| Islamic World News | |
| 22 Aug 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com | |
| Israeli soldiers harvested Palestinians' organs - Swedish newspaper | |
| Sweden defends press freedom amid Israeli furore Both sides claim victory in Afghan vote Egyptian Muslim terrorist main stay in the US Woman to be beaten with cane in Malaysia Libyan Lockerbie bomber's release celebrated by adoring Muslim crowds: Apparently Islam: a religion of violence, not peace - viewpoint by Bryan Fischer Behind Hamas' Own War on Terror 'Saudi Arabia planning nuclear plant' Maulvi Faqir Muhammad Takes Over as Acting Emir of Pakistani Taliban Hamid Karzai signs law 'legalising rape in marriage' Gov. Charlie Crist Must Act to Save Muslim Girl Freedom of Religion: A Precious American Right, an Islamic Capital Crime Conservative Anglicans Announce Church and Islam Project U.S. Political and business relation with the Muslim world Terror battle steps up with civilian sources Central Asia: Beyond Jihad by Anna Michalkova Female Palestinian leaders warn Fatah Leadership Jewish-Islamic society weaves common threads Muslim Americans Find Their Voice through Advocacy, Engagement Israeli Jesus: More Popular Than Ever By Shalom Goldman Worshiping the one God vs. the many By Rev. Daryl E. Witmer Compiled by Aman Quadri URL of this page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1670 -------------
Israeli soldiers harvested Palestinians' organs - Swedish newspaper 19 August 2009 Bethlehem – Ma'an – A mass-selling Swedish newspaper has reported that Israeli soldiers harvested the organs of Palestinians after seizing them from the West Bank and Gaza. The report in the newspaper Aftonbladet cites Palestinian sources alleging that Israeli soldiers detained young men, then returned their bodies with organs missing. Ma'an could not independently verify these claims. The report has sparked controversy in Sweden and Israel. A rival Swedish publication has accused Aftonbladet of anti-Semitism over the report. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon denounced the article as "blood libel." Interviewed by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday, journalist Donald Boström said he wrote the article in a push for an international investigation of these claims. His editors also said they backed the call for an inquiry. In one incident journalist Donald Boström discusses the case of Bilal Achmed Ghanan, 19, who was known for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers during the first Intifada (uprising) against the occupation. The article says Ghanan hid in the mountains around the West Bank city of Nablus, fearing arrest. When he came down from his hideout, Boström said, soldiers shot Ghanan in the chest, both legs, and stomach, then airlifted him on a military helicopter. Boström said he witnessed, five days later, Israeli soldiers returning the body wrapped in green hospital sheets. Bilal's chest had been cut open and the organs removed. The report is accompanied by a photograph that appear to show a young man whose torso has been sliced open, then sown back together. The article also makes a link to the recent exposure of a crime ring in the US state of New Jersey, where several American Rabbis have been charged with conspiring to broker the sale of a human kidney needed for a transplant. -------- Sweden defends press freedom amid Israeli furore By MALIN RISING Friday, 08.21.09 Associated Press Writer STOCKHOLM -- Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has rejected Israeli calls for official condemnation of a Swedish newspaper article about organ harvesting, saying freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. Bildt said in a blog posted late Thursday that he would not condemn an article in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet that suggested Israeli troops had harvested the organs of dead Palestinians. He said freedom of expression is part of the Swedish constitution. "Freedom of expression and press freedom are very strong in our constitution by tradition. And that strong protection has served our democracy and our country well," Bildt wrote. "If I were engaged in editing all strange debate contributions in different media I probably wouldn't have time to do much else." Bildt said he understood why the article stirred strong emotions in Israel, but said basic values in society are best protected by free discussion. The article, published Monday, implied without evidence that there was a link between charges of organ theft from Palestinians and the recent arrest in the United States of an American Jew suspected of illicit organ trafficking. The writer, Donald Bostrom, based the story on accounts from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and his own experience of seeing a dead Palestinian man returned to his family with surgical stitches running the length of his torso. The article quoted an Israeli military spokesman who denied the charges and said that Palestinians killed by Israeli forces are routinely subjected to autopsies. Headlined "Our sons are plundered for their organs," the story made news in Israel, where officials described it as racist and accused it of using "vile anti-Semitic themes." Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he planned to make a "serious protest" to Bildt over the Swedish Foreign Ministry's previous decision not to comment on the article. "A country that truly wants to defend democratic values must strongly condemn deceitful reports with an odor of anti-Semitism of the kind published this week in Aftonbladet," Lieberman said in a statement. Full Report At:http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1196235.html --------
Both sides claim victory in Afghan vote Agence-France Presse ------ Egyptian Muslim terrorist main stay in the US By Youssef Megahed 21 August 2009 Brattleboro reformer -- MATT SEDENSKY An Egyptian man who was acquitted of terrorism-related charges earlier this year should not be deported, a judge in Florida ruled Friday. Youssef Megahed, 23, was not immediately released following the decision by Immigration Judge Kenneth Hurewitz. He was due back in Hurewitz's courtroom Friday afternoon for a bond hearing, but Megahed attorney Charles Kuck said his client would likely remain behind bars if the government files an appeal, as expected. Still, the decision was a victory for Megahed, who was found not guilty of federal explosives charges in April, but then was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. "He was stunned," Kuck said, saying his client didn't initially understand the decision. "Then we explained it and a big grin came on his face. He was very grateful." Elaine Komis, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the U.S. Department of Justice, confirmed Hurewitz's decision to terminate the case, but did not comment further. A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said he could not immediately comment. Megahed is a legal permanent resident who moved to the United States with his family when he was 11. The former student, who is one class shy of an engineering degree at the University of South Florida, was arrested with a fellow Egyptian national during a traffic stop near Charleston, S.C., in August 2007. Prosecutors claimed the lengths of PVC pipe packed with a common homemade explosives mixture found in the trunk of their car could have been used to build a destructive device. A defense attorney argued the items were engines for homemade model rockets that were put into the car without Megahed's knowledge before an innocent college road trip to the Carolina beaches. The three-week trial did not include details about the apparent terrorist leanings of Megahed's older companion and fellow USF student, Ahmed Mohamed. Mohamed, 27, pleaded guilty in December to providing material support to terrorists by making a YouTube video that demonstrated how to convert a remote-controlled car into a bomb detonator. He spoke in Arabic on the video, saying he wanted to teach "martyrdoms" and "suiciders" how to save themselves so they can continue to fight invaders, including U.S. soldiers. -------- Woman to be beaten with cane in Malaysia 20th August, 2009 A part-time model in Malaysia is to be caned after pleading guilty to drinking beer. The Muslim woman, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, will become the first woman in Malaysia to be given the punishment under Islamic law. An Islamic court ordered in July that she be struck six times with a rattan cane for drinking alcohol, which is illegal under the law, in a hotel night club last year. Kartika has chosen not to appeal the sentence. The sentence will be carried out in a woman's prison where Kartika will remain until the punishment is carried out. Muslims, who make up about two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are governed by Islamic courts. While most alcohol offenders are fined, the law also provides for a three-year prison term and caning. Caning is administered on the buttocks and leaves permanent scars. Politicians and women's rights activists have criticised the penalty as too harsh. http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/48cba686fe041718/id/533072/cs/1/ -------- Libyan Lockerbie bomber's release celebrated by adoring Muslim crowds: Apparently Islam: a religion of violence, not peace By Bryan Fischer August 21, 2009 It's time we stopped all this nonsense about Islam being a religion of peace. Proof: When Scotland released the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, a man responsible for the deaths of 270 innocent people (189 of them Americans), he was sent home to Libya. There, according to London's Daily Mail, he was celebrated by adoring crowds: "The Lockerbie bomber tonight landed in Libya to a hero's welcome as thousands greeted him at the airport waving flags and posters." Rather than slink into his own country to avoid the shame of having so much innocent blood on his hands, he was treated as a military hero, which of course in Islamic thought he is. All infidels are regarded in Islam as enemy combatants; there is no such thing as an innocent infidel in the religion of Mohammed. All can justifiably be murdered to advance the cause of Allah. Only in an Islamic country could a man who is one of the biggest mass murderers in history be treated with the Middle Eastern version of a ticker tape parade. He was treated with the kind of welcome a Christian nation reserves for World Series and Super Bowl champions. It would be as if we all held a celebratory party for Charles Manson upon his release from prison. Absolutely unthinkable. But that is because we are a Christian country and Libya is not. The bottom line here is that Islam is hardly a religion of peace as we are ceaselessly told. It is, in fact, a religion of violence, a religion that celebrates violence and the death of the innocent. The sooner we all recognize that simple fact the better. http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/090821 -------- Behind Hamas' Own War on Terror By Tony Karon Friday, Aug. 21, 2009 Moments before a gunbattle broke out between the radical Islamist group, Jund Ansar Allah and Hamas forces, which killed 22 and injured more than 200 in the Gaza Strip. Moments before a gun battle broke out between the radical Islamist group Jund Ansar Allah and Hamas forces, killing more than 20 and injuring over 200 in the Gaza Strip Eyebrows were raised around the world Aug. 14 when Hamas security forces in Rafah swiftly, and brutally, destroyed an al-Qaeda-inspired group that had proclaimed the southern Gaza town an "Islamic emirate." After all, Hamas is listed by the U.S. and the European Union as a terrorist organization, and many in the West don't expect an avowedly Islamist political organization to forcefully suppress jihadist groups. Yet, that's exactly what happened when pro-al-Qaeda cleric Abdel Latif Moussa gathered about 100 of his heavily armed supporters in a mosque to denounce Hamas rule and declared himself the "Islamic prince" of the new "emirate." Hamas security men moved in to disarm the group, and 24 people, including Moussa and about 20 of his followers, were killed in the ensuing firefight. Their group, Jund Ansar Allah, claimed inspiration from al-Qaeda, and condemned Hamas both for maintaining a cease-fire with Israel and for its failure to impose Islamic Shari'a law after taking full control of Gaza in 2007. It had mounted small-scale attacks on rivals inside Gaza, and two months ago failed in a bizarre cavalry charge by mounted fighters against Israeli border guards. Following the Rafah showdown, the fringe group has vowed to wage war on Hamas, turning Gaza's rulers into an unlikely ally against Osama bin Laden. (See pictures of Israel�s assault on Gaza.) Still, there was little surprise about the Rafah confrontation for longtime observers of Palestinian politics. Hamas, in fact, has always been at odds with al-Qaeda. Despite its Islamist ideology, Hamas is first and foremost a nationalist movement, taking its cue from Palestinian public opinion and framing its goals and strategies on the basis of national objectives, rather than the "global" jihadist ideology of al-Qaeda. For example, Hamas has periodically debated the question of whether to attack American targets in its midst, and each time has reiterated the insistence of the movement's founders that it confine its resistance activities to Israeli targets. Full Report At: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1917809,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily -------- 'Saudi Arabia planning nuclear plant' By HERB KEINON AND YAAKOV KATZ Aug 21, 2009 Article's topics: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iranian Threat With the world seemingly unable to stop Iran's nuclear march, other countries in the region are now pushing forward with their own plans to build nuclear power plants. The exterior of the Arak... The exterior of the Arak heavy-water production facility, 360 kms southwest of Teheran. The Saudi newspaper Al-Watan reported on Thursday that the Saudi minister of water and electricity, Abdullah al-Hosain, said the kingdom was working on plans for its first nuclear power plant. The US inked civil nuclear power deals with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last year. Israel had no official response to the Saudi minister's announcement. Over the last two years, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the UAE, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Egypt have all indicated an interest in developing nuclear programs, with Israeli officials saying, off the record, that if these countries did not want the programs now for their military capabilities, they wanted the technology in place to keep "other options open" if Iran were to develop a bomb. RELATED * Iran lets inspectors visit atomic sites Israel has been careful not to take a public stand on civilian nuclear programs in neighboring states, partly because as one of the few countries in the world that has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is not keen on lobbying against nuclear know-how for peaceful needs going to countries that are willing to sign the treaty, since that would focus the limelight on Israel's own unique situation. There is also a sense that if the programs were under the supervision of the US or France, which pledged two years ago to help Morocco develop a nuclear program, then there would be little concern that they would later be turned into military projects. Nevertheless, defense officials said that Saudi interest in nuclear power was connected to Teheran's continued race toward nuclear power. "The Saudis are genuinely scared of what will happen if Iran turns nuclear," one official said. "This is part of their response." On the other hand, the officials said that Saudi Arabia's nuclear program was not of concern at the moment for Israel since the project was being established jointly with the United States and in the framework of International Atomic Energy Agency regulations. Israeli defense officials have warned for several years that one potential outcome of Iran's success in defying the international community and establishing a nuclear program would be that other countries in the Middle East would follow suit. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418661994&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull -------- Maulvi Faqir Muhammad Takes Over as Acting Emir of Pakistani Taliban Muslim Khan Appointed as Spokesman By Maulvi Faqir Muhammad August 20, 2009 On August 20, 2009, the Pakistani Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Mashriq reported that Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) had a new acting emir, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad. The news followed reports earlier this month that the group's emir Baitullah Mehsud had been killed August 5, 2009 in a U.S. air strike. To get breaking news from the region days before it is reported by other leading Western media sources, visit the MEMRI Urdu-Pashtu Media Project blog: http://www.thememriblog.org/urdupashtu. Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, New TTP Acting Emir: Baitullah Mehsud Ill, Not Killed Roznama Mashriq reported that Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, the Emir of Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal district of Bajaur Agency, claims to have taken over as acting emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. According to the newspaper, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad rejected reports that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed in the August 5 U.S. strike. He said that he had taken over as acting emir due to Baitullah Mehsud's illness. Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, who has headed his own group of Taliban militants in Bajaur Agency along the Afghan border, had been deputy emir of the TTP since the network of Taliban organizations was established in 2007. NWFP Taliban Spokesman Promoted to Central TTP Spokesman Maulvi Faqir Muhammad announced that Muslim Khan, the spokesman of the Taliban in Swat district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), has been appointed central TTP spokesman. Khan's appointment follows the arrest several days ago of Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar. Baitullah Mehsud's Death Announced Under Pressure by Pakistani Security Forces Maulvi Faqir Muhammad said that Pakistani security forces had pressured Maulvi Omar to state that Baitullah Mehsud had died in the U.S. strike. Baitullah Mehsud Deputies Not Authorized to Choose New Emir Asked about reports that Baitullah Mehsud's deputies Hakimullah Mehsud and Waliur Rahman had died in a succession fight, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad said that the two commanders did not have the authority to choose the emir, and that only the 42-member Shura (executive council) could nominate a new Emir of the Taliban in Pakistan. http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD249609 -------- Hamid Karzai signs law 'legalising rape in marriage' By Ben Farmer in Kabul 31 Mar 2009 President Hamid Karzai has signed a law the UN says legalises rape in marriage and prevents women from leaving the house without permission. Hamid Karzai: Hamid Karzai signs law 'legalising rape in marriage' Mr Karzai has been accused of electioneering at the expense of women's rights by signing the law to appeal to crucial Shia swing voters in this year's presidential poll Photo: AFP/GETTY The law, which has not been publicly released, is believed to state women can only seek work, education or doctor's appointments with their husband's permission. Only fathers and grandfathers are granted custody of children under the law, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Related Articles Saving Kabul with a craft school Leaders gather to discuss Afghan reconstruction Opponents of the legislation governing the personal lives of Afghanistan's Shia minority have said it is "worse than during the Taliban". Mr Karzai has been accused of electioneering at the expense of women's rights by signing the law to appeal to crucial Shia swing voters in this year's presidential poll. While the Afghan constitution guarantees equal rights for women, it also allows the Shia community, thought to represent 10 per cent of the population, the right to settle family law cases according to Shia law. The Shiite Personal Status Law contains provisions on marriage, divorce, inheritance, rights of movement and bankruptcy. The bill passed both houses of the Afghan parliament, but was so contentious that the United Nations and women's rights campaigners have so far been unable to see a copy of the approved bill. Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, a female MP, said the law had been rushed through with little debate. She told the Guardian newspaper: "They wanted to pass it almost like a secret negotiation, "There were lots of things that we wanted to change, but they didn't want to discuss it because Karzai wants to please the Shia before the election." The Afghan justice ministry confirmed the law had been signed, but said it would not be published until technical difficulties had been overcome. A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai would not comment. http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#sent/1233c5aad944bd0d -------- Gov. Charlie Crist Must Act to Save Muslim Girl By: Frank J. Gaffney Jr. August 20, 2009 "Dead girl walking." That's how Florida anti-Shariah activist Tom Trento of the Florida Security Council described Rifqa Bary. Bary is a 17-year-old girl who fled to Florida to escape an abusive Muslim family in Ohio out of fear that she would be killed by her father or brother. Unless Florida's governor, Charlie Crist, intervenes, a state judge in Orlando is expected on Friday afternoon to force Rifqa to return to Ohio — and almost certain death. Rifqa has ample reason to fear such a fate. She has been repeatedly and savagely beaten by family members in the past. Reportedly, this petite young high school cheerleader lost vision in an eye following one such attack by her brother. Worse yet, Rifqa had converted to Christianity. "Apostasy" is a capital offense under the theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls Shariah. Pamela Geller, who has extensively documented this case at her marvelous Atlas Shrugs blog (www.AtlasShrugs2000.com), quotes the girl as saying: [My father] took [a] laptop and waved it in the air and he was about to beat me with it, and he said "If you have this Jesus in your heart, you're dead to me. You're not my daughter." And I refused to speak but he said. "I will kill you. Tell me the truth." In these words, bad words, cuss words. So I knew that I had to get away. As Shariah expert and best-selling author Robert Spencer has pointed out, there is a passage in Chapter 18 of the Quran that is held to authorize Muslims to murder wayward children, a practice that has come to be called "honor killing." Incredibly, such murders are now increasingly occurring not just in Muslim communities in the Middle East but in the West, as well. Full Report At: http://www.newsmax.com/frank_gaffney/crist_muslin_bary/2009/08/20/250292.html -------- Freedom of Religion: A Precious American Right, an Islamic Capital Crime By Fathima Rifqa Bary August 20th, 2009 Given the anti-Christian views of many Muslims and of all the Western book-and-column writing atheists and secularists, I wonder if Rifqa Bary, the teenage convert from Islam to Christianity, is not respected as a hero who is fighting for her freedom of religion but seen, rather, as someone who has taken yet another reactionary path. Perhaps if Rifqa had launched a lawsuit for the right to wear hijab or a burqa in Ohio she might immediately have gotten mainstream media sympathy. The mainstream American media simply refuses to cover the Islamification of the West. Publishers run scared when I mention this as a possible next book title of mine. Newspapers are reluctant to cover honor killings or attempted honor killings in America at all, or in an accurate and informed way. If and when they write about jihadist attacks against the West or honor killings in America, the information is often buried on a back page or is, amazingly, biased against the victim and/or sympathetic towards the killer–yes, even if he has confessed. Yes, even if his victim or victims are also people of color born into the Muslim faith. Apparently, the victims win no sympathy even if they, too, have also been born in formerly colonized or "occupied" countries, are currently also immigrants of color, or Muslims. What matters is only who the perpetrator is. Muslim-on-Muslim crimes, including genocide, do not count. As yet, I cannot find Rifqa's amazing and important story anywhere in the national mainstream media. I know that Fox is working on a story because they've talked to me about the issues this case raises. Am I surprised? Not really. There was either no or very little coverage of the honor killings that took place in the last decade in North America in Cleveland, St. Clairsville, Toronto, Chicago, Jersey City, British Columbia, Scottsville, Ottawa, Toronto, Dallas, Atlanta, Oak Forest, Alexandria, Buffalo, Kingston, Canada, Roslyn. You may read about some of these honor killings in my study and in my many articles at this blogsite. Full Report At:http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/2009/08/20/freedom-of-religion-a-precious-american-right-an-islamic-capital-crime/ -------- Conservative Anglicans Announce Church and Islam Project By Ethan Cole Aug. 20 2009 Christian Post Reporter Group of conservative Anglicans that broke away from The Episcopal Church recently announced a new project to educate American members about Islam and the challenges it poses to the Church and its mission. Called the Church and Islam Project, the new initiative includes educational seminars, reading materials, and information made available at a new Web site, www.ChurchandIslam.com. "As Christians, we are called to reach out to the world around us to spread the love of Christ and that includes learning how to respond to other religions," said the Rev. Canon Julian Dobbs, Canon Missioner of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). He said the group will provide its members with "honest" and "respectful" information, while "exposing the truth about so-called moderate Islam and encouraging evangelism to Muslims." Dobbs, who will head the Church and Islam Project, was most recently the U.S. executive director for the Barnabas Fund, a U.K.-based ministry that supports the persecuted church. He explained that through CANA's association with the Church of Nigeria – CANA is the offshoot of the latter – the conservative Anglican body has heard about the "horror" of anti-Christian violence in the country, especially in Nigerian states that are ruled by Sharia (Islamic) law. "Churches have been burnt and destroyed, Christians have been intimidated and some have been killed, all in the name of Islam," he said. And in the United States, Islam is entering churches where Episcopal bishops and other leaders have invited mullah's to teach from lecterns and "confuse parishioners." "Countless pastors and churches are being drawn into discussions on Islam and Christ, but we cannot let polite multi-faith dialogue substitute for the truth of the Gospel message," the conservative Anglican leader maintained. "CANA is committed to providing resources to help Christians deepen their understanding of Islam and to develop the appropriate Biblical response." CANA's leader, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, agreed adding that the Gospel message does not exclude the one-fifth of the world's population who are Muslims. "We are called to love our neighbor – no matter what religion they practice – because the Christian faith has a distinctive message which brings the salvation and love of God to a needy and broken world through the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ," Minns said. In 2005, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America was formed after a conservative group of Anglicans broke away from The Episcopal Church over the ordination of a gay bishop and what they viewed as the abandonment of the Scripture's teachings. The province now includes 85 congregations, 179 clergy in 25 states, and some 100,000 conservative Anglicans. -------- U.S. Political and business relation with the Muslim world 8/20/2009 Is there any way in this world that the USA will succeed in having excellent relation with the Muslim world? Are there any existing examples of Muslims and Americans work sincerely together? What do Muslims like myself think of the USA? We need to shed light on the dark ideologies from the Muslim world, Western world and the US. Dark ideologies shape the policies for both US and Muslim world, the real facts must be told. We all can learn from mistakes and move forward under the right leadership. As the Muslim Holy Month approaches I call on the all Muslims in the world to forgive and work for peace and stop violence against Muslims and all innocent people. The true Islam is a religion of a creator God, not a tool to oppress others. What could be worse than killing the most precious thing God ever created--human beings? How in the world are we so blind to accept violence against any one when we all know that God has clearly said that we will all be judged. We Muslims can't judge others for their beliefs or how they live. Who are we to judge God's creation? If God wanted to change them he would do so himself. Why we are interfering with Allmighty God's will? I have lived and traveled in the Muslim world. I have shed tears of sadness at what we Muslims have done to eachother. I visited the border between Iran and Iraq where millions of Muslims were killed. And the funny thing is every Muslim in Iran and Iraq blames America and Israel for this. This is your fault and the shame is on all of those who supported the war. I have met countless peace loving Muslims and I have been flattered by how nicely they treated me in their homes. The will for peace in the Muslim world is there but the road for peace is blocked by bad leadership from Western and Muslim leaders. The fact is that the USA is not against Islam. Actually this country has helped the Muslim world monetarily more than the whole world combined. Full Report At:http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/us-political-relation-muslim-world-604/topics/us--political-business-relation -------- Terror battle steps up with civilian sources By Gina Marden 20th August 2009 ANTI-TERROR police are recruiting people to expose potential terrorists living within their community. Undercover cops in Essex Police's special branch – which deals with counter terrorism – have been working to find residents across the county who can act as sources offering information about radical extremists. The county's force has also appointed a "community engagement team", made up of a sergeant and two constables, to build up trust among the Islamic community, particularly women and youngsters. It is hoped the move will make Muslims feel more comfortable about reporting terror-related incidents or offering up the name of extremists. The measures were revealed in a report for the Essex Police Authority, by temporary chief constable Andy Bliss, outlining what the force does and is planning to do to deal with the terrorist threat. It will be discussed on Monday at a meeting of the performance committee. Roger Grimwade, Essex police spokesman, said of the community engagement team: "Traditionally the Muslim community has not always been very trusting of the police. "This team aims to engage with them to build up that trust so they feel comfortable speaking with police." But Sarfraz Sarwar, 61, leader of the Basildon Muslim Association, said he felt the Islamic community were being singled out by police. He said: "This is going to segregate Muslims further as we are being singled out as troublemakers. "The police seem to be only targeting us, but there are other groups out there who commit terrorist acts, it's just the same old Islamophobia. "We are just as British as anyone else and this is just playing into the hands of right-wing extremists." The "engagement team" forms part of the Government's counter-extremist programme called Prevent. Angela Smith, Labour MP for Basildon, said of the measures: "Police have to do all they can to get under the causes of terrorism. "Most people never see any terrorist activity because the police and others have been able to tackle it, but they need to target groups across the board." http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4554880.Terror_battle_steps_up_with_civilian_sources/ -------- Central Asia: Beyond Jihad By Anna Michalkova 21 Aug 2009 "Let us die" logo on the Bosnian-language radical Islamic website Putvjernika.com Putvjernika The proximity of Afghanistan and the presence of violent non-state actors tied to al-Qaida make Central Asia a potential hotbed of terrorism, but focusing solely on the ideological threat posed by radical Islamic groups is short-sighted, Anna Michalkova comments for ISN Security Watch. It is imperative to examine the reasons behind radicalism in Central Asia by assessing the responses of the local governments to the issue and scrutinizing the regional economic situation, which is closely connected to the booming narcotics trade. While radical Islamic groups have been involved in several insurgencies, regional governments attempt to use the connection between terrorism and Islamic ideology to strengthen their unchallenged positions. By lumping all of these groups together, they fail to recognize the differences in their strategies. A closer look at the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) illustrates this point. Holding Salafi beliefs, the IMU has continuously called for the establishment of an Islamic state in Uzbekistan and attempted to install sharia in some parts of Ferghana valley. Having conducted several violent incursions in 1999 and 2000 in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the IMU allegedly metamorphosed into the Islamic Party of Turkestan, aiming for the creation of an Islamic state in Central Asia. The IMU is also known for having had bases in Taliban-controlled northern Afghanistan and adopting an anti-US and anti-Jewish rhetoric, calling the Uzbek president "Jewish and unbeliever" and kidnapping US and Japanese citizens for ransom. In addition to its goal of re-establishing a Muslim Caliphate, HuT also believes that sharia should regulate all aspects of human life. HuT is however against any gradualism and prefers radical, revolutionary change: the takeover of state by the means of jihad after completing the initial two stages of member recruitment and Islamization of the society. For over 50 years, the group has therefore kept its mostly non-violent strategy; claiming that "military struggle is not the method of reestablishing the Caliphate." Although there were several splits within the movement, some of which resorted to violence, violent strategy is not the predominant characteristic of HuT itself. Full Report At:http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?lng=en&id=104949 -------- Female Palestinian leaders warn Fatah Leadership by Felice Friedson & Rachelle Kliger August 20, 2009 Female Palestinian leaders are warning that the Palestinian Fatah movement's recent leadership elections are a sign that does not bode well for the future Palestinian state. Fatah, the largest party within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has arguably been the most influential Palestinian political movement for more than 40 years. Yet despite extensive Palestinian political rhetoric in favor of women's advancement, female leaders are quick to point out that not one of the six female candidates for Fatah's Central Committee, the movement's most powerful body, made it into the 21-member body. Many female Palestinian leaders argue women's advancement can serve as a barometer of democracy and progress and see the election results as a signal of the decline in women's rights and influence in the Palestinian territories. "We're still living in a place where women don't have the same rights as men," Sahar Qawasmeh, one of the female candidates who did not make it to the final line-up, told The Media Line, adding that she was hardly surprised that none of the women entered the Central Committee. "Our society discriminates against women and still won't accept that a woman can be a decision maker." Zahira Kamal, a former women's affairs cabinet minister and currently the director of UNESCO's Palestinian Women Research and Documentation Center in Ramallah, said that despite 'lip service' there is no political will to bring women into the fold. Male Palestinian leaders assume they will get all the seats, she argued, because the Fatah Central Committee is a "men's club." "It's a male dominated constituency," said Ghassan Khatib, director of the Palestinian government media center in Ramallah. Qawasmeh argued that while women are very active in every aspect of Fatah, their representation in the influential circles of the movement is not reflective of their activities on the grassroots level. Qawasmeh proposed reserving seats on the council for women through a quota system. She rejected the argument that quotas perpetuate women's lower standing by preventing them from moving forward on their own merits rather than their gender. "If female candidates were treated objectively, maybe I'd say that, but there's a real discrimination against women in all societies around the world," Qawasmeh says. "It's more difficult for women than it is for men to reach the decision-making circles. I think that the quota is a real and pressing need and if there's a quota for women, it will be an interim step until she establishes herself, after which the stage will be open for her." Qawasmeh added that the nature of political campaigning does not lend itself towards women's success. Elections, she argues, are full of intrigue, alliances and 'getting down and dirty,' which men tend to be more inclined towards than women. The fact that many of the male candidates, and eventually the winners, had broad political bases, were well-known in the security system and had ample financial support also worked in their favor and against the women, she said. Full Report At:http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=26228 -------- Jewish-Islamic society weaves common threads Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009 Before Sabir Rahman emigrated from Pakistan more than 40 years ago, his mother gave him three days of instructions, ending with the warning that to touch a non-Muslim would bring hellfire. His father spent 10 minutes cautioning him against pork and alcohol, but otherwise said the world was open to him. "I listened to my father," Rahman, now the interfaith committee chair at Silver Spring's Muslim Community Center, said wryly Sunday as he stood in a Damascus synagogue after the monthly meeting of the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society. The society, which began in February, aims to open a dialogue between Muslims and Jews, which cofounder Daniel Spiro of Bethesda calls "cousin faiths." Topics of discussion include prophets, divisions within the religion and core beliefs. Even in an area known for multiculturalism such as Montgomery County, such interactions are needed to break down walls, participants said. Several said the first two gatherings, which focused on the nature of God, were rather heated. "All the Jews probably thought all the Muslims were fundamentalist and all the Muslims thought all the Jews were atheists," Spiro said. But now a comfort level has developed among the core members, said Stephanie Weishaar, president of Congregation Or Chadash, Sunday's host synagogue. About 25 people, predominantly Jewish, attended Sunday's meeting. Previous meetings have been both larger and more evenly split between the religions, members said. The group is hoping to add charitable and political projects to its educational gatherings in the near future. Members will be volunteering at Capital Area Food Bank in the District on Saturday, Spiro said, which will be the first time they have acted as a group in the community. Spiro, who like Rahman is a member of other groups promoting Middle East peace and interfaith communication, started the group after a speaking tour to publicize his latest book, a philosophical novel called "Moses the Heretic." In the book, set in the modern day, the title character's "heresies include a respect for Islam and the rights of Palestinians," Spiro said. "In a sort of life imitates art … I decided it would be hypocritical not to try and emulate the character, at least in his better attributes." Spiro was also motivated by seeing firsthand the mistrust between the two faiths. Full Report At:http://www.gazette.net/stories/08192009/gaitnew210703_32541.shtml -------- Muslim Americans Find Their Voice through Advocacy, Engagement By Howard Cincotta 08/20/09 Muslim organizations bringing message of inclusiveness, involvement Washington — Assad Akhter, the legislative director for a member of Congress, learned an interesting fact when he helped found the Congressional Muslim Staffers Association at the U.S. Capitol in 2005. "We discovered that holding events brings attention when you're Muslim," he said. "Being Muslim can bring negative attention, but it's also an opportunity to educate and talk to people." Akhter is president of the 70-member association, which organizes Capitol Hill discussions on religious and policy subjects. He and other Muslim congressional staffers attend Friday prayers in the U.S. Capitol building that now attract more than 100 worshipers, including dignitaries from other countries. YOUNGER GENERATION ENGAGEMENT Akhter is hardly unique, especially among a younger generation that is taking advantage of the remarkable diversity and vitality of the Muslim-American population to bring a renewed message of inclusiveness and interfaith alliances that belie any stereotype of Muslims as monolithic in outlook and ideas. Take Haady Taslim, 26, an Iranian American who taught in some of the poorest schools in New Orleans before working to register Muslim Americans in Chicago to vote. "I don't think American Muslims are the only ones to gain when we engage in the process," Taslim said on the One Nation Web site. "America gains when American Muslims become involved." Razi Hashmi, born to a Pakistani father and American mother, struggled with his identity when he was a child. He found one answer in Islam. "Faith transcends race and culture," he said in an online profile. But he also became politically active and organized a branch of the Muslim Students Association at his college. Hashmi is now head of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations. Lema Bashir, Palestinian American and a lawyer with the Department of Justice, sees political action among Muslim Americans happening on a much larger scale than previously. "There is a need to recognize that you are American and this is your country," she said. "You have a background, you come from somewhere, we all do. But we also need to understand that living here means getting involved in the process. And everyone benefits from that." Full Report At:http://www.payvand.com/news/09/aug/1172.html -------- Israeli Jesus: More Popular Than Ever By Shalom Goldman August 20, 2009
The staging in Jaffa of a controversial play with Jesus as central character is shut down by protests—but not for the reasons one might imagine. From "Encounter (Jesus and the Jew)" by Reuven Rubin, 1922 Odd as it may seem to outsiders, Jesus is no stranger to contemporary Israeli culture; a culture built on secular Jewish principles. To be sure, it is Jesus the literary figure (and not Jesus the Son of God) who makes occasional, and almost always memorable, appearances in Israeli literature (Abraham Kabak's 1938 Hebrew novel Bemishol Hat-sar or In a Narrow Path, for example, and Pinchas Sadeh's Hahayim Kemashal, an immensely popular philosophical memoir of the late 1960s). And in the visual arts, portraits of Jesus appear frequently in the now-iconic paintings of Israeli artist Reuven Rubin. Last month, one of these appearances made its way into the Israeli daily news. Briefly edging out reports of diplomacy, civil strife, and governmental corruption, the story centered on the controversial staging of an Israeli play with Jesus as a central character. The Arab-Hebrew Theater of Jaffa was about to perform Amos Kenan's controversial play Friends Talk about Jesus when it was shut down by protests. As background, let me explain that I've dubbed the play "controversial" not to condemn it (a strategy used often in the American media), but because the history of this play is actually one of significant contention. The play, written in 1971, is a biting satire of Israeli politics and culture in the "euphoric period" after the 1967 War. It is especially harsh on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The play's title is a parody of a by then already well-known Israeli genre Friends tell about X, in which fallen military heroes were remembered and eulogized. In Kenan's play, Jesus returns to the Land of Israel in various "incarnations" or manifestations; among them as a Palestinian child traumatized by war and occupation. In 1972, the Israeli State censor refused to let the play be performed. The case went to the Israeli High Court of Justice, which upheld the ban. In the troubled period before the 1973 War (dubbed the War of Attrition), Israeli Jews were not open to Kenan's call for self-criticism. Full Report At: http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/mediaculture/1755/israeli_jesus%3A_more_popular_than_ever -------- Worshiping the one God vs. the many By Rev. Daryl E. Witmer 8/15/09 "O God/Heavenly Mother/Great Spirit/Vishnu/Zeus/Oneness/Jah/Yahweh." A few months ago, one of my fellow Voices columnists declared that all religious people pray to the same God. He wrote: "No matter what name you call upon ... we're all praying to the same God, aren't we? Yes, whether we know it or not." (Voices, Bangor Daily News, May 9, 2009) More recently another Voices columnist wrote: "For me, the metaphor of God as father, ruler, and lord [is] hurtful and limiting." "God is unknowable." "Does this mean that my God is different from your God? No, it means that we each know God differently, that we each experience different aspects or traits of God." (Voices, Bangor Daily News, June 27, 2009) What should we make of such assertions? Is there really only one God at the heart of all of the world's belief systems? To help answer that question, here's a crash course in comparative religions. Christianity's God is Trinitarian. Islam's God, Allah, is not. Christians are monotheistic. Hindus are not. Mormons are tritheistic. Buddhists are not. The God of Christianity is infinite yet personal. Proponents of New Age spirituality are typically monistic or pantheistic. Traditional Christianity teaches that God created matter. Christian Science does not agree. Neither do Taoists, who have an entirely different view of reality. Historic Christianity holds that God can be known truly but not exhaustively. Unitarian Universalists reject the idea that God can be defined clearly for everyone in every place. Christians affirm the deity of Jesus Christ. Orthodox, Reformed and Conservative Jews do not. Neither do Jehovah's Witnesses. Neither do Wiccans. Given such disparity, it seems clear that there is no realistic basis for claiming that the God of all religions is one and the same. One might just as soon claim that 2 plus 2 equals 4 - or 5, or 6, or both, or anything else. If contradictory statements about objective reality are accepted as correct, language loses its meaning. When opposing views on matters of essential doctrine are all considered equally true, every view is compromised. So back to the question about whether everyone prays to the same God. Why not consult God himself on the matter? If the Bible is indeed God's Word (a case we've made in previous columns), we should find answers to this question in Scripture, right? Full Report At:http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/116614.html URL of this page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1670
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