NewTrendMag.org
News
#
1345
[
Click on NEWS for back issues
][
OUR BOOKS
][
Previous Issue
]
Sha'ban 11, 1432/ July 23, 2010 # 29
Verse of the Week
"And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief
and infidelity - to disunite the Believers, and in
preparation for one who warred against Allah and His
Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their
intention is nothing but good; but Allah doth declare that
they are certainly liars.
Never stand thou forth therein. There is a mosque whose
foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more
worthy of thy standing forth therein. In it are men who
love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make
themselves pure." - Holy Qur'an 9:107-108
Submitted by Sis. Abigail.
From Imam Badi Ali [National Shoora Jamaat al-Muslimeen]
North Carolina
Spotlight: Giving power and authority to rulers who have
neither piety, nor vision nor understanding is like giving
the car keys to a teenager who does not have a driver's
license and does not know how to drive
President Obama is taking pressure from the extremists on
the right. A distinguished African American scholar Dr.
Wilmer Leon explains the situation with the example of Ms.
Sherrod's sudden dismissal from the NAACP [now reversed].
Please scroll way down
for this illuminating article.
Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News]
Outreach in Washington, DC: Literature given to 125 Muslims
after Juma' at Prestigious Islamic Center
July 16, 2010: After Juma' at the Islamic Center on
Massachusetts Avenue, Jamaat al-Muslimeen literature was
given to 125 people. It included article on the military
action in Jamaica as well as reports on battles in
Afghanistan and horrific Pakistani military losses at the
hands of the Pak Taliban. The case of 5 US Muslims handed
over by CAIR was highlighted. Also included was Ms.
Carolyn's letter to Obama, advising against attack on Iran.
Finally there was a report on 5 Muslims trapped by an
informer in the Newburgh, New York case.
An interesting feature of the distribution of literature was
that some expensively dressed men, probably from Muslim
embassies refused to take the paper. Some people, on seeing
the sister distributing the literature thought she might be
from the Asra Nomani clique. Asra Nomani has been visiting
mosques and trying to disrupt them in the name of "women's
rights." [She got major coverage from the Zionist media.]
The sister told people that this is Islamic literature and
we reject Asra Nomani. After that the distribution became
easy.
One brother was so enthused by the literature that he gave
an impromptu offer of marriage to the sister distributing
the literature. [l.o.l] Some of our new Muslim brothers are
like that.
The Voice of Eddie Conway: Baltimore, Maryland
July 16: At the Red Emmas bookstore on St. Paul's street in
Baltimore, Eddie Conway spoke to his supporters from prison.
He was railroaded many years back but has refused to
compromise.
New Trend was given to the left wing audience. A woman from
the American Friends Service Committee told our sister who
was giving out New Trend that there are good numbers of
prisoners who have embraced Islam. She took a bunch of New
Trends for her next visit to the prison on the outskirts of
Baltimore.
Two important items on Africa
Hail Sudan: July 21, 2010. The Sudanese President Omar
Al-Bashir visited Chad and was given a great welcome.
Readers may remember that through Zionist intrigues and
International Court had tried to accuse the President of
crimes in Darfur and neigboring Chad had been given the
responsibility of arresting him. [!] This is indeed a
victory for Africa and Islam.
Uganda to send more troops to fight Somali Muslims: July 21,
2010: The west-backed regime in Kampala decided to send more
troops, about 2,000 more, to help shore up the tottering
regime in Mogadishu, Somalia. This follows a Somali attack
on Ethiopian liquor houses in Uganda which the Somalis
carried out in response to Uganda troops in Somalia which
have been firing artillery at village markets. Almost all of
Somalia is in Islamic hands. [New Trend observers say that
Somalia may become another Afghanistan for west-backed
African regimes like the ones in Uganda, Ethiopia and
Burundi.]
Bangladesh
Jamaate Islami elders being treated like criminals
India-Backed Attempts to Crush Peaceful Islamic Movement in
Bangladesh Continue
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=hvoJ12Yo2hg
From Rafique Alam [Bangladesh]
Kashmir: Nara-e-Takbir in the streets: Protestors being
Gunned down by Indian Security.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIpM6_vq13k&feature=player_emedded
[Indian army is searching for the movie maker who filmed
this.]
Ramadan Hilal Visibility . Data Issued by islamicmoon.com
[Dr. Omar Afzal]
Look for Ramadan crescent on August 11. Sighting is NOT
possible on Aug.10 in Makka or Cairo
The waxing crescent moon (Hilal) of Ramadan will take 3-4
days to become visible over the globe. Here are a few places
where Ramadan moon's visibility on August 10-12, 2010 are
predicted.
August 10, 2010 (Tuesday)
Australia to Karachi No
Makka S. Arabia/ME No
Turkey, All of Europe No
Durban, S. Africa No
Lagos, Nigeria No
Rabat, Morocco No
Brazil (Rio) Maybe
Argentina (B. Aires) May be
Chile Maybe
Panama Maybe
US & Canada: No
Hawaii Maybe
August 11(Wednesday)
Australia, Asia (except Japan, China and Central Asia)
Yes
Istanbul, Turkey No
London, UK No
US Southern states Yes
US Northern & Canada No
August 12 (Thursday)
Southern Europe, southern Canada, etc.
Northern regions of Europe and Canada including Alaska may
not see Ramadan Hilal before August 13
Please note that by the sighted Hilal, Thursday, August 12,
2010 is the first day of Ramadan in the US as well as
Australia, parts of Asia, Africa and southern regions of
Europe.
Saudi date is August 11, though the Hilal CANNOT be seen in
Makka, Medina or Cairo on August 10. ISNA follows Saudi
date. Sighting in the Caribbean is also not possible on
August 10.
Recommended for your summer reading:
After the Reich: The Brutal History of the Allied Occupation
Giles MacDonogh
Softcover book. 620 pages $21.95
http://www.ihrstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=268
This shocking account of brutal occupation and massive
"ethnic cleansing" is a bold reframing of the history of
World War II and its aftermath. In this sobering and
courageous book a British historian details how the ruined
and prostrate Reich (including Austria) was systematically
raped and robbed, and how many Germans who survived the war
were either killed in cold blood or deliberately left to die
of disease, cold, malnutrition or starvation. Probably the
best work available in English on this shameful chapter of
twentieth century history. With photos, source references
and index.
Return to Pakistan :
Media Perspectives on Bush's Iraq & Afghanistan Wars
Kaukab Siddique
200 pages. $14.00 till August 31
NewTrendMag.org/order.htm
* Red Mosque & Jamia Hafsa
* Interviews with Abdur Rasheed Ghazi & Umm Hasan
* Introduction to Syed Munawar Hasan [now leading Jamaate
Islami]
* Fallujah
* The bombing of Afghanistan after 9.11
* An unusual look at the city of Karachi.
* Where did Ahmed Rashid go wrong in his Taliban story?
Israeli Exceptionalism. The Destabilizing Logic of
Zionism
by M. Shahid Alam.
274 pages.
Order from amazon.com
Israeli self-identity.
Why genocide became possible against Palestinians.
Why Israel blocks peace moves
Israel in its own analysis.
Man's Twin
by Kaukab Siddique
[A novel based on real history.]
150 pages. $5.95]
NewTrendMag.org/order.htm
The story of a woman caught up in the birth pangs of
Pakistan, victimized both in India and Pakistan, saved by a
Sikh.
Mass migration to Pakistan and the sacrifices of entire
Muslim populations.
Ordinary Pakistanis face tyranny at the hands of the
military and the bureaucracy.
Three Personal notes from Br. Kaukab Siddique, editor of New
Trend:
It is summer time and I have been traveling.
At a large bookstore at the University of Chicago, I saw
Ayan Hirsi Ali's book Nomad displayed right in front. A
Muslim woman went to the manager and very politely asked him
why Hirsi Ali's book was displayed up front while
Mearsheimer's book Israel Lobby and Mullah Zaeef's My Life
with the Taliban were hidden way in the back. He smiled and
answered that it is a routine arrangement and books are
circulated.
I then went to the manager and said: Do you know that Hirsi
Ali's book is a hate book attacking Islam and Muslims and
suggesting genocide of Muslims?. Why are you projecting it?
He started giving me the same answer when I interjected and
said: Would you put books critical of or denying the
Holocaust in front like this? This book is condemning Islam
and Muslims globally. At this the manager started
stuttering: "I mean no harm. It is not deliberate." A crowd
had started gathering. I said: "I mean no harm either but
you should not spread hate." The manager became very
apologetic, so I left.
[Readers should know that Ayan Hirsi Ali's books are being
given top priority by the Zionists. Philadelphia's NPR radio
WHYY-FM has had Ms. Hirsi Ali on its shows repeatedly,
trying to connect fgm to Muslims and, sneakily to Islam.
When you see her books displayed, talk to the manager. A few
words can change the situation. She is Abu Lahab's wife
modern style.].
At Islamic Centers in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Newark,
Delaware I distributed Br. Shamim Siddiqui's book Al-Fateha
and its Significance after prayers. I also distributed a
stack of general books on Islam at the Newark center. [If
you want some books on various aspects of Islam, write to my
New Trend address.
A positive encounter at the Gaithersburg Center. While I was
distributing an article about Zahid Bukhari's [ICNA leader]
involvement with the State Department and other anti-war
info, an elderly gentleman came up to me. He asked: What's
your name? I said: Siddique. He asked : First name? I said:
"Kaukab, are you investigating me ..." He said: "No. I just
wanted to say: You have guts to speak the truth. I get your
paper regularly." I said: "Thanks" and kept distributing
papers. He then added: "No, I meant to say: You have guts of
steel. No one else writes like this." Then I turned around
and shook his hand and asked him to make du'a for me.
Masaud Khan's mom
[FreeMasoudKhan.net]
was at this prayer gathering. She looked
drawn and worn out. Her son was given 90 years by the Bush
administration for a non-violent crime [opposition to Indian
occupation of Kashmir before 9.11]. She has tried all kinds
of appeals but the light of justice is not there. It's
incredible how much injustice has been heaped on US Muslims,
and ICNA's Zahid Bukhari had the nerve to go all over the
world telling Muslims that US Muslims are doing very
well!
Temple University, Phildelphia, July 17, 2010: In connection
with the annual Riyadah [youth gathering] I went to show
support to the imams of Philadelphia communities backing
Imam Jamil al-Amin and other prisoners of conscience of the
African American community. It was a distinct honor to meet
Imam Khalil Abdur Rahman, Imam Jamil's representative.
Imam Jamil's wife Sis. Karima was the main speaker and
graciously came over to speak to me. It was wonderful to
meet Br. Jihad Abdul Mumit [former Black Panther who
embraced Islam in prison]. He embraced me and joked that I
was looking younger. [I had met him at an Islamic prayer
meeting I visited in a maximum security prison many years
back.] An important activist from New York, Br. Kwame, whom
I had not met for years, exchanged views with me and we
decided to stay in touch.
A sister who recently embraced Islam and joined Jamaat
al-Muslimeen distributed a letter from Sis. Karen English
urging Muslims to boycott businesses connected to or
supporting Israel . Thank you.
Letter: US Muslims in Distress. [1] Latest Info on
Bangladeshi Political Prisoner
[He was imprisoned on fake charges. Instead of asking for
mercy challenged the grave injustice right in court .]
As Salaamu Alaikum,
InshAllah, I hope you find this message well and in good
spirit. We appreciate you sharing Shifa's stories with your
readers and wanted to send you Shifa's new prison address
where you could write to him. I think any words of
encouragement and inspiration would be greatly appreciated.
He is right now held in Marion, IL, in one of the two CMUs
(Communication Management Unit), where all his communication
is monitored. He is there among other Muslims.
Following is the address:
Ehsanul Sadequee
#1524-0006
USP Marion
United States Penitentiary
P.O. BOX 1000
Marion, IL 62959
Thank you so much for all your support and help. Please make
dua for us.
Jazzak Allah Khair,
Sharmin [Atlanta, Georgia]
Letter: US Muslims in Distress [2] Political Prisoner:
Seifullah Chapman May Die in Prison
Now Seifullah Chapman has been put "into the hole" and is
not receiving the medical care he was supposed to receive at
the medical facility in Springfield, Missouri. He is not
allowed out of the "hole" unless 2 or 3 guards are there (as
though he is the terrorist they need to control). I think
it is because they don't want him sending any more letters
against the Bureau of Prisons (Dept. of Justice). Yes, they
are trying to kill him and should be successful very soon.
His wife is totally devastated yet remains strong in the
faith of Allah's will. She is trying to find a way to
travel and see him -- and there is no guarantee that even
after struggling to get there (by plane to St. Louis (over
$300); then rent a car ($35 a day) and drive 6 hours to
Springfield; spend nights in a motel ($47) with her two
children -- that she will be able to see him. The last time
they saw each other, was in front of a tv screen and he
looked so ill, that she managed to get the emergency court
hearing for him. However, the judge said the federal courts
have no jurisdiction over the Dept. of Justice!!!
[Writer's name withheld on request.] [Fact check shows the
letter is genuine.]
Please send letters of support, with no political messages,
to:
SEIFULLAH CHAPMAN, Reg. # 46868-083
MCFP SPRINGFIELD
MEDICAL CENTER/FEDERAL PRISONERS
P.O. BOX 4000
SPRINGFIELD, MO 65801
Abu Ali is undergoing more torture in the supermax. If
anyone complains, the abuse becomes worse.
Letter: Ismailis Learned of Islam after coming to the
West
Isn't it amazing that many of us the Ismailis after coming
to the Western Christian
Countries learned about Islam and for the first time got the
Quran in our hands that
was hidden from us, or rather forbidden to even touch it.
This reminds me of the time of Prophet/Messenger Muhammad
s.a.s (peace be upon him),
when the local people were being persecuted for accepting
him as a Prophet and accepting
One God-Creator, so he advised them to move to the
neighboring Christian Country Abyssinia
(Ethiopia) whose Ruler the King Negus was a Just Ruler: they
did, and in the King's Chamber,
the King wanted to know about the Prophet and his teaching,
in answer H. Jaffer (RA) Brother of Caliph H.Ali (RA)
recited the verse from the Quran regarding H. Mary (RA) the
Mother of Messiah Jesus (AS),
And the King was so overwhelmed and said: "we are so close,
and between you (Muslims) and us Christians the difference
is just the thickness of this line little thicker than the
thread, and said: "You can live here for as long as you
like".
After reading the Al-Quran for the first time and read the
other verses: "Jews and the Christians are the people of the
Book", and so many verses regarding Prophets Moses (AS) and
Messiah Jesus (AS) the Son of Mary (RA), which are recited
in Muslim daily prayers,
and so it confirmed how we the holders of the Holy
Scriptures are all intertwined with each other and we are
all one community (Quran 23: 52/-2: 213), which brought me
so closer to
our brethren Jewish, Christians and all the people within
this world. Such a miracle!
It was also overwhelming for me to know all the Prophets of
GOD mentioned in the Quran,
from Adam a.s, to Noah a.s, to Issac a,s, Jacob/Israel a.s,
Jonah a.s, Abraham a.s., Ismael a.s, John The Baptist a.s,
Lot a.s, etc., which of course we the Ismailis never heard
before as
we were never introduced to the Holy Quran.
The Message of the Holy Scriptures (Bible & Quran) is just
one: Obey, Worship and
Serve One GOD-Creator, who created you, the Universe and all
within, and that is
the true Religion of respect and integrity of
Creator-GOD.
The worship of human god is not the worship of GOD but the
worship of Iblis, and Lucifer.
Salaam/Peace.
Sis. Shanin [UK]
[The writer is a convert to Islam from Ismaili cult. The
story of her acceptance of Islam appeared in our July 15
issue.... Editor.]
Two Faces of Pakistan: Both on July 19, 2010
First photo: Ameer of Jamaate Islami Syed Munawar Hasan
speaking to a historic mass rally in Chitral [northern
Pakistan]. He urged the people to defend Pakistan, Islam,
human rights and the rights of the poor and the downtrodden.
Hasan wants a peaceful revolution. See his comments below
the photos.
Photo 2: General Ashfaque Pervez Kayani, Pakistani army
chief, taking his orders from Obama's representative Hillary
Clinton. The Pakistani military is bent upon destroying the
Islamic resistance in the northern areas of Pakistan.
Kayani's military liberally uses heavy artillery, helicopter
gun ships and jet fighters against Islamic villages,
mosques, medressas and homes of Pak Taliban imams. However,
analysts say Kayani's military has taken a bloody nose from
the Pak Taliban. Thousands of Kayani's troops and 600 ISI
officers [according to Pak ambassador to the US] have been
killed in hand to hand fighting and martyrdom operations.
Several thousand Pak Taliban have given their lives for
Islam.
Pakistan has one man rule serving US agenda . Syed Munawar
Hasan
Posted by ??? ????? at 10:28 PM [By Shamsuddin in
Lahore.]
LAHORE, July 19: Pakistan presently has a one-man rule of an
individual receiving dictation from the US, Jamaat e Islami
chief, Syed Munawar Hasan, said on Monday.
Addressing a large public meeting at Chitral polo ground, he
said the Muslim Ummah was the US target at present while the
Muslim rulers were lining up with the Americans.
He said the Pakhtoons were staunch Muslims and that was why
the US wanted to annihilate the Pashtoon belt and the tribal
areas. He said lasting peace in the region was possible only
if the Muslim masses rose up against the US and its agents.
He however believed that the US was fast nearing its end
with a defeat in Afghanistan after which all its agents
would also disappear.
The JI chief deplored that the ruling party members were
busy stuffing their pockets with public money and had least
concern for public problems. He said the rulers talked much
of democracy but the on going confrontation between
institutions was the negation of democracy. He said, the
terrorist activities in Pakistan were being carried out by
Black Water and Indian agencies but the rulers in Islamabad
did not have the courage to name India.
JI provincial chief Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim, deputy chief,
Sahibzada Haroon ur Rashid, and former MNA Maulana Abdul
Akbar Chitrali, also addressed the meeting.
Ed note: The Chitral trip is very important. The area has an
Ismaili community supporting the corrupt government and the
US agenda. Looks like Munawar Hasan has pre-empted
anti-Pakistan moves by rallying the Muslims of Chitral.]
Interesting: Not for Endorsement but for Information
MEMRI, which Monitors Al-Qaida messages, noted this latest
from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri
In a new 1-hour 3-minute audio recording, Al-Qaeda
second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri reaffirms Al-Qaeda's
basic strategy regarding Palestine and promised imminent
victory in Afghanistan, and addresses words of praise and
encouragement to the jihadist groups in North Africa,
Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Caucasus,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The video, dated Rajab 1431
(June-July 2010), was produced by Al-Qaeda's media wing,
Al-Sahab, and posted on jihadist websites on July 19, 2010.
Despite the date shown on the release, it is likely that
Al-Zawahiri' s audio was recorded earlier, since there is no
mention of the Gaza flotilla incident, which took place in
late May.
Al-Zawahiri opens with the "good tidings" that victory is
near in Afghanistan. He ridicules the U.S. for its early
confidence in the Marjah operation and for its hopes that
the arrest of senior commander Mullah Baradar would
adversely affect the Taliban, saying that these hopes were
crushed by the Taliban's stiff resistance in Marjah and
subsequent martyrdom operations in Kandahar and Kabul. He
also accuses the Arab and Western media of underreporting
the Taliban's achievements - contrasting it with the wide
coverage given to Hizbullah if it so much as fires a missile
- and likewise blasts Turkey and a number of Arab states for
their support for the coalition in Afghanistan, as well as
'ulema who have ruled that such support is permissible.
In the portion of the video from which its title is taken
("Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized!"), Al-Zawahiri places
the blame for the Judaization of Jerusalem, and for the
situation in Palestine in general, on...
To read the full dispatch, visit http://www.memrijtt
m.org/content/ en/report. htm?report= 4461¶m=GJN.
To view this report, you must be a paying member of the
Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For
membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri. org
with "Membership" in the subject line.
You can also subscribe to a year of the JTTM Weekly Digest
for $200.00. The Digest includes a selection of material
from the JTTM. To subscribe to the JTTM Weekly Digest, visit
https://secure3. convio.net/ memri/site/ Donation2?
df_id=1253&1253.donation= form. (Sign up today -
subscription price is set to increase in September)
Note to media and government: For the full report or a copy
of the viedeo, send an email with "Al-Qaeda's
Second-in-Command Ayman Al-Zawahiri: The Only Hope for
Palestine is to Depose the 'Arab Zionists'" in the subject
line to media@memri.org.
Hadith Studies by Dr. Kaukab Siddique
Rebuttal of the Attacks on Abu Huraira (r.a) [Part II]
Did 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, r.a., stop Abu Huraira, r.a. from
Narrating Hadith
[In Part I, the love of the Prophet, pbuh, for Abu Huraira
was pointed out, along with Abu Huraira's participation in
jihad both during and after the time of the Prophet, pbuh.
For most Muslims, the qualities of Abu Huraira, r.a.,
documented in the first part of this study would be enough
to love him. However, the Shias and the Pervezis find that
difficult because it would demolish the premises of their
sectariam theories.
For Shias, it should have been very difficult to attack Abu
Huraira, r.a., because he loved the Ahlul Bait and narrated
beautiful Hadith about the grandsons of the Prophet, pbuh.
Shia scholars should know that Ali, r.a., Hasan, r.a., and
Hussain, r.a., did not speak against Abu Huraira, r.a. There
are a few Shia fabrications to this effect but they are from
later times and cannot be traced back to the three greats of
Shia'ism.
However, the Shias work by way of "guilt by association."
They try to make the claim that Ameer Muawiyya and Yazeed
were identical in their behavior. For them, connection with
Ameer Muawiyya and Yazeed is equally bad, and because Abu
Huraira, r.a., cooperated with Ameer Muawiyya they condemn
him.
The Shias forget that Imam Hasan, r.a., made peace with
Ameer Muawiyya, and he and Imam Hussain both received
respect and copious gifts from Ameer Muawiyya. Ameer
Muawiyya was KATIBE WAHI [writer of the revelation, the
Qur'an] and was accepted by the Prophet, pbuh. During his
rule, there was general consensus and peace within the
Muslim domain, and as a result Jihad of great significance
was carried out against the oppressive empires in the West.
The attacks of the sect known as munkareene Hadith [deniers
of Hadith] on Abu Huraira, r.a., are much more dishonest
than those of the Shia. These sectarians, following the line
of Jewish abusers of Hadith, like Goldziher and Schacht,
resort to outright intellectual dishonesty. For instance,
G.A. Pervez wrote:
"Once Abu Salama asked hazrat Abu Huraira, who is well known
for being prolific in Hadith narration, did you narrate
Hadith this way in the time of Hazrat 'Umar? He replied, if
I had done so in his time, he would have beaten me." [Maqame
Hadith, in Urdu language, p.52]
G.A. Pervez gives a reference for this supposed narration
but it is not from a primary book of Hadith but from a
secondary scholar named Tahir bin Salih al-Jazairi.
Thus Pervez, whose entire book is aimed at proving that
Hadith is not to be trusted, tries to use a supposed Hadith
narration to oppose Abu Huraira, r.a., and then does not
give a primary source. In fact, Pervez's study of Hadith was
very poor and he had collected a whole series of quotes from
various secondary writers, taken out of context, to attack
Hadith.
Let's see what the original texts on which Islam and Islamic
history are based, say about the relations between Umar,
'ra., and Abu Huraira, r.a., regarding Hadith :
The context of the personality of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is
that he was very strict with HIMSELF and with ALL the
companions of the Prophet, pbuh. But when he would hear Abu
Huraira, r.a., reciting Hadith, 'Umar, r.a., would take back
his own opinion. There is NO evidence that he wanted to stop
Abu Huraira, r.a., from narrating Hadith. Quite the
contrary. Here are specific instances:
"A woman who blew on knots (a form of witchcraft) was
brought to 'Umar, r.a. He asked the people (assembled): Have
any of you heard anything from the messenger of Allah, pbuh,
regarding blowing on knots. Abu Huraira, r.a., got up and
said: O Commander of the Faithful! I have heard. 'Umar,
r.a., asked: What have you heard? Abu Huraira replied: He
(the Prophet, pbuh) said: O women who blow on knots, do not
do so and and do not ask anyone to blow on knots. 'Umar,
r.a., accepted Abu Huraira's words [in front of the entire
assembly].
[Sahih Bukhari, vol.2. Urdu translation]
"Once 'Umar, r.a., took Abu Huraira, r.a., with him from
Madinah to Makka for Hajj. On the way, a storm started
blowing. 'Umar, r.a., asked his Companions, does anyone
remember anything from the messenger of Allah regarding a
strong breeze.? No one answered. Abu Huraira, r.a., who was
trailing behind the caravan learned of the question 'Umar
was asking. He put his mount to the gallop, reached 'Umar,
and said: I learned of the question you were asking. I heard
the messenger of Allah, pbuh, say, the wind is a sign of
Allah's mercy."
[Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. vol. 14]
"Hissan ibn Thabit, r.a., was reciting poetry in the mosque.
'Umar, r.a., passed by and forbade Hissan, r.a., from
reciting poetry in the mosque. Hissan replied: I used to
recite poetry in the mosque when one better than you [the
Prophet, pbuh] used to be there. Then he turned to Abu
Huraira, r.a., and asked him: O Abu Huraira, I ask you in
Allah's name, didn't you hear the messenger of Allah, pbuh,
say about me: "(O Hissan) answer the unbelievers from my
side (in poetry). O Allah support him (Hissan) with the
sacred spirit." Abu Huraira, r.a. replied: "Yes, I did hear
him. (say that)." [Sahih Muslim, vol. 2]
In each case, Abu Huraira's words were accepted by 'Umar,
r.a.
There is NO EVIDENCE that 'Umar, r.a., or any other
Companion of the Prophet, pbuh, stopped or tried to stop Abu
Huraira, r.a., from narrating Hadith. Ayesha, r.a.,
corrected two of his narrations but did not stop him and did
not make any general comment against his narration of
Hadith. In fact he used to sit outside her door and narrate
Hadith, so that in case he was wrong, she could correct him.
It's possible that in later times Abu Huraira, r.a., might
have quipped that if 'Umar, r.a., had heard me reciting so
many Hadith, he would have hit me. Abu Huraira, r.a., was
very humble and would often say things against himself. He
even told of the time when he was an employee of the woman
who later became his wife, and he said, she used to push him
like a servant, and he said jokingly, after she became his
wife, I'll now make her work for me!
Once during Muawiyya's Caliphate, Abu Huraira, r.a., sneezed
and then made fun of himself, what a time of wealth has come
that the poor man who used to pass out from starvation in
front of 'Ayesha's home (he himself) cleans his nose in a
fancy kerchief. [Sahih Bukhari]
In any case, NO COMPANION of the Prophet, pbuh, EVER claimed
that Abu Huraira, r.a., was narrating too many Hadith.
Only people like G.A. Pervaiz make such false claims against
this beloved servant of the Prophet, pbuh.
[Obama and Bush are singing the same tune. This injustice
has outdone Bush. NT Editor.]
Lynne Stewart sentenced to ten years in prison
BY JEFF MACKLER
(Jeff Mackler is the West Coast Director of the Lynne
Stewart Defense Committee.)
The full force of the U.S. criminal "justice" system came
down on innocent political prisoner, 30-year veteran human
rights attorney and radical political activist Lynne Stewart
today, July 15, 2010.
In an obviously pre-prepared one hour and twenty minute
technical tour de force designed to give legitimacy to a
reactionary ruling Federal District Court John Koeltl, who
in 2005 sentenced Stewart to 28 months in prison following
her frame-up trial and jury conviction on four counts of
"conspiracy to aid and abet terrorism," re-sentenced Stewart
to 120 months or ten years. Koeltl recommended that Stewart
serve her sentence in Danbury, Connecticut' s minimum
security prison. A final decision will be made by the Bureau
of Prisons.
Stewart will remain in Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional
Center for 60 days to prepare an appeal.
The jam-packed New York Federal District Court chamber
observers where Koeltl held forth let out a gasp of pain and
anguish as Lynne's family and friends were stunned - tears
flowing down the stricken and somber faces of many. A
magnificent Stewart, ever the political fighter and
organizer was able to say to her supporters that she felt
badly because she had "let them down," a reference to the
massive outpouring of solidarity and defiance that was the
prime characteristic of Lynne's long fight for freedom.
Judge Koeltl was ordered to revisit his relatively short
sentence when it was overturned by a two-judge majority of
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Judges
Robert D. Sack and Guido Calabresi ruled that Koeltl's
sentence was flawed because he had declined to determine
whether Stewart committed perjury when she testified at her
trial that she believed that she was effectively operating
under a "bubble" protecting her from prosecution when she
issued a press release on behalf of her also framed-up
client, the blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman. Rahman was
falsely charged with conspiracy to damage New York state
buildings.
Dissenting Judge John M. Walker, who called Stewart's
sentence, "breathtakingly low" in view of Stewart's
"extraordinarily severe criminal conduct" deemed the Second
Circuit's majority opinion "substantively unreasonable."
Walker essentially sought to impose or demand a 30-year
sentence.
The three-judge panel on Dec. 20, 2009 followed its initial
ruling with even tougher language demanding that Koeltl
revisit his treatment of the "terrorism enhancement" aspects
of the law. A cowardly Koeltl, who didn't need this argument
to dramatically increase Stewart's sentence, asserted that
he had already taken it under consideration in his original
deliberations.
Government prosecutors, who in 2005 sought a 30-year
sentence, had submitted a 155-page memorandum arguing in
support of a 15-30 year sentence. Their arguments
demonstrated how twisted logic coupled with vindictive and
lying government officials routinely turn the victim into
the criminal.
Stewart's attorneys countered with a detailed brief
recounting the facts of the case and demonstrating that
Stewart's actions in defense of her client were well within
the realm of past practice and accepted procedures. They
argued that Koeltl properly exercised his discretion in
determining that, while the terrorism enhancement provisions
of the "law" had to be taken into consideration, the
30-year-prison term associated with it was "dramatically
unreasonable," "overstated the seriousness" of Stewart's
conduct" and had already been factored into Koeltl's
decision.
Stewart's attorneys also argued convincingly in their brief
that the Special Administrative Measure (SAM) that Stewart
was convicted of violating by releasing a statement from her
client to the media was well within the established practice
of Stewart's experienced and mentoring co-counsels- former
U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and past American Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee president Abdeen Jabarra. Both
had issued similar statements to the media with no
government reprisal. Clark was an observer in Koeltl's
courtroom. When he testified in support of Lynne during her
trial one overzealous prosecutor suggested that he too be
subject to the conspiracy charges. The more discreet team of
government lawyers quietly dropped the matter.
As worst in such matters, government officials refuse
defense attorneys client visiting rights until an agreement
on a contested interpretation of a SAM is reached. This was
the case with Stewart and her visiting rights were
eventually restored with no punishment or further action.
Indeed, when the matter was brought to then Attorney General
Janet Reno, the government declined to prosecute or
otherwise take any action against Stewart.
But Koeltl, who had essentially accepted this view in his
original sentence, reversed himself entirely and proceeded
in his erudite-sounding new rendition of the law to
repeatedly charge Stewart with multiple acts of perjury
regarding her statements on the SAM during her trial.
Koeltl took the occasion to lecture Stewart regarding the
first words she uttered in front of a bevy of media outlets
when she joyfully alighted from the courthouse following the
judge's original 28-month sentence. Said Stewart at that
time, "I can do 28 months standing on my head." A few
moments earlier Stewart, with nothing but a plastic bag
containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and her various
medications, had stood before Koeltl, who had been asked by
the government to sentence her to a 30-year term,
effectively a death sentence for Lynne, aged 70, a diabetic
and recovering breast cancer victim in less than excellent
health.
Koeltl dutifully followed the lead of the Second Circuit
judges, who feigned outrage that Stewart could possibly
appear joyful that her life was spared despite 28 months in
prison. Koeltl insisted that Stewart's remark was
essentially contemptuous of his sentence and insufficient to
convince Stewart of the seriousness of her "crime." Lynne's
defense was that while she fully understood that 28 months
behind bars, separating from her "family, friends and
comrades," as she proudly stated, was a harsh penalty, she
was nevertheless "relieved" that she would not die in
prison. Koeltl needed a legal brick to throw at Lynne's head
and ignored her humanity, honesty and deep feeling of relief
when she expressed it to a crowd of two thousand friends,
supporters and a good portion of the nation's media.
The same Judge Koeltl who stated in 2005, when he rendered
the 28-month jail term, that Lynne was "a credit to her
profession and to the nation," clearly heard the voice of
institutionalized hate and cruelty and responded in
according with its unstated code. "Show no mercy! Thou shall
not dissent without grave punishment" in capitalist America.
Lynne was convicted in the post-911 generated climate of
political hysteria. Bush appointee, Attorney General John
Ashcroft, decided to make an example of her aimed at warning
future attorneys that the mere act of defending anyone whom
the government charged with "conspiracy to aid and abet
terrorism," could trigger terrible consequences.
On July 15 Judge Koeltl made the decision of his career.
Known for his meticulous preparation in such matters, and
already having enraged the powers that be with his "light"
sentence of Stewart, he bent full tilt to the reactionary
political pressures exerted on him by the court hierarchy.
He had the option to stand tall and reaffirm his original
decision. The "law" allowed him to do so. He could have
permitted Lynne to leave prison in less than two years,
recover her health, and lead a productive life. His
massively extended sentence, unless overturned, will likely
lead to Lynne's demise behind bars - a brilliant and
dedicated fighter sacrificed on the alter of an intolerant
class-biased system of repression and war.
Courage is a rare quality in the capitalist judiciary. For
every defiant decision made, usually driven by a change in
the political climate and pressed forward by the rise of
mass social protest movements, there are thousands and more
of political appointees that affirm the status quo,
including its punishment of all who struggle to challenge
capitalist prerogatives and power.
Lynne Stewart stands tall among the latter. We can only hope
that the winds of change that are stirring the consciousness
of millions today in the context of an American capitalism
in economic and moral crisis keeps the movement for her
freedom alive and well. The fight is not over! What we do
now remains critical. Lynne's expected appeal to the U.S.
Supreme Court cannot be written off as absurd and hopeless.
What we do collectively to free her and all political
prisoners and to fight for freedom and justice on every
front counts for everything!
Write to Lynne at:
Lynne Stewart 53504-054
MCC-NY 2-S
150 Park Row
New York, NY 10007
For further information call Lynne's husband, Ralph Poynter,
leader of the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
718-789-0558 or 917-853-9759
Send contributions payable to:
Lynne Stewart Organization
1070 Dean Street
Brooklyn, New York, 11216
The Case of Shirley Sherrod, another Teachable Moment
By
Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, Ph.D.
The conservative spin machine is at it again. The attack on
the USDA's former Georgia director of Rural Development, Ms.
Shirley Sherrod by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart is
the most recent example of the dangers that come from
reactionary sound-bite politics being put in the context of
race.
In an attempt to shift the focus away from the NAACP's
justified condemnation of the "...extremist elements within
the Tea Party, calling on Tea Party leaders to repudiate
those in their ranks who use racist language in their signs
and speeches," conservatives are once again attempting to
create the illusion of "reverse discrimination". They are
trying to show a "blacklash" of radical racist behavior by
African Americans by distorting events, editing video, and
race-baiting. They want to "flip the script" by using race
based attacks as a defense against or rational for their own
raciest behavior.
Unfortunately, in an attempt to demonstrate a
"zero-tolerance" policy towards any perceived actions based
upon race, the Department of Agriculture and the NAACP
allowed themselves to be baited into taking action against
Ms. Sherrod that the facts (upon further investigation) do
not support. After Breibart's video went "viral" on the
internet, Ms. Sherrod told the Associated Press (AP) that
she was called by the USDA's deputy undersecretary Cheryl
Cook and told that the White House wanted her to resign.
"They called me twice...The last time they asked me to pull
over the side of the road and submit my resignation on my
Blackberry, and that's what I did."
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack summarily dismissed Ms.
Sherrod based upon a video on the internet? He did not put
Ms. Sherrod on administrative leave pending further
investigation and did not provide Ms. Sherrod the
opportunity to defend herself. Vilsack was so afraid of a
baseless attack from the conservative right that he cut and
ran instead of taking the time to insure that what was
presented was factual and her dismissal justified.
According to the AP, Vilsack is now saying that he will
"conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts."
Such a through review should have been conducted on the
front-end of this fiasco not after the fact. He will
"consider additional facts?" No, he should consider "the
facts" since his initial actions were baseless and
reactionary.
In a similar knee jerk reaction, the NAACP issued a
statement (which they later retracted) supporting her
firing, "We concur with US Agriculture Secretary Vilsack in
accepting the resignation of Shirley Sherrod...Her actions
were shameful...she gave no indication she had attempted to
right the wrong she had done to this man."
Additional facts have come to light since the release of
this video. Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart
intentionally edited the video to misrepresent Ms. Sherrod's
message. She actually told the audience at the NAACP
Freedom Fund Dinner how she was able to overcome her
personal bias and help the white farmer, Roger Spooner and
his wife to save their farm. Spooner's wife Eloise told CNN
that Sherrod was "getting in there and doing all she could
do to help us."
Ms. Sherrod's personal story of overcoming racial bias was
intentionally misrepresented as a story of racism in order
to further a larger agenda. The event she recounted took
place 24 years ago while she was working for the Federation
of Southern Cooperative/Land Assistance Fund not the USDA.
Her actions had no relation to her current position or
employer.
The NAACP went on to state, "The NAACP will continue to
advance the ideals of America and fight for freedom, justice
and fairness for all Americans." If that is true they need
to fight for justice and fairness for Ms. Shirley Sherrod,
hold Secretary Vilsack accountable, and call upon President
Obama to speak out on her behalf and condemn the race
baiting tactics of the right.
The firing of Ms. Sherrod is the most recent example of the
dangers that come from reactionary sound-bite politics being
put in the context of race. Former Obama Special Adviser
for Green Jobs Van Jones was dismissed after conservative
talk show host Glenn Beck took issue with Jones' "activist
radical past" even though Jones is a leading expert in the
field of the environmental economy. Attorney General Holder
is accused of not pursuing a voter intimidation case in
Philadelphia against the New Black Panther Party even though
the decision not to file a criminal case occurred before
President Obama was even in office.
These are a few examples of manufactured distractions,
intentional distortions, and conveniently omitted facts, and
for what reason? The Andrew Breitbart's of the world and
the media outlets that support them want the electorate to
ignore the fact that on Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep.
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) were spat upon and called "nigger"
and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) was called a "faggot" by
members of the Tea Party.
They want Americans to ignore the fact that former
Republican congressman Tom Tancredo opened the Tea Party
convention by calling for a reinstatement of Jim Crow type
literacy tests for voters and saying, "This is our
country,...Let's take it back." Ignore the fact that during
President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on
health care, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted at the President
"you lie". Wilson would have never thought to do that to
any of the former Presidents. Ignore the fact that there
have been numerous cartoons featuring the Obama's as
monkeys, terrorists, or Muslim suicide bombers.
The case of Ms. Shirley Sherrod has given America another
"teachable moment." Even though the president wants to stay
as far away from the race issue as possible, he can not give
racists a pass. By continuing to run from race and ignoring
the racists, America will remain mired in its middle.
Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/ Host of the nationally
broadcast call-in talk radio program "Inside the Issues with
Wilmer Leon," and a Lecturer in the Department of Political
Science at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Go to
www.wilmerleon.com or email: wjl3us@yahoo.com.
www.twitter.com/drwleon
© 2010 InfoWave Communications, LLC.
Website Challenging Elie Wiesel is Now Online
"Where's the Tattoo?" is the question asked by a new website
that has just gone online at www.eliewieseltattoo.com.
Elie Wiesel Cons the World will confront contradictions and
what appear to be falsehoods and inventions about himself
and others by the world's most famous Holocaust survivor,
and expose those that are demonstrably false, oftentimes on
the face of it. It will question Wiesel on key testimony
where Holocaust scholars have failed to question him at all.
Elie Wiesel presents himself as an advocate for free speech
even as he calls for the criminalization of what he calls
"Holocaust denial" in every European and Anglo-American
nation. This is a disturbing contradiction in itself. By
raising the right questions, this website becomes an
important voice in the search for truth about Holocaust and
Holocaust testimony.
Contact: Carolyn Yeager
c/o CODOH
PO Box 439016
San Ysidro , CA 92143
Email: ewtattoo@codoh.com
Web: www.eliewieseltattoo.com
2010-07-23 Fri 17:37:31 cdt
NewTrendMag.org