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Ramadan 8,1430/ August 29, 2009, # 42
From Imam Badi Ali [North Carolina]
Spotlight: Unity in Islam comes through the acceptance of
Allah's Command. Unity brought about by money or national
interests is very limited. Look at what Allah does for
Muslims through Ramadan. Globally there is an effort to do
what the entire ummah is doing: Fasting according to the
Sunnah of the Prophet, pbuh, even in the smallest details.
Thus unity comes through spiritual means, not through deals
and pressures.
Words of wisdom from Br. Shamim Siddiqui [veteran teacher of
Islam]. What is missing in our efforts?
Please scroll down.
Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News] [2 items only]
Change through Peaceful Means
P.O. Box 10881
Baltimore, MD 21234
To join the Jamaat, check:
JamaatAlMuslimeenInternational.org.org
Boycott of Israeli Goods is effective [Info received with
thanks to Dr. Ismail Zayid, Canada.]
Jamaat al-Muslimeen which is leading the boycott of
businesses in America which support Israel should take
heart. The boycott does work. In England a non-Muslim woman
is calling for boycott of products coming out of Israeli
settlements only. It has rattled Israel because the
Zionists fear that this could lead to a boycott of all
Israel. Here is an excerpt from Jewish Community Online:
August 20, 2009: "A call for food retailers to boycott all
Israeli goods has been condemned by the Israeli ambassador
and anti-boycott campaigners.
In an article for trade magazine The Grocer this week,
prominent food writer Joanna Blythman calls on retailers and
importers "actively to look for alternatives to so-called
Israeli produce".
She contends that many items labelled as coming from Israel
are in fact "grown on Israeli settlements on Palestinian
territory... the fruit and vegetables grown there amount to
stolen goods". She adds: "The only clear and honest wording
appropriate is 'from illegal Israeli settlements in the West
Bank'."
Canada's Muslims: Strengths and Weaknesses. 400,000 Muslims
in Toronto Alone.
Sis. Ashira [Baltimore] Interviews Br. Shamsul Hasan & his
wife Husna.
Recently Jamaat al-Muslimeen representative Sis. Ashira
visited Canada. In the Toronto area, she interviewed Br.
Shamsul Hasan and his wife. Br. Shams, as his friends call
him, has made tremendous efforts over the decades for the
peaceful spread of Islam. He distributes Islam-related
literature of a great variety, including selections from New
Trend. Among his selections from New Trend was criticism of
ISNA man Hamza Yusuf's claim that the Jewish holocaust story
is as credible as the Qur'an. [!] He steadily distributes
reports on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and other issues.
Here are Sis. Ashira's questions followed by answers from
Br. Shamsul Hasan and his wife.
1. What is the approximate number of Muslims in Toronto?
Ans: There are about 400,000 Muslims here. Most places hold
2 Jum'ah services. In Toronto people of ethnic backgrounds
outnumber the whites. The city is about 55% Muslim. There
are many Somalians here and the Khalid bin Walid Masjid
is our Somali Center. There are no less than 40 places to pray.
Toronto has the largest number of Muslims in Canada.
Montreal is about ¼ of this number.
2. Are there what you would consider genuinely Islamic
activist organizations here? If so, who are they and what is
their main focus?
Ans: Masjid Tariq is a progressive community with its Imam
from Guyana. He studied in Libya. There you will find many
programs for all ages, and meals are provided free of
charge. Masjid Salahuddin is also progressive with its Imam
from Egypt. He works with political prisoners.
The Islamic Foundation graduates the most students who are
hafiz Quran. They have over 600 students and their secondary
school was the Number One school in the whole Ontario area,
second to none.
3. To what extent is the Muslim community able to express
itself concerning wars and other concerns, i.e., what
avenues are available and used?
Ans: The speakers at the Salahuddin masjid and the Tariq
masjid are free speakers; they don't care one bit. One is
retired and, therefore, has no concern of losing a job, etc.
The Islamic Center of the York Region during Ramadan always
brings in lots of speakers. These speakers of course have
their effect on the community at large.
4. You are a writer for the New Trend newspaper. As such
have you been "bothered" by government agents concerning
your positions?
Ans: No. You see the Islamic community has representatives
in the parliament and in other places of political
importance.
5. Would you describe the Muslims of Toronto as "mostly
assimilated" or "mostly ghettoized?"
Ans: They are assimilated, even the police force.
6. The call to Jumah is expressly given in the Quran. Do you
find the women attending as much as they can? Are the
masajid used as places for family orientation or fraternal
gyms?
Ans: The women do attend, but they do not have voice,
except at Masjid Tariq and the Islamic Center of York. They do need
to have more voice in matters.
7. Is there relevance in the khutbas given by the Imams?
Relevance meaning that the examples in the Quran are linked
to the present conditions and solutions are extrapolated and
presented for application.
Ans: Most of the presentations are from the "past". The
Imams are not educated. They don't know English well and the
people speak English, especially the young people. However,
special speakers are coming from other countries and they do
well.
8. What is needed to make a real positive difference in the
Muslim community here in Toronto and what is needed to make
a real positive difference in the general community
here?
Ans: The Muslims need to be educated. The people must be
addressed in the language they understand.
9. What about our YOUTH our FUTURE? What is being done to
assure that we are preparing them?
Ans: Many parents say they need sports and activities at the
masjid centers. Tariq and the Islamic Foundation have these
activities and facilities. The youth come to the centers and
they bring their friends for these activities. A Black Belt
at Masjid Tariq is responsible for many converts. Many of
the hospitals have areas for prayers. Everyone is trying to
give the children recreational activities with their Islamic
learning. The TV should not be their babysitter.
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Lord of Mercy
ZAKAT-UL-FITR IS WAJIB
©Imam Ali Siddiqui
INJUNCTION
It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
"Remember! Zakat-ul-Fitr is Wajib (strongly recommended,
just short of obligatory) on every Muslim, man or woman,
free or in servitude, adult or child." (Hadith: Tirmidhi's
Sunan)
MEANING
Literal meaning of Zakat (or Zakah) is the process of
purification. Fitr is from the word Fitrah and its literal
meaning is (one's) nature or natural state. Hence the
meaning of Zakat-ul-Fitr is to purify one's nature.
PURPOSE
Ibn Abbas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) made the
Zakat-ul-Fitr obligatory for the purpose of: purifying our
fasting from vain talk and shameful mistakes, to make
arrangements for the poor and the needy for food and
clothing (for the festival of Eid). (Hadith: Abu Dawud, Ibn
Maja)
WHO SHOULD PAY?
Every adult Muslim, with sufficient food for the family for
a day, should pay Zakat-ul-Fitr for himself/herself and all
his/her dependents. Even those who did not fast should pay
it. Zakat-ul-Fitr should also be paid for the child born or
the person died before the Fajr (dawn) on the day of
Eid.
HOW MUCH SHOULD BE PAID?
At the time of the Prophet (saw), payment of Zakat-ul-Fitr
was made in terms of weight of grain. It is one Sa for each
person. One Sa approximately equals to 3.15 kg or 6.94 lbs.
The Muslim jurists agree that Zakat-ul-Fitr can also be paid
in cash equivalent to the cost of 3.15kg/6.94 lb. of grain
including rice, wheat, lentils, corn, and dry cheese.
WHEN TO PAY?
Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said, "Whoever paid it
(Zakat-ul-Fitr) before Salatul Eid, it is acceptable
Zakat before Al'lah. Whoever paid it after Salat-ul-Eid,
it is just a charity." The companion of the Prophet (ra) used to
pay it a few days earlier. (Hadith: Bukhari)
Imam Shafi'i held the opinion that Zakat-ul-Fitr can be paid
as early as the beginning of Ramadan. I suggest that
Zakat-ul-Fitr should be paid early enough so it will reach
the needy and the poor before the Eid day. It will enable
them to use it for food and clothes and give them the
opportunity to enjoy the happiness of Eid-ul-Fitr.
WHO SHOULD BE PAID?
Zakat-ul-Fitr should be paid directly to the needy and the
poor. However, you can also pay it to an organization,
which would distribute it in accordance with the teaching of
Islam. Remember! It is still your responsibility. So, make
sure before paying that the organization will distribute it
according to the teaching of Islam and before
Salat-ul-Eid.
There is a new concern in collection and distribution of
Zakat-ul-Fitr and Zakat-ul-Maal. Millions of dollars have
been confiscated by the government agencies. This requires
additional care on our part to select an organization
carefully and rationally so that Zakat is delivered to the
rightful person. Best method is still the personal
contact.
Year after year Zakat is sent to deserving persons in the
Muslim World. Let's try to spend some of it in our own
communities including Moaliful Qoloob, non-Muslims to turn
their hearts and minds as friends of our communities. This
will require knowing our own communities and friendly and
deserving non-Muslims. It may be difficult at first but it
will be better for us.
How to Calculate Zakat-ul-Fitr?
I heard many amounts over the years. It is a tendency to fix
a higher amount by many organizations so that they may
collect sufficient amount to distribute among the poor and
the needy. One year it even went up to $15 per person. When
specifying an amount it should be fixed at a minimum amount
in accordance with the teaching of Islam so that every one
can pay it with ease; however, we should encourage Muslims
to pay a higher amount according to their life style.
Minimum Zakat-ul-Fitr is one Sa in weight of grain. One
Sa is approximately equal to 3.15 kg or 6.94 lbs. Every person
should look at the price of grain where they shop. One
either pays Zakat-ul-Fitr a weight of 6.94 lbs. or 3.15 kg
in grain or its cash equivalent. Additional point, if in
your life style you eat top-of-the-line fancy rice, then pay
in its cash equivalent
May Allah accept your fasting, Zakat-ul-Fitr, Salatut
Taraweeh, recitation of Quran, Salat and your struggle for
the pleasure of Allah (mirdadi(A)llah! Ameen!
© Imam Ali Siddiqui, 1982,
Revised August 28, 2009
Additional information can be acquired by contacting the
Imam:
siddiqui@aol.com
siddiqui@aol.com
About the author:
Imam Ali Siddiqui with 37 years of service, is a Friday
Khatib, Islamic teacher, Muslim Chaplain, youth advisor,
family counselor, educator, poet and writer with a vision
who has been involved in the teaching of Islam, history,
comparative religion, contemporary issues to Muslims and
non-Muslims.
Islamic Change thru Peaceful Means: Books, Books, Books.
Da'wah in English & Spanish
Get these at nominal expense. Write or email for what you
want.
NUR INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
803 W. Oklahoma Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53215
www.risaleusa.com - Email: risaleusa@gmail.com
ENGLISH ISLAMIC BOOKS
LEVEL I
Basics of Islam
LEVEL II
1. Jesus (PBUH) in the Qur'an
2. What the Bible Says About Muhammad (PBUH)
3. The Qur'an and World Peace
4. Malcolm X
LEVEL III
1. The Guide to Becoming a Muslim
2. The Prayer Book
3. Islamic Unity
4. Holy Qur'an (distributed only in Milwaukee)
The following books are being prepared for publication
1. Some Aspects of Prophet Muhammmad's (pbuh) Greatness by Said Nursi
2. Nationalism in the View of Islam by Said Nursi
3. Letters to Prisoners by Said Nursi
4. The Qur'an is a Miracle by Said Nursi
5. Tawheed and Shirk by MSA
6. An Introduction to the Qur'an by Abu Ala Maududi
7. The Status of Women in Islam
SPANISH ISLAMIC BOOKS
LEVEL I
Los Basicos de Islam
LEVEL II
1. Cristo en el Islam
2. Muhammad en la Biblia
3. El Sagrado Corán (distributed in Milwaukee only)
The following books are being prepared
1. La Mujer en el Islam
2. La Oración en el Islam
3. ¿Cuál es su nombre?
Words of Wisdom: The Missing Link in our Islamic Efforts
by Shamim Siddiqui [New York] [The writer has written
extensively on Islamic Da'wa. Here is his key point.]
1. The Guidance or the Scheme or the Blue print;
2. The trustworthy leadership to implement that plan and
stands as its model;
3. The land where to establish Allah's Deen as a POLITICAL
entity.
* Rasulullah (S) got the Master Plan from Allah (SWT) in
bits and pieces in 23 years in the form of the Qur'an.
* He (S) himself undertook the task of building that
requisite team of trustworthy workers [we call them Sahabah
out of reverence] in ones and twos - getting 124 from Makkah
in 13 years, 63 from Aus and 173 from Khazraj of Madinah
through the magnificent Dawah efforts of Musab bin Umair
(RA), constituting the team of trusted leadership of his (S)
time,
* Simultaneously, he (S) was always in search of land to
build the HQ of the Islamic Movement, He (S) sent his (S)
trustworthy Sahabah to Ethiopia in search of that. He (S)
himself went to T'aif but could not succeed as you know.
Allah (SWT) managed it from Madinah. It was His planning.
Madinah became the HQ of the Islamic Movement and then that
of the Islamic State.
Now we have:
* Guidance" completely intact in its most original and
perfect from;
* We have the "land" - so-called 57 Muslim countries;
BUT
* No trusted, disciplined and organized Islamic Leadership,
except some sporadic leaders here and there.
The leadership can now be build ONLY through the process of
building the Islamic Movement of America [IMOA] on the
pattern Rasulullah(S)
BUILT the Team of his (S) time. That is the basic and the
prime most Job of Ummah at this juncture.
Our America: #1
Hurricane Katrina Anniversary:1500 drowned. Black 9.11
Sent by Sis. Hamdiya [Charlotte, North Carolina]
Expert fired who warned levees would burst [Bush's Legacy]
By Greg Palast [Excerpted]
There's another floater. Four years on, there's another
victim face down in the waters of Hurricane Katrina, Dr.
Ivor van Heerden.
I don't get to use the word "heroic" very often. Van Heerden
is heroic. The Deputy Director of the Louisiana State
University Hurricane Center, it was van Heerden who told me,
on camera, something so horrible, so frightening, that, if
it weren't for his international stature, it would have been
hard to believe:
"By midnight on Monday the White House knew. Monday night I
was at the state Emergency Operations Center and nobody was
aware that the levees had breeched. Nobody."
On the night of August 29, 2005, van Heerden was shut in at
the state emergency center in Baton Rouge, providing
technical advice to the rescue effort. As Hurricane Katrina
came ashore, van Heerden and the state police there were
high-fiving it: Katrina missed the city of New Orleans,
turning east.
What they did not know was that the levees had cracked. For
crucial hours, the White House knew, but withheld the
information that the levees of New Orleans had broken and
that the city was about to drown. Bush's boys did not notify
the State of the flood to come which would have allowed
police to launch an emergency hunt for the thousands that
remained stranded.
"Fifteen hundred people drowned. That's the bottom line,"
said von Heerden. He shouldn't have told me that. The
professor was already in trouble for saying, publicly, that
the levees around New Orleans were no good, too short, by
18?. They couldn't stand up to a storm like Katrina. He said
it months before Katrina hit - in a call to the White House,
and later in the press.
So, even before Katrina, even before our interview, the
professor was in hot water. Van Heerden was told by
University officials that his complaints jeopardized funding
from the Bush Administration. They tried to gag him. He
didn't care: he ripped off the gag and spoke out.
It didn't matter to Bush, to the State, to the University,
that van Heerden was right- devastatingly right. Exactly as
van Heerden predicted, the levees could not stand up to the
storm surge.
In 2006, I met van Heerden in his office at the University's
hurricane center; a cubby filled with charts of the city
under water. He's a soft-spoken, even-tempered man, given to
understatement and academic reserve. But his words were hand
grenades: the Bush White House did nothing about the levees,
despite warning after warning.
Why? A hurricane is an Act of God. But a levee failure is an
Act of Bush -- of the federal government. Under the Flood
Control Act of 1928, once the levees break, it's
Washington's responsibility to save lives -- and to
compensate the victims for lost homes and lost loved ones.
By telling me this, the professor had to know he was putting
his job on the line. This week marks the fourth anniversary
of the drowning of New Orleans.
Shakoor Aljuwani of the Rebuilding Lives Coalition reminds
me it is also the fourth year of exile for more than half of
the low-income Black residents who once lived in the
Crescent City. In the Lower Ninth Ward, 81% have yet to
return.
Our America: #2
Slap in the Face for those who want Peace with Israel:
Obama's Minor "demand" Rejected
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/08/27/us-backs-off-israel-demands-promises-flexibility
US Won't Press Israel on Settlements
US Promises Not to Press for East Jerusalem Freeze
by Jason Ditz, August 27, 2009
While the US State Department publicly insisted the official
Obama Administration on the Israeli settlements had not
changed, privately diplomats are saying that the
adminstration has done a virtual 180, backing off pretty
much all its demands with respect to Israel's settlement
activity.
At this point, the US had agreed to completely abandon
complaints over Israeli construction in East Jerusalem,
which Israel occupied in 1967. Though the US will not
publicly endorse the continued construction it will no
longer ask Israel to freeze them.
About all they got was a dubious promise from the Netanyahu
government to not issue new construction permits for
settlements in the West Bank for nine months. Even this
promise likely means little, as thousands of already
approved construction projects will continue in the meantime
and the Israeli government is already talking about an exit
strategy from the program, even though it hasn't officially
halted the permits yet.
Our America: # 3
Focus on CNN's Wolf Blitzer: Breach of America's Trust
Israel's Fifth Column
Jeff Gates
http://criminalstate.com/2009/08/israel%E2%80%99s-fifth-colun-the-people-in-between
... The dominant influence of pro-Israelis in mainstream
media is not the focus of this article. Here the focus is
Wolf Blitzer at Cable News Network who typifies how "the
people in between" manipulate public opinion in plain sight
and, to date, with legal impunity ... The displacement of
facts with what a populace can be induced to believe is the
very threat to personal freedom that the Founders sought to
escape. The only modern aspect of this ancient form of
warfare is the reach of the media technologies with which
such deception can now operate - as with CNN - on a global
scale.
War News:
Islamic Revolution in "Saudi" Arabia Coming?: Regime Arrests
Top Scholars for Osama Links
Saudi Paper Okaz Uncovers Unusual "Terrorists": Arrests
Revealed on August 19
Professors, businessmen among 44 arrested in KSA
By Abdullah Al-Oraifij [August 26, 2009]
RIYADH - The 44 members of Al-Qaeda whose arrests were
announced last Wednesday included among their ranks
university professors and local businessmen whose links to
the terrorist organization went back several years, sources
have told Okaz newspaper.
According to the sources, the 44, who were detained between
July 9 and Aug. 2 of this year, had an over seven-year
association with the organization and had met with Al-Qaeda
leaders Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri in Afghanistan as
well as other members of the group killed in the Kingdom
such as Abdul Aziz Muqrin, Turki Al-Dandani, Yousef
Al-'Ayeeri, and Yemeni national Khalid Al-Haj.
Between 20 and 30 of the arrested were reportedly holders of
doctorate degrees and some of them worked as university
professors specialized in science fields such as electronic
and electrical engineering and computers, as well as fields
of Shariah Law including theology and comparative
jurisprudence.
The single non-Saudi detainee was described by the sources
as an Egyptian with connections to Al-Qaeda No. 2 and fellow
national Zawahiri.
Okaz newspaper further learned that among the detained were
local businessmen who financed terrorist plans through real
estate and farming incomes, while some used charity work to
gather donations.
India: Young Muslims Adhere to Islam while old men tremble
at Hindu Threats
Principal's Burqa remarks sparked protests in a Hyderabad
college
Saturday, August 29, 2009 12:05:56 PM, Express News
Service
Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Vani Degree College for
women at Mehdipatnam after its principal is said to have
asked a burqa-clad student to unveil herself for
identification before entering the college premises. At
this, hundreds of agitated undergraduates joined by
Intermediate students of the sister junior college, raised
slogans against the principal, Y Annapurna. They also pelted
the college building with stones, prompting a lathi-charge
by the police.
[By contrast the old Ulema supporters of Congress, Jamiat
Ulemae Hind, have been condemning Muslim fighters as
"terrorists" and seeking Hindu love. These old men have
taken the same line as ISNA in America. The bodies of Mumbai
attackers who revenged Kashmir are still not accepted by
these old men -Editor]
Pakistan: War News
Brutal Fighting During Ramadan
August 28: In Mohmand Agency's sub-section Safi, a
local Taliban commander nicknamed Chakri who had surrendered
to the Pak army was kidnaped by the Taliban and executed for
treachery. The army had put him in charge of pacifying the
local people. A local Taliban spokesman called media to
confirm Chakri's death.
Pak army is reporting exchange of heavy fire with a
Taliban group in Malakand Agency's Palni Charat road. The
fighting continued for several hours. The army says it
killed 7 Taliban including some "foreigners" [a term used
for Arab mujahideen helping the Taliban] but did not divulge
its own losses.
In Khyber Agency the bodies of 5 people have been
found. It is feared that they were collaborating with the
Pak army.
August 27, 2009: Latest U.S. Drone Attack on Pakistan
South Waziristan: At about 2 in the afternoon, a US
drone struck a home in the Ragh area of Kunigram village
with missiles. At least 10 "suspected Taliban" were killed
and 15 wounded. Pak sources say that the causualties
included "foreigners" [a term used for Arab mujahideen
helping the Taliban].
Retaliation:
August 27, 2009: Pak border post blown up.
Torkhum is a border point in the Khyber agency through which
military supplies for NATO's army in Afghanistan move every
day to continue the occupation of Afghanistan. Well trained
Pak paramilitary forces ensure the safety of the NATO supply
route and a military post was built in this area for this
purpose. Near sunset when the troops were preparing to break
their fast, a youth approached them on foot. He was carrying
water bottles. According to the political officer in charge
of the area, he shouted out to the troops: "I am bringing
mineral water for you." They did not realize that he was a
martyrdom operator. He blew himself up with a huge explosion
which tore down the military post. By last reports, 22 of
the Pak paramilitaries were killed and 21 wounded. The
Taliban have taken credit for the attack.
[New Trend Pak observer notes: Pakistani troops are usually
mercenaries and seem to be under the impression that they
can support an aggressive kafir occupation army and still
pray and fast as Muslims.]
Taliban still Fighting in Buner:
Also on August 27: A heavily armed Pak police caravan came
under Pak Taliban attack in Buner. After extensive exchanges
of fire, the Paks called in heavy artillery fire and the Pak
Taliban retreated. [Readers may remember that Pak declared
that it had taken Buner about 4 months back. The fighting
started when America raised the alarm about the presence of
armed Taliban in Buner which is only 60 milies from
Islamabad.]
Top Islamic leader Calls for end to atrocities
Pak Military's Five Days of Random Shelling in Swat's Malam
Jubba area:
Entire Population forced to Leave
August 24, 2009: Qazi Hussain Ahmad, outgoing ameer of
Jamaate Islami, said that he has received reliable reports
of Pak army's NON STOP shelling of the Malam Jubba area of
Swat [including its 3 sub sectors]. As a result, he said,
the displaced population has left these mountain areas and
arrived in Mangalore which itself lacks food supplies and
services and is now inundated with refugees.
Qazi sahib said that this continuous shelling is cruel
in the extreme as it is hurting the entire population in the
holy month of Ramadan. He also noted that the army is now
starting an operation in Mangalore itself where the newly
displaced people had taken refuge.
Pak Taliban insist Baitullah died August 23: Sounds like
Disinformation
On August 25 and 26, Wali-ur-Rahman and Hakimullah
Mehsud, close associates of Baitullah Mehsud, called various
media. They insisted that Baitullah, the leader of the Pak
Taliban, died on August 23. They said that he had been very
unwell and was then injured in the US drone attack which
killed his wife on August 5.
They announced that Hakimullah is now leader of the
entire Pak Taliban while Wali ur Rahman was the leader of
Pak Taliban in the strategic South Waziristan area.
[Following the announcement, a US drone tried to target Wali
ur Rahman and killed 10 people.]
New Trend's analysts of Pakistan say that insistence on
Baitulah's death sounds like disinformation. The Pak Taliban
seem to be very confident, united and organized. There is
no sign of a leadership problem, no evidence of burial
prayers or place of burial.
The Pak Taliban became the target of America in a way no
one other than Shaykh Usama has been. Here is what
Holbrooke, , America's Jewish roving rep in Pakistan said on
July 24, 2009:
'ISLAMABAD: US special envoy Richard Holbrooke on Thursday
branded Baitullah Mehsud one of the most "odious and
dangerous people" in the region, and said although the US
had been slow in recognising his importance, the TTP chief's
elimination was "without a doubt" of strategic importance
to Washington. '
[Earlier on August 19, Maulvi Umar, former Taliban
spokesman in Bajaur area, was captured by a tribal militia
organized by the Pak army. He was beaten up and handed over
to Pak military. It was an ineffective capture because Umar
had been relieved of his duties as spokesman several months
earlier. He was apparently travelling to South Waziristan to
check on the news about Baitullah's death when he was
captured.]
Iraq: War News
Iraqi Shi'ite Leader Dies of Lung Cancer: Major Vacuum in
Shi'ite Leadership
August 26, 2009: An architect of the US invasion of
Iraq, top Shi'ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim died of lung
cancer while under treatment in Iran. His death is creating
a serious problem for the Shi'ites of Iraq. He was important
as the key link between Iran and America. He wanted his son
to succeed him but other Shi'ites consider the 30 year iold
"inexperienced." With Hakim's death, both America and Iran
face a problem of factionalism in Shi'ite areas of
Iraq.
Iraq's al Qaeda claims Baghdad bombings: Serious Setback
for US Installed Regime
Eleven Storey "Government" Ministry Demolished
The Post Monitoring [From Pakistan]
CAIRO: Al Qaeda's umbrella group in Iraq on Tuesday claimed
responsibility for the bombings of government ministries in
Baghdad last week that killed more than 100 people and left
hundreds wounded.
The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, said in a
statement posted on the Internet that "with God's grace,"
their "sons launched a new blessed attack at the heart of
wounded Baghdad."
The attack, it said, meant to "wreck the bastions of
infidelity" of what it describes as the pro-Iranian
government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The statement
listed targets al Qaeda claimed to have hit, including the
finance, foreign and defense ministries in central Baghdad.
The statement, posted on a Web site commonly used by terror
groups, could not be independently verified.
The wave of explosions that ripped through Baghdad last
Wednesday - with nearly simultaneous truck bombs hitting
Iraq's Foreign and Finance ministries - killed at least 101
people and left more than 400 wounded. The US military said
the attacks bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, which is known
for its high-profile vehicle bombs and simultaneous suicide
attacks. The al Qaeda front's statement said it sought to
kill Iraqi government officials.
It said the explosions "shook the earth under their feet and
tore apart their hearts of fear and horror proving to
everyone the weakness of their government."
But it also expressed regret "for those innocent people who
were killed" because they were accidentally at the targeted
sites and wished the wounded speedy recovery. It warned of
more attacks, and urged people to "keep away from these
places" of the "heretic" Iraqi establishment
2009-08-31 Mon 19:36:53 cdt
NewTrendMag.org