The Prophet,pbuh, said, "Allah said: 'The son of Adam tells
a lie against me though he has no right to do so, and he
abuses Me though he has no right to do so. As for his
telling a lie against Me, it is that he claims that I cannot
recreate him as I created him before; and as for his abusing
Me, it is his statement that I have offspring. No! Glorified
be Me! I am far from taking a wife or offspring.' "
Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 9
[With thanks to Sis. Kristi]
High Outreach on Face Book.
The April 7th Issue of New Trend that included an article
and photos of the Uyghur Rally in Washington, DC reached
more than 89,000 people.
New Trend's Web site visitor count continues to grow!
In the month of March, NewTrendMag.org
received 117,973 hits
with an average of 425 visitors a day.
Our web site also lists pro-Israeli businesses to be
boycotted.
Also photos of Palestinian towns like Jenin destroyed by the
Jewish Israeli army.
"Conflict over Gaza" conference was held at UNC-Chapel Hill
in North Carolina on March 22 to 24.
Though it was secular and held to the "middle ground,"
supporters of Israel and Zionist Jews are foaming and
frothing against it. They were not able to stop the
conference. The content was issue oriented and
scholarly.
Here is a list of the panel discussions:
"The (De-)Development of Gaza: Economy, Women, and
Youth"
"Humanitarian Crisis: Food, Water, and Health"
"In and Out: Gaza and Freedom of Movement"
"Gazans between Fatah & Hamas"
"Gaza and the World: Egypt, Israel, and the United
States"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says cutting aid to Israel should
be "on the table" and "can be discussed."
American Muslimah on Mission of Charity and Peace in Ethiopia.
Latest report from Sis. Ashira Naim
"Seeing Is Believing"
Noticing that the number of people begging on the streets
was greatly reduced in all the areas of the City of Adama,
we set out to make a true assessment in Addis Ababa, the
Capital City.
Surprisingly, for this observer, the kind of continuous
stream of begging that had been so obviously present over
the past 10 years of our sojourn was no longer visible. As a
matter of fact, hardly any begging children could be seen.
Our previous visit was a year and a half ago.
My question of course "where are they?" We've been told that
new laws exist against begging and the police are enforcing
those laws, i.e., making arrests. Further inquiry and
research into recently printed articles from Ethiopian
journalists revealed that there have been administrative
programs put into place to "help the homeless children" and
prevent others from begging on the streets. These programs
are under the careful watch of concernerd citizens to
discern if the true intent is to help the homeless or to
just apply as one writer called it "makeup" which of course
will fade away and the same "children and other homeless and
hungry people begging on the streets" will reappear. As the
political implications play a large part in what is being
done and the controversies on the subject are countless, we
can only hope for the best.
The New Landscape steadily underway in both these major
cities may be the just cause for the removal of so-called
beggars (the needy and hungry people). And there is beauty
to behold in the construction and renovation of buildings
"all over town." No one wants the eye sore of beggars to
compromise the success of attracting tourists, investors and
middle class citizens to these cities.
Ethnic fighting on the streets and especially in the
political arena is not new to Ethiopia. Yet, this tribal
monster may indeed be the biggest problem to be solved. And
there is no easy solution. For now that the guns have been
drawn, bullets discharged, and much blood shed, how
difficult we find it to get back to this advice from The
Creator:
"O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female
and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one
another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is
the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware."
(Holy Quran, Surah Al Hujraat - The Inner Apartments
49:13 Translated by Pickthal)
Meanwhile, we are continuing to do our part inside masajid
and places designed to help the needy. Inshallah, we will
continue to follow the Guidance from Allah as read in the
Holy Quran, Surah Al Ma'un (Small Kindnesses)
Surah 107:47 Translation by Shakir
"Have you considered him who calls the judgment a lie?
That is the one who treats the orphan with harshness
And does not urge (others) to feed the poor.
So woe to the praying ones
Who are unmindful of their prayers
Who do (good) to be seen,
And withhold the necessities of life."
[Taraba State is south east of Abuja.]
CHRISTIAN LEADERS KEEP MUM on TIV/JUKUN CLASH
by Abdulkabir Oyemomi
Many truthful Nigerian Muslims have expressed their worries
over the hypocritical lost of voice of Christian leaders
over the unabated killings amongst Christian dominated Tiv
and Jukun tribes. A lot of people were particularly
disappointed at CAN who would have stirred up the calm water
if the crisis had involved Fulani Muslims.
Many were feared dead before and on Saturday in a fresh
crisis between Tiv and Jukun tribes in Wukari, south of
Taraba State.
With the renewed crisis, the chairman of Wukari Local
Government Area of Taraba State , Mr Daniel Adi and his
counterpart in Ukum, Benue State, Mr Iber Logo accused each
other of escalating the crisis after a peace accord was
brokered last week.
According to 'Concise News' reports,the Benue State Acting
Governor, Benson Abouna, has condemned the renewed communal
clashes but failed to label the perpetrators as Christian
Terrorist!
The affected places are Tar-Orsha ,Ikyaan Gbaki, Orlumn
Nege, Tor- Musa, Ioryina, Kashuan Shanu, and Chonku
Villages.
Latest Khutba
Muslims must Defend their Mosques and Unite against
aggression and Oppression.
Look at Notre Dame Cathedral and our Mosques in Palestine,
Syria, Iraq and New Zealand.
On April 19, Br. Kaukab Siddique gave the juma' khutba at
Masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Baltimore. Now there are two
more khateebs and two imams, a different one each juma, so a
great diversity of messages are given based on Qur'an and
hadith.
A brother's car was totaled in an accident but he refused to
get help from the community.
The masjid was crowded but it's a small masjid, so here is
an outline of Br. Kaukab's khutba for distribution on
line.
" ....Did not Allah check one set of people by means of
another, there would surely have been pulled down
monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the
name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure.... " [The
Qur'an 22:40]
"The mosques of Allah shall be visited and maintained by
such as believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish regular
prayers, and practice regular charity, and fear none (at
all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true
guidance." [The Qur'an 9:17]
Part 1.
The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire and most of
it was destroyed. The fire was reported globally and within
a day millions of dollars were collected for
reconstructions.
I am sad about the fire because the Notre Dame is Mary
who is praised in the Qur'an as Maryam, pbuh, and a whole
chapter is named after her.
The response to the fire came despite the fact that
France is not a religious country and the Catholic church is
in serious moral decline.
Could it be that the fire was retribution from the angels
who saw the French insult to the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh?
Remember when the cartoons of the Prophet, pbuh, were
published and French converts to Islam attacked the
cartoonists?
At that time all the western leaders linked hands with
the leader of Israel and declared support for the insults on
Islam and claimed that it was "freedom of expression?"
Now go to New Zealand. This White Supremacist went into
two mosques and killed 51 Muslims and injured many more
while they were in the middle of prayers. After this obscene
act of terrorism, the Prime Minister of New Zealand wore the
hijab and embraced the families of the victims as though
they were part of her family. Today an armed non-Muslim
policewoman is standing guard at the mosque, wearing hijab
and a rose on her shirt.
Part 2.
Now think of our mosques, destroyed not by accidents but
by deliberate acts of the enemies of Islam.
Israel has destroyed scores of mosques in occupied
Palestine and in Israeli bombing of Gaza. Muslims don't even
know the names of these mosques. Even those who oppose
Israel are ignorant of the specific crimes against
Palestinian mosques.
Look at the mosques destroyed by the tyrant of Syria,
Assad. Pakistan has not even closed the Syrian regime
embassy.
Russia and Iran destroyed mosques in Aleppo. No Muslim
response.
Iran and the Baghdad regime have destroyed mosques in
Iraq. No Muslim response.
The most famous mosque in the Middle East located in
Mosul was destroyed by the US. The Americans claimed that
the Islamic State destroyed its own mosque but strangely [!]
did not call for any investigation.
USA destroyed the entire city of Raqqa [capital of the
Islamic State] with all its mosques. Most Muslims don't even
know where is Raqqa.
Pakistan bombed mosques and madressas during military
operations in Swat and Waziristan. It also helped USA to
drone mosques led by the Taliban. Pakistanis often know this
but few of them say anything.
China is now in the process of destroying mosques and
has put millions of people in concentration camps.
Islam requires us to be brothers and sisters in Islam.
Mosques are, or should be, the seeds of Islamic growth. If
we tolerate or ignore their destruction, we are allowing the
future of our way of life to be annulled.
In Baltimore, we need to help the children of the inner
city. They know they are oppressed. There was an uprising in
Baltimore a couple of years ago.
Thousands have embraced Islam in American prisons. We should
send Qurans, books of hadith and financial help to them.
O Allah, forgive our sins and shortcomings and help us to
unite on the basis of Qur'an and Sunnah.
PAKISTAN
Imran government following IMF/World Bank Agenda.
JI supporting 10,000 Orphans.
LAHORE, Apr. 20; Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Senator
Sirajul Haq, has said that a look at the federal cabinet
gave the impression that it was the PPP government.
"So many people against whom there were allegations of
corruption and plunder of public exchequer are sitting in
the cabinet" , he said while speaking at an Al-Khidmat
Foundation function at Chakdara on Saturday. He was
inaugurating "Aghosh", a project for free education and
residence for orphans.
Sirajul Haq said he failed to understand what change the PTI
government wanted to bring by inducting persons who had been
rejected by the people, in the government.
The JI chief said it had been proved that the present
government was the new edition of the previous government.
Who can claim that the PTI government is now the government
of neat and clean people, he asked, and added that even the
voters and supporters of the PTI were perplexed.
Sirajul Haq said that the 244 days of the PTI rule were an
unprecedented burden on the people and the government had
forgotten all its promises and it had been exposed within
eight months of its rule.
He said that the Finance Ministry had been given to
individuals who had been working on the direction of the IMF
and the World Bank. These people have been inducted only to
complete the IMF and Word Bank agenda instead of advancing
the interest of the country and the nation, he added.
The JI chief said the government deemed its duty to fight
the opposition instead of solving the people's problems. He
said that the double and three time increase in the life
saving medicines was irrefutable proof of the government's
incompetence. He said the Prime Minister had given seventy
two hours for bringing the prices to the previous level but
despite passage of several days, that had not been done.
He said that a new tax was being charged on gas in Khyber P.
and it was called Gas price hike tax.
The JI chief appreciated the Al-Khidmat Foundation projects
for the orphans and added that around ten thousand orphan
children were benefiting from it. He urged the wealthy and
the philanthropists to donate liberally to the Al-Khidmat
for this noble cause.
China
Concentration Camps for Muslims in China's Turkistan
Province.
We are not making nearly enough noise about the cultural
genocide the Beijing government is undertaking in Xinjiang
province, against the Uighur Muslims.
From scholar Rachel Harris in The Guardian:
After the Cultural Revolution, Uighur and Kazakh Muslims
began to reconnect with their faith. They resumed the
traditional practices of pilgrimage and festivals at the
shrines that lie deep in the Taklamakan desert. They began
to learn about Islam in the wider world; people who could
afford it travelled to Mecca for the hajj, and they began to
rebuild their mosques. As local communities grew richer they
invested in bigger and more beautiful mosques; people
crowded into them for Friday prayers, and they served as
living symbols of community identity and pride.
I was reminded of all this by an image posted on Twitter
last week. Shawn Zhang, who did pioneering work revealing
the existence of the massive network of detention camps for
Muslims in Xinjiang, posted "before and after" satellite
images of Keriya mosque in the southern region of Hotan.
This towering architectural monument, thought to date back
to 1237 and extensively renovated in the 1980s and 1990s,
was photographed on a festival day in 2016 with thousands of
worshippers spilling out on to the streets. By 2018 the site
where it had stood was a smooth patch of earth.
The Keriya mosque was built around the same time as Notre
Dame de Paris (begun in 1160, nearly complete by 1260). And
now it's gone. Not even a trace of it remains.
More about what the Chinese are doing to any Uighur it deems
a threat to its totalitarian control (how are you identified
as a threat? If you refuse cigarettes or alcohol, you might
be a Muslim extremist, according to Beijing): Individuals
identified in this way are sent to one of the many mass
detention camps that have been constructed across the region
over the past few years. The camp system is veiled in
secrecy, but researchers have amassed overwhelming evidence
that over a million Uighur and Kazakh Muslims have been
incarcerated in them. Inmates are subjected to a gruelling
regime of study and self-criticism underpinned by systematic
brutality and torture.
We know about this because of countless acts of bravery by
Uighurs and Kazakhs in the diaspora, who have chosen to
speak out in spite of the very real fear that their loved
ones will be punished for their actions. The Chinese
government is pursuing a vigorous propaganda campaign to
persuade the international community that the camps are
benign "vocational training centres" necessary to root out
extremist violence and restore stability to the region.
Having seen so many of my own Uighur colleagues and friends
disappear into the camps, I find this narrative insulting.
Those detained include academics, pop stars, comedians and
poets: individuals who - like the bulldozed mosques - are
symbols of Uighur identity and pride. This creaming-off of
the cultural elite - as my east European colleagues have
noted - recalls the Stalinist terror of the 1930s.
Read the whole thing. There's more. Beijing is determined
not only to wipe out Uighur religion and culture, but also
to wipe out the Uighur people.
Take a look at this report by the Wall Street Journal
YouTube.com/watch?v=6sUEek-u14w
- With thanks to Sis. Yasmin, and Special thanks go to Prof.
Razak for exposing this entire tragedy in his group "Justice
for the Global South.
War News
Syria
Major Guerrilla Offensive Against Assad Regime; Clashes in
Western Aleppo; Turkey Responds to SDF Attack.
In the desert of Eastern Homs province, east of al-Sukhna,
IS fighters have launched a guerrilla offensive coordinated
with attacks in Dar ez Zor's Mayadein area and in the
Northern part of Suwaida province near Damascus. Syrian
Observatory (SOHR) is reporting the details of these
guerrilla attacks resulting in the death of 69 Assad regime
troops, including 2 Russians and 9 Iranian militia. The
regime's airstrikes and artillary killed 22 IS fighters.
[It looks like regime forces west of the Euphrates river
were taken by surprise!]
On the Eastern banks of the Euphrates, IS guerrilla attacks
have killed several SDF troops and as a result the US-backed
forces have placed four towns under curfew.
In the Northwest of Syria, mujahideen of the Abu Bakr Siddiq
battalion attacked a heavily fortified Assad position in
Western Aleppo City. They withdrew under Russian airstrikes;
21 of Assad's troops and 5 of the IS fighters were killed.
In North Central Syria, SDF blew-up a Turkish army tank
using a missile. Turkish artillery has been carrying on a
steady response to the attack. Clashes are also reported in
the Manbig area. Russian troops are moving in to establish a
cease-fire.
Along the borders of Irbid province, Assad's Iranian forces
have let loose 40 missiles against Islamic positions and
populations in various areas.
Al-Nusra responded with heavy machine gun fire.
Fighting is also reported from Northern Lattakia area.
Details are not available.
Assad's regime has "rented-out" its port City to Russia on
what seems to be a permanent basis.
News Within the U.S.
Boston Marathon [Inside Report.]
Running While Muslim, Running for Aafia
By Nadrat Siddique
Special to the New Trend
It was Patriot's Day Monday in Boston, and I ran through
torrential rains from my hotel to the Boston Common two
miles away. I was there to run my second Boston Marathon,
calling attention to the case of a small, slight Pakistani
Muslim woman neuroscientist, being held political prisoner
by the United States. Her name is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Boston is very odd as far as marathons go, for three
reasons. For one, unlike nearly all other races, which are
held on the weekend, Boston is held on a Monday. And that
Monday is nowherea holiday except in Boston.
Secondly, the race starts for most runners—depending
on one's assigned start time—around 10:30 or 11:00
a.m., very late by racing standards. Nearly all other races
start around 7:00 or 8:00 a.m., with some starting as early
as 6:00 a.m., both to avoid the heat of the day, and to
minimize traffic blockages. The late start means that a
majority of Boston Marathon runners do the bulk of their
running in the afternoon heat, which raises the specter of
serious health risk.
The third major oddity about Boston is that the course is
one-way, as opposed to a loop, or multiple loops, like most
marathons. On race morning, we runners gathered at the
Boston Common to be bused to the tiny town of Hopkinton,
approximately 26 miles west of the city. Once there, in what
seemed a no-man's land, we were, at our assigned time, to
run our way back to Boston. In between were a multitude of
colleges, hills, and screaming fans. The fans lined every
mile of the course, making the race extremely boisterous. It
was decidedly not the place foran introvert. The runners
were overwhelmingly White, as were most of the fans. There
were, relatively speaking, a small number of Asian and
light-skinned Latino runners.
The race was sponsored by the financial giant John Hancock.
The founding father's name was everywhere, proudly plastered
on our marathon medals, mylar blankets (reflective blankets
givento runners post-race to prevent hypothermia), and other
marathon paraphernalia and memorabilia. There was no
discussion of the fact that Hancock, like the other founding
fathers, was a slave owner.
In the Boston Common, we runners went through a checkpoint,
to get to the yellow school buses which would carry us to
the race start. We were told precisely what type of bag
(clear plastic) could be carried on the buses. Grateful to
be out of the rain, we boarded the buses under the direction
of volunteers. The twenty-six mile bus trip took close to an
hour. It provided a welcomeopportunity for runners to dry
off.
Once in the very white Hopkinton, we went through an
additional checkpoint to the starting area.Repeatedly, it
was emphasized that only the clear plastic bags provided by
the race organizers could be used for bag check (ie to allow
runners to leave essential items needed after the race in a
common but secured holding area). Automated announcements
repeated ad naseum that unattended bags (along the course)
would be confiscated by authorities and might be
destroyed.
A large number of metropolitan police, as well as some
military police with submachines (the number of the latter
had diminished significantly since the 2017 race, which I'd
run) lined the course. Army snipers were positioned on
rooftops in Hopkinton and at various points along the
course.
Many of the athletes represented corporate teams. These
names, e.g. Dana Farber, were pre-printed on runners'
singlets (sleeveless running shirts). As I ran, I heard the
corporate names yelled out frequently by spectators, far
more often than individual names. To me, this was yet
another indicator of the stranglehold of corporate culture
in the U.S. At many smaller races, spectators call out
runner's names (sometimes printed on the runners bibs) as
they pass. Or, they call out the runners' bib numbers, or
other identifying nouns based on runners' attire to
encourage them. Not so at Boston. Unlike at previous races
where I've worn the same shirt, nary a person yelled for me,
"Go Aafia!"
Some runners ran in memory of a deceased family member,
whose name they wore on their shirt.A few had country
affiliation on their shirts. The most interesting were the
visually impaired runners. According to statistics which I
read later on the race website, these numbered 44, and
required a guide companion. Each runner/ guide pair held
opposite ends of what looked like a connecting plastic bag
to keep them together, with the guide wearing a tee saying
"Blind Runner."
No other runners, as far as I could tell by observation and
later research, ran for a political prisoner. And this year,
like the last, there appeared to be few, if any other
Pakistani women. As I said the last time I ran Boston, I
could only run this race for Aafia. It pained me, as I ran
past the turnoff to M.I.T., where Aafia had once studied, to
think of this petit woman, beloved motherof three, and star
scholar, suffering in a tiny Texas prison cell for a crime
she clearly did not commit. But—what pained me the
most was that Muslims, even those who knew her during her
time in the U.S., and all Muslim organizations, except for
Jamaat al-Muslimeen and the Aafia Foundation, were willfully
silent on her suffering. And silence was still
complicity.
By now, I have run two National (Washington DC) Marathons, a
Chicago Marathon, and two Boston Marathons in Aafia's name.
(All told, I have run 42 marathons, but many of them have
been for my own personal edification/ challenge, which I
also view as important.) I am obviouslynot a professional
athlete, or particularly fast. My best mile time is 7:18,
run at the International 5K in Columbia, MD, where I
represented Pakistan (unofficially).
I am not paid by anyone to run for Aafia or other political
prisoners. I run for them because I believe it is a
fundamental part of my faith, Islam, to stand up for the
oppressed.
The Qur'an says in Surat-ul Balad, "And what is the Ascent?
It is to free a slave." I view it as myresponsibility to
fight for the freedom of the modern day slaves, the
political prisoners, whose existence, while denied by the
U.S. government, is an unfortunate reality under the system
of White Supremacy and the congruous imperialist wars.
In that capacity, I traveled to Salt Lake City to run for
Mumia Abu Jamal (Black Panther political prisoner), to
Chicago to run for Aafia, to Wilmington to run for (then-)
Bradley Manning (Wikileaks whistleblower turned political
prisoner), and now again to Boston to run for Aafia. There
is always a way to speak out when grave injustice is
occurring, however one choses to do it. And for me, it is
through running.
Nadrat Siddique was born in Karachi, Pakistan, but is
currently based out of the Baltimore-Washington, DC area.
She is a runner, marathoner, activist and blogger for social
justice, with a focus on political prisoner issues. She is a
member of the National Majlis Shura of Jamaat
al-Muslimeen
Guidance by Sis. Yasmin.
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said...
"The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer
of musk and the worker on the bellows. A bearer of musk
would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you
might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the
bellows, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with
sparks from his bellows, or you get a bad smell from
him."
{Source~ Al-Bukhari and Muslim }
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
uses an effective example to bring to the hearer's
conception the impact of good company and bad company:
A good companion is compared to a musk seller or a perfume
seller: A perfume seller might give you some of his
fragrance, and a good companion might give you some good
advice or a useful tip. A perfume seller can be useful by
selling you some of his musk, and a good friend can be
useful by responding readily to your demand for help in any
matter, mundane or religious. At the very least, a musk
seller is nice to have around, even without being beneficial
in any practical way, as the pleasant smell emanating from
his direction is a pleasure in itself.
Similarly, a good companion is at least useful to you for
your good name and the pleasure of good company. Just to
feel his presence improves your spirits. In contrast, a bad
companion is comparable to a worker on the bellows. If you
come close to the bellows, sparks might hit your clothing
and make holes in them. Even at some distance, you will feel
the stench of burning. Your only hope is in keeping away
from the horrid smell. And it is the same way with a bad
companion; if you are close to him and identify with him,
you will take over some of his perversity, and your
character will be harmed, just as your clothes will be
spoiled if you come too close to a worker on the bellows.
Even if you remain safe from the influence of a bad
companion, you cannot escape people talking about you for
consorting with bad company.
You cannot even be sure that such a person will not
adversely affect you in the end:
The following verses from the Qur'an are self
explanatory:
And incline not to those who do wrong, or the fire will
seize you.[Source~'Qur'an Surat Al Hud 11 ~A #113) ]
'Therefore, shun those who turn away from Our remembrance
and desire nothing but the life of this world.'
[Source~'Qur'an Surat An-Najm 53~A #30]
'Restrain thyself along with those who call on their Lord
morning and evening seeking His face.'
[Source~'Qur'an Surat Al-Kahf 18 A #28]
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, (r.a.):
"Man models himself after his companion; so let each one of
you see who he chooses for companion"
[Source~ At-Tirmidhi]
