Though no age in the human history is immaculate of the bloodspots of violence but in the present phase of the history when due to fast means of communication the world has withered into a village, violence has become a hot burning topic everywhere. By nature and manifestation violence is of different kinds. One is of the dominant people as evidence of their power and highhandedness, applied on the weak and lower classes of the society while the other is of the oppressed and downtrodden people giving voice to their anger against the elements subjecting them to exploitation and coercion. Drug addicted are also a dangerously festering thing in the body of almost every society.
During the presidential tenure of Bill Clinton a burst of violent incidents in schools and universities of America by the students was seen as an extremely worrisome phenomenon. Even early teen agers, without any serious motive, came to their educational institutions with guns and randomly shot their class mates and teachers. Still, in spite of many preventive and preemptive measures, the situation has not improved there but the news donot surface now.
Street crimes and robberies in houses are as common in America, England and many other European cities as are in Karachi and Lahore. Only a few months ago my niece became victim of robbery in Bradford (England) when she was alone at home nursing her seriously ill husband. Bandits fearlessly came in daylight and forcefully snatched a huge cash and jewelry. This is not the only case of this nature there. Very interestingly, the culprits remain out of the police grip as we see in Pakistan. Life in the cities and towns of the Gulf countries, labeled by the Westerners to be the house of ‘Traditionalists’ and ‘Fundamentalists’ is far more safe and peaceful.
Germany and France have many times experienced bloody events and in England it is the matter of only ending months of last year when riots broke up causing a heavy loss of lives and properties. A recent episode of September, October of the last year, was of globally rallying of ‘Anti-Greed’ protestors denouncing bankers and politicians over international economic crisis rocking Rome where cars were torched and windows of banks were smashed. Same happening in Wall Street District of New York was not less bitter where about 50,000 furious protestors gathered to occupy Wall Street and violently clashed with police. Almost one and half decade ago the same was viewed when demonstrations against Globalization erupted and spread all over the North America and Europe damaging MacDonald food outlets, Coca cola and some other major signs of Globalization.
Here making any comparison in crime rate in the West and the Muslim world is meant not at all. What is to make clear is that violence is neither the part of the teachings of Islam nor is the popular trait of the Muslim communities. In every society it has different reasons to spread. In the West apparently man has reached the peak of the progress and prosperity. All the facilities needed to live a peaceful life are available. Study of the violent psyche tells that it sprouts from ‘nothingness’. When the wishes are fulfilled and there remains nothing for most of the population there to give a wistful look on, then they rise to do something more and violence is this ‘something more’.
In the Muslim countries situation is different. Apart from the economic backwardness there are the factors having their roots in the hostile attitude and antagonistic policies of the big Western powers towards the Muslims and their religion. Islam does not teach violence. Quran’s clear stand against antagonists and disputants is to cool them by a wise policy of a comparatively better disposition.
“Not equal are the good deeds and the bad. Repel (evil) by that (attitude, action) which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity, (become) as though he was a devoted friend.” (Fussilat: 34)
“Repel their evil by what is the best. We are the most knowing of what they describe.” (Al-Muminun: 96)
An abominable propaganda branding Islam of fostering extremism and violence is nothing but an evil design to barricade its fast spread in the world. Holy Prophet, Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, has taught: “Be God fearing wherever you are. Pursue the evil with good and you will succeed in expunging it out. Show your good moral character while dealing with people.” (Tirmidhi)
“You cannot win (favors and sympathies of) the people with your wealth, instead you can win them with your cheerful disposition and good moral character.” (Abu Ya’la, Al-Behaqi)
Islam’s position on the issue of violence is clearly against resorting to it because as our Holy Prophet, be peace and blessings upon him, had once repeatedly warned: “Ruined are the ones who are extremists (and violent).” (Muslim)
The Holy Prophet, SAW, taught to adopt a policy that is between two extremes. He is reported to have said: “Best way in the life matters is the moderate way.” (Al-Behaqi)
But what the Western Imperialistic policy about the Muslims so far has been is to thrash and hit them and then allow them not to cry. The present reactionary behavior in the Muslim world is actually a screaming on getting again and again severely hit. Well, we are ready to forget our past how much have we suffered under the British, French and Italian Imperialism. But what has happened with us after the second half of the 20th century up to today? The Europeans wanted to get rid of the Jews from among their communities. First Uganda or somewhere in South America was the place to get them settled there. But then in result of Balfour Declaration of 1917 the dragger of the Jewish conspiracies was very mischievously thrust in the chest of the Muslim world in Palestine. With the backing of America the Palestinians have been subjected to the worst of the brutality by the Zionists for last 65 years.
The British Imperialists left a bleeding part in body of South Asia and quitted India leaving India and Pakistan in combating condition because of several unsettled issues and Kashmir is one of them, letting not the peace take its way in this part of the world. Afghanistan and Iraq are the wounds with continuous shooting pain, where the number of the dead goes beyond two millions.
Just under the nose of the ‘most civilized’ Western countries what happened to the Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the war of1992-95? According to a report published in 1995 in a book by Sarajevo-based Research & Documentation Centre (RDC) the human loss of Muslim lives was 97,207. Gang rape in the women camps was the most tragic scenario of that war.
In the beginning of 2004 the news of the worst kind of human rights violations in Iraq shook the world. The Americans committed the war crimes in form of physical, psychological and sexual abuses including torture, rape, sodomy and homicide of the prisoners held in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The same has been happening in Bagram jail in Afghanistan. Afia Siddiqui was pushed in jail for 86 years only on the charge that she had pulled a gun, of which is even just holding by such a sleek and meek woman like Afia, to shoot the American soldier.
The Guantanamo Bay jail is another example of an insulting slap on the face of humanity, where apart from inhuman ways of treating the prisoners, just for hurting their religious feelings the book regarded the most sacred one by them was put in the washroom flush. Profaning cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, were published one after one in the newspapers and magazines in Europe. Desecrating of the Quran is the most recent incident in Afghanistan still causing tumult and bloodshed in Afghanistan and kindling the feelings of the Muslims all over the world. These are only some of many examples of satanic attitude of the self-branded ‘Civilized Western World’.
Are all these examples mentioned above not enough to prove that it is their satanic policies and not Islam inciting the people to resort to the violence? They mischievously attribute the violence and terrorism to Islam. A so-called ‘enlightened and moderate’ class in the Muslim communities is also there which thoughtlessly agrees to the blames attributed to Islam.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Yemen's Saleh formally steps down after 33 years in power
Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down after 33 years at the helm on Monday at
a ceremony at the presidential palace in Sanaa, formally handing power over to
his deputy, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi.
"I hand over the banner of revolution... to safe hands," said Saleh, the fourth veteran Arab leader to fall in just over a year, standing beside Hadi.
Yemen's new president will serve for an interim two-year period as stipulated by a Gulf-brokered power transition plan signed by Saleh last November.
Hadi, meanwhile, cautioned that the past year of political turmoil that has crippled the economy and unleashed nationwide insecurity was not over yet, and appealed to Yemenis to "cooperate with the new leadership" to help the country emerge from the crisis.
He said he hoped that at the end of his two years in office, Yemen could have a peaceful transition of power.
"I hope we will meet in this room again... to bid farewell and welcome a new leadership," Hadi said. "I hope that in two years, I will stand in President Ali Abdullah Saleh's place and a new president will stand in mine."
Hadi took the oath of office in front of Yemen's parliament on Saturday, and in his first speech as new leader, vowed to fight against Al-Qaeda and restore security across his impoverished nation.
"It is a patriotic and religious duty to continue the battle against Al-Qaeda," he said. "If we don't restore security, the only outcome will be chaos."
Hadi was elected in a 21 February presidential poll in which he received 99.8 per cent of the votes cast in an election that saw a 60 percent nationwide turnout.
"I hand over the banner of revolution... to safe hands," said Saleh, the fourth veteran Arab leader to fall in just over a year, standing beside Hadi.
Yemen's new president will serve for an interim two-year period as stipulated by a Gulf-brokered power transition plan signed by Saleh last November.
Hadi, meanwhile, cautioned that the past year of political turmoil that has crippled the economy and unleashed nationwide insecurity was not over yet, and appealed to Yemenis to "cooperate with the new leadership" to help the country emerge from the crisis.
He said he hoped that at the end of his two years in office, Yemen could have a peaceful transition of power.
"I hope we will meet in this room again... to bid farewell and welcome a new leadership," Hadi said. "I hope that in two years, I will stand in President Ali Abdullah Saleh's place and a new president will stand in mine."
Hadi took the oath of office in front of Yemen's parliament on Saturday, and in his first speech as new leader, vowed to fight against Al-Qaeda and restore security across his impoverished nation.
"It is a patriotic and religious duty to continue the battle against Al-Qaeda," he said. "If we don't restore security, the only outcome will be chaos."
Hadi was elected in a 21 February presidential poll in which he received 99.8 per cent of the votes cast in an election that saw a 60 percent nationwide turnout.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Israel in Crime Incarnate
- Jihad el-Khazen
The U.S. government definition of terrorism is “premeditated, politically motivated violence against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents”.
I find this definition to be a perfect fit for Israeli terror against the Palestinians and around the world. The definition was cited by Robert Wright in the U.S. magazine Atlantic, in a commentary on a report by the U.S. network ABC which asked: Should Israel be classified as a state sponsor of terrorism?
The question arose in the wake of the revelation by NBC that Israel used the People's Mujahedin of Iran (M.E.K), a dissident Iranian group, to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists, and that Israel gives the M.E.K. funding, training, and weapons.
We know that Israel is a terrorist state engaged in terrorism around the world. However, I deliberately started with the above because it is an American view. In other words, it is a view from the country that sponsors Israel, which sponsors terrorism.
Jewish terrorists assassinated Count Bernadotte, and Israel mistakenly assassinated a waiter in a Norwegian restaurant. We also know that Israel was behind the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in 2010, after it sent a few dozen agents to Dubai with fake British, French, German and Australian passports.
The countries concerned threatened Israel with consequences or sanctions if it should continue using false passports belonging to these countries. However, the London Times revealed only last week – quoting Western intelligence sources – that Israel has continued to use fake Western passports.
Israel has been and always will be a terrorist state. Israel was shaped in terrorism, just like man was shaped in iniquity, as the Torah tells us. If I were to adduce another American view here, it would be the fact that the youths who have went on to “Occupy Wall St.”, i.e. American not Arab youths, are now organizing a campaign called “Occupy AIPAC”, or that lobby that supports and covers up Israeli terrorism, buying American congressmen and women to serve Israel’s interests at the expense of those of the United States itself.
Occupy AIPAC is scheduled to take place between the second and the sixth of March, and I wish them success.
The criminal gang headed by Benjamin Netanyahu is doing away with the foundations of peace every day, yet he dares call on the Palestinians to negotiate with Israel, even claiming that the Palestinians do not want peace.
After the terrorist Netanyahu saw Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal hold talks, he said that the Palestinian Authority has to choose between Israel and Hamas. Personally, if I were to choose between Israel and hell, I would have preferred hell over that dirty neo-Nazi, fascist and racist state.
Netanyahu threatened the Palestinian Authority further and said, “Hamas is an enemy of peace. It’s an Iranian-backed terror organization committed to Israel’s destruction.” But the truth is that Israel is the enemy of peace and a terrorist entity, and that Hamas is a national liberation movement that would not have come to exist had it not been for the Israeli occupation. Furthermore, Israel is in the process of destroying Palestinians every day, while Hamas can never destroy Israel, even if it tries. Now, Israel wants the United States to attack Iran. If the U.S. does not do so, then Israel may attack Iran itself. But recall that Gen. Martin Dempsey, head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Israel this week and warned that an attack on Iran will hurt Israel.
The war and peace criminal Netanyahu would not rightly deserve his reputation if the issue was about one or two statements. For instance, following the terrorist attacks against Israeli targets in India, Thailand and Georgia, he said, “Iran is the greatest exporter of terrorism in the world. The terrorist attacks were uncovered in recent days for all to see. Iran is undermining the world’s stability”.
But again, the truth is that Israel has assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists in Iran, and the Iranian terror in response is perhaps only a reaction that would not have taken place were it not for the original terrorism. It is therefore Israel that is undermining the world’s stability, not Iran.
Israel is the mother of all terrorism. Israel is the only remaining apartheid state in the world, and were it not for its nuclear arsenal, Iran would have probably not even considered acquiring nuclear weapons. Not only is Israel a criminal state, it is crime incarnate owing to its existence atop the land of Palestine. We have accepted a state on 22 percent of our land yet Israel has refused, so all is left to do now is to wait for the next round of terrorist attacks, which may use weapons of mass destruction.
(Thanks to esteemed Arabic Daily Al-Hayat and the writer)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Dua (Supplications) a big Weapon of the Believers
Good or bad deeds, though do have some imponderable and
unquantifiable impacts on man’s earthly life, yet this life is neither a real
place of rewarding man for his good deeds nor a proper place for punishing him
for his evil acts. Instead, it is a place where man goes through the tests and
trials. Man has made a tremendous progress in his material life but the more he
goes ahead the more restlessness and alleviations he finds waiting for him.
Excess of the facilities and even luxuries fail to provide him a true tranquility.
Man has to suffer a
lot of woes, bereavements out of deaths of the loved ones, laments on the loss
in the business and career, sadness due to family problems, depressions because
of health troubles, terrible ordeals of social entanglements and many other
difficulties and complexities in private and public life make this world a dump
to live in.
This odd and awful
situation really proves nerve-racking for man. In the obscurity when man finds no
way out, he feels himself fully broken up with grief and is subdued by
disappointments. What attitude of a true believer should be in these
circumstances? There remains no urgent expedient save resorting to Allah, the
Most Powerful, as humble supplicants to call on Him for deliverance.
Supplications are the only resource, most reliable and most soothing.
“Is not He (Allah) Who responds to the distressed one when
he calls on Him and Who removes evil?” (An-Naml: 62)
Calling upon Allah, SWT, is an earnest stipulation to gain
His attention and help.
Calling upon Allah (Dua), as the Messenger of Allah, be
peace and blessings upon him, is reported to have said, is actually worship.
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) Those who do not supplicate actually disdain worship and
are atheists.
“And your Lord says: ‘Call upon Me I will respond to you.’
Indeed those who disdain my worship will enter Hell contemptible.” (Ghafir: 60)
This subtle point is much clearer in the last verse of Surah
Al-Furqan where Allah Says:
“Say (O Muhammad, SAW, to the disbelievers): “What would my
Lord care for you if you do not call upon Him? For, you have denied. So it (torment
because of your denial) is going to be adherent for you.”
Syed Abu Al A’la Maududi, in his commentary note, explains
this verse: “It means that if you do not invoke upon Allah and neither worship
Him nor call upon Him for help, you will have no importance in His sight to be
taken in notice. Just being a creature you are not different from the stones.
No need of Allah remains hampered because of you to be fulfilled. The only thing
making Him pay His attention to you is your begging hands stretched towards Him
and your invocations. If you do not call upon Him as humble supplicants then
you will be thrown away like garbage.”
Fulfillment of the desires and needs expressed in the
supplications only depends on Allah’s Will and Wisdom. No supplication remains
in vain, but it is not necessary for it to be brought about exactly as man
wants it. For a believer it is a matter of consolation that his invoking upon his
Lord is considered to be worship on his part and worship is the act to get the
pleasures and favors of Allah, SWT.
In the Twenty Third
Word in his Risale-i-Nur, famous and very influential spiritual guide of early
decades of the last century and post Kamalian era in Turkey, late Badiuzzaman Nursi
makes this point clear with an example. A sick little child is taken to a
clinic, where he sees a number of bottles and packs containing colorful syrups
and tablets in them. The child demands the syrup from one of the bottles or a
tablet from the packs that showed more attractive to him because of its color
or design. But the doctor allows not done it. It is up to the doctor and not
the patient to decide whether the same syrup or tablets are to be given to the
child or somewhat else or nothing from the liquid or dry medicine is necessary
for the child at that moment to recover.
Similar is in case of invocations of longing and suffering
people. Allah, the All-Wise, decides according to His dominical Wisdom either
to give what is sought or better than that or nothing to be given. ‘Nothing’
does not mean the supplication went futile, but as the Messenger of Allah, be
peace and blessings upon him, has told the supplications are saved for much
better reward on the Day of Judgment.
Wishing to get urgently and precisely what is thought man’s
utmost need is a natural thing but it has happened many times that in spite of
having a little chance, a traveler, either by personally exhorting or with
someone influential’s intercession, gets air ticket for a particular flight.
Unfortunately the same flight meets a disastrous air crash with all its passengers
smashed into ashes and pieces, while another passenger who is refused the ticket
for the same flight agrees to take the next one and is saved from the awful
end.
There are many people who, in result of their capricious
demands, if given before a proper time they are sure to be subject to a
dangerous situations lasting in ruination and there are many who at the end
find their deprivation greatly blissfulness. Insistent and importunate calls on
Allah, SWT, to rapidly respond our invocations, as Badiuzzaman Nursi has
opined, is actually interfering in His Dominion and Authority.
After taking
necessary measures and using available resources the matters should be left on
the Will and Knowledge of our Lord. Only He knows when and what is beneficial
for us. Syed Abu al A’la Maududi emphasized on perfect comprehension of our
position. According to him our inner contentment and satisfaction mostly
depends on the correct comprehension, and in failing in going to its depth
there is pain, restlessness and disappointment. Allah, the Most Exalted, is our
Creator and All Sovereign and we are creatures and subjugated. Being humble
servants we have no right to impose our conditions on His absolute authority.
We are, and not He is accountable to us. (Rasail-u-Masail: Part-V)
Some people think the acceptance or rejection of the supplications
relies on man’s noble or evil deeds. Good or bad deeds though have a light
shadow on man’s fate but his gains in this worldly life are not the actual
results of his deeds. The Day of Resurrection
and Reckoning is the proper time and place to get the real result sheet of
virtuous or vicious deeds done in the present life. All the people are not
equally inflicted with the troubles. Some pious people suffer greatly and the
others, very mischievous and wicked undergo too light distress in this life to
have any big feeling of it. Only Will of Allah, the Most Exalted, works to
decide the degree of the trials for man.
He is the Creator and
Ruler. We have to subjugate our wishes and desires to His Will. So it is silly
to expect living in this world according to our expectations. He is not bound
to keep us in the condition which we want to live in and give us what we demand
from Him. It is insane to think as soon as we raise our hands in supplication
for getting rid of the troubles He is restrained to immediately indemnify
protection against the damages and losses we suffer and on our demand within
moments deliver us solution to our problems.
What we have to do is resort to Him in thick and thin and
keep on invoking on Him. Invocations have multi facet impacts on our lives. We
get a sudden response or not, they are a source of inner comfort for us with a
feeling that we are not helpless, someone very powerful Being is over our
heads. But we should keep an important point in mind. Our calling upon Allah
must be with hope and amicable thinking about Allah, the Most Exalted. As the
Holy Prophet, be peace and blessings upon him, has taught, we should say: “O
Allah! Respond our invocations if you will.” Our supplications must reflect a
state of hopefulness and full trust in our Lord.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Egypt, Yesterday and Today: Opinion Piece of Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide
(An Exclusive Opinion Piece for Al-Ahram by Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Muhammad Badie)
The great events witnessed by Egypt over the past year have changed, and will continue to change, the face of the country, God willing. They will rewrite its history after the nation was restored to the people through their white revolution.
The revolution overthrew a detestable dictatorship that stifled us for decades, violating sanctities and robbing wealth, restricting freedoms and hindering progress, fabricating allegations against decent individuals and driving out and killing its people, ignoring court orders and skilfully manipulating the will of the public.
The Muslim Brotherhood warned the previous regime many times about the negative repercussions of its actions, holding numerous meetings with national Egyptian forces under the banner "A dialogue for Egypt." Three such meetings took place before the 2010 elections and a fourth was held after elections were fixed. At these meetings, we exposed the actions of the regime and blamed the dictator himself for these crimes, but he continued in his tyranny and unjust ways.
God willed that we hold a fifth meeting after the success of the blessed revolution, and we will continue on this path – along with our people – to protect them and the goals of their revolution. With the participation of all faithful and honourable people, we are now planning to convene a sixth "Dialogue for Egypt."
The Muslim Brotherhood resisted the former regime and its tyranny by enduring the imprisonment and unjust detention of more than 40,000 Muslim Brotherhood members for a combined total of 15,000 years of jail time, knowing that God would not forget. This did not deter us from taking to the streets across Egypt in numerous demonstrations to express our opposition to the regime and its practices and to demand reform, reject the Emergency Law, press for constitutional reform, decry assaults on judges, condemn the Zionist assault on Gaza, and highlight other key issues of import to Egypt, its people and its national security.
We did not blame those who did not join us in these protests. Still, we paid a high price for taking these positions and participating in these demonstrations, which once led to the arrest of 3,000 Muslim Brotherhood members in a single day. Some of us were killed, either in prison or during elections. But we took practical steps to oppose these practices through our representatives in parliament, proposing practical solutions to Egypt’s problems that the ruling party's rubberstamp-majority rejected every time.
Our representatives in professional syndicates, clubs, teachers' associations and student unions also served as models of cooperation for all Egyptians – Muslim and Christian, men and women. This angered the guardians of the old regime, leading them to suspend some of these institutions for more than 15 years.
The depth of injustice, tyranny, fraud and corruption were the fuel that kindled the people's resentment, and their suppressed feelings over the years eventually exploded into a force to be reckoned with – one that moved to confront the tyrants and topple their bases of power, thus realising God’s promise in the Holy Quran:
"O Allah, Lord of Power (and Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power." (Surat Al-Imran, verse 26)
The blessed revolution erupted and the Muslim Brotherhood was at its heart from the first day. The former regime attempted to thwart our participation in the uprising by meeting with Muslim Brotherhood leaders in all governorates of Egypt and attempting to frighten them from taking part in demonstrations. Muslim Brotherhood leaders, however, rejected these threats, as noted in our statement from 23 January 2011 and subsequent statements, which documented our unwavering position on the former regime and the blessed revolution. This was not just bravado, but the right thing to do – in line with our duty to God and our love for the people.
Many of the demands of the blessed revolution were met during the past year, which also witnessed the emergence of many new challenges that we remain determined to overcome, God willing. The head of the regime was toppled, along with most of its henchmen. The notorious State Security apparatus was dismantled, which had been a main cause of the spread of injustice and tyranny. The fraudulent People’s Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament) and Shura Council (the upper, consultative house of parliament) were also dissolved, while icons of the former regime were prosecuted. At the same time, Egypt's constitution – with its flawed amendments that paved the way for presidential inheritance – was annulled.
Parliamentary elections were held under broad judicial supervision, and a new parliament was elected in free and fair elections that reflected the will of the people. For the first time, tens of millions of Egyptians took part in elections with a sense of participation in the building of their country. For the first time, the people participated in creating the future of their country by choosing those who would represent them. For the first time, the prime minister and his cabinet are being held accountable for their actions by the Egyptian people.
The first round of Shura Council elections is now complete, and, God willing, the second round will wrap up on schedule. The date for presidential nominations, meanwhile, has been brought forward, which means that, within weeks, all of Egypt's elected institutions will be functioning properly following decades of autocracy.
We seek to build a modern, democratic state on the basis of co-citizenship, the rule of law, freedom, equality and pluralism in all forms, as well as the peaceful rotation of power through the ballot box and respect for human rights. We seek a state based on freedom, justice and equality for all citizens, without discrimination based on creed, colour or faith. We seek to forge a new constitution that meets the demands of the people for genuine revival in the coming decades and centuries, with the understanding that national charters are written by consensus – not simply by majority.
Meanwhile, there is also a need to fight all forms of corruption in state institutions and hold the corrupt accountable, irrespective of their position or rank, while the criminals among them should be swiftly – albeit justly – prosecuted. There is also a need to quickly avenge the revolution's martyrs and compensate the injured; improve the deteriorating living conditions of the citizenry; end poverty and unemployment; and restore general safety and security. There is also a need to rehabilitate the country's security agencies and correct their mistaken perception of themselves as agents of repression, confining their new role to protecting the country and providing its people with security.
At the same time, all political, intellectual, social, cultural and economic trends and forces in the country – along with civil society – must be allowed to operate and express their views. This will enable them to play a patriotic role and participate in the maintenance of Egypt's institutions, thereby raising the nation's overall status. What's more, a culture of affection, tolerance, mutual respect and co-existence among all citizens should be practiced. These are the demands of the people and the duty of rulers everywhere in the world; it is the only way to end the current crisis and achieve our desired renaissance.
The good people of Egypt look to those who would preserve their religion; maintain their country’s domestic and foreign security; respect and apply judicial rulings; value social justice; promote virtue and ethics; and make daily life easier. They also look to those who would increase Egypt's prosperity and assign important tasks to those who are worthy of them.
Our most valued national asset is our human resources, which we must invest in, develop and nurture in order to create a generation that puts the interest of the country over mere personal interest and consciously and instinctively makes sacrifices; a generation that fears Almighty God and that benefits others in order to be what Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) had in mind when he said, "The best people are those who are most beneficial to others."
We must also pay close attention to the constitution of the individual, starting with quality education and health services. We must establish programmes for training and qualification in scientific, technical and professional areas to meet society's need for economic and social development and to keep up with technological, scientific and cultural advances. With these two fundamentals – the material and the moral – both the individual and society can achieve brighter horizons in the future, God willing.
Many challenges, however, remain, and we must face them together. Most prominent among these are the remnants of the previous regime, the agents of the State Security apparatus, and those within the business community who were nurtured by – and benefited from – the former regime, its followers, and certain media outlets associated with them that have worked against the revolution and its achievements. Both individually and collectively, these elements have attempted to instigate one crisis after another in hopes of obstructing the march towards democratic transformation, spreading chaos and instilling despair in the hearts of the people.
But these delusional individuals forgot that the blood of the righteous martyrs has watered the seeds of the people’s will, which has in turn blossomed into a tree of freedom impossible to uproot, circumvent or deceive. No one should underestimate the resolve of the people. Rather, they should obey the people's will. No faction – no matter how strong it believes itself to be – should attempt to swim against the current. Instead, they should heed what befell their predecessors.
We should all hasten to work for our beloved Egypt and cooperate in advancing it, elevating it, building it, restoring its security and stability, and raising it to its rightful status. Let us connect our glorious past and remarkable history with our present and even brighter future, in which we will – God willing – all participate, as we did in the ancient Pharaonic civilisation, in our Coptic heritage and in our ongoing Islamic heritage. Egypt has always gathered the nectar of all civilisations, from which it produces a honey with an authentic Egyptian flavour that both nurtures and cures.
May God protect our beloved Egypt from harm and adversity, and may He help us exert all necessary effort to raise its status and work for its advancement. We must work for all that is good and virtuous, rather than what is evil and harmful.
(With Thanks to Egyptian Daily Ahramonline)
The great events witnessed by Egypt over the past year have changed, and will continue to change, the face of the country, God willing. They will rewrite its history after the nation was restored to the people through their white revolution.
The revolution overthrew a detestable dictatorship that stifled us for decades, violating sanctities and robbing wealth, restricting freedoms and hindering progress, fabricating allegations against decent individuals and driving out and killing its people, ignoring court orders and skilfully manipulating the will of the public.
The Muslim Brotherhood warned the previous regime many times about the negative repercussions of its actions, holding numerous meetings with national Egyptian forces under the banner "A dialogue for Egypt." Three such meetings took place before the 2010 elections and a fourth was held after elections were fixed. At these meetings, we exposed the actions of the regime and blamed the dictator himself for these crimes, but he continued in his tyranny and unjust ways.
God willed that we hold a fifth meeting after the success of the blessed revolution, and we will continue on this path – along with our people – to protect them and the goals of their revolution. With the participation of all faithful and honourable people, we are now planning to convene a sixth "Dialogue for Egypt."
The Muslim Brotherhood resisted the former regime and its tyranny by enduring the imprisonment and unjust detention of more than 40,000 Muslim Brotherhood members for a combined total of 15,000 years of jail time, knowing that God would not forget. This did not deter us from taking to the streets across Egypt in numerous demonstrations to express our opposition to the regime and its practices and to demand reform, reject the Emergency Law, press for constitutional reform, decry assaults on judges, condemn the Zionist assault on Gaza, and highlight other key issues of import to Egypt, its people and its national security.
We did not blame those who did not join us in these protests. Still, we paid a high price for taking these positions and participating in these demonstrations, which once led to the arrest of 3,000 Muslim Brotherhood members in a single day. Some of us were killed, either in prison or during elections. But we took practical steps to oppose these practices through our representatives in parliament, proposing practical solutions to Egypt’s problems that the ruling party's rubberstamp-majority rejected every time.
Our representatives in professional syndicates, clubs, teachers' associations and student unions also served as models of cooperation for all Egyptians – Muslim and Christian, men and women. This angered the guardians of the old regime, leading them to suspend some of these institutions for more than 15 years.
The depth of injustice, tyranny, fraud and corruption were the fuel that kindled the people's resentment, and their suppressed feelings over the years eventually exploded into a force to be reckoned with – one that moved to confront the tyrants and topple their bases of power, thus realising God’s promise in the Holy Quran:
"O Allah, Lord of Power (and Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power." (Surat Al-Imran, verse 26)
The blessed revolution erupted and the Muslim Brotherhood was at its heart from the first day. The former regime attempted to thwart our participation in the uprising by meeting with Muslim Brotherhood leaders in all governorates of Egypt and attempting to frighten them from taking part in demonstrations. Muslim Brotherhood leaders, however, rejected these threats, as noted in our statement from 23 January 2011 and subsequent statements, which documented our unwavering position on the former regime and the blessed revolution. This was not just bravado, but the right thing to do – in line with our duty to God and our love for the people.
Many of the demands of the blessed revolution were met during the past year, which also witnessed the emergence of many new challenges that we remain determined to overcome, God willing. The head of the regime was toppled, along with most of its henchmen. The notorious State Security apparatus was dismantled, which had been a main cause of the spread of injustice and tyranny. The fraudulent People’s Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament) and Shura Council (the upper, consultative house of parliament) were also dissolved, while icons of the former regime were prosecuted. At the same time, Egypt's constitution – with its flawed amendments that paved the way for presidential inheritance – was annulled.
Parliamentary elections were held under broad judicial supervision, and a new parliament was elected in free and fair elections that reflected the will of the people. For the first time, tens of millions of Egyptians took part in elections with a sense of participation in the building of their country. For the first time, the people participated in creating the future of their country by choosing those who would represent them. For the first time, the prime minister and his cabinet are being held accountable for their actions by the Egyptian people.
The first round of Shura Council elections is now complete, and, God willing, the second round will wrap up on schedule. The date for presidential nominations, meanwhile, has been brought forward, which means that, within weeks, all of Egypt's elected institutions will be functioning properly following decades of autocracy.
We seek to build a modern, democratic state on the basis of co-citizenship, the rule of law, freedom, equality and pluralism in all forms, as well as the peaceful rotation of power through the ballot box and respect for human rights. We seek a state based on freedom, justice and equality for all citizens, without discrimination based on creed, colour or faith. We seek to forge a new constitution that meets the demands of the people for genuine revival in the coming decades and centuries, with the understanding that national charters are written by consensus – not simply by majority.
Meanwhile, there is also a need to fight all forms of corruption in state institutions and hold the corrupt accountable, irrespective of their position or rank, while the criminals among them should be swiftly – albeit justly – prosecuted. There is also a need to quickly avenge the revolution's martyrs and compensate the injured; improve the deteriorating living conditions of the citizenry; end poverty and unemployment; and restore general safety and security. There is also a need to rehabilitate the country's security agencies and correct their mistaken perception of themselves as agents of repression, confining their new role to protecting the country and providing its people with security.
At the same time, all political, intellectual, social, cultural and economic trends and forces in the country – along with civil society – must be allowed to operate and express their views. This will enable them to play a patriotic role and participate in the maintenance of Egypt's institutions, thereby raising the nation's overall status. What's more, a culture of affection, tolerance, mutual respect and co-existence among all citizens should be practiced. These are the demands of the people and the duty of rulers everywhere in the world; it is the only way to end the current crisis and achieve our desired renaissance.
The good people of Egypt look to those who would preserve their religion; maintain their country’s domestic and foreign security; respect and apply judicial rulings; value social justice; promote virtue and ethics; and make daily life easier. They also look to those who would increase Egypt's prosperity and assign important tasks to those who are worthy of them.
Our most valued national asset is our human resources, which we must invest in, develop and nurture in order to create a generation that puts the interest of the country over mere personal interest and consciously and instinctively makes sacrifices; a generation that fears Almighty God and that benefits others in order to be what Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) had in mind when he said, "The best people are those who are most beneficial to others."
We must also pay close attention to the constitution of the individual, starting with quality education and health services. We must establish programmes for training and qualification in scientific, technical and professional areas to meet society's need for economic and social development and to keep up with technological, scientific and cultural advances. With these two fundamentals – the material and the moral – both the individual and society can achieve brighter horizons in the future, God willing.
Many challenges, however, remain, and we must face them together. Most prominent among these are the remnants of the previous regime, the agents of the State Security apparatus, and those within the business community who were nurtured by – and benefited from – the former regime, its followers, and certain media outlets associated with them that have worked against the revolution and its achievements. Both individually and collectively, these elements have attempted to instigate one crisis after another in hopes of obstructing the march towards democratic transformation, spreading chaos and instilling despair in the hearts of the people.
But these delusional individuals forgot that the blood of the righteous martyrs has watered the seeds of the people’s will, which has in turn blossomed into a tree of freedom impossible to uproot, circumvent or deceive. No one should underestimate the resolve of the people. Rather, they should obey the people's will. No faction – no matter how strong it believes itself to be – should attempt to swim against the current. Instead, they should heed what befell their predecessors.
We should all hasten to work for our beloved Egypt and cooperate in advancing it, elevating it, building it, restoring its security and stability, and raising it to its rightful status. Let us connect our glorious past and remarkable history with our present and even brighter future, in which we will – God willing – all participate, as we did in the ancient Pharaonic civilisation, in our Coptic heritage and in our ongoing Islamic heritage. Egypt has always gathered the nectar of all civilisations, from which it produces a honey with an authentic Egyptian flavour that both nurtures and cures.
May God protect our beloved Egypt from harm and adversity, and may He help us exert all necessary effort to raise its status and work for its advancement. We must work for all that is good and virtuous, rather than what is evil and harmful.
(With Thanks to Egyptian Daily Ahramonline)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Who is the Terrorist?
Who started the First World War ? Muslims ? Who started the Second World War ? Muslims ? Who killed about 20 millions of Australian Aborigines after European colonization in 18th century and who severely destroyed their culture in bloody 19th century 'pacification by force' ? Muslims ?? Who dropped the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan? Muslims ? Who killed more than 100 millions of Red Indians in North America ? Muslims ? Who killed more than 50 millions of Red Indians in South America ? Muslims ?? Who took about 180 millions of African people as slaves and 88% of them died and thrown in Atlantic ocean ? Muslims ? No , They weren't Muslims!!! First of all, You have to define terrorism properly... If a non-Muslim does something bad..it is a minor crime. But if a Muslim commits same..he is terrorist... So, first remove this double standard...then come to the point!!"
Venal Leadership and Gravity of the situation
Pakistan, at the moments of its creation, had a singularity firstly in its being the largest Muslim country and secondly an ideological state. From the very first day of its existance this remarkable feature made it a prickling thorn in the sides of not only the powers clearly known to be the enemies of Islam but the secular, socialists and westernized elements within its ranks. Its geographical uniqueness having two wings almost one thousand miles away from each other and difference of language on both sides was a problem. Feudal nature of the politicians in the Western Wing of the country was another factor making the evil designs of the enemies to harm the integrity of the nation an easy game. Different subjects, language difference major of them became the grounds of the intrigues. The seeds of hatreds and prejudices on the language base were incited. At last reaping from the opportunities created through the insanities, selfishness and indiscretion of the political and military leadership and with open aggression of our perpetual enemy India, one wing was cut off.
After Pakistan lost the title, Indonesia emerged to be the largest Muslim country. And again machinations started to deprive it also from the honor of being the biggest Muslim country. This island was colonized by Portuguese in 16th century. Christian missionaries harassed, blackmailed and bought the poverty hit local people and converted Eastern part of Timor to a Christian land. When it got freedom from the Portugal, Indonesia took it under its control to be its 27th province. The western world powers could not digest it as a part of a Muslim country, so an atmosphere of civil war was created for its freedom from Indonesia. Extensively sensitive and crucial issues of Kashmir and Palestine have been buried under the dust of negligence of the world communities for last more than 64 years, but being a Christian majority territory East Timor was successful in gaining the backing of the Super Powers and with the keen interest of Mr. Kofi Anan a Christian Ghanaian diplomat who was then serving as the Secretary General of UNO, East Timor was declared a free and sovereign state on 20 May, 2002. Indonesia the second state after Pakistan was cut short in size.
Sudan, with fertile Nile watered lands and Southern parts rich of the natural resources, larger than Egypt in area. Ethnic, religious and economic issues were fomented to create troubles and harm integrity of this Muslim country. Sudan had comparatively larger Christian population in the South. This element again and again stood as rebellion and once in 1955 a civil war erupted and lasted till 1972 and again in 1983 the flames of civil war rose high. Whole the Western World under the flag of UNO was behind the rebels of South Sudan with weapons and financial aid in the demand of departing the ways from the Northern Sudan. After a great loss of lives and economic destruction Khartoum agreed for a referendum resulting in seceding of the South part. Thus this third Muslim country became subject to the wicked plots of the big powers against Muslim world within almost 40 years.
Armed Forces Journal is the organ of Army Times Publishers, Springfield an institution for military training and policy research, working for last 140 years. Defense Media Groups and Defense Conferences work under the auspices of the same institution. The same arranges separate Research Centers and Research Journals for all the three forces. Only a few years ago Ralf Peter, a retired colonel of the American Intelligence wrote a mischievous article in the said magazine. He gave his imaginary or planned maps for the future of five major Muslim countries, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, tearing them into pieces on sectarian and racial bases. Apparently it was thought to be a lunatic thought but an idea floated in a very important journal never remains meaningless and aimless.
Very recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had expressed his deep concern on rising sectarian sentiments in the Muslim World. An article by Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Gormez was published in the Turkish English daily Zaman, hinting at the same issue. He writes: “In our close environment, there are renewed efforts to implement the historical plan to divide Islam. Sectarian differences are being used as a basis for intended political and geographical divisions.”
In the beginning the Iranian religious and political leadership welcomed the ‘Arab Spring’ interpreting it an outpouring of the notions sprouting from the Iranian Revolution. But now, in the matter of Syria’s Shia regime of Bashar Al-Asad, Hizbullah, the powerful Shia militant group of Lebanon and Iran both are out to save it from collapsing while entire Arab World is cursing the regime for its brutality and massacre of Syrian people.
Indifference and remise of the corrupt and selfish rulers in Islamabad and fierce heavy handedness of the previous military ruler, Parvez Musharaf, have caused a dangerous situation in Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan. Racial and provincial prejudices, aired and secretly funded by our enemies, seem to have burst into open rebellion. The situation is going worse day by day. Pakistan, being a nuclear power, is the target of intrigues. Only a few days before a special committee of the American Congress had its meeting to hear the complaints of the Baloch elements against Pakistan. The subversives are openly encouraged but a meek and self-purchased government in Islamabad dares not to protest.
Very recently American embassy in Islamabad itself disclosed to have disbursed a huge amount to some people of a sectarian group as the price for support against Taliban, but actually its rival group. In Karachi an ethnic group, founded on the language basis has always put its loyalties for sale and harming the unity and cohesion of the country. Sectarian, racial and linguistic differences are getting swollen.
Though, mischievous designs showed in the map chalked by Ralf Peter were not centered on only Pakistan. It was contemplated about half a dozen Muslim countries, but Pakistan seems to be the immediate subject because here the venal leadership already involved in shady undertakings lacks the moral courage necessary to resist.
After Pakistan lost the title, Indonesia emerged to be the largest Muslim country. And again machinations started to deprive it also from the honor of being the biggest Muslim country. This island was colonized by Portuguese in 16th century. Christian missionaries harassed, blackmailed and bought the poverty hit local people and converted Eastern part of Timor to a Christian land. When it got freedom from the Portugal, Indonesia took it under its control to be its 27th province. The western world powers could not digest it as a part of a Muslim country, so an atmosphere of civil war was created for its freedom from Indonesia. Extensively sensitive and crucial issues of Kashmir and Palestine have been buried under the dust of negligence of the world communities for last more than 64 years, but being a Christian majority territory East Timor was successful in gaining the backing of the Super Powers and with the keen interest of Mr. Kofi Anan a Christian Ghanaian diplomat who was then serving as the Secretary General of UNO, East Timor was declared a free and sovereign state on 20 May, 2002. Indonesia the second state after Pakistan was cut short in size.
Sudan, with fertile Nile watered lands and Southern parts rich of the natural resources, larger than Egypt in area. Ethnic, religious and economic issues were fomented to create troubles and harm integrity of this Muslim country. Sudan had comparatively larger Christian population in the South. This element again and again stood as rebellion and once in 1955 a civil war erupted and lasted till 1972 and again in 1983 the flames of civil war rose high. Whole the Western World under the flag of UNO was behind the rebels of South Sudan with weapons and financial aid in the demand of departing the ways from the Northern Sudan. After a great loss of lives and economic destruction Khartoum agreed for a referendum resulting in seceding of the South part. Thus this third Muslim country became subject to the wicked plots of the big powers against Muslim world within almost 40 years.
Armed Forces Journal is the organ of Army Times Publishers, Springfield an institution for military training and policy research, working for last 140 years. Defense Media Groups and Defense Conferences work under the auspices of the same institution. The same arranges separate Research Centers and Research Journals for all the three forces. Only a few years ago Ralf Peter, a retired colonel of the American Intelligence wrote a mischievous article in the said magazine. He gave his imaginary or planned maps for the future of five major Muslim countries, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, tearing them into pieces on sectarian and racial bases. Apparently it was thought to be a lunatic thought but an idea floated in a very important journal never remains meaningless and aimless.
Very recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had expressed his deep concern on rising sectarian sentiments in the Muslim World. An article by Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Gormez was published in the Turkish English daily Zaman, hinting at the same issue. He writes: “In our close environment, there are renewed efforts to implement the historical plan to divide Islam. Sectarian differences are being used as a basis for intended political and geographical divisions.”
In the beginning the Iranian religious and political leadership welcomed the ‘Arab Spring’ interpreting it an outpouring of the notions sprouting from the Iranian Revolution. But now, in the matter of Syria’s Shia regime of Bashar Al-Asad, Hizbullah, the powerful Shia militant group of Lebanon and Iran both are out to save it from collapsing while entire Arab World is cursing the regime for its brutality and massacre of Syrian people.
Indifference and remise of the corrupt and selfish rulers in Islamabad and fierce heavy handedness of the previous military ruler, Parvez Musharaf, have caused a dangerous situation in Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan. Racial and provincial prejudices, aired and secretly funded by our enemies, seem to have burst into open rebellion. The situation is going worse day by day. Pakistan, being a nuclear power, is the target of intrigues. Only a few days before a special committee of the American Congress had its meeting to hear the complaints of the Baloch elements against Pakistan. The subversives are openly encouraged but a meek and self-purchased government in Islamabad dares not to protest.
Very recently American embassy in Islamabad itself disclosed to have disbursed a huge amount to some people of a sectarian group as the price for support against Taliban, but actually its rival group. In Karachi an ethnic group, founded on the language basis has always put its loyalties for sale and harming the unity and cohesion of the country. Sectarian, racial and linguistic differences are getting swollen.
Though, mischievous designs showed in the map chalked by Ralf Peter were not centered on only Pakistan. It was contemplated about half a dozen Muslim countries, but Pakistan seems to be the immediate subject because here the venal leadership already involved in shady undertakings lacks the moral courage necessary to resist.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Islam Gaining Traction in Brazil
SCIIA now has the right to represent Brazil’s Muslim community to different state apparatus, as well as to different international Islamic organizations. SCIIA also has the right to establish branches within the country and outside; SCIIA will be responsible for Islamic Dawa [missionary] issues in Brazil, as well as related issues such as fatwas, zakat, and any other issues involving the country’s 1.5 million Muslims.
SCIIA Secretary-General Sheikh Khalid Taqi al-Din informed Asharq Al-Awsat that this represents a good start for Islam and Muslims in Brazil. He also revealed that the SCIIA website will be officially launched in the near future, and will be available in three languages: Portuguese, English, and Arabic.
Sheikh Khalid said that this website will be a beacon for Islamic scholarship, derived from the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, with the understanding of the Prophet’s Companions, and Muslim clerics.
He also stressed that this website will serve as a protective shield against the illogical and undocumented claims and views that are made against Islam on the internet, particularly all of the misinformation and distortion that is present in the Portuguese language.
Sheikh Khalid told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the call to Islam in western states requires those who are concerned with this issue, and the use of creative ways, to inform the general public about the word of God.”
Sheikh Khalid Taqi al-Din is also the director of the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil [FMAB], which is made up of 37 Islamic associations and organizations in Brazil. FMAB issued its annual report entitled “Excellence in Islamic Dawa is our goal” recently. This report aims to develop FMAB’s operations and dealings with Islamic affairs, by harnessing the organization’s financial and logistical potential to invite Brazilians to Islam utilizing modern tools and strategies.
Sheikh Khalid stressed that FMAB’s major objective is to create an integrated model or framework for Islamic organizations operating in Brazil to emulate and coordinate, in order to continue the spread of Islam in Brazil and raise awareness about Islam and Brazil’s Muslim community, as well as help Brazil’s Muslim community to carry out its duty with regards to Islamic dawa, education, and culture. He added “FMAB issues a report every year containing a summary of its most important work and achievements. This month we issued the report of our achievements this year in the field of Islamic Dawa, as well as the assistance we provided to [Muslim] organizations and individuals during 2011.”
Sheikh Khalid informed Asharq Al-Awsat that FMAB had made a number of major achievements during 2011, particularly in the field of Islamic Dawa. He revealed that the “Know Islam” project had worked to raise awareness about Islam and the Islamic community in Brazil.
He also revealed that FMAB had worked to provide free Portuguese-language books about Islam to Brazilian citizens seeking to learn more about the religion during 2011. He said that FMAB had established 16 Islamic information desks in different locations around Brazil, and they had distributed a total of approximately 20,000 books about Islam to Brazilian citizens throughout the year.
Sheikh Khalid also revealed that FMAB had participated in numerous book fairs, which represented an important means of raising awareness about Islam amongst academic circles in Brazil in 2011. He said that FMAB had participated in two major book fairs during 2011, distributing approximately 50,000 books about Islam. He said that the most prominent book fair FMAB attended in 2011 was the Sao Paulo International Book Fair, which is visited by more than 10 million people over a period of 10 days.
FMAB director Sheikh Khalid Taqi al-Din also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the organization had sent 143,000 Portuguese-language Islamic books to Islamic centers, organizations and mosques throughout Brazil, in addition to 34,000 Spanish-language Islamic books to other Latin American states, namely Paraguay, Peru, and Ecuador. He also revealed that FMAB has sent an additional 20,000 Islamic books requested via e-mail by post to recipients throughout Brazil.
This means that FMAB has distributed a total of approximately 267,000 books raising awareness about Islam across Latin America in 2011, which represents an important and unprecedented achievement.
Sheikh Khalid also revealed that FMAB had also made achievements in the field of education, and the organization has established Muslim youth centers in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina. The organization also participated in large-scale protests, including one demonstration attended by approximately 200,000 followers of different religions protesting against religious discrimination.
As for FMAB’s political relations, it hosted a huge festival in honor of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and which was attended by thousands of people, including members of the Brazilian and international diplomatic community, Brazilian and Arab ministers, Brazilian governors, as well as religious figures. Sheikh Khalid stressed that this represented an important step in the history of the Brazilian Muslim community.
FMAB was also keen to provide services to Brazil’s Muslim community during the holy month of Ramadan, from raising awareness about the importance of this month to distributing prayer timetables and organizing iftar banquets. In addition to this, FMAB also distributed food to the country’s poor, as well as distributing Zakat.
FMAB director Sheikh Khalid Taqi al-Din also revealed that the organization provided charitable contributions to 15 charity organizations throughout 2011; whilst also increasing the number of Muslim preachers affiliated to the organization, with this figure now standing at 6. FMAB also provided academic scholarships to 80 Muslim primary school students of limited income, as well as 15 undergraduate students.
Sheikh Khalid said “FMAB was able to strengthen its relations with some organizations in the Islamic world in order to develop and increase its charitable projects, building on a new policy in the field of philanthropy within the state of Brazil, working with complete transparency with the assistance that comes from these charitable organizations.”
He added “we are also working to ensure that the embassy of the country providing the charitable donations [to FMAB] is able to follow up with how this is implemented. This allows the Islamic organizations that are benefiting from this support in Brazil to identify the type of the aid, and how best to distribute it.”
Utilizing such charitable donations, FMAB was able to expand its iftar project to include 13 Islamic organizations in various regions of Brazil. In addition to this, 38 Brazilian Muslims were also provided with a free hajj pilgrimage. FMAB also helped 10 mosques in Brazil be completely refurbished.
Sheikh Khalid revealed that FMAB is currently in the process of a project to translate Islamic books into Portuguese, as well as to publish books about Islam for children. He thanked all Muslim institutes around the world who have extended a hand to the Brazil’s Islamic community.
(With thanks to esteemed Arabic Daily Asharq Alawsat)
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Ennahdha's Statement of Solidarity with Syrian Paople
As the Arab Spring continues, so does the persistence of the brave Syrian people in their struggle for freedom. The brutal Syrian regime's insistence on murder also continues as the whole world watches.
The Ennahdha Party:
Prays for the souls of the martyrs and for the recovery of those injured.
Supports the Syrian people's struggle until the achievement of their aims.
Salutes the bravery of the Syrian people in the face of repression and murder.
Condemns Assad's regime and his brutal crimes, and holds it responsible for any future deterioration of the situation.
Supports the post-revolution Tunisian government's decision to expel the Syrian ambassador, for the birthplace of the Arab Spring can only stand by all peoples struggling against oppression and authoritarianism.
Considers the expelling of the Syrian ambassador to be a popular demand as well as a government decision which has been welcomed by the Arab street and international public opinion.
Expresses astonishment at the illusionary contradiction posed by some between our desire for freedom and the central causes of the Ummah and the imagined need to abandon one or the other. We stress that elected governments are the most capable of defending their people's national interests.
Calls on all people of the region and on the Arab League to support the Syrian people so as to avoid foreign intervention.
Calls on the Syrian people and its elites to unite around a political alternative based on establishing a pluralistic democratic system that protects the unity of the people and the national territory and accommodates all sects and groups on the basis of equal citizenship.
Condemns the silence of some among the Tunisian elites and their equating of the victim with the murderer, in an implicit support of the authoritarian Syrian regime.
Calls for a demonstration on Friday 10 February in support of the Syrian people.
Ennahdha Party
Rached Ghannouchi
(From Ikhwan's Official English Website)
The Ennahdha Party:
Prays for the souls of the martyrs and for the recovery of those injured.
Supports the Syrian people's struggle until the achievement of their aims.
Salutes the bravery of the Syrian people in the face of repression and murder.
Condemns Assad's regime and his brutal crimes, and holds it responsible for any future deterioration of the situation.
Supports the post-revolution Tunisian government's decision to expel the Syrian ambassador, for the birthplace of the Arab Spring can only stand by all peoples struggling against oppression and authoritarianism.
Considers the expelling of the Syrian ambassador to be a popular demand as well as a government decision which has been welcomed by the Arab street and international public opinion.
Expresses astonishment at the illusionary contradiction posed by some between our desire for freedom and the central causes of the Ummah and the imagined need to abandon one or the other. We stress that elected governments are the most capable of defending their people's national interests.
Calls on all people of the region and on the Arab League to support the Syrian people so as to avoid foreign intervention.
Calls on the Syrian people and its elites to unite around a political alternative based on establishing a pluralistic democratic system that protects the unity of the people and the national territory and accommodates all sects and groups on the basis of equal citizenship.
Condemns the silence of some among the Tunisian elites and their equating of the victim with the murderer, in an implicit support of the authoritarian Syrian regime.
Calls for a demonstration on Friday 10 February in support of the Syrian people.
Ennahdha Party
Rached Ghannouchi
(From Ikhwan's Official English Website)
What Now In Syria?
Writer: İBRAHİM KALIN
After the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Syria was vetoed by Russia and China on Feb. 4, the situation in Syria has been getting worse, not better. Last week saw the full-fledged shelling of Homs and other cities, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. Damascus seems to have taken the UNSC veto as a license to kill. China and Russia as well as other countries supporting the Assad regime need to rethink their position.
The Syrian resolution aimed at a peaceful transition, calling on President Bashar al-Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy and form a transitional national government. It included no provision on military intervention. It was a summary of the calls that have been made by Turkey and the Arab League since August of last year.
The Assad regime rejected all of these calls. At times, it gave the impression that it was interested in reform and dialogue with the opposition. It did not take long to see that the regime was simply buying time and was neither serious nor sincere about reforms or peaceful transition. Instead, it took a false comfort in the delicate position and strategic location of Syria. This is a false comfort because everybody and also the regime know that those who support the regime in Damascus have their own agenda.
The Russian attempt to mediate between the regime and the opposition, made formal and public by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Damascus on Feb. 7, will come to naught. The Russians may sincerely believe that they can convince President Assad to stop the bloodshed and start a process of national dialogue. But judging by its actions so far, the regime is unlikely to change course at this point and take substantial steps, which will have to include the stepping down of Assad and his close associates.
Instead, Damascus wants to have a prolonged war and maintain the “delicate” position it has at the moment. The “delicate” position is no secret: With Chinese and Russian support at the UNSC on the one hand and the support of the Iranian and Iraqi governments on the other, it has calculated to wear down the opposition, both national and international, to consolidate its military prowess and intelligence capability and to convince its support base that the regime is strong and will not be toppled.
The regime has made promises to the Syrian people before and to Turkey and the Arab league and kept none of them. It will not be any different with the Russian initiative. The regime in Damascus thrives on the regional balance of power with global players included. This “instrumental” value for Syria will not last for too long. That is why the regime will try everything to regionalize the regime crisis in Syria and make it a power struggle between different alliances in the Middle East and the world and secure a comfort zone for itself in the mix.
Neither a neo-imperialist intervention nor the continuation of the current dictatorship is a viable option in Syria. The challenge for all stakeholders is to find a third way that will ensure the rebuilding of Syria as a democratic, pluralist and prosperous country freed from dictatorship, nepotism, corruption and apathy. Here the Syrian opposition, both inside and outside the country, carries the greater burden. It is they who are the rightful owners of the Syrian revolution.
But they have limited resources and are just beginning to mature as an opposition. Given the fact that Syrians never had a chance to organize as a legal political opposition in the past, it is only natural that they face problems. At any rate, they will continue to be the key actors of the process of change in Syria. The next stage in Syria will be to further empower the Syrian opposition.
After the veto at the UNSC, Turkey will continue to work with the Arab League, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the EU countries and the US. As Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Feb. 7, Turkey will launch a new initiative to raise the awareness and support of the international community on Syria and deepen the political, diplomatic and economic isolation of the regime in Damascus. The new round of consultations and coordination will take a concrete form in the next few weeks.
(With thanks to Turkish English Daily Today Zaman)
After the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Syria was vetoed by Russia and China on Feb. 4, the situation in Syria has been getting worse, not better. Last week saw the full-fledged shelling of Homs and other cities, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. Damascus seems to have taken the UNSC veto as a license to kill. China and Russia as well as other countries supporting the Assad regime need to rethink their position.
The Syrian resolution aimed at a peaceful transition, calling on President Bashar al-Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy and form a transitional national government. It included no provision on military intervention. It was a summary of the calls that have been made by Turkey and the Arab League since August of last year.
The Assad regime rejected all of these calls. At times, it gave the impression that it was interested in reform and dialogue with the opposition. It did not take long to see that the regime was simply buying time and was neither serious nor sincere about reforms or peaceful transition. Instead, it took a false comfort in the delicate position and strategic location of Syria. This is a false comfort because everybody and also the regime know that those who support the regime in Damascus have their own agenda.
The Russian attempt to mediate between the regime and the opposition, made formal and public by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Damascus on Feb. 7, will come to naught. The Russians may sincerely believe that they can convince President Assad to stop the bloodshed and start a process of national dialogue. But judging by its actions so far, the regime is unlikely to change course at this point and take substantial steps, which will have to include the stepping down of Assad and his close associates.
Instead, Damascus wants to have a prolonged war and maintain the “delicate” position it has at the moment. The “delicate” position is no secret: With Chinese and Russian support at the UNSC on the one hand and the support of the Iranian and Iraqi governments on the other, it has calculated to wear down the opposition, both national and international, to consolidate its military prowess and intelligence capability and to convince its support base that the regime is strong and will not be toppled.
The regime has made promises to the Syrian people before and to Turkey and the Arab league and kept none of them. It will not be any different with the Russian initiative. The regime in Damascus thrives on the regional balance of power with global players included. This “instrumental” value for Syria will not last for too long. That is why the regime will try everything to regionalize the regime crisis in Syria and make it a power struggle between different alliances in the Middle East and the world and secure a comfort zone for itself in the mix.
Neither a neo-imperialist intervention nor the continuation of the current dictatorship is a viable option in Syria. The challenge for all stakeholders is to find a third way that will ensure the rebuilding of Syria as a democratic, pluralist and prosperous country freed from dictatorship, nepotism, corruption and apathy. Here the Syrian opposition, both inside and outside the country, carries the greater burden. It is they who are the rightful owners of the Syrian revolution.
But they have limited resources and are just beginning to mature as an opposition. Given the fact that Syrians never had a chance to organize as a legal political opposition in the past, it is only natural that they face problems. At any rate, they will continue to be the key actors of the process of change in Syria. The next stage in Syria will be to further empower the Syrian opposition.
After the veto at the UNSC, Turkey will continue to work with the Arab League, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the EU countries and the US. As Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Feb. 7, Turkey will launch a new initiative to raise the awareness and support of the international community on Syria and deepen the political, diplomatic and economic isolation of the regime in Damascus. The new round of consultations and coordination will take a concrete form in the next few weeks.
(With thanks to Turkish English Daily Today Zaman)
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
An End to an Endless War
Eric S. Margolis (A veteran US journalist)
Far-called our navies melt away
One dune and headland sinks the fire
Lo, all our pomps of yesterday
Is one with Nineve and Tyre
(Redyard Kipling 1897, Recessional)
The poet laureate of British imperialism might write the same stanzas today about its successor, the American Empire, which, having reached its high water mark in the bleak mountains of Afghanistan is set to begin receding. US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta just announced that all US combat troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by mid-2013. Of the 90,000 US Afghan garrison, 22,000 will depart this fall. Some sort of training mission will remain.
The Obama administration, facing a tough election this year, has taken the fiscally, militarily and politically correct decision to end the no-win, $1 trillion Afghan war begun by George W. Bush. Withdrawal dates for roughly 40,000 NATO troops is uncertain, though France just announced an accelerated pullout. The fate of an estimated 80,000 US-paid mercenaries in Afghanistan is also uncertain.
The US will continue strikes by drones, warplanes and attacks by special forces from a small number of fortress bases. Pakistan will be cajoled or bribed by Washington to keep its forces active against Pashtun tribal fighters. Washington and London will keep issuing cheery claims about the success of the Afghan War. But the hard truth cannot be avoided. All the concentrated military-technological might of the United States and its allies has been defeated by fierce Pashtun tribesmen whose primary weapons are courage, patience and legendary determination to drive out foreign invaders.
Afghanistan has once more earned the title, “Graveyard of Empires.”
The United States had hoped to pound or bribe the Pashtun fighters that comprise Taleban and its allies into submission, or split them by selective peace talks. They have failed in Afghanistan. Soon after 9/11, I wrote in a US newspaper article that US intervention in Afghanistan would be a disaster for all concerned. I’d joined Pashtun mujahidin, first against the Soviets, then Taleban battling the Afghan Communists. These Pashtun mountain warriors were the bravest men I had seen while covering 14 wars. All the Western propaganda about “terrorism” and abused women in hijabs could not fully conceal that Afghanistan was a neo-colonial war being waged for strategic geography, minerals, pipeline routes.
The last fig leaf fell when then CIA chief Panetta admitted there were no more than 25-50 Al Qaeda members in Afghanistan. That and the assassination of Osama bin Laden left Washington no more excuse for occupying Afghanistan. A majority of Americans turned against the endless Afghan war. Even the US-installed Hamid Karzai stated that NATO’s only achievement had been killing large numbers of Afghan civilians.
Even if US combat troops leave next year, as in Iraq, the US will still exercise influence through drones, air strikes, commando raids and a vast fortified embassy (“Crusader Castles” bin Laden called them) with its own little mercenary army. Still, quitting the Afghan fiasco will boost Obama’s electoral chances. Hopefully, it will also lessen or end America’s semi-occupation of Pakistan, which has been forced to support a war against its natural ally, Taleban.
As a result, nuclear-armed Pakistan has become dangerously destabilised and a hotbed of anti-Western hatred. Ending the Afghan War is urgent before Pakistan blows up and draws India into the maelstrom. This should be America’s primary strategic interest.
(With thanks to Khaleej Times and the writer)
Far-called our navies melt away
One dune and headland sinks the fire
Lo, all our pomps of yesterday
Is one with Nineve and Tyre
(Redyard Kipling 1897, Recessional)
The poet laureate of British imperialism might write the same stanzas today about its successor, the American Empire, which, having reached its high water mark in the bleak mountains of Afghanistan is set to begin receding. US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta just announced that all US combat troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by mid-2013. Of the 90,000 US Afghan garrison, 22,000 will depart this fall. Some sort of training mission will remain.
The Obama administration, facing a tough election this year, has taken the fiscally, militarily and politically correct decision to end the no-win, $1 trillion Afghan war begun by George W. Bush. Withdrawal dates for roughly 40,000 NATO troops is uncertain, though France just announced an accelerated pullout. The fate of an estimated 80,000 US-paid mercenaries in Afghanistan is also uncertain.
The US will continue strikes by drones, warplanes and attacks by special forces from a small number of fortress bases. Pakistan will be cajoled or bribed by Washington to keep its forces active against Pashtun tribal fighters. Washington and London will keep issuing cheery claims about the success of the Afghan War. But the hard truth cannot be avoided. All the concentrated military-technological might of the United States and its allies has been defeated by fierce Pashtun tribesmen whose primary weapons are courage, patience and legendary determination to drive out foreign invaders.
Afghanistan has once more earned the title, “Graveyard of Empires.”
The United States had hoped to pound or bribe the Pashtun fighters that comprise Taleban and its allies into submission, or split them by selective peace talks. They have failed in Afghanistan. Soon after 9/11, I wrote in a US newspaper article that US intervention in Afghanistan would be a disaster for all concerned. I’d joined Pashtun mujahidin, first against the Soviets, then Taleban battling the Afghan Communists. These Pashtun mountain warriors were the bravest men I had seen while covering 14 wars. All the Western propaganda about “terrorism” and abused women in hijabs could not fully conceal that Afghanistan was a neo-colonial war being waged for strategic geography, minerals, pipeline routes.
The last fig leaf fell when then CIA chief Panetta admitted there were no more than 25-50 Al Qaeda members in Afghanistan. That and the assassination of Osama bin Laden left Washington no more excuse for occupying Afghanistan. A majority of Americans turned against the endless Afghan war. Even the US-installed Hamid Karzai stated that NATO’s only achievement had been killing large numbers of Afghan civilians.
Even if US combat troops leave next year, as in Iraq, the US will still exercise influence through drones, air strikes, commando raids and a vast fortified embassy (“Crusader Castles” bin Laden called them) with its own little mercenary army. Still, quitting the Afghan fiasco will boost Obama’s electoral chances. Hopefully, it will also lessen or end America’s semi-occupation of Pakistan, which has been forced to support a war against its natural ally, Taleban.
As a result, nuclear-armed Pakistan has become dangerously destabilised and a hotbed of anti-Western hatred. Ending the Afghan War is urgent before Pakistan blows up and draws India into the maelstrom. This should be America’s primary strategic interest.
(With thanks to Khaleej Times and the writer)
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Reach Muhammad, SAW, the Last and Final Link of the Chain of Divine Guidance
An unprecedented rise of the multi facet technology, particularly its latest phenomenon, IT technology is a prototype with nothing to match in the previous history. It is the technology which gave birth to Globalization connecting the people of the world as if they are habitants of a small village now. The modern technology was rightly expected to help in bridging the gulf of cultures and ideologies and bringing the mankind closer. Through it an atmosphere of mutual understanding between the communities could be developed and enmities and rivalries could be put to an end. But what is in sight is totally different.
The most significant feature of the modern technological age is its having about a dozen theories of the 17th and 18th centuries--- Humanism, Existentialism, Secularism, Materialism, Chance-ism, Evolution, Utilitarianism, Free Competition, Relativism, Communism, Socialism and Democracy---almost all of them relating to the polity, economy and morality. In the other words all of the ideologies and theories mentioned above reason about and call for enhancement of man’s social, moral, political and economic condition. Surge of modern material knowledge of the 20th century speeding up the technology also has the claim to help man in removing predicaments.
But what is the gain for man from these glossy ideas and theories and a huge gush up of the modern technology? He has earned nothing except corruption of his nature and futility of a baffling material life. He has been lowered from the lofty ideals of his life to a consuming animal. As a tool and stooge of the industrialists he has been entangled in a maze of production for consumption and consumption for more production. Confounding ideologies of the 17th and 18th centuries and zenith of the modern knowledge of the 20th century followed by staggering progress in the technological fields has pushed man into the sufferings of inner desolation and hollowness and outwardly and superficial wooing. From the position of a free and responsible being, having a Noble Cause behind his creation, now man has been transformed only a slave, ostensibly of his ‘self’ because most of his efforts and energies are exhausted in working only to satisfy his carnal desires, but actually he has been pushed into the servitude of the industrialists and producers.
In the dust of propaganda of changing the vast world in a tiny global village, instead he had got connected to his fellow men and closer to others he has actually gone far away from himself. In the flourish and hustle and bustle of the cities and town man is lost in his loneliness. Glamour and glitters of the show biz, excess of the entertainment events, glut of food outlets and fun points and all other superfluities of life fail to fill the spiritual vacuum and relieve him from his inner desertedness.
Ignorant, naïve and unknowledgeable times are blamed to had caused huge sacrifices of human lives in the name of religion, but when we reckon the loss of lives only during last 100 years in the effulgence of modern civilization and boom of modern knowledge, it goes much higher than collective loss of almost last several millenniums, and it has been only for establishing hegemony and dominance of some particular nations who unfortunately gained upper handedness in science and technology, progress in weapon industry and surpassing position in wealth.
In spite of an open failure in actual serenity and peace through the materialistic theories and ideas of the 17th and 18th centuries having their roots in about four thousand old Greek philosophies, man is still extolling the same thoughts. He worries not to trace out the lost link of the chain, the Great Truth. The worship of spacious ostensible made him forget the UNSEEN Fact of the Facts, their Lord, the Creator and His Guidance conveyed to man through His Messengers starting with the creation of the first man, Adam up to the last and final Prophet, Muhammad, be peace and blessings of Allah upon him. The modern knowledge of the 20th century and the astonishing phenomenon of Information Technology could but due to their materialistic nature have not enabled man to reach the last Link of the Chain, modern man ignorantly closing his eyes from. Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and many other Prophets, be Allah’s blessings upon all of them, are far behind and most of their teaching are lost but Muhammad, SAW, is close, only at the distance of 1444 years back, with all his teachings safe and live. As long as man fails to accept and espouse what Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, came with, no other philosophy and theory can prove a guarantee a real SUCCESS for man.
The most significant feature of the modern technological age is its having about a dozen theories of the 17th and 18th centuries--- Humanism, Existentialism, Secularism, Materialism, Chance-ism, Evolution, Utilitarianism, Free Competition, Relativism, Communism, Socialism and Democracy---almost all of them relating to the polity, economy and morality. In the other words all of the ideologies and theories mentioned above reason about and call for enhancement of man’s social, moral, political and economic condition. Surge of modern material knowledge of the 20th century speeding up the technology also has the claim to help man in removing predicaments.
But what is the gain for man from these glossy ideas and theories and a huge gush up of the modern technology? He has earned nothing except corruption of his nature and futility of a baffling material life. He has been lowered from the lofty ideals of his life to a consuming animal. As a tool and stooge of the industrialists he has been entangled in a maze of production for consumption and consumption for more production. Confounding ideologies of the 17th and 18th centuries and zenith of the modern knowledge of the 20th century followed by staggering progress in the technological fields has pushed man into the sufferings of inner desolation and hollowness and outwardly and superficial wooing. From the position of a free and responsible being, having a Noble Cause behind his creation, now man has been transformed only a slave, ostensibly of his ‘self’ because most of his efforts and energies are exhausted in working only to satisfy his carnal desires, but actually he has been pushed into the servitude of the industrialists and producers.
In the dust of propaganda of changing the vast world in a tiny global village, instead he had got connected to his fellow men and closer to others he has actually gone far away from himself. In the flourish and hustle and bustle of the cities and town man is lost in his loneliness. Glamour and glitters of the show biz, excess of the entertainment events, glut of food outlets and fun points and all other superfluities of life fail to fill the spiritual vacuum and relieve him from his inner desertedness.
Ignorant, naïve and unknowledgeable times are blamed to had caused huge sacrifices of human lives in the name of religion, but when we reckon the loss of lives only during last 100 years in the effulgence of modern civilization and boom of modern knowledge, it goes much higher than collective loss of almost last several millenniums, and it has been only for establishing hegemony and dominance of some particular nations who unfortunately gained upper handedness in science and technology, progress in weapon industry and surpassing position in wealth.
In spite of an open failure in actual serenity and peace through the materialistic theories and ideas of the 17th and 18th centuries having their roots in about four thousand old Greek philosophies, man is still extolling the same thoughts. He worries not to trace out the lost link of the chain, the Great Truth. The worship of spacious ostensible made him forget the UNSEEN Fact of the Facts, their Lord, the Creator and His Guidance conveyed to man through His Messengers starting with the creation of the first man, Adam up to the last and final Prophet, Muhammad, be peace and blessings of Allah upon him. The modern knowledge of the 20th century and the astonishing phenomenon of Information Technology could but due to their materialistic nature have not enabled man to reach the last Link of the Chain, modern man ignorantly closing his eyes from. Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and many other Prophets, be Allah’s blessings upon all of them, are far behind and most of their teaching are lost but Muhammad, SAW, is close, only at the distance of 1444 years back, with all his teachings safe and live. As long as man fails to accept and espouse what Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, came with, no other philosophy and theory can prove a guarantee a real SUCCESS for man.
Friday, February 03, 2012
Muslim World Threatened by Three Extremes
Writer: BÜLENT KENEŞ
(We may not agree with all the views expressed in the article below but it is not wise to ignore the apprhensions expressed by the writer. Almost similar views were expressed by the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu in his recent interview with Turkish English Daily Hurriyet)
The eurozone fiscal crisis, the "Occupy Wall Street" protests all across the US, the "Arab Spring" that has been shaking the Middle East and North Africa and other massive incidents are signaling that the world is on the brink of a major and historic transformation and transition process.
Of course, this process of change and transformation mainly concerns the Middle East in particular and the Muslim world in general. As veteran journalist Cengiz Çandar noted at a conference in Cairo, "The developments that occurred so far in this process can only form the introductory part of a thick history book." Although they are today considered as very important and significant, the incidents that occurred during the Arab Spring that started on Dec. 17, 2010 will be given possibly less space in the history textbooks that will be written 50 years down the line. For the time being, it is not clear who will be entitled to write the history after successfully emerging from the history-making process. Therefore, we don't have the ability to predict the content that will make it into these textbooks. Still, an analysis of the elements that have made their impact on this historic process of change and transformation may give us hints as to future trends.
While it is certainly the most important development in the region in recent years, the Arab Spring is not the only reality in the region. Other elements that are affected by and that have the potential to affect the Arab Spring should be taken into consideration as well. Any assessment of the process of change in Egypt will be flawed if it is done without considering its potential effect on the country's relations with Israel and the West. I think no one can deny the Shiite presence and rising Shiite influence, including Iran's part in it, and its cooperation with the administration in Damascus, as the most obvious reason for the lack of a concerted internal effort to stop the ongoing massacres in Syria. We should also note that there are signs that despotic or semi-authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world tend to implement new restrictive or repressive processes with fears and concerns triggered by ongoing developments in the Arab world.
An article by Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Görmez, published in the Zaman daily on Jan. 10, 2012, successful points at two extremist components of this dangerous course of developments. "As we evaluate the background of the political reflexes, tensions and conflicts in the immediate vicinity of our country, we cannot ignore the part religion plays in them," writes Professor Görmez, adding strikingly, "Some religious groups and approaches that seek to compete with each other in the region have, by all means, eye-catching roles in international politics."
In this important article, Görmez further suggests: "In our close environment, there are renewed efforts to implement the historical plan to divide Islam. Sectarian differences are being used as a basis for the intended political and geographical divisions. Moreover, in this process, we should not ignore the efforts by an Islamic ideology -- which has, as a byproduct of modern times, severed religious texts from daily realities and turned them into soulless books on law -- to replace Sunni Islam. In this context, both Shiite and Sunni actors are seeking to expand their roles, positions and influence, taking into consideration regional power balances. Sects and religious affiliations, each of which relies on different interpretations of Islam, particularly as seen in the case of Shiism and Salafism, have been trying to publicly advertise themselves as a superior representation of Islam."
As Mr. Görmez unerringly pointed out, the Muslim world, and in particularly the Middle East, is suffering from a process in which two extremist ideologies that claim to have exclusive right to represent Islam compete with each other. And unfortunately, the wrong policies the US and the West have pursued knowingly or unknowingly in the region have certainly played a great role in empowering these two extremist poles.
I think no one can deny the fact that the new geopolitical structure that emerged in the wake of the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and of Iraq in 2003 had played into the hands of Iran, a country which eventually made Shiite expansion the main axis of its national policy. It goes without saying that the Shiite Crescent that extends from the Persian Gulf to the East Mediterranean and that has become a major source of worry and fear among Sunni Arabs is largely an American product.
The extreme armament of the Gulf countries, and in particular of Saudi Arabia, whose defense expenditures amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, has obviously urged Iranians to perceive this development as a threat, which in turn has led even reformists and moderate groups in Iran to band together with the radical policies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The rising Shiite dominance in Iraqi politics, the impact of Hezbollah on the Lebanese political scene, and the support Iran and Iraqi Shiites publicly give to the Syrian government further confirm the presence of a Shiite Crescent in the region while the ongoing armament of the Arab states in the Gulf via the US forces Tehran to maintain its nuclear program -- which can be viewed as a relatively ineffective deterrent factor -- at any cost. Thus, with their shortsighted roles in the region, the US and the West are dragging Iran to adopt an extremist position tainted with radicalism.
We have previously seen in the case of Taliban in Afghanistan that Shiite extremism will breed its alternative: an extremist Sunni organization. Nowadays, in the atmosphere of uncertainty created by the Arab Spring, we witness the emergence of Salafism as an extremist Sunni doctrine, supported by Wahhabism. Many people are still shocked to see that Salafis secured 23 percent of the national vote in parliamentary elections in Egypt. While democracy and the quest for freedom are still emerging values, spurred by the Arab Spring, we cannot ignore the fact that these developments are also paving the way for Shiite and Salafi extremism.
As an early diagnosis, we can say the Muslims world is being pulled into a field of conflict between two hostile extremes: Shiite radicalism and fundamentalist Sunni Salafism. If proper measures are not taken, the Middle East faces the risk of being a bloody battlefield between these two extremists doctrines. As a matter of fact, the Shiite Maliki regime in Iraq has already being signaling that it can drag the country into a fraternal feud.
I partially explained above why I refer to three extremes -- instead of two -- in the headline. To elaborate on this, I can say that, concerned with the Shiite and Salafi extremism, some anti-democratic regimes in the Middle East, or in the wider Muslim world, may opt for introducing extremist, repressive secular regimes in their countries. We are already seeing the first signs that the developments in the Middle East have the potential to trigger repressive secularist practices in some Muslim countries, particularly in Central Asia, where freedom of religion and conscience is already problematic.
(With thanks to Turkish English Daily Zaman and the writer)
(We may not agree with all the views expressed in the article below but it is not wise to ignore the apprhensions expressed by the writer. Almost similar views were expressed by the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu in his recent interview with Turkish English Daily Hurriyet)
The eurozone fiscal crisis, the "Occupy Wall Street" protests all across the US, the "Arab Spring" that has been shaking the Middle East and North Africa and other massive incidents are signaling that the world is on the brink of a major and historic transformation and transition process.
Of course, this process of change and transformation mainly concerns the Middle East in particular and the Muslim world in general. As veteran journalist Cengiz Çandar noted at a conference in Cairo, "The developments that occurred so far in this process can only form the introductory part of a thick history book." Although they are today considered as very important and significant, the incidents that occurred during the Arab Spring that started on Dec. 17, 2010 will be given possibly less space in the history textbooks that will be written 50 years down the line. For the time being, it is not clear who will be entitled to write the history after successfully emerging from the history-making process. Therefore, we don't have the ability to predict the content that will make it into these textbooks. Still, an analysis of the elements that have made their impact on this historic process of change and transformation may give us hints as to future trends.
While it is certainly the most important development in the region in recent years, the Arab Spring is not the only reality in the region. Other elements that are affected by and that have the potential to affect the Arab Spring should be taken into consideration as well. Any assessment of the process of change in Egypt will be flawed if it is done without considering its potential effect on the country's relations with Israel and the West. I think no one can deny the Shiite presence and rising Shiite influence, including Iran's part in it, and its cooperation with the administration in Damascus, as the most obvious reason for the lack of a concerted internal effort to stop the ongoing massacres in Syria. We should also note that there are signs that despotic or semi-authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world tend to implement new restrictive or repressive processes with fears and concerns triggered by ongoing developments in the Arab world.
An article by Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Görmez, published in the Zaman daily on Jan. 10, 2012, successful points at two extremist components of this dangerous course of developments. "As we evaluate the background of the political reflexes, tensions and conflicts in the immediate vicinity of our country, we cannot ignore the part religion plays in them," writes Professor Görmez, adding strikingly, "Some religious groups and approaches that seek to compete with each other in the region have, by all means, eye-catching roles in international politics."
In this important article, Görmez further suggests: "In our close environment, there are renewed efforts to implement the historical plan to divide Islam. Sectarian differences are being used as a basis for the intended political and geographical divisions. Moreover, in this process, we should not ignore the efforts by an Islamic ideology -- which has, as a byproduct of modern times, severed religious texts from daily realities and turned them into soulless books on law -- to replace Sunni Islam. In this context, both Shiite and Sunni actors are seeking to expand their roles, positions and influence, taking into consideration regional power balances. Sects and religious affiliations, each of which relies on different interpretations of Islam, particularly as seen in the case of Shiism and Salafism, have been trying to publicly advertise themselves as a superior representation of Islam."
As Mr. Görmez unerringly pointed out, the Muslim world, and in particularly the Middle East, is suffering from a process in which two extremist ideologies that claim to have exclusive right to represent Islam compete with each other. And unfortunately, the wrong policies the US and the West have pursued knowingly or unknowingly in the region have certainly played a great role in empowering these two extremist poles.
I think no one can deny the fact that the new geopolitical structure that emerged in the wake of the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and of Iraq in 2003 had played into the hands of Iran, a country which eventually made Shiite expansion the main axis of its national policy. It goes without saying that the Shiite Crescent that extends from the Persian Gulf to the East Mediterranean and that has become a major source of worry and fear among Sunni Arabs is largely an American product.
The extreme armament of the Gulf countries, and in particular of Saudi Arabia, whose defense expenditures amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, has obviously urged Iranians to perceive this development as a threat, which in turn has led even reformists and moderate groups in Iran to band together with the radical policies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The rising Shiite dominance in Iraqi politics, the impact of Hezbollah on the Lebanese political scene, and the support Iran and Iraqi Shiites publicly give to the Syrian government further confirm the presence of a Shiite Crescent in the region while the ongoing armament of the Arab states in the Gulf via the US forces Tehran to maintain its nuclear program -- which can be viewed as a relatively ineffective deterrent factor -- at any cost. Thus, with their shortsighted roles in the region, the US and the West are dragging Iran to adopt an extremist position tainted with radicalism.
We have previously seen in the case of Taliban in Afghanistan that Shiite extremism will breed its alternative: an extremist Sunni organization. Nowadays, in the atmosphere of uncertainty created by the Arab Spring, we witness the emergence of Salafism as an extremist Sunni doctrine, supported by Wahhabism. Many people are still shocked to see that Salafis secured 23 percent of the national vote in parliamentary elections in Egypt. While democracy and the quest for freedom are still emerging values, spurred by the Arab Spring, we cannot ignore the fact that these developments are also paving the way for Shiite and Salafi extremism.
As an early diagnosis, we can say the Muslims world is being pulled into a field of conflict between two hostile extremes: Shiite radicalism and fundamentalist Sunni Salafism. If proper measures are not taken, the Middle East faces the risk of being a bloody battlefield between these two extremists doctrines. As a matter of fact, the Shiite Maliki regime in Iraq has already being signaling that it can drag the country into a fraternal feud.
I partially explained above why I refer to three extremes -- instead of two -- in the headline. To elaborate on this, I can say that, concerned with the Shiite and Salafi extremism, some anti-democratic regimes in the Middle East, or in the wider Muslim world, may opt for introducing extremist, repressive secular regimes in their countries. We are already seeing the first signs that the developments in the Middle East have the potential to trigger repressive secularist practices in some Muslim countries, particularly in Central Asia, where freedom of religion and conscience is already problematic.
(With thanks to Turkish English Daily Zaman and the writer)
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Turkish Prime Minister denies having secret Mideast Agenda
We do not discriminate any ethnic root, religion or sect, and we are not making our politics based on these, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tells to Parliamentarians.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey had no secret agenda in the Middle East and did not intend to meddle in anyone’s domestic affairs. He also said, however, that no country had “the luxury to stay indifferent” to unrest in another.
“We are neither against nor behind any sect. Those who perceive our well-meaning advice as interference should first engage in their own self-criticism,” Erdoğan told lawmakers in a speech at Parliament yesterday.
Although Erdoğan did not give names, his words targeted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has frequently criticized Ankara for intervening in Iraq’s internal affairs after a crisis erupted between Shiite and Sunni political groups. “Sunni, Shiite, Nusayri, Alawite, Arab, Kurd, Orthodox, Catholic. We do not discriminate any ethnic root, religion or sect, and we are not making our politics based on these artificial elements,” Erdoğan said in response to claims Turkey was seeking to change the regime in unrest-laden Syria for the advantage of the Sunni majority. Turkey is not interested in cheap politics, Erdoğan said, and the country was instead searching for peace and stability through dialogue in the most restive environment for decades.
“No problem remains local in this region,” he said, recalling that Turkey’s security has been seriously affected due to instability in the northern part of Iraq where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) found shelter due to lack of autonomy. “Can one argue that the terror organization that is located in northern Iraq could be counted as an internal problem of Iraq? Can one call the ongoing tension between Sunni and Shiite groups, which has the potential of triggering a sectarian clash in the entire region, simply the internal affairs of Iraq?” he asked. Erdoğan’s words were indirect responses to United States Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, who said last week, “Their internal affairs are their internal affairs. We certainly respect them. We can’t direct what they do.”
Erdoğan said, “As Turkey, our efforts are for resolving the problems of this region with the efforts of all [actors] of the region. We are not, we cannot be, part of any of ongoing political disputes,” he said. In the meantime, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), claimed Turkey has lost its flexibility in foreign policy and accused the government of being part of sectarian conflict in the Middle East.
(With Thanks to Turkish English Daily Hurriyet)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey had no secret agenda in the Middle East and did not intend to meddle in anyone’s domestic affairs. He also said, however, that no country had “the luxury to stay indifferent” to unrest in another.
“We are neither against nor behind any sect. Those who perceive our well-meaning advice as interference should first engage in their own self-criticism,” Erdoğan told lawmakers in a speech at Parliament yesterday.
Although Erdoğan did not give names, his words targeted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has frequently criticized Ankara for intervening in Iraq’s internal affairs after a crisis erupted between Shiite and Sunni political groups. “Sunni, Shiite, Nusayri, Alawite, Arab, Kurd, Orthodox, Catholic. We do not discriminate any ethnic root, religion or sect, and we are not making our politics based on these artificial elements,” Erdoğan said in response to claims Turkey was seeking to change the regime in unrest-laden Syria for the advantage of the Sunni majority. Turkey is not interested in cheap politics, Erdoğan said, and the country was instead searching for peace and stability through dialogue in the most restive environment for decades.
“No problem remains local in this region,” he said, recalling that Turkey’s security has been seriously affected due to instability in the northern part of Iraq where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) found shelter due to lack of autonomy. “Can one argue that the terror organization that is located in northern Iraq could be counted as an internal problem of Iraq? Can one call the ongoing tension between Sunni and Shiite groups, which has the potential of triggering a sectarian clash in the entire region, simply the internal affairs of Iraq?” he asked. Erdoğan’s words were indirect responses to United States Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, who said last week, “Their internal affairs are their internal affairs. We certainly respect them. We can’t direct what they do.”
Erdoğan said, “As Turkey, our efforts are for resolving the problems of this region with the efforts of all [actors] of the region. We are not, we cannot be, part of any of ongoing political disputes,” he said. In the meantime, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), claimed Turkey has lost its flexibility in foreign policy and accused the government of being part of sectarian conflict in the Middle East.
(With Thanks to Turkish English Daily Hurriyet)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)