaking when it tends to draw organic tissues together, an attribute whose name derives from Latin astringo, to draw close, to bind, to tighten. Though it may seem strange, this same verb, when used metaphorically, meant to put under obligation, which is interesting indeed, since the sense of friendship in the Arabic root appears side by side with the notion of close connection, agreement in ideas, feelings, etc. But probably there’s coherence here – I mean, it is perhaps not a coincidence to find vinegar and social behaviour side by side, because something similar happens with ثقف (thqf), a root that is the cradle of the Arabic word equivalent to English culture (ثقافة)… the same root that, when used in relation to vinegar, means very acid… Besides this, we find one other meaning that is becoming familiar: to have the mastery over.
[to be continued]



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الشطار والعيارين1

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ابن حمدي
تواترت قصص كثيرة في نهاية القرن الرابع الهجري عن عدد من اللصوص وقطاع الطرق. سواء كانت في التراث الشعبي أو ألف ليلة وليلة، أو في كتب التاريخ. وكانت السمة الغالبة لهؤلاء اللصوص أنهم من الظرفاء، أصحاب مواقف وفتوة وشراسة وشجاعة، يترصدون القوافل القادمة إلى بغداد ويسطون عليها، لكنهم مع ذلك لا يتعرضون لإمرأة أو فقير. وكانوا يقيمون تجارة التجار، إن كانت أقل من حد معين لا يأخذون منها شيئاً، أو يستولون على نصفها، أو ينهبونها بالكامل. وفشلت محاولات الدولة في القبض عليهم أو حتى إبعادهم.

وكان أشهر اللصوص في القرن الرابع الهجري، هو حمدي أو ابن حمدي أو أحمد الدنف، هي أسماء متعددة لشخص واحد في الغالب. طبقت شهرته الآفاق، ولم تستطع الدولة العباسية ردعه. وربما يرجع الاختلاف في التسمية إلى اختلاف المصادر. فهو عند المؤرخيين ملقب بابن حمدي، وفي السير الشعبية ملقب بأحمد الدنف. وهو مثال نموذجي للص الشريف بشكله التقليدي، حيث كان يوزع ما ينهب من مال وتجارة على أتباعه الذين يتزايدون بشكل كبير، ويوزع منها على فقراء بغداد. مثلما كان يفعل روبين هوود في انجلترا بعده بقرون. ومن المنطقي أن تحمل السير الشعبية الكثير من المبالغات حول الرجل وأفعاله. لكن ما اتفق عليه العامة في سيرهم والمؤرخون في كتبهم أن ابن حمدي كان يعمل في صباه حمالاً في أسواق بغداد، وأنه ربما تعرض للكثير من الظلم الذي جعله يتحول إلى لص يسرق المارة والبيوت في بغداد. ثم تحول إلى قاطع طريق، يقيم في الطريق إلى بغداد ويعترض قوافل التجارة. ثم لسبب مجهول تحول من مجرد لص، إلى صاحب موقف اجتماعي: ينهب الأغنياء ويوزع على الفقراء. ومن الحقائق أيضاً أن الشرطة لم تستطع القبض عليه، وبعد فشلهم المتكرر في ذلك، منحوه الألقاب وطلبوا منه التعاون مع الشرطة . وكان هذا التعاون الغريب المريب يقضي بأن ينهب ابن حمدي القوافل كما يشاء على أن يؤدي للدولة مبلغ خمسة عشر ألف دينار كل شهر. وهو ما أثار دهشة المؤرخين والعامة في نفس الوقت. أن تتعاون الدولة مع لص وتقاسمه في غنائمه!!

الأكثر إثارة للدهشة هو رفض ابن حمدي لهذا العرض، واستمراره في نهب القوافل لأنه أحق بهذا المال هو ورجاله وفقراء بغداد من الدولة. وكان على الدولة أن تستخدم الغدر والحيلة للقضاء على ابن حمدي بعد أن رفض مقاسمتها في الغنائم. لكن موت ابن حمدي أو الدنف أياً كان اسمه، لم يضع حداً لظاهرة اللصوص الظرفاء، حيث اتفقت السير الشعبية والمصادر التاريخية على حقيقة أخرى، أن ابن حمدي هو أستاذ علي الزيبق أشهر الشطار والعيارين، وصاحب سيرة شعبية باسمه، تضمنتها ألف ليلة وليلة. كما كان ملهماً لكثير من اللصوص الأقل شهرة في مغادرة بغداد والترصد للقوافل ونهبها، لكن أحداً منهم لم يكن في شهرته هو وعلى الزيبق. حيث اقترنت هذه الأسماء بسرقة الأغنياء وتوزيع المال على الفقراء، وعدم اعتراض ضعيف، ومناصرة المظلوم ومعاداة الدولة.

لم تستطع الدولة العباسية القضاء على ظاهرة اللصوص الظرفاء لأنها لم تكن خياراً فردياً لأجمد الدنف أو على الزيبق، قدر ما كانت انتقام جماعي، وشكل من أشكال التمرد على الواقع الاجتماعي. كما كانت السير الشعبية التي تحتفي بهؤلاء اللصوص وتعتبرهم أبطالاً، رد فعل على الفقر والظلم والقهرالذي تعرض له الشعب في تلك الفترة، وتسجيل لما قد يخفيه التاريخ عن آحاد الناس الذين تحولوا إلى لصوص، لكنهم أحسوا بالفقراء وحاولوا مساعدتهم بالطريقة الوحيدة التي عرفوها في ذلك الزمن.



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America Explained: An introductory guide for the Muslim world (and everybody else, too)

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If you had to choose one item to be a metaphor for all of humanity, what would it be? A strange request, I know. But, think about it. What might you choose? A piece of fruit, to represent Eve’s forbidden act in the Garden of Eden? Facebook, to show off your 7 billion friends? Water, a substance we can’t live without? A Big Mac sandwich from McDonald’s, because “we’re loving it”?

The item that I would choose is . . . a fingerprint. Why? Because no two fingerprints are exactly the same. Just like us. We are all unique. And while we sometimes try to deny it by dressing the same, listening to the same music, liking the same movies, or using the same slang words, the fact remains that human-beings, the creators of mass-civilization, are also individualists.

So, if we accept the premise that humans are fundamentally differentiated from one another, the next step is identifying the bases for that differentiation. What really separates us? And why?

There are a few broad categories of differentiation with which we are all familiar, like nationality, religion, or language, as well as more specific ones, like shoe size, eye color, or boxers or briefs. There is nothing wrong with categorization. It’s instinctual. It’s how we make sense out of our environment, and the people in it, to best enable our chances for success. When we hear an accent in speech it’s sometimes compulsory to ask, “Where are you from?” This way, if we hear a similar accent later on then we can make an assumption with increased precision. What is the purpose of this? I don’t know. Perhaps identifying the accent’s origin simply means we better understand our environment, which makes us more comfortable, and increases our chances for success. Or something like that?

So, what’s the problem? Well, when we categorize too often, it sometimes leads us to focus on differences, or similarities, a little too much.

This is the purpose of America Explained. This will be a series of articles that will attempt to explain American culture, history, politics, lifestyle, etc. from an American point of view, but intended for non-American readers, especially from the Muslim world. Each article will focus on a different theme from America that is in some way misrepresented, misunderstood, or just missed.

Here’s why I think I can do this: I am an American. I am an aspiring cultural anthropologist, which means I believe in cultural relativism, or the idea that every society is equal, and that no one culture, civilization, ethnicity, etc. is better or worse than any other. I have lived in many different areas of the United States. I have a college degree in area studies of the Muslim world, so I have dedicated lots of time to learning about many different aspects of many different places there. I am married to a Muslim from the Muslim world. I also live with a non-Muslim from the Muslim world. I have visited the Muslim world. And, when I say “Muslim world,” I don’t mean any specific place or people. It is a term, just like “the West.” Europeans and Americans are very different, but both are from the West. Uzbeks are very different from Egyptians, but both are from the Muslim world. (Check out my past article Religion: We are all Right)

I humbly acknowledge that even though it is my fascination, I know very little about the Muslim world. When I am choosing themes for my articles, it will be based on questions, comments, or concerns that I have either heard raised from someone or someplace related to the Muslim world or that I personally estimate to be relevant in that regard. And I especially hope for international comments that include similarities, differences, and impressions. I’m ultimately doing this to listen, not to talk.

So please look for America Explained in the title of future posts. It will be fun, educational, and reading it will make you more handsome (results may vary). But in all seriousness, my sincere hope is to start the dialogues that I feel are lacking with regard to cross-regional relations between the West and the Muslim world, especially at the human level with respect to differences and similarities.

I want to eliminate our presumptions, while reminding us that we all drink water to survive. But, what type of vessel do you use, a cup, a mug, a ladle, your hands?

We’ll get to all of that shortly. Stay tuned . . .

 



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الشطار والعيارين 2

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علي الزيبق
كان أشهر اللصوص الظرفاء على الإطلاق هو على الزيبق المصري، فهو الوحيد الذي احتفت به الشعوب العربية، ووضعت له سيرة شعبية مستقلة. ورغم الاختلاف حول تاريخ مولده وهل هو مصري أم عراقي، لكنه بكل تأكيد شخصية حقيقية، أغلب الظن أنه ولد وعاش في بغداد ثم انتقل إلى القاهرة، وهناك مصادر تؤكد أنه تلميذ حمدي أو أحمد الدنف. وهناك من المصادر ما يشير إلى أن والده كان من اللصوص الظرفاء، هرب من بغداد واستقر في القاهرة وأنجب ابنه على من زوجة مصرية، وأن على كان يحاول الانتقام من مقتل أبيه من الدولة العباسية.

ويرجع السر في شهرة على الزيبق أنه لم يكن قاطع طريق يعترض قوافل الأغنياء بالقوة، بل كان يستخدم الحيل الظريفة في سرقة الأغنياء، وكان يوزع على الفقراء ويساعد المحتاجين مثله مثل باقي الشطار أو اللصوص الظرفاء. واسمه يدل على ذلك فالزئبق مادة مراوغة سهلة التشكل والتغير، وهذه هي الصفات التي اتسم بها على الزيبق، أو الصفات التي حاول كتاب السيرة الشعبية أن يصفوه بها. وبالطبع علينا أن نفرق بين علي الزيبق التاريخ والآخر الأسطوري. فالتاريخ يحدثنا أن شخصاً كان اسمه على الزيبق، وهو أحد لصوص بغداد المشهورين في ذلك الحين، وأنه كان يسرق في الأسواق، ثم خرج إلى البادية في انتظار القوافل لنهبها، ثم عاد إلى بغداد. وأن الفتن والاقتتال الداخلي، وتخلي قائد الشرطة عن مهام عمله، جعلت الخليفة المعتضد يستعين بعلي الزيبق في ضبط الأسواق وجباية الضرائب. أي أنه تحول من لص إلى رئيس الشرطة في مفارقة عجيبة، أثارت دهشة المؤرخين، وألهبت خيال كتاب السيرة الشعبية إلى أبعد مدى. الأهم من ذلك أن يستعين به الخليفة في حماية قصره وأملاكه.

من المثير حقاً أن تختلط الحقائق بالأوهام في حكاية على الزيبق. فهناك سؤال على هذه القصة: هل استعانت الدولة بالشطار لعجزها المطلق عن إدارة شئون البلاد وضبط حركة الأسواق وجباية الضرائب حقاً أم كانت مجرد محاولة لاحتوائهم وكف شرهم؟ ولماذا قبل علي الزيبق التعاون مع الدولة التي كان يعمل ضدها، بينما رفض حمدي أو الدنف هذا التعاون؟ لقد اختلف شكل التعاون في الحالتين ففي حالة ابن حمدي كان عليه ان يظل لصاً ويدف مبلغاً من المال للدولة، أما الزيبق فقد أصبح رئيساً للشرطة. ربما رأى أنه يستطيع مساعدة الناس في منصبه الجديد أكثر من كونه لصاً.

وتبقى حقيقة أن الفنان الشعبي رأى في ذلك نوعاً من الترقي السياسي والاجتماعي يستحق الاحتفاء، حيث أصبح أحد أفراد الشعب جزءً من السلطة، بعد أن كانت حكراً على مجموعة ضيقة من الإقطاعيين، أو الأتراك الذين مارسوا سطوتهم على الطبقات الشعبية بجبروت لا نظير له. كان صعود على الزيبق في حد ذاته انتصار للجماهير في المخيلة الشعبية. كما كان سبباً في شهرته التاريخية والفنية، فهو في النهاية لم يكن مجرد لص، وكان شديد الذكاء، يستخم الحيلة في السرقة و الهرب. كما كان يجيد فنون التنكر والتخفي والمراغة لدرجة أنه كان يخدع المحتالين والصوص الظرفاء أنفسهم.

لكن حكماً تاريخياً وأخلاقياً على شخصية على الزيبق هو عملية من الصعوبة بمكان، نظراً لندرة حضوره التاريخي، وكثرة المواقف والأحداث المتواترة عنه في السير الشعبية والمتضاربة في كثير من الأحيان حول مكان مولده وتاريخه، وإن كان مصرياً أم عراقياً. لكنني هنا أكتفي بحكم الشعب الذي نصب على الزيبق بطلاً شعبياً ومخلصاً، ورمزاً من رموز مقاومة الظلم ونصرة الضعفاء.



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Othman ben Affan (19)

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Othman ben Affan

La rupture dans la société Musulmane a continué à s’élargir, comme Abullah Ebn Sabaa a continué à propager des rumeurs contre Othman Ben Affan pour rabattre toute la haine des Musulmans sur lui. Pas tous les Musulmans ont écouté les rumeurs, mais quelques nouveaux Musulmans, qui n’ont pas une très grande foi croyaient ce qui était dit et ont rejoint Abdullah Ebn Sabaa en pensant que ceci était la meilleure chose à faire.

Une autre rumeur s’est propagée aux temps de Othman Ben Affan, c’était qu’il a envoyé le compagnon Abu Zar Al Ghaffary à Al Ramla, chose qui n’était pas vraie. Abu Zar Al Ghaffary s’est amélioré car les conditions économiques se sont améliorées à l’époque de Othman, cela a fait que beaucoup de personnes l’ont envié.

Othman Affan

Othman Ben Affan a demandé à Muaweya Ebn Abi Sofian d’envoyer Abu Zar au Calife, donc il l’a fait. Othman a accueilli Abu Zar en disant “Bienvenue mon frère, j’ai voulu vous voir”, donc Abu Zar a dit “O Othman, peut-être vous vous êtes précipités pour me ramener à vous”, mais Othman a répondu “j’ai eu peur pour vous à Al Sham, parce que les gens vivant là-bas peuvent vous blesser”, Abu Zar a compris pourquoi Othman a demandé de l’amener à Al Madina donc il a dit “O Calife, si vous m’ordonnez de venir à vous en rampant sur mes genoux. Je sais que vous aviez peur que je puisse causer “Fitna” dans le monde Musulman, mais croyez-moi que je ne le ferai pas”.

Après qu’Abu Zar eut compris pourquoi Othman a demandé de l’amener à Al Madina, il a demandé à Othman de le laisser partir à Al Ramla seul pour y vivre, donc Othman lui a dit “je préparerai une caravane pour vous”, mais Abu Zar a refusé en disant “je veux aller seul”. Abu Zar a pris sa décision pour aller à Al Ramla et il fit ceci pas parce qu’Othman lui a ordonné, et malheureusement, Abu Zar est mort seul.

Des Musulmans à cette époque ont dit qu’Othman Ben Affan est le brûleur de Saint Coran, chose qui n’est pas vrai parce qu’Othman a brûlé les copies fausses du Coran pour protéger le Coran original du changement. Aly Ebn Abi Taleb (le quatrième Calife Musulman et le cousin du Prophète Mohammed) a dit “Othman Ben Affan a brûlé un certain nombre de faux copies du Mushaf devant chacun d’entre nous et s’il ne l’a pas fait, je l’aurais fait, ce qui signifie que les compagnons du Prophète Mohammed (paix soit sur lui), soutenaient Othman Ben Affan dans cette décision.

A suivre

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EDL supporter gets suspended sentence for encouraging people to petrol bomb takeaway

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A former hospital worker involved with a far-right political group used Facebook to encourage people to petrol bomb an Indian takeaway at the centre of a major child abuse probe.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how Alan Clarke's reckless comments on the social networking site led to him being sacked by bosses at the city's Cumberland Infirmary.

He admitted using Facebook to collude with others in a way that could have encouraged people to commit criminal damage – namely by attacking the Spice of India takeaway in Botchergate, Carlisle.

Prosecutor Mark Lamberty described how the 27-year-old defendant had read about a police investigation into the systematic sexual abuse of young girls in the city. The man arrested for those offences – and later convicted and jailed for 15 years – was Spice of India's Bangladeshi boss Azad Miah.

Mr Lamberty outlined a Facebook conversation Clarke had with another man on October 4 last year.

One comment posted by Clarke stated: "People think I'm a racist because I'm always having a go at these lot. I think this is a good enough reason, don't you. Just remember this, curry lovers of Carlisle – if you get your takeaway from Spice of India, you are funding this sick [person's] habit of grooming young girls and worse. And if anyone feels the need to smash the place up, I won't stop you. Ha ha!"

Clarke added: "The place needs petrol bombed."

Police acted swiftly, advising staff at the takeaway to close, which they did. Officers then seized Clarke's computer from his Ridley Road home in Currock and arrested him. In his interview, he described himself as a "keyboard warrior."

"He said he knew what he put was wrong, but he was having a rant," continued Mr Lamberty. Clarke admitted being a member of the far right English Defence League (EDL), but insisted he did not intend the restaurant should actually be damaged. He accepted being reckless.

The court heard that Clarke's previous offences included one committed during a football match and causing criminal damage to the Lazeez Indian takeaway on Blackwell Road in Currock.

Claire Thomas, for Clarke, said: "He was at home recovering from a hernia operation and it's clear that he had too much time on his hands." She said he had not realised the seriousness of the position he put himself in.

Miss Thomas said Clarke had been introduced to the EDL through friends he met at football matches but he has no involvement whatsoever in that any more," said the barrister.

She added that as a result of his crime he had now lost his job at The Cumberland Infirmary, where he worked for eight years, and was at risk of losing his home if he could not find a job to pay for the mortgage he had.

Judge Batty told the defendant that, given his political leanings, his Facebook comments had an air of "triumphalism." He added: "Fortunately, people in Carlisle have a lot more sense than you appear to have and people in Carlisle let justice take its course rather than following idiots like you and other such idiots who are involved in the so-called English Defence League."

Judge Batty imposed a 12-month jail term, suspending it for two years; 200 hours unpaid work; and an electronically monitored night-time curfew for the next six months.

The former Spice of India is now called the Raj Mahal and is run by new management which has no connection with Azad Miah.

News & Star, 27 October 2012



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