[IslamCity] Bush Iran Strategy Suffers Major Diplomatic Defeat
From: Erooth Mohamed Sent: 13 June, 2006 10:19 AM Subject: Bush Iran Strategy Suffers Major Diplomatic Defeat Bush Iran Strategy Suffers Major Diplomatic Defeat by Gareth Porter http://www.antiwar.com/orig/porter.php?articleid=9128 Despite claims that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has regained the diplomatic initiative from Iran with a conditional offer to join multilateral talks with Tehran, the real story behind the policy shift is that the administration has suffered a decisive defeat of its effort to get international sanctions for possible military action against Iran. U.S. officials and French and British diplomats have sought to obscure the failure to get the agreement of Russia and China to a hard-line UN Security Council resolution making Iranian compliance mandatory if it refused to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. Nevertheless, details of the proposal finally given to Iran and Russia's subsequent statement both confirm that the administration has had to accept a package without the threat of Security Council action it had counted on. The list of "possible measures in the event that Iran does not cooperate" in the proposal, as revealed by Reuters on June 9 based on the earlier draft of the proposal released by ABC News and interviews with Western diplomats, includes 13 economic and diplomatic "disincentives" to be applied gradually, depending on Iran's behavior. But the document makes no reference to the possibility of an enforceable Security Council decision that the Bush administration could use to justify a military attack on Iran. Going into the crucial negotiations on Iran's nuclear program between Washington and the other five powers – France, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany – in early May, the Bush administration had regarded such an enforceable Security Council action as the key to its strategy for increasing the pressure on Iran. The New York Times reported April 30 that U.S. officials had described an administration plan by Rice to get agreement on a UN Security Council resolution requiring that Iran cease enriching uranium that would be enforceable under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Chapter VII authorizes the use of penalties, and if those are ineffective, of military force. It is now clear that Rice hoped to get the agreement of the five powers to her plan by making a concession the administration had been resisting for weeks – the agreement to join the talks between the EU3 (Britain, France and Germany) with Iran. On her way to New York for the crucial meeting with the other five powers May 8 and 9, Rice shared with aides her plan to offer that concession at the meeting, as senior State Department officials later revealed to the Times. In return, the United States wanted the five powers to call for UN sanctions under Chapter VII. But the Russians and Chinese had other ideas. Before the crucial New York meeting, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had gotten assurances from both Russia and China that they would not support any Chapter VII resolution in the Security Council. On May 2, Mottaki had told the conservative Kayhan newspaper, "The thing these two countries have official told us and expressed in diplomatic negotiations is their opposition to sanctions and military attacks." The Iranian foreign minister expressed confidence that "no sanctions or anything like that will be on the agenda of the Security Council." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing were unmoved by Rice's sudden willingness to join the talks with Iran. Reuters reported that night, "China has made it clear that any reference to possible sanctions or war should be eliminated from the UN resolution order to Tehran to curb is nuclear program. Both Moscow and Beijing oppose invoking Chapter VII of the UN charter." Steve Weisman of the New York Times confirmed in a May 19 report that Lavrov had made it clear in the May 8-9 meeting that Russia would not go along with any Security Council resolution that made compliance mandatory. The Europeans at the meeting, he observed, had been more realistic, hoping only that the Russians would accept a threat of sanctions divorced from Chapter VII. Thus the real story behind Rice's dramatic May 31 announcement and the proposal announced in muted terms the following day in Vienna is that the United States had backed down and accepted a package without the threat of Security Council sanctions Rice and Bush had wanted going into New York. It was a major defeat for the administration's policy, which Rice and other administration officials immediately began to cover up. The day after the fateful New York meeting, Rice admitted only to "some tactical differences about how to express that in the Security Council," and suggested that those slight differences would all be ironed in "a couple of weeks." That same day,
[IslamCity] Presbyterian Church USA Action Alert
Abdul Wahid Osman Belal forwarded---Original Message--- From: American Educational Trust Date: 06/13/06 23:30:05 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Presbyterian Church USA Action Alert Presbyterian Church USA Action Alert Director, Donor Development Washington, DC Action Requested: Thank Presbyterians for beginning a process of selective divestment
from corporations which support Israel's occupation and urge them to continue this process! Background: From June 15-22 in Birmingham, Alabama, the Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly will be revisiting its 2004 decision to begin a process of selective divestment from corporations which promote violence in Israel/Palestine. What to do: Email and call Presbyterian churches in your community, town, city or state to thank them. If you want, offer to meet with them or just drop by and thank them in person. Resources:Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) current positions on Israel/Palestine Palestinian civil society call for divestmentContact info for Presbyterian churches near you:Presbyterians of the World, Unite!, by Norman Finkelstein Talking Points A. Thank you for taking courageous measures to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. B. The PCUSA proved to be a leader in promoting human rights and dignity by examining the use of divestment as a non-violent tool for peacemaking. C. Economic engagement is an important strategy for pressuring parties in the conflict to take the right steps for peace. D. Divestment is not anti-Semitic, as its critics charge. Despite their condemnation of this strategy to bring Israel to the negotiating table, these same vehement critics have used economic leverage to choke the Palestinian community into submissionthereby revealing
their double standard on the issue of divestment. E. It is important to remember that the decision to divest, though controversial, added teeth to the churchs historic position on the issue, which is in concert with the international consensus about the essential first step toward peacean end to Israels military occupation of the Palestinian people. At a time when the whole world is focused on the Middle East, divestment from companies which promote or facilitate violence in the region is a bold and principled step for corporate responsibility everywhere, and sets an example for effective non-violent action in the face of an increasingly militarized world. F. The 216th General Assemblys vote to study divestment, and the integrity of PCUSAs democratic process despite pressure from every angle, inspires and instills hope in an occupied Palestinian population struggling to keep hope alive. It also supports Israeli peace activists fighting to
carry the torch of human rights and democracy, and emboldens people of conscience around the world who are struggling for justice and stability in the region. G. Positive investment, while important, is no substitute for divestment in the face of an occupation that has destroyed everything that works and is beautiful in Palestine. The European Community has been investing positively in Palestine for years, but all of that work can be, and frequently is, dashed in a moment by Israeli bulldozers, tank shellings, or air attacks from U.S.-made helicopters and fighter jets. Israel must be forced to end its occupation before anything lasting can be built. H. I hope that you carefully study the facts of the issue and follow your conscience when you participate in the General Assembly this year, consistent with the model of independence and social justice embodied by Jesus. Help Us Out Reach to Churches: In March,
the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs sent free sample copies to over 11,000 Presbyterian churches in the United States and Puerto Rico with a letter supporting divestment. To help us cover the expenses of this mailing and do this again in the future, please donate what you can. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, PO Box 53062, Washington DC 20009. Phone: (202) 939-6050, Fax: (202) 265-4574, Toll Free: (800) 368-5788, http://www.wrmea.com/ Published by the American Educational Trust, a non-profit foundation incorporated in Washington, DC to provide the American public with balanced and accurate information concerning U.S. relations with Middle Eastern states. Material from the Washington Report on
Middle East Affairs may be printed with out charge with attribution to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Unsubscribe here. ABDUL WAHID OSMAN BELAL __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine
[IslamCity] Inhabitants of the rooms of Paradise
Peace be upon you,
Jabir Ibn Abdullah said that they were once sitting with the Prophet
when he asked them, `Shall I tell you about the rooms in the houses of
Paradise?'
They replied, `O yes, Prophet of Allah, you are dearer to us than our
fathers and our mothers'
He said, `Allah the Exalted has created the rooms of Paradise from all
kinds of jewels. You can see them from the outside just as you can see
them from the inside. They contain a variety of pleasures that no eye
has ever seen; nor any ear has ever heard; nor has ever occurred to
the hearts of any human being'
Jabir asked, `Who occupies these rooms, O Prophet of Allah?'
He said, `It is for those who propagate salutations and greetings,
offer food, fast frequently and pray at night while others are fast
asleep'
Jabir asked, `And who is steadfast enough to tolerate all of these
things O Prophet of Allah?'
He replied, `My followers tolerate that Jabir: Those who meet a fellow
and greet him has propagated greetings; those who fed their wives and
children until they are satisfied is considered to have offered food;
those who fast the month of Ramadan and another three days each month
are considered to have fasted frequently; and those who perfom the
night prayers as well as the dawn prayers in a group is considered to
have performed prayers whilst other people are asleep'
[Abu Dawood, Daleel al-Saileen, p 509]
May Allah Almighty have mercy on us all, ameen.
In peace, f
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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[IslamCity] Re: IS SEX EDUCATION TO KIDS ALLOWED IN ISLAM?
There are several issues. One is should they be educated and the
answer is of course. The second is by whom and by what materials? I
do not think they should be shown graphic pictures in a public
setting. If it is to be done, it should not be done as it is in the
west in mixed classes with boys and girls present at the same time.
The best education is for the parents to answer their children's
questions, but since many parents are not comfortable talking about
it, they want someone else to do it, and then the issues of morality
come in, what should they be told and taught? The parents must have a
say in this and should approve whatever course materials there are in
the madrassa or elsewhere.
angelofansar
--- In islamcity@yahoogroups.com, G.Waleed Kavalec wrote:
Walaikum asalaam all
If a child is educated on this subject, the urge
to test the feeling of physical satisfaction will
brew within them
This argument against 'sex education' is ABJECT NONSENSE. The
feelings of
puberty will brew within EVERT adolescent, educated or not.
Even more importand virtually every child WILL get educated, if not
by the
school then by their friends in private conversations. (This has
been true
since the dawn of history.)
The key is to find a proper educational method that reinforces the
message
of morailty while teaching the facts.
On 6/7/06, SabaKhan SabaKhan wrote:
Question
i am a father who has a older son in madrassa and
became a hafiz recently, now my second son is in his
final year in a primary school before joining his
brother in madrassa. As part of their education in
this year, they are taught 'sex education'. My
question is: Is this allowed? I have had a meeting
with the teacher and she has explained briefly what is
involved, however, i would welcome a Sharia ruling on
this. My younger brother is a Maulana and he advises
that it is permissable as long as there is no video or
graphic images.
Answer
There are two aspects to this query:
A) Education b) morality
Sex education is a topic. It does not only concentrate
on the physical aspects of intimacy but also
highlights issues of HIV, AIDS and other medical
related issues. However, the issue of immorality
cannot be separated from such a topic. It is fact that
a child by nature is adventurous. If a child is
educated on this subject, the urge to test the feeling
of physical satisfaction will brew within them, thus
opening the doors of fornication, masturbation, etc,
etc. In brief the harms of outweigh the benefit hence
it is not permissible even tough there is no video or
graphic images.
And Allah knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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otherwise.
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[IslamCity] European media is questioning
Salaam all
The truth is coming to the surface, as it ALWAYS does.
Sounds like Zionism is scrambling...
--
European media is
questioning Israel's right to exist
By Denyse
Tannenbaum in Washington
Nathalie Biderman (L)
(Europe Near East Forum ) and Daniel Shek (BICOM) at AIPAC's Washington
conference
Updated: 10/Mar/2006
15:26
A leading media
analyst has told the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
policy conference that the mainstream European media is beginning to question
whether Israel has a right to exist. Speaking during last
weekend's event in Washington, Daniel Shek, chief executive of the Britain
Israel Communications Research Centre (BICOM), claimed that the
questioning of Israel's legitimacy is moving at a pace that is very worrying -
to the mainstreaming of the debate.I think it's the single biggest
challenge for the Jewish community within the United Kingdom and for Europe in
general, Shek said. High European participation Shek attended the pro-Israel
lobby organisation's three-day event along with dozens of European delegates
from Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Belgium.
Europeans at the conference participated in a series of forums on
strategies to organize the pro-Israel community in Europe and attended detailed
policy briefings with top AIPAC legislative staff on the rise of Hamas and new
threats from Iran. Delegates from Europefound inspiration from
AIPAC, widely viewed as a successful model for affecting US public policy
regarding Israel, said Nathalie Biderman, director of the Europe Near East Forum
for France think-tank. AIPAC helps pass more than 100 pro-Israel
legislative initiatives a year through more than 2,000 meetings with members of
the U.S. Congress, according to AIPAC statistics. The privately-funded
lobby has doubled its national membership in the past five years, topping
100,000. AIPAC's influence was underscored by the seeming multitude of
government leaders in attendance at the conference, the biggest in its 52-year
history. This year, half the Senate, a quarter of the House and many
White House administration officials, including vice president Dick Cheney,
participated.
More than 4,500 people
came, including diplomats from more than 50 embassies, with Muslim nations, such
as Turkey and Pakistan, also in attendance.
Different approaches
While European leaders here praised AIPAC's effectiveness,
they said that its usefulness as a model for Europe is limited. We are
taking what is replicable and changing many things because our cultures are
different, said Biderman, whose organisation is built upon the AIPAC model.
France, with around 600,000 Jews, has the largest Jewish community in
Europe and its relationship with Israel is strong, but its views are
underrepresented among news outlets which have become increasingly hostile to
Israel, she added. The same is true elsewhere on the continent and in
Britain, according to Europeans at the conference. European Jewish
communities must step up efforts to send a message that just because Israel is
strong does not mean that Israel is always wrong, Shek said. Britain’s
close relationship with AIPAC has intensified in the last year with the recent
launching of a new AIPAC outreach effort in Europe and Canada. AIPAC is
assisting BICOM with developing grassroots networks in Britain and with
organizing pro-Israel events similar to AIPAC conference, but on a much smaller
scale, Shek said. Europe is a very different place than the United
States,he said.œWe have different tools but similar goals
BICOM also plans to concentrate on long-term measures to cultivate
relationships and influence decision-makers and media leaders in Europe.
There is stronger motivation now than ever for communities to stand up
for Israel and stand up for their own, Shek said. We want to invest today in
things that will matter in five to 10 years.
__._,_.___
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said,
[IslamCity] Re: DAJJAL BUSH REGIME STRANGLES 3 MUJAHIDEEN IN TORTURE CAMP
Maybe Allah(swt) is waiting for when Isa comes back to the Central Mosque in Damascus and there are 70,000 infidel troops coming there; maybe Bush is not as important as what will come after his regime. Allah knows best, and he sets up the evil for their day of punishment. angelofansar --- In islamcity@yahoogroups.com, Prathiba Sundaram wrote: World community should demand death to the International Terrorist Bush. Hundreds of Thousands of human beings are dreaming the death of the Evil. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: DAJJAL BUSH REGIME STRANGLES 3 MUJAHIDEEN IN TORTURE CAMP Assalamu aleikum. In the US, the murder and subsequent coverup of inmates deaths by police has long been an art form. The Guantanamo Bay torture camp, which has been condemned even by the UN, is certainly no exception to this rule. The three victims whom the Bush regime ordered murdered were naturally close eyewitnesses to the torture of other victims over the past several years in the infamous Camp 1, and to attacks on the Holy Qur'an. Their release would have led to further unfavorable publicity. Now the eyewitnesses are dead, supposed victims of suicide. All three. At once. The notion that 3 torture victims in the most secure part of the torture camp had the means to commit suicide is absurd. All the torture victims are under 24-hour surveillance. --- U.S.: 3 Guantanamo Inmates Commit Suicide By ANDREW SELSKY and JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press 06.10.2006 http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/06/10/ap2807112.html Three Guantanamo Bay detainees were found dead Saturday after apparently committing suicide, the U.S. military said. They were the first reported deaths among the suspected terrorists held at the base in Cuba for up to 4 1/2 years without being charged. Two men from Saudi Arabia and one from Yemen were found unresponsive and not breathing in their cells early Saturday, according to a statement from the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, which has jurisdiction over the prison. Attempts were made to revive the prisoners, but failed. One defense official, who requested anonymity because the details had not been made public yet, said that initial reports were that two of the detainees hanged themselves while the third suffocated or choked himself. Pentagon officials said the three men were in Camp 1, the highest maximum security prison at Guantanamo, and that none of them had tried to commit suicide before. That camp was also the location where two detainees tried to commit suicide in mid-May, when a riot broke out at the facility. The two men, who took overdoses of an anti-anxiety medication they hoarded, were found and received medical treatment and were recovering. The United States is holding about 460 men on suspicion of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban at Guantanamo Bay, which has become a sore subject between President Bush and U.S. allies who otherwise are staunch supporters of his policies. The Defense Department's U.S. Southern Command in Miami, and the detention center's commander, Navy Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris, scheduled a briefing for later Saturday. The Pentagon also postponed the military tribunal of Binyam Muhammad, an Ethiopian detainee, originally scheduled for next week. Muhammad is charged with conspiring with Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders to attack civilians and commit other crimes. Bush, spending the weekend at Camp David, was notified of the incident. The State Department was consulting with the governments of the home countries of the three prisoners, whose names were not released. The military said in its statement that all lifesaving measures had been exhausted in the attempt to revive the detainees. The remains were being treated with the utmost respect, an issue important to Muslims. A cultural adviser was assisting the military. Though the military termed the deaths suicides, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating to establish the official cause and manner of death. A U.N. panel said May 19 that holding detainees indefinitely at Guantanamo violated the world's ban on torture. The panel said the United States should close the detention center. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are among those who also recently have urged the United States to close the prison. On Friday, after the prison came up during a meeting with Fogh Rasmussen at Camp David, Bush said his goal is to do just that. A total of 759 detainees have been held there, with about 300 released or transferred. We would like to end the Guantanamo - we'd like it to be empty, Bush said. But he added: There are some that, if put out on the streets, would create grave harm to American citizens and other citizens of the world. And, therefore, I believe they ought to be tried in courts
[IslamCity] Help Madeeha
Bismillah,
http://helpmadeeha.com/index.html
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***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
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[IslamCity] SHOWDOWN OVER DIVESTMENT
-- Forwarded message --From: World View [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Jun 13, 2006 7:03 PM SHOWDOWN OVER DIVESTMENT RESOLUTION SET FOR UPCOMING PRESBYTERIAN PARLEYREBECCA SPENCE, Forward6/9/06http://forward.com/articles/7938A group of Presbyterian activists is ramping up efforts to reverse their church's policy advocating divestment from Israel, setting thestage for a showdown over the issue at next week's General Assembly ofthe Presbyterian Church (USA).When the more than 500 national delegates convene June 15-22 in Birmingham, Ala., for the 217th General Assembly, they will bepresented with a trove of proposals — known as overtures — callingon the church to rescind its current divestment policy. That policy, enacted two years ago at the last General Assembly, called on thechurch to begin phased selective divestment in multinationalcorporations in Israel.A firestorm of debate has raged within the church's 173 presbyteries — regional governing bodies that submit overtures to the GeneralAssembly — since the divestment measure first passed in July 2004. Theinitial vote came as a surprise to many within the church itself andshocked Jewish communal leaders, who feared that it would prompt other mainline Protestant churches to follow suit. But Jewish leaders'concerns were allayed the following year, when the Episcopal Church ofAmerica rejected a similar divestment proposal.A total of 29 overtures on the subject of peace in the Middle East have been submitted in advance of this year's Presbyterian GeneralAssembly. Thirteen of the resolutions call for the boycott to berescinded wholesale, and a handful call to affirm the existing policy;others occupy a middle ground. We would like to see a complete rejection of the negative policy ofdivestment and replace that with a policy of engagement with bothIsraelis and Palestinians who truly are looking for peace, said Gary Green, a Presbyterian Church elder who sits on the board of directorsof the Committee To End Divestment Now, a grass-roots group of pastorsand elders that was formed in 2005 to reverse the divestment policy. The hefty number of anti-divestment overtures follows two years ofwork by Jewish communal leaders and Christian activists, includingGreen, who have sought to educate the church laity about the issue.Their efforts culminated in late May, when the National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel, a multi-denominational organizationdedicated to fostering support for Israel in the North AmericanChristian community, sponsored a fact-finding trip to Israel, Gaza andthe West Bank for a group of 11 Presbyterian leaders. On returning from the trip, which included meetings with a broad rangeof Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the Presbyterian participantsissued a statement calling for the church to rescind its divestment policy.Some Jewish communal leaders contend that the Presbyterian Church hasbeen biased historically toward the Palestinian view. The onlynarrative people are exposed to is the Palestinian narrative, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center inLos Angeles. Cooper accompanied the Presbyterians on theirfact-finding trip.The difference next week, win, lose or draw, is that for the first time within the church, you have a group of leaders who went on theirown to the Holy Land, took a look and spent time with rabbis andchurch leaders, Cooper said.Victor Makari, a church official involved with Middle East issues, countered that allegations of pro-Palestinian bias have no basis infact. Indeed, all of our official statements begin by affirmingIsrael's right to exist within secure and legitimate borders, and wehave had many statements calling for cessation of violence on both sides, Makari said.Since the passage of the divestment policy, interfaith relationsbetween Jews and Presbyterians have become increasingly strained. Areversal in policy, some observers said, could help mend the fractured relationship, and send a clear signal to the Jewish community that thelay membership of the Presbyterian Church opposes the notion ofdivestment.But Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator of the 216th General Assembly, where the divestment policy passed, said that the controversy may havebenefitted interfaith relations. In response to the initial divestmentvote, according to Ufford-Chase, dialogue groups involving Jews andPresbyterians have sprung up in at least 50 American cities. In that way, it has certainly deepened our conversations with our Jewishbrothers and sisters.Ufford-Chase noted that the original policy called for engagement withcorporations, with divestment as a last resort. The earliest that any recommendations would be made to actually sell stock is 2008, he said.Thus far, the church committee charged with investigating the issuehas held talks with Citigroup, Motorola and ITT Industries — and, in fact, the talks with Citigroup centered on reports that themultinational bank had transferred funds to an Arab bank
[IslamCity] Re: DAJJAL BUSH REGIME STRANGLES 3 MUJAHIDEEN IN TORTURE CAMP
--- In islamcity@yahoogroups.com, jumadaaloola1427 wrote: DAJJAL BUSH REGIME STRANGLES 3 MUJAHIDEEN IN TORTURE CAMP Wa Alaikum Al Salaam, What no one has even thought about is that they were found on Saturday. What Muslim would commit suicide during the holiest day of prayers? Are we to believe they did their daybreak prayers and then hung themselves? angelofansar Assalamu aleikum. In the US, the murder and subsequent coverup of inmates deaths by police has long been an art form. The Guantanamo Bay torture camp, which has been condemned even by the UN, is certainly no exception to this rule. The three victims whom the Bush regime ordered murdered were naturally close eyewitnesses to the torture of other victims over the past several years in the infamous Camp 1, and to attacks on the Holy Qur'an. Their release would have led to further unfavorable publicity. Now the eyewitnesses are dead, supposed victims of suicide. All three. At once. The notion that 3 torture victims in the most secure part of the torture camp had the means to commit suicide is absurd. All the torture victims are under 24-hour surveillance. --- U.S.: 3 Guantanamo Inmates Commit Suicide By ANDREW SELSKY and JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press 06.10.2006 http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/06/10/ap2807112.html Three Guantanamo Bay detainees were found dead Saturday after apparently committing suicide, the U.S. military said. They were the first reported deaths among the suspected terrorists held at the base in Cuba for up to 4 1/2 years without being charged. Two men from Saudi Arabia and one from Yemen were found unresponsive and not breathing in their cells early Saturday, according to a statement from the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, which has jurisdiction over the prison. Attempts were made to revive the prisoners, but failed. One defense official, who requested anonymity because the details had not been made public yet, said that initial reports were that two of the detainees hanged themselves while the third suffocated or choked himself. Pentagon officials said the three men were in Camp 1, the highest maximum security prison at Guantanamo, and that none of them had tried to commit suicide before. That camp was also the location where two detainees tried to commit suicide in mid-May, when a riot broke out at the facility. The two men, who took overdoses of an anti-anxiety medication they hoarded, were found and received medical treatment and were recovering. The United States is holding about 460 men on suspicion of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban at Guantanamo Bay, which has become a sore subject between President Bush and U.S. allies who otherwise are staunch supporters of his policies. The Defense Department's U.S. Southern Command in Miami, and the detention center's commander, Navy Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris, scheduled a briefing for later Saturday. The Pentagon also postponed the military tribunal of Binyam Muhammad, an Ethiopian detainee, originally scheduled for next week. Muhammad is charged with conspiring with Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders to attack civilians and commit other crimes. Bush, spending the weekend at Camp David, was notified of the incident. The State Department was consulting with the governments of the home countries of the three prisoners, whose names were not released. The military said in its statement that all lifesaving measures had been exhausted in the attempt to revive the detainees. The remains were being treated with the utmost respect, an issue important to Muslims. A cultural adviser was assisting the military. Though the military termed the deaths suicides, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating to establish the official cause and manner of death. A U.N. panel said May 19 that holding detainees indefinitely at Guantanamo violated the world's ban on torture. The panel said the United States should close the detention center. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are among those who also recently have urged the United States to close the prison. On Friday, after the prison came up during a meeting with Fogh Rasmussen at Camp David, Bush said his goal is to do just that. A total of 759 detainees have been held there, with about 300 released or transferred. We would like to end the Guantanamo - we'd like it to be empty, Bush said. But he added: There are some that, if put out on the streets, would create grave harm to American citizens and other citizens of the world. And, therefore, I believe they ought to be tried in courts here in the United States. Bush said his administration was waiting for the Supreme Court to rule whether he overstepped his authority in ordering the detainees to be tried by U.S. military tribunals. The
[IslamCity] kidnapping civilians defy the Islamic code of ethics
Anyone who is familiar with the Koran and the traditions of the prophet Muhammad knows that kidnapping civilians and harming them is absolutely prohibited. Those who do kidnap civilians defy the Islamic code of ethics. This ethos applies to every kidnapped civilian, including Jill Carroll, the freelance journalist on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor, who worked in Iraq until she was kidnapped early last month. I appeal to her kidnappers to immediately release her and to stop kidnapping civilians altogether. Every now and then, we hear about the kidnapping of foreign nationals in Islamic countries. Recently the family of a former German minister was kidnapped in Yemen. In Gaza, Kate Burton, a British human rights activist, and her parents were kidnapped. By the time I had a chance to write about this topic, the news came that both captured families had been released. This was a happy ending that I had really hoped for. It is well known that the kidnappers demands, in cases like these, usually have nothing to do directly with the kidnapped persons or their countries. This does not mean, however, that it is permissible to kidnap innocent civilians should conflicts exist. The two European families were kidnapped because they were easy targets. The same applies to Ms. Carroll. I could have based the arguments in this article on the laws, treaties, and covenants that prohibit such deeds. I could have also brought up notions of Arab magnanimity, nobility, and honor that require us to be generous and kind to our guests. Many of those captured foreigners carried the burden of working for our causes and, for that, they endured hardships and paid a high price. I have chosen, because of the cultural background of this nation, to present the Islamic position regarding kidnapping, which opposes it. We must get rid of this negative phenomenon that does not serve us in any way. From the perspective of the Islamic sharia, the al-Mustamin is the foreign person whose safety is guaranteed. Such a person is protected, even if his or her native country is in a state of animosity with Muslims. Animosity is a temporary state, and, further, not all Western citizens necessarily support the foreign policies of their governments. The Muslim must understand that the person who obtains a visitors visa enters into a contract with the country that grants him the visa. The state, as an institution, does that on behalf of its people. Despite those who look with suspicion at the state, especially if the ruler lacks legitimacy, the visa should be recognized as a legitimate agreement for guests of our countries to move freely about without harm. We have seen foreign visitors support our political rights and defend Islam. Indeed, despite being non- Muslims themselves, they have come to the defense of Muslims in their own countries when the need arose. The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) declared its position on kidnapping and the taking of hostages in their communiqué which was published in September 2004. In what follows, I paraphrase and summarize their statement, which draws on verses and examples in the Koran prohibiting kidnapping. The full text is available in Arabic on www.Islamonline.net: 1. Kidnapping is an assault on another, whether a Muslim or non-Muslim. It is an unjust act that God forbids and prohibits: Allah commands justice, the doing of good and giving to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition (Koran, 16:90). God stressed that the mere differences in religion, even if in the context of a conflict, do not justify assaulting another. 2. Kidnapping is considered an act of war. [In any case, it is prohibited to kill a prisoner of war], he is absolutely destined to be released: afterward either grace or ransom . (Koran, 47:4). 3. It is prohibited, in the case of actual war, to kidnap innocent people or civilians, who are [technically speaking] of the enemy. No act of war could be aimed at them. The civilians, from an Islamic perspective, are noncombatant women, children, and the elderly who have nothing to do with war, and monks and those who live in monasteries. 4. If kidnapping takes place during actual fighting, the kidnapped become prisoners of war, and should be treated according to the teachings of Islamic sharia regarding captives, which we summarize as follows: (a) Prisoners of wars should be turned over to the authorities to decide what to do with them. The person who caught the prisoner of war has no right or authority over him. (b) It is a religious obligation to be kind to the prisoners of war, to treat them well, to be generous to them, to provide them with food and clothing, and not to torture them: And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive (Koran, 76:8). (c) The prisoners of war should be ultimately released. 5. It is prohibited
[IslamCity] Ablution as a brain stimulant
From: Faizel Hendricks [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, 14 June 2006 6:14 p.m.
Subject: Ablution as a brain stimulant
Assalaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatu Brother
I hope that you are all fine Insha-ALLAH after the freak storm that was
reported in New Zeeland.
Ma'Asalaam
faizel H
Ablution as a brain stimulant
The further the scientific discoveries go, the more proofs appear - of an
undoubted use of everything the ALMIGHTY has prescribed for his best creation -
a human being. I'd like to offer the readers an interesting material on the
fact, how an ablution stimulates the
cerebral cortex and why it is Sunna to renew your ablution after it is spoiled.
First of all, a cerebral cortex is working according to the dominant principle,
i.e. if the there is one excited area in the cerebral cortex, it suppresses the
rest of the cortex activity. Going to the toilet is an enormous excitement
factor which suppresses the rest of
the cerebral cortex. An ablution, performed after this brings the entire cortex
into the optimal condition.
An English scientist U. Penfield made the following discovery in 1956: an
irritation of certain skin areas excites certain areas of the cerebral cortex.
An ablution, especially the one performed thrice, is such an optimal excitement
(irritation). One can see in the scheme of this English scientist U. Penfield
how almost all the cerebral cortex is getting excited when ablution is done.
In this scheme one sees very distinctly that while giving an ablution to these
certain body parts a much greater area of the cerebral cortex gets activated
rather than while washing the whole body. According to Sunna, an ablution is to
be done not only before Namaz (prayer) but also before any natural enterprise:
a trip, studying etc
where an active and dynamic brainwork is required.
All this knowledge on the effects of ablution would be not possible if the
scientific discoveries had not been made, starting from China, 5 thousand years
ago and in England in the 20th century. Therefore, science is one of the
Islam's constituents. One of the Hadiths says: There are two sciences:
religion science and body science. And today's scientific discoveries show the
interrelationship of these two sciences. It shows that science is Islam's
constituent.
Sharl Meesmar very truly said: An increase in knowledge of the science's
weakens faith of the follower of other religions , but increases the faith of
the followers of Islam. Perhaps, Islam appreciates the time, spent on science
study, rather than the time, spent on formal and unconscious performing of
Islamic rites.
It is not difficult to imagine a cerebral cortex condition of a Muslim who
performs an ablution 5 times a day and who renews it each time he breaks it, it
is Sunna to be in a state of ablution all the time.
M.Magomedov,
A PhD of Dagmed Academy
He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted
receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men
of understanding. (al-Baqarah: 269)
O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous;
(ash-Shu`ara': 83)
ABDUL WAHID OSMAN BELAL
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals
[IslamCity] World sees U.S. in Iraq bigger danger
World sees U.S. in Iraq bigger danger than Iran - poll
By Saul Hudson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world increasingly fears Iran's suspected
pursuit of a nuclear bomb but believes the U.S. military in Iraq
remains a greater danger to Middle East stability, a survey showed on
Tuesday.
As Washington campaigns to highlight the threat it sees from Tehran,
the good news for the United States in a Pew Research Center poll of
17,000 people in 15 countries is that publics, particularly in the
West, are worrying more about Iran.
The bad news is people worldwide think the U.S. presence in Iraq is an
even bigger threat and support in most countries for President George
W. Bush's war on terrorism is either flat or falling.
And after some signs anti-Americanism had been abating, in part
because of goodwill generated by U.S. aid for victims of a late-2004
tsunami in Asia, favorable opinions of the United States have since
fallen back in most countries.
Widespread concern over U.S. detainee treatment in Iraq and places
such as Guantanamo, is a key drag on America's overall image,
according to the survey.
Bush himself received the lowest marks for international leadership
compared with his counterparts in Britain, Germany, France and Russia,
and confidence in him has slipped in most countries -- to as low as
three percent in Turkey.
The survey of global attitudes by the respected research group was
conducted from March 31 to May 14 in Britain, France, Germany, Spain,
Russia, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, Nigeria, Japan,
India, China and the United States.
With a margin of error ranging from two percent to six percent
depending on the country, the poll made comparisons to similar surveys
it had conducted in the last few years.
Among Washington's traditional allies, Germany is the only country
where more people say Iran is a bigger danger than the United States
in Iraq.
Otherwise, the survey made grim comparisons for the Bush
administration, including that 56 percent of Spaniards, 45 percent of
Russians and 31 percent of Indonesians believe the United States in
Iraq is the greater threat.
The poll was published after the United States shifted tactics on
Iran, offering late last month to join European-led negotiations over
curbing its nuclear programs, which Iran says are for peaceful power
generation.
With people worldwide overwhelmingly believing Iran is seeking to
build an atomic bomb, fears over the Islamic republic have tripled in
some Western countries. The Muslim world is less fearful of Iran but
its concerns have also risen, representing, for example, a great
danger to 19 percent of Jordanians, the poll showed.
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~-
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
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any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
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[IslamCity] OPERATION MOUNTAIN THRUST
The US has begun what it calls Operation Mountain Thrust led by US
Major General Benjamin c. Freakley, US Operational Command in
Afghanistan, where 11,000 combined troops, 2300 US conventional and
special forces, 3300 British, 2200 Canadian and 3500 Afghan National
Army troops will attack Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan to kill as
many Taliban and locals as possible. All this after Interior Ministry
Legal Advisor Abdul Jabar Sabet comes back from his 10 day trip to
Guantanamo saying that all 96 Afghan nationals being held there will be
released soon and return to Afghanistan to be repatriated. Repatriated
to what? To laser guided bombs and missiles launched at their houses?
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
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[IslamCity] What kind of tiger's tail are they grabbing I wonder?
PUTRAJAYA (Bernama) -- A group of concerned
Americans
and their sympathisers has sought the support of former prime minister
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in their effort to push for an international
investigation into the Sept 11 2001 (9-11) tragedy.
Representatives of the group, including a
survivor of the attacks on the World Trade Centre (WTC) in New York,
met Dr Mahathir here Monday with a claim that the official version of
what transpired on that day was far from the truth.
We want him (Dr Mahathir who is chairman of
Perdana Global Peace Organisation) to help us set up an international
commission
to reopen the investigation, said Jimmy Walter who has brought
together individuals under the Reopen 911 organisation dedicated to
opening a real investigation into the tragic attacks.
Joining him today were American Free Press
journalist Michael
Collins Piper, Yvonne Ridley who is the political editor of Islam
Channel United Kingdom and William Rodriguez -- the last man to run out
of the WTC before it collapsed.
They claimed to have evidence that the
towers came down in a controlled demolition, and that a much bigger
agenda lurked behind the war on terror, unleashed soon after with the
attack on Afghanistan and Iraq by United States-led forces.
Convinced that that was what really
happened, the Reopen 911
organisation is offering US$ 1 million to anyone who can prove that
explosives were not used in the catastrophe that killed thousands.
Recounting his ordeal, Rodriguez, a janitor
of Puerto Rico
descent, said he heard a huge explosion occurring in the basement of
the North Tower seconds before an aircraft struck the building.
He single-handedly rescued 15 persons from the WTC, and as
Rodriguez was the only person at the site with the master key to the
North Tower stairwells, he led firefighters up the stairwell, unlocking
doors as they ascended, thereby aiding in the successful evacuation of unknown hundreds of those who survived.
We have access to evidence and information... that
we realise
that the whole thing was a scheme. The government knew it was going to
happen, they needed to shock the world so they can create an agenda and
have an excuse to attack Iraq, Afghanistan and others, said the man
who was recognised as a national hero.
Rodriguez said the so-called international
war on terror meant that there would be a never-ending war that would
benefit entities like weapon manufacturers.
Journalist Piper said that everything in the US revolved around
9-11 with the survivors held up as heroes and Americans told that it was important to honour them as well as those who died.
But here is the problem -- although they
put his (Rodriguez's)
face on magazines, they will not tell you what he really has to say.
What he told you today has never been reported by major US newspapers
or newsmagazines, he said.
Piper said the fact was that in the US today
there were Jewish and Christian extremists who used their combination
of money and influence in Washington, taking command of the levers of
power.
And we are saying we do not appreciate this, they do not
represent us, nor do they represent most Americans of all races, he said.
Piper said it was important for Malaysia and
Muslims all over the world to realise that the agenda of the detractors
of Islam was much bigger than events in West Asia.
Islam is considered to be a major pillar of
opposition to the
establishment of a worldwide empire. The image they convey is that
(former Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein is an evil man, so we have to
eliminate him.
Now they say we have to go after the Iranians because they are
building nuclear weapons, ignoring of course the fact that it was Israel who started the arms race in West Asia, he said.
The team is also heading for countries like
Chile, Venezuela, Japan, South Africa and the UK to canvass support for
the reopening of 911 investigations.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=202973
__._,_.___
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance
[IslamCity] a study on Ikhwan-ul Muslimoon and on the Egyptian political process from Al-Ahram
- Original Message - From: Mahmudul Hasan Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 1:02 PM Subject: a study on Ikhwan-ul Muslimoon and on the Egyptian political process from Al-Ahram Dear members of the list, Assalamu Alaikum. I forward below from Al-Ahram Weekly a study on the future of the Muslim Brotherhood and on the evolution of the Egyptian political process. The study appears to be a fair one, though one may differ on some aspects of it. Mahmudul Hasan The Ikhwan complex The future of the Muslim Brotherhood is dependent on the fate of reform. Omayma Abdel-Latif reviews the findings of a soon to be published study Asking what the future holds for the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition movement, is tantamount to asking what it holds for the whole of Egypt, given the centrality of the movement in the battle for political and social reform. And at a time when there appears to be yet another crackdown on the group -- the latest round took place last week when nine Muslim Brotherhood members were detained -- the question could not come at a more pertinent time. Smear campaigns in pro-state newspapers, recent statements by Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif in which he disclosed that the government was unhappy with the way the 88 Brotherhood People's Assembly members operated as a bloc, as well as the wide reporting of controversial statements made by the movement's supreme guide, led one prominent Al-Ahram columnist to suggest that the regime suffers from an Ikhwan complex. A new study, written by Amr Al-Chobaki of Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies and due to be released soon, suggests that the survival of the Brotherhood as a politically viable movement ultimately rests on the result of the battle for political reform currently being waged. The study sets out to assess the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in shaping the current wave of political dissent and to gauge where exactly it stands in the political arena. The study, says its author, is an attempt to measure the group's political and social clout away from much hyped media reports and exaggeration. It seeks to assess the real potential of the group and measure its ability to transform itself into a political and partisan entity should the political system begin a serious process of democratic and political reform. While Al-Chobaki argues that the transformation of the Brotherhood from a religious movement into a politically viable entity rests primarily on whether the political system can successfully reform itself, he also describes the process whereby the Muslim Brotherhood has consolidated an image for itself as the most organised and influential opposition group today despite decades of oppression and political exclusion. The fact that the Brotherhood has survived despite the crises that have befallen it is an indication of its strength, he says. But the future survival of the movement, Al-Chobaki argues, may well come to hinge on its willingness, or otherwise, to make a clear separation between the religious and the political. The group will eventually have to decide whether it wants to be a political civil entity that strives to reach power through peaceful means, respecting the rules of democracy, or whether it will continue to project itself as a movement whose primary goal is to preach Islamic mores and tenets and which sees the route to power not through presenting a well-defined political programme but a moral platform. Al-Chobaki notes that recent years have seen few changes in the way the Brotherhood operates even though the political gained ground in its public discourse at the expense of the religious. As a consequence it remains difficult to determine to what extent the Brotherhood does perceive itself as a purely political movement. The movements continued blurring of the religious and political realms are interpreted by Al-Chobaki as a survival tactic. During the 2005 parliamentary elections, he says, politics overrode ideology. They showed organisational skill and exhibited an ability to provide services and present themselves as an alternative to governmental chaos and the official opposition parties. One useful focus of the study is on the internal dynamics of recruitment, decision- making and the oft mentioned generational conflict within the movement. This helps dispel the veil of secrecy that has surrounded the group's composition and activities, sometimes making it appear more like a secret society or a cult than a political group. He addresses the composition of the group, its hierarchy, recruitment policies and the kind of activities in which group members are involved at length. While he praises the group's ability to survive, Al-Chobaki also notes that recent changes to the political scene have presented it with a challenge in terms of adapting itself in a
[IslamCity] MoveOn Iraq ad censored: fight back.
-- Forwarded message --From: Tom Matzzie, MoveOn.org Political Action [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Jun 14, 2006 11:59 AMSubject: MoveOn Iraq ad censored: fight back.To: Greg Kavalec [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ads Censored: Fight Back A TV station in Virginia run by Republican donors has refused our new ad on Iraq. We can create a disincentive for playing dirty like this if we can put more ads on the air on other stations in the district. Can you help? Make a contribution today. Click Here Dear MoveOn member, As part of our big plan to win the election we've been running TV ads in key districts around the country. Yesterday I got news that a TV station in Virginia has refused us the right to air our newest ad that focuses on Iraq. They won't even return our phone calls. It smelled fishy so we looked into it. Sure enough, the Republican Party has been threatening to sue TV stations that run our ads. That's not all. Two of the senior executives at the station—including one of the guys who makes the decision about running ads—actually donated to the Republican's campaign! We want to show that playing dirty doesn't pay. Our plan is to INCREASE the size and length of the ad buy on other stations in the district. Can you contribute $20 or more to help fight back? Click below. https://political.moveon.org/donate/fight.html?id=8038-5865082-2ME8wtKdp_UsoBYqlNpy6wt=3 If we create a disincentive for playing dirty it can help make sure the playing field is fair across the country. We can do that when we raise $500,000 and keep the ads on TV for two weeks longer. And, we have a special new TV ad about Iraq. The new ad uses the Caught Red Handed theme that has worked so well. It talks about how much money members of Congress are taking from defense contractors in Iraq at the same time our troops don't have enough body armor. Some people say that Democrats should avoid the Iraq debate during the election. We think that's dead wrong but we need your help to show that's true. We've tested these ads, and we know they produce a punch with voters—even among people who don't yet support leaving Iraq. (You can view the whole ad on the contribution page.) To prove that Iraq is important to focus on during the election we hired a top political polling firm to investigate the opinions of voters in the top 68 swing districts—two-thirds of these districts are represented by Republicans. Here is what we found: The war is by far the most important issue to voters in these districts right now. By wide margins these voters think the war was a mistake and not worth it. People are angry about the war. A discussion about Iraq during the campaign increases support for the Democrat. A Democrat who takes a firm stand for getting out of Iraq does better than a Democrat who takes a wishy-washy position—even in the face of Republican attacks like, cut and run.Republicans are vulnerable to all sorts of attacks—including their blind support for Bush's policy of never-ending war. Voters are universally angry about how defense contractors have been put ahead of our troops and how priorities here at home have been neglected. These results are paradigm-shifting news but not surprising. Every poll out there shows anger about the war. Voters are ready to hold Republicans accountable for letting Bush get away with everything—especially Iraq. Will you help keep these ads on the air with a $20 contribution? https://political.moveon.org/donate/fight.html?id=8038-5865082-2ME8wtKdp_UsoBYqlNpy6wt=4 To win in November we need to put Iraq in front of the voters. So far MoveOn is the only organization that will do that in these elections. That's why we can't leave these elections in the hands of the Democrats alone. With your support we can do what the Democrats won't yet: make 2006 a year of accountability for Republicans on Iraq. If we can show this works then Democrats and others will follow in our footsteps—boldly speaking out about the mess in Iraq. The best way to bring our troops home is to show consequences for politicians who want to follow Bush on Iraq. This ad plays double duty by helping bring the troops home and win the election. We can do good and do well. Help us keep going. Can you contribute $20? https://political.moveon.org/donate/fight.html?id=8038-5865082-2ME8wtKdp_UsoBYqlNpy6wt=5 Can we count you in? We're going to need thousands of MoveOn members to step forward and make this commitment. Thanks for all you do. –Tom, Wes, Justin, Rosalyn and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team Wednesday, June 14th, 2006 PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://political.moveon.org/?id=8038-5865082-2ME8wtKdp_UsoBYqlNpy6wt=6 Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Subscription Management: This is a message from MoveOn.org Political Action. To change your email address, update your contact info, or remove yourself (Greg Kavalec) from this list, please visit our subscription
