12 Rabi ul Awal 1446 AH - September 15 2024 Issue # 11, Newsletter #2049
Scroll down for report on "Illegal Stop-and-Frisk Increased
Under Black Mayor" by
Sr. Aisha ,
"Prophet's (SAW) Beautiful Heart Wrenching Duaa' Upon His Return from Taif" by
Sr. Yasmin ,
an update on Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's case by
Nadrat Siddique
Why Did 9-11 Happen? Little-known Background to a Tragedy
By Dr. Kaukab Siddique
Every year, the anniversary of 9-11 is used by the major
media in their efforts to stir up Islamophobia.
Iraq was under embargo from 1990 to 2003. The embargo was
not minor. Basic commodities, including medicines were not
available to Iraqis. As a result, Iraqis were sick and dying
from what were otherwise treatable diseases.
Saddam was by no means a perfect leader. However, he did not
kill or oppress his people, other than those engaged in
actively trying to overthrow his government (as would any
ruler).
Years back, I went to Iraq as part of a peace mission. I was
accompanied by Badi Ali, the late imam of the Islamic Center
of the Triad in Greensboro, NC. In addition to his wonderful
camaraderie, I needed Badi along for practical reasons. I
spoke only broken Arabic. Badi, a Palestinian, was fluent in
the language.
Shortly prior to the U.S. invasion, Saddam realized that if
he did not have Islamic unity in his country, he would not
be able to fight back against the U.S. He invited Muslim
scholars from all over the world to Iraq with the intention
of building understanding of why the Muslim world should
support his besieged country. In response, scholars from all
over the world came. Even Sufis from Pakistan came. They
were all too happy to come because Abdul Qadir Gilani, one
of their greatest saints, is buried in Iraq. (While in Iraq,
I visited Gilani's grave, but that is a story for another
day.) It was only scholars from the U.S. who were missing.
Badi and I were the exception to this.
Saddam was very conspiracy-minded. He thought everything was
a plot against him. He changed his orientation to an Islamic
one a few years before they captured him. Sometimes he did
things for the betterment of Iraqi society. For example, he
found out there was a gangster group which was trying to
lure Iraqi women to one of the Gulf States for illicit
purposes. The women went unwittingly, unaware of what lay in
store for them. Saddam caught the gang, and executed them
all. Saddam could be very extreme when he wanted to be.
An illustration of the honesty of Saddam's soldiers became
apparent to me in one incident where my friend Badi offered
money to an ordinary Iraqi soldier, who was a guard at a
street corner. It was February, and therefore quite cold.
The man was shivering, as he was wearing only a small
jacket. But he refused the money. Clearly Saddam was
enjoying himself in his palace, but the Iraqi people were
suffering.
With his mastery of Arabic, Badi could make out Saddam's
intelligence agents right away. When we were in Baghdad, one
of these intelligence agents begged us for Vitamin C. It was
a stark reminder that under the US/UN embargo, all of Iraq
was lacking basic commodities. The U.S. claimed that
medicines were allowed in. But it was clear that they were
not getting in.
As a result of the embargo, more than more 500,000 Iraqi
children died. Interviewed on Sixty Minutes, the U.S.
ambassador to the U.N. Madeleine Albright said she thought
the children's deaths were worth it.
As I left Iraq, there was another hurdle. Due to the
embargo, you could not fly back even to nearby Amman,
Jordan. You had to drive. It was a nine-hour drive. I was
shocked at the scenes I observed when I reached Amman.
Jordanians were behaving as if there was no embargo: They
were having parties, and it was business as usual.
In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq, bringing more death and
destruction to the country. Saddam's army was overwhelmed
and could not repel the Americans. At the end, he was backed
into a foxhole. But he never surrendered.
Why 9-11 Happened
What happened on 9-11 with the loss of American lives was a
tragedy. But it is important to understand it did not occur
in a vacuum.
Unbeknownst to many Americans, at the time 9-11 occurred,
the Muslim world had serious grievances against the
West:
Torture by U.S. agents to extract information from those
who perceived to be opponents of the U.S. Even a diplomat
like Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, because he represented the
Taliban, could be humiliated and tortured.
Slow death at the hands of US agents in Guantanamo Bay and
at U.S. Black sites. A case in point was that of Abu
Zubaydah, who was tortured so badly in Gitmo that he
developed brain damage, seizures, and memory loss.
Guantanamo has become part of the Muslim lexicon as a
reference to suffering and brutality of the invaders.
Political imprisonment and solitary confinement of Islamic
scholars. For example, one of the greatest reciters of the
Qur'an, Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman (also known as the Blind
Shaykh) was imprisoned and denied medical treatment for
diabetes. He later died in solitary confinement in a US
prison.
Occupation of an entire Muslim country. Palestine was
occupied by Zionists backed by the West. For decades (and
much before October 7), Palestine was bombed by Israel.
Later. this genocidal mindset led to the killing of 49,000
Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Sponsorship and entrenchment of autocratic regimes in
Muslim countries. All of the worst dictators in the Muslim
world were placed there by the U.S, Canada, Germany,
Australia, and France.
Violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Muslim countries. Military bases were established in many
Muslim and Arab countries, and U.S. warships docked in
waters near these countries, violating their sovereignty.
This would be the equivalent of China, Argentina, or Mali
setting up a base on American soil—not likely to be
welcomed by Americans. And yet few Americans question why
it's okay when it is done in a Muslim country like Saudi
Arabia.
Use of corporate media to justify the abuse of Muslim
countries and the humiliation of Muslim scholars. In a
further affront to the Muslim world, the U.S. not only
enacts these practices, but defends them and touts them as
appropriate on the world stage.
Given all of this, it seems the hijackers gave their lives
to save Muslim countries from Zionism and Imperialism.
Aftermath of 9-11
In 2013, a bloody coup occurred in Egypt, in which
thousands of young Egyptians, who were unarmed and engaged
in peaceful protest, were shot to death. Egyptian President
Muhammad Morsi, who had been freely elected by the Egyptian
people, was imprisoned. He died in prison. This violation of
the Peoples' clearly expressed wish to have an Islamic
president was supported by the U.S. government, and
facilitated by the long term campaign of Islamophobia in the
U.S. corporate media.
The Lancet documented that 1,000,000 Iraqis died as a
result of the invasion of Iraq.
According to Brown University's Watson Institute, 46,319
Afghan and 24,099 Pakistani civilians died as a direct
result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
The violations of sovereignty of Muslim countries
continued. For example, Pakistani air space is routinely
violated by U.S. drones. FBI offices were established there.
This is despite the fact that Pakistan is an independent
Muslim country. The U.S. and its allies are able to maintain
intelligence agencies within countries like Pakistan for the
simple reason that despite the claim of independence, these
countries follow U.S. dictates to control their Muslim
populations.
Some segments of the American public came to the
conclusion that Saudi Arabia helped the hijackers. But the
reality is that the U.S. has excellent relations with the
extremely corrupt dictators of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Jordan, both before 9-11 and after.
Although it was proven that Iraq had no WMDs—the
original pretext for the war, not a single US or allied war
criminal was prosecuted. Many were honored, with highways,
libraries, and other structures named after them.
And still, only the 3,000 American lives lost on 9-11 are
lamented.
Silent on Genocide: Gambrills Jumu'ah Khutbah was Shameful
By New Trend Staff
On September 13, Dr. Kaukab Siddique went to yet another
jumu'ah in his wheelchair. This one was at the Makkah
Learning Center, or Islamic Society of Annapolis, in
Gambrills, Maryland.
In the mosque corridor, Bangladeshi brothers were collecting
money for the flood victims in their country. Even though
they did not talk about the tremendous change taking place
in Bangladesh, it was a good start. A brother from the
mosque kindly assisted Dr. Siddique with his shoes, keeping
them with his own, and positioning his wheelchair properly
in the musallah. The musallah was packed with Muslims. The
worshippers included Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and
Africans. There were one or two U.S. servicemen from the
nearby Naval Academy. It was a captive audience.
The khutbah started exactly on time. The imam, a young man
with flowery Arabic and unaccented English, dove right into
his khutbah. He talked about the importance of "doing small,
small things" following the tradition of the Prophet (SAW).
For example, he extolled the worshippers, you must say the
prescribed du'ah when entering the bathroom, the prescribed
du'ah when exiting the bathroom, the right du'ah when
entering the musallah, and the right du'ah when exiting the
musallah. You must (if you are male) wear your pants at just
the right length, he said. Don't be shy when explaining to
your non-Muslim friends how to orient your private parts
(away from the kibla) when relieving yourself. And tell them
why you do it, he said emphatically. All of these things add
up to barakah for the believer, he continued. Dr. Siddique
kept waiting for this young man to say a single word about
Palestine. He did not.
You would think there was no genocide going on!
The imam had squandered a prime opportunity to speak about
the gross injustices happening around the Muslim world.
Rather than extoll the jumu'ah congregation on the
importance of doing the "small, small things" which the
Prophet (SAW) did, he could have invited them to the larger
message of the Prophet Muhammad, which is to "enjoin the
right" and "to prohibit the wrong."
The Prophet Muhammad urged Muslims to fight against
oppressors and oppression. Why then do so many U.S. imams,
like this young man, ignore this central message, as if they
have been ordered to do so by the U.S. government? It seems
sinful and a travesty to remain silent when 49,000 of our
brothers and sisters have been murdered.
World News
France
Dominique Pelicot, a man in France, drugged his wife. After
she passed out, he brought a whole range of people from the
area to gang rape her. In all, 51 men raped her. He took
photos of the incident while the rape was ongoing. The
victim, Gisele Pelicot, was quite shocked when she learned
what had been done to her. The case is in court.
France has been very aggressive in accusing Muslims,
especially those who are French, and Afghans, of forcing
their women to wear hijab, and of not allowing them to
express themselves. In the French view, Afghans in
particular, and Muslims in general, are very backward in not
permitting women to behave naturally. Accordingly, the
French have tried to force their values on Muslims, and have
made the hijab unlawful in some cases. But Muslims view the
hijab as a protection for women.
The Pelicot affair shows that disrespect for women and
sexual anarchy is quite common in France. This case
illustrates a whole spectrum of male abuse of women. None of
the men involved questioned whether Gisele Pelicot was
asleep or drugged. This kind of activity is very unusual in
Muslim countries but particularly in Afghanistan. So, who
really, is the backwards and oppressive one, when it comes
to women?
Palestine
The Israeli bombing is continuing on a daily basis.
Precision attacks on UNRWA, which is providing succor to
people who need help, were conducted. Numerous civilians
were killed. The Israeli government says it intends to close
down UNRWA. Also, the Israelis have extended their attacks
to include the West Bank. They are plowing the streets of
West Bank towns, particularly Jenin. In some cases, the
Israelis have urged Palestinians to congregate in specific
"safe areas" assigned by Israel. But when the Palestinians
reach the "safe area," they are bombed. So, there is no real
safe area.
Turkey joined hands with Egypt's General Sisi, a very
serious infraction from the Islamic standpoint). The action
seems geared at creating the appearance of Arab unity. In
truth, the Egyptians have not helped the Palestinian
fighters in any way: materially, physically, or militarily.
So, it seems that the Palestinians have been abandoned. Only
Iran can help them. But if Iran does helps them, it will be
spotted by the U.S. Air Force and its allies. So, the
Palestinians have to rely on the extremely scant resources
at their disposal. Despite the dire situation, Hamas leader
Yahya Sinwar says the resistance will continue, and there is
no question of surrender or withdrawal.
Pakistan
Within the last three days, large scale demonstrations have
been held in Pakistan for the release of the former Prime
Minister Imran Khan. The government is adamant about keeping
him in jail, but the crowds protesting for him are so big
that there is a chance the country itself could be
traumatized by the conflict. Such huge numbers are seldom
seen in Pakistani rallies. It was almost like a referendum
on Imran Khan. As a result, demonstrations have been
prohibited in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
Among the Pakistan government's other actions is the
continuing deportation of Afghan refugees. (Side note:
They're also being deported from Germany.)
In Pakistan, the TTP is continuing to fight the Pakistan
military, resulting in losses on both sides. Pakistan says
it will not compromise with the TTP, although the Taliban
government in neighboring Pakistan has suggested it do so.
Clashes between the TTP and the Pakistan government are
occurring daily. And there is some suggestion of ISIS
involvement in the fighting.
West Africa
In Mali, local jihad groups have slaughtered Russian troops
which came to help the Malian government. Also, in the
border area of Burkina Faso and Niger, there has been large
scale conflict between jihad groups and the Burkina Faso
government. The losses are pretty heavy and are
continuing.
Algeria
In Algeria, elections were held. The people have elected a
new government. The new government was congratulated by
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
United Kingdom
The British claim they are suspending thirty arms export
licenses to Israel, out of sudden concern they may be
violating international law. Unfortunately, these are only
30 out of 350 arms export licenses for Israel. But even the
suspension of the 30 licenses has angered Netanyahu and
Israeli officials.
Exchange of fire between Israel and the Lebanon border
continues on a daily basis. The Israelis have killed scores
of people who are supporters of Hizbollah. In turn Hizbollah
has fired back and forced Israeli settlers to withdraw 30
miles from the Lebanese border with "Israel." Hizbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah has reiterated that as long as there
is no peace in Gaza, there will be no peace on the
Lebanon-Israel border.
Yemen
The Houthis continue to attack ships owned by or supporting
Israel. They have damaged 80 ships with missiles and drones
since the Gaza genocide began. Of these ships, two oil
tankers actually sank. The Houthi technique is to send
unmanned vessels to attack the ships. They have even
attacked a huge American destroyer. They were not able to
sink it, but caused significant damage. A number of people
working for shipping companies in Arab countries have been
arrested by supporters of the Houthis.
Turkey
The Egyptian tyrant Sisi has decided to become friends with
Turkey's Erdogan. Some Muslims think Erdogan is the savior
of Islam, but he has decided to become friends with the
worst tyrant in the Arab world. Erdogan is even trying to be
friends with the dictator in Damascus, Assad. Ironically,
Assad rebuffed him, which is a shame.
Bangladesh
The people of Bangladesh have demanded Shaikh Hasina's
extradition to Bangladesh. It turns out, she has committed
many murders of young people. Also, she spent huge amounts
of money on three fake elections. (Not surprisingly, she won
each of these "elections.") The Bangladeshi people are
asking for restitution for the monies spent of these
elections.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case
Pakistan Government's Deceit and Trickery in the Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case
By Nadrat Siddique
In the U.S., Attorney Maria Kari, who is working closely
with lead Aafia attorney Clive Stafford-Smith, visited Aafia
at FMC Carswell on July 26. Stafford-Smith, who previously
instrumented the release of multiple Guantanamo prisoners,
visited Aafia on September 12 and 13. Stafford-Smith has
filed a "Compassionate Release" petition on Aafia's behalf.
To increase the chances of the petition's success, he has
asked the Pakistan government to sign onto an Amicus Curiae
("Friends of the Court") brief. The brief is important
because a host country, ideally Aafia's native Pakistan, is
needed to receive her if she is granted "Compassionate
Release. "
On July 5, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard Aafia's
case. Aafia's Pakistan attorney requested that the Pakistan
government sign on to the Amicus Curiae. The court allowed
the government four weeks to respond. But the government was
dragging its feet. It claimed to support signing onto the
Amicus Curiae "in principle." Finally, the IHC imposed a
deadline by which the government must respond, otherwise a
fine of Rs. 1,000,000 would be imposed.
In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar,
addressing the Pakistan Parliament, claimed to have spoken
on multiple occasions with U.S. authorities, including
directly to Secretary Anthony Blinken, advocating for
Aafia's release. However, Aafia Movement supporters say no
such interaction occurred. Dar's statements reflect the
deceit and trickery of the current Pakistan administration.
The Pakistan government is keeping Aafia in a deadly cycle,
where they lie about demanding her release, but take no
action, thus releasing American authorities from having to
take the necessary steps towards her release.
Upcoming Actions for Aafia
In the U.S., supporters of Aafia will rally on September 22
starting at noon outside FMC Carswell (1200 Meandering Road,
Fort Worth, TX) to mark the day of her unjust
sentencing.
In the U.K., Aafia supporters will rally at the U.S. Embassy
on September 23 (33 Nine Elms Lane, Nine Elms, London SW11
7US) starting at noon.
In Islamabad, Pakistan, a "Dharna for Aafia" will be held at
D-Chowk starting at 5:00 PM on September 22.
Illegal Stop-and-Frisk Increased Under Black Mayor
By Sis. 'Aisha Jamaat al-Muslimeen New York City
When David Dinkins, New York City's first black mayor, took
office, he did the typical thing and hired Benjamin Ward as
the first black police commissioner. Except for the murder
of 7-year-old Gavin Cato by a Jew who fled to Israel, which
sparked the Crown Heights Riot, there were very few
altercations between the NYPD and black people.
Mayor Bill "Thomas Jefferson" de Blasio promised to keep
stop-and-frisk in place but made efforts to reform it under
his administration. Even Rev. Al Sharpton remarked that only
Mayor de Blasio's black son, Dante, was safe from the NYPD's
stop-and-frisk.
Recently, an independent federal monitor revealed in its
report that the NYPD has refused to comply with a
court-ordered mandate to reform stop-and-frisk.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is a former police officer
who is black. His critics have accused him of being pro-cop
at the expense of human rights. It was under his tenure that
police officers antagonized and became physical with
pro-Palestinian supporters. At that time, Mayor Adams'
response was dismissive.
Mayor Eric Adams is a founding member of 100 Blacks in Law
Enforcement Who Care, an organization that does extensive
community outreach, including providing assistance for those
claiming to have been victimized by an alleged criminal cop.
Most members are conscious black activists from different
branches of law enforcement.
It's been alleged that Mayor Adams spied on 100 Blacks in
Law Enforcement, which is one reason why some of its members
are his biggest critics. Other founding members, such as the
Community Cop Show's Noel Leader have stated that the NYPD
needs to do away with stop-and-frisk completely.
Stop-and-frisk is oppressive. The logic is that it is
supposed to catch criminals, but it is really a disguised
oppressive measure used to intimidate people. It is used
arbitrarily. On public transportation, there's an
announcement notifying (or warning) passengers that the NYPD
has the right to stop and search their bags. Yet, it was a
few years ago when a man detonated a bomb at the Times
Square station.
These types of law enforcement practices are not designed to
stop crime. They are designed to instill fear of law
enforcement in innocent, law-abiding people.
(Source: NY1.com)
Guidance from Sis. Yasmin
Prophet's (SAW) Beautiful Heart Wrenching Duaa' Upon His Return from Taif
In the year in which two {2} of the most closest and dearest
to the
*PROPHET* (ﷺ) had passed away, his wife Khadija
[RadiAllahu Anha] and uncle Abu Talib, the*PROPHET*
(ﷺ)
underwent what could be considered the lowest point of his
life...
no longer having the tribe of Quraysh as protection or
support in his mission,
he struggled as he travelled to Ta'if seeking its leaders,
hoping that they would accept
Islam and help him. However, they proved to be even more
vociferous than the Quraysh.
PROPHET (ﷺ) was set upon by the slaves and children
of Ta'if with stones,
he ran, his feet cut and bleeding into a garden where he
sought refuge
within its walls, taking shelter under a tree .
PROPHET (ﷺ) turned to ALLAH for ease and guidance
with this beautiful 'Duaa'...
PROPHET (ﷺ) Dua On Return From Taif {!}
On his return from Taif, anguished and heartbroken...
PROPHET (ﷺ) Prayed ...
"To You my Lord I confess my weakness,
my lack of wit and my inconsequence before people.
Dear Merciful Lord, you are Master of the weak
and Master of those who depend upon me.
how much longer shall they revile me ?
how much longer shall my enemies hold sway
over me ? as long as You are not angry with me
then nothing else can matter.
Your might is greatest before me and so I seek refuge
in the Light of Your Countenance,
in the Light that drives away all darkness
and in which all things of this world
and the next find meaning.
Whether You visit upon me Your Wrath
or , relieve me of my burden,
such is Your Right until You are pleased.
Truly there is no power nor glory but in You."
{'Aameen'}
[Source: Ibn Hisham: As-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah]
As *PROPHET* (ﷺ) left Taif he was followed by a
cloud over him and and as he
looked up he saw Angel Jibreel (a.s.) who said if he
commanded him to then
he would crush the city of Taif by asking the Angel of the
mountains to destroy it immediately
because the people of Taif were hurting him.
PROPHET (ﷺ) through his endless mercy said no and he
prayed to Allah [Azza wa Jal]
to spare the town & make the future descendents of Taif
Muslim.
Transliteration of the Prophet (ﷺ) 'Dua' @ Taif
'ALLAHUMMA ILAIKA ASHKU DU'FA QUWWATI WAQILLATA HILATI
WAHAWANI 'ALANNAS.
YA ARHAMAR RAHIMIN, ANTA RABBUL MUSTAD'AFIN, WA ANTA RABBI.
ILA MAN TAKILUNI
ILA BA'IDIN YATAJAHHAMUNI AW ILA 'ADUWWIN MALAKTAHU AMRI.
IL-LAM YAKUN BIKA GHADABUN 'ALAYYA FALA UBALI, WALAKIN
'AFIYATUKA AWSA'U LI. 'AUDZU BINURI WAJHIKAL LADZI ASHRAQAT
BIHIDH DHULUMAT WA SHOLUHA'ALAIHI AMRUDDUNYA WAL AKHIROH MIN
AN TUNAZZALA BI GHADABUK AW TAHULLU BI SAKHOTHUK, LAKAL
'UTBA HATTA TARDA. WALA HAULA WALA QUWWATA ILLA BIK.
We should all consider the Prophet's (ﷺ) words
carefully when he said...
"As long as You are not angry with me then nothing else can
matter."
The concern of anyone who raises the call to Allah is simply
the pleasure of Allah,
this is all that matters. After this, whatever else happens
shouldn't matter
for the reactions of others are not of great consequence
so long as your aim is to seek the Pleasure of Allah.
Therefore if the pains of this world tire you, do not
grieve... !
For it may be that Allah wishes to hear your voice by way of
'Duaa' !
So pour out your desires in prostration and forget about it
and know that
verily Allah hears all & does not forget '.
{A reminder to myself first and then to my fellow Muslims
'In Shaa Allah'}