The Beacon of Civilisation

In the light of the recent propaganda piece by Geert Wilders I feel obligated to once again shine the spotlight on the flawed ideology that is Capitalism. The film, which insinuates the tearing pages of the Holy Qur’an, was a cheap, vulgar and insulting cut and paste job. Did Nazi Germany not do something similar? Glorifying the murder of millions of Jews!!

This movie has just been released on the internet for all to see. The message was simple. Ban the Qur’an because Muslims are evil. This is what perplexes me. Do we, as Europeans, the beacon of civilisation, not believe in freedom? Freedom of speech, freedom of ownership, freedom of thought.

When the Danish publish derogatory cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it is accepted as freedom of speech so where on earth did this amazing gift disappear to when the Muslims are concerned?

It is deemed acceptable in the West to insult over one billion of the world’s population under the guise of this so called freedom but the very same people call to ban religious text!! Is it only I who sees this as a humongous contradiction within the system?

The “beacon” of civilisation has considerable defects. This unrestrained freedom that the West seems to force down the throat of the Muslim world is nonexistent.

For example, if one were to stand in the middle of the street and shout racist remarks at the blacks, he would be arrested and carted away to the police station for racial abuse. If one were to debate the figures dead in the holocaust he would be an anti Semite.

Therefore, there are limits to this freedom, without which, there would be total anarchy. But who sets the limits? Which amazing being has the enormous burden of setting limits and making laws for the masses? Not a scholar, not a rocket scientist or a particle physicist or a psychologist with a PhD in Theology. No, just an average man like you or me.

Having said this, I am most definitely flawed. We are all weak in one way or another and if we are making the laws for mankind then the system under which we live must, by default, be flawed.

Could living under such belief system cause despair? If we look at the society in which we live the answer is obvious. Britain today equates to yob culture, 24 hour binge drinking, increases in crime, teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, rape, the list is endless. There are officially over 50,000 people on the paedophile register alone, that does not include all those who have not yet been caught.

A better word for Freedom in my mind is ANARCHY, leaving the mass public in misery. For the one who opens his eyes to reality, and bursts his little bubble that he calls life, it is apparent that the ”beacon” is far from being a guiding light or a symbol of hope, but more of a warning light or a fire. The west is burning and will take everyone else with it if the status quo does not change.

There must be an alternative!!!

The Month of Mercy

The holy month of Ramadhan has arrived once more and over 1 million Muslims within the UK will be fasting from sunrise until sunset. It is one of those times of the year when families forget about their petty differences as they are drawn closer together by this bond, this bond of fasting and praying and ultimately feeling a sense of unity because they share the same belief.

Many people will say that this month is a time of self reflection and spiritual enlightenment. I agree but only to a certain extent. Generally, Islam does not encourage any notions of self. This “me, myself and I” culture is something from other cultures that has penetrated Islam.

Throughout this month everyone is so busy. An average day would be to go to work from 9 to 5, come home open your fast, pray, eat and by the time you have finished its 9.30, time to get to the mosque for Taraweeh prayer. This would finish by 11pm and once you get home it’s time for bed, ready to do the whole thing again. This can last for 30 days!

If this was the routine of the Muslims for the whole month then does this not seem to be very individualistic? After all there are more Muslims in the world than your family, or your community, even your country. Throughout the world there are around 1.6 billion Muslims, all of whom hold the same values and beliefs as the British Muslims do.

This is a time to think about them. Think about those in Africa who are forced to fast every month of the year as they have no means of working in order to provide for their families, or those in the Middle East who cannot sleep out of fear. Fear that a tank or a “death squad” will break down the door and kill everyone in sight simply because the army men were “bored”.

Do we think about them? Or are we too caught up in our own little worlds. The Prophet (saw) said that the Ummah is like one body; when one part is hurting the whole body hurts. Now is the time to revive the Sunnah. This month should aid all Muslims to realise that something needs to change. It is time to speak out against the evil and the tyranny we see in the Muslim world.

In Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Sa`id (radhiallahu `anhu) that the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever sees something evil should change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue; and if he cannot do even that, then in his heart. That is the weakest degree of faith."

Ramadhan is known as the month of mercy. This is because Allah (swt) locks up the Shaytaan and showers His mercy upon us. But does this stop the evil that goes on around the world? Do the likes of America and Israel show mercy on the Palestinians during Ramadhan? Of course not! This is the month that we should open our eyes and take a good look around. Muslims will only overcome this torture through unity. Through the understanding that we are all linked by the belief in Allah and His Messenger.

Channel 4 accused of 'distortion'

Channel 4 accused of 'distortion'

Channel 4 aired the Dispatches show in JanuaryPolice are reporting Channel 4 to industry regulator Ofcom over the way an undercover programme was edited.
But charges will not be brought against preachers featured in the Dispatches programme which looked at allegations of extremism in mosques.
West Midlands Police carried out an investigation into three speakers in the programme Undercover Mosque.
The Crown Prosecution Service says the programme "completely distorted" what the speakers said.
In a statement Channel 4 spokesman Gavin Dawson said: "We believe the offensive views expressed by the people revealed in the programme speak for themselves.
To try and demonise the efforts of these people by taking their comments out of context was shocking
Abu UsamahGreen Lane Mosque preacher
"We didn't put these words into people's mouths and all extracts were carefully contextualised.
"The West Midlands Police have provided no evidence whatsoever to support their allegations."
The programme investigated a number of mosques, one of which was Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham.
It investigated mosques run by organisations claiming to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths.
'Moderate tradition'
A Green Lane Mosque spokesman said he had been shocked by the programme and was thankful the mosque's name had been cleared.
Abu Usamah, one of the preachers featured in the programme, said he was shocked when he saw himself depicted.
"It was the fact that Green Lane Mosque has a 33-year-old tradition of preaching and teaching the moderate version of Islam.
In this case we have been dealing with a heavily edited television programme
Bethan David, CPS lawyer
"To try and demonise the efforts of these people by taking their comments out of context was shocking."
Mr Usamah said he had been featured as saying homosexuals should be thrown from a mountain when in fact he was explaining it was an opinion featured in some books, and not one he believed.
An undercover reporter claimed to provide evidence that certain speakers preached messages of religious bigotry and extremism.
The Channel 4 Dispatches website, in a piece about the programme, said the reporter had attended talks at mosques and found preachers "condemning the idea of integration into British society, condemning British democracy as unIslamic and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers".
Police said they acknowledged some parts of the programme may have been considered offensive, but, when analysed in full context, there was not enough evidence to bring charges.
'Completely distorted'
The investigation was then extended to include looking at issues relating to the editing and portrayal of the programme.
CPS lawyer Bethan David considered 56 hours of media footage of which only a part was used in the programme.
She said: "The splicing together of extracts from longer speeches appears to have completely distorted what the speakers were saying.
"The CPS has demonstrated it will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible for criminal incitement.
"But in this case we have been dealing with a heavily edited television programme, apparently taking out of context aspects of speeches which in their totality could never provide a realistic prospect of any convictions."
Police also asked the CPS to consider a prosecution for including material likely to stir up racial hatred but again were advised there was insufficient evidence.

Saira Khan’s Pakistan Adventure

This two part show was aired on Tuesday 1st August and again on the 7th at 21.00. The show was, on the surface, exactly what the title says, a Pakistani adventure. Saira Khan travelled all over from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to Kashmir. However, this show was no ordinary holiday show that you might see on Channel 4 or Sky Travel. It was produced for a specific purpose.

The overwhelming factor of the show was that Saira was constantly commenting on aspects of life through Western eyes. In fact she seemed to be analysing every scenario through feminist eyes. For example, she decided to travel to the north of Pakistan towards the Himalayas. These parts of the country are obviously extremely remote areas where the only sign of life are those truck drivers who work on these routes.

She decided to take a break at a truck stop where she began to comment on the lack of a female presence! Does she expect to see women singing and dancing in the middle of nowhere? She then sat down and shouted the owners to bring her some tea, even though it was clear to see that this was a self service kind of place. As she sipped her tea she began her monologue to the camera. “All the men seem to be staring at me” she complained.

They were looking at her in bemusement as to why she was there. Not only that but she is in a predominantly Muslim country and she was not dressed too modestly by their standards and also had her tom boy hair all out. Even someone who was not of Asian origin would have had a little more understanding.

Examples like this went on and on. She visited an “artist” who only painted prostitutes. He revealed his secret collection which was in effect pornography. Ms Khan commented how beautiful it was and that he should not be shunned by the government and wider society. Again she was looking through Western eyes and did not take into account the culture and tradition of the country.

The show took a sinister turn when she was given a seat with the murderer himself, President Musharraf. How can a woman on a trip around Pakistan get a seat with the President when so many have failed? I later found that this was due to the ideas that she was pushing. Pakistan is a liberal, democratic country and that’s what the people want. Islam has no part to play in politics or in the day to day affairs of the country.

This idea was emphasized when Saira went to visit Sufi shrines such as Dada Darbar where men sing Qawali until the crowds are stirred up into a frenzy of dancing and convulsing. This kind of celebration was portrayed as worship and the “true” version of Islam. The very same kind of Islam that is pushed by the British Government advisers, The Sufi Muslim Council.

This was the agenda of the producers and the presenter.

The Right to Veto

The word 'veto' comes from a Latin word and literally means I Forbid. It is used to denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of legislation.
A veto gives power, possibly unlimited, to stop changes, but not to adopt them. The influence that the veto conveys to its holder is therefore directly proportional to the holder's conservatism, broadly defined. The more the holder likes the current state of affairs, the more useful the veto.

This word has reared its ugly head several times recently in the media, particularly due to President George.W.Bush. The US House has voted for a third time to pull troops out of Iraq, despite the fact that the President has already “vetoed” the motion twice in recent history! It is these kinds of notions and terms of legislation that really baffle me.

It seems to me that this very piece of legislation absolutely contradicts everything that democracy stands for. I may be mistaken but I made the assumption that we live in a world where the majority rule. The ruling of the people should be by the people and for the people, shouldn’t it?

It is clear to see that this is not the case at all. "It is time for the president to listen to the American people and do what is necessary to protect this nation," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. He also went on to say “That means admitting his Iraq policy has failed”.
His own peers and colleagues do not agree with his foreign policies:

This shows that the leader of the USA, the so called land of the free, does not particularly care what his own people want. So what is it that differs President Bush from Saddam Hussein for example? Saddam was portrayed as a vicious dictator and we know that he killed many people, but does Mr Bush not have blood on his hands also? With the help of the UK they are well on the way of annihilating one million people in the Middle East. This is not so far fetched when hundreds of Iraqi’s are murdered daily and Bush is adamant that he will not withdraw before 2008!

I would like to end by quoting the last sentence of the definition of the word “veto”:

“The more the holder likes the current state of affairs, the more useful the veto.”

The evidence to support this statement is overwhelming. Why pull out the troops from Iraq if he is happy with the current state. After all, he hasn’t had his fill just yet.

Teaching of Islam is 'out-dated'

This was the title of a BBC News article just three days ago. It is already widely known that Blair offered one million pounds to mosques in order to “aid” the training of home grown imams, who need to teach a more modern, British version of Islam. Education authorities are now looking to modernise what kind of Islam is taught at universities also. In order to support their argument a government commissioned report has been carried out.

Academic Ataullah Siddiqui's review paints a picture of Islamic studies departments where the post-9/11 and 7 July world has largely passed them by. It argues that more emphasis should be placed on Islam in a modern context.
Ministers will now label Islamic studies a "strategic subject" because of its role "in preventing extremism".

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said the review provided a helpful contribution to a particularly complex and sensitive subject.
"The effective and accurate delivery of Islamic studies within our universities is important for a multitude of reasons including wider community cohesion and preventing violent extremism in the name of Islam," he said.

Furthermore, the research, for BBC News and the BBC Asian Network, also suggests that only 6% of imams in Britain speak English as a first language. Professor Greaves from the University of Chester said

“The imams were "overwhelmingly" qualified in the traditional Islamic curriculum, which he said had changed little since medieval times.”

These reports all seem to lead to one conclusion. Local mosques and university courses are breeding extremism! After all, they are “out dated” and “medieval”. If this were the case then why is it that no “Islamist” attack has ever taken place prior to 7/7 in the UK. Muslims have lived in this country for over 50 years with our foreign imams. Why is the government so concerned now?

It is blatantly obvious. They refuse to acknowledge that their foreign policy has a huge effect on Muslims living in the UK, whether they are born here or not. There have been studies done by the likes of Oxford University that prove this. However, it is not in the governments interests to admit to this fact. As long as we in this country are blinded by the smoke screens of home grown imams then we will not have time to concern ourselves with the illegal wars carried out abroad.

Email from Melanie Philips

Dear Amar,

Thank you for your message. I appreciate the strength of feeling that
led you to write to me. I'm sure that if I believed the things you have
written, I would be just as angry.

The problem is that I'm afraid they are all totally wrong -- factually
untrue, as can be discovered from reading any truly objective history as
opposed to the kind of propaganda which I suspect is all that you read.
Of course, you will say that I would say such a thing since I am Jewish
and a supporter of Israel. But the basic facts, verifiable through
historical sources and legal documents, are plain for all to see.

Israel is not an illegal occupation. It is the ancestral home of the
Jewish people, their nation state for 1000 years -- hundreds of years
before Islam was even invented. The Jews did not drive out the Arabs
when Israel was restored as a Jewish state in 1948: on the contrary, the
Arabs tried to prevent the Jews from being restored to their own
homeland and have not stopped trying to wipe them out ever since. Most
of the land built upon by the Jews was either empty or sold to them by
Arab landlords. The vast majority of those Arabs who fled in 1948 did
so, as has been acknowledged by numerous Arab sources, because they were
told to flee by their leaders who believed the Jews would be annihilated
and the Arabs could then return.

Of course, there are things that Israel does which can legitimately be
criticised. However, all its military actions have always been carried
out solely to defend itself against illegal Arab and Muslim aggression,
which has been waged illegally against the Jews in that area for more
than ninety years. The occupation of the West Bank (and previously Gaza)
is entirely legal, as attested by all reputable international legal
authorities, because it is a principle of international law that a
country is entitled to defend itself against aggression by occupying the
territory of those who continue to wage war against it.

As for the violence and killings being inflicted upon Muslims in Iraq
and elsewhere, of course it is absolutely appalling. But it is being
inflicted in the main by Muslims, a fact which you do not acknowledge.

There is much else I could tell you, but I fear you will dismiss it as
Zionist propaganda. It happens, however, to be the truth. The reason for
7/7 is that radical Islamists have declared a jihad against
'unbelievers' - and Muslims are amongst their most numerous victims
around the world. The tragedy is that people like yourself are fed
incitement and lies by both Islamists who want to recruit for terror and
by Arab states who have deliberately and cynically perpetuated the
plight of the Palestinians and who promulgate a torrent of lies about
Israel and prejudice against the Jews in order to deflect upon Israel,
America and the west the anger of their populations at the tyranny they
impose upon them. Unfortunately, the brainwashing has worked, as your
comments to me only too tragically demonstrate.

Don't take my word for it; read what present and former Muslims say
here: http://www.arabsforisrael.com/ or here http://www.shoebat.com/ to
realise the truth and what terrible lies you are being fed.

I hope you find this helpful.

Kind regards,

Melanie



amar hussain wrote:
Dear Melanie,

I understand that this email may never reach you and if it does you will
have very little spare time to read it.
However, I still feel it necessary to write.

As you can guess from the email address, I am a young Muslim male. I was
born and raised in Manchester and lived like the average 80's kid. Life
was good, I never experienced any racism and so never felt like an
outsider. I'm British after all. I was not concerned in world affairs as
I was happy, content. You could say I was extremely individualistic.

Having said this, my life was turned upside down after 9/11. What you
need to realise Mel is that I am the voice of the Muslim youth. We all
feel the same way. After 9/11 racism increased and we witnessed the
birth of Islamaphobia. Trust me, it exists. From here I wanted to know
why people are so quick to hate. I began to look into my own religion,
the fundamental of which is the belief in 1 ummah or community. Muslims
around the world are all part of the same global community. When
my brothers and sisters in Iraq are being tortured it hurts me, when my
brothers are being boiled alive in Uzbekistan it hurts me and when my
sisters and children are being massacred in Palestine it hurts me.

At first, I was naive, hoping to see the good in all people. I wondered
why International Laws can be broken by the likes of Israel and America
while the rest of the world just stands by. Please do not take offence,
I know that you are pro-Israel.

What I'm trying to say is, we feel hurt, we feel pain because of British
Foreign Policy. This is why you get foolish young men committing crimes
as seen on 7/7. But why do you think 7/7 happened? Why did 9/11 happen
and why is there so much animosity towards tyrant leaders such as Bush
and Karimov, Mubarak and the Saudi Royals.

In my opinion if American troops were not plundering the Iraqis oil
reserve and Israelis would stop stealing Palestinian land then there
would be no fighting in those regions or anywhere else. What do you think?

Make no mistake, young Muslims do feel hurt due to the betrayal of the
British Government. What ever happened to the Rule of Law? Blair should
be tried as a war criminal. What happened to Freedom of Speech? You can
attack the very core of our faith but we can't argue that Israel is an
illegal occupation? Does that make me an Anti-Semite? I love Jews who
believe in God such as Rabbi Cohen but I feel resentment towards
Zionists, whether they be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or
anything else. Zionism, in my view, is an evil ideology.

Who gave Britain the right to say that Jews could have their own
country, but first they would have to eradicate the host population. If
you break into my house and refuse to leave do I not have the right to
remove you? And then to add insult to injury, you say you can have the
garden but I get the living room, the kitchen and all the
bedrooms!!!! Is that what you call fair? Of course not. No Muslim will
ever agree that Israel is a legitimate State. It is occupation.

Now please tell me why we need mosques and schools and universities to
"radicalise" our youth when the government is doing an amazing job in
its own right?

Finally, If I offend I apologise. I only speak the truth. I fear non but
God so if do see any repercussions I accept them whole heartedly.


Yours Sincereley,


Amar