Tuesday, January 27, 2009

THERE CAN BE NO REFORM IN THE RELIGION

The knowledge which is acquired through tradition, that is, religious knowledge, is very exalted. It is beyond and above mind, the power of human brains. It can never be changed by any person at any time, and this is the meaning of the statement, "There can be no reform in the religion." Islam has not prohibited or limited the knowledge which is acquired through mind; yet it has commanded us to learn it together with religious knowledge and to utilize its results compatibly with the Islam. It has also commanded us to make it useful for people and not to use it as a medium for cruelty, oppression or mischief-making.

Muslims made and used many scientific tools. The compass was invented in 687 [1288 A. D.]. The rifle with a trigger was invented in 1282 [1866 A. D.]. The cannon was invented in 762 and used by Sultan Muhammed, the Conqueror. Islam prohibits the teaching and learning of immorality, false history and lies against Islam, which enemies of Islam, enemies of morality, put forward as education and give names such as "lessons" or "duties". Islam wants useful and good things and abstinence from bad and harmful propaganda.

Islam is a religion which encourages every branch of knowledge, every branch of science and every sort of experimentation. Muslims like science and believe in the experiments of the men of science. But, they cannot be deceived by the slanders and lies of false scientists, who introduce themselves as scientists.


ESCAPING TORMENT IN THE NEXT WORLD

Escaping torment in the next world is dependent only upon following Muhammad 'alaihis-salam'. He who follows the way guided by him will attain the love of Allahu ta'ala. Those who follow in his footsteps will be close to Allahu ta'ala. He who adapts himself to him will attain the happiness of being a faithful born slave of Allahu ta'ala. The greatest ones of the more than a hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets that came to the world yearned to join his Ummat [1]. If Hadrat [2] Musa (Moses) had lived in his time, despite his greatness, he would have preferred to follow him. All Muslims know that Hadrat 'Isa (Jesus) will descend from heaven and follow his way. Muslims who are of his Ummat became the most auspicious and best of all people because they adapted themselves to him. Most of those who will enter Paradise are from among them, and they will enter before all other people.

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GLOSSARY
[1] Ummat: (pl. of umma) the community, body of believers, of a prophet.
[2] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.

A TRUE MUSLIM (PART 1)

Our Prophet (sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam) declared: “I have been sent down to perfect virtue and to spread beautiful morals over the world.’ Another hadith-i-sharif[1] states: “Among you, the ones with perfect morality are the ones with an elevated faith.” Therefore, even faith is measured by morality.

Spiritual purity is essential for a Muslim. A person who lies, who cheats, deceives others, who is cruel, unjust, who shirks from helping his co-religionists, who assumes superiority, who thinks only of his advantages, is not a true Muslim, no matter how much he worships. The exalted meaning of the first three verses in Chapter (sura) Ma’un is: “O! My Messenger! Have you seen someone who denies the Judgement, puts the orphan aside with harshness, does not give their rights, and does not encourage others to feed the needy?” The worships of such people are not accepted. In Islam, keeping away from the prohibitions (haram) takes precedence over doing the commandments (fards). A true Muslim is, first of all, a perfect and mature person. He has a smiling face. He is a honeytongued man who tells the truth. He never knows what it is “to be angry.” Rasulullah (Hadrat Muhammad [sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam]) declared: “The person given mildness is the one endowed with the goodness of this world and the Hereafter.”

A Muslim is extremely modest. He listens to everyone who consults him and helps them as far as possible.

A Muslim is dignified and polite. He loves his family and his country. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam) declares: “Your love of country originates from your fatih.” That is why, when the government fights against aggressors, a Muslim does his military service willingly. It says as follows in a work written by a German priest in 1560, which has been mentioned above: “Now I’ve understood why the Muslim Turks overcame us in all our expeditions. Whenever there is a holy war here, the Muslims immediately take up their arms, fight and die willingly for the sake of their country and religion. They believe that those who die in a holy war will go to Paradise. In contrast, in our country, when there is a likelihood of war, everyone looks for a hiding place lest they should be enrolled in the army. And those who are recruited by force fight reluctantly.

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GLOSSARY
[1] hadith (sharif): a saying of the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam).

A TRUE MUSLIM (PART 2)

How Allahu ta’ala likes His slaves to be, is explained very well in the Qur’an al-karim. The exalted meanings of verses 63-69 in Chapter Furqan are: “[The virtuous] slaves of the Rahman (Allahu ta’ala’, who has much compassion for His slaves) walk on the earth modestly and yet with dignity. When ignorant people try to annoy them, they respond with kind words, such as: ‘peace and safety be on you!’ They spend the nights standing and prostrating [performing namaz] before Allahu ta'ala. [They offer their thanks and praise to Him]. They entreat Allah, ‘O my Allah, take the Hell torment away from us. Indeed, His torment is eternal and bitter, and that place is no doubt an evil and horrible residence.’ In their spending, they are neither prodigal nor miserly; they follow a moderate way between these two extremes, and they do not violate anyone’s rights. They do not attribute partners to Allah. They do not kill anyone, which is prohibited by Allah. [They only punish the guilty.] They do not commit fornication.” In verses 72-74 of the same chapter: “[Those virtuous human slaves whom Allahu ta’ala likes] they do not bear false witness. They abstain from things... useless and harmful. If they are accidentally involved in something useless or which can be done with great difficulty, they pass by in a dignified manner. They do not turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the revelations of Allahu ta'ala when they are reminded of them. They implore saying, ‘O my Allah! Bestow such wives and children as may be a source of comfort to our eyes. Make us examples for those who fear You.”

Moreover, the sacred meaning of the second and third ayats (verses) in Sura (chapter) Saff: “Believers! Why do you profess what you never did? Allah dislikes you when you say something you cannot practice,” shows that a person’s vowing or promising what he cannot perform makes him a bad person in Allahu ta’ala’s view.

A true Muslim is extremely respectful to his parents, teachers, commanders, the laws, and to the leading authorities of his country. He is not concerned with something insignificant. He is busy only with something useful. He doesn’t gamble. He doesn’t kill his time.

A true Muslim does his worships perfectly. He offers gratitude to Allahu ta’ala. Worship should not be performed unwillingly or unconsciously. Worship must be performed willingly and with great love for Allahu ta’ala. To fear Allahu ta’ala means to love Him very much. You do not want the person you love much to be displeased and you are afraid lest you might cause him to be disturbed. In this way, worship for Allahu ta’ala should be performed in such a manner as to prove our love for Him. The blessings which Allahu ta’ala has given us are so great that our debt of gratitude to Him can be paid only by loving Him much and by worshipping Him with profound sincerity. There are different kinds of worship. Some kinds of worship, as we have said above, are between Allahu ta’ala and His slave. Maybe Allahu ta’ala will forgive those who worship insufficiently. It is worship to respect others’ rights, too. But He will never forgive those who abused others and have the rights of others’ on them, unless the owners of those rights forgive them.

TORAH AND THE BIBLE

Allama Rahmatullah Hindi states in his book (Iz-har-ul-haqq):

“Before the beginning of Islam there were no original copies of the Torah or the Bible left anywhere. The existing ones today are history books made up of true and false reports. The Torah and the Bible mentioned in Qur’an al-karim are not the existing books in the name of Torah and Bible. Of the teachings written in these books, the ones affirmed by Qur’an al-karim are true and those which it rejects are false.

All priests know that Isa ‘alaihis-salam’ did not write anything. Neither did he leave behind any written documents nor had anyone written anything. He did not teach his Shari’at [1] in written form. After his ascension to heaven, disagreements began among the Nazarenes. They could not come together to consolidate their religious knowledge. As a result, more than fifty Gospels were written. Four of them were chosen. Eight years after Isa ‘alaihis-salam’ the Gospel of Matthew was written in the Syrian language in Palestine. The original copy of this Gospel does not exist today. There is a book said to be its Greek version. The Gospel of Mark was written in Rome thirty years after him. The Gospel of Luke was written in Greek in Alexandria twenty-eight years after him. And thirty-eight years after him, the Gospel of John was written in Ephesus. All these Gospels contain narrations, stories, and events that happened after Isa ‘alaihis-salam’. Luke and Mark are not among the Apostles. They wrote what they had heard from others. Authors of these Gospels did not call their books Injil (Bible). They said that theirs were history books. Those who called them the Bible were those who translated them afterwards.

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GLOSSARY
[1] Shari’at: (pl. of Shari’a) i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion.

MCB Urges BBC Governors to Reverse its Sabotage of the DEC’s Humanitarian Appeal for Gaza

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) views the BBC decision to disallow an appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) for Gaza a serious derelict of its public duty. We urge the Corporation's Governors to urgently reverse its decision which would severely jeopardize efforts to raise millions of pounds of voluntary contributions for emergency humanitarian assistance in Gaza.



MCB Secretary General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari said, “The excuses given by the BBC are simply untenable and the Governors need to act quickly before the Corporation’s image is irretrievably tarnished.”



The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella group for 13 aid charities, launched its appeal yesterday saying the devastation in Gaza was "so huge British aid agencies were compelled to act".



For the first time in 43 years a Disaster Emergency Committee [DEC] appeal has been launched without the support of Britain's major broadcasters. The appeal was effectively sabotaged by the BBC when it made a rare breach of an agreement dating to 1963, saying it would not give free airtime to the appeal.



Dr Abdul Bari added, “The need reverse this decision is even more compelling as the BBC’s coverage of the carnage in Gaza was very tame and not reflective of the scale of the violations committed there.”



In sabotaging the DEC appeal broadcast the BBC is clearly acting against the public interest. As custodians of the public trust in the BBC its Governors must act immediately to avoid the blame of being complicit in denying humanitarian aid to the desperate people of Gaza.

MCB Urges All Britons to Donate To DEC and Help the People of Gaza

MCB Urges All Britons to Donate To DEC and Help the People of Gaza



PIG fat E-codes

Please be careful when shopping especially for food items. Read on for details



Yehya ibn Abi Katheer said, "Knowledge cannot be gained by resting."


Assalam-o-Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhoo

Why Pig Fat is not mentioned but code(s) are printed??

PIG FAT By Dr. M. Amjad Khan

In nearly all the western countries including Europe, the PRIMARY
choice for meat is PIG. There are a lot of farms in these countries to A
breed this animal. In France alone, Pig Farms account for more than
42,000.

PIGS have the highest quantity of FAT in their body than any other
animal. But Europeans and Americans try to avoid fats.

Thus, where does the FAT from these PIGS go? All pigs are cut
inslaughter houses under the control of the department of food and it
was the headache of the department of food to dispose of the fat
removed from these pigs.

Formally, it was burnt (about 60 years ago). Then they thought of
utilizing it. First, they experimented it in the making of SOAPS and
it worked.

Then, a full network was formed and this FAT was chemically Processed,
Packed and Marketed, while the other manufacturing companies bought
it. In the meantime, all European States made it a rule that every
Food, Medical and Personal Hygiene product should have the ingredients
listed on its cover. so, this ingredient was listed as PIG FAT.

Those who are living in Europe for the past 40 years know about this.
But, these products came under a ban by the ISLAMIC COUNTRIES at that
time, which resulted in a trade deficit.

Going back in time, if you are somehow related to South East Asia, you
might know about the provoking factors of the 1857 CIVIL WAR. At that
time, Rifle Bullets were made in Europe and transported to the
sub-continent through the Sea.It took months to reach there and the
gun powder in it was ruined due to the exposure to sea.

Then, they got the idea of coating the Bullets with fat, which was PIG
FAT. The fat layer had to be scratched by teeth before using them.
When the word spread, the soldiers, mostly Muslim and some
Vegetarians, refused to fight.Which eventually lead to the Civil War.
The Europeans recognized these facts, and instead of writing PIG FAT,
they started writing ANIMAL FAT.All those living in Europe since
1970's know this fact. When the companies were asked by authorities
from the MUSLIM COUNTRIES, what animal fat is it, they were told it
was COW and SHEEP Fat. Here again a question raised, if it was COW or
SHEEP Fat, still it is HARAAM to MUSLIMS, as these animal were not
SLAUGHTERED as per the ISLAMIC LAW. Thus, they were again banned.
Now, these multinational companies were again facing a severe drought
of money as 75% of their income comes from selling their goods to
Muslim Countries, and these earn BILLIONS OF DOLLARS of Profit from
their exports to the MUSLIM WORLD.

Finally they decided to start a coding language, so that only their
Departments of Food Administration should know what they are using,
and the common man is left lurking in the dark.Thus, they started
E-CODES. These E- INGREDIENTS are present in a majority of products of
multinational firms including, but not limited to -

TOOTH PASTE,
SHAVING CREAM
CHEWING GUM,
CHOCOLATE,
SWEETS,
BISCUITS,
CORN FLAKES, TOFFEES,
CANNED FOODS,
FRUIT TINS,

Some medication Multi-vitamins Since these goods are being used in all
MUSLIM Countries indiscrimately, our society is facing problems like
shamelessness, rudeness and sexual promiscuity.

So, I request all MUSLIMS or non pork eaters to check the ingredients
of the ITEMS of daily use and match it with the following list of
E-CODES. If any of the ingredients listed below is found, try to avoid
it, as it has got PIG FAT;

E100, E110, E120, E 140, E141, E153, E210, E213, E214, E216, E234,
E252,E270, E280, E325, E326, E327, E334, E335, E336, E337, E422, E430,
E431, E432, E433, E434, E435, E436, E440, E470, E471, E472, E473,
E474, E475,E476, E477, E478, E481, E482, E483, E491, E492, E493, E494,
E495, E542,E570, E572, E631, E635, E904.

Courtesy
Dr. M. Amjad Khan
Medical Research Institute
United States



Dr M Liaqat (PhD Food Biochemistry)

MA CONSULTING

UK


Please share this with your friends
Allah Hafiz,

Monday, January 26, 2009

Israeli PM in war crimes pledge

Any Israeli soldiers accused of war crimes in the Gaza Strip will be given state protection from prosecution overseas, the country's PM has said.

Ehud Olmert said troops should know Israel would keep them safe after they acted to protect their country.

Palestinians say 1,300 people died during the offensive, and UN officials want independent probes into whether war crimes were committed.

Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation is in Egypt for talks on cementing a truce.

Israel ended its military operation in Gaza on 18 January, and Hamas declared a ceasefire hours later.

In Brussels, EU foreign ministers meeting to discuss the situation urged Palestinian factions to resolve their differences and speak with one voice.

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that without a Palestinian consensus government the organisation and delivery of humanitarian aid would be undermined.

No formal framework for a lasting ceasefire over Gaza has yet been agreed.

While Israel says it requires Hamas to end weapons smuggling into Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel, Hamas has demanded that Israel lift its economic blockade of the territory.

In Gaza, Hamas has begun handing out cash to people who had their homes destroyed, or lost relatives.

Hamas insists it will make payments based on the scale of each person's loss, not on their political affiliation.

But the BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Gaza, says there are those who will simply see this as a way of buying support.

Soldiers 'safe'

In Israel, Prime Minister Olmert told a weekly cabinet meeting that soldiers who had put their lives on the line for their country need not fear prosecution for war crimes overseas.

"The commanders and soldiers that were sent on the task in Gaza should know that they are safe from any tribunal and that the State of Israel will assist them in this issue and protect them as they protected us with their bodies during the military operation in Gaza," he said.

Israel's military tactics have come under intense scrutiny as evidence has emerged of the high numbers of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza.
Among complaints made by human rights groups are accusations of indiscriminate firing and the use of white phosphorus shells in civilian areas.

Israel has admitted using white phosphorus in Gaza but says it did not break international law in doing so.

White phosphorus is legal for creating smokescreens in open battleground. But rights groups and journalists say it was used in crowded civilian areas.

The weapon sticks to human skin and will burn through to the bone.

Truce talks

In Cairo, delegates from Hamas met Egyptian intelligence officials on Sunday as they sought to bolster the week-long calm in Gaza.

Representatives from Fatah, the main rival Palestinian faction, were also due to attend the talks.

There was no word of the substance of discussions in Egypt with Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief who brokered a previous six-month truce between Israel and Hamas.

Mr Suleiman held talks with an Israeli envoy on Thursday.

In a statement, Egyptian state media said Hamas and Mr Suleiman discussed "Egyptian efforts to consolidate the ceasefire, reach a [permanent] truce, reopen Gaza crossings and resume Palestinian national dialogue".

Israel and Egypt tightened their blockade of Gaza when Hamas seized control of the territory in mid-2007.

Ghosts of 1948 haunt Gaza crisis

By Paul Moss
BBC News, Israel

You would think, on meeting him, that Sameh Zakout has a contented life - a career in music, occasional trips abroad, the very embodiment of an Israeli Arab who has made the most of his opportunities.

But speaking in his home-town of Ramla, near Tel Aviv, Sameh says he is always "depressed" and indeed "oppressed" as well. This is not a matter of material circumstances, but of family history.

Sameh's grandparents once lived in the Palestinian village of Isdud, just south of Tel Aviv.

But in 1948, they fled their home as refugees during the war that brought about Israel's creation.

Isdud was left in ruins and today its agricultural land is cultivated by Jewish owners. Part of that land is now covered by a new Israeli city, Ashdod.

"My grandpa and grandma used to tell me lots of stories about Isdud, that it was a better life than now," says Sameh.

"My grandpa was a teacher, of history and geography - a peaceful and quiet life that nowadays they don't have."

Renewal of conflict

Sameh's family history is playing on his mind right now, because of the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Sixty years ago, many of his aunts, uncles and cousins ended up fleeing to Gaza, and they and their descendents are still stuck there today.

Sameh is at pains to emphasise he does not support the firing of missiles into Israel by Palestinian militants - there were hundreds during the recent conflict, including frequent strikes on Ashdod. But he does understand the frustration of Gaza's inhabitants.
"They think about their homeland. My family's biggest dream is to return to Isdud. Sixty years after, they're still dreaming of going back."

The events of 1948 remain a controversial subject.

Palestinians argue that Israelis drove them from their homes. Israel insists most Palestinians left of their own accord. Either way, many places like Isdud were emptied of their Arab inhabitants.

Many of their former inhabitants are now left in Gaza with their descendents and Israel will not allow them back.

Confronting history

"It's not an easy thing to know, this knowledge," says Eitan Bronstein. His educational charity, Zochrot, tries to keep alive the memory of now-destroyed Palestinian villages.

"In Israel," he continues, "the national story is that we Jews returned to our homeland, which was more or less vacant. The fact that there were people living here means that we replaced them. People don't really face this."

I tried to see if the people of Ashdod would face, or indeed accept, this version of their town's history.
"So what if there was an Arab village here?" said one woman in a shopping centre.

"There are lots of Arab villages dotted around the country. Does every Arab village belong to them?"

The theme was echoed by another, younger woman, fresh out of doing national service in the Israeli army:

"I don't know if it was an Arab city, but it's now our city. This is our place, and our country."

Never forget

History is mobilised by both sides in the Palestinian refugee question. One man in Ashdod became indignant when I referred to the one-time Palestinian presence in this part of Israel.

"Starting from Abraham, Jacob and Isaac," he said, "this was all Israeli-Jewish territory. They were exiled. That doesn't make it belong to the Arabs."

He also pointed out that Palestinians have not been living in towns like Isdud for more than 60 years, and argued that their descendents therefore no longer retain the right to them.

That was a suggestion I put to Sameh - that he and his cousins in Gaza had never themselves lived in Isdud, and that they should stop dreaming of returning to a place the Israelis would never let them have.

"If we forget the idea of returning back to our homes," he says, "life ends."

"The rockets coming from Gaza - I think it's wrong. But we will never forget what happened to us, and we will never forget the right to return. We will fight for it until death."

Paul Moss is reporting for The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4

Sunday, January 11, 2009

WHY NAFS IS CREATED?

Question: If Allahu ta’ala did not create the nafs [1], then people would have been free from being deceived. Nobody would have committed bad deeds and all would have gone to Paradise. Would it not be better?

Answer: The creation of the nafs is intended for man’s living, multiplying and working in the world, and for their earning thawab [2] of Jihad for the Hereafter. Allahu ta’ala created the nafs for many reasons. On the other hand, pitying all men, He created ’aql (reason, wisdom) in them. He also sent down commands and prohibitions so that everyone could stop following his nafs, control it, avoid its harms, and thereby live in comfort. The ’aql is a power which examines and distinguishes the good and bad influences coming from the brain, satan, and the nafs. During this process, if it can choose the good, it is called ‘’Aql-i salim’. Allahu ta’ala, by means of sending prophets, also informed His born servants of what is good and useful, what is bad and harmful, and that all the desires of the nafs are bad. The aql can discriminate between the desires of the nafs and the things which were determined to be useful by the Prophets, and communicate this realization to the heart. If the heart prefers the thoughts which came from the aql, the desires of nafs are not fulfilled; that is, you will not let your limbs do that action. If one prefers and wishes to do the deeds which are said to be good according to the Shari’at [3], one will attain happiness. The process of preferring and wishing good or evil with the heart is called ‘Kasb.’ Human limbs of movement depend on the brain, and the brain depends on the heart. They act compatibly with the orders of the heart. The heart is a centre wherein all the influences coming from the sense organs, the spirit, the nafs, and Satan are accumulated. Therefore, if the heart follows the ’aql, creation of the nafs will not prevent people from attaining eternal blessings.].

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GLOSSARY
[1] nafs: a force in man which wants him to harm himself religiously; an-nafs al-ammara. A negative force within man prompting him to do evil.
[2] thawab : reward.
[3] Shari’at: (pl. of Shari’a) i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion.

INNUMERABLE THINGS IN THE QUR’AN AL-KARIM

There are innumerable things in the Qur’an al-karim that nobody can do or say. We will explain six of them here:

Firstly: I’jaz, and balaghat. This means to convey many things smoothly and perfectly in few words.
Secondly: Though its letters and words are like Arabic letters and words, the prayers, that is, words and sentences, are quite unlike the words, poems and orations of Arabs. Qur’an al-karim is not of man: it is Allah’s word. The comparison of human words to the Qur’an al-karim is like the resemblance of pieces of glass to diamonds. After understanding this very well, philologists admit it.
Thirdly: A person does not become bored with Qur’an al-karim, no matter how much he reads it. His desire, zeal, love and pleasure increase. On the other hand, no such desire or taste occurs while reading the translations of the Qur’an al-karim or other types of its written forms or all other books; instead, boredom sets in. Getting tired is different from getting bored.
Fourthly: Many known and unknown facts, about the states of past people are told in the Qur’an al-karim.
Fifthly: It foretells the things that will happen in the future, many of which have already happened and are still happening.
Sixthly: Pieces of knowledge which nobody can know at any time. Allahu ta’ala has explained the ’Ulum-i-awwalin the ’Ulum-i-akhirin in Qur’an al-karim.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

"Theory Of Eid. . . Brilliant" - from Aadil Patel

I have approx 40 blogs linked and had the opportunity to go through all of them the past 2 days.. And let me tell you, some of them are in a sad state of affairs.. Not by appearance or by glamour BUT by their content.. But thats besides the point, lets get to current affairs.. And let me tell u another story.. I open the newspaper today, after like over a month and i see Elaine from Seinfeld running for US vice-presidency and even heard that we had no leader for a weekend.. Enuf ranting, time to get to the matter at hand.. The most anticipated day in the Muslim calender is under a week away and preparations are well set for this day..

The day of Eid.. Is an auspiscious day of happiness, joy and festivities.. People fast for 29/30 days and then conclude it with this blessed day.. Now what happens this blessed day is another story.. So lets get into the details.. It starts with Eid night.. The equivelant to Christmas Eve.. But instead of turkey and stuffing ppl are still having their final dosage of high cholestrol in the form of samoosas, bhajias (chilli bites), pies, spring rolls and donder kebaabs.. (the last one i threw in for fun). The men will go for the final night prayer of the month (for some it will be the pen ultimate for the year after the Eid main prayer) and return with a sigh of relief.. They look like they fought Jihaad against the old Soviet Union.. And then the majaa (fun) starts..

All the aunties are engaged in making meethai (sweet meats) for the day ahead ,while some are setting breakfast tables and some are doing torrid and sinful acts such as applying Mendhi on their hands.. The eve of Eid is generally an early night for most as the day ahead is a hectic one.. Theres after sunrise prayer followed by the main Eid prayer about an hour or so later.. Then its breakfast time.. Ppl mainly have a huge family gathering for this.. So they all rock up by Uncle Bhai Gora's house for this meal.. Now this is a breakfast of note.. The cornflakes, eggs, orange juice, sausages, toast and fruit are substituted for roast chicken, lamb roast, puree (glorified roti), coke and fruit punches.. The tea also is served with catalogue designed biscuits (made with mendhi hands) and a cake of note.. Now this cake looks like it came back from an episode of "PIMP MY CAKE".. Its got alles.. Cherries, jam, cream and even them anciat chocolate wings.. Now u kla eat all this and u feel like u had the Titanic's food storage for breakfast.. And we cannot forget Sir koomoh aka eid noo doodh aka Eid Milk.. A rich nourishing drink comprising of fine almonds, pistachios, vermicillei, tukmuria, sugar and other stuff.. This ppl call RIVAAJ (custom).. But who cares.. Its Eid.. Thats what we do.. We starve 30 days so that we can act like somali's in soup kitchen for 1 day.. Its sad yet true..

People then loath or go to the graveyard to pay respect to those fortunate enuf to not witness such catastrophic events.. ( applying mendhi and shit).. Then the rest of the morning is engaged in Panchaat (gossip) and minor Ghibat (backbiting) with the family concerning the family.. I know.. U abstain for 30 days to blow it in a day.. Thats the price of ignorance these days.. Then its lunch time.. Now when the okes come for lunch u see the shortened/clean shaven beards.. The gel'd hair.. The designer jeans all enclosed with a kurtah from Alan Wilson.. The lunch is one of note.. Normally at nani's or dadi's house..The richest saffron basted chicken biryani known to man is served.. Bear in mine u ate like a warthog 3 hours before.. Now u have to gobble this.. And its full house..

After lunch the devil's imminent release is noted.. That Alan Wilson kurtah comes off.. The gel gets more of a wet look and the girls put on all their stuff that they bought at the Oriental Plaza the week before.. WAIT.. How can i forget that.. The weekend before Eid in the Plaza is like Arafat on hajj day.. People are everywhere.. Its mayhem.. People of all ages looking for last minute accessories and shoes.. Its madness.. U wit owes think Christmas shopping is bad.. Goto the Plaza this coming Saturday.. Its like Boswel Wilkie all over again.. Back to the point.. Girls are kitted, guys are kitted and off they go in daddy's BMW to Zoo lake.. Now. FIRSTLY i want to re-iterate that IT IS NOT CUSTOM, RELIGIOUS, TRADITION to be IN, AROUND, CLOSE TO or UNDER WATER on this day.. Yet the youth go there.. The WESTERN WORLD must be thinking we like water pokemon.. goin to our homes on Christmas day.. And the lake is a place of ajeebness (WTF in gujrati).. Girls wearing outfits, Carmen Elektra will be shy to walk outdoors with and guys all shining in their Levis and brand new takkies from rashid cassim.. The cars are another story,. All shining and reminiscent of a pimp my ride show.. Engines revving and music playing.. And cross-contamination of males and females.. And all this approx 15 hours after the most blessed month of the year has passed. I heard Zeenat from Pietersburg hires a Ferrari for this day and a chaueffeur brings her in it to the lake.. Where she parades around like she is the DAIRY QUEEN. And this event just demoralises the community as a whole and pitifies the fact that we are an uncouth, ungrateful breed, that in a month of glorification and grandeur we depicted it to be a month of limitation and hardship.. Like we were imprisoned and got released.. Even Mandela didnt behave like this after 27 years in jail..

At night is round 3 in the musical chairs genre (where u go sit at 3 diff ppl's houses and eat their food). U feel like DUMBO the elephant at this stage and another glass of coke will make u float into orbit.. Its more of a chilled meal and relaxin convo.. I love eid nights.. However, the ZOO LAKE crowd go to either FORDSBURG or any other place filled with restaurants.. Now here the tyre burning, mini drags, catwalk style parading all takes a higher notch.. Girls walk in those jeans that took them an hour to get on.. They walk like their butt cheeks are chewing gum.. Guys all with cellphones in hand dialing to check how much airtime they have and having a lenghty sexy convo with the IVR/voice prompts.. And its all mayhem then.. Fights break out cos u tramped one dudes brand new white Adidas takkies or u smacked his sisters buttocks.. Shit like that.. And thats how the night transpires..

The next day, Radio Islam is filled with stories of all the evil that transpired that day and ppl are talking and guys are chuffed with the new mxit contacts they received at ZOO Lake etc etc.. Also toilet paper sales go up that day.. And that is how it all goes down.. Also u eat Eid food for the week to come.. Until next time..

"Allah Made Me Funny"

Once, on a trip to Spain, a tour guide told comedian Azhar Usman that Christians, Jews and Muslims lived there together in peace for centuries, as though this was an ancient circumstance now impossible to achieve.
"You been to Brooklyn?" quips Usman, co-founder of the "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy team. "They're getting along there just fine. ...You can find a halal hot dog on a kosher bun, if you look hard enough!"
Usman and his cohorts, Bryant "Preacher" Moss and Mohammed "Mo" Amer, are now exposing this and other truths about American Muslims in a new film, "Allah Made Me Funny," by Unity Productions Foundation (Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet and Prince Among Slaves).
Constructed around the standup routines from the trios' live show of the same name, "Allah ..." spearheads the newest generation of comedy that is quintessentially American. Whether it's inviting the audience to write the joke on airport security themselves, or sheepishly admitting that four wives would be three too many, the trio gets the audience laughing so hard, they're neither afraid nor offended.
"The comics-one African American, one Arab American and one South Asian American-show the great diversity of Islam in America," says Michael Wolfe, Co- Executive Producer at UPF. "They also show that Muslims have a sense of humor and can laugh at themselves, standing on the shoulders of great comedians like Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld, who opened up worlds of American life to brand new audiences. These comedians take us on a journey in America: from growing up Muslim to marrying Muslim and living as a Muslim in after 9/11."
The film allows humor to speak for itself, pausing between acts to give a behind-the- scenes glimpse into the comics' family lives and the work that goes into their show, including the laughter in their homes and on the road. But it's the comics themselves-and the personal experiences they shamelessly twist into standup fodder-who relate to viewers of all backgrounds, unifying through mirth.
Amer draws on his Palestinian background and his very Arab family to elicit laughs over everything from checkpoints to marital misunderstandings, while Usman recalls his American-Muslim childhood and plays off his own dubious, bushy-bearded appearance. Moss offers yet another perspective as he illuminates the experience of being both black and Muslim in America with warmth and irreverence Ð whether it's comparing Osama to Tupac or making light of his own conversion to Islam. One of the tour's co-founders, Moss explained "Allah Made Me Funny" as a safe venue to address such topics, using laughter to heal rifts and gain perspective on issues of which many audience members might be ignorant. "This project ...involves the courage to step out of the shadows of silence and fear and reach out and build bridges," he says. "We're building these bridges through humor and understanding to make that journey a little easier for all of us."
So with UPF's new film, viewers can lower their defenses, laugh out loud and learn that no matter what a person's background or faith, everything is fair game in comedy. "The time for breakout Muslim comedians is now," said Alex Kronemer, co-executive producer with UPF. "With their fresh take on humor, the men of "Allah Made Me Funny" can connect with anyone who loves a laugh. Today, they're the ideal trailblazers to defy prejudice and foster goodwill through comedy."
"Allah Made Me Funny" will have a nationwide release at Landmark theaters October 3, 2008. For more information, visit www.allahmademefunny.com

Would you permit me?" - Nizar Qabbani

In a country where thinkers are assassinated, and writers are considered
infidels and books are burnt,
in societies that refuse the other, and
force silence on mouths and thoughts forbidden,
and to question is a sin,
I must beg your pardon, would you permit me?

Would you permit me to bring up my children as I want, and not to
dictate on me your whims and orders?

Would you permit me to teach my children that the religion is first to
God, and not for religious leaders or scholars or people?

Would you permit me to teach my little one that religion is about good
manners, good behaviour, good conduct, honesty and truthfulness,
before I teach her with which foot to enter the bathroom or with which hand she
should eat?

Would you permit me to teach my daughter that God is about love, and
she can dialogue with Him and ask Him anything she wants, far away from the
teachings of anyone?

Would you permit me not to mention the torture of the grave to my
children, who do not know about death yet?

Would you permit me to teach my daughter the tenets of the religion
and its culture and manners, before I force on her the 'Hijab' (the veil)?

Would you permit me to tell my young son that hurting people and
degrading them because of their nationality, colour or religion, is considered a
big sin by God?

Would you permit me to tell my daughter to revising her homework and
paying attention to her learning is considered by God as more useful and
important than learning by heart Ayahs from the Quran without knowing their
meaning?

Would you permit me to teach my son that following the footsteps of
the Honourable Prophet begins with his honesty, loyalty and truthfulness,
before his beard or how short his thobe (long shirt/dress) is?

Would you permit me to tell my daughter that her Christian friend is not
an infidel, and ask her not to cry fearing her friend will go to Hell?

Would you permit me to argue, that God did not authorize anyone on
earth after the Prophet to speak in his name nor did he vest any powers in
anyone to issue 'deeds of forgiveness' to people?

Would you permit me to say, that God has forbidden killing the human
spirit and who kills wrongly a human being is as if he killed all human kind,
and no Moslem has the right to frighten another Moslem?

Would you permit me to teach my children that God is greater, more
just, and more merciful than all the (religious) scholars on earth combined? And
that His standards are different from the standards of those trading the
religion, and that His accountability is kinder and more merciful?

Would you permit me?

UK Faith Leaders Demand Gordon Brown Take Further Action to End Gaza Crisis

UK Faith Leaders Demand Gordon Brown Take Further Action to End Gaza Crisis

Fri 09 Jan 2009
The bishop of Exeter, Rabbi Danny Rich and Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim council Britain demand that Prime Minister Gordon brown renews efforts to end the suffering of 'powerless and vulnerable'.

Implement ceasefire now. UK faith leaders demand Gordon Brown take further action to end Gaza crisis. Continuing violence in Gaza will "exacerbate tensions and nurture hatred" say religious leaders.

Leaders of all major faiths in the UK have joined Christian Aid today in calling for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza.

In a joint call, faith leaders including the Bishop of Exeter the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, Rabbi Danny Rich and Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of The Muslim Council of Britain demand that Prime Minister Gordon Brown renews efforts to end the suffering of 'the powerless and the vulnerable'.

Sharing 'a basic commitment to human rights', they also call on ordinary citizens of the UK to take action because 'we all bear responsibility for what is happening'.

Christian Aid is asking members of the public to email the prime minister telling him: 'Not in our neighbourhood.'

"Behind all the horrors of death and destruction in Gaza are human faces and human stories. Behind all the statistics for those killed and wounded, on either side, are human beings, each one a child of God" said The Rt Revd Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter.

In a call on UK citizens to take a stand the Bishop continued:

'When a child of God suffers no believer in God can stand idly by. Urgent action is required to end the violence, to secure immediate and effective humanitarian relief, and to encourage a genuine dialogue for justice and peace.'

Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of Liberal Judaism, said: 'I am convinced that the continuing violence in the region will exacerbate tensions, nurture hatred, and make more difficult a peaceful resolution which is in the interests of both the Palestinian people and the State of Israel.

'I believe that, in accordance with my Jewish teaching and humanitarian instinct, the appropriate reaction is to call for an immediate ceasefire which may prevent further tragedy engulfing the Palestinian civilian population and save injury and worse to both Israelis in uniform and their fellow citizens in their homes.

'I am strengthened by the verse in Isaiah 62:1 "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent" and I am comforted by my confidence and hope that in time the Israeli and Palestinian peoples will have the opportunity to fulfil the Micah 4:4 vision of a land and two states 'where every person shall sit under the vine or the fig tree and no one shall disturb the other.

'I am aware that my actions may be misinterpreted and misused by those who have no real interest in supporting peace in the region and would deny the right of the State of Israel to exist, and by those who, fearful of anti-Semitism and anti Israel activity, believe that this is a time for the British Jewish community to speak with one voice.

I have only gone public with these serious reservations done so after much prayer, reflection and thought. And because I do not wish Israel's relationship with the EU to be damaged.'

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of The Muslim Council of Britain, said: 'The scale of this man-made tragedy requires maximum international support and participation.

'The Muslim Council of Britain welcomes the efforts of Christian Aid to deliver relief to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.'

'While this emergency aid will undoubtedly go a long way toward easing the pain and distress the MCB reaffirms its call for a political solution to that ensures; an end to the siege of Gaza, a reopening of all border crossings and an end to Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land.'

Stephen Poxon, President of the Methodist Conference, said: 'So often during violent conflict the powerless and vulnerable suffer most said .The shelling of schools and other civilian targets is absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances.

'Our hearts go out to the people of Gaza. They have suffered from lack of food and fuel and yet over the past 18 months Israel has often blocked or limited the passage of relief aid. At this critical time both sides must agree to an immediate end to fighting in order that the humanitarian needs can be addressed.

'It is clear that the international community needs to find fresh approaches to managing and resolving this conflict. A new US administration must make the achievement of international consensus a high priority. We commit ourselves to prayer for a lasting resolution built on justice and rights for Israelis and Palestinians.'

Graham Sparkes of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: 'The crisis unfolding in Gaza should fill us all with horror because we all bear responsibility for what is happening. Together we share a commitment to basic human rights, and so we cannot allow the current situation to go unchallenged. There must be an immediate ceasefire and the provision of vital humanitarian aid. Nothing less is acceptable.

'When power is used to kill innocent civilians, then it is an abuse of power and must be condemned. A new future can never be shaped by violence; it will come about only through a just settlement that allows the people of Gaza to live with freedom and hope. It is vital we support partners in the region who seek genuine peace with justice.'

Christian Aid is calling for an immediate permanent cessation of violence and unfettered humanitarian access so that our partners can provide essential services and make a real difference for the people of Gaza.

We welcome the UN Security Council Resolution and Britain's role in promoting it, but it is absolutely critical that the resolution is implemented immediately to allow desperately needed humanitarian relief to reach the people of Gaza.

Email Gordon Brown to make your voice heard. www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/gaza-crisis/take_action_on_gaza.aspx

If you wish to donate to Christian Aid's emergency appeal for Gaza please go to www.christianaid.org.uk/gaza

[ENDS]

Notes to editors:
For further information or to arrange interviews/request comment pieces from any of the faith leaders listed above please contact Nadene Ghouri on 07590 710942 or email:NGhouri@christian-aid.org.

We can also offer interviews with our partners in Gaza or with Janet Symes, Christian's Aid's head of Middle East Region who has spent several years in Gaza.

Where possible we ask if you would please publish or broadcast details for our emergency appeal

Petition Call for Gaza!!! please read

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE PEOPLE OF GAZA NEED YOU.

Here is something proactive you can do to make a real difference. The government has guaranteed they will respond to a petition posted on the number 10 Downing Street.

This petition calls on government to stop sending weapons to Israel completely, in line with the UK Export Control Act of 2002.

The government already tightened weapons exportation to Israel since 2005. We want them to stop completely. This petition can make a difference.

The government will respond to this petition- they have said so. We have only 20 days to show them just how many people are behind it.

The idea is for each person that signs to get a further 10 people to sign and so on so forth. take it on your self to make sure 10 others sign and follow up to encourage them to do the same

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF GAZA YOU CAN SIGN THE PETION

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://petitions.number10.gov.uk%2FArms-embargo%2F

Friday, January 09, 2009

TO GET BLESSINGS OF HUNDRED MARTYRS (PART 1)

A’udhu billah-imin-esh-shaytan-ir-rajim
Bi-s-mi-llah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

Resulullah ‘sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “When fasad (mischief, instigation, disunion, tumult) runs rife among my Ummat (Muslims), a person who abides by my Sunnat [1] will acquire blessings equal to the amount deserved by a hundred martyrs.” Scholars affiliated with any one of the four Madhhabs [2], (which are, namely, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali,) are called Scholars of Ahl as-Sunna [3]. The leader of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunna is al-Imam al-a’zam Abu Hanifa. These scholars recorded what they had heard from the Sahaba-i-kiram [4], who, in their turn, had told them what they had heard from the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam’.

The earth is populated by three groups of people today:
1– Disbelievers. These people say that they are not Muslims. Jews and Christians are in this group.
2– The Sunni Muslims. These people exist with an ever-increasing population in every country.
3– (Hypocrites called) Munafiqs. They say that they are Muslims. With respect to iman [5] and some acts of worship, they are not comparable to the Ahl as-Sunnat. They are not true Muslims.
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] sunnat: (act, thing) that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada.
[2] Madhhab: of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.
[3] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.
[4] Sahaba-i-kiram: (pl.as-Sahabat al-kiram) a Muslim who saw the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) at least once; one of the companions.
[5] iman: faith, belief, beliefs of Islam; kalam, i’tiqad.

TO GET BLESSINGS OF HUNDRED MARTYRS (PART 2)

Our Prophet ‘sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “A person whom Allahu ta’ala loves very much is one who learns his religion and teaches it to others. Learn your religion from the mouths of Islamic scholars!”

A person who cannot find a true scholar must learn by reading books written by the scholars of Ahl as-sunna [1], and try hard to spread these books. A Muslim who has ’ilm (knowledge), ’amal (practising what one knows; obeying Islam’s commandments and prohibitions), and ikhlas (doing everything only to please Allahu ta’ala) is called an Islamic scholar. A person who represents himself as an Islamic scholar though he lacks any one of these qualifications is called an ‘evil religious scholar’, or an ‘impostor’. An Islamic scholar is a guard who protects Islam. An impostor is Satan’s accomplice.
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.

Eight ways you can help the people of Palestine

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

It has now been two weeks since the world witnessed the onslaught of the Israeli killing machine and the latest tragedy now unfolding for the people of Gaza. Each week as we update you the numbers of those who have been killed have grown by massive proportions. To date, some 700 are now dead. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon, to Him we belong, and to Him we shall return. Each day we discover the depth of human suffering faced by Gazans and yesterday the injustice was recognised by the International Red Cross who accused Israel of violating international law.

I am writing today to remind you again what is being done here in the UK and how you can help. The depth of popular feeling for the Palestinians spans all faiths and all communities. We hope you use the Jumuah prayers today as an opportunity to remind people of this, inform them of tomorrow's major peaceful protest for the Palestinians in London and to pray for our brother and sisters. I include information about the demonstration and what initiatives you and your community can take to help the people of Palestine.

In the meantime the Muslim Council of Britain has continued to work with affiliates and other bodies to persuade our government to condemn the Israeli action. We have welcomed the call by the Prime Minister and other parties as they call for a ceasefire. But those calls ring hollow if they are not accompanied by censure of a government who has no regard for human life. We have therefore welcomed the comments of the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg who has called on our government to 'unambiguously condemn' Israel, and we support his call for an arms embargo on Israel. He has given hope to our young people that politics does work. We hope other parties will follow suit. Please continue to lobby your MPs and engage with others to highlight the plight of the Palestinians.

Wa alaikum salam warahmatullah

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari
Secretary General, MCB


Eight ways you can help the people of Palestine
Visit: http://www.mcb.org.uk./article_detail.php?article=announcement-763

1. Demonstrate: Join a Peaceful Protest and let your voice be heard
National Demonstration: Saturday 10 January
Time: 1230
Meet at Hyde Park, Speaker's Corner (Nearest Tube: Marble Arch), march to Israeli Embassy.
http://www.mcb.org.uk/uploads/GazaDemo10Jan09.jpg
Other demonstrations on MCB website

2. Donate Money - The Palestinian people are in urgent need for your donations for urgent medical aid and you can donate to:

MCB affiliate - Interpal, the specialist charity helping Palestinians:
Phone: Call the Interpal hotline: 02089619993
Online: Go to www.interpal.org and follow the online instructions
Interpal Account Details:
Account Name: Interpal, Bank: Islamic Bank of Britain, Sort Code: 30-00-83 Account Number: 01095401 BG52LOYD3096401024192

Other MCB charity affiliates specialising in the region are: Islamic Relief (www.islamic-relief.org.uk ), Muslim Aid (www.muslimaid.org ), Muslim Hands (www.muslimhands.org) and Ummah Welfare Trust (www.uwt.org)

3. Lobby Your MP. Get your community to write, call and meet your Member of Parliament. Our MPs have been elected to serve us and we should make sure that we contact them and pressurise them to do something against this Israeli brutality. Lobby your MP to sign or initiate an Early Day Motion that calls on our government to condemn the Israeli government for massacre of Palestinians. Be polite, to the point and make your request specific. You can find out your MP from the link: http://www.theyworkforyou.com

4. Sign the petition. http://www.petitiononline.com/gaza2812/petition.html

There is also a petition underway on the Downing Street website:http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Israel-Sanctions/

5. Get yourself heard. Participate by writing letters to the editor and taking part in television, radio and online discussion forums. Remember to keep your points succinct and polite. http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/Resources/LetterWritingTips/tabid/134/Default.aspx

6. Seek Coalitions. Change starts at home so you might also wish to seek local coalitions and work with people around you, of all faiths, to highlight the plight of the Palestinians. This is an issue of humanity and we should work to seek coalitions across faiths.
As we protest peacefully and make our voices heard, please ensure that we are vigilant against any form of hatred or violence that may be perpetuated in the name of this passionate cause. There have been reports of both Islamophobia and anti-semitism as by-products of this tragedy. We must make clear that our opposition is to the state of Israel and to its assault on the Palestinian people.

7. Call the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Express your concern with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, please call 020 7008 1500. Email: private.office@fco.gov.uk

8. Remember the power of prayer. MCB is initiating amongst its affiliates and the ulema Special prayers, Qunooot Al-Nazilah, this prayer of the Prophet is recited when Muslims face calamities. For further information, see: http://www.mcb.org.uk/article_detail.php?article=announcement-765

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Nation Joins British Muslims to Celebrate Peace‏

Press Release



27th October 2008



Nation Joins British Muslims to Celebrate Peace



“Politicians, Activists and Grass-root Leaders join thousands of British Muslims to celebrate peace, in defiance of divisive smear casters”

Thousands of British Muslims took part in an annual jamboree to celebrate British Islam and discuss how the community can reach out to wider society in peace and solidarity. The hugely popular Global Peace and Unity conference organised by the Islam Channel took place this weekend at London's Excel Centre despite the hateful attempts of smear casters to dissuade leading politicians, activists and community leaders from attending.

The Muslim Council of Britain has today written to the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, to express their appreciation for the manner in which he stood up to the smear tactics of the divisive think-tank, the Policy Exchange.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat party, Nick Clegg MP, wrote to the Policy Exchange 'think-tank' criticising its 'bizarre and underhand behaviour' in seeking to try and dissuade prominent politicians from attending. Mr Clegg, along with politicians from across the political spectrum, took part at the event or sent messages of support.

"For years, the Policy Exchange has peddled a McCarthyite agenda that seeks to divide British people and draw suspicion and fear towards British Muslims. Nick Clegg is to be commended for not succumbing to the pressure brought to bear by the Policy Exchange and indeed revealing to the world the underhand manner in which the Policy Exchange operates," said Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

As part of its programme of connecting Muslims to the democratic process, the Muslim Council of Britain sponsored a political award at the weekend event to honour our politicians. The Friends of Islam Award recognised Stephen Timms MP and Simon Hughes MP for their principled defence of the Muslim community whilst an independent panel awarded the Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieves for his contribution to the political process. The Global Peace and Unity Event was also attended by Communities and Local Government Minister Sadiq Khan MP and London Minister Tony McNulty MP.



Sending a message of support for the Event, Justice Secretary Jack Straw MP said: "Our society should be one which recognises and celebrates our differences. One in which we all have an opportunity to flourish, regardless of who we are or where we are from." Whilst London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "This hugely significant event in London does much to promote global cohesion across all communities; it increases understanding and encourages dialogue throughout the Muslim community and beyond."

[Ends]



For further information please contact the MCB:
The Muslim Council of Britain,
PO Box 57330,
London,
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
media@mcb.org.uk

MAY YOUR ASHURA NIGHT BE BLESSED

ASHURA NIGHT
The tenth night of Muharram. Muharram is one of the four months esteemed in the Qur’an. Ashura is the most valuable night of the month. Allahu ta’ala has accepted many prayers on Ashura Day. Acceptance of Hadrat [1] Adam’s repentance; Hadrat Nuh’s (Noah’s) ship’s being rescued from the Flood, Hadrat Yunus’ getting out of the fish’s stomach; Hadrat Ibrahim’s not burning in Nimrod’s fire; Hadrat Idris’ being made to ascend to heavens; Hadrat Ya’qub’s finding his son Yusuf and healing of the cataract on his eyes; Hadrat Yusuf’s getting out of the well; Hadrat Ayyub’s recovering health; Hadrat Musa’s (Moses) passing over the Nile and Pharaoh’s being drowned; Hadrat Isa’s birth and his escaping from being killed by Jews and his ascent to heaven alive; all these happened on the Ashura Day. It is not an act of worship for Muslims to cook (the sweet desert called) ashura on the tenth of Muharram because Hadrat Nuh (Noah) cooked a sweet called ashura on board the ship. Hadrat Muhammad and the Sahaba [2] did not do so. It is a bid’at [3], a sin to think that it is an act of worship to cook ashura on that day. It is worship to do what Hadrat Muhammad did and commanded. It will not bring thawab (reward) to do things that are not written in books of the din (religion) or taught by savants of the din. It is sinful. It is sunnat [4], and worship, to prepare any sweet or to give feasts to acquaintances and alms to the poor on that day. Ibni Abidin writes on the two hundred and seventy-sixth page of the fifth volume, “It is a sunnat to put kohl on the eyelashes. But it is haram (prohibited) to do this only on Ashura Day.”

It is bid’at to mourn and lament because Hadrat Husain ‘radiyallahu anh’ was martyred on that day. It is sinful. Mourning on Ashura Day is a custom of the Shi’is. They mourn for Hadrat Husain. Because he was Hadrat Ali’s son, they praise him adoringly. But we the Ahl as-sunnat [5] love him very much because he was Rasulullah’s grandson. There is no mourning in Islam. Muslims do not mourn only on Ashura Day. But they always become sad whenever they remember the tragedy of Karbalaa. They grieve deeply. They weep bitterly. If there were mourning in Islam, we would have done it not on Ashura Day but on the day when Rasulullah’s blessed feet bled all over in Taif, or when his blessed tooth was broken and his blessed face bled at Uhud or when he passed away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GLOSSARY
[1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.
[2] Sahaba: if a Muslim has seen the Prophet, or talked to him, at least once when the Prophet was alive, he is called Sahabi. Plural form of Sahabi is Sahaba or As’hab.
[3] bid’at: (pl. bida’) heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or ‘ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings) ; heresy.
[4] sunnat: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada
[5] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.

ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

The knowledge which Muslims have to acquire and learn is called "Ulum-i Islamiyya" (Islamic knowledge). It is fard [1] to learn some of this knowledge. It is sunnat [2] to learn some other branches of it, and it is mubah [3] to learn even more of it. Islamic knowledge is mainly divided into two branches. The first one is 'Ulum-i naqliyya. This is also called "religious knowledge." This originates from four sources called "Adilla-i Shar'iyya." Religious knowledge is also divided into two: the Zahiri (external) branches of knowledge and the batini (internal) branches of knowledge. The first group consists of the Knowledge of fiqh [4] or Islam; the second group consists of the knowledge of tasawwuf or Ma'rifat. The Islam is learned through murshids [5] and through the books of fiqh. Ma'rifat originates from a murshid's heart and flows into the hearts of Muslims eligible to receive it.

The second branch of Islamic knowledge is 'Ulum-i 'aqliyya (experimental sciences). The branch dealing with living creatures is called 'Ulum-i tibbiyya (science of medicine), and the branch dealing with non-living creatures is called Ulum-i hikemiyya. The branch dealing with the space and stars is called 'Ulum-i falakiyya. The knowledge dealing with the earth is called 'Ulum-i tabi'iyya. The subdivisions of 'Ulum-i 'aqliyya are mathematics, logic and experimental knowledge. They are acquired by perceiving through the five senses, by observing through mind, experimentation and calculation. These fields of knowledge help us to understand and better carry out religious knowledge. They are necessary for this reason. They change, increase and improve in the course of time. For this reason, it has been said, "Takmil-i sina'at is fulfilled by talahuk-i afkar," which means that "improvement in arts, science and technology is realized by adding to one another's ideas and experiments."

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GLOSSARY
[1] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-karim.
[2] sunnat: (act, thing) that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam).
[3] mubah: (act, thing) neither ordered nor prohibited; permitted.
[4] fiqh: knowledge dealing with what Muslims should do and should not do; actions, a’mal, ‘ibadat.
[5] murshid: guide, director.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Gaza apeal urgent

As the world celebrates the new year, the palastinians bury their dead.
As we enjoy ourselves, the palastinians suffer in pain.
As we hear the fireworks, the palastinians listen to bombs,
As we rush to queue in the sales, the palastiniansrush to queue for
their daily rationed bread.
As we enjoy the company of our loved ones, the palastinians wonder
who will be next to diefrom theirs.
As we choose out new years resolutions, the palastinians choose their
prayers............ Dont forget them in your prayers this blessed month.

please donate generously, donation line 0161 7407734 Qaaf Aid Humanitarian releif agency

Shabbir Hajee
www.qaafaid.org

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

THE QUR’AN AL-KARIM CANNOT BE TRANSLATED INTO ANY LANGUAGE

The Qur’an al-karim cannot be translated into any language, even into Arabic. It is impossible to translate any poem into its own language precisely. It can only be explained, interpreted. We should not read the Qur’an’s translation in order to understand it. To understand the meaning of an ayat [1] means to understand what Allahu ta’ala means through this ayat. A person who reads a translation of this ayat cannot learn murad-i ilahi (the divine purpose). He learns what the translator has understood according to his level of knowledge. And he who reads the translation written by someone ignorant or by an irreligious translator, learns not what Allahu ta’ala says, but what the translator, who assumes that he understands it, is expressing from his own thoughts.

The government does not send a law concerning villagers directly to villagers because villagers cannot understand this law even if they can read it. This law is sent to governors of cities first. These governors, understanding it well and adding their explanations, send it to the mayors of towns, who, explaining it more clearly, send it to directors of districts. Directors of districts can understand the law with the help of these explanations and can explain them to headmen of villages. Headman of a village could not have understood it just by reading it. The headman explains it to the villagers in village dialect. By the same token, the Qur’an al-karim is divine rules. It is divine law. Allahu ta’ala has shown the way of happiness to His born slaves through the Qur’an al-karim and has sent His own word to the highest of mankind. Only Hadrat [2] Muhammad can understand the meaning of the Qur’an al-kerim. No other person can understand it completely. Though the Ashab-i kiram [3] ‘alaihim-ur-ridwan’ knew Arabic as their native language and were literary and eloquent, they couldn’t understand some ayats and asked Rasulullah to explain them.

In short, only Hadrat Muhammad understood the meaning of the Qur’an and explained it through his hadiths. It is he who explained the Qur’an. The correct book of explanation is his hadiths [4]. By not sleeping or resting, by sacrificing their rest, our religious scholars gathered these hadiths and wrote books of explanation. The book of commentary entitled Baydawi is one of the strongest among them.
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GLOSSARY
[1] ayat al-karima: a verse of al-Qur’an al-kerim; al-ayat al-karima.
[2] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.
[3] As’hab-i kiram: (as-Sahabat al-kiram); the Companions of Rasulullah.
[4] hadith (sharif): a saying of the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam).

NO MERCY FOR DISBELIEVERS IN THE HEREAFTER

Although Allah’s mercy and compassion reaches everybody, Muslims and disbelievers alike, in this world and He rewards everybody’s good deeds in this world, there will not be a mote of mercy for the disbelievers in the Hereafter. As a matter of fact, it is declared in the Qur’an, in the fifteenth ayat [1] of surat-u Hud, “Those with a short sight and defective mind do every favour in order to obtain worldly comforts and benefits such as fame, rank and reverence. We give the rewards for these efforts of theirs only in this world. Their earnings in the Hereafter will only be fire of Hell. For they have received the recompense for their efforts in this world. They have only one credit left, which is fire of Hell, the punishment for their corrupt intentions. Their efforts in this world, which they have done for their ambitions and lusts and for show, will prove to be to no avail to them, nor will they be able to rescue themselves from Hell.”

It is declared in the eighteenth ayat of Surat-ul-Isra’, “Those with minds and visions which are restricted within the frame of this world give up the Hereafter and run after the transient pleasures of the present life. We easily and abundantly give what We choose of these blessings, which they think of day and night and of which they vie for by enduring many hardships, to whomever We choose. But by doing this, We are not really doing them a favour. We are preparing the fire of Hell for them. In the next world, they will be kept far away from mercy and will be drawn to Hell in a degrading manner. As for those who, instead of holding to only worldly blessings, each of which is transient and leaves torments and disasters behind, wish for the endless, real and never-changing blessings of the Hereafter, which I point out and like, We like all their efforts because they follow the way which I declare in the Qur’an. Both to the lovers of this world and to those who believe My words and carry out My commands, We shall give what they want in this world. We shall not deprive anybody of what he expects. We scatter our blessings to all. There is nobody whom your Allah’s blessings do not reach.”
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] ayat: a verse of al-Qur’an al-kerim; al-ayat al-karima.

SYMPTOMS OF DISBELIEF

The type of things which disbelievers use are the things which are symptoms of disbelief, symptoms of denying and disbelieving the shari’at [1] and Islam, and it is wajib [2] for us to debase them. One who does or uses them becomes a disbeliever. They cannot be used unless one is threatened with death or with the cutting off of one’s limbs or some other reasons causing these results such as severe thrashing or imprisonment or the taking away of all one’s property. Also, he who does or uses one of them, which is commonly known, without knowing or as a joke in order to make people laugh, becomes a disbeliever. For example, it is kufr (disbelief) to wear (or use) things specially worn or used by priests during their worships. This is called Kufr-i hukmi. It is written in the basic books of fiqh [3] by Islamic ’alims [4] that to wear the ‘things that are peculiar to disbelievers is kufr. The enemies of Islam, in order to deceive Muslims, try to hide the fact that it is kufr to adopt the customs of the disbelievers and to celebrate their festivals. They call these customs ‘Islamic customs’ and these days ‘sacred days’. They represent the Noal (Christmas), which was introduced into Christianity by the Great Constantine, and Nawruz, which was invented by Jamshid as a national celebration; and they want Muslims to accept the same things. Young and innocent Muslims should not fall for these things. They should learn the truth by asking those sincere Muslims they trust, their relatives who perform namaz [5], and those family friends who know their religion. Today, no matter where in the world, not to know what is iman [6] and what is kufr or how to perform ’ibadats (worship) correctly is inexcusable. He who is deceived because he does not know his din will not be saved from Hell. Today, Allahu ta’ala has made His din known everywhere in the world, and He has made learning iman, the fards [7], the harams [8] and the halals [9], beautiful morals very easy. Everybody should learn as much as necessary and this is a fard. One who does not learn them is deemed to have disobeyed the fard. But a person who says there is no need to learn them or who gives no importance to them becomes a disbeliever.
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GLOSSARY
[1] Shari’at: (pl. of Shari’a) i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion.
[2] wajib: (act, thing) never omitted by the Prophet, so almost as compulsory as fard and not to be omitted.
[3] fiqh: knowledge dealing with what Muslims should do and should not do; actions, a’mal, ‘ibadat.
[4] ‘alim: i) scholar trained in Islamic knowledge and his contemporary science. ii) (pl. ‘ulama’) Muslim scholar.
[5] namaz: prayer that is performed five times per day in Islam.
[6] iman: faith, belief, beliefs of Islam; kalam, i’tiqad.
[7] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-karim.
[8] haram: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta’ala.
[9] halal: (act, thing) permitted in Islam.

WHOM WE SHOULDN’T DISTRUST?

It is wrong to say we shouldn’t distrust anybody. Its correct form is “We shouldn’t distrust a Muslim.” In other words, when a person, who says that he is Muslim and does not express a word or does not do an action rendering him a disbeliever, says or does something which may mean belief as well as disbelief, we should understand it as belief, and we should not say that he has dissented from the religion.

But when a person strives to demolish the religion and to make youngsters kafir (disbeliever), or if he, saying “good” about one of the harams [1], tries to make it popular so that everybody commits it, or if he says that one of Allahu ta’ala’s commands is retrogressive and harmful, he is called “kafir”. Even if he says that he is a Muslim, performs namaz (ritual prayer) and goes on a hajj (pilgrimage), he is still called a Zindiq [2]. It would be stupidity to regard such hypocritical people, who deceive Muslims, as Muslims.

Allahu ta’ala in the twenty-eighth ayat [3] of Surat-ut-Tawba of the Qur’an al-kerim says, “Najas and rijs,” that is, “foul,” about disbelievers. Then, disbelief should be foul and base in the eyes of Muslims. Allahu ta’ala declares in the fourteenth ayat of Surat-ur Ra’d and in the fiftieth ayat of surat-ul Mu’min, “The prayers of these enemies are without a result. There is no possibility of them being accepted.”

Allahu ta’ala and His Prophet are pleased with Muslims. There cannot be a greater blessing than attaining Allah’s grace and love.
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] haram: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta’ala.
[2] zindiq: an enemy of Islam who pretends to be a Muslim.

IMPORTANCE OF NAMAZ (SALAT)

Since Adam (alaihissalam), there was namaz [1] once a day in every religion. All that had been performed were brought together and were made fard for us. Although performing namaz is not a pillar of iman [2], it is a pillar of iman to believe that namaz is fard. 'Namaz' means 'dua' [prayer]. The ibadat that is commanded by the Islam and which we all know was named 'namaz' (salat). Performing the five daily prayers of namaz is fard-i 'ain [3] for every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty. That it is fard is openly stated in the Qur'an and hadiths. Five daily prayers of namaz became a commandment on the Mi'raj night [4]. The Mi'raj happened on the twenty-seventh night of the month of Rajab a year before the Hegira. Before the Mi'raj, only the morning and afternoon prayers were performed.

Ibn Jawzi wrote in his tafsir [5] Elmugni: Abu Bakr-i Siddiq (radiy-Allahu 'anh) said that, when the time of a daily prayer of namaz comes, angels say, 'O the sons of Adam, get up! Extinguish the fire prepared to burn human beings by performing namaz. ' " In a hadith-i sherif, it was said, "The difference between the Believer and the unbeliever is namaz," that is, the Believer performs namaz, and the unbeliever does not. Munafiqs [6], however, sometimes perform it and sometimes do not. Munafiqs will undergo very bitter torment in Hell. Abdullah ibn Abbas (radiy-Allahu 'anh), the leader of mufessirs [7], said that he heard Rasulullah say, "Those who do not perform namaz will find Allahu ta'ala wrathful on the Day of rising."

The imams of hadith unanimously said, "A person who does not perform a namaz in its correct time intentionally, that is, if he is not sorry for not performing a namaz while its correct time is ending, will become a kafir (disbeliever) or will lose his iman during his death. What will become of those who do not remember namaz or see namaz as a duty?" The Ahl as-Sunnat [8] savants unanimously said, "Ibadat (worship) are not a part of iman." But there was not a unanimity concerning namaz.
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] namaz: prayer that is performed five times per day in Islam.
[2] iman: faith, belief, beliefs of Islam; kalam, i’tiqad.
[3] fard ‘ain: fard for every Muslim; obligation for every Muslim.
[4] mi’raj: i) the Prophet’s ascension from Jerusalem to heaven. ii) Prophet’s Ascension from Jerusalem to the skies.
[5] tafsir: (book, science, of) interpretation of the Qur’an al karim.
[6] munafiq: one in the disguise of a Muslim but disbelieves Islam, but believing in another religion; a hypocrite.
[7] mufassir: expert scholar of tafsir.
[8] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.

THE BASIS OF IMAN

Rasulullah “Sall-Allahu’alaihi Wa Aslam” said, “The basis and the most dependable symptom of iman are to love Muslims and to dislike disbelievers.” Allahu ta’ala declared to Hadrat Isa (Jesus [’alaihi’s-salam]), “Even if you do acts of worship that equal those done by all creatures on the earth and in heavens, it will be of no value unless you love whom I love and unless you feel hostility towards My enemies.” Every Muslim should dislike the enemies of Allahu ta’ala. He should love those who obey the Shari’at [1]. He should make it evident in his words and, if possible, in his actions. He should not be friends with those who are disobedient and sinful, and should utterly keep away from those who habitually commit sins. He should all the more avoid the cruel, and those who persecute muslims. Yet he should forgive those who only torment him and should endure their torments; this is very useful. Some of our superiors used to treat sinners and the cruel very severely. And others used to show them only mercy and respect and used to advise them. That is, thinking that everything happens according to qada and qadar [2] they felt pity for sinners and the cruel. Their thought is great and valuable but idiots or those who are ignorant cannot understand it and may get the wrong idea. People with weak belief and who are neglectful in following the Shari’a, think that they are contented with Allahu ta’ala’s qada and qadar. However, there is evidence and proof for this state of contentment. If they beat a person, snatch away his property and insult him and he still doesn’t get angry, forgives them and pities them, it is understood that he is content with qada. But if he, while getting angry during such times, pities those who disobey Allahu ta’ala and says that it is their qadar (fate), he is irresponsible, a munafiq [3] and religiously ignorant. Thus, it is a symptom of not having strong iman for those who do not know qada and qadar to pity and love sinners and disbelievers. It is fard [4] to dislike and to be hostile towards those who stand against Islam or who are hostile towards Muslims. As well, it is fard to feel hostility towards those who do not accept to pay the jizya (taxes collected from non-muslims). Allahu ta’ala declares in the Qur’an, in the last ayat of Surat-ul-Mujadala: “Those who believe in Allahu ta’ala and the Day of Resurrection do not like the enemies of Allahu ta’ala. Even if those disbelievers and munafiqs are the fathers, mothers, sons, brothers and other close relatives of Muslims; they do not like them. I will put such mu’mins (believer) into Paradise.
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GLOSSARY
[1] Shari’at: i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion.
[2] qada and qadar: of happening or creation of what is predestined;qadar, predestination of everything as Allahu ta’ala has decreed from eternity.
[3] munafiq: one in the disguise of a Muslim but disbelieves Islam, but believing in another religion; a hypocrite.
[4] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-kerim.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Jewish eugenics pre-dates Hitler's Master Race

*** According to the Israeli daily newspaper quoted below, before the Nazi Third Reich in Germany plotted to create a Master Race from the European gene pool, Zionists had already established a racial purification program to create the perfect Jewish bloodline. ***

A shocking new study reveals how key figures in the pre-state Zionist establishment proposed castrating the mentally ill, sterilizing the poor and doing everything possible to ensure reproduction only among the `best of people.'

Castrating the mentally ill, encouraging reproduction among families "numbered among the intelligentsia" and limiting the size of "families of Eastern origin" and "preventing ... lives that are lacking in purpose" - these proposals are not from some program of the Third Reich but rather were brought up by key figures in the Zionist establishment of the Land of Israel during the period of the British Mandate. It turns out there was a great deal of enthusiasm here for the improvement of the hereditary characteristics of a particular race (eugenics). This support, which has been kept under wraps for many years, is revealed in a study that examines the ideological and intellectual roots at the basis of the establishment of the health system in Israel.

In the Yishuv (pre-state Jewish community) in the 1930s there were "consultation stations" operating on a Viennese model of advice centers for couples that wished to marry and become parents. In Austria, with the Nazis' rise to power, they served for forced treatment. Here the stations were aimed at "giving advice on matters of sex and marriage, especially in the matter of preventing pregnancy in certain cases." They distributed birth-control devices for free to the penniless and at reduced prices to those of limited means. In Tel Aviv the advice stations were opened in centers of immigrant populations: Ajami in Jaffa, the Hatikvah Quarter and Neveh Sha'anan.

These are some of the findings of a doctoral thesis written by Sachlav Stoler-Liss about the history of the health services in the 1950s, under the supervision of Prof. Shifra Shvarts, head of the department of health system management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. They were presented at the annual conference of the Israel Anthropological Association at Ben-Gurion College.

The father of the theory of eugenics was British scholar Francis Galton. It was he who coined the term - which literally means "well-born" - at the end of the 19th century. The aim of the eugenics movement was to better the human race. Galton proposed a plan to encourage reproduction among "the best people" in society and to prevent reproduction among "the worst elements."

Forced sterilization

Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Galton drew many followers and his ideas spread rapidly to other countries in Europe (among them Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Belgium), to the United States and to some countries in South America. In various countries laws were passed that allowed for the forced sterilization of "hereditary paupers, criminals, the feeble-minded, tuberculous, shiftless and ne'er-do-wells." In the United States, up until 1935, about 20,000 people - "insane," "feeble-minded," immigrants, members of ethnic minorities and people with low IQs - were forcibly sterilized, most of them in California. The Californian law was revoked only in 1979. According to Dr. Philip Reilly, a doctor and executive director of the Shriver Center for Mental Retardation, in 1985 at least 19 states in the United States had laws that allowed the sterilization of people with mental retardation, (among them Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Vermont, Utah and Montana).

"Eugenics is considered to be something that only happened in Germany," says Stoler-Liss. "Germany was indeed the most murderous manifestation of eugenics, but in fact it was a movement that attracted many followers. In every place it took on a unique, local aspect. It is interesting to note that both in Germany and in Israel a link was made between eugenics, health and nationalism."

Stoler-Liss first encountered the eugenics texts of doctors from the Yishuv when looking for instruction books for parents for a research project for her master's degree. "I presented a text at a thesis seminar and then the instructor of the workshop said to me, `But why aren't you saying that this is a translated text?' I replied: `No, no, the text isn't translated.' `In Israel,' he said, `there are no such things.'"

She decided to look into whether there was only anecdotal and non- representative evidence, doctors and public figures here and there who supported eugenics - and she found many publications that promoted eugenics. Supporters of the idea were key figures in the emerging medical establishment in Palestine; the people who managed and created the Israeli health system.

One of the most prominent eugenicists of the Mandatory period was Dr. Joseph Meir, a well-known doctor who acquired his education in Vienna, served for about 30 years as the head of the Kupat Holim Clalit health maintenance organization, and after whom the Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava is named. "From his position at the very heart of the Zionist medical establishment in the land of Israel in the mid-1930s, he brought young mothers the gospel of eugenics, warned them about degeneracy and transmitted the message to them about their obligation and responsibility for bearing only healthy children," says Stoler-Liss.

Thus, for example, in 1934 Dr. Meir published the following text on the first page of "Mother and Child," a guide for parents that he edited for publication by Kupat Holim: "Who is entitled to give birth to children? The correct answer is sought by eugenics, the science of improving the race and preserving it from degeneration. This science is still young, but its positive results are already great and important - These cases [referring to marriages of people with hereditary disorders - T.T.] are not at all rare in all nations and in particular in the Hebrew nation that has lived a life of exile for 1,800 years. And now our nation has returned to be reborn, to a natural life in the land of the Patriarchs. Is it not our obligation to see to it that we have whole and healthy children in body and soul? For us, eugenics as a whole, and the prevention of the transmission of hereditary disorders in particular, even greater value than for all other nations! ... Doctors, people involved in sport and the national leaders must make broad propaganda for the idea: Do not have children if you are not certain that they will be healthy in body and soul!"

`Problematic and dangerous'

In its full version, the article, which was published in the "Health Guard" section of the now defunct labor Zionist newspaper Davar, the doctor proposed castrating the mentally ill. Stoler-Liss found many more examples in the "Mother and Child" books that were published in 1934 and 1935 and in journals like Eitanim, which was edited by Dr. Meir.

"The support of Dr. Meir and other senior people in the health system for these ideas has been kept under wraps for many years," claims Stoler-Liss. No one today talks about this chapter in the history of the Yishuv. In the mid-1950s Dr. Meir's articles were collected into a book that came out in his memory. The article mentioned above was not included in it. Stoler-Liss found a card file with notes scribbled by the editors of the volume. They defined the article as "problematic and dangerous." "Now, after Nazi eugenics," wrote one of the editors, "it is dangerous to publish this article."

During the latter part of the 1930s, adds Stoler-Liss, when word came out about the horrors that eugenics in its extreme form is likely to cause, they stopped using this word, which was attributed to the Nazis. Overnight eugenics organizations and journals changed their names and tried to shake off any signs of this theory. Dr. Meir, however, during all the years he was active, continued to promote the ideas of eugenics. At the beginning of the 1950s he published an article in which he harshly criticized the reproduction prize of 100 lirot that David Ben-Gurion promised to every mother who gave birth to 10 children. "We have no interest in the 10th child or even in the seventh in poor families from the East ... In today's reality we should pray frequently for a second child in a family that is a part of the intelligentsia. The poor classes of the population must not be instructed to have many children, but rather restricted."

"I'm not making a value judgment," says Stoler-Liss. "Zionism arose at a certain period, in a certain ideological atmosphere - there were all kinds of ideas in the air and there were also eugenicist Zionists. Some of the doctors were educated in Europe, and at that time the medical schools taught not only medicine but also the theory of eugenics."

Judaism of muscle

Dr. Meir was not the first Zionist leader who supported eugenics. According to studies by Dr. Rapahel Falk, a geneticist and historian of science and medicine at Hebrew University, other major Zionist thinkers - among them Dr. Max Nordau, Theodor Herzl's colleague, a doctor and a publicist, and Dr. Arthur Ruppin, the head of the World Zionist Organization office in the Land of Israel - presented the ideas of eugenics as one of the aims of the Jewish movement for national renewal and the settlement of the land.

Prof. Meira Weiss, an anthropologist of medicine at Hebrew University, describes in her book "The Chosen Body" how the settlement of the land and work on the land were perceived by these Zionist thinkers as the "cure" that would restore the health of the Jewish body that had degenerated in the Diaspora. In Nordau's terms, a "Judaism of muscle" would replace "the Jew of the coffee house: the pale, skinny, Diaspora Jew. "At a time when many Europeans are calling for a policy of eugenics, the Jews have never taken part in the `cleansing' of their race but rather allowed every child, be it the sickest, to grow up and marry and have children like himself. Even the mentally retarded, the blind and the deaf were allowed to marry," wrote Ruppin in his book "The Sociology of the Jews." "In order to preserve the purity of our race, such Jews [with signs of degeneracy - T.T.] must refrain from having children."

"Many people dealt with eugenics as a theoretical issue," says Stoler-Liss. "They even set up a Nordau Club with the aim of researching the racial aspects of the Jewish people and ways of improving it. What was special about Dr. Meir and the group that joined him was that for them eugenics was a very practical matter." They wanted to pursue applied eugenics.

The main institution was the advice station. The first station was opened in 1931 in Beit Strauss on Balfour Street in Tel Aviv. The aim was to work in "pleasant ways," through persuasion and choice. As Stoler-Liss explains: "Why should people work against their personal interests? It is here that the connection to the national interest comes in. If I understand that by having a baby I will harm the national interest, the building of the land, the `new Jew,' I will refrain from giving birth. But just to make certain, Meir told the doctors, in the event that a woman comes to you who is `a risk' for giving birth to a sick baby, it is your obligation to make certain that she has an abortion."

"Gynecologist Miriam Aharonova also wrote extensively on the subject of eugenics," adds Stoler-Liss. "In articles for parents under headings such as `The Hygiene of Marriage' she gives a list of eugenic instructions for parents - from the recommended age for giving birth (between 20 and 25), to the recommended difference in age between the father and the mother (the reason for which is the betterment of the race) to a list of diseases that could infect the spouse or "be transmitted through heredity to their descendents after them." In the diseases, she mentions "syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, alcoholism, narcotics addiction (fondness for morphine, cocaine, etc.) and diseases of the mind and the nerves." In the volume of "Mother and Child" published in 1935, says Stoler-Liss, the publication and discussions by doctors who supported eugenics was greatly expanded. Why, in fact, did they not use force? The establishment had a great deal of power over immigrants and refugees.

"The medical establishment's power was limited at that time. This was an establishment that developed hand in hand with the system it was supposed to strengthen and suffered from constant shortages: a shortage of doctors, a shortage of nurses and a shortage of equipment. It had to examine, treat, inoculate and so on. We are talking about the period of the British Mandate. When at long last there was a state, eugenics theory declined. My explanation is the change of generations: that generation had come to an end professionally, and a new generation with more national motivation came along that was not educated at the European universities during that period. They had already seen what the Nazis had done with it and the ideological identification was lower. The ideas themselves seeped in but they're not using the same rhetoric."



Have eugenics really vanished?

The eugenic chapter in the history of Western culture has been closed, but have eugenics really disappeared?

"Eugenic thinking is alive and well today," asserts Stoler-Liss. "It is expressed mainly in the very high rate of pre-natal tests and genetic filtering [of genetically deviant fetuses]. Mothers are very highly motivated to give birth only to healthy children and the attitude toward the exceptional, the different and the handicapped in Israeli society is problematic."

At hospitals today future parents are offered a plethora of genetic tests that diagnose the fetus before birth. Some of them are aimed at identifying serious disorders, like Tay-Sachs disease, a degenerative disease that causes a painful death in infancy. Others, however, are aimed at screening fetuses with conditions like deafness and sterility, the bearers of which can lead full and satisfying lives.

SOURCE: Haaretz, "`Do not have children if they won't be healthy!'", By Tamara Traubmann, 11 June 2004.