Washington, DC - Last week, the Texas Board of Education adopted a resolution with a 7-6 vote that "accuses textbook publishers of favoring Islam over Christianity and tells them to stop it."
Although the resolution is non-binding on future board members or textbook publishers, it attempts to set a precedent and represents acceptance of an allegation that although unproven, may be raised in other states. The resolution did not in fact concern textbooks currently in use in Texas.
The allegation that textbooks favour Islam over Christianity is spurious, and the Texas Board of Education has been misled.
A look at common U.S. textbooks refutes the charge, which distorts the role of teaching about religion in US public schools. State social studies content standards require the beliefs, practices and history of major world religions be taught within constitutional guidelines for the academic study of religion. As such, textbooks are scrutinised prior to adoption in every state.
The resolution is based on sections on Islam and Christianity in textbooks. What about the other faiths? As a textbook reviewer for two decades, I assert that most textbooks are similar enough to allow generalisations about the coverage of religions. A world history textbook index might contain more entries under Islam than Christianity, but adding keywords like Church, clergy, monastery, cathedral, pope, Reformation, Protestant and Bible tips the scales the other way. Textbooks cover the roots of Christianity in the history of Judaism, and Old Testament figures like Abraham and Moses. Content about early Christianity is only a fraction of overall content on this faith.
Christian history is actually treated in an exemplary manner in most history textbooks. Why? Because Christianity is thoroughly intertwined with the history of European civilisation. Textbooks describe its rise in the late Roman Empire and its spread into Asia, Africa and Europe. They narrate the Roman Catholic Church's influence in medieval Europe and its split from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Textbooks cite cultural contributions of Christianity in learning, arts and social life.
They trace changes in the Christian tradition – intellectual movements, interactions with political and social systems – through the centuries. The books cover the role of Christianity in the Crusades, Renaissance and Reformation, Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution and American history.
By comparison with Christianity, coverage of other world faiths is static and limited. Judaism is emphasised in the context of ancient times, but fades from the story with the rise of Christianity. References to the 13th century rabbi and philosopher Maimonides or pogroms during the Crusades do not make up for the absence of Jewish intellectuals and contributions to European culture, or Jewish merchant communities from the Mediterranean to China.
Textbooks describe Hinduism and Buddhism in ancient India. Buddhism's spread along the Silk Road extends the story, but readers find little about change over time. Textbooks show people practicing these faiths today, but the gap between ancient origins and contemporary faiths is wide.
Students may conclude from this imbalance that only Christianity possessed a rich, multi-faceted tradition. The charge that Christianity is shortchanged in textbooks is based on a distorted reading of the books, meant to foster a sense of victimisation among Christians.
Coverage of Islam in textbooks is similar to Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism in its focus on early origins rather than change over time. Many book's indexes are affected by the overuse of religious terms like "Islamic Empire" instead of geographic terms. This usage stems from Western academics, not textbook publishers. Terms like jihad (struggle) and sharia (Islamic principles) present another problem. Critics want to see such complex terms defined as "good" or "bad", while scholars recognise their complexity over time.
Historical thinking skills require differentiated views. Textbooks should not project concepts broadcast by today's extremists onto centuries of history.
Content on world religions is not new to textbooks, but texts on "non-Western" faiths were often inaccurate and inadequate. Hindu Americans have recently challenged textbook coverage on these grounds, just as historians and Muslim educators have worked to improve accuracy of content on Islam.
As a result, textbook coverage of Islam and other religions has improved in recent years. Textbooks today reflect attention to balance in page counts, topics, images and quotes from scripture. Editors enlist reviewers and take account of First Amendment guidelines for teaching about religion.
Backlash against improvement in the coverage of religions – not only Islam – has resulted in claims that coverage is too positive. Some want to project fear of Islam onto centuries of history, reducing the Muslim world’s relations with the West to a clash of civilisations. Efforts to improve accuracy are confused with proselytising or whitewashing, which is neither the intent nor the outcome of teaching about religions in public school.
The First Amendment Center – an advocacy group in the United States that works to preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education – has promoted understanding among Americans of diverse beliefs for decades, using a framework that offers other countries struggling with religious pluralism a model to emulate. State standards reflect national consensus that citizens should be literate about the world's religions. Political opportunism should not prevent students from learning within this American civic framework.
Source # http://islamonline.com/
Showing posts with label about muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about muslims. Show all posts
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Iran ‘halves jail terms’ for seven Bahai followers
PARIS (AFP) - Iran has cut jail terms imposed on seven leading members of the country's Bahai religious minority from 20 to 10 years, French members of the faith said on Saturday.
The seven, including two women, were arrested in May 2008 and put on trial in January this year on charges including spying for foreigners, spreading corruption, undermining Islam and cooperating with Israel.
They were sentenced on August 8 to 20 years imprisonment, but the French Bahai community said in a statement Saturday that their lawyers
had been told orally that the term had been halved.
"The Bahais of France, greatly concerned for their co-religionists, call on the authorities in Iran to take immediate steps to release them unconditionally," it added.
The defendants have been identified as two women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, and five men: Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm.
They "were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran's 300,000-strong Bahai community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority," a statement by the French Bahais said in August.
"The trial of the seven consisted of six brief court appearances which began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge for 20 months, during which time they were allowed barely one hour's access to their legal counsel. The trial ended on 14 June," it added.
The case brought condemnation from Washington, where US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the sentencing was "a violation of Iran's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Clinton was referring to the 1966 UN treaty on fundamental freedoms, which Iran ratified before the 1979 Islamic revolution overthrew the pro-Western shah.
"The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government's continued persecution of Bahais and other religious minority communities in Iran," she added in August.
"The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Bahai community in Iran," she said.
"We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations."
Followers of the Bahai faith, which was founded in Iran in 1863, are regarded in the Islamic republic as infidels and suffered persecution both before and after the Islamic revolution.
The Bahais consider Bahaullah, born in 1817, to be the latest prophet sent by God and believe in the spiritual unity of all religions and all mankind.
The group now has seven million followers, including 300,000 in Iran -- where its members are barred from higher education and government posts -- and has a large temple in Haifa, in northern Israel.
"For Muslims, there can't be another prophet or divine messenger after Mohammed," Bahai follower Foad Saberan told AFP, explaining why the group has been dubbed "non-protected infidels" in Iran.
"So they consider Bahaullah an impostor and his followers heretics, whereas the Bahai faith has nothing to do with Islam and is an independent religion.
"And if the headquarters of the religion is in Haifa, it's because that's where Bahaullah ended up settling in 1868 after he was exiled to Baghdad then to Constantinople, long before the creation of the state of Israel."
Bahai leaders believe a total of 47 members of their religion are imprisoned in Iran simply for their beliefs.
Source: http://www.islamtribune.com
The seven, including two women, were arrested in May 2008 and put on trial in January this year on charges including spying for foreigners, spreading corruption, undermining Islam and cooperating with Israel.
They were sentenced on August 8 to 20 years imprisonment, but the French Bahai community said in a statement Saturday that their lawyers
had been told orally that the term had been halved.
"The Bahais of France, greatly concerned for their co-religionists, call on the authorities in Iran to take immediate steps to release them unconditionally," it added.
The defendants have been identified as two women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, and five men: Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm.
They "were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran's 300,000-strong Bahai community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority," a statement by the French Bahais said in August.
"The trial of the seven consisted of six brief court appearances which began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge for 20 months, during which time they were allowed barely one hour's access to their legal counsel. The trial ended on 14 June," it added.
The case brought condemnation from Washington, where US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the sentencing was "a violation of Iran's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Clinton was referring to the 1966 UN treaty on fundamental freedoms, which Iran ratified before the 1979 Islamic revolution overthrew the pro-Western shah.
"The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government's continued persecution of Bahais and other religious minority communities in Iran," she added in August.
"The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Bahai community in Iran," she said.
"We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations."
Followers of the Bahai faith, which was founded in Iran in 1863, are regarded in the Islamic republic as infidels and suffered persecution both before and after the Islamic revolution.
The Bahais consider Bahaullah, born in 1817, to be the latest prophet sent by God and believe in the spiritual unity of all religions and all mankind.
The group now has seven million followers, including 300,000 in Iran -- where its members are barred from higher education and government posts -- and has a large temple in Haifa, in northern Israel.
"For Muslims, there can't be another prophet or divine messenger after Mohammed," Bahai follower Foad Saberan told AFP, explaining why the group has been dubbed "non-protected infidels" in Iran.
"So they consider Bahaullah an impostor and his followers heretics, whereas the Bahai faith has nothing to do with Islam and is an independent religion.
"And if the headquarters of the religion is in Haifa, it's because that's where Bahaullah ended up settling in 1868 after he was exiled to Baghdad then to Constantinople, long before the creation of the state of Israel."
Bahai leaders believe a total of 47 members of their religion are imprisoned in Iran simply for their beliefs.
Source: http://www.islamtribune.com
Monday, September 20, 2010
AP Interview: Ahmadinejad says future is Iran's
NEW YORK – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday that "the future belongs to Iran," and challenged the United States to accept that his country has a major role in the world.
The comments came in an hourlong interview with The Associated Press on the first day of his visit to the United States to attend the annual general assembly of the United Nations this week.
He insisted that his government does not want an atomic bomb — something he has said in the past — and that Iran is only seeking peace and a nuclear-weapons-free world. He repeatedly sidestepped questions on when Iran would resume talks on its disputed nuclear program, and he said anti-nuclear sanctions against his government would have no effect.
Appearing calm and self-assured on his seventh trip to the United States, the Iranian president showed every sign of being in command of himself and prepared to deflect questions about his government's harsh suppression of opposition forces after last year's disputed election that returned him to a second term.
"The United States' administrations ... must recognize that Iran is a big power," he said. "Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power and hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or to violate the rights of any other country.
"Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that enmities will be fruitless."
Over the years, Ahmadinejad has become more articulate and polished. He wore a gray pinstriped suit and a pinstriped white shirt, open with no tie, for the interview, conducted in an East Side hotel not far from the United Nations.
A few blocks away, dozens of protesters demonstrated with tape across their mouths to symbolize what they consider to be the oppressive nature of the Iranian government. The nonprofit Israeli education group, Stand With Us, organized the rally, one of many expected outside the United Nations and elsewhere in the city before Ahmadinejad leaves Friday.
In the interview in a room crowded with aides, bodyguards and Iranian journalists, the Iranian leader projected an air of innocence, saying his country's quest to process ever greater amounts of uranium is reasonable for its expanding civilian power program, omitting that the watchdog United Nations agency involved has found Iran keeping secrets from its investigators on several occasions, including secret research sites.
He also did not acknowledge that the leaders of the political opposition in Iran have been harassed and that government opponents risk violence and arrest if they try to assemble. He did allow that there have been some judicial "mistakes."
Ahmadinejad argued that the opposition Green Movement, which has largely been forced underground, continues to enjoys rights in Iran but said that in the end it must respect "majority rule." He also disavowed any knowledge of the fate of a retired FBI employee who vanished inside Iran in 2007, saying the trail will be followed up by a joint U.S.-Iranian committee.
Government opponents "have their activities that are ongoing and they also express their views publicly. They have several parties, as well as several newspapers, and many newspapers and publications. And so there are really no restrictions of such nature," the president said.
He did not mention that many newspapers have been closed down and that prominent opposition figures were put in prison and then tried after tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets claiming that the election that put him back in power in 2010 was fraudulent and stolen.
The public appearances of his rivals Mir Houssein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been severely restricted and their offices recently were raided by police.
Ahmadinejad said Iran is more free than some other countries. "I believe that when we discuss the subject of freedoms and liberty it has to be done on a comparative basis and to keep in mind that democracy at the end of the day means the rule of the majority, so the minority cannot rule."
He added: "In Iran I think nobody loses their job because of making a statement that reflects their opinion. ... From this point of view, conditions in Iran are far better than in many other places in the world."
Ahmadinejad asserted that international nuclear regulators had never found proof that Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb.
"We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that. We are saying that the arsenal of nuclear bombs (worldwide) have to be destroyed as well," he said.
The U.S. accuses Iran of hiding plans to build a nuclear bomb; Iran denies that and says it's working only toward building nuclear power plants.
Ahmadinejad took no personal responsibility for the fate of the three American hikers who were taken prisoner along the border with Iraq more than a year ago — treating it as a strictly legal affair.
"We're very glad that that lady was released," he said about Sarah Shourd, who arrived in New York on Sunday and held a news conference while Ahmadinejad was being interviewed by the AP, denying she had done anything wrong.
"(Due) to the humanitarian perspective of the Islamic Republic chose to adopt on the subject, she was released on bail," Ahmadinejad said. "And we hope that the other two will soon be able to prove and provide evidence to the court that they had no ill intention in crossing the border, so that their release can also be secured."
Tying the case to Iran's assertion that eight of its citizens are being held unjustly in the United States, he said, "It certainly does not give us joy when we see people in prison, wherever in the world that may be, and even when we think of prisoners here."
His answers were translated from Farsi by an Iranian translator, but Ahmadinejad appeared to be following the questions in English and occasionally corrected his interpreter.
Asked about retired FBI employee Robert Levinson, who disappeared during a trip to Iran in 2007, Ahmadinejad hinted that his government considers that Levinson had been on some "mission" when he vanished.
"Of course if it becomes clear what his goal was, or if he was indeed on a mission, then perhaps specific assistance can be given," the Iranian leader said. "For example, if he had plans to visit with a group or an individual or go to another country, he would be easier to trace in that instance."
Levinson was last seen on Iran's Kish island in March 2007 where he had gone to seek information on cigarette smuggling for a client of his security firm. He had been an FBI agent in New York and Florida before retiring in 1998. He has not been seen since. Iran says it has no information on him.
Overall, Ahmadinejad said that Iran's course is set and the rest of the world needs to accept it.
Another round of international pressure in the form of sanctions would only be futile, he said. "If they were to be effective, I should not be sitting here right now."
Sourcue : Yahoo News
The comments came in an hourlong interview with The Associated Press on the first day of his visit to the United States to attend the annual general assembly of the United Nations this week.
He insisted that his government does not want an atomic bomb — something he has said in the past — and that Iran is only seeking peace and a nuclear-weapons-free world. He repeatedly sidestepped questions on when Iran would resume talks on its disputed nuclear program, and he said anti-nuclear sanctions against his government would have no effect.
Appearing calm and self-assured on his seventh trip to the United States, the Iranian president showed every sign of being in command of himself and prepared to deflect questions about his government's harsh suppression of opposition forces after last year's disputed election that returned him to a second term.
"The United States' administrations ... must recognize that Iran is a big power," he said. "Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power and hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or to violate the rights of any other country.
"Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that enmities will be fruitless."
Over the years, Ahmadinejad has become more articulate and polished. He wore a gray pinstriped suit and a pinstriped white shirt, open with no tie, for the interview, conducted in an East Side hotel not far from the United Nations.
A few blocks away, dozens of protesters demonstrated with tape across their mouths to symbolize what they consider to be the oppressive nature of the Iranian government. The nonprofit Israeli education group, Stand With Us, organized the rally, one of many expected outside the United Nations and elsewhere in the city before Ahmadinejad leaves Friday.
In the interview in a room crowded with aides, bodyguards and Iranian journalists, the Iranian leader projected an air of innocence, saying his country's quest to process ever greater amounts of uranium is reasonable for its expanding civilian power program, omitting that the watchdog United Nations agency involved has found Iran keeping secrets from its investigators on several occasions, including secret research sites.
He also did not acknowledge that the leaders of the political opposition in Iran have been harassed and that government opponents risk violence and arrest if they try to assemble. He did allow that there have been some judicial "mistakes."
Ahmadinejad argued that the opposition Green Movement, which has largely been forced underground, continues to enjoys rights in Iran but said that in the end it must respect "majority rule." He also disavowed any knowledge of the fate of a retired FBI employee who vanished inside Iran in 2007, saying the trail will be followed up by a joint U.S.-Iranian committee.
Government opponents "have their activities that are ongoing and they also express their views publicly. They have several parties, as well as several newspapers, and many newspapers and publications. And so there are really no restrictions of such nature," the president said.
He did not mention that many newspapers have been closed down and that prominent opposition figures were put in prison and then tried after tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets claiming that the election that put him back in power in 2010 was fraudulent and stolen.
The public appearances of his rivals Mir Houssein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been severely restricted and their offices recently were raided by police.
Ahmadinejad said Iran is more free than some other countries. "I believe that when we discuss the subject of freedoms and liberty it has to be done on a comparative basis and to keep in mind that democracy at the end of the day means the rule of the majority, so the minority cannot rule."
He added: "In Iran I think nobody loses their job because of making a statement that reflects their opinion. ... From this point of view, conditions in Iran are far better than in many other places in the world."
Ahmadinejad asserted that international nuclear regulators had never found proof that Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb.
"We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that. We are saying that the arsenal of nuclear bombs (worldwide) have to be destroyed as well," he said.
The U.S. accuses Iran of hiding plans to build a nuclear bomb; Iran denies that and says it's working only toward building nuclear power plants.
Ahmadinejad took no personal responsibility for the fate of the three American hikers who were taken prisoner along the border with Iraq more than a year ago — treating it as a strictly legal affair.
"We're very glad that that lady was released," he said about Sarah Shourd, who arrived in New York on Sunday and held a news conference while Ahmadinejad was being interviewed by the AP, denying she had done anything wrong.
"(Due) to the humanitarian perspective of the Islamic Republic chose to adopt on the subject, she was released on bail," Ahmadinejad said. "And we hope that the other two will soon be able to prove and provide evidence to the court that they had no ill intention in crossing the border, so that their release can also be secured."
Tying the case to Iran's assertion that eight of its citizens are being held unjustly in the United States, he said, "It certainly does not give us joy when we see people in prison, wherever in the world that may be, and even when we think of prisoners here."
His answers were translated from Farsi by an Iranian translator, but Ahmadinejad appeared to be following the questions in English and occasionally corrected his interpreter.
Asked about retired FBI employee Robert Levinson, who disappeared during a trip to Iran in 2007, Ahmadinejad hinted that his government considers that Levinson had been on some "mission" when he vanished.
"Of course if it becomes clear what his goal was, or if he was indeed on a mission, then perhaps specific assistance can be given," the Iranian leader said. "For example, if he had plans to visit with a group or an individual or go to another country, he would be easier to trace in that instance."
Levinson was last seen on Iran's Kish island in March 2007 where he had gone to seek information on cigarette smuggling for a client of his security firm. He had been an FBI agent in New York and Florida before retiring in 1998. He has not been seen since. Iran says it has no information on him.
Overall, Ahmadinejad said that Iran's course is set and the rest of the world needs to accept it.
Another round of international pressure in the form of sanctions would only be futile, he said. "If they were to be effective, I should not be sitting here right now."
Sourcue : Yahoo News
Friday, September 17, 2010
US to expand ambit of Mideast talks
AMMAN: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday the United States planned to involve Syria and Lebanon in talks with Israel with the aim of reaching "comprehensive" peace in the Middle East as enshrined in the Arab peace initiative.
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is on his way for consultations in Damascus and Beirut," Clinton told a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh after her talks with King Abdallah over a working lunch.
The two sides described the meeting as "very productive" and a royal court statement said that Clinton briefed the monarch on the outcome of the new round of direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel and her discussions over the past three days with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"We discussed the ongoing direct negotiations and expressed confidence that Netanyahu and Abbas are serious and can take the difficult decisions to resolve core issues within a year," Clinton said.
"I also have confidence that the two leaders can reach the results we want — two states that live in security and peace," she added.
Clinton said the Palestinian people deserved "an independent, sovereign and viable state".
She praised the Arab peace initiative as an excellent document that "holds out the very promise we seek" — a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
The Arab peace plan, which was adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut in 2002, offers Israel recognition by all Arab states if it pulls out from all the Arab territories it seized in the 1967 Middle East War, including East Jerusalem.
On his part, Judeh said Jordan was "encouraged" by the outcome of the new round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian authority as reported by the US secretary of state. He quoted Clinton as saying that the two sides had started discussion on the controversial core issues — Jerusalem, borders, the refugees and security.
But Clinton’s optimism was not reflected in remarks by officials who said Israel has rejected a proposal to extend by three months a West Bank settlement building freeze whose looming expiration threatens to sink peace talks.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told Israel's Channel 1 television on Thursday he proposed a three-month extension of the moratorium in a meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday.
Looming over the negotiations is a Palestinian threat to pull out of the nascent talks if new construction begins in the West Bank settlements when the 10-month moratorium ends Sept. 30.
"I spoke with him (Netanyahu) about the issue and told him to give it another three months during the negotiations," Mubarak said in an excerpt from the interview aired on Israel Radio.
Officials close to the talks said the United States had made a similar proposal and Netanyahu, whose governing coalition is dominated by pro-settler parties, turned it down.
In a statement, Netanyahu's bureau said it would not comment on the substance of the negotiations but that he was standing by his position not to extend the moratorium.
Source: http://www.islamicity.com
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is on his way for consultations in Damascus and Beirut," Clinton told a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh after her talks with King Abdallah over a working lunch.
The two sides described the meeting as "very productive" and a royal court statement said that Clinton briefed the monarch on the outcome of the new round of direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel and her discussions over the past three days with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"We discussed the ongoing direct negotiations and expressed confidence that Netanyahu and Abbas are serious and can take the difficult decisions to resolve core issues within a year," Clinton said.
"I also have confidence that the two leaders can reach the results we want — two states that live in security and peace," she added.
Clinton said the Palestinian people deserved "an independent, sovereign and viable state".
She praised the Arab peace initiative as an excellent document that "holds out the very promise we seek" — a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
The Arab peace plan, which was adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut in 2002, offers Israel recognition by all Arab states if it pulls out from all the Arab territories it seized in the 1967 Middle East War, including East Jerusalem.
On his part, Judeh said Jordan was "encouraged" by the outcome of the new round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian authority as reported by the US secretary of state. He quoted Clinton as saying that the two sides had started discussion on the controversial core issues — Jerusalem, borders, the refugees and security.
But Clinton’s optimism was not reflected in remarks by officials who said Israel has rejected a proposal to extend by three months a West Bank settlement building freeze whose looming expiration threatens to sink peace talks.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told Israel's Channel 1 television on Thursday he proposed a three-month extension of the moratorium in a meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday.
Looming over the negotiations is a Palestinian threat to pull out of the nascent talks if new construction begins in the West Bank settlements when the 10-month moratorium ends Sept. 30.
"I spoke with him (Netanyahu) about the issue and told him to give it another three months during the negotiations," Mubarak said in an excerpt from the interview aired on Israel Radio.
Officials close to the talks said the United States had made a similar proposal and Netanyahu, whose governing coalition is dominated by pro-settler parties, turned it down.
In a statement, Netanyahu's bureau said it would not comment on the substance of the negotiations but that he was standing by his position not to extend the moratorium.
Source: http://www.islamicity.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
We are not invisible
As Fox News, the New York Post, and other right-wing media outlets are stirring up emotions over the so-called "terror mosque" planned near the site of the World Trade Center, I can't help but think back to the few days I spent in southern Ohio as a volunteer for the Obama campaign in November 2008.
It was there, in Fairfield County, that I committed one of the greatest acts of cowardice in my life. I allowed myself to stand by and say nothing while an entire creed was deemed violent, hateful, and un-American.
At the time, the Obama team was already concerned about the false rumor that their candidate, a self-identified Christian, was a closet Muslim. (According to a recent survey, nearly one-fifth of Americans continue to believe this). When approaching potential voters who believed the rumor, volunteers were instructed not to get in an argument over Muslims, their rights, much less what Islam really stands for. Instead, we were given pamphlets about Obama's faith in Christ and were told to talk about the then-senator's churchgoing habits.
On one campaign stop I knocked on the door of a middle-aged woman who was shocked to see her son's name on my list of potential Obama voters. "He had better not vote for Obama," she declared to me on her doorstep. When I asked her why, she leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "Well, for one, he's a Muslim and I have the proof."
Although I was curious to see her "proof," I could already imagine what it was: The same old laundry list of hateful ideas that continue to divide American society. That Ohio mother was probably never going to vote for Obama, but what was of greater concern to me was the idea that being a Muslim automatically disqualified an individual from public service in the United States. Looking at me, my appearance and physical features, she might have guessed that I was a misguided but well-meaning New York, Jewish liberal. She had no clue that I was a Muslim.
What I wish Americans like her would understand is that the world's one billion Muslims are not a monolithic block hell-bent on the destruction of Christendom. Muslims are ethnically and nationally diverse; they are Arabs, Indonesians, Iranians, Canadians, and Americans. They converse in myriad tongues including Urdu, Russian, Turkish, French, and English. Like many Americans, many Muslims mourn the tragedy unfolding in Gaza; and just like many Americans, many Muslims could care less. Some are as religious as any weekly churchgoer; others couldn't tell you the difference between Mecca and McDonalds.
While proud of their coreligionists' past and current accomplishments, Muslims often discuss and try to fix their home and ancestral societies' ills. We curse the filth who throw acid at young girls simply because their parents sent them off to get an education. We organize to protest and prevent the hanging of men accused of being homosexuals. We speak up when historical catastrophes are denied. We deplore violence and terrorism, committed by anyone at home or abroad.
To many Muslims, particularly those living in the United States, the criticism of the so-called "Ground Zero mosque" to be built in lower Manhattan is a strange occurrence. "Haven't we," many wonder, "integrated fully into American life?"
I spent one glorious night in August 2001 shaking and grooving at the nightclub located on the top floor of the World Trade Center. At the night's conclusion I stood with friends in the Trade Center's plaza, in between those two magnificent towers. I thought about how half of my entire hometown could work in just those two buildings. "I can't believe," I told a good friend, "that those bastards tried to take down this whole complex."
A few weeks later, when the news broke, the first call I made was to my father. "Dad, Dad, they bombed New York! They bombed New York! Those Muslims! Those Muslims!" In my shock and sorrow, I failed to realize that the moment those men chose to take innocent lives, they ceased being Muslims. They were simply criminals. Terrorists.
Almost every American-Muslim will consistently condemn what happened on September 11. The real inconsistency lies with the American right. They organize and take names like the tea party and the Minutemen in honor of America's founders. Yet they ignore the words of President George Washington, who, in a letter to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, declared that the United States, "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens." They also ignore George W. Bush's reminder that Muslims thrive in countries like the United States "not in spite of their faith, but because of it." American conservatives spoke out in support of the Iranian youth who took to the streets and rooftops of Tehran to protest their government by chanting "Allahu Akbar," God is great. But popular opinion in America would not permit those same youth to pray in the vicinity of the World Trade Center even though the heinous act committed there had nothing to do with them.
If I could do it all over again and go back to that day in Ohio, I would ignore the pleas of the Obama campaign. I would stand up straight and declare to the misinformed woman that I am a Muslim. Not a "moderate Muslim," not a Westernized "good Muslim," but a Muslim like Mahmoud Darwish, like Shirin Ebadi, like Muhammad Ali, like some New York cabbies, and the bankers on Wall Street. But I am also an American, born in California with no other home in the world. I, like my fellow Muslims, love this country and have firm roots here. Spit on me and my faith if it makes you feel better, but our Constitution has given me my seat. I refuse to move to the back of the bus.
Source: http://islamonline.com
It was there, in Fairfield County, that I committed one of the greatest acts of cowardice in my life. I allowed myself to stand by and say nothing while an entire creed was deemed violent, hateful, and un-American.
At the time, the Obama team was already concerned about the false rumor that their candidate, a self-identified Christian, was a closet Muslim. (According to a recent survey, nearly one-fifth of Americans continue to believe this). When approaching potential voters who believed the rumor, volunteers were instructed not to get in an argument over Muslims, their rights, much less what Islam really stands for. Instead, we were given pamphlets about Obama's faith in Christ and were told to talk about the then-senator's churchgoing habits.
On one campaign stop I knocked on the door of a middle-aged woman who was shocked to see her son's name on my list of potential Obama voters. "He had better not vote for Obama," she declared to me on her doorstep. When I asked her why, she leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "Well, for one, he's a Muslim and I have the proof."
Although I was curious to see her "proof," I could already imagine what it was: The same old laundry list of hateful ideas that continue to divide American society. That Ohio mother was probably never going to vote for Obama, but what was of greater concern to me was the idea that being a Muslim automatically disqualified an individual from public service in the United States. Looking at me, my appearance and physical features, she might have guessed that I was a misguided but well-meaning New York, Jewish liberal. She had no clue that I was a Muslim.
What I wish Americans like her would understand is that the world's one billion Muslims are not a monolithic block hell-bent on the destruction of Christendom. Muslims are ethnically and nationally diverse; they are Arabs, Indonesians, Iranians, Canadians, and Americans. They converse in myriad tongues including Urdu, Russian, Turkish, French, and English. Like many Americans, many Muslims mourn the tragedy unfolding in Gaza; and just like many Americans, many Muslims could care less. Some are as religious as any weekly churchgoer; others couldn't tell you the difference between Mecca and McDonalds.
While proud of their coreligionists' past and current accomplishments, Muslims often discuss and try to fix their home and ancestral societies' ills. We curse the filth who throw acid at young girls simply because their parents sent them off to get an education. We organize to protest and prevent the hanging of men accused of being homosexuals. We speak up when historical catastrophes are denied. We deplore violence and terrorism, committed by anyone at home or abroad.
To many Muslims, particularly those living in the United States, the criticism of the so-called "Ground Zero mosque" to be built in lower Manhattan is a strange occurrence. "Haven't we," many wonder, "integrated fully into American life?"
I spent one glorious night in August 2001 shaking and grooving at the nightclub located on the top floor of the World Trade Center. At the night's conclusion I stood with friends in the Trade Center's plaza, in between those two magnificent towers. I thought about how half of my entire hometown could work in just those two buildings. "I can't believe," I told a good friend, "that those bastards tried to take down this whole complex."
A few weeks later, when the news broke, the first call I made was to my father. "Dad, Dad, they bombed New York! They bombed New York! Those Muslims! Those Muslims!" In my shock and sorrow, I failed to realize that the moment those men chose to take innocent lives, they ceased being Muslims. They were simply criminals. Terrorists.
Almost every American-Muslim will consistently condemn what happened on September 11. The real inconsistency lies with the American right. They organize and take names like the tea party and the Minutemen in honor of America's founders. Yet they ignore the words of President George Washington, who, in a letter to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, declared that the United States, "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens." They also ignore George W. Bush's reminder that Muslims thrive in countries like the United States "not in spite of their faith, but because of it." American conservatives spoke out in support of the Iranian youth who took to the streets and rooftops of Tehran to protest their government by chanting "Allahu Akbar," God is great. But popular opinion in America would not permit those same youth to pray in the vicinity of the World Trade Center even though the heinous act committed there had nothing to do with them.
If I could do it all over again and go back to that day in Ohio, I would ignore the pleas of the Obama campaign. I would stand up straight and declare to the misinformed woman that I am a Muslim. Not a "moderate Muslim," not a Westernized "good Muslim," but a Muslim like Mahmoud Darwish, like Shirin Ebadi, like Muhammad Ali, like some New York cabbies, and the bankers on Wall Street. But I am also an American, born in California with no other home in the world. I, like my fellow Muslims, love this country and have firm roots here. Spit on me and my faith if it makes you feel better, but our Constitution has given me my seat. I refuse to move to the back of the bus.
Source: http://islamonline.com
British Muslims celebrate Eid after a spiritual and generous Ramadan
A joyous Islamic festival after British Muslims show enormous generosity during the month of Ramadan.
On behalf of the Muslim Council of Britain, I extend my Eid greetings to all Muslims and peoples of other faiths and communities in the UK. Times like Eid are special as they bring together in celebration our richly diverse and vibrant range of Muslim communities living in Britain.
Eid is a joyous and unique thanksgiving festival which Muslims celebrate all over the world. We praise and thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala for the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan, where the Almighty showers His mercy and forgiveness, and an opportunity to reflect and enhance our understanding and commitment to Him and His creation.
Throughout this month we witnessed moving and humbling feats of spiritual devotion and solidarity. Men, women and children fasted long hours; thousands filled mosques in our towns and cities for the nightly prayers and many of our friends from other faiths joined us to experience the fast of Ramadan. This is inspiring and heartening at a time when many in our community are experiencing the rise of Islamophobia.
We celebrate Eid knowing also that the month of Ramadan was an opportunity to extend our hand of generosity to those less fortunate. Millions of pounds were raised to feed the poor around the world, particularly the victims of the Pakistan floods. In this country, Muslim families also brought food to their local parks in Leicester, Manchester and other towns to share with the homeless and hungry of all faiths and backgrounds.
Our festival of Eid al-Fitr is a culmination of this month of spiritual reflection, good works and charity. Let it be an opportunity to bring together families and communities, and share our joy to foster respect and understanding. I pray that Allah accepts all our good deeds and we continue to live the spirit of Ramadan throughout the rest of the year.
Source: http://islamonline.com
On behalf of the Muslim Council of Britain, I extend my Eid greetings to all Muslims and peoples of other faiths and communities in the UK. Times like Eid are special as they bring together in celebration our richly diverse and vibrant range of Muslim communities living in Britain.
Eid is a joyous and unique thanksgiving festival which Muslims celebrate all over the world. We praise and thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala for the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan, where the Almighty showers His mercy and forgiveness, and an opportunity to reflect and enhance our understanding and commitment to Him and His creation.
Throughout this month we witnessed moving and humbling feats of spiritual devotion and solidarity. Men, women and children fasted long hours; thousands filled mosques in our towns and cities for the nightly prayers and many of our friends from other faiths joined us to experience the fast of Ramadan. This is inspiring and heartening at a time when many in our community are experiencing the rise of Islamophobia.
We celebrate Eid knowing also that the month of Ramadan was an opportunity to extend our hand of generosity to those less fortunate. Millions of pounds were raised to feed the poor around the world, particularly the victims of the Pakistan floods. In this country, Muslim families also brought food to their local parks in Leicester, Manchester and other towns to share with the homeless and hungry of all faiths and backgrounds.
Our festival of Eid al-Fitr is a culmination of this month of spiritual reflection, good works and charity. Let it be an opportunity to bring together families and communities, and share our joy to foster respect and understanding. I pray that Allah accepts all our good deeds and we continue to live the spirit of Ramadan throughout the rest of the year.
Source: http://islamonline.com
Sunday, September 5, 2010
CAIR: Tenn. Lt. Gov. Questions Muslim Religious Rights
Gubernatorial candidate urged to meet with state's Muslim leaders
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/25/10) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to meet with representatives of that state's Islamic community after the gubernatorial candidate seemed to claim that First Amendment religious rights may not apply to Muslims and that Islam may not be a real religion.
[To CONTACT Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, e-mail: lt.gov.ron.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov As always, be POLITE.]
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Ramsey's remarks came in response to a question on a recent campaign stop. The questioner said: "We've got a threat that's invading our country from Muslims. What's your stand?"
Ramsey responded by referring to a controversy over the expansion of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He defended religious freedoms, but claimed "you cross the line when they start trying to bring shariah [Islamic] law into the state of Tenn. . .into the United States." He went on to state: "You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it. . .this is something that we are going to have to face."
SEE: Ramsey Argues Freedom of Religion Doesn't Apply to Muslims (Video)
"We see a disturbing trend in our nation in which it is suggested that American Muslims should have fewer or more restricted constitutional rights than citizens of other faiths," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "We urge Lt. Gov. Ramsey to meet with representatives of the Tennessee Muslim community who can offer him balanced and accurate information about Islam."
SEE: Does the Right View Muslims as Equal Citizens? (CAIR)
He noted that retired General William Boykin mirrored Ramsey's views when the general stated in a recent interview: "What we are not seeing first and foremost is the fact that Islam is not religion. It is a totalitarian way of life. There is a religious component. But we still treat it as a First Amendment issue when in fact it is a totalitarian way of life."
SEE: General Boykin Says Practice of Islam Not Protected Under First Amendment
Hooper said activists nationwide are seeking to restrict the right of Muslims to build or expand mosques, introducing anti-Islam legislation or resolutions, disrupting Muslim events, and even challenging the right of Muslims to live where they choose.
SEE: CAIR Rep on CNN to Discuss Opposition to U.S. Mosques (Video)
Okla. Legislator's Proposal Would Ban Use of Sharia Law
CAIR Video: Fla. Anti-Islam Group Seeks to Disrupt Muslim Event
CAIR Video: Okla. Neighbor Posts Yard Signs Opposing New Residents
A church in Florida is also encouraging Americans to desecrate the Quran, Islam's revealed text, on September 11.
SEE: Florida Church Hosting "International Burn a Koran Day" on 9/11
Yesterday, CAIR called on the FBI and Virginia's Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force to explain why a leader of an anti-Islam hate group was invited to offer training to state and federal law enforcement officers.
SEE: Anti-Islam Hate Group Leader Trains Va. Terror Task Force
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Source: http://islamonline.com/
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/25/10) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to meet with representatives of that state's Islamic community after the gubernatorial candidate seemed to claim that First Amendment religious rights may not apply to Muslims and that Islam may not be a real religion.
[To CONTACT Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, e-mail: lt.gov.ron.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov As always, be POLITE.]
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Ramsey's remarks came in response to a question on a recent campaign stop. The questioner said: "We've got a threat that's invading our country from Muslims. What's your stand?"
Ramsey responded by referring to a controversy over the expansion of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He defended religious freedoms, but claimed "you cross the line when they start trying to bring shariah [Islamic] law into the state of Tenn. . .into the United States." He went on to state: "You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it. . .this is something that we are going to have to face."
SEE: Ramsey Argues Freedom of Religion Doesn't Apply to Muslims (Video)
"We see a disturbing trend in our nation in which it is suggested that American Muslims should have fewer or more restricted constitutional rights than citizens of other faiths," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "We urge Lt. Gov. Ramsey to meet with representatives of the Tennessee Muslim community who can offer him balanced and accurate information about Islam."
SEE: Does the Right View Muslims as Equal Citizens? (CAIR)
He noted that retired General William Boykin mirrored Ramsey's views when the general stated in a recent interview: "What we are not seeing first and foremost is the fact that Islam is not religion. It is a totalitarian way of life. There is a religious component. But we still treat it as a First Amendment issue when in fact it is a totalitarian way of life."
SEE: General Boykin Says Practice of Islam Not Protected Under First Amendment
Hooper said activists nationwide are seeking to restrict the right of Muslims to build or expand mosques, introducing anti-Islam legislation or resolutions, disrupting Muslim events, and even challenging the right of Muslims to live where they choose.
SEE: CAIR Rep on CNN to Discuss Opposition to U.S. Mosques (Video)
Okla. Legislator's Proposal Would Ban Use of Sharia Law
CAIR Video: Fla. Anti-Islam Group Seeks to Disrupt Muslim Event
CAIR Video: Okla. Neighbor Posts Yard Signs Opposing New Residents
A church in Florida is also encouraging Americans to desecrate the Quran, Islam's revealed text, on September 11.
SEE: Florida Church Hosting "International Burn a Koran Day" on 9/11
Yesterday, CAIR called on the FBI and Virginia's Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force to explain why a leader of an anti-Islam hate group was invited to offer training to state and federal law enforcement officers.
SEE: Anti-Islam Hate Group Leader Trains Va. Terror Task Force
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Source: http://islamonline.com/
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Iraqi Forces Capable of Taking Full Responsibility
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iraqis on Tuesday their own soldiers and police are up to the job as US occupation forces ended a combat role after seven years of fighting that has cost thousands of lives.
A major troop pullout over past months has left less than 50,000 US soldiers in Iraq while a simultaneous surge in car bombings and shootings, many targeting local security forces, has raised security concerns.
US President Barack Obama was to mark the symbolic end of combat operations in a speech from the Oval Office at 0000 GMT (3 am on Wednesday for Baghdadis), after visiting a base in Texas where he was to meet returned Iraq veterans. He was also expected to speak by telephone with former president George W. Bush who, backed by key ally Britain, took the decision to invade Iraq in March 2003.
In advance of Obama's speech, Maliki said on state television that Iraq was a "sovereign and independent" state and he was confident the last US forces would leave the country as planned at the end of 2011. "I reassure you that the Iraqi security forces are capable of taking full responsibility," Maliki said. "Unfortunately we are facing a campaign of doubt."
US Vice President Joe Biden landed in Baghdad on Monday night to mark the American military's change of mission from combat to training and advisory tasks for Iraqi forces, starting from Wednesday. He was due to meet President Jalal Talabani, Maliki and the former premier and March 7 election winner Iyad Allawi as well as other top politicians throughout Tuesday.
Tony Blinken, Biden's National Security Adviser, said the current caretaker administration in Baghdad was not a "durable solution." "There is some growing sense of urgency that government formation move forward, and certainly the vice president is going to urge the leaders to bring this process to a conclusion," Blinken told reporters.
Source: http://islamonline.com
A major troop pullout over past months has left less than 50,000 US soldiers in Iraq while a simultaneous surge in car bombings and shootings, many targeting local security forces, has raised security concerns.
US President Barack Obama was to mark the symbolic end of combat operations in a speech from the Oval Office at 0000 GMT (3 am on Wednesday for Baghdadis), after visiting a base in Texas where he was to meet returned Iraq veterans. He was also expected to speak by telephone with former president George W. Bush who, backed by key ally Britain, took the decision to invade Iraq in March 2003.
In advance of Obama's speech, Maliki said on state television that Iraq was a "sovereign and independent" state and he was confident the last US forces would leave the country as planned at the end of 2011. "I reassure you that the Iraqi security forces are capable of taking full responsibility," Maliki said. "Unfortunately we are facing a campaign of doubt."
US Vice President Joe Biden landed in Baghdad on Monday night to mark the American military's change of mission from combat to training and advisory tasks for Iraqi forces, starting from Wednesday. He was due to meet President Jalal Talabani, Maliki and the former premier and March 7 election winner Iyad Allawi as well as other top politicians throughout Tuesday.
Tony Blinken, Biden's National Security Adviser, said the current caretaker administration in Baghdad was not a "durable solution." "There is some growing sense of urgency that government formation move forward, and certainly the vice president is going to urge the leaders to bring this process to a conclusion," Blinken told reporters.
Source: http://islamonline.com
America and its core values compatible with Islam: US imam
DUBAI (AFP) - America and its core principles are compatible with Islam, the US imam behind a controversial initiative to build an Islamic centre near the site of the 9/11 attacks said Tuesday in Dubai.
"The American way of thinking, the American construct, is extremely co-congruent with the Islamic worldview," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said at the Dubai School of Government
.
His visit to the United Arab Emirates is the last leg of a US State Department-sponsored trip that has already taken him to Bahrain and Qatar.
The aim of the visit was for Abdul Rauf to "talk about Muslim life in America" and his "work promoting inter-faith dialogue," according to a statement by the US embassy in Abu Dhabi announcing the visit.
The plan to build the Islamic centre that is to include a prayer space, near the site of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, has fueled a political furore in the United States.
Proponents say the centre would be a platform for promoting inter-faith dialogue and tolerance. Opponents, some of whom have termed the centre the "Ground Zero mosque," say it is insensitive to build it near the site of the attacks.
Planners say the centre will include an area for prayer, sports facilities, theatre and restaurant, and would be open to the public.
Construction of the centre, a 100-million-dollar (79-million-euro), 13-storey glass-and-metal building to be built on private property, has been approved by city officials.
Abdul Rauf has been the imam of a mosque twelve blocks from "Ground Zero" for the past 27 years, according to the website of the Cordoba Initiative, an organisation promoting inter-faith dialogue and understanding, which he founded.
Source: http://www.islamtribune.com
"The American way of thinking, the American construct, is extremely co-congruent with the Islamic worldview," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said at the Dubai School of Government
.
His visit to the United Arab Emirates is the last leg of a US State Department-sponsored trip that has already taken him to Bahrain and Qatar.
The aim of the visit was for Abdul Rauf to "talk about Muslim life in America" and his "work promoting inter-faith dialogue," according to a statement by the US embassy in Abu Dhabi announcing the visit.
The plan to build the Islamic centre that is to include a prayer space, near the site of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, has fueled a political furore in the United States.
Proponents say the centre would be a platform for promoting inter-faith dialogue and tolerance. Opponents, some of whom have termed the centre the "Ground Zero mosque," say it is insensitive to build it near the site of the attacks.
Planners say the centre will include an area for prayer, sports facilities, theatre and restaurant, and would be open to the public.
Construction of the centre, a 100-million-dollar (79-million-euro), 13-storey glass-and-metal building to be built on private property, has been approved by city officials.
Abdul Rauf has been the imam of a mosque twelve blocks from "Ground Zero" for the past 27 years, according to the website of the Cordoba Initiative, an organisation promoting inter-faith dialogue and understanding, which he founded.
Source: http://www.islamtribune.com
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Islamophobia in America
There is no doubt that Islamophobia is on the rise. It is no longer an isolated issue that is thriving in some bigotry-ridden corner in Europe. Thanks to its evil promoters, the beast has become a global phenomenon today. One such promoter is the group called Stop the Islamization of Europe (SIOE), which is led by Anders Gravers. As is evident from its motto "Islamophobia is the height of common sense," the group doesn't sugar-coat its bigotry. The group has its American equivalent in Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), which was created by anti-Muslim bloggers, bigots and militants Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. One may recall that in 2008, Geller announced that Barack Hussein Obama is not, as previously reported, the son of Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., but rather the illegitimate son of Malcolm X. In a 2009 blog she called for the destruction of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Sadly, conservative politicians and the media in the USA continue to lend her insanity credence thereby destroying whatever slender base of credibility that they had.
Florida's Dove World Outreach Center recently announced its plan for "International Burn a Koran Day" on 9/11, as a way to what it claims "stand up for righteousness." These Christian bigots are emboldened by many Republican politicians who are trying to reclaim their leadership amongst the right-wing, conservative, racist and bigoted section of their support base. And for them, fascists by many counts, nothing could be more politically expedient than targeting a minority religion whose 19 members reportedly had the audacity to strike back in a classic blowback style. Obviously, when the hunter gets hunted it is no fun any more; it loses its wit and behaves like a stinking sewage rat. So, the religion of Islam, the faith of 1.5 billion Muslims, has to be evil! What else can explain the "terrorism" of those hijackers on 9/11!
Unfortunately, xenophobia sells, as it did in places like Nazi Germany some eighty years ago. With a deflationary economy that has yet to show a recovery sign from the almost-trillion dollar stimulus package and unending wars in Iraq and Af-Pak territories it is not difficult to fathom why the fascist elements within the American society are selling this poison pill of Islamophobia.
Ads by Google:
Advertisements not controlled by IslamiCity
Take for instance the statements made by Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of the Representatives in the USA, in relation to his opposition to the proposed construction of a Muslim cultural center in Lower Manhattan. The Muslim site is several hundred yards away from the former WTC and yet, if you listen to bigots like Gingrich, it would seem that the proposed site is right in the middle of the Ground Zero. He has argued, among other chauvinist and highly offensive things, that the Muslim congregation shouldn't build the center because "Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington." Just in one such xenophobic outburst he has equated American Muslims with the Nazis. For years, this immoral politician has been dreaming about a political comeback, and for him nothing could be more opportunistic than selling fear of a growing Islamic polity. Sarah Palin has weighed in, too, in opposing the "Ground Zero mosque." The pain, she said, is "too raw, too real." Surely, with a bastard grandchild now she ought to know this "pain" better than most American grandmas!
Every Republican now imagines to have discovered the winning formula to either get reelected or unseat their Democratic opponent in the coming elections. The message has not lost its mark amongst vulnerable Democratic candidates either. The Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, a spineless politician, had no moral qualms in opposing the endorsement of the president. Even the president himself looked less than presidential and credible with his flip-flop remarks to reporters just within 24 hours of his earlier statement in a White House Iftar party that favored the construction of the Muslim cultural center. It was a sickening display that lacked wisdom and courage!
Karl Rove, perhaps former president George W. Bush's closest adviser in the White House, said in an interview last Wednesday on ABC News that Obama did "real damage to America's standing in the world by this inconsistent and incoherent answer that he gave Friday night with a different answer on Saturday morning." He is right.
The offensive statements from mainstream politicians against Islam and its people are sure to damage America's liberal and open society image abroad. The opposition to the proposed Muslim center would be the greatest gift delivered on a platinum plate to the very al-Qaeda that America claims fighting since 9/11.
Florida's Dove World Outreach Center recently announced its plan for "International Burn a Koran Day" on 9/11, as a way to what it claims "stand up for righteousness." These Christian bigots are emboldened by many Republican politicians who are trying to reclaim their leadership amongst the right-wing, conservative, racist and bigoted section of their support base. And for them, fascists by many counts, nothing could be more politically expedient than targeting a minority religion whose 19 members reportedly had the audacity to strike back in a classic blowback style. Obviously, when the hunter gets hunted it is no fun any more; it loses its wit and behaves like a stinking sewage rat. So, the religion of Islam, the faith of 1.5 billion Muslims, has to be evil! What else can explain the "terrorism" of those hijackers on 9/11!
Unfortunately, xenophobia sells, as it did in places like Nazi Germany some eighty years ago. With a deflationary economy that has yet to show a recovery sign from the almost-trillion dollar stimulus package and unending wars in Iraq and Af-Pak territories it is not difficult to fathom why the fascist elements within the American society are selling this poison pill of Islamophobia.
Ads by Google:
Advertisements not controlled by IslamiCity
Take for instance the statements made by Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of the Representatives in the USA, in relation to his opposition to the proposed construction of a Muslim cultural center in Lower Manhattan. The Muslim site is several hundred yards away from the former WTC and yet, if you listen to bigots like Gingrich, it would seem that the proposed site is right in the middle of the Ground Zero. He has argued, among other chauvinist and highly offensive things, that the Muslim congregation shouldn't build the center because "Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington." Just in one such xenophobic outburst he has equated American Muslims with the Nazis. For years, this immoral politician has been dreaming about a political comeback, and for him nothing could be more opportunistic than selling fear of a growing Islamic polity. Sarah Palin has weighed in, too, in opposing the "Ground Zero mosque." The pain, she said, is "too raw, too real." Surely, with a bastard grandchild now she ought to know this "pain" better than most American grandmas!
Every Republican now imagines to have discovered the winning formula to either get reelected or unseat their Democratic opponent in the coming elections. The message has not lost its mark amongst vulnerable Democratic candidates either. The Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, a spineless politician, had no moral qualms in opposing the endorsement of the president. Even the president himself looked less than presidential and credible with his flip-flop remarks to reporters just within 24 hours of his earlier statement in a White House Iftar party that favored the construction of the Muslim cultural center. It was a sickening display that lacked wisdom and courage!
Karl Rove, perhaps former president George W. Bush's closest adviser in the White House, said in an interview last Wednesday on ABC News that Obama did "real damage to America's standing in the world by this inconsistent and incoherent answer that he gave Friday night with a different answer on Saturday morning." He is right.
The offensive statements from mainstream politicians against Islam and its people are sure to damage America's liberal and open society image abroad. The opposition to the proposed Muslim center would be the greatest gift delivered on a platinum plate to the very al-Qaeda that America claims fighting since 9/11.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Blessed Ramadhan Through the Generation - Part 3
We know from the saying of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam (please be upon him) that salah (prayer) is the pillar of one's deen. Salah is the foundation for one's relationship with Allah, subhanahu wata'ala (be He glorious and exalted). How precious is salah to us in our daily lives? When you hold a precious newborn baby, you take special care to be gentle and protective.
In the same way, salah needs delicate and careful handling. We have to know the right approach, the right mind set, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. The Qur'an says: "Successful indeed are the believers, those who in their salah have khushu' (humility)" [23:1-2]. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The first thing to be lifted up from this Ummah will be khushu', until you see no one who has khushu"' (Tabarani). And in another hadeeth (Prophet's Muhammad's saying): "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from a heart that has no khushu'..." (Tirmithi and Ibn Majah).
So what is khushu'? It encompasses awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm-the right approach, the right mindset, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. This is in contrast to the all too common experience of salah. Many of us have become slaves to the "habit" of praying salah, doing so in a mechanical and thoughtless manner. Salah then does not improve us, does not increase our eman, and does not deter us from wrongdoing. This kind of salah, rather than bringing us nearer to Allah, makes us remote from Him. So how can we increase khushu' in our salah?
1. Formulate our intention with regard to salah. That means that we will be mindful of why we are praying and what the benefits and blessings are of salah. If you make a list of these, you begin to see just how extensive it is. Salah demonstrates surrender and obedience to Allah It cleanses and removes our sins. It prevents sins and wrongdoings. It positions us to be graced by Allah with the reward of Paradise and protects us from the punishment of Hell. It brings Allah's help and guidance. It brings comfort and delight. It cultivates patience and perseverance. It exercises the will It increases adaptability. It teaches us to silence the inner chatter. Ibn Al-Jawzi said: "Whoever sees the dawn of reward bears easily the darkness of responsibility." Human beings have a need to see the purpose and the benefits in striving for a goal. Research shows that "why" one wants to change or achieve something constitutes 80 percent of the success.
2. Approach the salah with remembrance of death. If we remember that this life is a preparation for the Day upon which Allah will recompense each soul according to what it has earned; that death is the transition to the next life; and that death could be now or tomorrow-then we will make salali as if it is our last salah and the last supplica- tion to Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: ".. .and make the salah of a man who does not think he will make another salah" (Al-Albany, as-Silsilah as-Sahihah). If we keep the remembrance of death fresh in our conscious mind when we approach salali, we will have greater awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm.
3. Approach and perform the prayer with fullest awareness of the power and glory of Allah, and of the noble stature and challenge of being human. One of the Tabi'een (a person who met a Companion of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) would visibly change in the coloring of his face at the time of prayer. He would say: "Do you know before whom I am going to stand and with whom I am going to talk?!" (Silah al-Yaqadhan li Tard al-Shaytan, Abdul-Azeez Sultan). And Ali ibn AbiTalib would not only change color, he would be visibly shaken. When asked why, he said: "By Allah, there has come the time of the amanah (trust) which Allah offered to the heav- ens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it, but I bore it."
4. Perform the salah in a measured pace and keep the eyes on the place of prostration. Carelessness and haste in salah are impediments to khushu'. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The one who does not do ruku' (bowing) properly and pecks (like a bird) in sujud (prostration), is like a starving man who eats only one or two dates; it does not do him any good at all" (Tabarani). A measured pace and singular focus befits the occasion of standing before one's Lord.
5. Think deeply about the meaning of the ayaat (verses) that are being recited during the prayer. Ibn Jareer said: "I am astonished at people who recite the Qur'an and do not know what it means..." If the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, himself would often spend hours reflecting upon one verse, we can understand the importance of thinking, reflecting, and probing the mean- ing. When Saeed At-Tanukhi made salah, tears would roll down his cheeks, wetting his beard. Only by reflecting deeply on the meaning of the Qur'an can we be moved as they were. "And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their khushu"' [17:109].
These five steps can humble us, heighten our aware- ness of the greatness of prayer, and bring a calmness and dignity to our minds, hearts, and limbs. In this way we feel our surrender to Allah becoming more full, more complete! We have to remember that if we want to ensure our children's surrender to Allah, we must truthfully represent that surrender with our own manner of thought, feeling, and action. In that way, our children will emulate us and they will love Allah. If we increase the khushu' in our own salah, we are doing much to ensure that the salah of our children will not be meaningless, empty, mechanical, and unsuccessful.
To conclude....
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1. If we are dedicated to self-transformation and growth, continuously observing, examining, and correcting/improving ourselves (in a gently, loving, and self-accepting way), then we are striving to guard our rela-tionship with self.
2. If we abide by a constitution of adab in all our relationships and particularly in the relationship with our
spouse and children, then we are striving to guard our relationships with others.
3. And if we strive to increase our khushu' in salah as a means to draw nearer to Allah and to more completely
surrender to Him, then we are striving to guard our relationship with Him.
We said at the beginning that the month of Ramadhan is a wonderful time for reflection and self-examining. If we seize the opportunity during this blessed month to reflect deeply on our relationships and to implement the above three principles of good relationship, then we will be taking the steps necessary to avoid defect in our relationships and prevent a "shaving clean" of our religion. We will be providing a superb model for our children.And our relationship with them will be held securely between...
May Allah accept from us all our fasting, our prayers, our charity, and our resolutions to implement whatever we learn so that it becomes knowledge of the heart and an experience of deep devotion. Ameen.
Source: http://www.islamicity.com
In the same way, salah needs delicate and careful handling. We have to know the right approach, the right mind set, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. The Qur'an says: "Successful indeed are the believers, those who in their salah have khushu' (humility)" [23:1-2]. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The first thing to be lifted up from this Ummah will be khushu', until you see no one who has khushu"' (Tabarani). And in another hadeeth (Prophet's Muhammad's saying): "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from a heart that has no khushu'..." (Tirmithi and Ibn Majah).
So what is khushu'? It encompasses awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm-the right approach, the right mindset, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. This is in contrast to the all too common experience of salah. Many of us have become slaves to the "habit" of praying salah, doing so in a mechanical and thoughtless manner. Salah then does not improve us, does not increase our eman, and does not deter us from wrongdoing. This kind of salah, rather than bringing us nearer to Allah, makes us remote from Him. So how can we increase khushu' in our salah?
1. Formulate our intention with regard to salah. That means that we will be mindful of why we are praying and what the benefits and blessings are of salah. If you make a list of these, you begin to see just how extensive it is. Salah demonstrates surrender and obedience to Allah It cleanses and removes our sins. It prevents sins and wrongdoings. It positions us to be graced by Allah with the reward of Paradise and protects us from the punishment of Hell. It brings Allah's help and guidance. It brings comfort and delight. It cultivates patience and perseverance. It exercises the will It increases adaptability. It teaches us to silence the inner chatter. Ibn Al-Jawzi said: "Whoever sees the dawn of reward bears easily the darkness of responsibility." Human beings have a need to see the purpose and the benefits in striving for a goal. Research shows that "why" one wants to change or achieve something constitutes 80 percent of the success.
2. Approach the salah with remembrance of death. If we remember that this life is a preparation for the Day upon which Allah will recompense each soul according to what it has earned; that death is the transition to the next life; and that death could be now or tomorrow-then we will make salali as if it is our last salah and the last supplica- tion to Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: ".. .and make the salah of a man who does not think he will make another salah" (Al-Albany, as-Silsilah as-Sahihah). If we keep the remembrance of death fresh in our conscious mind when we approach salali, we will have greater awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm.
3. Approach and perform the prayer with fullest awareness of the power and glory of Allah, and of the noble stature and challenge of being human. One of the Tabi'een (a person who met a Companion of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) would visibly change in the coloring of his face at the time of prayer. He would say: "Do you know before whom I am going to stand and with whom I am going to talk?!" (Silah al-Yaqadhan li Tard al-Shaytan, Abdul-Azeez Sultan). And Ali ibn AbiTalib would not only change color, he would be visibly shaken. When asked why, he said: "By Allah, there has come the time of the amanah (trust) which Allah offered to the heav- ens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it, but I bore it."
4. Perform the salah in a measured pace and keep the eyes on the place of prostration. Carelessness and haste in salah are impediments to khushu'. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The one who does not do ruku' (bowing) properly and pecks (like a bird) in sujud (prostration), is like a starving man who eats only one or two dates; it does not do him any good at all" (Tabarani). A measured pace and singular focus befits the occasion of standing before one's Lord.
5. Think deeply about the meaning of the ayaat (verses) that are being recited during the prayer. Ibn Jareer said: "I am astonished at people who recite the Qur'an and do not know what it means..." If the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, himself would often spend hours reflecting upon one verse, we can understand the importance of thinking, reflecting, and probing the mean- ing. When Saeed At-Tanukhi made salah, tears would roll down his cheeks, wetting his beard. Only by reflecting deeply on the meaning of the Qur'an can we be moved as they were. "And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their khushu"' [17:109].
These five steps can humble us, heighten our aware- ness of the greatness of prayer, and bring a calmness and dignity to our minds, hearts, and limbs. In this way we feel our surrender to Allah becoming more full, more complete! We have to remember that if we want to ensure our children's surrender to Allah, we must truthfully represent that surrender with our own manner of thought, feeling, and action. In that way, our children will emulate us and they will love Allah. If we increase the khushu' in our own salah, we are doing much to ensure that the salah of our children will not be meaningless, empty, mechanical, and unsuccessful.
To conclude....
Ads by Google:
Advertisements not controlled by IslamiCity
1. If we are dedicated to self-transformation and growth, continuously observing, examining, and correcting/improving ourselves (in a gently, loving, and self-accepting way), then we are striving to guard our rela-tionship with self.
2. If we abide by a constitution of adab in all our relationships and particularly in the relationship with our
spouse and children, then we are striving to guard our relationships with others.
3. And if we strive to increase our khushu' in salah as a means to draw nearer to Allah and to more completely
surrender to Him, then we are striving to guard our relationship with Him.
We said at the beginning that the month of Ramadhan is a wonderful time for reflection and self-examining. If we seize the opportunity during this blessed month to reflect deeply on our relationships and to implement the above three principles of good relationship, then we will be taking the steps necessary to avoid defect in our relationships and prevent a "shaving clean" of our religion. We will be providing a superb model for our children.And our relationship with them will be held securely between...
May Allah accept from us all our fasting, our prayers, our charity, and our resolutions to implement whatever we learn so that it becomes knowledge of the heart and an experience of deep devotion. Ameen.
Source: http://www.islamicity.com
Growing anti-mosque hysteria in the heart of America
The “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy is gradually developing into a national hysteria threatening to shack the image, and potentially the reality, of the United State as an open society and a beacon of freedom and civil liberties. The campaign against the proposed mosque in lower Manhattan has already dwarfed the one mobilized early last year by European far right parties to ban Swiss Muslims from building minarets for their mosques.
The anti mosque campaign is a testimony to the growing influence of the American far right in media and political circles and a sad commentary on the ability of Muslim bashers to sway public opinion in the post 9/11 American.
The campaign is led by open bigots like Pamela Geller who is on record calling for the destruction of the Golden Dome Mosque so a Jewish temple can be built in its place, and who recently argued that Hitler adopted Jihad and was inspired by Islam to commit the Holocaust. She is also on record “praying” for a nuclear war between Iran and Israel that would give the latter the opportunity to nuke Tehran, Mecca, and
Medina. She has the audacity to question the patriotism of President Obama and accuse him on numerous occasions being a covert Muslim and an anti-Semitic, Jihadist Mohammadan [sic] who is aiding the Iranian regime.
Geller, along with her network of likeminded Muslim bashers, including
Sean Hannity of the Fox News and Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, succeeded in setting the tone of the current debate. They have referred to the proposed Islamic center as a “triumphant mosque” claiming that it is customary for Muslims to build such mosques after defeating their enemies. They called the plan to build an Islamic
center two blocks away from ground zero a provocation intended to upset the families of the victims of 9/11. They even argued that the site of 9/11 is a hallowed ground and should hence be made inaccessible for Muslims to build an Islamic Center two blocks away from its site.
The language of “provocation,” “triumph,” and “sensitivity” presumes that all Muslims, and not only al-Qaida members, are guilty of 9/11 attacks. Muslim Americans by and large, including Imam Faisal Rauf, have strongly rejected al-Qaida actions and views, as did most Muslims the world over. To equate Muslims with the atrocities committed by al-Qaida operatives is tantamount to equating Christians with the massacres committed by the Serb nationalists in Bosnia. The opponent of building an Islamic center near 9/11 site must remember that ground zero is hallowed not only by Jewish and Christian blood, but by the blood of over 90 Muslims who perished on that horrific day.
Despite the twisted logic of these arguments, and the blatant efforts to revive medieval anti-Muslim propaganda and equate all Muslims with the criminal attacks of 9/11 terrorists, several prominent politicians jumped on the anti-mosque bandwagon. Republican leaders, including Dwight Gingrich and Sarah Palin, sided with the anti-mosque crowd. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added his voice to those who spoke against the mosque. Even President Obama wavered in the face of the anti-mosque campaign as he seems to backpedal after speaking strongly in support of the right of American Muslims to exercise their religious freedom.
Obama reportedly made a distinction between the “right” to build the mosque, which he supports, and the “wisdom” of building the mosque, on which he chose to withhold judgment. Granted that having right and being right are two different things, it is unfortunate that President Obama seems to indirectly question the wisdom of the Islamic center proponents rather than those who unfairly oppose it. If anyone’s actions and motives should be questioned, it should be those of the bigots who equate Islam with terrorism and who have embarked on a campaign of disinformation and character assassination to stop Muslims from exercising their constitutional rights freely. Yet it is the actions and motives of the Muslim peacemakers who took the initiative to build an Islamic center dedicated to enhancing interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and who have for decades been involved in counter extremist interpretations and in bridge building with their Jewish and Christian neighbors are place under scrutiny.
The history of the United States clearly illustrates that the constitutional rights Americans have cannot be separated from their ability to exercise their rights freely. Despite having constitutional rights, African Americans were prevented from exercising their rights by racists and demagogues who used every false arguments to stipulate how, when, and under what conditions black Americans could exercise their rights.
If history teaches us anything it should teach us that people have rights only when they can exercise them freely, and that they have to exercise them despite the arguments of those who want to limit their rights. This simple fact was borne through the struggles of all numerous individuals whose ability to exercise their rights was thwarted by the ignorance and prejudice of their countrymen, including blacks, women, Jews, Catholics, and now Muslims.
It is now the time for Muslim Americans to follow the excellent examples of those who struggled before them, and remind the whole world once again that no false arguments should be allowed to separate the rights of a minority and its ability to exercise its rights freely.
Right wing media has generated a national hysteria, and amplified the voices of far right pundits who succeeded in creating enough suspicion and arousing public passion against the proposed Manhattan Islamic Center through misinforming and unfounded accusations. It is time for national leaders of all religious persuasions to do the right thing and speak with clear and unwavering voice in support of the right of Muslims to freely exercise their religious freedom. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fareed Zakaria of the Newsweek have set a high example of statesmanship and principled media punditry.
Will we see more principled voices in the face of shameless demagoguery? If 9/11 shocks has not penetrated into the soul of America and has not changed its spirit then America will once again reject the voices of intolerance and push the bigots back into their dark corners where they belong.
Source: http://islamonline.com
The anti mosque campaign is a testimony to the growing influence of the American far right in media and political circles and a sad commentary on the ability of Muslim bashers to sway public opinion in the post 9/11 American.
The campaign is led by open bigots like Pamela Geller who is on record calling for the destruction of the Golden Dome Mosque so a Jewish temple can be built in its place, and who recently argued that Hitler adopted Jihad and was inspired by Islam to commit the Holocaust. She is also on record “praying” for a nuclear war between Iran and Israel that would give the latter the opportunity to nuke Tehran, Mecca, and
Medina. She has the audacity to question the patriotism of President Obama and accuse him on numerous occasions being a covert Muslim and an anti-Semitic, Jihadist Mohammadan [sic] who is aiding the Iranian regime.
Geller, along with her network of likeminded Muslim bashers, including
Sean Hannity of the Fox News and Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, succeeded in setting the tone of the current debate. They have referred to the proposed Islamic center as a “triumphant mosque” claiming that it is customary for Muslims to build such mosques after defeating their enemies. They called the plan to build an Islamic
center two blocks away from ground zero a provocation intended to upset the families of the victims of 9/11. They even argued that the site of 9/11 is a hallowed ground and should hence be made inaccessible for Muslims to build an Islamic Center two blocks away from its site.
The language of “provocation,” “triumph,” and “sensitivity” presumes that all Muslims, and not only al-Qaida members, are guilty of 9/11 attacks. Muslim Americans by and large, including Imam Faisal Rauf, have strongly rejected al-Qaida actions and views, as did most Muslims the world over. To equate Muslims with the atrocities committed by al-Qaida operatives is tantamount to equating Christians with the massacres committed by the Serb nationalists in Bosnia. The opponent of building an Islamic center near 9/11 site must remember that ground zero is hallowed not only by Jewish and Christian blood, but by the blood of over 90 Muslims who perished on that horrific day.
Despite the twisted logic of these arguments, and the blatant efforts to revive medieval anti-Muslim propaganda and equate all Muslims with the criminal attacks of 9/11 terrorists, several prominent politicians jumped on the anti-mosque bandwagon. Republican leaders, including Dwight Gingrich and Sarah Palin, sided with the anti-mosque crowd. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added his voice to those who spoke against the mosque. Even President Obama wavered in the face of the anti-mosque campaign as he seems to backpedal after speaking strongly in support of the right of American Muslims to exercise their religious freedom.
Obama reportedly made a distinction between the “right” to build the mosque, which he supports, and the “wisdom” of building the mosque, on which he chose to withhold judgment. Granted that having right and being right are two different things, it is unfortunate that President Obama seems to indirectly question the wisdom of the Islamic center proponents rather than those who unfairly oppose it. If anyone’s actions and motives should be questioned, it should be those of the bigots who equate Islam with terrorism and who have embarked on a campaign of disinformation and character assassination to stop Muslims from exercising their constitutional rights freely. Yet it is the actions and motives of the Muslim peacemakers who took the initiative to build an Islamic center dedicated to enhancing interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and who have for decades been involved in counter extremist interpretations and in bridge building with their Jewish and Christian neighbors are place under scrutiny.
The history of the United States clearly illustrates that the constitutional rights Americans have cannot be separated from their ability to exercise their rights freely. Despite having constitutional rights, African Americans were prevented from exercising their rights by racists and demagogues who used every false arguments to stipulate how, when, and under what conditions black Americans could exercise their rights.
If history teaches us anything it should teach us that people have rights only when they can exercise them freely, and that they have to exercise them despite the arguments of those who want to limit their rights. This simple fact was borne through the struggles of all numerous individuals whose ability to exercise their rights was thwarted by the ignorance and prejudice of their countrymen, including blacks, women, Jews, Catholics, and now Muslims.
It is now the time for Muslim Americans to follow the excellent examples of those who struggled before them, and remind the whole world once again that no false arguments should be allowed to separate the rights of a minority and its ability to exercise its rights freely.
Right wing media has generated a national hysteria, and amplified the voices of far right pundits who succeeded in creating enough suspicion and arousing public passion against the proposed Manhattan Islamic Center through misinforming and unfounded accusations. It is time for national leaders of all religious persuasions to do the right thing and speak with clear and unwavering voice in support of the right of Muslims to freely exercise their religious freedom. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fareed Zakaria of the Newsweek have set a high example of statesmanship and principled media punditry.
Will we see more principled voices in the face of shameless demagoguery? If 9/11 shocks has not penetrated into the soul of America and has not changed its spirit then America will once again reject the voices of intolerance and push the bigots back into their dark corners where they belong.
Source: http://islamonline.com
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Malaysian Muslim prayer hall hit in fresh attack
Kuala Lumpur, August 24: A Malaysian Muslim prayer hall was vandalised Monday, police said, in the first incident since a spate of assaults on places of worship earlier this year that heightened ethnic tensions.
Eleven churches and two Muslim prayer halls were pelted with Molotov cocktails, stones and paint in January, as a row raged over non-Muslims using the word "Allah" as a translation for "God".
In Monday's incident, red paint was hurled on to the wall and window of a new prayer hall in the central state of Negri Sembilan, state police chief Osman Salleh told AFP.
"We are still investigating the motive behind the incident," he said, adding that it may merely have been a case of vandalism by "naughty kids".
"It might not be religiously or politically linked. I want the people to remain calm and not to over-react to this," Osman said.
Opposition lawmakers who visited the scene of incident condemned the attack, and said they hoped it did not cause problems in the area, which has a mix of Muslim Malays as well as ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
"We hope it will not create any tension among the communities. This is something that we are worried about," said state opposition chief Anthony Loke from the Democratic Action Party.
"We hope the attack can be contained immediately," Loke added. Religion and language are sensitive issues in multiracial Malaysia, which was hit by deadly race riots in 1969.
Some 60 percent of the 28 million population are Muslim Malays, living alongside large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Two Muslim brothers were earlier this month sentenced to five years in prison for firebombing a church in suburban Kuala Lumpur, which was the first targeted in the spate of attacks that shocked the nation in January.
The trouble broke out after a court overturned a ban on non-Muslim Malaysians using the term "Allah" for "God".
The government argued that the use of the word by Christians, who make up nine percent of the population, could cause confusion and encourage religious conversion, which is illegal for Malaysian Muslims.
Source: http://www.siasat.com/
Eleven churches and two Muslim prayer halls were pelted with Molotov cocktails, stones and paint in January, as a row raged over non-Muslims using the word "Allah" as a translation for "God".
In Monday's incident, red paint was hurled on to the wall and window of a new prayer hall in the central state of Negri Sembilan, state police chief Osman Salleh told AFP.
"We are still investigating the motive behind the incident," he said, adding that it may merely have been a case of vandalism by "naughty kids".
"It might not be religiously or politically linked. I want the people to remain calm and not to over-react to this," Osman said.
Opposition lawmakers who visited the scene of incident condemned the attack, and said they hoped it did not cause problems in the area, which has a mix of Muslim Malays as well as ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
"We hope it will not create any tension among the communities. This is something that we are worried about," said state opposition chief Anthony Loke from the Democratic Action Party.
"We hope the attack can be contained immediately," Loke added. Religion and language are sensitive issues in multiracial Malaysia, which was hit by deadly race riots in 1969.
Some 60 percent of the 28 million population are Muslim Malays, living alongside large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Two Muslim brothers were earlier this month sentenced to five years in prison for firebombing a church in suburban Kuala Lumpur, which was the first targeted in the spate of attacks that shocked the nation in January.
The trouble broke out after a court overturned a ban on non-Muslim Malaysians using the term "Allah" for "God".
The government argued that the use of the word by Christians, who make up nine percent of the population, could cause confusion and encourage religious conversion, which is illegal for Malaysian Muslims.
Source: http://www.siasat.com/
Sunday, June 6, 2010
What events resulted in Iran agreeing to enriching (Uranium) outside its territories in Turkey
Of late European pressure has mounted to impose strict sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear programme, and these pressures have only intensified after the formation of the new government in Britain which has threatened military action.
Of course the British government on its own is not in such a position and so it aims to spur the US and thus raise the intensity of the Iranian issue. The British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in his first external trip visited the US just three days after assuming charge as foreign secretary where he stressed that as British foreign secretary, he chose to first visit the US to underline the special relationship with America. [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010]. This was a reference to an earlier report issued by a group of members of the British House of Commons about the special relationship between them. Thus William Hague emphasised the importance of this relationship and Britain's need for it.
William Hague promised to pressurise Iran and expressed his agreement with the US position, he said: "His government will work to convince the European Union to adopt resolutions and strong measures against Iran." He added: "We are in agreement on the need for sending a strong and unified message regarding Iran's nuclear programme, and pass a UN Security Council resolution to that effect. After this the United Kingdom will play a fundamental role to ensure that the EU moves firmly to follow up on such a resolution." [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010].
He demanded intensifying sanctions against Iran as a first step leading towards achieving global legitimacy for eventual military action, he said: "Though we have not ruled out military action in future, but we do not call for it." [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010].
This is merely a negotiating pressure alone on Iran, rather it reflects the British position and it was evident during the riots that followed the presidential elections in Iran that Britain was trying to destabilise and eliminate the Iranian regime. Britain is now trying to build European consensus in cooperation with France and Germany and bring pressure upon Iran, and not to speak of the ‘Israeli' pressure in this regard. It so happened that America reached an agreement with Iran and dispatched the president of Brazil and the prime minister of Turkey to Iran to sign a Uranium exchange pact in order to reduce the impact of threats and sanctions card that was being raised by Europe, and especially by Britain, followed by France and ‘Israel'. Thus Iran signed the latest agreement with Brazil and Turkey which includes clauses that Iran agreed to send 1200Kgs of 5.30% low-enriched Uranium to Turkey in exchange for 120Kgs of 20% enriched Uranium which was required for a peaceful nuclear reactor located in Tehran. The essence of this agreement may have been proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a way out of the deadlock in the negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany about a year back which then failed due to the issue of guarantees and trust.
Two new major clauses have meanwhile been added to this agreement regarding the issue of guarantees and trust, these are:
1: That the enrichment process will be carried out in Turkey (as a compromised place).
2: In case the negotiations concerning the compliance of this agreement with the Vienna group consisting of the US, France and the IAEA fail, then Turkey will be bound to return the Iranian low enriched Uranium meant for enrichment back to Iran.
Examining this agreement closely, we find that it was the US that encouraged Brazil and Turkey under its patronage. The French website (france24.com) reported: "The United States, Russia and France encouraged Brazilian President Lula's official visit to Tehran and considered it as the last chance to avoid sanctions." An Egyptian newspaper reported this news on 18th May, 2010 from an undisclosed source.
The story of this agreement began with the dinner invitation by the Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki to all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council including the five big powers along with Turkey and Brazil who are non-permanent members of the UNSC. This dinner was on the sidelines of the follow up conference on nuclear non-proliferation.
This dinner was attended by America's deputy ambassador to the UN Alejandro Wolff and ambassadors and lower ranks representatives of all the 15 member nations.
News agencies quoted a US official saying before the dinner began: "The United States considers this dinner as a new opportunity for Iran to convince the Security Council that it is capable of compliying with its requirements."
The passing of this resolution means saving Iran at the last minute from sanctions that were otherwise certain to come, sanctions that were drafted by Europe along with the US, China, Russia and Germany. This opportunity allows Iran a minimum period of another three months before the sanctions become effective in case of any future disagreement.
There is no doubt that the conduct of Brazil and Turkey was at the US's behest because Brazil, which is the eighth largest economic power in the world, needs America to continue its economic growth, and it was just one month back that it signed a military pact with the US.
As for Turkey, its Prime Minister Erdogan clearly stated that on the issue of implementing the clauses of the agreement, he will coordinate with America directly. He later stated that whatever was achieved was through coordination with Washington, a similar statement also came from Brazil!
United States reliance upon Brazil and Turkey in its time of need will help it to evade sanctions against Iran which are being imposed at the behest of Europe and the Jewish state. On the other hand, this means that America is taking advantage of the non-permanent members of the UNSC at the cost of the permanent members.
In conclusion it can be said that the entry of Turkey and Brazil as new parties in the Iranian nuclear issue helps America to prevent any damage from the proposed severe sanctions against Iran, because the entry of Brazil and Turkey in signing the agreement means a clear cracking of the so-called global community's effort against Iran on this issue.
Further, this agreement forges a general demand for negotiations on its implementation, and this gives Iran breathing space from the pressures being mounted by the international community, especially Europe. Irrespective of whether this is implemented immediately or is delayed, the intensity of pressures on Iran is certainly weakened gradually. Similarly the US's embarrassment at the hands of Europe and the Jewish state who have been making attempts to make America take military action or at least place effective sanctions has subsided.
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Of course the British government on its own is not in such a position and so it aims to spur the US and thus raise the intensity of the Iranian issue. The British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in his first external trip visited the US just three days after assuming charge as foreign secretary where he stressed that as British foreign secretary, he chose to first visit the US to underline the special relationship with America. [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010]. This was a reference to an earlier report issued by a group of members of the British House of Commons about the special relationship between them. Thus William Hague emphasised the importance of this relationship and Britain's need for it.
William Hague promised to pressurise Iran and expressed his agreement with the US position, he said: "His government will work to convince the European Union to adopt resolutions and strong measures against Iran." He added: "We are in agreement on the need for sending a strong and unified message regarding Iran's nuclear programme, and pass a UN Security Council resolution to that effect. After this the United Kingdom will play a fundamental role to ensure that the EU moves firmly to follow up on such a resolution." [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010].
He demanded intensifying sanctions against Iran as a first step leading towards achieving global legitimacy for eventual military action, he said: "Though we have not ruled out military action in future, but we do not call for it." [Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 15.05.2010].
This is merely a negotiating pressure alone on Iran, rather it reflects the British position and it was evident during the riots that followed the presidential elections in Iran that Britain was trying to destabilise and eliminate the Iranian regime. Britain is now trying to build European consensus in cooperation with France and Germany and bring pressure upon Iran, and not to speak of the ‘Israeli' pressure in this regard. It so happened that America reached an agreement with Iran and dispatched the president of Brazil and the prime minister of Turkey to Iran to sign a Uranium exchange pact in order to reduce the impact of threats and sanctions card that was being raised by Europe, and especially by Britain, followed by France and ‘Israel'. Thus Iran signed the latest agreement with Brazil and Turkey which includes clauses that Iran agreed to send 1200Kgs of 5.30% low-enriched Uranium to Turkey in exchange for 120Kgs of 20% enriched Uranium which was required for a peaceful nuclear reactor located in Tehran. The essence of this agreement may have been proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a way out of the deadlock in the negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UNSC and Germany about a year back which then failed due to the issue of guarantees and trust.
Two new major clauses have meanwhile been added to this agreement regarding the issue of guarantees and trust, these are:
1: That the enrichment process will be carried out in Turkey (as a compromised place).
2: In case the negotiations concerning the compliance of this agreement with the Vienna group consisting of the US, France and the IAEA fail, then Turkey will be bound to return the Iranian low enriched Uranium meant for enrichment back to Iran.
Examining this agreement closely, we find that it was the US that encouraged Brazil and Turkey under its patronage. The French website (france24.com) reported: "The United States, Russia and France encouraged Brazilian President Lula's official visit to Tehran and considered it as the last chance to avoid sanctions." An Egyptian newspaper reported this news on 18th May, 2010 from an undisclosed source.
The story of this agreement began with the dinner invitation by the Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki to all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council including the five big powers along with Turkey and Brazil who are non-permanent members of the UNSC. This dinner was on the sidelines of the follow up conference on nuclear non-proliferation.
This dinner was attended by America's deputy ambassador to the UN Alejandro Wolff and ambassadors and lower ranks representatives of all the 15 member nations.
News agencies quoted a US official saying before the dinner began: "The United States considers this dinner as a new opportunity for Iran to convince the Security Council that it is capable of compliying with its requirements."
The passing of this resolution means saving Iran at the last minute from sanctions that were otherwise certain to come, sanctions that were drafted by Europe along with the US, China, Russia and Germany. This opportunity allows Iran a minimum period of another three months before the sanctions become effective in case of any future disagreement.
There is no doubt that the conduct of Brazil and Turkey was at the US's behest because Brazil, which is the eighth largest economic power in the world, needs America to continue its economic growth, and it was just one month back that it signed a military pact with the US.
As for Turkey, its Prime Minister Erdogan clearly stated that on the issue of implementing the clauses of the agreement, he will coordinate with America directly. He later stated that whatever was achieved was through coordination with Washington, a similar statement also came from Brazil!
United States reliance upon Brazil and Turkey in its time of need will help it to evade sanctions against Iran which are being imposed at the behest of Europe and the Jewish state. On the other hand, this means that America is taking advantage of the non-permanent members of the UNSC at the cost of the permanent members.
In conclusion it can be said that the entry of Turkey and Brazil as new parties in the Iranian nuclear issue helps America to prevent any damage from the proposed severe sanctions against Iran, because the entry of Brazil and Turkey in signing the agreement means a clear cracking of the so-called global community's effort against Iran on this issue.
Further, this agreement forges a general demand for negotiations on its implementation, and this gives Iran breathing space from the pressures being mounted by the international community, especially Europe. Irrespective of whether this is implemented immediately or is delayed, the intensity of pressures on Iran is certainly weakened gradually. Similarly the US's embarrassment at the hands of Europe and the Jewish state who have been making attempts to make America take military action or at least place effective sanctions has subsided.
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