Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama In Cairo: A New Face For Imperialism

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

Obama In Cairo: A New Face For Imperialism
By Patrick Martin
05 June, 2009
WSWS.org

The speech delivered by US President Barack Obama in Cairo yesterday was 
riddled with contradictions. He declared his opposition to the “killing of 
innocent men, women, and children,” but defended the ongoing US wars in Iraq 
and Afghanistan and the US proxy war in Pakistan, while remaining silent on the 
most recent Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. These wars have killed 
at least one million Iraqis and tens of thousands in Afghanistan, Pakistan and 
the Palestinian territories.

Obama declared his support for democracy, human rights and women’s rights, 
after two days of meetings with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Egyptian 
President Hosni Mubarak, two of the most notorious tyrants in the Middle East. 
He said nothing in his speech about the complete absence of democratic rights 
in Saudi Arabia, or about the ongoing repression under Mubarak’s military 
dictatorship. In the days before the US president’s arrival at Al-Azhar 
University, the campus was raided by Egyptian secret police who detained more 
than 200 foreign students. Before leaving on his Mideast trip, Obama praised 
Mubarak as a “steadfast ally.”

While posturing as the advocate of universal peace and understanding, Obama 
diplomatically omitted any reference to his order to escalate the war in 
Afghanistan with the dispatch of an additional 17,000 US troops. And he tacitly 
embraced the policy of his predecessor in Iraq, declaring, “I believe the Iraqi 
people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.” He 
even seemed to hedge on the withdrawal deadline of December 2011 negotiated by 
the Bush administration, which he described as a pledge “to remove all our 
troops from Iraq by 2012.”

Obama rejected the charge that America is “a self-interested empire”—a 
perfectly apt characterization—and denied that the United States was seeking 
bases, territory or access to natural resources in the Muslim world. He claimed 
that the war in Afghanistan was a “war of necessity” provoked by the 9/11 
terrorist attacks. This is the same argument made by the Bush-Cheney 
administration at the time, which deliberately conceals the real material 
interests at stake. The war in Afghanistan is part of the drive by US 
imperialism to dominate the world’s two most important sources of oil and gas, 
the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Basin.

There was of course a distinct shift in the rhetorical tone from the bullying 
“you’re either with or against us” of George W. Bush to the reassuring “we’re 
all in this together” of Obama. But as several commentators noted (the New 
Republic compared the speech line-for-line to that given by Bush to the United 
Nations on September 16, 2006), if you turned off the picture and the sound and 
simply read the prepared text, the words are very similar to speeches delivered 
by Bush, Condoleezza Rice and other officials of the previous administration.

The vague and flowery rhetoric, the verbal tributes to Islamic culture and the 
equal rights of nations, constitute an adjustment of the language being used to 
cloak the policy of US imperialism, not a change in substance. Obama made not a 
single concrete proposal to redress the grievances of the oppressed peoples of 
the Middle East. That is because the fundamental source of this oppression is 
the profit system and the domination of the world by imperialism, of which 
American imperialism is the most ruthless.

Obama made one passing reference to colonialism, and to the US role in the 
overthrow of the democratically elected Mossadegh government in Iran in 1953. 
But in his litany of “sources of tension” in the region, he offered the same 
checklist as his predecessor, with the first place given to “violent 
extremism”, Obama’s rhetorical substitute for Bush’s “terrorism.”

The reaction to the Obama speech in the American media was across-the-board 
enthusiasm. Liberal David Corn of Mother Jones magazine said Obama’s great 
advantages were “his personal history, his non-Bushness, his recognition of US 
errors, his willingness to at least talk as if he wants to be an honest broker 
in the Mideast.”

Michael Crowley wrote in the pro-war liberal magazine New Republic, “to see him 
unfold his biography, to cut such an unfamiliar profile to the world, is to 
appreciate how much America will benefit from presenting this new face to the 
world.”

Perhaps most revealing was the comment by Max Boot, a neoconservative 
arch-defender of the war in Iraq, who wrote: “I thought he did a more effective 
job of making America’s case to the Muslim world. No question: He is a more 
effective salesman than his predecessor was.”

In his speech in Cairo, Obama was playing the role for which he was drafted and 
promoted by a decisive section of the US financial elite and the military and 
foreign policy apparatus. This role is to provide a new face for US imperialism 
as part of 

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama promotes balance in the Mideast

[hasniessa]

 































Today's Cartoon:


[ Previous Monitor cartoons Buy a classic Reprint/republish ]

















The Monitor's View | 06/04/09

Obama in Cairo: something old, something new
His speech to Muslims marks a “new beginning” based on tried-and-true values.



Hasni Essa
Islam for Pluralism

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama ready to cut Karzai adrift

[Ahsan Waheed]

As support for Afghan leader wanes, rivals go to Washington for
meeting with new President
By Jerome Starkey and Kim Sengupta in Kabul

Barack Obama's arrival in the White House and the wind of change
sweeping through Washington could lead to the ousting from power of
Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, The Independent has learnt.



International support for Mr Karzai, who was once the darling of the
West, has waned spectacularly, amid worsening violence, endemic
corruption and weak leadership. But until very recently, diplomats
insisted there were no viable alternatives even as fighting has
intensified and the Taliban insurgency in the south has grown. But
four key figures believed to be challenging Mr Karzai have arrived in
Washington for meetings with Obama administration officials this week.
There is now talk of a "dream ticket" that would see the main
challengers run together to unite the country's various ethnic groups
and wrest control away from Mr Karzai.

"The Americans aren't going to determine the outcome of the election,
but they could suggest to people they put their differences aside and
form a dream ticket," said a senior US analyst in Kabul.

Mr Obama has already started getting to grips with the challenge of
Afghanistan; he received a briefing on the coming American troop
"surge" from General David Petraeus on Wednesday, his first full day
in the Oval Office. Last night, Mr Obama appointed the veteran US
diplomat, Richard Holbrooke, as his new special envoy for Afghanistan
and Pakistan.
The unofficial delegation to Washington was made up of three
ex-ministers and a serving governor. Dr Abdullah Abdullah was the
foreign minister, Dr Ashraf Ghani served as finance minister, Ali
Ahmad Jalali was interior minister and Gul Agha Sherzai is the
governor of the eastern province of Nangahar, where US troops are
based. When Mr Obama visited Afghanistan in July he met Governor
Sherzai in Jalalabad, even before he saw President Karzai in Kabul.
"They are not going to blindly back President Karzai like the Bush
administration did for so long," said John Dempsey, head of the United
States Institute of Peace in Kabul. On the ground in Afghanistan, Camp
Bastion in Helmand province is already becoming the symbol of the
Americanisation of the war in the south. US forces have started
arriving and will be joined by many more. Airfields are to be built to
bring in transport and warplanes in preparation for a coming offensive
with the dispatch of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Karzai officials had hoped Hillary Clinton, now the US Secretary of
State, would prove their ally in White House. But those hopes were
dashed last week when she branded Afghanistan a "narco-state" with a
government "plagued by limited capacity and widespread corruption"
during her confirmation hearing.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Afghan president's brother, was named last
October in leaked US intelligence reports as a major narco-trafficker.
The allegations, vigorously denied by both men, are widespread in
Afghanistan but, until then, Western officials had refused to
corroborate them. But the leak was seen as a shot across Mr Karzai's
bows from the Bush administration, to make him clean up his act and
rein in his brother. The flurry of criticism suggests the
international community is less than happy with his response. Mrs
Clinton's remarks coincided with stinging criticism from Nato's
secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who said corrupt and
inefficient government was as much to blame for instability as the
insurgents. Writing in The Washington Post, he said: "The basic
problem in Afghanistan is not too much Taliban; it's too little good
governance."

Individually, Mr Karzai's rivals risk splitting their support base.
Together, diplomats are optimistic they could win the election,
expected next summer, and reinvigorate a jaded population. "We need to
create a new momentum, like in 2001," said Haroun Mir, co-founder of
the Afghanistan Centre for Research and Policy Studies. "Change will
bring hope, because right now the momentum is with the Taliban."

The planning for new policies on Afghanistan has been going on for
months by Pentagon and State Department staff in anticipation of Mr
Obama's inauguration. One official said: "We have to come up with
fresh innovative ideas on counter-insurgency, counter-narcotics,
governance, development. Now they are drafting in people from other
departments. There is no doubt we neglected Afghanistan after the
Taliban fell but there is a worry that we may be trying to do too
much, too fast now."

A slew of initiatives are on the way. They include the arming of local
groups to fight the Taliban, in the way Sunni militias were used
against insurgents by General Petraeus in Iraq.

US, British and Nato forces will also play a much more direct role in
counter-narcotics operations in an effort to tackle Afghanistan's
heroin trade which provides 93 per cent of the world's supply of the
drug.

So

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama on Zionism and Hamas!

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

Obama on Zionism and Hamas
Here is an excerpt from "The Atlantic" online mag's interview of  Obama with 
Zionist Jeffrey Goldberg:
 
Obama and I spoke over the weekend about Hamas, about Jimmy Carter, and about 
the future of Jewish settlements on the West Bank. He seemed eager to talk 
about his ties to the Jewish community, and about the influence Jews have had 
on his life. Among other things, he told me that he learned the art of moral 
anguish from Jews. We spoke as well about my Atlantic cover story on Israel’s 
future. He mentioned his interest in the opinions of the writer David Grossman, 
who is featured in the article. “I remember reading The Yellow Wind when it 
came out, and reading about Grossman now is powerful, painful stuff.” And, 
speaking in a kind of code Jews readily understand, Obama also made sure to 
mention that he was fond of the writer Leon Uris, the author of Exodus.
 
Here are excerpts from our conversation:
 
JEFFREY GOLDBERG: I’m curious to hear you talk about the Zionist idea. Do you 
believe that it has justice on its side?
 
BARACK OBAMA: You know, when I think about the Zionist idea, I think about how 
my feelings about Israel were shaped as a young man -- as a child, in fact. I 
had a camp counselor when I was in sixth grade who was Jewish-American but who 
had spent time in Israel, and during the course of this two-week camp he shared 
with me the idea of returning to a homeland and what that meant for people who 
had suffered from the Holocaust, and he talked about the idea of preserving a 
culture when a people had been uprooted with the view of eventually returning 
home. There was something so powerful and compelling for me, maybe because I 
was a kid who never entirely felt like he was rooted. That was part of my 
upbringing, to be traveling and always having a sense of values and culture but 
wanting a place. So that is my first memory of thinking about Israel.
 
And then that mixed with a great affinity for the idea of social justice that 
was embodied in the early Zionist movement and the kibbutz, and the notion that 
not only do you find a place but you also have this opportunity to start over 
and to repair the breaches of the past. I found this very appealing.
 
JG: You’ve talked about the role of Jews in the development of your thinking
 
BO: I always joke that my intellectual formation was through Jewish scholars 
and writers, even though I didn’t know it at the time. Whether it was 
theologians or Philip Roth who helped shape my sensibility, or some of the more 
popular writers like Leon Uris. So when I became more politically conscious, my 
starting point when I think about the Middle East is this enormous emotional 
attachment and sympathy for Israel, mindful of its history, mindful of the 
hardship and pain and suffering that the Jewish people have undergone, but also 
mindful of the incredible opportunity that is presented when people finally 
return to a land and are able to try to excavate their best traditions and 
their best selves. And obviously it’s something that has great resonance with 
the African-American experience.
 
One of the things that is frustrating about the recent conversations on Israel 
is the loss of what I think is the natural affinity between the 
African-American community and the Jewish community, one that was deeply 
understood by Jewish and black leaders in the early civil-rights movement but 
has been estranged for a whole host of reasons that you and I don’t need to 
elaborate.
 
JG: Do you think that justice is still on Israel’s side?
 
BO: I think that the idea of a secure Jewish state is a fundamentally just 
idea, and a necessary idea, given not only world history but the active 
existence of anti-Semitism, the potential vulnerability that the Jewish people 
could still experience. I know that that there are those who would argue that 
in some ways America has become a safe refuge for the Jewish people, but if 
you’ve gone through the Holocaust, then that does not offer the same sense of 
confidence and security as the idea that the Jewish people can take care of 
themselves no matter what happens. That makes it a fundamentally just idea.
That does not mean that I would agree with every action of the state of Israel, 
because it’s a government and it has politicians, and as a politician myself I 
am deeply mindful that we are imperfect creatures and don’t always act with 
justice uppermost on our minds. But the fundamental premise of Israel and the 
need to preserve a Jewish state that is secure is, I think, a just idea and one 
that should be supported here in the United States and around the world.
 
JG: Go to the kishke question, the gut question: the idea that if Jews know 
that you love them, then you can say whatever you want about Israel, but if we 
don’t know you –- Jim Baker, Zbigniew Brzezinski –- then everything is suspect. 
There seems to be in some quarters, in Florida and other places, a sense that 
you d

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Ready to Lift Ban on Stem Cell Research

[DDN]

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_stem_cell/2009/02/15/182144.html?utm_medium=RSS
Obama Ready to Lift Ban on Stem Cell Research
Sunday, February 15, 2009 10:46 AM

WASHINGTON – U. S. President Barack Obama will soon issue an executive order 
lifting an eight-year ban on embryonic stem cell research imposed by his 
predecessor, President George W. Bush, a senior adviser said on Sunday.

"We're going to be doing something on that soon, I think. The president is 
considering that right now,"Obama adviser David Axelrod said on Fox News Sunday.

In 2001, Bush limited federal funding for stem cell research only to human 
embryonic stem cell lines that already existed.

It was a gesture to his conservative Christian supporters who regard embryonic 
stem cell research as destroying potential life, because the cells must be 
extracted from human embryos.

Embryonic stem cells are the most basic human cells which can develop into any 
type of cell in the body.

Scientists believe the research could eventually produce cures for a variety of 
diseases, including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart disease and spinal 
cord injuries.

Obama vowed to reverse Bush's ban during his presidential campaign and in his 
inaugural address last month promised to return science to its proper place in 
the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month cleared the way for the first 
trial to see if human embryonic stem cells could treat people safely.
The trial will try to use stem cells from existing lines to regrow nerve tissue 
in patients with crushed spinal cords.

Stem cells are the body's master cells, giving rise to all the tissues, organs 
and blood.

Embryonic stem cells are considered the most powerful kinds of stem cells, as 
they have the potential to give rise to any type of tissue.

? 2009 Reuters. All rights reserved.








Stem Cell Research: An Islamic Perspective
The position of Shari’ah on stem cells research according to majority of our 
scholars.
By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
http://www.crescentlife.com/wellness/stem_cell_research_islamic_perspective.htm

The Islamic View On Stem Cell Research
By Michele Weckerly
www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/publications/law-religion/new_devs/RJLR_ND_56.pdf

Stem cells, through a religious lens | HarvardScience
Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Harvard Divinity School hold panel discussion 
... Panelists at the event, representing Christianity, Judaism, and Islam ...
http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/culture-society/articles/stem-cells-through-a-religious-lens

Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia :: IKIM
http://www.ikim.gov.my/v5/index.php?lg=2&opt=com_article&grp=2&sec=&key=900&cmd=resetall

Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research?
http://www.islamonline.net/english/Views/2001/08/article6.shtml

Karima-DDN

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Signal Blacks and Jews Renew Ties

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

Black, Jewish Vote for Obama May Signal a Renewed Tie
But the Historic Allies Still Disagree on Many Issues

By Marissa Brostoff and Rebecca Spence

Thu. Nov 13, 2008

After months of predictions to the contrary, American Jews voted for 
president-elect Barack Obama in higher proportion than any demographic group 
besides African Americans. For many Jewish liberals, this was a watershed 
moment, marking a return to the days when blacks and Jews were thought to have 
a special relationship founded on a shared language of suffering and joint 
efforts to promote civil rights.

Indeed, the numbers — 78% of Jewish voters went for Obama, as did 96% of blacks 
— suggest that the fabled political alliance between the two groups is in some 
respects alive and well. But voting for the same candidate doesn’t mean 
thoroughgoing political alignment. On many issues, public opinion and exit 
polls suggest, blacks and Jews occupy different corners of the Democratic 
Party’s big tent — and so, going forward, there remains the question of whether 
the issues most important to each group will be those that bind them together 
or those that drive them apart.
 
“Liberalism is not of one piece,” said Steven M. Cohen, a sociologist of 
American Jewry at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. “Blacks 
are far more liberal in economic matters than are Jews. Jews are far more 
liberal on social issues.”
 
On Election Day, nowhere were those ideological discrepancies more noticeable 
than in California, where it appears that blacks and Jews voted very 
differently on an initiative to ban gay and lesbian marriage.
 
Statewide, about 70% of African Americans voted to ban gay marriage, according 
to exit polls. No statewide figures are available on Jewish voting patterns on 
the initiative, but in Los Angeles, only 16% of Jewish voters (versus 45% of 
black voters) supported the ban, according to a research group at the city’s 
Loyola Marymount University. Last year, a study conducted by the Pew Research 
Center found that 79% of Jews believed “homosexuality is a way of life that 
should be accepted by society,” compared with 39% of members of historically 
black churches.
 
“Partly it has to do with religious commitments in the African-American 
community, and I say this as an Orthodox Jew,” said Mark Mellman, CEO of the 
polling firm The Mellman Group. “Every community is more religious than the 
Jewish community, by and large.”
 
The discrepancy between blacks and Jews on gay marriage fits into a larger 
picture in which these groups, like others within the Democratic Party, may be 
Democrats for very different reasons. Indeed, the party’s triumph this year was 
rooted in its ability to form a coalition of groups as ideologically different 
as black and Jewish communities frequently are.
 
“There’s an assumption that we’re all in this together,” said Ta-Nehisi Coates, 
a blogger for The Atlantic who has written extensively on race politics during 
this election season. “Were it so. I wish it were!”
 
In reality, Coates said, African Americans’ loyalty to the Democratic Party is 
founded largely on the idea “that the Republican Party hates black people. It’s 
not really a disdain for Republican policies.”
 
The Pew study found that 48% of members of historically black churches surveyed 
believed that the government should “get more involved in issues of morality,” 
while only 22% of Jews agreed with that statement. On the other hand, 53% of 
the Jews surveyed believed that the United States should actively participate 
in world affairs, while 64% of members of black churches felt that it was more 
important to focus on issues at home.
 
Despite these differences, some Jewish liberals are trumpeting the results of 
Obama’s election as evidence of a renaissance of the black-Jewish political 
alliance that reached a high point during the 1960s.
 
“I believe that the generation of Barack Obama is very connected to the Jewish 
legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, who heads an 
interethnic dialogue group called the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. “It 
took a generation to reconnect with the legacy of the black-Jewish alliance.”
 
The divergence on the gay marriage vote is indicative of a different trend in 
black-Jewish relations: On many issues, the communities disagree but are not in 
conflict. Because gay marriage isn’t of primary importance to most members of 
either group, it reveals differences between the two communities without being 
a source of tension between them.
 
“In the larger scheme of issues that will influence either black or Jewish 
voters, gay marriage is not going to be high up,” said researcher David Bositis 
of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that 
studies black communal issues.
 
On issues that had been sources of tension between blacks and Jews, the groups 
have not necessarily converged on their opinions, but conflicts over them are 
less

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Weekend Inaugration Activities - Photos

[Curtis Sharif]

The Obama Presidential Inaugration was an ongoing series of rich, multifaceted 
experiences on a daily basis. These photo essays by Curtis Sharif represent 
samples of these activities.

The official activities lauched on Sunday  January 18, 2009,  with a star 
studded concert on the Mall in front of the Jefferson Memorial.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cssharif/ObamaInaugrationParty#

Monday January 19, 2009 12 to 5 pm.

Attorney Viki Browne hosted a house party brunch  for Black Alumni of Banard 
and Columbia Universities which was followed by a family luncheon, that 
included  a couple of birthday celebrations.  Obama,was in the neighborhood at 
the time, visiting a high school.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cssharif/VikiSPartyCurtis#

That evening  from 6 to 9 pm, former US Congressman, Attorney  Craig Washington 
of Houstn Texas, hosted a reception at the historic City Tavern Club in 
Georgetown.CA


http://picasaweb.google.com/cssharif/CraigWashingtonSReceptionCurtis#

Tuesday January 20, 2009

The Inauguration Day activities were held on the steps of the Capitol, in front 
of millions of wildly, enthusiastic supporters.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cssharif/ObamaSInaugurationDayCurtis#

Tuesday afternoon featured an Inaugaral  Parade, followed by an evening of 
Inaugral Balls, both official and unofficial.  One inaugaral ball featured a 
concert
 by the Whispers at the Zanzibar on the Waterfront, Restaurant and 
Entertainment Center.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cssharif/WhisperSInauguralConcertCurtis#

The Obama campaign themes of  Hope and Change were visibly evident throught the 
greater Washington DC area, and on the faces and convesations of Inaugraltions 
participants from throughout the country.

Peace, Curtis Sharif



  

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama 'change' policy absent in speech

[PoEtEsS]

Obama 'change' policy absent in speech
 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:05:18 GMT 
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle at the Inaugural Parade after 
the swearing-in ceremony in Washington.   
 The inauguration speech of the 44th president of the United States, Barack 
Obama has offered no clues about his foreign policy of "change".
 
 During his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday the first African-American to be 
elected as the occupant of the White House called on Americans to help him with 
the daunting challenges that lied ahead.
 
 "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin 
again the work of remaking America," Obama told hundreds of thousands gathered 
to see the festivities in Washington DC.
 
 Focusing more on domestic issues most notably the ailing US economy, Obama 
presented a typical 'no drama Obama' speech.
 
 "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on 
the part of some," he said.
 
 There was little mention of his intentions on the foreign policy scale.
 
 "Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child 
who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once 
more," the former Illinois senator said.
 
 In his speech, Obama addressed the Muslim world directly, calling for "a new 
way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
 
 Obama refrained, however, from mentioning the plight of the 1.5 million Gazans 
who were recently subject to Israeli military operations.
 
 On the war on terror, Obama echoed his predecessor George W. Bush with 
different words.
 
 "We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, 
and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and 
slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and 
cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you," he said.
 
 MT/AA
   
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=83145§ionid=3510203 


PoEtEsS

"Praise your struggles for they surprise you with many rewards…"Zohra Moosa 
(Deaf Poet)







   
   



***
{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.ikhwanweb.com
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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Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Blind to Muslims

[Shahid]

  Even Muslims not easily swayed by al-Qaeda rhetoric have their doubts 
about Obama. The misgivings have been rising after he remained mostly silent 
during Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Obama expressed concern about civilian 
casualties, but otherwise deferred to Bush — a decision some observers 
interpreted as a sign of support for Israel.
  “Despite all the idealism and multiculturalism at his disposal, Barack 
Obama will not change the world,” the Pakistani newspaper Dawn editorialized 
Sunday. “The liberals who voted for him include millions of American Jews, and 
as such Obama can’t be expected to open America’s eyes to the reality of 
Palestine.”

  “The Israeli attack in Gaza was meant to destroy Hamas and tie Obama up 
like Gulliver,” says Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit 
and an outspoken critic of the U.S.’s pro-Israel policies. “Israel sought to 
destroy a democratically elected government, and America supported the action — 
Bush via words, Obama via his silence. I happen to think the Israelis had the 
right to defend themselves,” he said, adding that they ruined any chance of 
Obama starting out on “a new foot vis-(à-vis) the Muslim world.”

  Even so, it would be hard for Obama to be less popular than Bush in the 
Muslim world.

  During his farewell trip to Iraq last month, Bush was nearly beaned in 
the face by a shoe flung by an irate local journalist.

  “Obama should change U.S. policies,” says Mian Muhammad Asif, who owns an 
Islamabad business selling water purifiers. “America must learn some lessons 
from the past. There should be no more shoe-throwing.”

  USA Today

  January 21, 2009







 

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama advisers discuss preparations for war on Iran

[Ismail Kashkash]

Obama advisers discuss preparations for war on Iran
 
By Peter Symonds 
6 November 2008

On the eve of the US elections, the New York Times cautiously pointed on Monday 
to the emergence of a bipartisan consensus in Washington for an aggressive new 
strategy towards Iran. While virtually nothing was said in the course of the 
election campaign, behind-the-scenes top advisers from the Obama and McCain 
camps have been discussing the rapid escalation of diplomatic pressure and 
punitive sanctions against Iran, backed by preparations for military strikes.
 
The article entitled “New Beltway Debate: What to do about Iran” noted with a 
degree of alarm: “It is a frightening notion, but it not just the trigger-happy 
Bush administration discussing—if only theoretically— the possibility of 
military action to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program… [R]easonable people 
from both parties are examining the so-called military option, along with new 
diplomatic initiatives.”
 
Behind the backs of American voters, top advisers for President-elect Barack 
Obama have been setting the stage for a dramatic escalation of confrontation 
with Iran as soon as the new administration takes office. A report released in 
September from the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank, 
argued that a nuclear weapons capable Iran was “strategically untenable” and 
detailed a robust approach, “incorporating new diplomatic, economic and 
military tools in an integrated fashion”.
 
A key member of the Center’s task force was Obama’s top Middle East adviser, 
Dennis Ross, who is well known for his hawkish views. He backed the US invasion 
of Iraq and is closely associated with neo-cons such as Paul Wolfowitz. Ross 
worked under Wolfowitz in the Carter and Reagan administrations before becoming 
the chief Middle East envoy under presidents Bush senior and Clinton. After 
leaving the State Department in 2000, he joined the right-wing, pro-Israel 
think tank—the Washington Institute for Near East Policy—and signed up as a 
foreign policy analyst for Fox News.
 
The Bipartisan Policy Center report insisted that time was short, declaring: 
“Tehran’s progress means that the next administration might have little time 
and fewer options to deal with this threat.” It rejected out-of-hand both 
Tehran’s claims that its nuclear programs were for peaceful purposes, and the 
2007 National Intelligence Estimate by US intelligence agencies which found 
that Iran had ended any nuclear weapons program in 2003. 
 
The report was critical of the Bush administration’ s failure to stop Iran’s 
nuclear programs, but its strategy is essentially the same—limited inducements 
backed by harsher economic sanctions and the threat of war. Its plan for 
consolidating international support is likewise premised on preemptive military 
action against Iran. Russia, China and the European powers are all to be warned 
that their failure to accede to tough sanctions, including a provocative 
blockade on Iranian oil exports, will only increase the likelihood of war. 
 
To underscore these warnings, the report proposed that the US would need to 
immediately boost its military presence in the Persian Gulf. “This should 
commence the first day the new president enters office, especially as the 
Islamic Republic and its proxies might seek to test the new administration. It 
would involve pre-positioning US and allied forces, deploying additional 
aircraft carrier battle groups and minesweepers, [and] emplacing other war 
materiel in the region,” it stated.
 
In language that closely parallels Bush’s insistence that “all options remain 
on the table”, the report declared: “We believe a military strike is a feasible 
option and must remain a last resort to retard Iran’s nuclear program.” Such a 
military strike “would have to target not only Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, 
but also its conventional military infrastructure in order to suppress an 
Iranian response.” 
 
Significantly, the report was drafted by Michael Rubin, from the 
neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute, which was heavily involved in 
promoting the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A number of Obama’s senior Democratic 
advisers “unanimously approved” the document, including Dennis Ross, former 
senator Charles Robb, who co-chaired the task force, and Ashton Carter, who 
served as assistant secretary for defense under Clinton. 
 
Carter and Ross also participated in writing a report for the bipartisan Center 
for a New American Security, published in September, which concluded that 
military action against Iran had to be “an element of any true option”. While 
Ross examined the diplomatic options in detail, Carter laid out the “military 
elements” that had to underpin them, including a cost/benefit analysis of a US 
aerial bombardment of Iran.
 
Other senior Obama foreign policy and defense advisers have been closely 
involved in these discussions. A statement entitled, “Strengthening the 
Partnership: How

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama ,democracy and mymemory

[raja chemayel]

It is not what you are that counts,
but it is , rather , what you do..
 
 
 
Obama is maybe black but it is not
because of something he has done.
 
Obama is born Muslim  is this is nothing special
because there are a Billion born Muslim.
 
Obama is a Democrat but again ,I ask you ,
what do Democrats that Republicans do not also do ??
 
Obama is a US-citizen , voted into office by the Americans,
thanks to another 365 Million Dollars campaign- budget.
 
If electing a Black-President is classified as being Democracy
then the whole of Africa is democratic !!
If electing a Muslim-born is democratic
then 35 Muslim-countries can be also democratic !!
 
And none is the case !!
 
How many Black Presidents are democratic ??
How many Muslim leaders are democratic ??
How many black-Muslim-presidents are..??
How US Presidents promoted democracy ??
 
Rest assured that  the change is not coming
only another president..
 
Let us remind each other 4 years from now or even 8 years !!
 
 
Raja Chemayel
someone with a long memory
07.11.2008


  

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama has chosen Biden as his running mate!

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

Obama has chosen Biden as his running mate:
http://blogs. abcnews.com/ politicalpunch/ 2008/08/us- secret-servi. html
 
Biden, the zionist: 
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=yAZmO80dLfE
 
"Strive as in a race to achieve the
 goal of excellence in all that you do."

For real insights visit: 
http://www.ascertainthetruth.com

 Regards,

Nashid

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Cheers Ring HOLLOW in the Mideast

[Yusuf Ibrahim]

*Obama Cheers Ring Hollow in the **Mideast***


*Jonathan Steele | The Guardian*

*http://arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=112120&d=26&m=7&y=2008***

*What a contrast. In Western Europe Obama-mania is in full flood, epitomized
by raving crowds in Berlin last night as well as the polls which show the
Democratic candidate to be far more popular than John McCain in almost every
country. In **Israel** he is met with apprehension, and in the Palestinian
territories there is only the faintest hope that the deadlocked conflict
will ever end.*

*The difference is that Europeans know the American president holds the keys
to war or peace. He has enormous influence in dragging European governments
after him, as the disastrous **Iraq** adventure showed. So it is not
surprising that many Europeans are crying out for a man in the White House
who will be less aggressive, less unilateral, less imperial, and more
attuned to the complexities of international policy. Obama seems to be the
one. In the **Middle East** the **US** leader has much less power. **Israel*
* calls the shots, and what's happening on the ground is deeply gloomy and
anti-peace. The chances of creating a viable Palestinian state have almost
vanished as Israeli settlements on the **West Bank** go on increasing and
yet more checkpoints appear.*

No wonder that, while they like Obama more than McCain, Palestinians feel
little optimism. "Obama might create a different atmosphere," says Yasser
Abd Rabbo, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization,
stressing the "might". "Bush polarized things between him and Osama Bin
Laden. The moderates were the big losers. People in the middle felt
crushed," he argues. Others expect Obama will take time to focus on the Middle
East in spite of his promise this week to be engaged in peace from day one.
"He'll concentrate first on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and the economy, which
all matter more for Americans," an adviser to the Palestinian negotiating
team told me.

His visit to the Israeli border town of Sderot was one-sided, not just
because he did not balance it with visits to places where Palestinians are
oppressed. Sderot is more than a place under threat of terror. It is a model
for how cease-fires are negotiable, and why they are the vital first step
toward any serious peace agreement. Yet Obama ignored the point.

"Why have a cease-fire in Gaza, but not one in the West Bank? Do they want
us to develop missiles and rockets here before we can have a cease-fire?"
asks Mustafa Barghouti, one of the most respected independents in the
Palestinian Parliament. He points to the spate of arrests by Israeli troops
in recent weeks in Nablus, Hebron and Jenin, which have gone virtually
unreported. The Israelis conduct almost nightly raids on schools, clinics
and charities, seizing files, computers, and patients' records.

*Since Bush's **Annapolis** conference no progress has been made. In spite
of a half a dozen meetings with Mahmoud Abbas, the Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert refuses to put forward drafts for the framework deal that Bush
wanted to see signed before he leaves office. It is all talk but no work.
Going against peace, another 9,700 housing units for settlers have been
announced for **East Jerusalem**, compared with 1,600 in the previous four
years. Eighty-six new checkpoints have gone up in the **West Bank**.
Meanwhile, the EU chooses this moment to upgrade its cultural and economic
relations with **Israel**, forfeiting the little leverage it has.*

What could Obama do as president? Watching the candidate with Israel's
President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem this week, it was hard not to be touched
by the younger man's grace. As they strolled across the lawn before making
press statements, Obama inclined his head and put his hand gently on Peres'
back like a respectful son or even grandson. Peres repaid the compliment,
all but endorsing Obama. "I've read both your books and was impressed by
their moving humanity ... Those who say the future belongs to the young are
wrong. The present belongs to the young."

*The chances of a settlement have never been bleaker. The Palestinians are
deeply split between Fatah and Hamas, and without unity there is no way
Abbas can pretend to reach a deal with **Israel**. In **Israel** every
politician is a hard-liner, whether Kadima, Labour or Likud. "Olmert is
playing a game of deception when he says peace is close. The negotiations
are going in circles. Nothing is moving forward, except the confiscation of
land, the expansion of the wall, and the building of industrial zones round
the settlements. You can't trust them to want a deal this year, next year or
any year," says Abd Rabbo.*

On both sides the public mood is grim. Israeli attitudes toward the
Palestinians are built on fear — all-pervasive and sometimes turning into
panic. Palestinians are consumed with anger, rekindled by every new
injustice — an anger that sometimes turns to rage. It is no coincidence tha

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Bars Muslim Women

[Shahid.]

  Two Muslim women at Barack Obama’s rally in Detroit on Monday were barred 
from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the 
women’s headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the 
candidate.

  The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said 
they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.

  “This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and 
counter to Obama’s commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the 
kind of campaign we run,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. “We sincerely 
apologize for the behavior of these volunteers.”

  Building a human backdrop to a political candidate, a set of faces to 
appear on television and in photographs, is always a delicate exercise in 
demographics and political correctness. Advance staffers typically pick 
supporters out of a crowd to reflect the candidate’s message.

  When Obama won the North Carolina primary amid questions about his 
ability to connect with white voters, for instance, he stood in front of a 
group of middle-aged white women waving small American flags.

  On the Republican side, a Hispanic New Hampshire Democrat, Roberto 
Fuentes, told Politico that he was recently asked, and declined, to contribute 
to the “diversity” of the crowd behind Sen. John McCain at a Nashua event.

  See Also
a.. Don't expect Gore to appear on the campaign trail
b.. Obama accuser has long rap sheet
c.. McCain plays with fire on offshore drilling
  But for Obama, the old-fashioned image-making contrasts with his promise 
to transcend identity politics and to embrace all elements of America. The 
incidents in Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations 
in the country, also highlight an aspect of his campaign that sometimes rubs 
Muslims the wrong way: The candidate has vigorously denied a false, viral rumor 
that he himself is Muslim. But the denials at times seem to imply to some that 
there is something wrong with the faith, though Obama occasionally adds that he 
means no disrespect to Islam.

  “I was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated against 
by the very person who was supposed to be bringing this change, who I could 
really relate to,” said Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer who lives in the 
Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. “The message that I thought was delivered 
to us was that they do not want him associated with Muslims or Muslim 
supporters.”

  In Detroit on Monday, the two different Obama volunteers — in separate 
incidents — made it clear that headscarves wouldn’t be in the picture. The 
volunteers gave different explanations for excluding the hijabs, one bluntly 
political and the other less clear.

  In Aref’s case, there was no ambiguity.

  That incident began when the volunteer asked Aref’s friend Ali Koussan 
and two others, Aref’s brother Sharif and another young lawyer, Brandon Edward 
Miller, whether they would like to sit behind the stage. The three young men 
said they would but mentioned they were with friends.

  The men said the volunteer, a 20-something African-American woman in a 
green shirt, asked if their friends looked and were dressed like the young men, 
who were all light-skinned and wearing suits.

  Miller said yes but mentioned that one of their friends was wearing a 
headscarf with her suit.

  The volunteer “explained to me that because of the political climate and 
what’s going on in the world and what’s going on with Muslim Americans, it’s 
not good for [Aref] to be seen on TV or associated with Obama,” said Koussan, a 
law student at Wayne State University.

  Both Koussan and Miller said they specifically recalled the volunteer 
citing the “political climate” in telling them they couldn’t sit behind Obama.

  “I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you serious?’” Koussan 
recalled.


  Shimaa Abdelfadeel’s story was different. She’d waited in line outside 
the Joe Louis Arena for three hours in the sun and was walking through the 
giant hall when a volunteer approached two of her non-Muslim friends, a few 
steps ahead of her, and asked if they’d like to sit in “special seating” behind 
the stage, said one friend, Brittany Marino, who, like Abdelfadeel, is a recent 
University of Michigan graduate who works for the university.

  When they said they were with Abdelfadeel, the volunteer told them their 
friend would have to take off the headscarf or stay out of the special section, 
Marino said. They declined the seats.

  After recovering from the shock of the incident, Abdelfadeel went to look 
for the volunteer and confronted her minutes later, she said in an e-mail 
interview with Politico.

  “We’re not letting anyone with anything on their heads like baseball 
[caps] or scarves sit behind the stage,” she paraphrased the volunteer as 
saying, an 

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama promised $30 billion in military assistance for Israel

[Qalb-e-Mehdi]

Why the Oil Price Is High

By Paul Craig Roberts

How to explain the oil price? Why is it so high? Are we running out? Are 
supplies disrupted, or is the high price a reflection of oil company greed or 
OPEC greed. Are Chavez and the Saudis conspiring against us?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20072.htm

===

You Know Something's Happening

But do you know what it is, Mr. Jones?

By Joseph Danison

The progressive tries to game a rigged system to work in the people's interest. 
He's a true Sisyphus. His chance of getting that stone over the top and 
achieving a permanent state of popular political control is slim to none. The 
populist wants to fundamentally change the system, eliminate that insuperable 
mountain, that is, de-privatize it, so that it operates in the interest of the 
general Welfare.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20068.htm

===

The Greatest Purveyor of Violence On the Planet.

By Cynthia McKinney

We do not have to accept or tolerate such glaring disparities in our society. 
We do not have to accept or tolerate bloated Pentagon spending, unfair tax 
cuts, attacks on our civil liberties, and on workers' rights to unionize. We 
don't have to accept or tolerate our children dropping out of high school, 
college education unreachable because tuition is so high, or our country 
steeped in debt.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20069.htm

===

Iraq - What Happened To The $23 Billion?

The Greatest Heist In History

Must Watch BBC - Video

The US justice department has imposed gagging orders which prevent the real 
scale of the problem emerging. But Panorama's Jane Corbin has spoken to some of 
those involved - with astonishing stories to tell of who got rich and who got 
burned.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20071.htm

===

War, Inc.

By Mike Ferner

Smedley Butler learned that in war "nations acquire additional territory if 
they are victorious. They just take it." With leasing more in vogue than ever, 
getting the use of additional territory - call it property -can be more 
profitable than actually acquiring it. But the end result is the same. "This 
newly acquired territory is promptly exploited by the few," Butler explained, 
"the self-same few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general 
public shoulders the bill."
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20070.htm

===

In Defense of America

By Frank Silva

Can we stop already? Can we just stop arguing? America is a capitalist country. 
Capitalism is what made America great! It's what's going to keep America great! 
Anyone who disagrees with that has no concept of history, economics, or 
patriotism. Anyone who disagrees with that is clueless about what it means to 
be a proud American. And anyone who disagrees is a poor, pathetic, lazy loser 
that probably couldn't make money with an insider trading tip.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20066.htm

===

Leaders With No Conscience

By Rand Clifford

As Osama bin Laden lay dying, December of 2001...might he have imagined that 
seven years later he would be on bogeyman life-support, still officially 
issuing messages as ruling poster boy for America's mindless, force-fed terror 
obsession?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20067.htm

===

Afghan officials: 31 killed in US airstrikes:

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary says most of the 31 people were 
foreign fighters. But Khalid Farooqi, a lawmaker from Paktika, says at least 
nine civilians were killed.
http://tinyurl.com/673b8h

===

US-led raid kills Afghan civilians :

Three women and a child have been killed along with a number of Afghan fighters 
in an air raid led by US troops, the US-led forces in Afghanistan said.
http://tinyurl.com/5k29xg

===

20 killed in US attack Pakistani troops:

Twenty people, including 11 security personnel, were killed when a border 
check-post of paramilitary forces in Mohmand agency in tribal areas of 
Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, was destroyed Wednesday by coalition forces
http://tinyurl.com/5ru7zt

===

Pakistan decries 'cowardly' US raid :

The US military on Wednesday has said that the air and artillery assault was 
aimed at Taliban fighters and had been co-ordinated with Islamabad.
http://tinyurl.com/6p6j6m

===

Pakistan Army denounces coalition forces' attack:

 The spokesman condemned this completely unprovoked and cowardly action the FC 
post and regretted the loss of precious lives of our soldiers. He also informed 
that a strong protest has been launched by the Pakistan Army and we reserve the 
right to protect our citizens and soldiers against aggression.
http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/June08/11/02.htm

===

US defends airstrikes that angered Pakistan:

Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell defended the bombing Wednesday 
and said it was too early to know whether the strike killed 11 Pakistani 
paramilitary forces, as alleged by the angry Pakistani A

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Says the US Should NOT Meet With Hamas

[Yusuf Ibrahim]

Which is the GREATER Crime

"Publishing CARTOONS of the Prophet (saws) OR SUPPORTING the OCCUPATION of
Islam's 3rd HOLIEST Site."



*Obama Says **U.S.** Should Not Meet With Hamas*



*Mon Mar 3, **4:59 PM ET** *

*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080303/pl_nm/palestinians_israel_rice_obama_dc
*



*SAN ANTONIO**, **Texas** (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama on Monday backed the Bush administration**'**s policy of
shunning contact with the Islamic militants of Hamas in its **Middle
East**peace diplomacy.
*



*The **Illinois** senator** has said he would break with President George W.
Bush**'**s stance of declining to talk to some other international
adversaries but that stance does not apply to Hamas, which controls the **
Gaza** Strip and is committed to the destruction of **Israel**.*



Obama has said in the past he would be willing to meet with leaders with
whom the Bush administration strongly disagrees, including Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuban leader Raul Castro.



Obama, hoping to win his party's nomination to face likely Republican
nominee Sen. John McCain in the November presidential election, said his
willingness to meet with foes "does not include Hamas."



*"You can**'**t negotiate with somebody who does not recognize the right of
a country to exist so I understand why **Israel** doesn**'**t meet with
Hamas," Obama told reporters during a campaign stop in **San Antonio**, **
Texas**. Iran does not recognize Israel either and its president has often
threatened the imminent destruction of the Jewish state, drawing criticism
from the West which fears **Iran** wants to make nuclear bombs that could
threaten the region.*



U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left for the Middle East on Monday
to try to salvage U.S.-sponsored peace talks derailed by Hamas rocket
attacks on Israeli towns and Israel's military response in Gaza.

*"I do think it is important to us to try to jump-start the peace process,"
Obama said. "It has been under enormous strain of late."*

*(Writing by Caren Bohan; Editing by Alan Elsner)*

*Why Is Obama**'**s Middle Name Taboo?*



*By NATHAN THORNBURGH 52 minutes ago *

*http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080229/us_time/whyisobamasmiddlenametaboo***



*Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.: that is the full name of the junior Senator from
Illinois - neither a contrivance nor, at face value, a slur. But John
McCaincouldn
**'**t apologize quickly enough after Bill Cunningham, a conservative talk
radio host, warmed up a **Cincinnati** rally with a few loaded references to
"Barack Hussein Obama." Asked afterwards if it was appropriate to use the
Senator**'**s middle name, McCain said, "No, it is not. Any comment that is
disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally
inappropriate." *

The pundits were quick to applaud McCain's fatwa against the use of Hussein,
and broadcasters began trying to report on the controversy without actually
saying the name too much, dancing around the offending word as if they were
doing a segment on *The Vagina Monologues.* In both cases, the word comes
off as not quite illicit, but certainly a little taboo.

*So who gets to say Hussein? At the Oscars, host Jon Stewart took innuendo
about as far as it can go, saying that Barack Hussein Obama running today is
like a 1940**'**s candidate named Gaydolph Titler. But that reference,
served up to a crowd that presumably swoons for Obama, got laughs. So maybe
the H-word is more like the N-word: you can say it, but only if you are an
initiate. Blacks can use the N-word; Obama supporters can use the H-word. *

Obama's campaign thanked McCain's for his apology, claiming a victory for
the high road. Fine. But McCain might also know that if middle names become
fair game, John Sidney McCain III has his own liabilities. Recently, it has
been the unmanly middle names that have caused their owners the most
political trouble. In 2006, Jim Henry Webb hammered home the fact that his
Virginia Senate opponent was actually George Felix Allen - a middle name
that conjured up images of Felix Unger, or perhaps the real life Prince
Felix of Luxemburg, either one a far cry from the tobacco-chewing good ole
boy Allen styled himself as. In the last presidential election, both Bush
and Kerry had middle names inherited from elite East Coast families. But
Bush's middle name had much more swagger; you'll never see a TV show called
Forbes, Texas Ranger.

*Online, the onomastics are already in high gear. Lefty bloggers, in full
Obama rapture, point out that Hussein means "beautiful". One conservative
observer insinuated that Obama, as a Christian with a Muslim name, might be
marked for death by even our allies in the Islamic world, if they think he
converted from Islam (for the record, he was never Muslim). By that ornately
twisted logic, though, one might add that it was the martyrdom of Hussein in
the year 680, beheaded at **Karbala** in a clash with the caliphate, that
gave rise to 140

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama: "Will of God Should not influence the laws of your country"

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

Barack Obama said below:  “The Arab governments need to embrace democracy, not 
theocracy. When you allow the will of God to influence the laws of your 
country, you will not win the support of the US…”  It is surprising that he 
said that to the Palestinians. Knowing just a little history would make Obama 
realize just how foolish he appears to the Palestinians for this and other 
comments made below. If he had said something like that about the many 
monarchies, un-Islamic governments in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia, 
Jordan, etc then he would be making sense and we would be in full agreement.  
For hundreds of years Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in peace and 
prosperity under Sharia –the will of God – rule in Palestine. Muslims ruled 
using Islamic precepts and peace and prosperity reigned for several centuries 
after the Crusades in the land of Palestine. It was not until the coming of the 
racist Zionists out of Europe, beginning in the 1890s, that havoc and turmoil 
came
 to Palestine. Today the original Jews, Christians and Muslims of Palestine are 
still in peace and harmony united against the invading Zionists. That alone is 
testimony to how successful “the will of God” rule has been for the people of 
different religions in Palestine.  While loudly criticizing Muslims for wanting 
a theocracy, Obama is mute about “God’s chosen people” building a nation based 
on Jewish racism and claims to land given to them by God.  Typical double 
standard portrayed by American politicians when it comes to anything affecting 
Jews and Israel. It is sad and pitiful to see the total capitulation of 
American politicians to Jewish causes and interests, it is even worst to see 
those who are supposed to be “worshipping Allah only”, give blind, unreasoning 
support to one groveling at Jewish feet.Check out the link below for the 
full story:  
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/01/15/an-invitation-for-barak-obama/  An 
Invitation for Barak Obama  "The Arab
 governments need to embrace democracy, not theocracy. When you allow the will 
of God to influence the laws of your country, you will not win the support of 
the US. (What about Israel claiming they have the God given right to rule this 
land?) The Arab governments need to renounce violence against civilians. (What 
about 1,000, 000 dead Iraqis, were all of those people terrorists, Baathists, 
foreign fighters or were some of them civilians?) The US is opposed to 
theocracy and terrorism and if the Arab governments want to create a paradigm 
shift, they need to address these concerns of ours."
   
  So then I asked him, “You say the US is opposed to theocracy and terrorism, 
how can you explain to the Palestinian people how the US can be opposed to 
these things but still supports a state that has racist, oppressive, unjust and 
apartheid policies. And do you see how this paints an inconsistent picture to 
the people of the Middle East?”
   
  He began his answer by saying he would not accept the assumptions I made and 
therefor was not going to address that part of my question. He said he could 
understand the Palestinian view that the policies of the US were one sided but 
he said the relationship with Israel was not going to change. My high hopes for 
Barak Obama’s foreign policy ideas were shot down!.


"Strive as in a race to achieve the
 goal of excellence in all that you do."

For real insights visit: 
http://www.ascertainthetruth.com

   
Regards,
  Nashid

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama Confirms His Strong and Deep Commitment to Jews, Hillary Has Jewish Family Ties, Daily Muslims

[Jawed Anwar]

www.dailymuslims.com

Obama Confirms His Strong and Deep Commitment to Jews, Hillary Has Jewish 
Family Ties
SYED ALI UNVER 29 January, 2008 01:30:00 

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama confronted rumors that he is a secret Muslim in a 
conference call with the Jewish news media, JTA reported. "It is very important 
for everybody to know that it is fake," Obama, a Democratic presidential 
contender, ... 
Full story Why Rise in Militancy?
ABDULLAH M. ADNAN 29 January, 2008 01:18:07 

MILITANCY is on the rise in Pakistan, no doubt, but its causes are either not 
explored, for vested interests, or simply ignored, for expediency. While rulers 
in the country and the U.S.-led international community voice great concern 
over the spread ... 
Full story Ethnic Cleansing? Chief Rabbi Says Move Gazans to a Palestine in 
Sinai 
SAUL SADKA 29 January, 2008 00:55:00 

VIDEO of the interview is available by clicking here London - Ashkenazi Chief 
Rabbi Yona Metzger has been quoted as calling for Gazans to be transferred to 
the Sinai Peninsula, to a Palestinian state which he said could be ... 
Full story Chavez Urges S. America to Withdraw Reserves from U.S
XINHUA 29 January, 2008 01:04:10 

CARACAS-- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged South American countries on 
Saturday to withdraw their international reserves in U.S. banks citing a 
looming recession faced by the world power. Chavez, who was presiding over the 
Bolivarian Alternative Summit of ... 
Full story UK, US against Democracy in Pakistan, Says Imran Khan Protesting 
against Musharraf 
PRESS TV 29 January, 2008 01:12:00 

BRITAIN and the US are going against democracy and the will of people by 
backing President Musharraf, opposition leader Imran Khan says. He made the 
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Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama: Israel was forced to close Gaza!

[Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq]

While the whole world, even concerned Israelis, are up in arms and deeply 
concerned about the devastating crisis that has more than a million 
Palestinians without power, food and basic neccessities in life, Obama's 
concern is for the treacherous Israeli government that is causing the untold 
humanitarian crisis on the Palestinians. In the letter below he implores the UN 
to not condemn Israel but to make sure they condemn Hamas for rocket assaults 
against the Israelis who have been consistently bombing Palestinians and 
launching missile attacks against civilians. To Obama, Hamas has no right to 
defend themselves. Although there has been no casualties on the Israeli side 
from the rocket attacks, there have been hundreds of casualties on the 
Palestinian side as a results of the persistent Israeli attacks.
   
  What most fail to realize is that blaming Hamas for rocket attacks is just an 
excuse for what the Israelis were doing all along and will continue to do. With 
or without rocket attacks the Israeli has done and will continue to do the same 
thing. As one insightful thinker said regarding the claims of rocket attacks 
from the Palestinians:
   
  "Either the Palestinians; in 60 years of conflict; have not yet learned to 
aim properly, or those rockets are being fired by the IDF to where nobody will 
be harmed"
   
  False flag operations are an Israeli specialty and one they have been caught 
doing untold number of times.
   
   
  Obama: Israel was forced to close Gaza
 
Haaretz   Wed., January 23, 2008
 
Rosner's Blog
Shmuel Rosner Chief U.S. Correspondent
1.23.2008
 
The letter from the Senator to the Ambassador speaks for itself:
 
Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,
 
I understand that today the UN Security Council met regarding the situation in
Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council
in short order.
 
I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no
resolution on this matter that does not fully condenm the rocket assault Hamas
has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel...
 
All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on
Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do
this... Israel has the right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on
civilians.
 
The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket
attacks... If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge
you to ensure that it does not speak at all.
 
Sincerely,
 
Barack Obama
United States Senator
 
  
(RAINnote: I was wondering whether this story was true and then found it here
also:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/140293:
 )
 
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=865078:








"Strive as in a race to achieve the
 goal of excellence in all that you do."

For real insights visit: 
http://www.ascertainthetruth.com

   
Regards,
  Nashid

Bismillah [IslamCity] Obama

[PoEtEsS]

 Obama: Israel was forced to close Gaza 
  
Haaretz   Wed., January 23, 2008 
  
Rosner's Blog
Shmuel Rosner Chief U.S. Correspondent
1.23.2008 
  
The letter from the Senator to the Ambassador speaks for itself: 
  
Dear Ambassador Khalilzad, 
  
I understand that today the UN Security Council met regarding the situation in 
Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council 
in short order. 
  
I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no 
resolution on this matter that does not fully condenm the rocket assault Hamas 
has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel... 
  
All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on 
Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do 
this... Israel has the right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on 
civilians. 
  
The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket 
attacks... If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge 
you to ensure that it does not speak at all. 
  
Sincerely, 
  
Barack Obama
United States Senator 
  
(RAINnote: I was wondering whether this story was true and then found it here 
also: 
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/140293: 
 ) 
  
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=865078: 



PoEtEsS

"Scarlet headscarf I wear is as red as a rose with a perfect pose but I care 
what's inside me"…Zohra Moosa






   
   


***
{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.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org

--

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