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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Muharram 14,1430/ January 11, 2009, # 4.
[65 issues of New Trend were published in 2008]


What is General Petraeus preparing for Afghanistan and Pakistan? Please scroll way down.


Please look at the "anti-semitism" article below. Would you say it is anti-semitism? Please scroll down to end.


Latest in the Israeli assault on Gaza:

January 11, 2009, 4 PM Eastern Standard Time: Earlier today, a powerful Israeli armored thrust into a suburb of Gaza City was beaten back by volunteers of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The assault was started after SIXTY air strikes on Gaza City by the Israeli air force during night time. The Israeli tanks and infantry captured a few buildings but withdrew after stiff resistance by poorly armed Islamic militias. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 900 killed and 3,000 wounded, with 25% of both figures women and children. Many bodies still are under the rubble and are not included in these totals.
[Comment: Khalid Mishal, speaking from Damascus, declared that the resistance would continue. However, Palestinians have small supplies of ammunition while the U.S. is sending in a big re-supply to Israel.] [See report below.].
[Iran, for all its talk, has not helped the Palestinians. They have no anti-tank weapons other than RPGs usable at close range and NO anti-aircraft guns . If al-Qaida or the Taliban had been facing the Jews, the entire Israeli tank column would have been blown up.]


From the JFGP web site
America's Jews: Fully Supporting Genocide in Gaza. [In their own words.]

"Ira Schwartz, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, commented, "The Greater Philadelphia Jewish community has a long history of financial and moral support for the State of Israel and our partnership community in Netivot-Sedot Negev and we're committed and ready to assist in any way we can if needed."

Finally, as we all seek peace, we must realize that the only way to start a peace process in the region is by defeating Hamas. Until this occurs, there will be more loss of innocent lives on both sides of the equation."


Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News] What do U.S. Muslims say? [4 items]
P.O. Box 10881
Baltimore, MD 21234

1. Africa is Important for us: Dr. Shabazz returns from Visits to Kenya and Ethiopia

Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz just returned from extensive trips to Kenya and Ethiopia. He is an honorary Kikuyu and visited sites of symbolic importance to the Mau Mau's resistance to the British during the struggle for Kenya's independence.

In Nairobi, Dr. Shabazz prayed at a grand mosque right in downtown. At least 30% of Nairobi is Muslim. He found that extensive areas of Kenya are a solid 100% Muslim. The southern city of Mombasa is 80 to 90% Muslim.

In Ethiopia, he visited Addis Ababa and neighboring towns with his adopted family. One of his adopted sons is a leading educationist of Ethiopia and has set up a university known for the quality of its education.

Dr. Shabazz noted that the majority of Ethiopia's people are Muslims, at least 65%.

Dr. Shabazz is Professor/The Endowed Chair in Mathematics from Grambling State University, Louisiana, and a philosopher of Jamaat al-Muslimeen.


2. Dr. Kaukab Siddique, Ameer, Jamaat al-Muslimeen

Gaza helps us to learn: Stand firm against Israeli oppression: Condemn Police Brutality in Oakland and New Orleans. Boycott the Jews! Khutba against brainwashing.

January 9: Dr. Siddique gave the Juma khutba in Central Baltimore, Maryland. Some of the main points of the khutba are given here:

Text: "Do people think that they will be left alone on saying "We believe." and that they will not be tested?" [The Qur'an 29:2]

"The believers, men and women, are protecting friends of each other: They command what is just and forbid what is evil: They establish prayer and practice regular charity, and they obey Allah and His messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: For Allah is exalted in Power, Wise." [The Qur'an 9:71.]

3. Imam Badi Ali, National Islamic leader of Jamaat al-Muslimeen
Like Moses, pbuh, Palestinians know the Pharoah best and will bring him down: The Qur'an warned us about Jews. Islamic Unity Emerging as Gaza Bleeds.

January 9, 2009: Imam Badi Ali gave the Juma' khutba in Greensboro, North Carolina. Here are some main points of the khutba:

The Prophet, pbuh, said, "...He who helps his needy brother, Allah will help in his need. And he who helps a Muslim to solve a hardship, Allah will solve a hardship for him on the Day of Judgment." [Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

The prophet , pbuh, said, "...Allah will help a person to the extent that the person helps his brother." [Hadith in Sahih Muslim]

The prophet, pbuh, said, "The example of the believers in their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind among themselves resembles one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness and fever with it." [Hadith, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Jamaat al-Muslimeen wants the ummah to notice the snakes within the ummah who are coordinating the Israeli operations against Gaza. First picture, playboy king Abdullah with Israeli terrorist Olmert and Israeli puppet Mahmoud Abbas. Second and third picture, Mahmoud Abbas kissing Condoleeza Rice and shaking her bloodstained hand. Fourth and 5th photo, Mahmoud Abbas working with Israeli terrorist Olmert. The U.S. wants to make Abbas the leader of Palestine, somewhat like Karzai is the leader of Afghanistan. And the dirtiest of them all, Hosni Mubarak, the tyrant of Egypt, with Israeli terrorist Tzipi.





Knoxville, Tennessee. Unusual Demonstration for Gaza: Distribution of Boycott Brochure
by Yusuf Irelandi [Jamaat al-Muslimeen]

The usually quiet Muslim community in Knoxville was jolted into action by the overwhelming tragedy unfolding in Gaza. Today [January 10] a successful demonstration was held against the assault on Gaza. An important aspect of this activity was Jamaat al-Muslimeen's BOYCOTT brochure against businesses which support Israel . The brochure was so popular that more than 80 people took it happily as the word spread about what was in it.

The brochure was reprinted locally from the original.




Powerful rally in Istanbul, Turkey in support of Gaza. [Jan 10, 2009]


January 10, 2009: Historic pro-Gaza rally in London, England outdid even Muslim countries. Palestinian flags from one end to the other. The large Muslim presence in Britain, drawing Muslims from Indo-Pakistan, Arab countries, Africa and the West Indies is beginning to have impact. Impressive pro-Palestinian rallies were also held in Germany, Norway, France and other European countries.



Pakistanis have poured out their hearts for Gaza and Palestine. Every city has seen large demonstrations condemning Israel and U.S. support for Israel as well as Indian occupation of Kashmir. Here a massive Islamic rally in Karachi organized by Jamiate Talaba-e-Arabia carries the green banners of Islam and calls for Jihad.


U.S. Sending Large New Arms Shipment to Israel including 3,000 tons of Explosives

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:25:45 GMT

The Pentagon plans to make a large arms delivery to Israel, rising fears that the military campaign in Gaza will go on for a long time.

The US is trying to hire a merchant ship that can carry hundreds of tons of weapons from Greece to Israel later this month; Reuters reported citing tender documents it had obtained.

According to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), the ship will transport 325 standard 20-foot containers of what has been called 'ammunition' from the Greek port of Astakos to the Israeli port of Ashdod on two separate trips in the second half of January.

A description on the manifest says the containers will be loaded with 'hazardous material', such as explosive substances and detonators, without giving any more details.

The Pentagon announced the tender for the ship in the last hours of 2008. The two deadlines set for the deliveries are January 25 and the last day of the month.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed the planned arms shipment to Israel, but denied that the delivery was linked to the Israel's deadly offensive in Gaza.

"This previously scheduled shipment is routine and not in support of the current situation in Gaza," said Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder.

However, a senior military analyst in London, who wished to remain unnamed, said the timing of the shipments shows that they may be 'irregular' and linked to the military operation in Gaza.

The tender for the ship followed a December US arms delivery to Israel, which was also carried out by a merchant ship.

This is while shipping brokers in London who have carried out weapon deliveries for the British and US military in the past say that shipment of such a large cargo of weapons to Israel is rare.

"Shipping 3,000-odd tons of ammunition in one go is a lot... this is pretty rare and we haven't seen much of it quoted in the market over the years," one broker said, on condition of anonymity.

Tender documents indicate that the German ship hired by the US in early December also carried a massive cargo of weapons that weighed over 2.6 million kg and filled up to 989 standard 20-foot containers to Ashdod from North Carolina.

In September, the US Congress approved a plan to sell Israel 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, of the Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39), that use GPS to find their way and are able to penetrate deep fortified constructions, such as Iran's nuclear facilities.

Last week, The Jerusalem Post, reported that the first shipment of the missiles arrived in early December, adding that the bombs had been used in the military onslaught in Gaza.

So far, Israel's 15-day offensive in the besieged Palestinian enclave has claimed the lives of more than 800 Palestinians and wounded almost 3500.

Hamas on the other hand says Palestinian fighters have so far killed at least 30 Israeli soldiers and wounded more than 80 others.

MJ/DT
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=81515§ionid=351020202

"The battle...has to begin here. In America. The only institution more powerful than the U.S. government is American civil society. The rest of us are subjects of slave nations. We are by no means powerless, but you have the power of proximity. You have access to the Imperial Palace and the Emperor's chambers. Empire's conquests are being carried out in your name."
Arundhati Roy



Top 5 lies about Israel's assault on Gaza

01/05/2009
Lie #1: Israel is only targeting legitimate military sites and is seeking to protect innocent lives. Israel never targets civilians.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of fighters within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting fighters is, in fact, a war crime.

(Watch video: Israeli guns bombard Gaza in escalation of Hamas war )

Moreover, the people Israel claims are legitimate targets are members of Hamas, which Israel says is a terrorist organization. Hamas has been responsible for firing rockets into Israel. These rockets are extremely inaccurate and thus, even if Hamas intended to hit military targets within Israel, are indiscriminate by nature. When rockets from Gaza kill Israeli civilians, it is a war crime.

Hamas has a military wing. However, it is not entirely a military organization, but a political one. Members of Hamas are the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people. Dozens of these elected leaders have been kidnapped and held in Israeli prisons without charge.

Others have been targeted for assassination, such as Nizar Rayan, a top Hamas official. To kill Rayan, Israel targeted a residential apartment building. The strike not only killed Rayan but two of his wives and four of his children, along with six others. There is no justification for such an attack under international law. This was a war crime.

Other of Israel's bombardment with protected status under international law have included a mosque, a prison, police stations, and a university, in addition to residential buildings.

Moreover, Israel has long held Gaza under siege, allowing only the most minimal amounts of humanitarian supplies to enter. Israel is bombing and killing Palestinian civilians. Countless more have been wounded, and cannot receive medical attention. Hospitals running on generators have little or no fuel. Doctors have no proper equipment or medical supplies to treat the injured. These people, too, are the victims of Israeli policies targeted not at Hamas or legitimate military targets, but directly designed to punish the civilian population.

Lie #2) Hamas violated the cease-fire. The Israeli bombardment is a response to Palestinian rocket fire and is designed to end such rocket attacks.

Israel never observed the cease-fire to begin with. From the beginning, it announced a "special security zone" within the Gaza Strip and announced that Palestinians who enter this zone will be fired upon. In other words, Israel announced its intention that Israeli soldiers would shoot at farmers and other individuals attempting to reach their own land in direct violation of not only the cease-fire but international law.

Despite shooting incidents, including ones resulting in Palestinians getting injured, Hamas still held to the cease-fire from the time it went into effect on June 19 until Israel effectively ended the truce on November 4 by launching an airstrike into Gaza that killed five and injured several others.

Israel's violation of the cease-fire predictably resulted in retaliation from militants in Gaza who fired rockets into Israel in response. The increased barrage of rocket fire at the end of December is being used as justification for the continued Israeli bombardment, but is a direct response to the Israeli attacks.

Israel's actions, including its violation of the cease-fire, predictably resulted in an escalation of rocket attacks against its own population.

Lie #3) Hamas is using human shields, a war crime.

There has been no evidence that Hamas has used human shields. The fact is, as previously noted, Gaza is a small piece of property that is densely populated. Israel engages in indiscriminate warfare such as the assassination of Nizar Rayan, in which members of his family were also murdered. It is victims like his dead children that Israel defines as "human shields" in its propaganda.

There is no legitimacy for this interpretation under international law. In circumstances such as these, Hamas is not using human shields, Israel is committing war crimes in violation of the Geneva Conventions and other applicable international law.

Lie #4) Arab nations have not condemned Israel's actions because they understand Israel's justification for its assault.

The populations of those Arab countries are outraged at Israel's actions and at their own governments for not condemning Israel's assault and acting to end the violence. Simply stated, the Arab governments do not represent their respective Arab populations. The populations of the Arab nations have staged mass protests in opposition to not only Israel's actions but also the inaction of their own governments and what they view as either complacency or complicity in Israel's crimes.

Moreover, the refusal of Arab nations to take action to come to the aid of the Palestinians is not because they agree with Israel's actions, but because they are submissive to the will of the US, which fully supports Israel. Egypt, for instance, which refused to open the border to allow Palestinians wounded in the attacks to get medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals, is heavily dependent upon US aid, and is being widely criticized within the population of the Arab countries for what is viewed as an absolute betrayal of the Gaza Palestinians.

Even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been regarded as a traitor to his own people for blaming Hamas for the suffering of the people of Gaza. Palestinians are also well aware of Abbas' past perceived betrayals in conniving with Israel and the U.S. to sideline the democratically elected Hamas government, culminating in a counter-coup by Hamas in which it expelled Fatah (the military wing of Abbas' Palestine Authority) from the Gaza Strip. While his apparent goal was to weaken Hamas and strengthen his own position, the Palestinians and other Arabs in the Middle East are so outraged at Abbas that it is unlikely he will be able to govern effectively.

Lie #5) Israel is not responsible for civilian deaths because it warned the Palestinians of Gaza to flee areas that might be targeted.

Israel claims it sent radio and telephone text messages to residents of Gaza warning them to flee from the coming bombardment. But the people of Gaza have nowhere to flee to. They are trapped within the Gaza Strip. It is by Israeli design that they cannot escape across the border.

It is by Israeli design that they have no food, water, or fuel by which to survive. It is by Israeli design that hospitals in Gaza have no electricity and few medical supplies with which to treat the injured and save lives. And Israel has bombed vast areas of Gaza, targeting civilian infrastructure and other sites with protected status under international law. No place is safe within the Gaza Strip.

http://english.aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/Top_5_lies_about_Israel_s_assault_on_Gaza.html


Petraeus: Afghan, Pakistan problems are really one

Agencies: Jan.9

WASHINGTON: US policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship Pakistan, the top US military commander in the region said Thursday.

Army Gen David Petraeus, who became a household name overseeing the war in Iraq, now oversees the fight in Afghanistan as well. He predicted a long war in Afghanistan, without quantifying it. Petraeus told a Washington audience that a winning strategy in Afghanistan will look different from the one in Iraq. He offered few specifics as the incoming Obama administration assess its options in the seven-year-old Afghanistan war that has gone much worse than anticipated, just as US fortunes have improved in Iraq.

He also suggested the US and its partners may one day have common purpose with Iran, another Afghanistan neighbor, in stabilizing and remaking that country.

"There has been nothing easy about Afghanistan, indeed nearly every aspect has been hard and that will continue to be the case in 2009 and the years beyond," Petraeus said in an address to the United States Institute of Peace.

The address was part of a conference highlighting world trouble spots at the moment of political transition in the United States. The institute released a sober outline of problems in Afghanistan as part of the session.

The report said the US and its partners have shortchanged Afghanistan by focusing on short-term goals pursued without a cohesive strategy or clear understanding of how the decentralized country works. It suggested President-elect Barack Obama should refocus the US war and rebuilding effort in Afghanistan and think of the project as the work of at least a decade.

Petraeus' own review of US strategy in Afghanistan is expected to be presented to Obama the week after he takes office Jan. 20. The plan would shift the focus from the waning fight in Iraq to the escalating Afghan battle.

Petraeus linked Afghanistan's fortunes directly to Pakistan's. "Afghanistan and Pakistan have, in many ways, merged into a single problem set, and the way forward in Afghanistan is incomplete without a strategy that includes and assists Pakistan," and also takes into account Pakistan's troubled relationship with rival India, Petraeus said.

On Iran, Petraeus said he would leave the details to diplomats. But he suggested that the longtime US adversary could be part of a regional effort to right Afghanistan. Afghanistan's strategic location and recent history both as a cradle of terrorism and source of most of the world's heroin make it of interest to nations from the West to the Middle East and beyond. "Iran is concerned about the narcotics trade - it doesn't want to see ... extremists running Afghanistan again any more than other folks do," Petraeus said.


[Editor of New trend asks: Which headline is more correct? 1st or second?] [Courtesy Daily Telegraph, UK]

Gaza killing sparks attacks on Jews across Europe

Israel's invasion of Gaza has provoked a surge in anti-Semitic violence across Europe with attacks on Jewish sites in France, Belgium and Britain.

By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 5:09PM GMT 06 Jan 2009

In France, home to Europe's biggest Arab and Jewish populations, unidentified attackers rammed a car into the gate outside a synagogue in the southern city of Toulouse late on Monday and set it on fire with a petrol bomb.
No-one was hurt, but it has revived memories of a sharp upturn in anti-Semitic crimes in 2000, with the outbreak of the second intifada or Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. In 2002, as fighting raged in the Middle East and Afghanistan prior to the allied invasion of Iraq, some 2,300 Jews left France for Israel because they felt unsafe.
Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said: "I am, in fact, worried by the international situation. My concern is that the situation should not degenerate in our country, that the violence not be imported."
President Nicolas Sarkozy, currently on a peace mission to the Middle East, condemned the synagogue attack.
In a statement issued by the Elysée, he said France would "not tolerate international tensions translating into violence between communities."
Leila Shahid, the Palestinian envoy to the European Union, said there was undoubtedly a link between the attack and fury among France's five million Muslims at "images from Gaza".
On Saturday, a pro-Palestinian demonstration turned violent, with a mob of around 500 protesters burning cars and looting a Paris jewellers.
France's Union of Jewish Students has recorded two attacks on kosher stores in Bordeaux, one on a Jewish apartment in Paris and another on a synagogue in Toulon since New Year's Eve.
"We insist the public authorities quickly investigate these warning signs of a new wave of anti-Semitic acts on our doorstep," said the Jewish community's Central Consistory.
Similar incidents have also been reported in Belgium, where a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue in Brussels on Monday.
No injuries were reported, but the building sustained damage.
Joods Actueel, a Jewish magazine, has received a dozen death threats including those by an anonymous man who threatened a suicide attack to "avenge the suffering of the Palestinians". A Jewish home was firebombed over the weekend.
In Britain, one Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust, or CST, has reported 24 anti-Semitic incidents in the past week; the most serious occurred on Saturday when three youths tried to set fire to Brondesbury Park Synagogue in northwest London. The CST said that the threat had increased after calls from Hamas leaders to attack Jewish people around the world.

2009-01-13 Tue 01:55:28 cst
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