Arab News Editorial: Israel's Plot thickening

Plot thickening

There can now be little doubt the Israeli secret service was behind last month's assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in his Dubai hotel room. The men who ordered the killing left an embarrassing fingerprint on their crime. Six of the people whose real passports were cloned for the killers' use are British citizens currently living in Israel. The Mossad obviously decided it was easy to steal the details of these individuals.

As a result, the Israeli crime is having wider ramifications with European governments calling in Israeli ambassadors and demanding an explanation of how this falsification of their passports came about.

It should be said, however, that the British in particular have so far acted in a notably pusillanimous manner. Instead of demanding Israel's ambassador in London visit the Foreign Office, he was very gently invited. Since as expected, he had been briefed to give nothing away, Thursday's meeting appears to have been fruitless. All that was left behind was a meaningless promise to cooperate with the British authorities as they investigate the passport fraud.

British Foreign Minister David Milliband, as usual, stuck to the legal niceties by refusing to even speculate publicly who might have been responsible for the passport stunt, until a police enquiry by the Serious Organized Crime Office has been completed. Will it be a very British calm before a very serious political storm? Some recall that in 1987, London protested Mossad's attempted use of another eight forged British passports. After that incident, the British were given a solemn undertaking by the Israelis that it would never happen again.

Even though some pro-Zionists British politicians and civil service mandarins might like to sweep under the carpet this egregious manifestation of Israeli bad faith, the reality is that public opinion in the UK, already deeply disturbed by Israeli barbarity in Gaza, is in no mood to let this matter go. Thursday some London newspapers were questioning the double standards of a supposedly friendly state. The Israelis made much of their adherence to the rule of law yet were clearly prepared to steal and falsify documents of other countries. Moreover, they are ready to murder opponents when it suits them, even though this makes them no better than the men they claim are terrorists.

An Israeli professor of politics was Thursday seeking to shamelessly justify the Dubai murder, assuming, he added quickly, that Mossad had indeed done it because of the lives he claimed Al-Mabhouh's elimination has saved. Supposing Hamas got wind of the planned Israeli bombardment of Gaza and sent a hit team to slay the Israeli Army's chief operational planner when he was staying in an overseas hotel. Would that also be no crime because of the lives that it might have saved?  The immorality of Israel's smugness at its own murderous behavior would be fully demonstrated by the howls of protests that would have followed such an "outrageous crime".

Now, therefore, is the time for European governments betrayed by this passport fraud to take real action to punish Israel. But the Europeans should remember that the real crime is murder, not passport fraud. They should also remember the moral indignation with which the US and UK would have reacted and the dire threats followed if the suspects were the intelligence agencies of any other Middle East 

Zionism a terrifying nightmare

Zionism a terrifying nightmare Alan Hart

MOST Jews of the world (and probably many Gentiles) believe that Zionism is the return of Jews to the land promised to them by God. I must confess, and do so cheerfully, that I don't buy this concept. The Jews who "returned" in answer to Zionism's call had no biological connection to the ancient Hebrews. They were converts to Judaism long after the end of the Hebrew conquest and short-lived domination of much of Canaan, the name as in the Bible by which Palestine was first known to the world. They therefore had no legitimate claim on the land. The Jews who did have a legitimate claim, probably not more than about 10,000 at the time of Zionism's first dishonest mission statement in 1897, were the direct descendants of the Israelites who stayed in place on the land through time. They regarded themselves as Palestinians, and they were fiercely opposed to Zionism's colonial enterprise because they feared it would make them as well as the incoming alien Jews enemies of the Palestinian Arabs. Also true is that prior to the obscenity of the Nazi holocaust, most Jews of the world were not at all interested in Zionism's colonial enterprise and many were opposed to it. The most informed and thoughtful of those who did express their opposition believed that Zionism was morally wrong. They also feared that Zionism's colonial enterprise would lead to unending conflict. But most of all they feared that Zionism, if it was allowed by the major powers to have its way, would one day provoke anti-Semitism. Which is precisely what is happening today. (Hence the title of my book, Zionism: The Real Enemy Of The Jews). In reality it is how the Zionists created their state — a Zionist not a Jewish state — that best defines what Zionism actually is. Israel was created, mainly, by Zionist terrorism and ethnic cleansing — a pre-planned process that saw three-quarters of the indigenous Arab inhabitants of Palestine dispossessed of their homes, their land and their rights. ZIONISM asserts that its state was given its birth certificate and thus legitimacy by the UN Partition Resolution of Nov. 29, 1947. That is propaganda nonsense. The truth can be summarized as follows: • In the first place the UN without the consent of the majority of the people of Palestine did not have the right to decide to partition Palestine or assign any part of its territory to a minority of alien immigrants in order for them to establish a state of their own. • By the narrowest of margins, and only after a rigged vote, the UN General Assembly did pass a resolution to partition Palestine and create two states, one Arab, one Jewish, with Jerusalem not part of either. But the General Assembly resolution was only a recommendation — meaning that it could have no effect, would not become policy, unless approved by the Security Council. • The General Assembly's recommendation never went to the Security Council for consideration because the US knew that, if approved, it could only be implemented by force given the extent of Arab and other Muslim opposition to it; and President Harry S. Truman was not prepared to use force to partition Palestine. • So the partition plan was vitiated (became invalid) and the question of what the hell to do about Palestine — after Britain had made a mess of it and walked away, effectively surrendering to Zionist terrorism — was taken back to the General Assembly for more discussion. The option favored and proposed by the US was temporary UN Trusteeship. It was while the General Assembly was debating what do that Israel unilaterally declared itself to be in existence — actually in defiance of the will of the organized international community, including the Truman administration. The truth of the time was that the Zionist state had no right to exist and, more to the point, could have no right to exist unless ... Unless it was recognized and legitimized by those Zionism had dispossessed of their land and their rights. In international law only the Palestinians could give Israel the legitimacy it craved. What is a Zionist today? Short answer: One, not necessarily a Jew, who (to quote Balfour) supports the Zionist state of Israel "right or wrong" and who cannot or will not admit that a terrible wrong was done to the Palestinians by Zionism — a wrong that must be acknowledged and then corrected on terms acceptable to the Palestinians if there is ever to be peace and the countdown to catastrophe for all is to be stopped. The Arab word for the catastrophe of the original dispossession of the Palestinians is Nakba. In my view, Zionism's Nakba denial is as obscene and as evil as denial of the Nazi holocaust. One thing nobody can deny is the effectiveness of Zionism's propaganda machine. Zionism's spin doctors probably learned from the Nazis that the bigger the lies and the more frequently they are told, the more likely it is that they will be believed in the mainly Gentile, Judeo-Christian or Western world; and all the more so when the mainstream media are terrified of offending Zionism either too much or at all. THE biggest of all of Zionism's propaganda lies is the one which asserts that Israel has lived in constant danger of annihilation, the "driving into the sea" of its Jews. As I document in detail in my book, Israel's existence has never, ever, been in danger from any combination of Arab force. Not in 1948. Not in 1967. And not even in 1973. Zionism's assertion to the contrary was the cover which allowed Israel to get away where it mattered most, in North America and Western Europe, with presenting its aggression (often state terrorism) as self-defense, and itself as the victim when actually it was, and is, the oppressor. The companion propaganda lie is that Israel never had Arab partners for peace. Zionism has two hallmarks. One is self-righteousness of a most extraordinary kind. In 1986 this self-righteousness was described by Yehoshafat Harkabi, a former director of Israeli Military Intelligence, as "the biggest real danger" to the Jewish state. The other hallmark is a shocking and awesome arrogance of military and economic power and the influence the latter buys, most critically in the US Congress where what passes for democracy is for sale to the highest bidders. On the matter of truth as it relates to the making and sustaining of conflict in and over Palestine that became Israel, I hope the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) is right: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." If that's true, Zionism not only can be defeated but will be. — Alan Hart is a former ITN and BBC Panorama foreign correspondent who covered wars and conflicts wherever they were taking place in the world and specialized in the Middle East. Author of "Zionism: The Real Enemy Of the Jews". He blogs on www.alanhart.net and tweets on www.twitter.com/alanauthor

Brown wants probe as Israel denies role in Hamas murder

Palestinians protest by standing on top of an Israel flag during a rally Wednesday in Gaza. (Reuters)

By DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR

Published: Feb 17, 2010 11:26 PM Updated: Feb 17, 2010 11:53 PM

TEL AVIV/LONDON: Britain will launch a full investigation into the use of forged passports by a hit squad responsible for the murder of a senior Hamas leader in Dubai, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday.

His comments came as Israel's Foreign Minister denied that his country's intelligence agency Mossad was behind the assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in a hotel in Dubai on January 20.

Issuing the first reaction by an Israeli official to suspicions that Mossad was behind the killing, Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that it was "not correct" to assume that Israel was behind the assassination.

His comments come after revelations that several of the people named by Dubai authorities as being part of the hit team bore the same names as British immigrants to Israel.

Six of the 11 people whose names were published by the Dubai authorities held British passports, which the Foreign Office has said were forged.

"We are looking into this at this very moment, we have got to carry out a full investigation into this. The British passport is an important document that has got to be held with care," Brown said in a radio interview.

Opposition politicians in Britain have demanded that the Israeli ambassador should be summoned over the affair, but the Foreign Office said Wednesday it had "not made any official representation to the Israeli ambassador about the case."

Brown said the British government would seek to accumulate evidence about "what actually happened" before making any official statements on the matter.

Meanwhile, Liebermann told Israel Army Radio: "I don't know why we take it for granted that it was Israel or the Mossad that used those passports or the identities of that British citizen."

Rafi Eitan, a former government minister and high-ranking Mossad official, was more direct.

"The Mossad was not behind the assassination of Mahmoud Al- Mabhouh, but rather a foreign organization that is trying to frame Israel," he told the radio station.

Al-Mabhouh, 50, one of the founders of the Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was found dead in his hotel room on January 20, a day after arriving in Dubai.

The authorities in the United Arab Emirates have named 11 European passport holders in connection with the case, including the six Britons, three Irish, a German and a French citizen.

Two of the British men, who have lived in Israel for many years, were reported Wednesday to have been shocked at the use of their identity.

According to the BBC, Israel-based Melvyn Mildiner, 31, who holds a British and Israeli passport, said he had never been to Dubai.

"Wow, I didn't know that (the number) was out. That's horrid," he said, adding: "I have never been to Dubai."

Mildiner also revealed that although the name and number of the travel papers matched his own, the date of birth was off by a few days.

British-born Paul Keeley, 42, a builder who has lived on a Kibbutz in northern Israel for the past 15 years and had not left Israel for two years, the BBC and the Daily Telegraph reported.

"When I first heard about this I immediately looked to make sure my passport was still there and it was," he said.

"It has not been stolen so I don't know what on earth has happened," he added. "It is all very worrying but I know I have not done anything wrong."

Those traveling with UK documents were named as Michael Lawrence Barney, James Leonard Clarke, Jonathan Louis Graham, Paul John Keeley, Stephen Daniel Hodes and Melvyn Adam Mildiner.

It is believed that while details like the names, numbers and dates of birth on the suspect passports matched the originals, the photographs and signatures differed.

Dubai's police chief Lt. Col. Dhafi Khalfan Tamim said the identities of the suspects had been passed to Interpol, so that international warrants for their arrest may be issued.

Dubai murder: anger of accused

Dubai murder: anger of accused

British man named as suspect in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh killing says ordeal has left him 

'angry, upset and scared'

Rory McCarthy and Sam Jones

Images released by the authorities in Dubai showing seven of the 11 suspects wanted in connection with the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Photograph: AP

Three British men who today found themselves named as some of the assassins suspected of killing Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month expressed shock yesterday, with one saying that the ordeal had left him "angry, upset and scared".

Melvyn Mildiner, who lives with his family near Jerusalem, said he had gone to bed with pneumonia and awoke this morning to find he had been branded a killer by the Dubai police and the press.

"I have no idea how to clear my name," the technical writer told reporters. "Interpol has a warrant out for my arrest. I went to bed with pneumonia and woke up a murderer.

"I am obviously angry, upset and scared, any number of things. And I'm looking into what I can do to try to sort things out and clear my name. I don't know how this happened or who chose my name or why, but hopefully we'll find out soon." Mildiner, who lives with his wife, Sorcha, in Beit Shemesh, said he still had his UK passport with him, had never been to Dubai and bore no resemblance to the man of his name shown in photographs by Dubai police.

The 31-year-old was among six Britons named by Dubai police as members of the hit squad believed to be responsible for the killing of the Hamas militant.

The others are: Michael Barney, James Clarke, Jonathan Graham, Paul Keeley, and Stephen Hodes. Tonight Israel's Channel 2 reported that two other men besides Mildiner – Paul Keeley and Stephen Hodes – were British-born Israelis. The Foreign Office said it had no information on whether any of the named men had dual UK-Israeli citizenship. Today Hodes's wife Gabriella said that her husband, a 37-year-old physical therapist who moved to Israeli in 2000, learned of his "association" with the assassins by surfing an Israeli news website, Ynet. "He was sitting by the computer and suddenly realised it's his name," she told the site.

"At first he laughed and said that someone is dressing up like him for [the festival of] Purim but he later realized it was serious when he began receiving emails from friends. By then he wanted to talk to a lawyer. In time he realised that it was also his birth date. His parents are concerned, the family in England is concerned ‑ but no one from the authorities contacted us."

Paul Keeley, 43, from Kibbutz Nahsholim, told Israeli media: "I'm waiting for someone to talk to me. I'm afraid, it's scary when someone steals your identity, especially for these sorts of purposes. I haven't left the country since last year when I spent a few days in Turkey. I want answers. My wife is worried, the family is worried and I want to protect the family."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/16/dubai-murder-hamas-anger-accused/print

Kiev mayor denies daughter's jewels stolen

The mayor of Kiev's daughter told police she was robbed of $5.5 million worth of jewelry as she traveled by car from Charles de Gaulle airport to the French capital, Paris police said Tuesday.

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UK Somalis rally behind pirates’ British hostages

By Jon Kelly BBC News Paul and Rachel Chandler Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized while sailing from the Seychelles The kidnap of Britons Paul and Rachel Chandler by pirates of the coast of Somalia has shocked the world – and the British Somali community is keen to show the couple their support. Sensitive to their homeland's reputation for civil war, piracy and lawlessness, Somalis across the UK have mobilised behind a campaign to release the pair. TV and radio stations serving the community are broadcasting regular appeals for the Chandlers' release, while demonstrations and public meetings demanding their freedom have been organised by Somali leaders across the country. They hope that the pressure will be felt back in their mother country – and that the strength of feeling among Somali Britons will be felt by the pirates themselves. 'Very angry' Paul, 60, and wife Rachel, 56, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were captured while sailing towards Tanzania on 23 October. Their captors have threatened to kill the couple if their demands for $7m (£4.4m) are not met. Recent video showed Mrs Chandler saying she was desperate and that she had been treated cruelly. Kayse Maxamed, editor, Somali Voice Because we are British now, we see our fellow citizens have been taken hostage Kayse Maxamed Editor, Somali Voice The couple's plight has prompted a series of displays of solidarity from the UK Somali community, whose numbers were estimated at 101,000 in 2008 but which some observers believe could number as many as 250,000. Hundreds are expected to attend a public meeting on Sunday in Camden, north London, called by community leaders in support of the couple. Somalis in Bristol have already launched their own campaign, when a large crowd gathered to witness the unfurling of a banner in support of the couple outside the Al Baseera mosque in the city's St Jude's area. Kayse Maxamed, 39, editor of the Bristol-based Somali Voice newspaper, has spoken out about the plight of the Chandlers on the radio in the US and Africa. Rachel Chandler and Mohamed Helmi Hangul Mrs Chandler has complained of being badly treated He believes Somalis in the UK owe a debt of gratitude to the country which has given so many of them shelter from war and violence. "The Somali community is very angry," he says. "We feel we have to do something. "Britain welcomes Somalis. Many of us came as refugees, as asylum seekers, and now we live freely. Britain gives millions to the Somali people [in overseas aid]. "We think the pirates really damage that relationship. They blacken our names. "Because we are British now, we see our fellow citizens have been taken hostage." Somalis in Bristol even launched a bid to raise funds to pay the ransom – an effort that, says Mr Maxamed, was dropped in a bid to present a united front with the British government's policy of not paying out cash in exchange for hostages. The Foreign Office had previously issued a statement arguing that "making concessions only encourages future kidnaps" after an anti-piracy maritime group said it should be allowed to negotiate a payment. 'Un-Somali' However, many believe it is the community's lobbying efforts, rather than its cash, which is its most powerful weapon. This point is emphasised forcefully by Omar Yusuf, 53, of the Somali Community Centre, in Gospel Oak, north London, and one of the organisers of Sunday's London, meeting. How can they take an older couple and treat them this way? Omar Yusuf Somali Community Centre, north London "We want people to use their influence back in Somalia – we want word to get back to the pirates that what they are doing is madness," he says. "We're emphasising the cultural aspect as well – it is un-Islamic, it is un-Somali, to take these people. "I came to this country 21 years ago with nothing. How can they take an older couple and treat them this way?" There are signs that this pressure is having an impact. After Ridwaan Haji Abdiwali, presenter on a London-based Somali satellite television channel, made repeated on-air calls for the Chandlers to be freed, the irate pirates rang the station to complain. The efforts by the community have won praise from the Foreign Office. "We have raised Paul and Rachel's situation with key Somali contacts from the outset," a spokesman said. "The diaspora community has shown considerable goodwill." All those concerned for the fate of Mr and Mrs Chandler will hope this goodwill produces results.

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Grand mufti calls for monitoring of massage centers

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Feb 14, 2010 11:46 PM Updated: Feb 14, 2010 11:46 PM

RIYADH: The Kingdom's grand mufti, Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al-Ashaikh, has called on the Ministry of Health (MoH) to monitor clubs and centers which offer massage services.

Al-Ashaikh said that the monitoring should be carried out before the centers turn into a threat to society due to the unpleasant practices that might go on in them. The grand mufti spoke to local newspapers following an incident in Riyadh in which both young Saudi and Asian men were caught behaving immorally and which therefore resulted in the closure of the center in which they were caught. The men were taken into custody by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the center was closed by the Riyadh municipality.

"The practice of sinful acts in these clubs is a danger to our society; the concerned authorities must investigate the massage services that these places offer. The centers have to be closely monitored," he added. The grand mufti also said, "The Ministry of Health must stop these practices before they threaten our society."

Dr. Sami Badawood, head of medical affairs in Jeddah, said that monitoring these clubs and centers was not their responsibility "unless the clubs and centers provide a medical service."

Arab News attempted to get a response from the Jeddah municipality which licenses the clubs and centers but no one was available for comment.

In Riyadh, the head of the Environmental Health Department at the Riyadh municipality, Sulaiman Al-Bathi, said that they had teams who would investigate more than 130 centers in Riyadh, some of which are operating without proper authorization or licenses.  Abdul Muhsin Al-Ghifari, a spokesman for the Virtue Commission, said that the commission could not make field inspections of the clubs but that they could go in and take into custody people who were behaving immorally.

"We do not go in unless we receive accurate information and ensure that the information is correct. Other governmental bodies have the responsibility of monitoring the clubs and centers," he added. "The commission also cooperates with the police and the municipality in certain situations," he concluded

 

Arab News Editorial: Sena’s bigotry

Editorial: Sena's bigotry

INDIA'S genius and strength lie in its rich diversity. This country of 1.2 billion people with 22 official languages is a vibrant melting pot of cultures, united in the pride of being Indian. This most obviously manifests itself on the cricket pitch but it can be seen in every major urban area, with the knowledge that India, after years of stagnation, now has one of the world's fastest growing economies. In the light of its expanding list of achievements, the activities of India's minority of bigots is thrown into sharp relief. The behavior of the Hindu Shiv Sena thugs in the country's commercial capital Mumbai is a particularly deplorable example of blind prejudice that is being exploited by a handful of politicians in a vain attempt to ride to power. The latest manifestation of this objectionable group's bigotry has come with violent protests at the Mumbai screenings of a new Bollywood film, "My Name Is Khan". The reason for the riots could not be more pathetic. The film's star, Shah Rukh Khan, one of the leading actors in India's thriving film industry, had commented that it was a pity no Pakistani cricketers had been chosen to play in the Indian Premier League. This view is shared by many other Indians who regret that apparently for political reasons, though security seems also to have been an issue, talented players from India's equally cricket-mad neighbor have not been selected for this highly prestigious competition. The response of Shiv Sena has been disgusting. Using intimidation, it first endeavored to stop cinema managements from showing the film. When this failed and 21,000 police were deployed to protect some 60 theaters screening "My Name Is Khan", Shiv Sena mobilized hundreds of bully boys who attempted to storm police lines and enter the cinemas. This happened despite the pre-emptive arrest of up to 1,000 activists. The bigots are demanding that Khan apologize for and retract his perfectly innocuous remark. Khan has indeed expressed regret publicly that something he said should have caused such a furious reaction. He protested that he was only an actor whose job was to entertain, not upset. However, he has quite rightly refused to eat his words. He might indeed have added that it is almost certain that Shiv Sena's perverted views were also actuated by the fact that he is himself a Muslim. He could have said that his religion makes him no less an Indian than someone from any other cultural background, including even the purblind supporters of Shiv Sena. There is an irony to this that is almost certainly lost on these Hindu thugs. "My Name Is Khan" is a groundbreaking film that probably signals a new wave in Bollywood for more serious, thoughtful movies. For years filmmakers have churned out low budget, saccharine musical romps, which made up for what they lacked in sophisticated plot and dialogue with astonishing energy. Indians should, therefore, be excited and proud of this new departure. But not Shiv Sena, who cannot think straight above the strident row of their protests. Politics of elderly care EXCERPTS from an editorial in The Independent on Friday: An attempt to forge a cross-party consensus on care for elderly people in England disintegrated this week. A government Green Paper on the subject last year floated various ideas for extending care. And one of the options for paying for such an extension was a compulsory levy on estates after death. This week the Conservatives launched an attack on Labour's "death tax" in a new poster campaign. Labour and the Liberal Democrats accused the Tories of breaking the consensus. But the Conservatives deny there was never an agreement — and claim a report that Labour was preparing to back the compulsory levy in its manifesto justified their intervention. Leaving aside the finger pointing, it is interesting that there were cross-party talks on this subject in the first place. All three parties clearly sensed they were vulnerable on social care. The present means-tested care system is deeply unpopular, especially the requirement for some elderly people to sell their homes to pay for care. And local councils — controlled by all three parties — have been tightening the qualification threshold. Yet politics as usual has reasserted itself. The Conservatives' suggested alternative are incentives for voluntary insurance in the form of a one-off, up-front, payment of about 8,000 pounds sterling at age 65. They suggest this would cover individuals if they need residential care later on in life. But the cost projections for this are dubious. And they do not say what would happen to the uninsured. There is no reason why care for elderly people should be exempt from the usual partisan battles. After all, with our society rapidly aging, this is one of the most important issues facing this country. The overall cost of elderly care is projected to double in the next two decades. Dealing with this challenge equitably is surely the very essence of politics. Yet it is more than a decade since a Royal Commission, headed by Sir Stewart Sutherland, laid out the urgent need for decisive political leadership on long-term social care for elderly people.

Who is Valentine's Day for?

Who is Valentine's Day for?

By Khaled ibn Abdul-Rahman Al-Shayi'

People naturally like occasions of happiness and pleasure, whether private or public, including eids (feasts or days of celebration). For the sake of this inclination, the Shari'a came with the legitimacy of the Fitr and Adha Eids: Two valid eids in the year, and Allah has legislated in them (reasonable) spending and the showing of happiness which people need, in addition to a weekly eid which is Friday. And this is part of the mercy of Allah upon this nation of Mohammad (peace be upon him). 
If we look at the celebrations that other nations have, we will find that they have quite a number of them: one for each national occasion and season, Mother's Day, Labor Day, a day for agriculture and so on, to the extent that there is barely a month without a specific eid.  All this is from their innovation.

Allah the Exalted has said (interpretation of the meaning) 
{But the monasticism which they invented for themselves We did not prescribe for them} (Al-Hadid 57:27) and for this reason the dates of the occasions have changed through the years according to political and social desires, and they are accompanied with more rituals, habits and types of amusement than can be listed, according to the details in specialized books.

Among the strange eids in the world today are those of the pagans and the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), connected to their gods, rabbis and monks, such as the days of St. Michael, St. Andrew, St. Valentine, etc.  These eids are accompanied with several acts including decorating homes, lighting candles, going to the church, buying certain types of candy, specific songs and so on.

After that it has become the habit of non-Muslim nations to celebrate birthdays in which people invite their friends, prepare special food, light candles according to the age of the person etc.. and some Muslims have imitated them in this innovation! 
After this introduction to the eids of the nations, it is worth mentioning that a Muslim should be confident that the most complete guidance and the best legislation is that which the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon him) came with.

Allah the Exalted has said (interpretation of the meaning) 
{This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion} (Al-Maida 5:3).

All the eids that the other nations have are innovation and misguidance, in addition to their disbelief in Allah. Allah the Exalted has said (interpretation of the meaning) 
{If anyone desires a religion other than Islam never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good) } (Al-Imran 3:85)

Due to the importance of this subject and the attention it should be given - I mean what has come to Muslims from the eids of disbelievers and the occasions they relate to their religion - Islam has given the matter eloquent and specific care.  Allah has described His believing servants as avoiding disbelievers in their eids: {Those who witness no falsehood} (Al-Furqan 25:72). Falsehood in this verse refers to the eids of the disbelievers.  Allah has legislated for His believing servants eids that suffice them from copying those of others: 
Abu Dawood, Nasa'i and others have authentically reported that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Madinah at a time in which  people had two days in which they played.  He told them: "Allah has replaced these two with what is better: the days of Fitr and Adha." 
Hafiz Ibn Hajjar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "From this it is deduced that it is disliked to be happy during the pagans' eids and to imitate them." 
In what follows we will consider an eid that some Muslims have imitated and taken from the disbelievers, namely Valentine's Day, which Christians have specified as the 14th of February, according to a certain creed that they have and which we will not go into the details of.

Normally we would not have considered this eid nor given it any attention, as it is one of the tens of eids that they have, but because some Muslims and Muslimahs have become affected by this, it has become necessary to inform our brothers and sisters who attempt to participate in this occasion with its specific 'rituals' and do not know that Valentine's Day is deeply rooted in the Christian creed.  The latter - i.e., the Christians - differ on whether this is something they inherited or something inherited from the Romans, who had gods according to their desires: they appointed gods for love as they do with other gods for light, darkness, crops, rain, seas, rivers, and so on.

Some of the things observed by disbelievers during Valentine's Day include their clothes, gifts, greeting cards, red roses (they use red as a symbol for a certain obscene behavior).  They also celebrate by writing phrases of love and passion on the cards that are exchanged between young men and women, purchasing red teddy bears with hearts and words of love on them which are sold at high prices as presents that symbolize love!

One of the things that has increased the spreading of these issues in some Muslim countries is what many forms of media (whether read or viewed) - and particularly satellite channels - do by advertising this behavior using various methods, to the extent that the matter is no longer evident to simple people who do not have sufficient educational sense to protect them from these twisted behaviors, and particularly male and female students in public and higher education.

According to what has been presented, we would like to confront our brothers and sisters - fellow Muslims - who participate in any of the types of celebrations mentioned, and we say: 
Today those of you who celebrate Valentine's Day and similar do this for something within yourselves. But I think that with your instinct of the oneness of Allah, that if you knew the religious background of this celebration and what it bears of symbols of innovation, paganism, and demonstrating that there are other gods than Allah - may Allah be exalted from that - you would realize how grave your mistake is and the awfulness of the direction you have taken and how you have been effected.

Scholars have said that a Muslim should not accept any gift or food prepared for the sake of the disbelievers' eids.  For this reason, it is incumbent upon fathers and mothers to pay attention of this in their children, and particularly if they see their daughters wearing red blouses, jackets or the like specifically on that day.  Likewise, if children ask them to buy roses or greeting cards that are specific for that day, they should tell them the truth about this issue in a religious, educational and convincing manner.

We also greatly admonish those Muslims who sell symbols of disbelievers' celebrations, whether by importing or producing them.  For example, those who sell and provide flowers specifically on that day, and owners of stores that sell toys and wrap gifts.  These people are helping in the celebration of disbelievers' eids, and undoubtedly they are cooperating in vice and aggression and participating in the spreading of the beliefs of the disbelievers.  However, may Allah be praised, they have a lot of other things to sell that are not used in the celebration of the disbelievers' eids.

Another thing we should mention here is that Muslims who carry the knowledge or work for the media should play their role in protecting Islamic thoughts from their media counterparts who contempt Islam and Muslims.

We would like to conclude our topic with the fatwa of the great scholar Sh. Mohammad ibn Saleh Al-Othaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him).  He was asked about celebrating and participating in Valentine's Day.  His answer was: 
"Celebrating Valentine's Day is not permitted because: 
1. it is an innovated eid that has no basis in shari'a 
2. it invites people to love and passion 
3. it invites people's hearts to be busy with these insignificant issues that are against the path of the previous righteous people, may Allah be pleased with them.

So it is forbidden to perform any 'eid rituals' on this day - whether food, drinks, clothes, gifts, etc. 
A Muslim should be proud of his/her religion, and should not by an imitator who follows every caller. 
I ask Allah to protect Muslims from all temptations, both visible or hidden." [End of the shaikh's fatwa] 
Thus it is evident "who Valentine's Day is for", as this day is not of the practices of Islam nor its guidance, but rather the result of the social and educational pitfalls of the disbelievers.  Any Muslim who participates in celebrating this day does so because of whims within him/herself and because of personal defeat, inadequate educational sense, and weakness of Islamic protection in those whose own selves deceived them into imitating disbelievers and mimicking them in their unworthiness and misguidance. 
May peace be upon our prophet Mohammad and his family and companions. 

Joys and sorrows of parenthood

Joys and sorrows of parenthood Edited by Adil Salahi

The first marriage of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave him six children. The first was a boy, named Al-Qasim. While most human societies, past and present, give preference to male offspring, the pre-Islamic Arabian society surpassed all others in this regard. It was not uncommon for a father to bury a daughter alive, for fear of poverty or shame. To the Arabs at the time, a woman could neither earn her living nor fight in a tribal war. Thus she was a burden to be got rid of. A man with no male offspring was considered to be highly unfortunate because he would be forgotten soon after his death. He had no sons to bear his name. As we know, Muhammad's marriage took place 15 years before he became God's Prophet and messenger. His was a happy marriage and both he and his wife were very delighted to have a boy for their first child. Muhammad was a very caring husband and a father who doted on his children. Moreover, he did not share the Arabian view of female offspring. While an Arab would receive the birth of a daughter with much gloom and would be greatly depressed by the news, Muhammad felt that a daughter could be the source of great joy and happiness. Therefore, when Khadijah, his wife, gave birth to a daughter, he felt overjoyed. He gave her the name Zaynab, which meant "her father's adornment." This was an implicit response to the Arabian gloomy reception of baby girls. Yet the joy of having both son and daughter together did not last long. Tragedy was to strike shortly afterward. Al-Qasim died before he reached two years of age. This caused Muhammad much sorrow, but infant mortality was a frequent occurrence in all societies at the time. Khadijah was still in her prime, and she was to give her husband four more children: three daughters and a son. It never occurred to Muhammad that having daughters was anything but a blessing. While his society would consider him greatly unfortunate to have four daughters, he had no such feelings. On the contrary, he loved his daughters better than most Arabs would love their sons. He doted on them and ensured that they received the best upbringing he could give them. Their mother was a wise woman, and she was certain to make their life a comfortable one. His second son was called Abdullah, but nicknamed Al-Tahir (i.e. the pure). Yet this second son of the Prophet did not live long either. He died very young, perhaps not getting beyond his first birthday. His daughters lived until they were married. Three of them had children. However, only one of them, Fatimah, survived the Prophet. The other three, Zaynab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom died before him. The Prophet had no children by any of his wives, although three of them had children by earlier marriages. However, he had one more son born to him late in his life by Maria, the Coptic slave sent to him as a gift by Al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt. He named that son Ibraheem, which is the Arabic form of Abraham. Again, Ibraheem lived only 18 months. Thus, the Prophet, who was a most loving and caring father, experienced the death of six of his seven children. Fatimah, who survived him, died six months after he had passed away.

Female religious leaders lead the fight against AIDS

Female religious leaders lead the fight against AIDS

Source: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)


Female religious leaders have taken a central role in the fight against AIDS in Somalia. This follows a series of trainings recently conducted by local organizations, with support from UNDP.

In Somaliland, UNDP supported four training events for female religious leaders in Hargeisa, Borama, Berbera and Buroa, in collaboration with the Somaliland HIV/AIDS Network and the Somaliland AIDS Commission. These trainings increased their knowledge on HIV and AIDS and placed female religious leaders at the forefront of community-based advocacy and awareness raising. Using the Compassion in Action toolkit developed by UNDP's HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States, the female religious leaders were sensitized about key issues: misconceptions that increase the chances of contracting HIV; stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV; and the important role that religious leaders and community members play in helping to reduce the number of new HIV infections and caring for the sick. They were also equipped with messages from the Koran that support the fight against HIV and AIDS.

These trainings helped to develop common messages on prevention, treatment, care and support for people living with HIV, which will be disseminated during Friday prayer meetings.

Tradition and religion are strongly linked in the Somali community. Therefore, religious leaders have a great responsibility in leading the fight against HIV/AIDS and advocating for shared communal responsibility in addressing the primary socio-cultural and behavioural risks associated with the spread of HIV. Their open interaction with their congregations can enable them to inform and educate members and encourage positive change regarding sensitive issues related to sexuality, which are often not discussed by the community members.

The trainings were attended by over 100 female religious Leaders drawn from different parts of Somaliland.

Training in South Central Somalia was conducted towards the end of 2009 and sensitized participants on the basic principles of Behaviour Change Communication. The trainings also brought together religious leaders and participants who had been trained under the Behaviour Change Communication Peer Educator project. The aim is to strengthen community outreach work among the various groups in the region.

By December 2009, over 800 religious leaders had been trained using a specific toolkit designed to equip religious leaders to become 'agents of change' in the response to HIV and AIDS. In addition, 240 religious leaders were trained using the Behaviour Change Communication toolkit.

'To Israel I am stained with blood'

'To Israel I am stained with blood'

Relatives sit underneath posters of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh [EPA] Approximately 10 months ago, Al Jazeera Arabic interviewed a man in Damascus, Syria who was believed to be part of a cell that had kidnapped and killed two Israeli soldiers, Avi Sasportas and Ilan Sa'adon, in 1989.  Al Jazeera has since learned that the man - who kept his face covered for the interview - was Mahmoud Abdul Raouf al-Mabhouh, a Hamas military commander who was killed in Dubai on January 20. Al-Mabhouh had been one of Israel's most wanted people for 20 years and was accused of being responsible for a number of operations, including the kidnapping and killing of the two soldiers. Hamas has alleged that al-Mabhouh was assassinated by Israeli agents. Below is the interview conducted with al-Mabhouh last year. "I am not the only wanted man. Hundreds and dozens of people who have fought the Israelis are wanted. I am not the only one. Only God determines when people's lives end. We know the price for going on this path. And we have no problem with that. There was a [state of] awakening. The groups have continued to fight the Israelis for three or four years, but then it was over. All these groups were eliminated by assassinating and liquidating them. A new state emerged and the factions called it the 'Ikhwanjiyeh' which means 'Ikhwan' [brothers]. One of the people who used to come to our house was my elder brother Hassan, or Abu Abdullah, and Ibrahim Maqadna, one of the founders of the [brigades]. I used to know most of them, like Abu Maher Tedras, Abdul al-Hafez al-Silawi and Abdul Hafez al-Sharif. The mother of killed soldier Ilan Sa'adon holds her son's portrait [EPA] Since that time, I have had love and piety. Thank God all my family members were pious. My father created a special atmosphere of piousness in our home through some of his friends, one of them used to lecture us everyday on fiqh [Islamic doctrine], on jihad, on patience and other thoughts, he was the Mujahid Abu Idris Awda, one of those who was shot twice during the 1948 war, one in the shoulder and one in the kidney. He brutally fought with Hassan al-Banna. We lived an Islamic atmosphere in our home. I had an iron religious commitment at that time. I used to perform all prayers in the mosque, particularly the fajr [dawn] prayer, and I had good relations with all people. I had good relations with everyone, and I was familiar with weapons, I knew who sold them and who brought them from Egypt. We used to get our weapons from Egypt, not from the Israelis, to avoid getting in security trouble. We stayed like that for a long time. One of those who was very close to me and had great influence on me was Sheikh Salah Shehada, before his first detention in 1981. I remember that in 1981, I and one of my fellow brothers, who is still alive, brought a group of weapons that were not caught and supplied one of those who were held with the Sheikh, I brought the weapon and let him escape from detention. The brothers were preparing for a military act. I was very close to Sheikh Salah. He used to come to me a lot; whenever he wanted a car, wanted maintenance for the car or anything else, I used to go to Jabalya refugee camp and pray the Friday noon prayers with him. He had recently come from Egypt at that time, stayed in Arish and then came to Beit Hanoun. He then built his own mosque and we used to pray with him. He was detained in the 1980s along with a group of nine people. My relationship with him continued even after he was freed.  Detention and torture I was then detained in 1986. I did not confess to anything. I stayed there for 46 days under interrogation. They used to transfer me, either to Askalan or to Gaza's central jail. They tortured me for 33 days, then they gave a rest for two days, and then the interrogation continued, it lasted for 46 days. Steve, a well-known investigator in Askalan jail, tried along with three of his aides to pressure and torture me so harsh that I used to faint. Once I was saying the shahada, I heard him saying in Hebrew "this man will die and I am not ready" and then ended the interrogation. They then sent me back to Gaza's central jail. Thank God as he gave me the strong will and patience. We did not confess and did not tell on anyone. Of course, my relationship with Sheikh Salah was strengthened after I was released, he was even one of those who stood by my father's side and assigned a lawyer to represent him. He was one of those who used to wait for me while I was held in prison. We used to plan for every little and big step. Our work was well-planned, not random. We used to plan to kill first and then capture ones [soldiers] alive. We only needed a piece of land, usually in a farm or a in a poultry farm, and we used to dig a secret jail under the ground, and hold some soldiers or officers there, just like the case of [captured Israeli soldier Gilad] Shalit. Disguise, we were dressed like religious Jews, like the Rabbis. One of the places we used to observe was Hidaya roundabout. A car arrived, dropped passengers including Avi Sasportas who was kidnapped and killed on February 16, 1989. I was the driver, and there were boxes in the car. He got on the car and sat in the back seat. There was a special signal between me and Abu Suhaib. After we passed Hidaya roundabout, I signed to Abu Suhaib who had a gun, he shot him twice in the face and once in the chest. I heard his sigh at the first shot and he died. We then took him to the already-prepared place and buried him there. We had stripped him of his clothes and belongings before we buried him. He had a wallet, ID card, and a military card, he even had a special weapon with night-view laser light. It was an M15 weapon. The operation was discovered 11 days later. We tried to announce responsibility for the operation, but no news agencies tried to report it.  Motivation Sheikh Salah knew about the operation when he was held in jail. Some of the brothers who visited him wrote on the walls and claimed responsibility for the operation, they wrote the 'Palestinian Mujahidin movement' at that time, and other phrases that indicated it was our group. The Israelis then reported a number of names, they were trying to know who stood behind the operation, but it was all lies. We used to laugh at them. I think Sheikh Salah knew about it. Sheikh Salah Shehada used to motivate the rest of the cells and groups which were in Bureij and Zeitoun, but they were caught after the second operation and the Sheikh was then detained. Mourners carry the coffin of al-Mabhouh [EPA] Muhammad Shawatha was the link between the groups held in jails and those outside. He was ... sentenced to life imprisonment. A date was set, May 3, 1989, there were two police cars, they [soldiers] were in a restaurant near a station in al-Quds, it was after 4pm in the afternoon. A military bus stopped there and dropped two, it was clear that these two were off on their weekend, they asked us how they could reach Majdal roundabout, I told them we had a place for only one to ensure the success of the operation. As we were going on the highway to Majdal, Abu Suhaib turned back and shot him, took his weapon, we had sharp knives and I had a gun, I wanted to shoot him but Abu Suhaib was faster than me. His blood was all over the car. We reached the already-set place, put him there and left. We entered the Gaza Strip, to Jabalya, left the car in Jabal al-Kashef neighbourhood. Shawatha's mission was to close the place and clean the car. The Israelis felt that a car entered the place and started to shoot from all directions. I went west, crawled and then ran from Salah al-Din road to the camp. I had the weapons. The Israelis knew from newspapers that something had happened, but did not know what it was. It was a Wednesday. On Saturday, his comrade, who was with him, asked his parents about him, said he saw him getting in a 1988 white Subaru when he left him. They informed the police and started to look for him. They then knew he must have met the same fate like the first one, and knew he must have been in Gaza. Shawatha was then detained. Leaving home We left our homes from the first moment the car was caught. I have not spent a night at my home since that time, because the car was caught and it bore our fingerprints. Shawatha confessed after very harsh torture. The groups we used to contact were all caught, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was detained then, and they knew that Abu Suhaib and al-Mabhouh were behind the seizure of the soldier. Pursuing us started at that time. The Israelis did not try to storm our homes, they were trying to monitor them from a distance but we felt that we were pursued. We stayed in Gaza Strip for only two months, and then were told to leave to Egypt. It was worth it. Those who were held and tortured in jails know about it more than those who were not. I was detained several times, I know what it means. These people must be forced out by any means even if we would be martyred. However, it needs cautiousness, and thank God I have a very strong sense of cautiousness.  Assassination attempts The Israelis have tried to assassinate me three times. On the day Izz was martyred, I was going down to the car, they escaped, they were sticking a bomb to the car. And they tried [to assassinate me] in Lebanon in 1991. And one month after Imad [Moghniyeh] was martyred, on March 14, I saw a person watching me. He ran away when he noticed that I had seen him. I am very cautious, thank God. Eventually, only God determines when our lives end. We know the price to going on this path. God will Insha'Allah [God willing] make us stronger, and I hope to become a martyr. To the Israelis, my hands are stained with their blood, but to God? This is what matters. The Israelis are the killers and the criminals. They took our land, killed our children, the massacres that happened in Gaza. Insha'Allah the resistance will be stronger and will harshly retaliate."

Source: Al Jazeera

I thought Switzerland was a Christian state

By Ahmed Arwo

During the festive holiday of end of the year, I encountered a friend of mine in a shopping mall in Cardiff, Wales. After warm seasonal greetings, we started to chat about current affairs. Switzerland and its eccentric decision to ban minarets presented itself. My friend a devoted Christian cannot believe a Christian state could ban a symbol of another heavenly religion. He suddenly said... "I thought Switzerland was a Christian state", hence, the title of this article.

Islamic minarets were and are in all over Christian countries and for centuries. The minority vote that overturned this harmony put into questions this country's wisdom and even its religion. As common to the West, the abundance of freedom and peace diminished the need to involve in politics. That indifference undermines the spirit of democracy and gives un-proportional share of power to extremist few. Direct impact of this trend is the result of the so called referendum of banning Islamic Minarets in Switzerland. The approval of this Stone Age suppression of minority rights is passed by 57% of 53% of the registered electorates. That means 30% of the eligible voters. Democracy rather than majority rule is becoming a minority rule. Well focused minority kidnaps the Western democracy and if that bigotry is unrestricted, we will lose all the rights associated with democracy

Why Switzerland is different than all other Christian nations? Do they concoct a unique religion of their own, as they sculpted their country from three nations? Switzerland has distinctive history and in many ways it is an odd state in a vibrant continent. Its people are weird in nationality. They are the Germanys that rejected their German identity, the French that refused to be French, and the Italians that kicked out their Roman heritage. What a bizarre arrangement! Yet each one of these three mini states functions individually and haphazardly in unity. They share more with their original countries than with themselves, making Switzerland a token state. Geneva sees France as its country, sharing them with common language, culture and convention. The papers they read, the media they watch and listen is that of France. Lugano sees Italy for the same and also Zurich looks at Germany. There is no Swiss language. No common heritage, they do share neither culture nor history.

This strange co-existence was admired worldwide. We all thought Switzerland as a model of cohabitation, tolerance and accepted its existence as a model of human unity. People united in destiny despite huge difference in tongue and tradition.

This false appreciation rewarded Switzerland unwarranted benefits. They secured the distinction of being the site for many United Nations goodwill and administrative offices, despite its atypical behaviour of not been a member state. The UNO employs thousands in this non-member state, occupying the most lavish and expensive buildings at the cost of member states.

Ironically the Human Rights headquarter is based in Geneva. How that can be justified with its harsh treatment of minority citizens? It is high time to move these offices out of this renegade state. Switzerland has a unique value to worldwide thieves and corrupt governments. We all know that those who pillage meagre wealth of developing countries give top priority to Switzerland when it comes where they can hide the looted treasures.

Most Arab elites and businessmen consider it, as their number one priority for safety and tolerance, when investment decision arises. Muslims were proud to send their children for higher education, to them Swiss certificate of education, was a license for wisdom and quality knowledge. All these positive attributes, true or false are lost by a decision of minority voters who opted for further isolation. That isolation will soil their reputation and eventually lower their quality of life when disinvestment of Muslims takes place. Be assured that will happen, sooner than latter. With modern communication and technology, we live in the same village. There are series of campaigns to give Switzerland its own medicine. To quote one Facebook Campaign click and join this page: Boycott Switzerland for Banning Mosque Minarets http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=190590376903

Muslims and Christians co-existed and would maintain that neighbourhood attitude for ever. I am British and proud to be Muslim. My country gives full rights to its entire citizen, regardless of colour, greed and gender. I never felt discriminated by law. There is racism and discrimination but none is beyond administrative procedures and old practices. There is no law that categorizes a sector of its citizens. It is the law which counts. In Britain, we are all equal under the law. No nation would be proud of democracy if not upholding the rights of its minority. Peace and unity are fundamental needs of nations to flourish, to develop and to exercise their duties of providing its citizens shelter, employment and education, and that cannot be realised without equality and justice.

Historically, do you ever ask yourself why there is no Muslim Spanish after over three hundred years of Muslim rule? During these centuries of Muslim rule, no one was compelled to convert to Islam. Jewish and Christians were left at their choice. Their rights were safeguarded in the first Human rights convention, which was established in Al-Andalusia, stating everyone is free to exercise his or her religion in free and safe environment. The state used to pay Priests and Rabbis as well as Imams. The opposite happened when Christian invaders conquered Spain. People were given a bible and dined with pork, if rejected their heads were severed. Thousands were slain and all compelled to convert into Christianity. That is why all grand mosques were turned into mansions and museums if not into churches. The tiny Jewish and Muslim survivors of this genocide immigrated to Morocco.

Equally contemporary Muslims respect places of worship, regardless of the religion. Do you know there are more synagogues than Jewish in Syria, all safeguarded by the state. The Christians enjoy of having more than their proportionate share of power and wealth in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt and even in Bahrain. There is one single family of Jewish origin in Bahrain and that family has one representative in national Assembly and a high level Ambassador in USA. Compare that to what the Swiss are doing and contrast that with Spanish phenomena. Having said that, in many Islamic states, all citizens are subjected to injustice by corrupt and undemocratic governments and nothing is specific to non-Muslims.

Current discriminatory acts against Islam emerged from President Bush's speech after 9/11 atrocity. He stated; "War on terror...this crusade is going to take a while..." He was not good at history. The crusades were parade of depravity in the name of Christian religion. According to Jonathan Philips in his book: Holy Warriors: a Modern History of the Crusades, The first crusaders careered through Europe, slaughtering Jews in Germany, attacking the Hungarians and pillaging the land around Christian Constantinople..."When they captured Jerusalem in 1099 the slaughter was immense, with piles of heads lying in the streets while crusaders seized babies by their feet and dashed their brains against the walls.." Compare that when Muslims captured Jerusalem and forgave all its residents, leaving Jews and Christians to worship their religion in peace and freedom.

WE have to endeavour together and stop this propensity of prejudice and annihilation of dignity of one of the greatest religions on the earth. Those of us who share in believing one God ,heaven, hell and life after death, let us unite and safe our belief which is threatened by atheists and those who define religion as a social opium rather than fighting one another. Freedom of worship is both human rights and God's command. Do not let us detached by fanatics who are tiny minority in every religion. They thrive in death and destruction.

I hope the silent majority of Swiss will regain their dignity and world status by reversing the minority decision that sullied their reputations.

Ahmed Arwo

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Broken Britain

Established 1981

London School of Islamics    

An Educational Trust

63 Margery Park Road London E7 9LD

  Email: info@londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Tel/Fax: 0208 555 2733 / 07817 112 667

Broken Britain

Britain has a broken society. This is a dark portrait but it is very true. Children are left to rot and they grew into animals. Binge drinking, drug addiction, a culture of disrespect and antisocial behavior, teenage pregnancies and abortions, knife and gun culture are part and parcel of every day life in all big city centers. The teenage pregnancies and the sheer madness of sex education teach nothing about morality. British society is suffering from unprecedented social decay and societal breakdown, according to the Children's Society shocking evidence. Britain has more broken families than other countries. British children are rougher with each other, and live more riskily in terms of alcohol, drugs and teenage pregnancies. Britain's rate of teenage pregnancy is the highest in Western Europe. According to official figures, nearly half of all babies are now born out of wedlock. They are more likely to suffer social, mental and emotional problems. Research has revealed that migrants in Britain are more likely to have children within marriage. The teaching of sex education could not curb teenage pregnancies. Infact, it has simply increased. This is a clear indication of broken society. It is an eye opening for the Muslim community who sends their children to state schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers.

 

In broken Britain, the break downs of family are ripping apart communities. According to a report, Scottish schools like English schools have become home for rapes, gun and knife culture, drug dealing, gang culture and racism.  It is a horrendous portrayal of the collapse of civilized life and of human despair. Carrying weapons is becoming the norms, violence is "routine" and families are terrorized by gangs. Every parent is worried about his child being indoctrinated into the idea that gay and sexual promiscuity is "normal" modes of behavior. Homosexuality was regarded as mental illness but now blue eyed western educated elites are its defenders and promoters. The spectre of hidden epidemic of sex crimes inside Britain's classrooms has emerged after Scotland Yard revealed there have been nearly 900 rapes or sex attacks in schools. The vast majority of victims were school children under the age of 16. As many as one in three were under 11. According to official figures, hundreds of children under the age of 12 were treated for addiction to drink and drugs.

 

Children are being taught that sexually transmitted diseases could be easily treated and there is no acknowledgement of the emotional harm of premature sexual activity. The truth is that more sex education and contraception are provided to children and teenagers, the more they fall pregnant. Studies have shown that access to contraception and sex education, sexual activity and conception and pregnancy rates go up. The sexual health of young Londoners is a "major public health issue" and still among the worst in the country, despite innovative projects and improvements in services.

 

The demand for Muslim schools comes from parents who want their children a
safe environment with an Islamic ethos. Parents see Muslim schools where children can develop their Islamic Identity where they won't feel stigmatised for being Muslims and they can feel confident about their faith. The significance and value of Muslim schools is that the Islamic religion imposed obligations of good citizenship, keeping the peace and paying taxes. While ambition of state school is to get children humping each other before they are out of primary school and giving them parenting classes when they are fourteen to help the girls cope with the babies they will have conceived at thirteen.

Iftikhar Ahmad

 

 
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