Why Are Muslims So Boring?

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By Ziauddin Sardar

For the last 25 years, my wife has been doing semi-voluntary work at a special school near where we live. It is a small school for pupils with physical disability or delicate health needs who need a structured and particularly supportive learning environment.

Every year, the school holds a special assembly to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan. And every year, without fail, there is a common question: why are Muslims so boring?

The displays at the Ramadan assembly are copies of the Qur’an, a couple of prayer mats, and an odd poster. There is the standard, solemn recitation of the Qur’an. In contrast, the Diwali assembly is a riot of colour, costume, dance and music. Ditto for Chinese New Year. Not surprisingly, the pupils enjoy themselves thoroughly and, unlike the Ramadan event, look forward to them eagerly.

I sympathise with the children. We Muslims are not very good at expressing joy. We have reduced our religion to a set of rituals which we enact like robots at every occasion. When Muslims want to celebrate something, they go and offer some extra prayers! Indeed, there are some amongst us who have even outlawed all sources of pleasure and delight. Every time some unfortunate sods in the Muslim world are lumbered with an ‘Islamic government’, music is declared to be Haram, cinemas are closed, dance and theatre are banned, and art and imagination are outlawed. No wonder, the rest of the world finds Muslims somewhat lacking in humanity.

No society, whatever it holds to be true, can survive without culture in all its multiple manifestations. Prayer and rituals may make us pious and righteous, but it is cultural expression that really manifests our full humanity. To say that all we need is prayer and rituals is to diminish ourselves as human beings. As human beings, we have an innate need for cultural nourishment, an innate desire to express our most sublime thoughts, emotions and feelings. Moreover, we also need to be entertained, to feel good about ourselves, to be jolted about our shortcomings, and to communicate joy and contentment. But how we do this when we look down on all forms of cultural expression?

Consider, for example, the absurd suggestion that music is Haram. If this were true, then God has ordained that we should ignore and suppress something that He, in His Wisdom, choose to give us in the first place: the beauty of sound. In other words, we are being asked to overlook one of our five vital senses, one-fifth of what makes us human. The suggestion also belies Islamic history whose tributaries and valleys were alive with the sound of music. Indeed, one of the most common musical instruments, the guitar, was invented in Muslim Spain. Not to mention the role played by music in Sufism, one of the major strands of Islamic thought, where music is used routinely for mystical elevation, for getting close to God.

Equally absurd is the suggestion that Islam outlaws images. Hence, cinema and television, painting and sculpture, and other forms of art that rely on images should be banned from Islamic societies. Islam shuns idolatry. But to suggest Muslims are so stupid that they will start worshipping cinematic or sculpted images is genuinely dumbfounding. Those who insist that Muslims can exist without images in a world awash with images -  where images are the dominant and most effective way of communicating messages, portraying people and societies, and displaying power and privilege – are inviting us to commit suicide.

We need to realise that culture is power. Indeed, culture is the most prominent source of power in the contemporary world. Look at the impact of Bollywood, not just in Britain, but all over the world. Note how Hollywood maintains the domination of American culture throughout the world; and note also how Hong Kong action films and Chinese art cinema are transforming Hollywood. Consider the impact of serious and popular European fiction on the globe. Think how art has been used in so many societies to highlight their shortcoming and express dissent. Notice how music and dance bring people together everywhere.

Culture is also a source of resistance. We can only resist the proliferation of the globalised mass culture of McDonald and Coca Cola variety with our own cultural products. But if we don’t produce anything ourselves, if we shun all forms of art and architecture, film and fiction, dance and theatre, then we have nothing that could offer resistance. Except perhaps our victimhood in which we already wallow at every opportunity.

Finally, cultural expression can be a way of thanking God. When I listen to Quawwali or sitar, or watch the latest masterpiece of the Iranian cinema, or look at particularly uplifting work of art, or read an insightful novel, I cannot but exclaim: ‘Alhamdulillah’. God, in His Infinite Mercy, has endowed us with so many wonderful ways to enlighten and enrich ourselves. And so many diverse ways to ‘see’ His signs and feel His presence.

The suppression of cultural expression is a form of ungratefulness. It is the denial of God’s grace and cultural bounty. This is why the most obnoxious Muslims you will meet are so diminished, so lacking in appreciation of culture, so constipated with their disgust and disdain of cultural expression.

At the end, we are so boring because we insist on being truncated human beings. And because we are so ungrateful to God.

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Go Out and Vote Obama

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By Dr. Aslam Abdullah, TMO

The outcome of November 6 presidential election will not only impact the lives of each and every citizen but ever one living on this planet.Whether we vote or we do not, no one, regardless of his religious denomination or ethnic identity can escape the outcome of the decision for four or more years. With only a margin of 500 votes, our nation elected Republican Presidential nominee George Bush some 12 years ago and we are still paying the price for that.

So November 6, if the country made the right choice, we might avoid a repeat of the disaster that Bush imposed on the nation and the world  directly from 2000 to 20008.  Sitting at home even in states where the outcome is a foregone conclusion is not an option.  Avoiding ballots thinking that one vote would not make much difference is not an act of responsibility and the arguing that Islam does not believe in democracy and the election is nothing but a facade is like blasphemy against the divine message.

As people we are the ones who have to take care of ourselves. There are no super heroes and there are no external forces that would do the job for us. Without getting involved in institutions that impact our lives, we cannot claim that we have fulfilled our responsibilities towards ourselves and others. Without getting involved we cannot claim that we have shared our vision of our society with others.

On November 6, the choice in presidential election is very clear. On the one hand is a candidate who wants to focus on preserving the interests of the rich, the privileged and the one already blessed in his terminology. On the other is a man who wants every citizen to enjoy the opportunities this country offers in all spheres of life without feeling neglected based on one’s race, religion and ethnicity. This is the major difference between the philosophy of the two candidates. Romney wants to see rich become richer while reducing working people to a level of almost slavery with little rights to determine their future as everything must be decided on the basis of might is right and the interests of mega corporations. Obama wants everyone to contribute his and her fair share in ensuring that those who have been left behind in this made materialistic race get an opportunity to avoid the stampede and walk at their pace along with others.

This does not mean that either of them is a perfect candidate or their policies on national and foreign issues are perfect. All it means that if people do not get involved and assert their ideas in a systematic and consistent manner, the policies that are described wrong would continue.

If we believe that politics should be determined by moral values and not by political expediency and where the interests of people and not the lobbies are supreme, then we must act and get involved on a consistent basis.

We cannot simply point fingers at the wrong as a justification of our apathy or indifference. We must participate and November 6 offers us that opportunity. So get out and vote Obama as he is the only candidate who makes some sense to common folks like us. Don’t be indifferent. Your future, the future of your country and the future of millions around the world would be impacted on the decision of November 6, a decision we cannot afford to be absent from.

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Don’t Gamble-Rely on a SURE THING

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By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, TMO

90)“O you who believe!  Intoxicants and games of chance including dedication of idols and lotteries’ are part of Satan’s plan, so stay away from them in order for you to be successful.  91) Satan’s only desire is to cause confusion and hatred in your midst through intoxicants and gambling; and to keep your mind away from the remembrance of ALLAH and from prayer.  Will you not then abstain?” Qur’an 5:90-91

Games of chance give you a small possibility of great gain, but a greater probability of great loss – great loss of fortune and loss of your peace of mind.  A toss of the dice or flip of a card has the capability of big winnings but those big, luxurious skyscrapers, fashioned by man, are not in the business of losing money and making you rich.  To the contrary their aim is make you broke and miserable.  First of all you must remember, they are limited beings themselves and if you win, they lose.  And it ain’t gonna happen that you’ll win.

On the other side there is the Rabb of all the worlds Who owns everything and has set in motion the growth of creation and multiplication of reward for good deeds, and Who promises, and delivers, great rewards for adherence to His directives

“The parable of those who spend their wealth in the cause of ALLAH is similar to a grain of corn that grows seven ears and in each ear are a hundred more grains.  And verily ALLAH gives manifold increase to whomever He wills.  And ALLAH is Omniscient, and All-Knowing. 2:261

You can get “rich” by giving.  By “rich” I mean not only monetarily, but also spiritually. You will have a peaceful life free from the stress of guilt for not living up to your God-given potential.   Now what gambling hall is going to accept a gift from you, then give it back to you many times over-without risking losing it through gambling?  I assure you…none of them will.

Satan’s aim is to threaten you with poverty and make you forget ALLAH.  Because of the pull of this false glittering world, some Muslims (especially some young Muslims) are visiting these halls of ill-repute on a regular basis.  They think it’s cool for one thing, and some have rationalized their minds to see nothing expressively wrong with it. Satan has made their minds accept wrongdoing.  We have come to accept the unacceptable.   

A believer is just that.  She or he believes what ALLAH says is 100% true. But some believers won’t attempt or strive to follow ALLAH’S guidance.  ALLAH chastises believers constantly in Qur’an for saying things they don’t (won’t) do.  Remember, Satan is also a believer, but he refuses to obey ALLAH

“Like Satan who sayeth to man; “Disbelieve thou.  And when the man disbelieved, Satan says to him ‘verily I disassociate myself from you.  Verily I fear ALLAH, the Rabbil alameen.

Our levels of existence have us on three levels.  We begin as Muslims, then ascend to the level of believer.  But as believers, we must not stop at that level.  We must increase our faith (iman) that what ALLAH says and decrees is fact and make our obedience to Him automatic.

Do you want to put your money on a sure thing?  Don’t gamble.  Put it on ALLAH.  Make sure you first believe, and then strive to be upright.  Next, keep your mind focused on ALLAH by offering regular prayers.  Next consciously offer zakat and sadaqua to ALLAH for His pleasure and His pleasure alone.  He promises you will be richly rewarded in many ways.

As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin

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Chicago’s “Desi Corridor”

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By Almas Akhtar, TMO

2560110816_2e923d8c53Chicago is a beautiful city with tall buildings and designer stores along the Michigan Avenue. Its Lake Shore Drive is enjoyable.  Chicago also hosts a very large Indian, Pakistani and Bengali immigrant population. A trip to Chicago is incomplete without a visit to Devon Street, located on the west of O Hare Airport. Since people of the Indian subcontinent (nicknamed “Desi”) frequent the street, it is famously labeled as the Desi Corridor of North America. Parts of Devon Street are renamed ‘Mohammed Ali Jinnah Ave’, ‘Gandhi Ave ‘ and ‘Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman Ave’ in honor of the Political Leaders of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh—indicating the clout of “Desi’ people of the area.

A large number of South Asian stores and restaurants adorn both sides of the street. Bollywood movie posters pasted on the walls and doors of CD shops further reinforce the Desi identity. During summer afternoons it is fun to watch kids busy playing cricket and basketball on the sidewalks.

The aroma of ‘bar b que chicken tikkas’ and ‘mithaiees’ coming from dozens of restaurants spread all over the area. After looking at people walking in the traditional shalwar kameezes, for few minutes we forget if we are in North America or walking on a street in Karachi or Delhi.

The Desi Stores on Devon have a collection of beautiful sarees, shalwar kameezes, gold jewelry and Indian spices. The South Asian restaurants along Devon Ave serve very delicious and authentic ‘Desi cuisine’. People travel from all parts of the country to enjoy the “Halwa Puri Brunch “or yummy “Kulfi  Falooda” . A large number of South Asians have moved to the United States in the last fifty years and now every major city in USA has a Desi Bazar but still the Devon Street’s Desi Corridor in Chicago is considered one of the best places to shop for weddings or parties .

It is a definitely a multicultural street, which welcomes everyone. Vivek Mukherjee of Rediff.com wrote “There are similar Desi markets in New Jersey, at the famous Oak Tree Road or in the Bay Area, but nothing like Devon Street. […] Devon Street’s sidewalks are even speckled with the paan stains”.

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Statement by the President on Hajj and Eid al-Adha

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Michelle and I extend our best wishes for a joyful Eid al-Adha to Muslims in the United States and around the world.  We also congratulate the millions of peaceful pilgrims who are performing the Hajj, including thousands of American Muslims.

Throughout the year, Muslims join members of many faiths in serving  those suffering from hunger, disease, and conflict.  Muslim communities will continue this practice as they celebrate Eid by distributing food and charity to those in need.  Such acts of compassion underscore the shared values of the Abrahamic religions and people of all faiths. On behalf of the American people, we extend our warmest greetings on this holiday.  Eid Mubarak. 

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Refugees Accuse Burmese Government of Ignoring Ethnic Cleansing: ‘If We Stayed, We Would Have Been Killed’

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By Pete Pattisson

2012-10-30T072507Z_423020216_GM1E8AU16MA01_RTRMADP_3_MYANMAR-VIOLENCE

A boy cries as his mother bathes him at a refugee camp for Muslims displaced by violence earlier this year outside Sittwe October 30, 2012. The United Nations said 22,587 people had now been displaced after unrest between Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhist Rakhines claimed at least 84 lives in Rakhine State and tested the reformist mettle of the quasi-civilian government that replaced Myanmar’s oppressive ruling junta last year.   REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

When the fire truck arrived at his burning village in Burma’s western Rakhine state late last Monday, local teacher Khin Maung Kyi thought help had finally come. Muslim villagers in Kyauk Pyu township had been battling the blaze for hours, after a petrol bomb attack by their Buddhist neighbours. But instead of dousing the flames with water, Khin Maung Kyi claims that the firemen sprayed the fire with petrol.

“The firemen threw petrol on the flames, as if it was water! The authorities are one-sided. We can never trust them,” he said. Last Wednesday, the entire Muslim community in Kyauk Pyu decided to flee in their fishing boats, joining thousands of others trying to escape a new outbreak of communal violence between the majority Buddhist Rakhine population and the Muslim Rohingya.

“The first sign of trouble was when our Rakhine neighbours began to leave their homes. Then at 8pm [on Monday] we heard the ringing of a bell. Soon after, a car turned up full of Rakhine,” said Khin Maung Kyi, 64. “They threw petrol bombs at our homes and then sped away. When we tried to put the fires out, the Rakhine attacked us with swords and spears.”

Satellite images of Kyauk Pyu and its coastal surrounds, released by Human Rights Watch at the weekend, show the extent of the devastation. Where once there were houseboats and floating barges moored along a harbour town packed with houses, now there is charred desolation, with 811 homes and other structures destroyed.

“If we had stayed, we would have been killed,” said Khin Maung Kyi. “This is like Bosnia. This is ethnic cleansing.” The violence stems from an incident in May, when a Rakhine Buddhist woman was raped and killed, allegedly by three Muslim men.

A few days later, 10 Muslims were killed on a bus. In the violence that followed, around 100 people were killed, and 100,000 fled to camps in and around the state capital, Sittwe – the vast majority of them Muslim Rohingyas, an ethnic minority described by the United Nations as one of the most oppressed groups in the world. While tensions calmed for a few months, unrest flared again last week, with at least 67 people killed.

The violence in Rakhine state has placed the new civilian government in a difficult position, as it emerges from decades of dictatorship. There is widespread hatred in Burma of the Rohingya, who are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. But accusations from abroad of ethnic cleansing are not what the government needs when it trying to attract foreign investment and diplomatic recognition. A recent report by Human Rights Watch accused the government of “both failing to intervene to stop sectarian violence and directly participating in abuses”. Villagers fleeing the stricken areas say police have opened fire indiscriminately, injuring both Muslims and Buddhists.

“At first the army protected us,” said Mohammed Salim, 31, who fled Pauk Taw township. “But the Nasaka border security force told us this is Rakhine land and we should leave. If anything happened, they couldn’t protect us. They refused to take any responsibility for our safety.”

A spokesman for Burma’s President, Thein Sein, told the BBC at the weekend that “there have been incidents of whole villages and parts of the towns being burnt down in Rakhine state”, and said police had been deployed to restore order. The government has in the past denied any abuses in the area, and said security forces act with “maximum restraint”.

Buddhist residents of Rakhine also speak of atrocities against them. In the grounds of a Buddhist monastery in Sittwe, mother-of-three Ma May Than, 34, feeds balls of rice to her daughter. She fled Pauk Thaw and arrived here on Saturday. “The Muslims are buying and making diesel to set fire to our houses,” she claimed. “They surrounded our village and tried to set it on fire. We were so afraid, so all the women and children from our village have come here. There’s no way we can ever live together again.”

While the inaccessibility of the worst-hit regions, and the long history of animosity between the communities, make the claims and counter claims difficult to verify, the scale of the exodus speaks of the horrors on the ground. UN and government officials said yesterday that 20,000 more people – mostly Muslims – had fled the latest violence. Some have set up makeshift shelters on the beaches, while other pack into already crowded refugee camps. Those who fled and made it ashore also allege that the authorities have prevented boatloads of Rohingya from landing on the coast near Sittwe. At least 20 boats from Kyauk Pyu were held offshore on Thursday. Villagers who had made it to land said two women had given birth on the boats and two people had died. Former residents of Pauk Taw said that a government ferry had rammed their fishing boats at sea, with dozens drowning. Officials at the ferry’s jetty in Sittwe refused to answer questions about the incident.

The inhabitants from Number 3 and Number 4 village in Pauk Taw fled on Monday. “The violence began on 23 June, when the Rakhine set fire to our homes. The security forces intervened and fired at both sides. Two Rakhine were injured. But that didn’t stop them,” said Noor Nahar, 27. “They threw stones, bamboo and spears at our homes the whole night. We didn’t dare to go outside.”

So when violence flared again this month, the Muslims of Pauk Taw decided it was safer to leave, and set sail in their fishing boats with their families. They left just in time: the latest rumour around Sittwe is that their village is now up in flames as well.

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Massachusetts Candidates Differ Only Slightly on MidEast

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By Karin Friedemann, TMO

While President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney have dominated presidential election coverage, the Massachusetts Senate race may be the second-most important race in the country. The Senate elections are crucial for President Obama. A return of a Democratic majority may unite the divided government he has had to work with the past two years.

Harvard Law School professor and consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren has prided herself on going after Wall Street banks and being “for the people.” The Democratic candidate, who enjoys a slight lead over Republican Scott Brown, made a splash in the most recent televised debate when she said, “I want to be blunt; we should not be fighting about equal pay for equal work and access to birth control in 2012.”

When it comes to Israel, one could hope that Brown’s Republican values of lower taxation and less government spending – or Warren’s 99% values – would end our forced taxation by Israel. Sadly, not only do both candidates support Israel unconditionally, but they maintain a racist position encouraging and sponsoring the violent policing of non-Jews in the region.

Brown brags that he supported the Senate’s resolution which “reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself during Operation Cast Lead.” He writes, “I also firmly support the security barrier erected by Israel.” Brown states:

“I unequivocally support the recently executed ten-year memorandum of understanding between the US and Israel which will provide $30 billion in military aid to Israel until 2017. Since the vast majority of that aid is spent on American products, it is good for both American employment and the American economy.”

Aren’t Republicans supposed to support free enterprise? Using taxpayer money to support specific businesses, most likely Jewish or Zionist-owned corporations like Starbucks and Home Depot to supply Israeli settlements and cities would certainly not help the average American small business owner.

Warren is less clear on exactly how much of American taxpayers’ money she is willing to fork over to Israel but makes it clear that she will be spending US money to protect apartheid in the Holy Land: “To me, it is a moral imperative to support and defend Israel, and I am committed to ensuring its long-term security by maintaining its qualitative military edge. Israel must be able to defend itself from the serious threats it faces from terrorist organizations to hostile states, including Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others…”

Warren claims that Massachusetts benefits from high tech businesses owned by dual citizen Israelis. “There are approximately 100 companies in Massachusetts with Israeli founders or based on Israeli technologies – creating $2.4 billion in value and thousands of jobs for our economy.” However, Israeli companies, indirectly subsidized by US taxpayers, suck money away from the very working class citizen base that Warren appeals to. American high tech companies, which are not Jewish-owned, have a harder time competing for contracts when the US government practices such favoritism.

Scott Brown’s foreign policy statement relies heavily on racist soundbites obviously borrowed from some unnamed “Talking Points Memo,” even maligning the Goldstone Report on Israeli war crimes. Elizabeth Warren phrases her own foreign policy statement in a more pleasantly ambiguous way but clearly accepts behavior that is violently racist in favor of Jews against Arabs and Muslims, and appears to draw from the same “Talking Points Memo.”

For example, regarding Palestine, Brown emphasizes that his support for a two-state solution for peace is “premised on security for Israel and is not imposed by outside parties,” while Warren clarifies, “I do not believe that a lasting peace can be imposed from the outside.” What does this mean, other than that Israel’s decision to stop committing genocide against Palestinians must be purely voluntary? That the US has an obligation to arm Israel but no other country or group may arm Palestine? Both candidates clearly view Israel’s security as more important than the security of the United States by keeping us involved in this conflict.

Warren openly opposes the Palestinians’ application for UN membership. She claims to believe in a two-state solution but opposes the recognition of Palestine as a country. How can two countries negotiate when only one country is recognized as a country? This is one of many bizarre mental cliff leaps Warren’s political position takes. Brown’s logic also ventures into bizarro-land as he sloppily copies “Israel’s unconditional right to live in peace is equal to that of all other nations of the world” from the same “Talking Points Memo” – as if any other nation on earth enjoyed any “unconditional right to live in peace!” The racist tyrade continues as Brown reiterates the age old anti-Palestinian canard that there are no leaders to negotiate peace with:

“I stand with Israel and the majority of leaders in support of a two-sate solution… However, with the Palestinian leadership now divided by a terrorist entity (Hamas) and the Palestinian authority, we do not yet have the fundamental requirements in place to begin negotiations… Until there is a non-terrorist entity on the other side of the table, negotiations cannot start.”

Both Brown and Warren also oppose the non-existent Iranian nuclear bomb threat. Warren supports economic sanctions against Iran: “Like the President, I believe that the careless talk of rushing to war is unhelpful, and, like the President, I believe the United States must take the necessary steps to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.” When a blogger recently mentioned to her that Iran is not even working on a nuclear weapon according to US official sources, Warren answered that she would have to “look into it.” Warren’s ignorance and arrogance against Iran seems almost palatable compared to the nearly psychotic ranting on Brown’s website:

“Iran, the brutal theocracy run by a cabal of mullahs and President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, represents an existential threat to Israel and a menace to United States interests. With visions of regional domination and international troublemaking, Ahmedinejad has stated with great clarity that the Holocaust did not occur and that Israel should be ‘wiped off the map.’”

Not only does Scott support divestment from Iran but he would make it illegal to do business with any country that does business with Iran. He continues: “I also would work to restore funding for the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC ) which was recently cut by the Obama administration and support continued intelligence sharing by the Mossad and the CIA.”

Regarding both Massachusetts Senatorial candidates, it would seem that they are largely struggling over who can agree with the same positions more forcefully, except that Warren prefers to starve Iranians rather than kill them with bombs, and that Scott seems to enjoy personal ties with the Mossad.

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How Syria’s Rebel Fighters Were Sold Exploding Rifles – by a Mystery Briton Named ‘Emile’

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Opponents of Bashar al-Assad suspect they have been duped by a double agent posing as an arms dealer

By Kim Sengupta 

fsa soldier

An FSA fighter

To the Syrian rebels, the offer was enticing: Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles and ammunition at below-market price, with supplies plentiful. The dealers were convincing: two of them had European passports, one a British passport, and they claimed to have been involved in supplying arms during the Bosnia war.

Three meetings took place in Istanbul between representatives of the rebels and the dealers, including the Briton, calling himself Emile, to organise shipments. An initial payment of around $40,000 was made.

The delivery was on time, as had been a previous shipment. But it soon became apparent that something was wrong.

Rifles exploded during a firefight. There was a second such “accident”, and a third, leading to injuries. An examination of the remaining consignments revealed that propellants inside some of the cartridges had been replaced with ground explosives with three or four times design-pressure, with the aim of bursting them in the breach.

With Syria’s civil war getting increasingly vicious and dirty, the opposition has come across “abandoned” government arms that were proved to have been doctored.

But the presence of the arms traffickers, including the Briton, has led to claims that the Syrian regime is using foreign agents to undermine the opposition.

Abdurrahman Abu-Nasr, a rebel representative who attended one of the meetings with the dealers in Istanbul three weeks ago, recalled “Emile” as a man in his late 40s who was of Arab – part-Syrian – origin. “He spoke fluent English, he told us that he had lived in England. Another man had a Belgian passport, but I think his family were from somewhere like Morocco. They were giving good prices, only around $ 2.50 per round [The average price had gone up to $5 at times].

“The man with the British passport told us he had supplied the Mujahedin in Bosnia, he knew a lot about defence equipment. My friend and I asked whether they were acting on behalf of their governments. They did not admit they were, but did not deny it totally either. It was clever, it left us wondering.”

There is no evidence to suggest that the man calling himself “Emile” has any connection with the British intelligence agencies.

The UK government is supplying “non-lethal” aid to the Syrian opposition, including satellite communications equipment, and thus, say security sources, it would not have been possible for regime agents to have infiltrated such a chain.

Speaking about arms supplies, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said recently: “I don’t rule out any option in the future because we don’t know how the situation will develop.” He denied that supplies are being “outsourced” through Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

The rebels who met “Emile” and his colleagues are investigating the role of a conduit who had acted as a referee.

Sabotaging ammunition is not new to counter-insurgency warfare. The British engineered the supply of doctored bullets in the Second Matabele War in the 1890s and the Waziristan campaign in the 1930s. The Americans used the tactic in Vietnam, and both they and the Russians have carried out such operations in Afghanistan.

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First Pakistani in Space Will be a Woman

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India Times

pakwomanISLAMABAD: Once you’ve been to both poles, skydived over Mount Everest and set up your country’s first consulate in Monaco, the question is: what next?

For 37-year-old explorer Namira Salim the answer is easy – become the first Pakistani to go into space. Her flight with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism project is planned for next year. Although no date has been fixed for the venture’s first commercial flight, she is looking forward to fulfilling a lifelong obsession.

“As a child I always believed I would go to space. It’s not that I read about it one fine day and thought of signing up. I’ve always said this was in my DNA,” she said in an interview from Dubai.

“I must have been less than five years old and I was crying very hard. My father was trying to pacify me and I was like ‘I don’t want anything, I just want to go to space. I don’t want any toys, nothing , just send me to space’ .”

But coming from a country with no major space programme of its own, where millions live in poverty, the journey to the stars was never likely to be straightforward. Pressured by her father to study, she kept up her passion for space in her spare time, joining astronomy clubs and spending nights gazing at the desert skies after her family moved to the UAE in the 1980s. “I always had this feeling that there was something very spiritual and divine associated with this whole thing,” she said of her ambition. “As if something was really pulling me there and calling out to me, and I had to be there and I belonged there.” Chasing your dreams doesn’t always come cheap – Salim paid $200,000 to sign up with Virgin Galactic in 2007, funded with support from her family, who run a heavy construction equipment firm in the UAE.

Salim said the money she has paid is an investment in a commercial industry that will one day replace government space agencies and enable researchers , satellites – and tourists – to go up at a fraction of the current cost.

And she believes space travel can eventually play a role in world peace.

“We hope one day politicians could be taken up in space, and a space shuttle like this one we’ve built with Virgin is perfect for that. We could actually have peace summits and have conflict resolution in space.”

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Saudis Take a Bulldozer to Islam’s History

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Authorities are building a mosque so big it will hold 1.6m people – but are demolishing irreplaceable monuments to do it

By Jerome Taylor

Medina

Three of the world’s oldest mosques are about to be destroyed as Saudi Arabia embarks on a multi-billion-pound expansion of Islam’s second holiest site. Work on the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad (s) is buried, will start once the annual Hajj pilgrimage ends next month. When complete, the development will turn the mosque into the world’s largest building, with the capacity for 1.6 million worshippers.

But concerns have been raised that the development will see key historic sites bulldozed. Anger is already growing at the kingdom’s apparent disdain for preserving the historical and archaeological heritage of the country’s holiest city, Mecca. Most of the expansion of Masjid an-Nabawi will take place to the west of the existing mosque, which holds the tombs of Islam’s founder and two of his closest companions, Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra).

Just outside the western walls of the current compound are mosques dedicated to Abu Bakr and Umar, as well as the Masjid Ghamama, built to mark the spot where the Prophet (s) is thought to have given his first prayers for the Eid festival. The Saudis have announced no plans to preserve or move the three mosques, which have existed since the seventh century and are covered by Ottoman-era structures, or to commission archaeological digs before they are pulled down, something that has caused considerable concern among the few academics who are willing to speak out in the deeply authoritarian kingdom.

“No one denies that Medina is in need of expansion, but it’s the way the authorities are going about it which is so worrying,” says Dr Irfan al-Alawi of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation. “There are ways they could expand which would either avoid or preserve the ancient Islamic sites but instead they want to knock it all down.” Dr Alawi has spent much of the past 10 years trying to highlight the destruction of early Islamic sites.

With cheap air travel and booming middle classes in populous Muslim countries within the developing world, both Mecca and Medina are struggling to cope with the 12 million pilgrims who visit each year – a number expected to grow to 17 million by 2025. The Saudi monarchy views itself as the sole authority to decide what should happen to the cradle of Islam. Although it has earmarked billions for an enormous expansion of both Mecca and Medina, it also sees the holy cities as lucrative for a country almost entirely reliant on its finite oil wealth.

Heritage campaigners and many locals have looked on aghast as the historic sections of Mecca and Medina have been bulldozed to make way for gleaming shopping malls, luxury hotels and enormous skyscrapers. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of the 1,000-year-old buildings in the two cities have been destroyed in the past 20 years.

In Mecca, the Masjid al-Haram, the holiest site in Islam and a place where all Muslims are supposed to be equal, is now overshadowed by the Jabal Omar complex, a development of skyscraper apartments, hotels and an enormous clock tower. To build it, the Saudi authorities destroyed the Ottoman era Ajyad Fortress and the hill it stood on. Other historic sites lost include the Prophet’s (s) birthplace – now a library – and the house of his first wife, Khadijah (ra), which was replaced with a public toilet block.

Neither the Saudi Embassy in London nor the Ministry for Foreign Affairs responded to requests for comment when The Independent contacted them this week. But the government has previously defended its expansion plans for the two holy cities as necessary. It insists it has also built large numbers of budget hotels for poorer pilgrims, though critics point out these are routinely placed many miles away from the holy sites.

Until recently, redevelopment in Medina has pressed ahead at a slightly less frenetic pace than in Mecca, although a number of early Islamic sites have still been lost. Of the seven ancient mosques built to commemorate the Battle of the Trench – a key moment in the development of Islam – only two remain. Ten years ago, a mosque which belonged to the Prophet’s (s) grandson was dynamited. Pictures of the demolition that were secretly taken and smuggled out of the kingdom showed the religious police celebrating as the building collapsed.

The disregard for Islam’s early history is partly explained by the regime’s adoption of Wahabism, an austere and uncompromising interpretation of Islam that is vehemently opposed to anything which might encourage Muslims towards idol worship.

In most of the Muslim world, shrines have been built. Visits to graves are also commonplace. But Wahabism views such practices with disdain. The religious police go to enormous lengths to discourage people from praying at or visiting places closely connected to the time of the Prophet (s) while powerful clerics work behind the scenes to promote the destruction of historic sites.

Dr Alawi fears that the redevelopment of the Masjid an-Nabawi is part of a wider drive to shift focus away from the place where Muhammad (s) is buried. The spot that marks the Prophet’s (s) tomb is covered by a famous green dome and forms the centrepiece of the current mosque. But under the new plans, it will become the east wing of a building eight times its current size with a new pulpit. There are also plans to demolish the prayer niche at the centre of mosque. The area forms part of the Riyadh al-Jannah (Garden of Paradise), a section of the mosque that the Prophet (s) decreed especially holy..

“Their excuse is they want to make more room and create 20 spaces in a mosque that will eventually hold 1.6 million,” says Dr Alawi. “It makes no sense. What they really want is to move the focus away from where the Prophet (s) is buried.”

A pamphlet published in 2007 by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs – and endorsed by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz al Sheikh – called for the dome to be demolished and the graves of Muhammad (s), Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra) to be flattened. Sheikh Ibn al-Uthaymeen, one of the 20th century’s most prolific Wahabi scholars, made similar demands.

“Muslim silence over the destruction of Mecca and Medina is both disastrous and hypocritical,” says Dr Alawi. “The recent movie about the Prophet Muhammad (s) caused worldwide protests… and yet the destruction of the Prophet’s (s) birthplace, where he prayed and founded Islam has been allowed to continue without any criticism.”

Mecca and Medina in numbers

12m The number of people who visit Mecca and Medina every year

3.4m The number of Muslims expected to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) this year

60,000 The current capacity of the Masjid an-Nabawi mosque

1.6m The projected capacity of the mosque after expansion

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The Other Peace Process: Interreligious Dialogue and Peace

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By Dr. Ron Kronish

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Rabbi Ron Kronish

Kadi Iyad Zahalka, the judge of the Muslim Shariya court in Jerusalem of the state of Israel, and I  were grateful for the opportunity to be able to present our ideas to members of  Detroit’s interreligious, academic and civic communities last week, during our two-day whirlwind visit to the Detroit area on October 24-25, 2012.  We also appreciated the opportunity to share our moderate message of peaceful coexistence with such receptive audiences.

We talked  about “the other peace process”. Not the political peace process (which has been in a stalemate for several years); but the people-to-people peace-building process, the one that brings people from different religions and nationalities together to encounter each other substantively and sensitively in order to find ways to live in peaceful coexistence together.  We believe strongly in the importance of this “other” peace process for sustainable living together, now and in the future.

Kadi Zahalka is a Palestianinan, Arab, Muslim, Israeli citizen and a respected judge in our country. I am a Reform rabbi who moved to Israel 33 years ago, to “go  up” to live in the land and state of Israel and have served in educational and communal positions in Jerusalem for over three decades.  We spoke in the Community House of Birmingham, at the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies of Wayne State University, and at First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. I suspect that this may have been the first time in the greater Detroit area that a kadi and a rabbi spoke at a Presbyterian Church!! Mabye we made history, but we’ll have to “google it” to be sure!

In addition, our public dialogues in the Detroit area were co-sponsored by a wide range of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, interfaith, and civic organizations, probably unprecedented in the recent history of Detroit. We are grateful for the extraordinary organizational efforts of Brenda Rosenberg of the Pathways for Peace Foundation and to her associate Sheri Schiff for their efforts to reach to so many diverse communities in the Detroit area.

Our message was one that is not usually heard outside of Israel — a message of moderation which emphasizes that peaceful living is possible! And that our conflict can come to an end, as other seemingly hopeless conflicts have ended in what might have seemed as intractible situations  in the world, such as in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Bosnia and other places.
Kadi Zahalka, who represents a new generation of serious and dynamic Muslim judges in Israel, presented a moderate, liberal interpretation of Islam, as he lives and practices it, that is largely unknown and unrecognized outside of Israel, even though his style of Islam is the dominant one in Israel. He talked about how Islam in Israel is different from Islam in Iran or Gaza or Lebanon or Saudi Arabia, where the extremists have captured the regimes and the headlines.

And at each public dialogue, I shared with audiences in the Detroit area our new thinking about the method of dialogue, as well as the message and importance of peace. I  explained why and how interreligious and intercultural dialogue are essential  ingredients for a lasting peace. Politics can only produce the framework for peace. We religious leaders and educators and psychologists and social workers can help people learn to live in peace together. Dialogue, education and action are the methods to achieve this.

We  also both demonstrated how a kadi and a rabbi can be genuine colleagues and friends. We reject both Islamophobia — which is strengthened by hate ads in subways and on videos on youtube — and we reject anti-semitism in any form, whether on the college campus or via the internet. We respect each other’s religions and cultures –both our common values and our different paths — and we vow to increase mutual understanding through our actions as well as our words.

Finally, we presented for Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Detroit area  the challenges as we look towards the future, and explained how dialogue and education will play a critical role in a viable peace process –based on genuine mutual understanding—in the years and decades ahead.  Our role is not to solve the macro political problems of the region. That task is for the politicians and diplomats. Our  task — as religious leaders, educators and activists in our communities — is to change the hearts and minds of the people on both sides of the conflict to be able to live in peaceful relations over the long haul.

Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish serves as the Director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel and the Jerusalem Center for Jewish Christian Relations. He blogs for the Times of Israel (www.timesofisrael.com) and can be reached at rkronish@icci.org.il

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YMCA Honors Homa Yavar

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saluteMIDDLETOWN,OH–The YWCA of Hamilton honored seven local women Oct. 23 as part of the annual Salute to Outstanding Women of Achievement.

Based on nominations from the community, the women are selected from by a panel of judges in recognition of their exemplary contributions in community service.Among the honorees was Homa Yavar.

As a founding member of Muslim Mothers Against Violence at the Islamic Center of Greate Cincinnati, Homa Yavar “has passion for dialogue between people of different cultures and religions and is dedicated to numerous civic and community causes,” her nomination said.

Yavar has participated in many interfaith forums in tri-state area, was co-editor of a handbook for discussions on Islamic Faith and America Post 9/11 and co-chair of Greater Cincinnati Advocates for Darfur, organizing awareness days at over a dozen Cincinnati schools.

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The US Government Honored Prophet Muhammad (s) in 1935

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Prophet Muhammad (s) was honored by the US Supreme Court In 1935.

honorableandhonored“Fact: The US Supreme court honored Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) as one of those with the greatest impact on law in the world in 1935.
Equality before the law; Innocent until proven guilty; The right to counsel … this is why in 1935, the United States Supreme Court honored Prophet Muhammad (s) as one of the 18 greatest lawgivers in human history in 1935.

Islam is also recognized in one of our greatest buildings (the Library of Congress) as being one of the 11 or 12 most influential and important contributors to civilization!”

Shared by S M Hasan

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Peace via Sharia

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By Dr. A S Nakadar, TMO CEO and Publisher

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left to right:  Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish, Interfaith activist Brenda Rosenberg, TMO CEO Dr. A.S. Nakadar, and Chief Qadi of Jerusalem Iyad Zahalka.

The current trend of anti-Muslim bigotry, using Sharia as an excuse, is highly disturbing. This tide is on the increase and has crept into state legislatures around the country. The idea that anything Islamic is un-American is unjust and discriminatory. Laws that single out the Sharia violate the first amendment.

In the US the mere mention of the word Sharia evokes an undesirable reaction from non-Muslim Americans. By contrast it is interesting to see how other countries of the world respect and have incorporated Shari laws as part of their legal system.

For example the UK has Sharia Councils, Israel has Sharia courts in each of its regions, and India has the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. The Philippines has Sharia district courts and Sharia’s circuit courts since the presidential promulgation in 1977. Recent polls show 65% of the people in Canada support it. Therefore there are non-Muslim majority countries which practice and support Sharia courts.

In the UK Sharia law operates under the Islamic Sharia Council, parallel to the British legal system, since 1982. There are some 86 such Sharia Councils in UK and they are expanding. As the demand for Sharia thrives, a number of British law firms are starting to tap into the booming market.

The reason why Sharia law is flourishing is simple, it is inexpensive, verdicts come within a few days, it is hassle free and it fulfills Muslims’ obligations. It has taken the load and pressure off the British legal system.

In Canada, legal experts and lawmakers suggested the implementation of Sharia in 2004. The provincial governments of Canada for years have tacitly recognized Sharia law for Canada’s Muslim minority. But due to pressure from vested groups it has not achieved legal status. However the sharia law operates in certain quarters in the province of Ontario that has a Muslim population of over 500,000. Sharia practice is advancing in Canada at both provincial and local levels.

In the largest world democracy, India, the Sharia law is legal and flourishing even today since its introduction by the Ottoman Empire in 16th century. Subsequent ruling dynasties of Mughals followed it and the British continued to practice it.

Americans might be surprised to know that most of the Western countries have adopted Sharia in one form or another. For example many banks in Europe, Canada and the USA have departments that carry out financial transactions in accordance with the Sharia.

There are at least 10 states that have passed “halal” laws in conformity with Islamic methodology of slaughtering animals.

It is unfortunate that many non-Muslim Americans have no clue what the “Sharia” is. Their information is limited to out-of context-references such as “subjugation of women” “chopping of hands” of thieves and “stoning to death” for women committing adultery.

The media has played a critical role in the dissemination of misinformation about Sharia.  And politicians have relished this innocent prey for their political gains by using Muslims as a boogeyman, to consolidate and garner votes of the majority.

In this climate, it is no wonder that I was surprised to receive an invitation from my friend, Jewish community activist Mrs. Brenda Naomi Rosenberg, to meet Qadi (Judge) Iyad Zahalka, head of Sharia court in Jerusalem and Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish, a noted Rabbi and the founder and director of IICI, the umbrella for 75 organizations of Christians, Muslims and Jews working for peace.

I learned from these scholars the workings of Sharia courts in Israel. These courts have jurisdiction for personal status issues like marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, legal contracts and contract disputes, for Muslim citizens of Israel.

According to the 2012 census, the total population of Israel is 7.9 million–with a Muslim population of 1.4 million.

After we were all introduced, we settled at a round table in a large contemporary living room that overlooked a magnificent lake–adding to the serenity.

Qadi Ilyad Zahalka explained there are 11 Sharia courts headed by a Qadi (a qualified Muslim judge), in Israel. One each for the eight regions in Israel and three Qadis sit on the appeals board. 

I asked Qadi Ilyad Zahalka what happens in case of marriage across religious lines. He said in that case each party will obtain permission from their respective courts. For example in a divorce if one party is Jewish and the other Muslim, both will have to obtain permission from their respective courts. The judgment is binding on parties and civil courts can’t overrule them. However they can appeal to their respective appellate courts.

I asked the rabbi, “Do you think the Sharia laws questions the sovereignty of Israel or challenges its constitution?”

The rabbi looked straight in my eyes and said: “Israel has no constitution.”

“What? Israel has no constitution?” I couldn’t hide my ignorance.

He said: “Yes, we don’t have a constitution.”

“How is Israel governed then?” I asked.

The rabbi coolly answered, “Israel is governed by a set of laws.”

I asked him: “Any particular reason Israel has not adopted a constitution?”

Rabbi Ron Kornish without any hesitation answered: “Yes, there are many reasons. One is deep differences among us. For example I am a Reform Rabbi and the conservatives, especially ultra conservatives, do not consider us “Jews or Israelis.” He continued: “So you see, we are considered as non-Jews and non-citizens in our own country, Israel.”

I said “Oh! That sounds familiar.”

He continued, the other reason is: “We have a large, almost 22 to 23% Arabs citizens of Israel and we need to take them into consideration. And there are other reasons apart from geographical.”

“What are the other Western Countries that practice the Sharia?”

Qadi Iyad Zahalka answered, “Israel is the only ‘Western Country’ that practices Sharia law in a true sense. While the UK practices Sharia law the grieved party could challenge the Sharia ruling in a civil court, but not in Israel.”

We discussed about Palestinian statehood and Dr. Ron Kronish was emphatic in saying that two states, Israel and Palestinian, living side by side is the peace making solution. He added, “If these politicians could understand it and let the people live in peace.”

We discussed various topics for almost an hour and from the discourse it was obvious that they were on a mission of peace. The joint appearance of the Rabbi and a Qadi in their presentation at Wayne State University, and the Presbyterian Church in Birmingham and other places on the topics of Sharia, Palestine and on other relevant topics such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam were spirited evidence of their common mission to spread peace.

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