19 Rabi ul Awal 1446 AH - September 22 2024 Issue # 12, Newsletter #2050
Scroll down for report on "Tyranny American-Style" by
Sr. Aisha ,
"The Flavor of the Heart" by
Sr. Yasmin ,
article on Aafia Siddiqui on the
anniversary of her sentencing + an update on Aafia's case
from the Aafia Movement (Pakistan) by
Nadrat Siddique
Editorial Corner with Dr. Kaukab Siddique
Israeli Pager Attack Seems to Have Failed
From first reports on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Israeli
attack seemed to have succeeded. Pagers, walkie-talkies, and
radios exploded in the hands Hizbollah members and
supporters, as well as innocent bystanders including
children. Lebanese authorities reported 20 people killed and
3,000 plus wounded.
Western media claimed that Lebanon was collapsing. Israel
claimed that the war had moved to the north, and the 30,000
Israeli settlers would be rapidly brought back to their
homes. However, Hezbollah reported a completely different
narrative.
Positive Islamic action stabilized the situation. Al-Jazeera
reported:
There was no panic.
Ambulances quickly picked up injured people.
People liberally gave their blood.
Lebanese hospitals did their job efficiently.
Shaikh Nasrallah behaved like an Islamic leader. He
honestly explained the situation. He did not engage in
braggadocio or make empty threats against Israel.
The Israeli Air Force is blasting Hezbollah strongholds.
There is no Islamic air force. Instead, Hezbollah are using
drones. On top of that, they are supporting Hamas. Despite
what Western powers might wish, there is no rift between
Hezbollah and Hamas.
Israel has committed a serious crime against the Muslims
with the pager attacks. It has no morality or rule of law.
It will do anything to inflict damage on the Muslims.
Despite the clear violation of International Law in Israel's
use of pagers to kill people in a sovereign nation, if the
Gaza experience holds true, the U.S. will still not back
down from its support for Israel. And yet many Muslims in
the US still have high hopes for the Democratic Presidential
hopeful Kamala Harris.
World News
United Nations
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, 124
countries (out of 181) voted that Israel must end its
occupation of "Occupied Palestinian Territory" within a
year, and pay damages to Palestine for the destruction of
the country. The US, Israel, and numerous small island
nations under U.S. hegemony were among 14 votes against the
resolution. The remaining 43 were abstentions.
Interestingly the UK, Germany, Italy, and Australia which
supply weapons to Israel, abstained. So why did these
countries, which typically follow the US in supporting
Israel at the UN, not vote against the resolution? This may
be their way of appeasing the growing anti-Israel sentiment
in their respective countries. The main surprise was that
Haiti, where there is massive support for Palestine,
abstained.
Under the resolution, no trade or other support for Israel
is permitted. Unfortunately, the resolution is nonbinding.
After the vote, there was cheering for Palestine in the
UNGA.
United States
A memorial to Aaron Bushnell, the US veteran who
self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy,
was removed at 6:00 AM on July 18 by two men. They would not
let the security guard film it, under threat of arrest. The
memorial had been guarded by pro-Palestine activists for 150
days prior to its removal.
Palestine
Palestinian refugees sheltering in a school were killed by
Israeli troops. Twenty-two refugees were killed. Qabatiya in
West Bank. Israelis killed five unarmed people and threw
their bodies from roof tops.
Bombing of refugees in Gaza continues. So-called "safe
areas" designated by Israel have been bombed. However,
fighting between Hamas and Israel is continuing near the
Egyptian border. Hamas is putting up a tough fight, killing
numerous Israelis.
Lebanon
An Israeli bombing raid on Beirut has killed 37 civilians,
including 7 women and 3 children. Sixty-eight (68) people
were wounded. The Israeli strike occurred during Friday
afternoon rush hour, and was the deadliest since the 2006
Israel-Hizbollah War. Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to
target areas in Northern Israel. The U.S. State Department
issued travel U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon, and some
settler schools in Israel canceled classes.
Mali
A major battle is ongoing between Russian and local
government troops on one side, and jihad groups (ISIS) on
the other. Reports indicate that 84 Russian troops and 77
government troops were killed in what some view as a big
victory for the mujahideen. The influence of this battle is
sweeping through the entire region including Mali, Niger,
and Burkina Faso.
Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is sending
Iraqi medical teams to Lebanon to assist in the aftermath of
the Israeli attacks. The Kataeb Hezbollah militia is also
saying it will send large numbers of fighters to help
Hezbollah in Lebanon. (AP, September 17, 2024)
Tyranny American-Style
By Sis. 'Aisha Jamaat al-Muslimeen New York City
America helps the obvious, openly tyrannical governments
overseas, but in America, tyranny has to occur in a sneaky,
underhanded way.
Of course, there were the massacres of Native Americans and
the Jim Crow Laws that show America's tyrannical history,
which only affected the indigenous populations. Then, there
were controversial moves, such as adding fluoride to tap
water and assigning citizens social security numbers, among
other things.
We cannot depend on the Supreme Court to help Americans.
Only the people can change America.
The basic God-given right to self-defense and choice has
been taken away...in increments. It's been done so quietly,
with the mainstream media's help, that people have been
unjustly jailed without so much as a raised eyebrow.
The first right that has been taken away and criminalized is
the right to refuse to comply. If you refuse to follow a
direct order from a police officer, you can be arrested for
refusing to comply.
In recent news, the Miami Dolphins football player Tyreek
Hill was accosted by the police, actually doing what he was
told! Legal experts familiar with criminal cop behavior have
stated that if you are pulled over by law enforcement, your
window should be lowered low enough to slip your license and
other documents through.
There is no need to lower any of your windows all the way
down. It is also recommended that you lock all of the doors
to your vehicle. This is because there are videos of
criminal law enforcement agents pulling drivers,
particularly women, by their hair through car windows.
These Miami officers who accosted Tyreek Hill should have
been terminated immediately, which would have severed their
pensions.
The second right that has been violated is the right to
self-defense. Chrystul Kizer of Wisconsin was another
teenage sex-tracking victim who killed the man who
repeatedly victimized her. Now, at twenty-four years old,
she is serving an eleven-year sentence for defending
herself. Her attorneys had her plead guilty to second-degree
murder. This is very similar to Haila Gabr, a Yemeni sister,
who killed the man who raped her when she was seventeen
years old over twenty years ago.
Pieper Lewis is now free owing to some attention brought to
her case, but she had to pay $150,000 restitution to her
pimp's family for loss of income! A former school teacher
raised the money via a crowdfunding site.
Self-defense is being criminalized in schools. It used to be
that whoever threw the first punch was suspended, but now
both children are suspended, including the one defending
himself against the other's aggression. You see professional
players ejected from games and suspended for defending
themselves against aggressive players, who get a mere
warning.
Politicians where these injustices occur need to be held
accountable for allowing such things. We should flood
feminist politicians with letters demanding they speak out
in these matters. They never address domestic violence
cases.
The people need to steer politicians toward fulfilling the
community's needs rather than those of their campaign
donors.
(Source: The Final Call Volume 43 Number 48 (9/2/2024)
Aafia Siddiqui Case
September 23: A Day of Infamy
By Nadrat Siddique
Pakistani scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui has been held longer
than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was in Russia's Gulag. She has
been imprisoned longer than Russian physicist Andrei
Sakharov was in (internal) exile. She has been held about
the same length of time as well-known Chinese physician and
pro-democracy leader Wang Bingzhang. In fact, like Aafia,
Bingzhang was abducted in one country, then taken to another
for a kangaroo court trial, convicted, and effectively
buried by his captors.
In Bingzhang's case, the U.S. registered vociferous protests
against the Chinese government. And yet, the U.S. continues
to allow the torture and detention of Dr. Aafia
Siddiqui.
Not one person died or was injured in the incident in
Ghazni, Afghanistan, in which Aafia was charged. In fact,
she should never have been in Afghanistan in the first
place. Aafia was kidnapped by Pakistani and U.S.
intelligence services, and forcibly taken there from
Pakistan- in violation of international law. In other words,
if international rules and norms had not been trashed by the
security agencies in question, the (concocted) incident for
which Aafia was charged would not have arisen.
And yet, on September 23, 2010, the MIT alum was sentenced
to 86 years in prison. A brilliant scholar, with innovative
ideas to uplift Pakistan's education system, she continues
to languish at FMC Carswell, where other political
prisoners, e.g. Lynne Stewart and Reality Winner, have also
been held.
Does the U.S. have no shame in continuing to hold this
innocent woman scientist/ educator, all the while protesting
the detention of scientists, writers and academics in other
countries? Today on this day of infamy, September 23, we say
"Free Aafia Siddiqui now! Free all political prisoners!"
(This article was originally published on September 23,
2023)
Update on the Case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
From Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, Aafia Movement (Pakistan)
On September 19, 2024, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's legal team filed
a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas against prison
officials at FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, where Dr.
Siddiqui is serving a life sentence for crimes she did not
commit.
While the evidence of Dr. Siddiqui's innocence is
overwhelming, right now, we are urgently fighting to stop
the horrific abuse she is enduring in real-time. Through
this lawsuit, we demand:
A third-party investigation into the sexual and physical
violence Dr. Siddiqui has experienced at FMC Carswell and
for meaningful measures to be put into place to prevent
further abuse;
The right for Dr. Siddiqui to practice her religion
freely, including access to an Imam for much-needed
religious consolation and guidance;
A thorough medical evaluation by an independent, female
Muslim physician not affiliated with the Bureau of Prisons,
especially in light of Dr. Siddiqui's untreated PTSD and
other health conditions worsened by years of torture and
mistreatment, and
Justice and accountability against those responsible for
Dr. Siddiqui's abuse and neglect, including the enforcement
of her Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and
unusual punishment.
The abuses taking place daily inside FMC Carswell's prison
walls are as egregious as the miscarriage of justice that
put Dr. Siddiqui there in the first place, and every moment
that Dr. Siddiqui spends in this facility is a violation,
not just of her body, but of everything the U.S.
Constitution stands for.
Ultimately, it is the Pakistani government's legal and moral
duty to step up and demand justice for Dr. Siddiqui, a
Pakistani citizen, by holding those responsible for her
mistreatment accountable and ensuring her safety.
Our Demands for the Pakistan Government
The Pakistani government must take immediate action to
secure the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani
citizen who has been unjustly imprisoned by the United
States for over 20 years. The government must:
Own Aafia's case and fight for her rights with the same
vigor as any sovereign country does for its citizens, and as
they would for their own sister or daughter.
Write a strong letter to President Biden demanding
clemency and supporting Aafia's petition on humanitarian
grounds, highlighting the violation of her basic human
rights and the need for urgent medical care.
Prioritize Aafia's release in top level meetings during
the PM's visit to the US from September 21 - 30.
Raise Aafia's case at the UN human rights meetings,
emphasizing the need for international pressure to secure
her release.
Demand freedom for Aafia, just as the US demands for
Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani citizen who was a traitor.
Arrange and send a delegation to the White House to plead
Aafia's case with passion and sincerity.
The Pakistan government's inaction on Aafia's case is a
violation of her rights as a citizen, and a betrayal of the
trust placed in it by the people of Pakistan. Aafia's
release is a matter of national dignity and a test of the
government's commitment to protecting its citizens.
Let us join hands to demand justice for Aafia and pressurize
the government to take concrete steps towards her release.
We owe it to Aafia, and to ourselves to ensure that no
citizen is left behind.
Guidance from Sis. Yasmin
The Flavor of The Heart {'Qalb'}
~Imam Ibnul-Qayyim [Rahimahullah] said...
If you would like to draw a conclusion
of what is contained in someone's
Heart ('Qalb') then use as a Proof
the movements of his Tongue !
for surely, he will show you what is
contained in his Heart, regardless of
whether he wants to or not... {!}
Yahya Ibn Mu'adh (Allah be pleased with him)said...
The Hearts are like Pots {!}
They boil with that which they contain
and their Tongues are their Ladles ... {!}
[i.e. scooping spoons]
So look at a man when he speaks... {!}
his Tongue will scoop out for you that which
is contained in his Heart...{!}
whether it is....{?}
Sweet or Bitter... ???
Fresh or Salty ....???
and other than that...{!}
And the Flavor of his Heart will become
clear to you from that which his Tongue scoops
out...{!}