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Jamada al-Thani 21,1430/ June 15, 2009, # 29
Here's a real surprise. How are the Taliban reaching out to women and
gaining mass support from women?
Scroll way down.
Latest: Israel destroyed Palestinians' cultivated fields and fired on
their fishing boats.
Please scroll all the way down.
Shaykh Usama's audio message may have led to the Pak attack on South
Waziristan.
Please scroll all the way down.
From Imam Badi Ali [North Carolina]
Spotlight #1
America's smart bombs were killing Muslims under Bush's orders in Iraq
and Palestine. Now they are killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan
under Obama's orders. Nothing has changed except names and that now the
policies are slippery like a snake.
Spotlight # 2: Netanyahoo's latest "concession" is ridiculous. He wants
Palestinians to pick up trash and clean the sewage. Netanyahoo should
realize that America could not win against Muslims when it was a real
superpower, strong and fresh. America today is weak, worn out and near
collapse. It can't keep propping up Israel.
Spotlight #3: There is no place for Israel in the Muslim world. It is a
usurper entity, planted by force. It will have to be dismantled and can
be dismantled by peaceful means. Palestine will be ONE State: Inshallah
an Islamic state with full rights for minorities.
Our America [This item only.]
June 10, 2009
Rev. Wright Complains of Jewish control of Obama: Says: Israel did
Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza
In an exclusive interview at the 95th annual Hampton University
Ministers' Conference, Wright told the Daily Press that he has not
spoken to his former church member since Obama became president, and he
implied that the White House won't allow Obama to talk to him.
"Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me," Wright said. "I told my
baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck,
or in eight years when he's out of office. ...
"They will not let him to talk to somebody who calls a spade what it is.
... I said from the beginning: He's a politician; I'm a pastor. He's got
to do what politicians do."
Wright also said Obama should have sent a U.S. delegation to the World
Conference on Racism held recently in Geneva, Switzerland, but that the
president did not for fear of offending Jews and Israel. He specifically
cited the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential
pro-Israel lobbying group.
"Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza. Ethnic cleansing (by) the
Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want
Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel," Wright said.
Obama Day 145
Landslide Victory in Genuine Elections
Congratulations to the People of Iran: Hail Ahmedinejad!
by Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D
According to the official vote count, incumbent President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was re-elected president after receiving 24,527,516 votes,
which was 62.63 percent of the 39 million votes cast in Friday's
election. Main challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi received 13,216,411 votes,
which was 33.75 percent of the turnout.
It was a massive and historic turnout: 80%. The challenger Mousavi did
very well indeed with more than 13 million votes, almost all middle
class and upper class [plus overseas Iranians]. He didn't have a chance
against Ahmadinejad who has the support of the broad masses of Iran,
the workers, peasants, housewives, including the Islamic core trained
by Imam Khomeini.
U.S. media, led by CNN, tried as before to mislead the American people
about Iran. Christiane Amanpour has been extremely irresponsible. She
along with Fareed Zakaria and others put on quite a show with the
pretense that Ahmadinejad is unpopular [!] and Mousavi would win.
American observers make the mistake of depending for their information
on Iranian immigrants in the U.S. and Britain. These alienated people
are westernized and to listen to them, one would think that Iran is
ruled by a little clique.
On June 14, there was a huge victory rally to hail Ahmadinejad. Even by
iranian standards it was a mammoth rally. CNN showed the rally as seen
from the air but did not try to interview anyone. Instead CNN was
involved in publicizing tiny protests by Iran's westernized community.
V.P Biden waded in to cast aspersions on the clear cut victory. Obama
and Hillary Clinton have been cautious but there can be little doubt
that they were waiting for the defeat of Ahmadinejad. Another
intelligence blunder by the CIA?
Christiane Amanpour was very rude to President Ahmadinejad. She should
try that with President Obama. Has anyone in the U.S. press corp ever
questioned a U.S. president about the Blind Shaikh or about Leonard
Peltier or Imam Jamil?
There is a funny side to this story. The U.S. media have been saying
that Obama's Cairo speech might bring about an opposition [pro-western]
victory in Iran! [Believe it or not!]
The danger is that Israel might see the Mousavi vote [13 million is a
lot] as a sign of weakness and might decide to bomb Iran's nuclear
facilities. That would be a fatal error. Just about all Iranians and
Muslims would unite with Iran if the terrorist Jewish entity attacks.
Book Review by Dr. Kaukab Siddique
U.S. Muslim's Significant Contribution to Islamic Theology and
Qur'anic Understanding
Al-Fateha and its Significance by Shamim A. Siddiqi, 106
pages, March 2009, $6, Forum Publication, 6 Plant Lane, Westbury,
NY 11590.
The first seven verses of the Qur'an known as Al-Fateha are recited by
Muslims in every unit [rak'at] of prayer, be it the obligatory
prayer [fard], the sunnat or the nafl. Formal prayers are not
valid without the recitation of these 7 verses. Over the centuries
these verses have become ritualized and most Muslims go over them
rapidly just to complete the prayer. Thus the deep transformational and
life changing meaning of the verses is either missed or minimized.
Br. Shamim Siddiqi discusses each of the 7 verses and helps Muslims to
realize why the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, required that every
unit of every prayer include these verses.
The most important aspect of these verses is the focus on Allah Almighty
and Allah's attributes of mercy, compassion and nourishing care for all
of humanity. Br. Shamim points out the connection of these attributes
to the responsibility and answerability of humans before Allah which
will culminate in the Hereafter and Judgement.
The writer has done a superb job of connecting sura al-Fateha to various
key verses of the Qur'an. Some of his best comments in this process of
internal Qur'anic connectivity is the discussion of Sura al-Asr, one of
the most radical suras in the Qur'an.
The value of the book is enhanced by one's perception that the writer
is aware of classical commentaries [tafseers] on the Qur'an. In addition
he has a good understanding of Hadith and quotes some sublime Hadith of
the Prophet, peace be on him, as direct commentary on the sura.
How do our mundane lives connect with and are guided by the enlightenment
in the Qur'an. Here too Br. Shamim does very well. He also brings in
anecdotes to show how far Muslims have strayed from the Qur'anic
guidance. Even while they are involved in Islamic worship, Muslims
violate the direct connection the Qur'an gives them with Allah.
"Last year during Hajj time, a brother from Lahore, Pakistan, while
doing Tawaf around the House of Allah, was urging his family in
Lahore on his cell phone to go to Data Durbar [the grave of a Sufi
saint in Lahore] and pray for the acceptance of his Hajj which he was
performing in the House of Allah." [p.38]
Most Muslim writers also violate the Qur'an's guidance by ignoring the
jihad [struggle] aspect of Islam which is essential to the revelation
from Allah Almighty. Enemies of Islam like Israel are clearly noted in
the Qur'an.
"And We decreed for the children of Bani Israel in the Scripture: Ye
verily will work corruption in the earth twice and ye will become great
tyrants." [The Qur'an 17:4]
Br. Shamim discusses the issue of the struggle against Israel
under the final verse of sura al-Fateha " ... those who have been
condemned... " [by Allah]. He points out that modern Israel is an
artificial concoction put up by the western powers and would collapse
without American support. [See pp.72 onwards.] Not many Muslims in
America have the moral courage to make such a clear statement against
Israel based on the Qur'an and the Hadith.
Finally, a very refreshing aspect of the book is that it clarifies the
gender issue. The Qur'an gives equal guidance for men and women and
rewards both equally. The issue is good works and awareness of Allah,
not gender.
Hopefully the next edition of Al-Fateha and its Significance will
be edited for a sprinkling of errors of English which are apparent to
the critical eye though they do not mar the overall message of the book.
Also, in some places the turgid style of the writing is bothersome and
needs to be worked on.
Br. Shamim has spent his life in the service of Allah. He has done
systematic studies on Da'wah in America. Eight of these valuable
books can be checked at
www.dawahinamericas.com
.
Caution: Siddiqi [with its variation of Siddiqui] is a common name in
South Asia. It is very different from Siddique [pronounced as Siddiq].
Shamim Siddiqui is not related to Kaukab Siddique in any way other than
as a Muslim and a human being.
Al-Fateha and its Significance can also be ordered from:
New Trend, P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087 for $6 including postage
and handling. A very special price!
Letter: May 31 issue: New Trend's Error Pinpointed: "A young man
["white"] has embraced Islam at this masjid. Jamaat gifted the English
translation of the Qur'an to him."
Salaam alaikum, Dr. Siddique
This above quote was rather insensitive (i.e. racist). First of all,
when you refer to black Americans you never put "quotation marks"
around the word "black." If he's not white, then what is he? Probably
it's more meaningful to tell us he's Polish-American or he's
Italian-American, just like you get to be a Pakistani-American. Nobody
refers to you as ["brown."] How would you react to that? There was
indeed a time in America when "white" was a legal category but those
times are gone so why continue the label? One could just as easily say
Euro-American or who knows, ask the guy, maybe he even knows what tribe
he descends from. Since being born with a particular skin tone is no
shame since God determined it anyway, then why not just at least say
he's white without the "quotes"?
1st Generation American Swiss and Muslim
Sis. Karima
Letter: Another Correction about Terminology Re: June 11 issue of
New Trend
Please correct your English: Please see below:
What you say and what is correct English.
Pakistan Military --- Na-Pakistan Military
War on Terror --- War on Islam
Islamic Terrorists -- Mujahideens
NATO -- North Atlantic Terrorist Organization
I hope you and all civilized media will correct their
English terminology.
Robert Khan
Obama: Day 145
War News: Pakistan [From New Trend's Pakistan Monitor]
June 14: Pakistan Launches Al Out Offensive Against South Waziristan
Five hours after a U.S. air strike in South Waziristan [see next item],
General Kayani's military forces launched an all out offensive to
destroy the Taliban in South Waziristan and with specific orders to
kill Baitullah Mehsud. According to Associated Press the Pak military
columns have already made contact with Taliban resistance fighters and
fighting is going on as we go to the press.
The U.S. and General Kayani suspect that top al-Qaidah leaders,
including Shaykh Usama, are in South Waziristan along with Arab
mujahideen, Islamic Uzbeks and the newly emerging Taliban from Punjab.
Shaykh Osama's recent audio message as well as that of Islamic ideologue
Ayman al-Zawahiri which pre-empted President Obama's Cairo speech, may
well have been successfully monitored by U.S. intelligence. [See report
on Shaykh Usama's audio message below.
Scroll way down.]
Latest reports indicate that U.S. forces are mobilizing across from the
border with South Waziristan.
Latest U.S. Air Strike on Pakistan
June 14, 2009: A U.S. drone launched a missile attack on a vehicle in
the Ladda area of South Waziristan. Everyone in the vehicle was killed.
First reports in the daily Jung say that 5 Islamic militants were killed
but the number may rise.
June 14: PAF Bombs Makeen Area in South Waziristan after Taliban
Attacks in Lahore and Nowshera
Pakistan Air Force [PAF] launched air strikes in the Makeen area of
South Waziristan, the stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, one of the top
leaders of Pakistani Taliban. At least 31 people were killed in the
bombing. Pak military says they were "militants."
New Fighting in Swat, Dir and Buner
June 13, 2009: General Kayani has clamped tight censorship in the areas
of Swat, Dir and Buner occupied by Pak military forces. The military is
reporting that it has the upper hand and has killed 21 more Taliban but
reports of widespread fighting from the military itself indicates that
the Taliban are challenging Kayani's forces in all three districts.
[As New Trend reported earlier, in Buner Kayani's troops destroyed
mosques, Islamic schools and Qurans. Reports of atrocities in Swat
and Dir are also trickling through.]
New Trend reporters and monitors of Pakistan contributed to this:
Taliban kill pro-Government Cleric in retaliation for murder of
Maulana Amin [see below]
June 12: Lahore, Pakistan: After Friday prayers, a young man entered
the office of Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi outside the religious seminary known
as Jamia Naeemia and blew himself up along with Dr. Naeemi. Jamia
Naeemia, a large seminary, has support among very conservative and
non-political religious establishment and Dr.Naeemi was the top leader.
Dr. Naeemi had worked hard to whip up support for the pro-U.S. regime
against the Taliban. He had declared that martyrdom operations are not
permitted in Islam and that Taliban are terrorists who should be crushed.
The Pak army and regime needed a religious cover for their genocidal
military action in Swat. The regime and army have been peddling the
idea that the Taliban are against Islam and are linked to India. This
kind of Big Lie technique had limited success and that too only among
Pak's westernized elites.
Someone like Naeemi was needed to give an ideological orientation to
the demonization of the Taliban so that the Taliban's entire community
could be wiped out without any protests from Pakistanis. Dr. Naeemi
provided the necessary Islamic garb. He was saying just about what the
U.S. says but couched in religious terminology.
He was given a state funeral by the government. Baitullah Mehsud has
acknowledged the attack.
Pak Troops Attending prayers Attacked in Nowshera
Pakistani troops need a justification for killing 1400 Muslims
in Swat and driving three million from their homes. The Pak generals
tell the troops that the Pak army is in fact fighting for Islam. The
troops are given mosques to pray in. The military garrison in Nowshera
[known as the Cantonment] has several military mosques strongly guarded
by heavily armed troops.
According to the Taliban, soldiers who fight in support of a kafir
force like America cannot be called Muslims and their "mosques" should
be called masjid Dhirar.
On June 12, while the troops were praying, the Taliban struck and blew
them up, killing and wounding many.
Baitullah Mahsood took responsibilty for the attack.
[Editor's comment: Pakistan has religious scholars. We urge them to
call on General Kayani to stop attacking mosques, medressas and Islamic
libraries. If Kayani agrees, then they should urge the Taliban to stop
counterattacking in kind. Peace can only come through communication
on an Islamic basis. Cartainly the Taliban are not afraid of the
military's firepower]
June 12, 2009: PAF Launches Bombardment of Bajaur's Chaharmung area
At 8 AM, General Kayani's jet fighters launched air strikes on
hilltops harboring Islamic populations supporting the Taliban in the
Chaharmung area of Bajaur which borders Afghanistan. [See map below.]
The airstrikes were followed by attacks on the villages by helicopter
gunships. According to information from local villagers, scores of
civilians have been killed in the bombardment.
Maulvi Umar, Bajaur Taliban spokesman, called from an undisclosed
location to tell Pak media that the bombing violates the cease fire
which was in effect in Bajaur and the Islamic forces will respond.
General Kayani's Air Force Bombs Mosque, Islamic Schools, Kills Top
Local Islamic Scholar
Hangu. June 11, 2009. Jet fighters from the Pakistan air force targeted
the main [jami'] mosque and an Islamic school [medressa]
in the Shahu Khel Bazar area of Hangu. They also hit the home of
Maulana Muhammad Amin, the leader of Hangu's Sunni Supreme council.
Maulana Amin was killed in the air strike along with his 12 year old
nephew and 10 other people including 5 children.and 3 women. The
Islamic school and prayer area were seriously damaged and Maulana
Amin's Islamic library was destroyed.
The same day, Pak jets attacked the home and medressa of an Islamic
scholar, Mufti Deen Asghar, in the Zergeri area near the Orakzai agency
border. Mufti Deen was not there but his home and the homes of his two
neighbors were flattened by the jet fighters. Five people, 2 women and
three children, were killed and 8 people were injured. The Mufti's wife
was seriously injured.
Maulana Amin is a deeply respected Islamic scholar in the Hangu-Orakazai
area. Hearing of his martyrdom, thousands of angry people rushed to the
area to show support for Taliban and take part in his funeral.
Maulana Amin was prestigious among all Taliban groups and was sometimes
a go-between in negotiations with the Pak government.
See Map for Hangu [bordering North Waziristan] and Orakzai. The
Southern part of Hangu is under government control.
NATO Supply Line through Baluchistan Attacked
Earlier, before the latest fighting, the NATO supply terminal in Chaman
[Pak Baluchistan] came under attack by 20 Taliban. The attackers
exchanged fire with the heavy police guard killing 2 police and
wounding two others. Before Pak reinforcements could arrive, the gunmen
set fire to 8 supply containers which gutted them and damaged 2 others.
The gunmen fled, covering themselves with bursts of automatic rifle fire.
NATO faced serious difficulties in moving its supplies through
Peshawar-Khyber and is using Baluchistan.
Palestine
Israelis Destroy Cultivated Field, fire on Fishing Boats
Israeli tanks, bulldozers roll into Gaza
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:46:00 GMT
Israeli tanks have crossed the border into the southeast Gaza Strip
after the regime's gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats
off the coast across the strip.
According to witnesses and local sources, four tanks provided cover for
six bulldozers to roll hundreds meters deep into the strip on Tuesday
and flattened the cultivated fields in al-Shouka neighborhood in
eastern Rafah city.
Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats
off the coast in northern and southern Gaza Strip, Xinhua reported.
The incursion came a day after Israeli forces backed by a helicopter
gunship killed four Palestinians at the border with the southern
Gaza Strip.
Israel's army employs bulldozers, backed by tanks, to demolish the
residence of suspected activists in Palestinian territories. The tactic
is part of Israel's "iron fist" policy against the Palestinians.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=97525§ionid=351020202
Background
Pakistani Taliban Using Technology to Reach out to Women: Why do
many Women Support Taliban?
On June 4, 2009 Asia Times published a report on the use of FM radios
by the Taliban, particularly Maulvi Fazlullah, to reach out to the
people of Swat even while the area is under the occupation of General
Kayani's Pakistani army. Most of the article by Mukhtar A. Khan titled
"FM Mullahs Spread the Taliban's Message" aims at explaining the dangers
in the Taliban's use of FM radio programs and advises the army on how
to defeat this "menace." However, during the course of the article, the
writer let's slip some valuable information. New Trend has underlined
the key information in the quotes below:
"The Taliban are smart enough to have exploited these outlets in their
propaganda war against the US and foreign forces in Afghanistan. They
incite the local youth to rise up for jihad against the foreign armies
and urge elderly men and women to give their moral and financial
support to the cause of jihad. Typically, the broadcasts are made
from mosques and madrassas where hundreds of men are present to listen
to the FM Mullahs in person while women listen in their homes.
"The broadcasts are highly interactive - not only do men ask questions
of the mullahs in these live broadcasts but women also send
questions to be answered by the mullahs, who have successfully
won a majority of the women over to their side by asking men to give
women their legal share of inheritances, especially land.
"All the FM Mullahs' broadcasts start with the recitation of the Koran
and its interpretation. They soon switch to politics and hate sermons
against the US and Pakistani governments and their militaries. Their
political and ideological agenda is justified by their own
interpretation of the religion. However, they may refer to Pashtun
culture or nationalism if it suits their goals and ambitions.
"The Taliban are not shy about exploiting other traditional and modern
media tools like night-letters (unsigned leaflets), pamphlets, CDs,
DVDs and mobile messaging. They also make efforts to appear live on
other electronic media to voice their unedited propaganda."
It might interest New Trend readers to know that most well-to-do
Pakistanis try to deny women their rights in inheritance, especially
land, by carrying out cousin marriages. Islam is the only religion
which ordains women's share in ALL inheritance but men who claim to be
Muslims try to evade the Law [Shar'ia] of Islam. Years of court visits
are required to get anything in Pakistan. The Taliban carry out quick
justice. Hence support for the Taliban is spreading all over Pakistan,
particularly in the key province of Punjab.
[Looks like the al-Qaidah leaders successfully pre-empted President
Obama's speech.]
Osama bin Laden says Barack Obama 'planting seeds of hatred'
Published: 2:28PM BST 03 Jun 2009
Osama bin Laden's remarks were aired on Wednesday by Al Jazeera television
Photo: AP
The al-Qaeda leader's remarks, aired on Wednesday by Al Jazeera
television, came a day after comments by his deputy.
Their statements marked a concerted al-Qaeda propaganda drive to
pre-empt a major speech to the Muslim world that the US president is
due to deliver in Egypt on Thursday."Obama and his administration have
planted seeds for hatred and revenge against America," the Saudi-born
bin Laden said in the audio recording.
He added that Mr Obama was treading in the footsteps of his predecessor,
George W Bush.
"Let the American people prepare to continue to reap what has been
planted by the heads of the White House in the coming years and decades,"
bin Laden said.
Mr Obama's policies in Pakistan had raised "animosity" among Muslims,
he said.
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, said in an audio tape
posted on an Islamist website on Tuesday that Muslims had already
received Mr Obama's "bloody messages", which were pre-empting the US
president's charm offensive.
"They (Obama's messages) will not be concealed by public relations
campaigns or theatrical visits or polished words," Zawahri said.
2009-06-15 Mon 20:04:13 cdt
NewTrendMag.org