Resistance: Fall of Man

Last week on the news we saw the Manchester Cathedral in the limelight for being the backdrop of a new Sony Playstation 3 game entitled Resistance: Fall of Man.

The Church of England is considering legal action against entertainment firm Sony for featuring Manchester Cathedral in a violent PlayStation video game.

The Church says Sony did not obtain permission to use the interior in the war game Resistance: Fall of Man.

The game, which has sold more than one million copies, shows a virtual shoot-out in the cathedral's nave in which hundreds of enemies are killed.

Sony said it believed it had sought all necessary permission for the game.

The game in question is like any other first person shooter with the slight difference that some of it is held within the Church.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, described the decision to feature the city's cathedral as "highly irresponsible" - especially in the light of Manchester's history of gun crime.

The Dean of Manchester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Rogers Govender, added the game was "undermining" the work of the church.

"We are shocked to see a place of learning, prayer and heritage being presented to the youth market as a location where guns can be fired.

"This is an important issue. For many young people these games offer a different sort of reality and seeing guns in Manchester Cathedral is not the sort of connection we want to make.

"Every year we invite hundreds of teenagers to come and see the cathedral and it is a shame to have Sony undermining our work."

After the Bishop aired his views, the BBC then went on to interview Patty Mackie from Mothers Against Violence, whose son Dorrie was shot dead in Manchester. She said it was time to stand up to the makers of violent games.

"I believe it's something that needs to be taken seriously first by the Church but also by parents.

"There's a war going on - not just in Iraq, but right here on our doorstep, in the minds of our children."

That is quite a profound thing to say. The Government’s war in Iraq has been likened to the battle of ideas here in the UK. My main concern with this news article is the fact that the blame for gang violence and shootings has been pushed upon the games industry.

Games have always been ultra violent. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s I remember tearing peoples legs off and proceeding to beat them over the head (Mortal Kombat fatality) and such. This did not create a generation of psychopaths who like to tear off people’s limbs.

This is an absurd claim to make. If the games industry were to only make games about fluffy bunny rabbits would this have stopped Miss Mackie’s son from being murdered or any of the victims. Of course not. Whether it is a game, a film, a song, it will not change the actions within this society.

Part of the problem with this society is this “blame culture”. Nobody is willing to take responsibility for their own actions. More importantly, the government does not even ask the most fundamental question of why. Why is gun crime or gang culture rife within our communities? Well, I have my own theory and I like to call it the “rat race”.

Everybody has heard of this phrase that encompasses British life. We live like mice in those plastic balls, constantly chasing money, riches, wealth, and happiness. We are brought up to believe that without the money, the car and the house then happiness cannot be achieved. This is our aim, our goal.

When you are told that money equates to tranquillity then you will resort to any means necessary in order to attain wealth. Whether it is through a university degree or selling drugs on the street corner, the aim is ultimately the same.

Maybe it’s time we re-evaluated what our goals are, or maybe it’s time for people to wake up and realise that money does not bring happiness.

Why?

Why?

Growing up in the UK, as a Muslim, how do we see ourselves? Do we see ourselves as Muslim, British or Asian? When I was growing up I lived in a predominantly white neighbourhood. I wasn’t like the average kid from Rochdale; I always knew I was different from the other kids I went to school with. Different kind of name, different colour skin, I even ate different food. I was constantly reminded that I was a Pakistani first and foremost.

Like most of us, I was your average Muslim. The ‘seasonal’ Muslim, as I like to call it. You all know what I’m talking about. I would go to Jumu’a when I was off school, and fast during Ramadan. It’s weird how I used to stop all the bad things for that one month. Smoking, going out, all the usual things that teenagers do in this society. It’s as though all of these things are Haram for that one month of the year, but as soon as Eid came it was party time. After Eid prayer I felt free. The nice clothes came out, along with the hired cars and a sack of bud in my pocket and then we all used to head off to Wimmy Road. It makes me laugh inside when I think about it.

The weird thing is, it’s not our fault. I don’t blame or cuss my brother for wanting to chill, but you got to ask yourselves, who says that you need the flashy car or the drugs to have a good time. This concept was non existent in the Islamic world. It all stems from the society we’re raised in. Think about it. What does this society push? We’re told as kids that if you don’t get an education you won’t get a ‘good’ job. If you don’t have a ‘good’ job then you won’t be able to afford the fancy car, the big house or attract the opposite sex. That’s the ideal in this society. So is that what life is all about? I guess 50 was right, when he said “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’” This is the goal of the UK and the west in general. Materialism!! If nobody wanted the big house or the fancy car or the new PS3, do you think that this country would still be thriving? I ain’t saying that this is fact but it’s something to think about.

After all, it is in man’s nature to want to progress. There is nothing wrong with this concept. You see, there are three instincts instilled within every human being. The survival instinct, the procreation instinct and the worship instinct, this is fact. However, how we got about fulfilling these instincts is what shapes our lives. Let me break it down. Survival is man’s organic needs, the need for food, water, sleep, shelter, but also to progress. It says in the hadith “If the son of Adam has one valley of gold then he would want two, if he had two valleys of gold then he would want three.” This is the inherent nature of mankind. We always want more.

The second instinct is self explanatory; we all have urges after reaching a certain age. Man also feels the need to have offspring. The third is the need to worship something which is greater than ourselves, whether that be the Creator or something created.

The reason that the majority of Muslims hold the incorrect values in this society is due to what capitalism pushes. Britain is a capitalist society. Capitalism is materialism. Just look around you, look at the TV, the adverts, the billboards, what do you see? I’ll tell you, half naked women selling the most mundane products like shampoo, toothpaste and hair dye. This society links the survival (progression) instinct with the procreation (sexual) instinct. Materialism or capitalism is their agenda and they push this with the help of sex. Sex sells after all.

But what of the final instinct? The most important of the three, worship. There is no sign of worship whatsoever in this society. That is, if you don’t include “Songs of Praise” on the BBC on a Sunday!! Seriously though, as said earlier the three instincts are embedded within every human being from birth, but if worship is suppressed to such an extent, what happens? Man must express this instinct in some way. This has given birth to ‘celebrity culture’. Footballers are referred to as gods, shows like “Pop IDOL” are the highest rated shows on TV. Actors and actresses are followed day and night by the paparazzi just so we can see what colour underwear they had on today. This is how the worship instinct manifests itself in the western world, no sign of the Creator.

The irony is, we, as Muslims are told that we are not integrated into this society. Not integrated!!! I’m sure anyone of us that could reel of the members of the Man United or the Liverpool squad. Or tell you in detail about the latest Hollywood relationships, or sing along to the latest Beyonce track. But if we were asked to recite some verses from the Qur’an or name some of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) could we do it?

The point that I’m trying to make brothers and sisters, is that without the guidance of Allah (swt) and by man ruling according to his own whims and desires, society becomes what you see and hear around you everyday. Murder, rape, drugs, paedophilia, and prostitution, the list is endless. It’s time to wake up.

This would not exist if mankind followed the guidance of our Creator.

Modern Day Houdini

Modern Day Houdini

Is it just me or is Islam in the news every single day? And not in a good way. We all know that Islam is a religion of peace, a ruling system sent down for the good of mankind. So why do we hear words like extreme, militant and barbaric associated with this beautiful ideology? Muslims are the hot topic of this era.

Let’s take a look at what is happening around the world today. Afghanistan was invaded after the whole 9/11 thing and is still under occupation. Then Iraq was invade under the false pretences of weapons of mass destruction and is still under occupation. More recently Somalia was attacked by Ethiopia with the aid of the U.S. why is this? I think we all know. Oil!! This is the sole reason why the west has decided to attack the Muslims lands, and consequently Islam itself. Having said this, they have a little more cunning that to just go in and openly take it. They have used the war on terror as a veil to go in and invade and occupy theses countries. They use words like liberation, and spreading peace and democracy. How is it possible to spread peace down the barrel of a gun? The west talks of extremists, insurgents and militia groups who are attacking their armies. Would there be any need for resistance if our Muslim lands weren’t occupied. Of course not!

However, there was a problem in the UK, the public were not convinced. They wanted the troops to pull out of the occupied territories. The government didn’t want this, they wanted to stay there, so what did they do? They brought the terror a little closer to home. Jack Straw decides to tell our sisters to stop wearing the veil, John Reid tells Muslim parents to spy on their children, to report them to the police if they drop out of college, stay out late or start hanging around with new friends. Sounds like every other teenager in this country to me! Even university lecturers were told to spy on the Muslim students. But why? Because we were told by an ex MI5 official that there are approximately 1600 terror plots within the UK right now, one such example is the suspect plot to blow up a number of trans Atlantic flight that put the entire country in a state of fear and brought airlines across the country to a halt. On this very same day Lebanon was invaded by Israel.

All of these ridicules accusations are a direct result of what is going on in the Muslim lands. Blair is a modern day Houdini. He distracts us from the terror being caused by the western world by redirecting the attention of the public to preposterous allegations within the UK. The government has openly said that UK universities and mosques are breeding terrorists! The two places where every Muslim goes to learn have become the targets for those who are fighting the ‘War on Terror’. Naturally, this will cause a state of fear within the community. People are scared when an Arab looking man with a bag gets on a train. Our own Imams and Muslim councillors are too afraid to speak up against the tyranny of the west. The next time you see a British Muslim arrested, ask yourself, I wonder what the western military are doing in the Muslim lands.

Islamaphobia

Islamaphobia

What is Islamaphobia? It is a reasonably new word that popped into existence after 7/7. The literal definition is fear of Islam. This fear of Islam is very real, contrary to the media’s belief, and is propagated by the media on behalf of the government.

However, this is ridiculous. How can an ideology be feared when it promotes nothing but peace and equality? Certain acts that have been carried out over the last few years by “Muslims” have tarnished the name of Islam. It serves the purpose of the government if the public see terrorism as Islamic. Have you ever heard of anything so absurd? Did the actions of the IRA brand all Christians as terrorists or even the heinous crimes committed by Adolph Hitler? Of course not, because human beings tend to be rational for the most part. The phrase Islamic Terrorist is a complete paradox, as is Extremist Islamist. Firstly, it is not possible to be a Muslim and then cause terror, as this would take you outside of the folds of Islam.

Secondly, it is impossible to be an Extreme Muslim. This notion of moderate Islam and extremism are concoctions of the Western Governments. There are not two or three different types of Islam, we are all one. This word Islamist is another invention of the West. They are quick to divide us and cause enmity between Muslims by labelling us Sunni, Shia, Wahabbi, Salafi, Sufi etc. We need to see past our noses and look at the bigger picture. They are here to divide and conquer. That is the way of the colonialists and always has been throughout history.

Below I have listed a couple of titles from the news headlines over the last week:

Police raids target 'terror plot'

Eight people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Birmingham after a "significant" operation involving police and security service MI5.

Younger Muslims 'more political'

Young Muslims are much more likely than their parents to be attracted to political forms of Islam, a think tank survey has suggested.

Support for Sharia law, Islamic schools and wearing the veil is much stronger among younger Muslims, a poll for the centre-right Policy Exchange found

In his speech later, Mr Cameron will warn that in some parts of Britain's Muslim community "women are being denied access to education, work, involvement in the political process and surprisingly even denied access to mosques". He will go on to say: "We must be bold, and not hide behind the screen of cultural sensitivity to say publicly that no woman should be denied rights which both their religion and their country, Britain, support".

Two men charged under the Terrorism Act after raids in West Yorkshire have been remanded in custody

He is alleged to have possessed several computer files with titles such as Attack Against American Troops, Sound of Jihad, and Hamas Bomb. It is alleged that "without reasonable excuse" Bilal had a record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism, which was five copies of a CD entitled The Manhattan Raid and a computer file of the same title.

These are just a few examples of arrests occurring within the UK on a daily basis. We hear of raids taking place at four in the morning with over 50 police officers ramming peoples homes open. The so-called “terror” suspects are ill treated as they are guilty until proven innocent.

Now if I was your average Jo Bloggs, these arrests would stir certain feelings within me. I would think that these Muslims are crazy. They want to blow us up. More to the point, it is not their fault for feeling this way. The average man is not expected to analyse or question. He takes everything he hears and sees at face value, especially, when it is reported by the BBC or The News of the World or even from the horses mouth (Tony Blair).

The media frenzy surrounding Islam is non stop and all of this negative attention towards us is obviously affecting the public. This is natural. If we were brought up to believe that black is white and vice versa then this is the view we would carry. It’s a concept. We all hold certain ideas, values and even thoughts, but only when these ideas are acted upon do they become concepts. For example, you may feel prejudice towards certain things, but if this is not acted upon it remains a thought, and not a concept.

Having said this, ideas that are acted upon are indeed concepts. So when I see sisters on the news, who have been attacked or abused simply for wearing the veil, I understand that the guilty parties clearly hold Islamaphobic concepts. They hold a view that Muslims are different, evil, inferior, and sub-human almost. Does that remind you of a time in our history??? Yet the government continue to say that Islamaphobia does not exist. Their view is that the Muslim youth are becoming too radical and extreme for no good reason. Blair has said on many occasions that his actions in Iraq have no effect on British Muslims. Is he being serious? Do they honestly believe that their propaganda pieces and warmongering have no effect on us?

Again, this serves their purpose. We must be demonised and not sympathised with in order for the West to pillage and rape Muslim lands without their own people revolting against them. This truly is a Propaganda War. The west is like wolves in sheep’s clothing, acting as though they are the victims; they are the defenders of freedom and democracy… How many Muslims have been murdered in the Middle East since U.S occupation? At least 650,000 and that’s not including Afghanistan, Palestine and Lebanon. Have the Western Media companies ever mentioned any figures even close to this with regards to the number of casualties in Iraq? However, when one or two British soldiers get killed by accident from their own men they are mourned like heroes, with their military funerals. They shouldn’t even be in Iraq. It is an occupied land. The news readers are solemn faced and sad when a British soldier dies, but they can mention the massacre of hundreds of Muslims in one breath, without pause and move on to the football results.

Brothers and sisters it is plain for all to see that Islamaphobia does exist within the UK. It is being pushed by the powers that be upon the masses in order to cause a state run by fear and panic. Is the blood of our brothers and sisters so cheap? Clearly we are not valued as they are. They do see themselves as superior. And this is why a new law has been fabricated just for us.

How “great” a country must be to have one law for themselves and another law for us, The Muslims?

This is also known as……..

“The Terrorism Act”.

Section 1 part 3 states

(3 encouraging the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism or Convention offences include every statement which-
	(b) is a statement from which those members of the public could reasonably be expected to infer that what is being glorified is being glorified as conduct that should be emulated by them in existing circumstances.

Section 1 part 7b goes on to say:

(7) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable-
	(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to a fine, or to both

Let us be clear about this. Part 3 is fundamentally saying that anyone who is sympathetic towards the cause of those Muslims who are being oppressed by tyrannical rulers could be “inferring” acts of terrorism and therefore face persecution.

Seven years in prison for having an opinion!! Where is Freedom of Speech now? Where are our civil liberties?

The Act itself is extremely long winded and uses so much jargon in order to hide the obvious. This law applies to no-one but Muslims. If you disagree with UK foreign policy you could easily fall into the category of “glorification of terrorism” and get carted off to Paddington Green Police Station for 30 days before they even think about charging you.

This is what has become of Great Britain. It doesn’t sound so great anymore.

Britishness

Britishness

What does it mean to be British? Why are we so obsessed with labelling everyone? I can’t really get to grips with this whole issue.

Ok. Let’s look at what the word British means according to the Oxford English Dictionary:

“The people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.”

“Of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture; "his wife is British"

These are a couple of examples. The first is quite self explanatory. To be British one simply has to be an inhabitant of Britain. Not so difficult to understand. But then why all the propaganda in the media stating that Muslims don’t act British or feel British? What nonsense is this? I was born and raised in Manchester, by definition, does that not make me British? Not according to some.

The second definition is slightly more ambiguous. It speaks of the characteristics or culture of the people. Interesting! So it is the culture and characteristics of the British people that makes a person British. However, now I need to find out what that means. Having spoken to various work colleagues with regards to definitions, I am now even more confused.

The first guy said that he hates British culture; it’s all football yobs and binge drinking. I was shocked at his point of view as it was very similar to my own. Then a more middle class female began to speak about the character of the British. Reserved, polite, I said prudish but she disagreed. I agreed with her to an extent until she mentioned that the Brits are not like the American war-mongers. Ok, so the British are not as brash and vulgar but they still have the same ideals as the United Snakes of America. She then mentioned that British Imperialism is the route of the culture. That intrigued me and I mentioned colonialism. She agreed.

So, I guess, if you live in Britain and act like the British then that makes you British. Still doesn’t quite seem right. If I become an alcohol fuelled football hooligan does that make me more British? Maybe if I join the army and go to Iraq to fight my brothers and sisters then I would be considered as one of them. I’m sure that would make the government happy.

This is why we are being told to integrate. They want us to think like them and act like them. On the one hand, the booze drinking, hooligan is no threat to the government and on the other, the one who joins the army is with them. These are the two categories that we are being pushed towards if we want a peaceful life in this country. I just finished watching a speech by one of the nine men arrested in Birmingham. He has been released without charge.

Asked how he felt about being singled out he said: "It's a police state for Muslims.

"It's not a police state for everybody else because these terror laws are designed specifically for Muslims and that's quite an open fact," he added.

Now this statement is partly true. You see, it’s a police state for a certain type of Muslim. The Muslim who believes that everything we do in life is for Allah (swt) and that His ummah is one. This Muslim feels pain when his fellow brother is being oppressed and tortured and will speak out against tyranny. For this Muslim the UK most certainly feels as though it is a police state. I then found out from the BBC website that Abu Bakr (the released terror suspect) was studying for a PhD in Political Islam! It further proves my point that any Muslim who disagrees with UK foreign policy is a threat to this society according to the government.

Without sounding disrespectful, your average Muslim in the UK does not fall into this category. We are too caught up in this society to care about world affairs. That’s the way the system is designed. Go to work from nine to five Monday to Friday, pay your mortgage, pay your bills, watch some telly and go out on the weekend. What else is there? Those who fall into this category are no threat whatsoever. They are fully “integrated” into society. Our so-called Muslim councillors also fall into this category. They are so involved in this society; they believe that democracy is the solution to all their problems. Or maybe it’s just about the money and the power!! Regarding the statement made by Abu Bakr, Dewsbury councillor Shahid Malik stated

"I can understand Abu Bakr's anger and hurt but it definitely doesn't lead to the conclusion that we're in a police state.

"It's really important that people do remain patient and let justice take its course."

These people are British first and then Muslim. I consider myself a Muslim that was born and raised in Britain. They can label me with what they wish. We have to remember that we live by Islam. Islam has no borders and does not recognise colour or culture. If you believe that “there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (swt) and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger, then you belong to the ONE Ummah.

Islam is totally against concepts such as nationalism, patriotism and especially capitalism. This society is a secular society where man has the freedom to rule how he pleases, and the result is anarchy. I saw a statistic recently that 1 in 14 women in this country have been raped!!

Brothers and sisters do not get entangled in this ridiculous argument about whether we are British Muslim or Muslims in Britain. It will get us nowhere and more to the point it is not going to help our Ummah from liberation of occupation.