Narrated Anas, r.a.
Allah's messenger, pbuh, said, "Whoever possesses the
(following) three qualities will have the sweetness of faith
(1): The one to whom Allah and His messenger become dearer
than anything else; (2) Who loves a person and he loves him
only for Allah's Sake; (3) who hates to revert to disbelief
as he hates to be thrown into the Fire."
[Sahih Bukhari.]
From Br. Shamim Siddiqi Long Island, NY
The Basic Message of the Qur'an: In it is Guidance Sure.
Salaam to all,
The Qur'an is the book of Guidance as to how to live, act
and behave on this earth. It corrects the teachings of other
Prophets who came before and gives the history of people who
refused the Messengers of their time before hand that then
all were destroyed except those who were Muslim of their
time. It further tells about the Day of Judgment. the Hell
and the Heaven and describes many favors and bounties that
God has provided magnanimously to human society and how He
fulfill the physical and the spiritual/moral needs of
man.
It clearly warns the people who do not accept His authority
on self and society and worship idols and man-made laws and
their authority; they all will be punished and be thrown in
hell fire, if they do not repent and beg His pardon before
death.
If you study the Qur'an in detail, your will get all these
topics discussed somewhere in short and somewhere in
detail.
This is the message of the Qur'an and we have to share it
with the world around us declaring: that you all will get
your Salvation only when you accept this message of the
Qur'an whole heartedly. ONLY THEN YOU WILL GET PEACE IN
HUMAN ABODE AND PARADISE {ETERNAL PLEASURE} AFTER DEATH.
Shukrun wa Jazakallah
Shamim Siddiqi
www.dawahinamericas.com
Jamaat al-Muslimeen Activity in Laurel, Maryland
On April 24, an 8 page document was given to 157 Muslims
after Juma at the Islamic Center of Laurel, Maryland, not
far north of Washington, DC.
Most of the worshippers were Muslims from Pakistan and India
with a few Africans and African Americans. Many Muslim women
worship here..
The khutba was about the rearing of children along Islamic
lines.
The eight pages were as follows:
Facts on Rape in Hindu India and Buddhist Cambodia,
&
&
Br. Kaukab's research on the rights of women and
punishment for rape in Islam.
Sis. Asqfish on Murders of Muslims in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina.
Imam Badi Ali on Community Action
Imam Ali Siddiqui on Love of the Prophet [Houston,
Texas]
Islamic State's historic defense of Tikrit against
overwhelming odds in Iraq.
Shoora
Jamaat al-Muslimeen will hold its National Islamic Shoora on
May 16, InshaAllah.
Sis. Ashira who has returned from a three month trip to
Ethiopia will address the Shoora.
The Shoora is a planning and study group which looks at key
issues like:
Palestine.
Political Prisoners in USA
Africa
Police Brutality in USA.
Women's Rights & Opposition to Exploitation.
Effective ways of giving the message of Islam.
WAR NEWS
Syria
BBC Admits al-Nusra Led Islamic fighters are Advancing in
Syria.
[Here is the BBC report.]
Syria conflict: Islamists capture Jisr al-Shughur.
The rebels began their offensive on Thursday Islamist rebels
in Syria have taken over the key north-western town of Jisr
al-Shughur, activists say.
It was the last major town under government control in Idlib
province. Correspondents say it may give rebels a route to
the ruling elite's heartland.
The Islamist forces, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated
al-Nusra Front, began the assault on Thursday.
State media said the army had redeployed outside the town
"to avoid civilian casualties".
They quoted a military official as saying that, before
withdrawing, troops had engaged in fierce fighting with
"armed terrorist groups" who arrived in large numbers from
the Turkish border.
Activists from the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said government forces had fled. The bodies of at
least 60 pro-government fighters were lying in the streets,
the observatory added. Before the rise of Islamic State, the
Nusra Front was seen as the strongest and most militant
rebel force. The city of Idlib was overrun by the rebel
groups last month.
Residents of the town have been fleeing the fighting.
Since then, government forces have been trying to protect
their supply route between Aleppo and Hama province on one
side and Latakia on the other.
Latakia is home to the core of the Alawite minority to which
the family of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs and
is so far largely untouched by the war.
BBC World Service Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher says
that if the rebels can drive the government completely out
of Idlib province, they would open the way to Latakia.
The town of Jisr al-Shughur has been under government
control since the early stages of the conflict. In June
2011, large protests against the regime led to the deaths of
120 troops in circumstances disputed by the government and
its opponents.
Nigeria
Boko Haram Take Strategic Town. Nigerian troops Flee.
Islamic Fighters of BH also beat Back military Assault on
Sambisa Forest.
[This is an anti-Islamic report, given below, but it does
admit defeat of the Nigerian army.... editor]
Maiduguri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Suspected Boko Haram insurgents
have forced hundreds of soldiers to flee Marte, a border
town along the shores of Lake Chad, a local official and
witnesses said.
"The terrorists, numbering over 2,000, appeared from various
directions on Thursday and engaged the soldiers in Kirenowa
town and adjoining communities in Marte," said Imamu Habeeb,
a local community leader.
"They fought with soldiers over the night and the fight
continued today (Friday), forcing hundreds of soldiers to
flee," he added from Borno state capital Maiduguri.
Local fighter Shehu Dan Baiwa said the more than 2,000
fighters had been armed with bombs and tanks. "They used the
weapons without restraint and succeeded in killing several
people," he said.
This is the third time Boko Haram has seized control of
Marte in restive Borno state, a key battleground of their
six-year insurgency, which has killed more than 13,000 and
left 1.5 million homeless.
The city is among several retaken in recent weeks by
Nigeria's military, which has launched an offensive against
the Islamists as part of a regional operation supported by
Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
But Boko Haram have been fighting back, and Nigerian troops
were also forced to retreat from Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest
stronghold this week after a landmine blast killed one
soldier and three vigilantes.
A senior local politician confirmed, on condition of
anonymity, that the insurgents had retaken Marte.
"We lost many (people) because some of our people that fled
to Chad and Cameroon have return after Nigerian troops
recovered the town recently," he added.
A senior military official confirmed the attack on Marte,
but refused to say whether Boko Haram had retaken the town,
describing the army's retreat as "strategic"
Iraq
ISIL fighters make gains in Iraq's Anbar province.
Fighters took partial control of a dam and base guarding it,
as group's advance on Ramadi forces civilians to flee
city.
Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) group have taken partial control of a water dam and
the military barracks guarding it in western Anbar province,
security sources and witnesses said.
The armed group launched an offensive on the dam late on
Friday with explosive-laden vehicles, and engaged in gun
battles with Iraqi soldiers that continued through to
Saturday.
Dozens of Iraqi troops were killed in the fighting, with
poor communications making it difficult to confirm the
precise number, Athal al-Fahdawi, an official in Anbar told
the Reuters news agency. Army sources said two senior
officers were among the dead.
A video posted on YouTube purported to show fighters from
the group walking around the dam and the base nearby with no
Iraqi soldiers in sight. The bodies of several Iraqi
soldiers were seen lying on a road leading to the
encampment.
The latest gains by ISIL come amid a new Iraqi government
offensive to recapture parts of Anbar from the group. The
armed group seized large parts of the mainly Sunni Arab
province, during its summer offensive in 2014.
The Iraqi government has had successes, clearing Tikrit in
neighbouring Salahuddin province of ISIL fighters, but the
group has hit back by attacking Ramadi, the provincial
capital of Anbar.
Border attack
ISIL has also claimed responsibility for multiple suicide
car bombings at a border crossing between Iraq and Jordan,
killing four soldiers.
The group admitted it was behind the attacks in a video
released on Saturday, saying it had targeted a government
complex, border crossing control point, and army patrol,
according to monitoring group SITE.
A Jordanian official said his government had responded by
stepping up security measures at the Tureibil crossing,
while an Iraqi defence ministry spokesman said Baghdad would
investigate the assault.
Source: Al Jazeera And Agencies
Khutba
A Strategy of Engagement. Applied Islam.
Imam Ali Siddiqui's Khutba at Masjid Jamaat
al-Muslimeen.
Imam Ali's khutba on April 24 in Baltimore, Maryland, was
full of deep meaning and delivered with grace. Here is
summary of the khutba.
In the inner cities across this land people live in very
dire conditions. As I drove in, and as you do it, often,
this community, around our masjid is no exception. As
Muslims, we are duty bound to uplift these our brothers and
sisters in humanity.
We cannot do much as outsiders! For that reason we shall
develop a strategy: A Strategy of Engagement.
I have an humble 8-Step Strategy. It consists of Propagation
(Tabligh), Invitation (Da'wa), Education
(Ta'leem), Organization (Tanzeem), Cooperation (Ta'wun),
Action/Struggle (Jihad 'E-maa-run), Sabr
(Struggle, hope, steadfastness, perseverance, consistency),
and Victory, Celebration, and Rest.
Insha-Allah, I will talk about it in the future Khutbahs
couple of steps at a time.
Belief is to act Fe Sabeel Allah, and for the Love of
Allah
وَمَثَلُ
الَّذِين¤
يُنفِقُو¦َ
أَمْوَال¤هُمُ
ابْتِغَاŸَ
مَرْضَات¦ اللَّـهِ
وَتَثْبِ تًا مِّنْ
أَنفُسِه¦مْ
كَمَثَلِ
جَنَّةٍ
بِرَبْوٍَ
أَصَابَه¤ا وَابِلٌ
فَآتَتْ
أُكُلَهَ›
ضِعْفَيْ¦ِ فَإِن
لَّمْ
يُصِبْهَ› وَابِلٌ
فَطَلٌّ ۗ
وَاللَّـ§ُ بِمَا
تَعْمَلُ¨نَ
بَصِيرٌ
﴿٢٦٥﴾
And the example of those who spend their wealth for the love
of Allah and assuring [reward for]
themselves is like a garden on high ground which is hit by a
downpour - so it yields its fruits in double.
And (even) if it is not hit by a downpour, then a drizzle
(is sufficient). And Allah, of what you do, is
seeing. Q 2:265
وَمَا
لَكُمْ
لَا
تُقَاتِل¥ونَ فِي
سَبِيلِ
اللَّـهِ
وَالْمُس¨تَضْعَفِɢنَ مِنَ
الرِّجَا¤ِ
وَالنِّس¤اءِ
وَالْوِل¨دَانِ
And what is (the matter) with you that you fight not in the
cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among
men, women, and children ... Q 4:75
Victory, Celebration, and Rest
It's one of the steps of the Strategy. But break it down and
celebrate every little success at every step
and at the Final Victory. For a believer it is thanking
Allah, as Allah said "... so glorify Allah for that
Allah
has guided you; and perhaps you will be (for the
blessings)." Q 2:185
وَلِتُكَœِّرُوا
اللَّـهَ
عَلَىٰ
مَا
هَدَاكُم¨
وَلَعَلّ¤كُمْ
تَشْكُرُ¨نَ ﴿١٨٥﴾
When we are in the Path of Allah, also take rest, engage in
Zikr and Salat so you will not burn-out, insha-
Allah. Take time out and meet for a Potluck dinner or for
coffee and snacks: Bring the team together,
pray together, and thus the celebration also becomes a
motivation when we thank Allah and appreciate
the work of each member of the team.
O Messenger, spread the message revealed to you from your
Lord, and if you do not, then you have not
conveyed Allah's message. And Allah will protect you from
the people (who may hurt). Indeed, Allah
does not guide those who reject Faith. Q 5:67
O You wrapped one! Arise and deliver your warning! And
magnify Your Lord! Q 74:1-3
The example of Abu Durr Ghaffari (ra): He ran around Kaaba
while crying out: La ilaha illlah. He got
repeatedly beaten up, but he didn't give up.
Target Messaging (Tabligh)
Allah identified a community to send a Prophet or messengers
of Allah to guide those people and send
them both Good News and a Warning. The Prophets/Messengers
were chosen from that selected
community and they knew about their community: language,
ethnicity, religion, social concerns,
economic status, family concerns, and whatever. Allah sent
them Wahy, revelations, to prepare them
with material and speech. It made them effective. The
selected community knew about caring, genuine,
and honest. In the modern lingo it is called Target
Marketing.
Target Community (Tabligh)
Target Marketing is a very effective tool. We can learn and
apply to Tabligh. Identify your Target
Community. Choose a segment of the community as the Target
community. Learn about them: Ethnicity,
religion, social concern, economic status, family concerns.
And brush up on the language.
Prepare yourself, prepare your material, and prepare your
speech. It will make you effective and target
group will feel that you care; however, we shall always be
genuine and honest.
The Message (Tabligh): Talking Points
The message shall cover at least following three areas.
Prepare message as Talking Points so that
everyone talks the same language: Islam, Prophet, and
Quran
Islam
A Path of Peace
One achieves peace by surrendering to the
Creator.
Islam is the Path of Liberation
Islam is about human dignity, family love, and the
strength of community to support us all.
Islam is submission to the Creator, to Stand up for
our rights, the weak, and the oppressed.
But this is an honored Qur'an; it is preserved on
Tablet. Q 85:21-22
Small Acts: Spread the Message
Small act and actions are pleasing to Allah: Just do it
often. It will insha-Allah allow us to meet all our
obligations. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
"The most pleasing of actions to Allah is that which is
done continuously, even though it may be small." (Hadith
Narrated by Ummul Mumineen 'Aishah (ra) in
the books of Bukhari and Muslim (Agreed upon)).
Our approach shall be just that: Small acts, done again and
again, without worrying about setbacks,
disappointments, and negativity. Any one of us can do it. In
the American slang: "Keep on trucking!"
Step 2: Invitation (Da'wa)
Extend a genuine invitation to a non-Muslim to study Islam:
Quranic Study, Book Club; provide
opportunity to learn on their own. Invite them to masjid, an
event, Muslim Family gathering, picnic, or whatever. At some
time in their study, invite them to Islam - a simple
encouragement, motivation, and rest is up to Allah: "Allah
guides whoever Allah pleases.
Step 3 and 4 will be discussed in the next Khutbah.
Br. Ali is Imam, Khatib, Quran Teacher, Chaplain, Interfaith
Leader, Faith -based Counselor, Public Speaker Director,
Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies & Understanding,
Lorton, VA 22079;
Protest
Thousands Protest Police Brutality in Baltimore: City in
turmoil as Clashes with Police erupt at Night.
What Should our communities do to win?
by Kaukab Siddique
[Input for this report came from Br. Ali Randall, Sis.
Ayesha, Br. Musa, Sis, Aamira Ibrahim, Br. Salim, Br, Atiba
and others.]
Organizational directions for the crowds were provided by
Ms. Ameejill Whitlock.
Jamaat al-Muslimeen activists were with the protestors till
11 at night. [They also went to the Wake on April 26.]
Through the western district of Baltimore, the crowd ebbed
and flowed after the formal rallies of the day ended
peacefully.
A huge police force was activated to block protestors who
emerged in so many small groups at so many intersections
that it was impossible for the police to control them. These
were the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden who were not
afraid of the heavy police activity.
As the night came in, sections of demonstrators were handled
brutally by the police. The official figure is that 32
people were arrested. Many of the young people, though
daring, were terrified of the way the police treated those
it arrested.
Some groups became violent and smashed police cars and broke
shop windows. Visitors at an Orioles game had to wait in the
stadium till things calmed down.
Most of the demonstrations, especially at City Hall, were
peaceful and disciplined. The people want justice and an end
to horrible atrocities like the breaking of Freddie Gray's
spinal cord while in police custody. The Black community
across the nation is alarmed at the ongoing incidents of
police aggression which have lead again and again to the
deaths of unarmed Black people.
The people of Baltimore came out in big numbers, with some
support from Muslims and White people, and showed that
Baltimore will no longer tolerate heavy handed police action
against defenseless people.
Some pro-government groups took advantage of the situation
to gain popularity in blatant attempts at opportunism. Black
police were also used on a big scale to calm the people
down. However, the level of anger and desire to show
defiance was strong.
My advice is that the Black communities, supported by
Muslims, should come up with organization, leadership and
strategy to defeat the power structure. The people being
victimized by the police are the most defenseless and the
weakest people who have no idea how to win. All they can do
is protest, which is good but does not defeat the
oppressors. There should be a peaceful and planned effort to
stop the power structure. Mere demonstrations will not do it
though they do reflect the spirit.
The rich Zionists are quite strong in Baltimore. They also
control and often own the media. They seldom if ever allow
an intelligent discourse by Black leaders to appear on
mainstream TV. In fact the Zionist backbone of the forces of
oppression is not even discussed.
The mayor of Baltimore, Ms. Rawlings, made some nice talk to
calm people down but did not take a clear stand against the
police. O'Malley, Maryland's head honcho, who is preparing
to run for president of USA was even worse. Unless the
people with real power are confronted, peacefully but
decisively, nothing will change.
(Photo sent out during the rally by Sis. Ayesha and Sis.
Aamira)
Editorial
Why we cannot Endorse Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Western Powers
& the Eastern Powers.
Are we Crazy? No! That's Simply Islam of the Qur'an and
Authentic Hadith.
by Kaukab Siddique
We are able to accept GOOD from both sides [or all sides]
because we are only on the side of Allah and His Prophet,
pbuh.
We cannot endorse Saudi Arabia.
Kingship is haram in Islam
Family rule and wasteful spending of the country's wealth
makes the regime illegitimate.
Support for American policies against Muslims makes the
Saudi regime illegitimate.
Suppression and oppression of women makes Saudi Arabia a
male dominated regime which is degrading women around the
world.
A Muslim regime, even if not a monarchy, does not have the
right to support dictators outside its borders.
Saudi's military aggression in Bahrain and now on a huge
scale in Yemen indicates that Saudi Arabia will not tolerate
dissent not only within its borders but also in its
neighborhood.
The restructuring of the holy cities on western patterns
indicates Saudi lack of Islamic responsibility.
We cannot endorse Iran
Iran has receded from revolution to nationalism to
sectarianism to militarism.
Iran is fuelling sectarianism in just about every Muslim
country. Shi'ism is more important for Iran than the basic
norms of Islam.
Iran worked in underhand ways with the Americans in the
occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Iran supported and enforced the US/UN sanctions on Iraq and
was thus in part responsible for the slow death of a million
poor Iraqis, including children.
Iran is supporting and defending the worst tyrant on the
planet, Bashar Assad of Syria, militarily, financially and
politically.
Iran is supporting the US-installed regime in Baghdad both
militarily and financially.
With the slow but steady talks between Iran and the US, Iran
is going to work for America not unlike the way Israel does.
The US-Iran combination could prove deadly for Islamic
movements. America needs "boots on the ground" which Iran
can provide in large numbers. Iranian forces are already
active in Syria and Iraq.
Iran has emboldened the tiny but affluent Shia minority in
Pakistan to the extent that it is openly defying the great
majority of Muslims.
USA and the Western Powers will continue to arm and protect
the Saudi regime and its affiliates in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE
and for now Egypt.
Russia has a weekly supply line of weapons and supplies to
the Assad regime and also in many projects to Iran.
So, only tell us of the good they do. As Muslims they cannot
be supported in their main endeavors.
Spotlights & Guidance
What does Unity Mean in Islam? How to achieve it? Are we
Facing the Wrath of Allah?
The Muslim nation has been divided into 57 nations instead
of one.
We divide ourselves according to race, sect, our pre-Islamic
cultures, political opinions, ancestry and even on the imams
we follow!
None of these excuses for separation are considered valid by
Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala]), and therefore we should not
consider them valid either.
The Quran instructed us to unite and warned us of
division.
The Quran warns us not to differentiate among Prophets.
The Prophet, in his final speech to the Ummah, said that
between Muslims, there are no races or tribes. We have
divided the Ummah which our Prophet tried so hard to keep
together. Allah warns us, in the following verse:
3:105 "And be not like those who are divided amongst
themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear
signs: for them is a dreadful punishment ".
Islam, being a flexible religion, allows for a variety of
opinions and customs, as long as they do not contradict the
religion.
A Muslim is defined as one who submits and surrenders to
Allah and one who follows the religion of Al-Islam.
Allah said: 21: 92 "Verily, you are one Ummah. I am your
Lord, worship me."
We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are
divided
Imagine the blessings and the benefits if there were no
borders or boundaries between Muslim countries.
The sun was given to all. It does not shine only on the rich
and famous and it does not shine on one race.
As a Muslim, I have no problem if Saudi Arabia takes over
Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan, or Egypt and rulesz them by Islam,
where there is no difference between a Saudi citizen and an
Egyptian citizen.
- Imam Badi Ali is a Palestinian American who leads a large
congregation in Greensboro, North Carolina
China
China's Huge Investment in Pakistan is seemingly economic
but its real Target is to stop Islamic Resurgence In Eastern
Turkistan [Sinkiang.]
by Omar Waraich
With thanks to Br. Ather in Canada.
[Also read Imam Ali Siddiqui's article on What China is
doing to Islam and Muslims. New Trend April 19 issue.]
For much of the half-century since China and Pakistan forged
close ties, the relationship has been one based on mutual
military and security needs. They both, for example, had
India as an adversary. But now China is rolling out its
largest infrastructure development project in Pakistan
through a flurry of investment deals worth $46 billion,
building on Beijing's vision of a new Silk Road connecting
the world's largest economy to different parts of Europe,
the Middle East and other parts of Asia.
The deals were signed in Islamabad on Monday amid
extravagant displays of pomp and ceremony. As Chinese
President Xi Jinping flew over the capital for his first
visit to Pakistan, a flock of Pakistani jets guided his
plane to its descent. On the tarmac, Pakistan's entire
civilian and military leadership were arrayed to greet him.
The road leading into Islamabad was festooned with Pakistani
and Chinese flags, and signs with Xi's image dangled from
lampposts.
For Pakistan, the Chinese plans promise a much-needed boost
to the country's creaky infrastructure. They include, for
example, a slew of power projects for a country where some
areas suffer up to 18 hours without electricity each day.
Other plans involve a network of roads and railway lines for
an economy that is estimated to lose up to 6 percent of its
gross domestic product because of poor transport links. The
Arabian Sea port of Gawadar will be developed, and a highway
linking the Arabian Sea to the western provinces of China is
to be the central artery of what planners call a
Pakistan-China economic corridor.
"This will put China much more center stage politically in
Pakistan than ever before," said Andrew Small, the author of
the book "The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia's New Geopolitics."
Traditionally, he said, "The economic dimension of the
relationship has been thin." With the exception of a few
road projects, the numbers — including bilateral trade
figures — have been quite small when compared with the
rest of the region. "Now they are adding a serious economic
dynamic to a relationship that has always been a
security-based relationship," added Small, who is a
transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund think tank
in Washington, D.C.
Security remains a key component. During their speeches,
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Xi both
emphasized China's support for Pakistan's ongoing
counterterrorism efforts. For the Chinese, Small said,
counterterrorism is central to the relationship and to
bringing stability to their western periphery. "It's about
stability in Pakistan itself, Afghanistan in the wider
picture and safe havens in Pakistan's tribal areas that have
served as training bases and sources of ideological
inspiration for militants from China's Xinjiang province,"
he said. The far-western province Xinjiang is home to
China's Muslim Uighur minority, many of whom complain of
cultural and economic repression by the government in
Beijing and the country's ethnic Han majority.
'This is the one relationship that if Pakistan fails to
deliver,
it will render itself friendless.'
by Mosharraf Zaidi
former adviser to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry
For several years, the Chinese have been discreetly lending
their voice to a chorus of Western alarm about the presence
of insurgent fighters along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,
particularly in North Waziristan, where the Pakistani army
is finally conducting a military offensive.
Taming radicalism will be crucial to seeing the
infrastructure development take place. For example, many of
the projects are contingent on security in Pakistan's
restive southwestern province of Baluchistan. A Baluch
separatist insurgency has flickered there for the past
decade, involving the sabotage of gas supplies - which
the Baluch believe are rightfully theirs - to the rest
of the country. The Chinese have studied the risks for some
time and see the planned projects as a long-term means of
addressing the problem. "The Chinese are willing to press
ahead despite these risks," Small said. Although the plans
could be derailed by security problems, he added, they could
help stabilize the country economically and politically.
One of the projects in Baluchistan is an Iran-Pakistan gas
pipeline, which had been shelved under the threat of U.S.
sanctions but is now being revived - with the Chinese
willing to finance it - as Tehran looks poised to
finally emerge from pariahdom. At the same time, Pakistan is
negotiating a deal for the import of 3,000 megawatts of
electricity from Iranian gas power plants based, a Pakistani
government minister told Al Jazeera.
As China assumes a larger political role in Pakistan, it
wants to act as a moderating influence. It wants Islamabad
to improve relations not just with Iran through energy links
and with Kabul through talks on a postwar political
settlement in Afghanistan but also with the one regional
capital with which they have both gone to war: New
Delhi.
"The Chinese still see the Pakistanis as playing a
counterbalancing role," Small said, referring to how
Pakistan has played a subsidiary role in the India-China
rivalry. "But they want Pakistan to be stable and at peace
with major powers."
The United States wants this as well. But the big contrast
with the U.S.-Pakistan relationship lies in domestic popular
support. A Pew Research Center survey conducted last year
showed that 78 percent of Pakistanis view China favorably,
the highest figure for any country polled. A mere 14 percent
said they view the U.S. favorably. Analysts put the vast
difference down to the fact that the Chinese sit primly
aloof from domestic politics and aren't militarily involved
in Pakistan. The infrastructure projects are likely to
cement China's popularity because they involve investment
rather than aid and the results will be concrete, visible
developments rather than scattered through myriad donor
projects.
The Chinese do not want to displace the U.S. as a player in
Pakistan. Beijing will still want Islamabad to turn to
Washington for economic assistance and arms procurement.
Pakistan has just put in an order this month for 15 new
AH-1Z Viper helicopters from the U.S. worth $1 billion to
replace its ailing fleet. Even when Islamabad's relationship
with Washington nosedived to its lowest point after the 2011
U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Beijing
encouraged Islamabad to rebuild its relationship with the
U.S.
The investment program will be rolled out slowly, in stages.
For the Chinese, it is a means of countering slowing growth
at home by recycling its trade surpluses through Pakistan,
with companies in China's interior hopefully benefiting from
the new infrastructure projects. The Chinese have turned to
their own banks to finance the plan and have insisted that
Pakistan provide some of the financing as a way of having a
stake in the project.
It will be up to the Pakistanis to get the projects up and
running within the next couple of years and to stabilize the
security situation to ensure that happens. The Chinese have
a lot riding on these deals, and the Pakistanis have raised
their expectations. "There's an urgency in measuring up to
those expectations," says Mosharraf Zaidi, a policy analyst
and former adviser to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. "This is
the one relationship that if Pakistan fails to deliver, it
will render itself friendless."
Pakistan
Tragedy of Sabeen Mahmud and others
Soft Targets:
US Drones have killed more than 1,400 Muslims. Now a
westernized Pakistani woman & an American Teacher killed.
Also, Weinstein and Gadahn.
April 25: In Karachi, Sabeen Mahmud was shot and killed in
broad daylight as she drove with her mother [who was
severely wounded]. The unknown gunmen got away. She was an
activist for Pakistani secularism and had set up an
institute for art, poetry, music, dance, discussion of human
rights [in particular in Baluchistan] and much else.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan has sent his deepest
condolences as has the leader of Jamaate Islami. The
secularist daily Dawn published a number of articles
praising Sabeen's contributions to culture and
civilization.
Sabeen dressed and looked like someone from Canada and did
not take security precautions.
Earlier an American Christian teacher, Debra, who had
settled down in Karachi was similarly shot dead while
driving her car.
Meanwhile the US has announced that on the Pak Afghan
frontier, one of its air strikes killed two hostages taken
by al-Qaida, Weinstein, an American Jew, and Giovanni Porto,
an Italian contractor with the Pakistani government. An
American Muslim who had joined al-Qaida, Ahmad Farouq, was
also killed in the air strike.
In another American air strike, Adam Gadahn, an American Jew
who embraced Islam and became spokesman of Al-Qaida, along
was killed with a number of Pakistanis.
The US says these air strikes took place in January 2015.
Why was this announced so late in April? Looks like the
government thought this through. The killing of a Jewish
hostage is serious in a country controlled by Jews. Also the
killing of two American Muslims without due process [which
is the right of every American] required good thinking
before presentation before the American public.
Adam Gadahn & Pro-Iran Propaganda.
When an American Jew, Gadahn, embraced Islam, he was not
well received by the upper class Muslim community of Orange
county California led by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui. This might
have contributed to his alienation . He disappeared
and later surfaced in an al-Qaida video. The pro-Iranian
conspiracy theorists proclaimed that there is no such thing
as al-Qaida. It is, they claimed, a CIA concoction!
The Iranian types went to great lengths to discredit Gadahn.
How can a Jew become a staunch Muslim, they whispered, thus
forgetting Islamic teachings that embracing Islam cancels
out ones past.
Looks like he was well received by al-Qaida and became their
spokesman, challenging and threatening America. He was
declared a traitor [rare in US history]. The US put a
$1,000, 000 bounty on his head.
Is it not strange that an American Jew helping America and
an American Jew who embraced Islam have been killed in this
war on soft targets who cannot shoot back.
More than a thousand Muslims have been killed in US drone
strikes, most of them civilians, soft targets.
The Pakistani army is helping in these inhumane strikes
slaughtering defenseless people. Here is what a Pakistani
writer has to say:
"I sincerely think that USA alone is not responsible for
this drone attacks. Pakistan Army provides full security to
these drones. Remember US Drone was brought down when it
entered Iranian airspace. The Iranian Government is quiet
clear about such intrusion into its airspace. Pakistan, on
the other hand, turns a blind eye on the atrocities and
destruction caused by the US drone strikes. The reason is
the US Military aid that Pakistan Army receives. In other
words, Pakistan Army is a mercenary army on hire by
Washington. Will the Government in Islamabad wake up and end
these murderous drone strikes? I wonder."
[Shaikh Mohammod,]
Los Angeles
Ambassador says Pakistan Did not Know about Shaykh Osama's
presence in Abbottabad.
[Courtesy Dawn]
April 15: Former US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter
said on Tuesday that "Pakistan probably didn't know about
Osama bin Laden as there is no evidence to suggest there was
a link".
Giving a talk at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs on
re-envisioning US-Pak relations, the former ambassador
presented a prologue to the year 2011 which he says was "a
terrible year if you happen to be an ambassador to
Pakistan".
In a clear and candid manner, Mr Munter touched upon the
past and said, "We had very high expectations and [through]
a system set up by late Richard Holbrooke wanted to put an
end to the negativity of the past [between the two
countries]. But the imbalance of US-Pak relationship, a
relationship of perfidy and exploitation depending on which
side you are looking at it from, manifested itself through
the series of events that took place."
The subsequent raid on the Abbottabad compound of OBL in
May, came six weeks after Raymond Davis, a contractor who
worked for the CIA, was bailed out by the ambassador after
he shot dead "two thugs who tried to rob him" by paying
blood money to the family.
"These incidents came at a time when the trust we were
trying to build, the whole Richard Holbrooke project about
maintaining trust and not falling back to the old ways, was
buckling a bit."
During the course of his talk, he didn't mention the drone
programme saying instead that the attack in the tribal areas
a day after Davis's release from Pakistan, "was bad
timing".
Just as the diplomats on both sides were figuring out how to
work on the "badly damaged relationship", the Abbottabad
raid came about.
Mr Munter said Pakistan probably didn't know about OBL's
presence. "Because everything was taken out during the raid
and if there was a link it is hard to imagine there would
have been no trace of that."
The raid and its implications made cooperation between the
two countries difficult, the former ambassador said. He
believes the relations between the two countries are getting
better. He said the policy of looking at Pakistan through
the lens of Afghanistan is a problem. Continuing, he said
the nature of US-Pak relationship is more linked to
counter-terrorism than creating regional associations,
philanthropic or economic links, as a result.
"American popularity in Pakistan is about five per cent.
Lowest in the world. Yet in the same Pew poll, more than 90
per cent of the people want to see better relationship with
the United States."
There were many cultural affinities that we could play on,
he said, "but unfortunately the focus that most Pakistanis
see from us is of a counter-terrorist. The idea of the
allegiance of uncaring people who are only concerned with
counter- terrorism." He said he was not suggesting that
counter-terrorism should be overlooked, "but we can still
look towards people-to-people contact and find cultural
affinities".
"What do Karachi and Los Angeles have in common? Seashore,
culture, gang warfare. We are made for each other. They got
twenty million people, we got South Central. This is the
link to have."
In the same vein, Mr Munter said that "Pakistan works
because of its people" and counted Balochistan, Karachi and
the tribal areas as the "three problem zones, in terms of
setting state writ, for Pakistan".
"What's interesting about diplomacy at present is that there
are many bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral discussions
going on between India-Pakistan-China,
Afghanistan-China-Pakistan, all trying to find a common
ground.
"Pakistan does tend to be myopic but it can use its
potential to have better relations with India, to continue
the relations it has with China and to work with Iran and
Afghanistan. That might have a whole lot more impact than
worrying about issues of civic identity." When he was asked
to give a proper prescription for Afghanistan in the
immediate future, he said Afghanistan must establish
multi-pronged diplomacy with its neighbours. "Ashraf Ghani
has skilfully balanced Pakistan and India. One of my
nightmares is to see India and Pakistan fighting through
proxies in Afghanistan rather than on their borders.
"Thankfully the possibility of that is less, thanks to
Ghani's diplomacy."
According to him, much of Afghanistan's future depends on
the relations between India and Pakistan, and between India
and China.
Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015
Chicago
Easily Available Women & Movies like 50 Shades of Grey
Influencing Muslim Students
Student leader cleared of sexual assault while re-enacting
scenes from '50 Shades of Grey.'
[Excerpted from Chicago Tribune.]
'This kid is a star, OK?' says lawyer of UIC student cleared
of sexual assault in '50 Shades' case
Alleged victim in '50 Shades' case testifies sex was
consensual until he started to hit her with belt
A student leader at the University of Illinois at Chicago
was cleared of a rape charge Thursday by a Cook County judge
in a case that had drawn attention because he was accused of
re-enacting scenes from the film "50 Shades of Grey."
Judge Peggy Chiampas found no probable cause after a lengthy
preliminary hearing in which the alleged victim
testified.
The defendant, Mohammad Hossain, 19, a biology student, was
released from custody Thursday evening. He had been held in
protective custody at the Cook County Jail since his arrest
last month.
Prosecutors have not decided whether they might still seek
an indictment against Hossain, a freshman who contended the
sex was consensual.
"Generally speaking, non-stranger sexual assault or
acquaintance rape cases present unique challenges and can be
difficult to prove due to the fact that prosecutors must
contend with defense assertions that the victim consented to
the sex act or acts and there are typically no witnesses to
the crime," Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the Cook County
state's attorney's office, said in a statement. "Having said
that, the charges in this case were brought in good faith
based upon the evidence available, and in our view the
victim provided very sincere and credible testimony at
today's hearing," the statement continued. "In light of
today's ruling we will continue to evaluate our legal
options moving forward."
The woman testified that she had met Hossain as freshman
last fall and they soon became "friends with benefits,"
occasionally having sex. She testified that they had
previously experimented with bondage, with Hossain tying her
hands together with a rubber band before they had sex in a
public student lounge. The woman said she had just finished
watching the "Fifty Shades of Grey" film by herself downtown
on Feb. 21 when she received a text from Hossain asking if
she wanted to hang out. They met in a student lounge, and
Hossain asked her about the film. "I said that it was a
good movie but that toward the end it scared me because the
main character had a mental issue," she said.
The two went to Hossain's room. As she sat on the edge of
his bed, "he asked me if I wanted to do something
dangerous," the woman testified.
She testified that she thought at first he was referring to
one of the "adventures" the two would go on, exploring the
city or once talking all night while sitting on the campus
building ledge 20 feet off the ground.
Hossain refused to tell her what he had in mind but told her
to disrobe, blindfolded her with a knit cap and then tied
her hands above her head to his roommate's lofted bed using
belts, she said. He then bound her ankles together with a
belt, put a necktie over her mouth as a gag, undressed her
and began hitting her softly with a belt.
All of the activity was consensual, she testified. But then
Hossain told her he wanted her to resist and struck her so
hard it hurt, the woman testified, and she began to tell him
no, to shake her head, to tell him he was hurting her. When
she managed to get a hand free, he retrieved another belt
from his closet and tied it again. Eventually he removed her
hands from the bindings, pinned her arms to her back and
sexually assaulted her, the woman testified.
She denied they were re-enacting scenes from "Fifty Shades"
and said she didn't know what Hossain meant when he told her
he wanted her to resist.
"The two of you were role-playing the movie, correct?"
Kutnick asked during cross-examination. "I didn't see it
that way," she replied
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Muslims and Africanists Urged to Support Each Other
Hi Noelle,
Thanks so much for keeping me updated. I don't know whether
you remember me, because it's been years since I met you (in
the College Park suberb of DC, where we were doing an event
for a Muslim political prisoner, Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman, and
you were kind enough to come out and support).
I'm a Pakistani supporter of Mumia's, based in the Baltimore
area. I work with DC Jericho, as well as Jamaat
al-Muslimeen, a Muslim organization which supports all
political prisoners.
So, I just wanted to let you know that I did call two of the
numbers in the email:
When I called the "new" number for Wetzel, the man
answering put me through to the VM of a woman. I left a
message with her, stating most of the demands in your
email.
I dialed the extension for the superintendent in Mahoney.
This time, I got a life person (a woman) on the line, I
stated my name and where I was calling from, and asked if
she needed Mumia's register number. She said no. I then
stated my concerns. She said she would pass them along.
BTW, being a marathoner, I ran 26.2 miles across the Salt
Lake City (the Salt Lake City Marathon), in Mumia's name
this past weekend. I wore the famous tee bearing artwork
from Red Onion prisoner Kevin Rashid. Most people, including
the police, who were there to "protect us" while we were
running, seemed clueless about the case. There were a few
quizzical looks, so hopefully, the shirt may have tweaked
some interest in the case. Perhaps you can pass this tidbit
along to Mumia at some point (obviously there are far
greater concerns right now). I'm hoping it will lift his
spirits to know that he is remembered in places as far away
as Salt Lake.
I've copied this to the editor of New Trend Magazine, which
is affiliated with the organization I mentioned I work with,
Jamaat al-Muslimeen. New Trend carries updates and reprints
action alerts on many political prisoners, including
Mumia.
Thank you for all the work you do for the downtrodden and
oppressed.
Peace--strength,
Nadrat Siddique
Baltimore & New York
The Impotence of Black Political Leadership and Why It Will
Always Be This Way :Baltimore's Black Mayor & Others.
(by Sis.Aisha, New York City)
Yet, another young Black man has died in Baltimore police
custody. The police are playing coy and claiming that they
don't know how Freddy Grey's spine got severed. According to
Democracy Now, eyewitnesses state that the he was bent
backwards "like a pretzel."
How horrific! You see the film of Freddy Grey running
upright from cops and then, there is another video of him
laying on the ground surrounded by Baltimore police. He can
barely walk. They had to drag him to the police van. The
report then, showed the victim on a respirator. He later
died. The most the police will admit is that the six
arresting officers did not follow procedure simply because
they did not have 25 year old Gray in a seat belt in the
van. The van also made several stops en route to the police
station. He was not taken to the hospital, immediately,
either.
Many activists accuse the Baltimore police of "rough
riding." It is a form of torture they engage in by speeding
and stopping short, which causes an unbuckled passenger to
fly around the van. This can cause serious injury. Many
people believe that the police also engaged in this type of
misconduct. However, Freddy Grey looked injured when he was
being taken to the van. This jarring around in the van from
rough riding could have further exacerbated his
injuries.
The only concern the police have, right now, is the identity
of the witnesses to the Freddy Grey arrest. They are looking
for the public's help. Police have been known for harassing
and threatening witnesses to their arrests to the point
where these people move far away and are no longer an asset
to the victim's families, who are looking for justice.
The Mayor of Baltimore is a Black woman, Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake. Baltimore has had many Black politicians. It
is considered a Chocolate City (predominantly Black). There
are many chocolate cities: Detroit, New York City, Chicago,
St. Louis, etc. These Black populations also have the same
issues with police criminality. These so-called Chocolate
Cities have many Black politicians at the helm. You see them
walking around all dolled up in their fancy dresses or
wearing expensive suits with expensive haircuts to
match.
But, where is their power? Former Black radio host, Bob Law,
often referred to these Black politicians as "Black faces in
high places." They carry themselves like the CEOs of
multibillion dollar corporations but, have no powers. They
are nothing more than figure heads. What really exposed the
impotence of Black political leadership was the flooding of
New Orleans. That was a very unfortunate chain of events
that also revealed White America's racist vitriol toward
their fellow Black Christians....again! Nothing new.
The Congressional Black Caucus did absolutely nothing for
New Orleans! One of the greatest soothsayers in Uncle Jesse
Jackson stated that we are doomed to repeat history if we
don't learn from it. Well, Black America has not learned
from the Reconstruction Era. This was not only the period of
America rebuilding from the Civil War of the 1860s but, of
"assimilating" former African slaves into society. If the
power of voting was ever realized it was during this
period.
You had former cotton and tobacco pickers being elected to
Senate and Congress or even becoming Mayors of towns.
Usually, they ran under the Republican Party ticket because
that was President Lincoln's affiliation. The Democrats ( Or
Dixiecrats as Malcolm X called them), were opposed to such
assimilation. However, White politicians, generally, felt
threatened by Black voting power. This is why both the
Republicans and Democrats worked together to create the
Black Codes, later known as Jim Crow laws. These were the
laws that established segregation and other forms of
oppression for non-Whites.
Jim Crow laws reversed any "progress" any Reconstruction Era
laws made. But, how can the Reconstruction Era be considered
progress when the White man was able to take back what he
gave so easily? These were the same politicians who marched
the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears. Over one million
Native Americans died on that trek. Guess who joined the
efforts to march Native Americans to reservations so, that
European settlers could claim new land under the Homestead
Act? The Buffalo Soldiers. Buffalo was a nickname given to
Africans by Native Americans because our hair resembled the,
now extinct, Buffalo's.
This is another issue with assimilation: taking over the
reigns to continue evil acts. But, I imagine, the Buffalo
soldiers did not have much of a choice. It was no different
during slavery when Black overseers were chosen to run the
plantation, under watchful eyes, of course.
Assimilation is the White liberals' motto of keeping your
friends close but, your enemies closer. If you can't beat
them, join them is how the browbeaten Black believer in
assimilation feels. They feel powerless. They buy into the
illusion of White Power and domination and believe that
through them all things are possible, which is in complete
contrast to their Christian beliefs (Philippians 4:13). A
similar verse in the Qur'an would be: " O you who have
believed, seek help through patience, perseverance and
prayer. Indeed, Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
(2:153)" The Qur'an has so many anti-oppression verses. Many
of them are repeated for emphasis.
Islam teaches Muslims to make a way for ourselves, not to
depend on our enemies. We are to avoid mingling with the
oppressor and their systems, which were meant to help them
maintain their domination.
The White Political System is a very well oiled, corrupt
piece of machinery. It is still a good old boys club.
However, when one of their own steps out of line, he gets
spanked, which is what happened to Illinois's former
Governor George Ryan. He commuted over 160 death sentences
of all Illinois prisoners, citing serious disparities in its
application. He served 5 years on federal corruption
charges.
As for Black politicians, they cannot get away with what
their White colleagues do, such as using tax payer money for
personal trips. Congressmen Adam Clayton Powell Jr and
Charlie Rangel learned this the hard way. However, Powell Jr
stood up to his White racist colleagues while Rangel licked
their boots. White politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt
and Lyndon B.Johnson could get close enough to their fellow
White colleagues to see the skeletons in their closets. This
is the main reason why Roosevelt and Johnson were able to
get so many laws passed where other Presidents failed. They
had dirt on fellow congressmen! (Courtesy of Zinn)
Black political leadership is made to look like a sham for
the following reasons:
White dominance is still the rule here in America and there
are strong efforts to make this illusion appear real.
The Blacks nominated for such political positions are happy
with the title, even if it comes with no power.
Black people in America still don't buy into their own
self-empowerment. The media pushes too many examples of
White dominance on us.
The Black politician's goal is to line his pockets with
cash. His Black skin is a barrier to any good old boys club
membership. But, Black politicians also fail to create any
networking opportunities within their own communities. We
are the only group in this country who view voting as a way
to uplift us instead of uplifting ourselves. Politics has
failed everyone.
This is why many Blacks have become apathetic to voting.
But, there are still those who do the same things over again
and expect different results by imploring us to register and
vote. They are dumb, deaf and blind. They know no other way
to overcome oppression and they don't even seek out new ways
to do so. We are stuck in a rut and we keep ourselves there.
For most of us, unfortunately, it is a very comfortable
place.
