"Nau'man bin Basheer, r.a., narrates: Once after 'Isha
prayers while we were still in the mosque, the Prophet,
pbuh, arrived. He looked up at the heavens and then lowered
his eyes, We thought something new had happened in the
heavens. Then he, pbuh, said: Much after me some lying and
oppressive rulers will also come. . One who calls their lies
as truth and cooperates with them in oppression, has nothing
to do with me. And one who who does not support their lies
and does not cooperate with them, then he is of me and I am
of him."
[Hadith # 18543 in the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.]
Apache Helicopter [Saudi or US?] Attacked Somali Migrants in
a boat.
[Courtesy The Guardian]
published on Friday 17 March 2017 04.51 EDT
At least 42 Somali refugees were killed off the coast of
Yemen late on Thursday when a helicopter reportedly attacked
the boat they were travelling in.
Coastguard Mohamed al-Alay said the refugees, carrying
official UN refugee agency (UNHCR) documents, were
travelling from Yemen to Sudan when they were attacked by an
Apache helicopter near the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
A senior official with the UN's migration agency confirmed
later that 42 bodies had been recovered after the military
attack on a boat carrying refugees off the Yemeni coast.
Washington DC Islamic Center: Important Document on the
passing of the Blind Shaykh, Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman
Distributed.
March 31
After Juma, at the famous/notorious Islamic Center of
Washington, DC on Massachusettts Avenue, a jamaat
al-Muslimeen document wa given to 150 Muslims. Outreach at
this center is important because people from all he Muslim
embassies come here to pray.
The document contained the following items:
Hadith on those who die in the way of Allah: Re: Shaykh
Omar.
Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman's imprisonment & death in
Captivity [Nadrat Siddique]
Betrayal and treachery in the suffering of Shaykh Omar.
[Br. Kaukab] Siddique]
Concern & care from Sis. Ayesha & Br. Ali Randall for the
Shaykh.
Extreme violence returns to Pakistan. [Media Monitor]
Trump should not scare Muslims. Don't forget Obama's
Deception. [Br. Kaukab]
Battles against Assad, Iran & Russia across Syria.
[Monitor]
Thousands attend Gaza funeral of slain Hamas official
March 25
Thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets on
Saturday in the besieged Gaza Strip for the funeral of
murdered Hamas commander Mazen Faqha.
The Hamas movement announced on Friday that 38-year-old
Faqha, a former prisoner and senior leader in the al-Qassam
Brigades, was "assassinated" by unidentified assailants in
southern Gaza City, accusing Israel of carrying out the
targeted killing.
Senior member of Hamas' politburo Izzat al-Rishq said the
gun used to kill Faqha was equipped with a silencer.
Originally from the district of Tubas in the northern
occupied West Bank, Faqha was released from serving a life
sentence in an Israeli prison in the 2011 Gilad Shalit
prisoner exchange deal and exiled to the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Jihad Movement said Faqha's assassination marked
the beginning of "a new offensive" by Israel against the
Palestinian resistance, and that the resistance had the
right to respond and defend itself.
Latest Khutba
Islam can help and save the Young People of America despite
Drug Culture. Why did the Muslim world decline and why is
it Rising Again?
On March 31, Br. Kaukab Siddique gave the juma' khutba at
Masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen in central Baltimore. Heavy rain
had continued for 4 hours but the attendance was still
good.
Here is an outline of the khutba for distribution on
line:
Of mankind is he who says: We believe in Allah, but, if he
be made to suffer for the sake of Allah, he mistakes the
persecution of mankind for Allah's punishment; and then, if
victory comes from thy Lord,will say: Lo! we were with you
(all the while). Is not Allah Best Aware of what is in the
bosoms of (His) creatures? [The Qur'an 29:10]
Look at the pattern of the Prophet's, pbuh, life. He
first gave the message of Allah to his wife and she
accepted. Then he spoke to his family and most of them did
not accept.
He spoke to the tribes and they did not accept. He did
not give up.
The Islamic message contained the rejection of slavery
[sura 90] and an end to the subjugation of women plus an
appeal to reason and the intellect. Thus the entire power
structure was side-stepped.
"On the Day of Judgment 'When the infant girl buried alive
is asked,' for what crime she was killed."(Quran,
81:8-9)
Islam is not limited to a territory. Hence the hijra or
migration to Madina took place where the message flourished
although opposed by hypocrites and Jewish tribes.
The oppressors would not leave him alone. They attacked
him even in Madina. Hence came the teachings on Jihad which
lead to the defeat of the oppressors. EVERY long chapter of
the Qur'an gives the message of Jihad.
The superpowers of the time, Iran and Rome, decided to
overwhelm and destroy the forces of Islam but were toppled.
Why? Because Muslims were afraid of Allah alone and the
slaves and women within the power structure of the
oppressors saw Islam as a liberating force.
This is the pattern of the Prophet's, pbuh, mission
followed by his true followers. Who were they? See the
Qur'an 9:100
Part 2.
When the Muslims gradually stopped seeking guidance from
the Qur'an and the authentic example of the Prophet, pbuh,
their power declined. Sects and tribalism became strong
among them. Kingship became permanent. After a long internal
decline, they were defeated by the western powers. Here we
see the emergence of colonialism.
The system of western colonialism was weakened by the
emergence of Germany and World War 2. The colonial powers
withdrew from India and Africa but they left behind rulers
who thought and worked like the Europeans.
The power of Guidance from the Qur'an and authentic
Sunnah is emerging again. The Jihad against the Soviet Union
and the retreat of the Soviets from Afghanistan was a sign
that Islam was rising again.
Today Islam is striving against the second superpower
America itself and its ancillaries. Look at Syria, Iraq,
Somalia, Sinai, Nigeria, West Africa, even Kashmir and
Chechnia.
Within America, Islam has emerged peacefully, entirely
owing to the power of the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah.
Malcolm took only a little of the Qur'an and it helped him
to break out of the mythical teachings he was given. He went
to Africa and Makkah. Millions have embraced Islam in
America owing to his example and that of Imam Jamil al Amin
and others.
There are evil spirits rampaging through America,
undermining all that is good. The greatest evil now is the
drug culture. America cannot stop it.
Thousands of young people are dying. America tries to
use law to stop corruption but law without the guidance of
Allah does not work.
Law in America is cold blooded and unforgiving. Young
people make mistakes. They are imprisoned. Their errors are
put on their records. They cannot start a new life.
Without compassion, love and hope, young people who have
erred cannot survive.
Islam is a message of hope and forgiveness. Almost every
chapter heading in the Qur'an refers to Allah's Grace and
Mercy.
The Qur'an says Allah forgives all sins. All we have to
do is raise our hands and seek forgiveness. Stop associating
the powers of the world with Allah.
The hadith says, Allah forgives even mortal sins like
adultery if our repentance is sincere and we do not
associate others with the power of Allah. Focus on the
Hereafter. This world is constantly ending.
Du'a: O Allah, help us to study the Qur'an and the hadith
every day. Give us spouses and children who will stand with
us for the Islamic causes.
War News
Iraq
Mosul. Week 24. Trump Week 10
Shia Armada Unable to enter West Mosul. Heavy Fighting
Continues. Tel Afar Still in IS hands.
US sending 275 more special forces to fight ISIS. Belgium
also bombed Mosul.
This whole week, number 24, has been one of frustration for
the huge US backed armada which has surrounded Mosul.
The Baghdad military commander is complaining that the
Islamic State has been sending too many truck bombs towards
his forces.
Western reports indicate that the Baghdad armada did enter
the edge of West Mosul but could not continue into the city
owing to "stiff resistance" by the "terrorists."
The population is continue to trickle out and becoming
refugees in the displacement camps set up for them. However
the BBC admits that only 105000 people have out from a
population of 1,000,000. Obviously the people are supporting
the Islamic State. Most of the people are coming out owing
to terror bombing by the US and the Baghdad-Shia air
force.
Belgium has admitted that it too was involved in the bombing
of Mosul which resulted in hundreds of civilians killed.
The conditions in the city are bad owing to lack of food and
clean water.
Western sources have now admitted that the sugar factory in
the city which helped the Islamic State to supply the people
has been bombed.
All four bridges have been bombed to stop all supplies of
food to the city.
Meanwhile, after 5 months of fighting, Shia extremist forces
have been unable to take Tal Afar to the south west of Mosul
which links IS in Iraq with Syria.
In a sign of desperation, USA another 275 Special Forces
troops to the Mosul area to help the Shia armada. The USA
already has 5000 troops "advising" the Baghdad forces.
Meanwhile, this week IS attacked a police check point in
Baghdad again killing 17 including three officers.
The quote of the week comes from a Shia army commander who
said: Why such a fuss about civilians killed in a US air
strike. We have lost thousands of troops in the fighting
here.
Syria
Regime Stops Capture of Hama. Bloody fighting at Damascus
outskirts.
Kurdish-American advance on al-Raqqa stalled. Fighting in
Lattakia & Daraa.
Latest: The Assad regime is making an all out effort to stop
the Islamic advance into Damascus from the suburbs of Jobar
and the orchards of Barza. The regime fired 25 missiles at
the FSA, al-Nusra and other mujahideen groups.
On the southern entrance into Damascus, the regime is using
heavy artillery and machine guns to stop the advance by
Islamic State fighters in Yarmouk.
Heavy fighting has stopped the capture of Hama by the
Islamic forces. It is continuing though the regime
recaptured some of the villages it had lost. Russian air
force is active.
On April 2, the American coalition carried out 6 strikes on
the outskirts of al-Raqqa, the ISIS capital. The advance of
SDF [communist Kurds] on al-Raqqa has stalled for the time
being. However life in Raqqa is becoming difficult. The
Syrian observatory is reporting food shortages and rising
prices. Also, well to do families are paying smugglers to
take them south of the city by boats on the Euphrates river.
The bridges to al-Raqqa have been smashed by the US air
force.
Also on April 2, the areas held by the FSA and al-Nusra west
of Aleppo were bombed, probably by the Russians.
Al-Nusra/FSA and Assad's forces are in heavy clashes south
of Aleppo as the Islamics try to re-enter Aleppo.
Heavy fighting is also reported from Lattakia, the Alawite
stronghold.
Two towns supporting the Islamics and two supporting the
Shias have been allowed to let their people go in exchange
to avoid ongoing suffering through siege and shelling. It's
a peaceful exchange because neither side can win
Also the people of al-Waer district in Homs have been
allowed to move peacefully by bus to Idlib province which is
under Islamic control. The Assad regime had bombed out all
the civilian facilities in al-Waer.
Fighting in the Homs-Palmyra regions between ISIS and the
regime forces is continuing.
Documentation of death:
March: A Blood Drenched Month in Syria. The Syrian
observatory has documented the following deaths in March
2017..
Civilian casualties: 858 including 141 children under the
age of eighteen, and 131 citizen women over the age of
eighteen, and they were killed as follows:
288 including 55 children and 61 citizen women were
killed in raids by Syrian and Russian warplanes and by
regime's helicopters on several areas of Syria.
67 including 16 children and 12 citizen women were
killed in shelling by the regime forces using rocket and
artillery shells, missiles believed to be ground-to-ground,
targeting and sniper bullets.
7 citizens were killed under torture in Syrian
security prisons.
American "Coalition" Strikes
281 including 38 children and 33 citizen women were
killed in airstrikes by the warplanes of the international
coalition.
Losses in the fighting:
Damascus regime: Military and militias: 724 killed
Islamic groups, including FSA, Al-Nusra & ISIS: 762
killed.
PAKISTAN
Parachinar
Why this terror Attack in Pakistan's Shia Bastion Abutting
Afghanistan?
[Special report by New Trend's Media Monitor.]
This is how the March 31 attack was reported by Pakistan's
Geo TV
"Terror returned to Kurram Agency on Friday when a blast
outside an imambargah located in a busy Parachinar market
claimed the lives of 24 people and left 90 others
injured.
Eyewitnesses told Geo News a vehicle parked by an unknown
person outside the imambargah exploded at approximately
11AM.
Survivors described hiding inside shops after hearing a
"huge bang" - then stumbling through dust-choked air filled
with the sound of screams, tripping over bodies as they
searched for the wounded in the busy market in Parachinar,
the capital of Kurram tribal agency."
Pakistan is aghast at the return of "terror" despite the all
out offensives by the army against "extremists" in North
Waziristan, South Punjab and various areas of Karachi.
Several thousand opponents of the military have been killed
in these offensives. The entire population of North
Waziristan was deported from their homes.
The Pakistani military offensives are linked to American
initiatives in the region. Washington feels threatened by
the intense loyalty of the frontier people to Islam.
Pakistani generals are frequent visitors to the American CIA
and to NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Russian troops too have appeared in Pakistan and have been
treated as honored guests recently.
In the meantime, the Shias of Pakistan have consistently
supported the military's moves against the Islamic
populations. Jet fighters, helicopter gunships, heavy
artillery, tanks and torture have been used against the
frontier peoples.
A further development has been the movement of Shia
Pakistanis to Iraq and Syria to support the regimes in
Baghdad and Damascus. Shias also support the regime in Kabul
which has NATO backing.
The bombing of Islamic cities by Assad, Iran, Hizbullah and
Russia has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian
casualties as well as deaths of thousands of armed Islamic
militia men trying to topple Assad and the Baghdad
regime.
Twenty four weeks of Shia attacks on Mosul too have resulted
in massive Iraqi Muslim casualties.
It is feared that the influx of Shias from Pakistan,
Afghanistan and India, armed and trained by Iran, have
brought recurring renewal of reinforcements for the Baghdad
and Damascus regimes. These are badly needed because Iran
has admitted to the death of 2100 of its troops in Syria
alone.
Pakistani public opinion in the cities is cut off from the
war in Syria and Iraq as if it is happening in some other
planet. Shia support for the Kabul regime too is not
understood in Pakistan.
Parachinar is strategically located right on the Afghan
border to provide a steady supply of Shias to Kabul, Baghdad
and Damascus.
Army's Takeover of the Country.
by Shaikh Mohommad·
[F.C.A at Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants in England & Wales]
It is high time that Military personnel are treated as
employees of Pakistan Army when they retire. Pakistan was
formed by the struggle of ordinary people and sadly the
country has been high jacked by the Army. What we see is
that the Army has virtually taken over the country. Top
civilian posts of Government departments are held by retired
Army personnel. Pakistan Army has a bank and it carries out
business activities. It is high time that the Army stays in
barracks as in other countries.
SC orders NAB to de-notify three retired military officials
By Hasnaat Mailk
Published: March 29, 2017
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1368565/sc-orders-nab-de-notifythree-retired-military-officials/#comment-4953672
ISLAMABAD: The top court on Wednesday ordered National
Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to immediately
de-notify the service of three retired military officials
who were inducted in the body without due process and were
refusing to opt for premature retirement.
A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Amir
Hani Muslim also formed a committee headed by secretary
establishment division to review the appointments and
promotions of 232 NAB officials. The committee has been
directed to complete the task within two months.
Three NAB officials refuse to heed SC advice
Advertisement
Further, the bench expressed hope that all vacancies will be
filled with merit and in view of Article 240 of the
constitution.
NAB chairman apprised the country's top court on Tuesday
regarding the induction of the three officials. In
compliance with the previous order, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry
told the three-judge bench that Lahore DG Buhan, Quetta DG
Tariq Mahmood, and Director Shakeel were not willing to
leave their posts.
Top court summons graft watchdog chief
Earlier, the Establishment secretary and the NAB chairman
admitted that nine officers were illegally inducted in the
institution.
Chaudhry said that that two of the illegally inducted
officers had already retired, while two officers availed
early retirement, and two others rejoined their parent
departments.
RESEARCH
Great Rise in Heroin Use is Among Whites, Study Says.
By Nadia Kounan
Wed, March 29
CNN)The numbers are startling -- in2015, 52,404 people died
from drug overdoses according to the U.S.Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Sixty-three percentof those deaths
involved an opioid. More people die from drug overdoses
than from guns or car accidents. At the peak of the AIDS
epidemic in 1995, 43,115 people in the United States died
from the disease.
25% of all overdoses are from heroin
Furthermore, since 1999, the number of overdoses from
prescription opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone, as well
as illicit drugs like heroin, have quadrupled. In fact,
heroin now accounts for one in four overdose deaths in the
United States.
Now, a new study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry looks beyond
the total number of overdose deaths to get a better picture
of how heroin use patterns have changed since 2001. Since
then, the number of people who have used heroin has
increased almost five-fold, and the number of people who
abuse heroin has approximately tripled.
The greatest increases in use occurred among white
males.
Heroin use on the rise
'Deaths of despair' fuel rising midlife mortality for white
Americans
The authors evaluated the responses of 79,402 individuals,
as collected from the 2001-2002 and the 2012-2013 National
Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a
longitudinal study conducted by the National Institutes of
Health to evaluate alcohol and drug use and abuse. While
heroin use between whites and non-whites was fairly similar
in the 2001-2002 results, at 0.34% and 0.32% respectively,
by 2012-2013 the percentage of whites who had used heroin
jumped to 1.90%. Just 1.05% of non-whites in 2012-2013 used
heroin. Heroin use also increased significantly among those
with ahigh school education or less, as well as those who
lived at less than 100% of the federal poverty line.
The authors of the new reportwrite "these trends are
concerning because increases in the prevalence of heroin use
and use disorder have been occurring among vulnerable
individuals who have few resources to overcome problems
associated with use."
Senator McCaskill opens investigation into opioid
manufacturers
According to a 2016 Surgeon General's report on alcohol,
drugs and health, only one in 10 of those with a substance
use disorder receive any treatment.
"The good news is that among all drugs of abuse, heroin and
opioids have by far the best treatment medications
available. Methadone and buprenorphine have proven
effectiveness data, they not only reduce the chances of
dying from an opioid overdose by 50%, they support people
being in recovery from their addiction and reduce health
care costs and improve a wide array of other outcomes," said
Caleb Banta-Green, an associate professor of health services
at the University of Washington. Banta-Green was not
involved in the study.
Starting with prescription drugs
The study also confirmed the idea that many heroin users
start by using prescription opioids like oxycodone and
hydrocodone. Approximately one-third of all white heroin
users reported using prescription drugs for non-medical
purposes in 2001-2002. By 2013 more than half of all white
heroin users started by initially using prescription drugs.
For non-whites, the number of people who started by using
prescription drugs before heroin actually dropped in the
same time frame.
This is America on drugs: A visual guide
An accompanying editorial by Bertha Madras, a psychologist
at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts and former deputy
director in the White House's Office of National Drug
Control and Policy pointed to the shift in treating pain as
a major factor in understanding the current crisis. She
noted that in the past two decades, the number of opioid
prescriptions has risen three-fold.
"This shift in practice norms was fueled by acceptance of
low quality evidence that opioids are a relatively benign
remedy for managing chronic pain," she wrote. "These vast
opioid supplies created a risk for diversion, opioid misuse
and disorder, and overdose death."
The study did not find any significant difference when
looking at what age groups were using heroin, but heroin
dependency and addiction was significantly higher for those
below the age of 45 than those above. That should be a cause
of concern, said Banta-Green, who noted that one of the
costs of overdoses and abuse to society is
lost productivity.
Join the conversation
A county-by-county study released Wednesday by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, calculated that drug overdose
deaths resulted in a 778 years of potential life lost for
every hundred thousand people. This report also found that
most of the increase in premature deaths in 15- to
44-year-olds is due to drug overdoses. And while no
community is immune to this crisis, suburbs, which used to
have the lowest rates of premature deaths from drug
overdoses now have the highest rates.
The authors of the longitudinal study note that "heroin use
appears to have become more socially acceptable among
suburban and rural white individuals, perhaps because its
effects seem so similar to those of widely available
[prescription opioids]."
The findings of these new reports are in line with earlier
research over the past two decades about increasing heroin
and opioid overdoses. "The trend isn't a surprise -- the
takeaway is what matters. Heroin use disorder is a serious
medical condition with which individuals are likely to
struggle for the rest of their life. We need to give them
the tools they need to survive and thrive," said
Banta-Green.
News Within the U.S.
Atlanta, Georgia
Three Drugees Set fire to centrally located Elevated
Highway
[Courtesy Washington Post. April 1]
Traffic in Atlanta was reported backed up for miles as fire
crews battled a major fire along a stretch of highway. The
fire also caused a section of freeway to collapse.
(Reuters)
Three people have been charged in connection to a Thursday
fire north of downtown Atlanta that resulted in the collapse
of an elevated span of Interstate 85, a major city
thoroughfare that connects five states.
Basil Eleby is charged with first-degree arson and
first-degree criminal damage to property, a felony. His bail
was set at $200,000. Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas were
charged with criminal trespass, and investigators said more
charges could be pending.
The three had gathered under the bridge to smoke crack,
according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
Eleby told investigators he regularly passes through the
area on the way to his job at a nearby tire shop, according
to the affidavit. Although Eleby denied setting the fire,
Thomas said he watched Eleby place a chair on top of a
shopping cart near fiber optic wire stored in PVC pipes
under the bridge and ignite the piece of furniture. Then
they scattered.
The fire was "maliciously set," Sgt. Cortez Stafford, a
spokesman for the Atlanta Fire Department, told The
Washington Post. Investigators spoke with the suspects
Friday night but have not released more details on what the
threesome was doing before the fire broke out. The fire
quickly grew out of control as the flames consumed the pipes
that had been under the elevated highway for more than a
decade. Storing pipes under highways is neither dangerous
nor uncommon, Stafford said.
AFRICA
Serious Drought in Kenya, East Africa.
Muslims Helping the Suffering Communities.
Assalaamu Alaykum WaRahamtullahi WaBarakatahu,
HHRD CEO Dr. Farrukh Raza is currently touring Africa
visiting drought victims and assessing the situation
alongside our HHRD Africa team. With the threat of
starvation, malnutrition, water borne diseases, and death
looming overhead the citizens of these countries are relying
on the international community to stand together and send
aid. The world can not wait to see hundreds dying due to
famine and drought before collectively doing something.
Dr. Raza arrived in Nairobi earlier this week with the
welcomed sign of rain. His tour led him to cities which had
not received rainfall for over two years! The hardest hit
countries of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda,
and Tanzania are currently facing the threat of starvation
if aid does not come in.
"It was a wonderful opportunity for me to help out today in
drought affected areas. Alhumdulillah they had a few showers
on the eve of my visit which made the dirt road stable
enough for us to drive on with aid," shared Dr. Raza of his
trip thus far.
Food and water distributions in Kilifi county Kenya were
also conducted. Food packages contain rice, sugar, tea,
cooking oil, maize meal or wheat flour, beans, and salt. For
$100 a family of 5 will have enough food for over two
weeks!
Water trucks bring clean drinking water to drought victims
where there are limited to no water sources. The containers
Dr. Raza filled will help provide clean water for 300
families or 1,800 individuals.
Over 300 people lined up to collect assistance from Dr. Raza
and our HHRD Africa team bringing with them their young
children and elderly parents. Consecutive years of drought
have plagued the continent with generation of families
suffering together.
This beautiful child is struggling to survive, and is waking
up each morning not knowing if there will be a meal for the
day. We can not allow this to happen on our watch.
Wasalaam Walaykum WaRahmatullahi WaBarakatahu,
-HHRD Team
