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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Ramadan 26, 1428. October 9, 2007. #78

The Night of Power [Laylatul Qadr]

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Surely We revealed it in the night of Power.
And what will make you comprehend what the night of Power is?
The night of Power is better than a thousand months.

The angels and Jibreel descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair,
Peace! it is till the break of the morning. [The Qur'an, Sura 97]

Narrated Abu Huraira, r.a:

The Prophet, pbuh, said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ."

Sahih of Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 32, Number 231

Who is behind the conflict in Darfur, Sudan?: Earlier this month, a rebel group armed by Israel attacked the peace keeping force sent into Darfur by African nations. At least 10 peacekeepers were killed but the event received little publicity in the U.S. The African nations have refused to join Jewish-American claims that "genocide" is going on in Darfur.

The "Holocaust" Museum in Washington, DC and a broad spectrum of Jewish-American groups had sanctions imposed on Sudan leading to widespread suffering of civilians.

Latest News: Heavy Fighting in North Waziristan. Islamic Fighters Locked in Battle with Pakistan's Elite Forces

October 6-9, 2007: Ongoing battles between Islamic fighters and Pakistan's finest troops have rocked North Waziristan in the last 4 days, starting from the Mir Ali area and spreading out into other districts.

Pakistan armed forces launched jet fighters and helicopter gunship attacks to root out mujahideen harassing the army from the harsh mountain terrain. The mujahideen counterattacked and were locked in battle with Pak army's troops in areas the air force could not hit.

At least 60 Islamic fighters and 48 Pakistani troops have been killed in the fighting, with scores wounded. The army announced that it would fire on any homes where "militants" took refuge. The result is that army artillery fire has killed 52 civilians, almost all women and children. The dead included 12 members of one family. Refugee columns are coming out.

The mujahideen in North Waziristan seem to be winning and have captured at least 33 more Pakistani troops. The troops do not know the area well and fell into ambushes. Five of them escaped later

KASHMIR: Daylong Battle with Indian Occupation Forces

October 8: In the forests near Kupwara, India's 16 Jat Regiment battled a mujahideen group. The gunfight which went on all day left 6 Indian troops and 11 Islamic fighters killed.

October 6: In the Bandipura area, Indian occupation troops from the 23rd Punjab battalion and paramilitaries carried out house-to-house searches and terrorized the people. In an outburst of fighting an Indian army junior officer and 2 Islamists from Lashkar-e-Tayba were killed.

AFGHANISTAN: Fighting and Bombing by NATO Forces: Taliban Gain

October 7: In Kunar, a U.S. air raid destroyed 8 homes killing two Muslims. Nearly one thousand people came out and condemned the NATO occupation forces in angry protests.

Kandahar: Taliban attacked security guards at a construction company set up by NATO. Eight of the guards were killed and 10 abducted. Earlier on October 4, in a Taliban attack, a British army major, a close friend of Prince William, was killed.

October 7: Kabul, near the airport, a martyrdom operator hit a U.S. military unit killing two U.S. troops and five Afghans with them. In Khost province, five troops from the Afghan army set up by the U.S. were killed in an ambush. In Nooristan province, two Karzai police were killed and the police chief was abducted.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News], P.O. Box 10881, Baltimore, MD 21234

Jamaat al-Muslimeen Press Release :U.S. Muslims Urged to Rebut, Refute and Condemn Islam-Hater David Horowitz' Campaign Against Muslim World

On October 22, 2007 Islam-hater David Horowitz will launch a campaign across the U.S. on university campuses to spread lies about Islam and Muslims. He calls it a campaign against "Islamo-Fascism" but it is a campaign against Islam camouflaged in atrocity stories and out-of-context reports.

David Horowitz is considered a liar and a warmonger by most Muslims. His right-wing Jewish elitism reeks of racist ideas and genocidal smear campaigns. Remember that most Jewish elites hate Islam. Jamaat urges Muslim students to counter the Jewish smear campaign with these points: We oppose war and want the troops back home safely. We support self-determination for all people including Muslims. We oppose oppression of women around the world, be it in Iran or USA. Atrocity stories make good propaganda but destroy understanding and dialogue. Extreme right wing propaganda against Muslims is a recipe for hate, confusion and war. We oppose the occupation of Muslim lands, be it Iraq, Kashmir, Chechnya, Palestine, Afghanistan or Somalia.

Imam Umar to Attend Jamaat's National Shoora

Imam Warith Deen Umar [Albany, New York], a distinguished and outspoken Imam has confirmed to Jamaat al-Muslimeen that he will participate in the National Islamic Shoora to be held at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, on October 20. He will be among the presenters, inshallah.

[We congratulate Imam Umar and his family on the marriage of his son to the daughter of a pious Muslim family in Wilmington, Delaware.]

Good News: Islamic Sister, Veteran of Jamaat's Struggle for Women's Rights, Recovered from Cancer, Even Fasted

"Alhumdulillah. I am feeling better than I have in a long time. I am getting my energy back - somewhat - and I am able to be up and about much more.

Allah has blessed me to be able to participate in the fast.

Your Sister in Islam,
Bilqis [Rocky Mount, North Carolina]

More Good News : After Resignation, Dr. Shabazz Gets Endowed Chair in Math, Survives Car Crash.

Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz , Distinguished Professor of Math, known as the revolutionary teacher whose students are PhDs, went through some difficult times but has emerged victorious. He survived, almost without a scratch, a terrible car crash in which his car was totaled. Truly miraculous.

He has been given an Endowed Chair in Math by an eminent historically Black university known as Grambling University. Already faculty and students are gravitating to this university on hearing the good news.

Congratulations, Dr. Shabazz [and get some rest!].

Still more Good News: Muslims in Prison Win Case Against Removal of Islamic Books

Jamaat al-Muslimeen supporter in the prison, Br. Jihad Rashid, reports: Muslims in the prison system at Mckeen, Pennsylvania, filed suit after the administration removed Islamic books under the claim that "terrorism" would be fueled by reading the Qur'an, the Hadith and books by Maudoodi and Siddique, etc. The prisoners contended that the administration has no right to decide what they should read and Islamic books are essential for the Muslims in prison.

Suddenly, the books are back in the prison library! The Muslims won! There are 100 Muslims in Mckeen, PA. Most embraced Islam. Some are from overseas, including a brother from the Holy Land Foundation in Texas whom the regime arrested for sending funds to Palestine [Hamas?]

Letter: There was no "good" side during World War II. Breaking out of the "left/right" Duality.

Asalaamu alaikum,

Ramadan mubarak! I hope this email finds all the staff and readers of New Trend in the best of health and iman.

In reference to the letter in New Trend #1168 , "Letter: *Re. Js in World War II* ", I have a few points I would like to raise in the spirit of unity and discussion. I feel it is important to do so in such a public forum, because I, too, have struggled to rise above the "left/right" dialectic and overstand the Islamic alternative.

I hold that from an Islamic position, *there was no "good" side in World War 2*. Neither the Axis with their racist programme nor the Allies with their decadent secular materialist programme had the interests of the Muslims at heart. Indeed, the Soviets carried out genocide in the Ukraine and in the Caucasus - the latter being a genocide which *continues to this very day*. Communist China continues to threaten it's indigenous Muslims known as the Uigher in its East Turkestan province. May Allah(swt) reward the suffering Muslims of Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, and of all central Asia who have borne some of the worst atrocities in modern times while remaining faithfully on the path of Allah! A simple websearch for the terms "chechnya genocide" will provide the historical information, photographs, etc. Be warned that many of the pictures you will see are quite graphic and not suitable for young children.

It must be remembered that not everyone who fought against the Soviets, and thus found themselves in the position of being de facto on the side of the Axis, actually agreed with their programme - in many cases these were simply nationalists or those who feared the strict imposition of atheism by the Soviets. Perhaps it was naive of these forces to do so - I can concede that point, but *we cannot be intellectually lazy and uncritically lump all anti-Soviet resistance into the Nazi/Fascist circle*. A quick and dirty example can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Baltic_States

On a final note, ours is not a choice between Nazism or Communism - our choice was made when we recited that most beneficent of phrases, the precious gift of Allah(swt), the Shahada. Our choice is Islam as understood through Qur'an e-Kerim and the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet (saws) Muhammad. With these two sources, Allah(swt) has given us the most powerful weapon against oppression - our Deen.

Once again, I pose this letter not to attack but simply to provide what I feel to be a more Islamic perspective. At the risk of appearing like somewhat of a kowtower, I recommend reading Dr. Siddique's Islam & Revolution to help break out of the Western-imposed mindset of "left/right" duality, which to me is the greatest contribution of that particular book to the Muslims, particularly here in the US.

And Allah knows best.

Wasalam,
Sayf

Letter: Attack on the Position of the Cross & Crescent Conference

Please be aware that the forces behind the "Cross & Crescent" conference are no friends of liberation or the Muslim or Arab people. This conference follows a pattern established years ago by white supremacist forces allied with Willis Carto of the Liberty Lobby. They "invite" many people to disguise the sponsors and main speakers they are trying to sanitize and mainstream -- Willis Carto, the principal US advocate of a form of Nazism developed by a man named Francis Yockey; Dierdre Fields, a white "Afrikaner" (unreconstructed advocate of South African apartheid-colonialism), wife of Joe Fields, the most open neo-Nazi in southern California over the past decade and a half (at a holocaust revisionism conference, he was taped advising David Duke to be more open about his admiration for Hitler); Robert Brock, described in this announcement as a "Black Nationalist," is in fact a pseudo-nationalist who has made a career out of fronting for white supremacists. He was on the Board of Carto's Liberty Lobby for many years, worked with the Populist Party during the David Duke era, and toured the country with open white racialists advocating the "Pace Amendment," a proposal to restrict U.S. citizenship to people of European descent and to "repatriate" all people of African descent to Africa (not clear how they would deal with Mrs. Fields, a white South African). Several years ago (1992) they sponsored a conference in Los Angeles using similar tactics, falsely claiming to have the participation of Dr. Jeffries of CCNY and LeGrand Clegg of Compton. Clegg denied ever even receiving an invitation, denounced the conference and refused to let them use his name. Jeffries reported that he had never agreed to attend, and also sought to disassociate himself from the conference after the racist and neo-Nazi affiliations of the sponsors became clear. There was a counter-demonstration in the south Central LA Black community organized by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement against the conference, denouncing Brock for the provocation of staging the conference in the Black community under false pretenses (the hall where it was held had been told a phony cover story about the nature of the activity). Police broke up the protest and chased Black community residents off on horse-back and motorcycle. The attack probably helped precipitate the rebellion of 1992 a few months later. I hope you will disassociate yourself from this conference.--Michael Novick


Brief rebuttal by Conference organizer:
First and foremost, by the sound of this person's name, he is Jewish and is merely trying to start trouble in the hope that you will not attend. The thing that the Jews fear more than anything else would be a situation where the Muslims and Christians unite against their common enemy.

As far as the rest of it, there will be NO white right, white supremacist talk or organizing of any kind. I have just about as much distaste for those types as I do the Zionists. Willis Carto is not a Nazi, nor is Joe fields, and his wife will not be speaking. This person got his info off of the ADL website, a fact by itself that shows where his agenda lies.

Hopefully, with the help of God, this will be a great conference and the beginning of a new movement between Christians and Muslims in trying to reclaim the world for decency.

mg

An Israeli paper's info on Lieberman's Wife, Hadassah

{Are These Israelis or Americans?: All this Dirty Game Going on While Muslims helping Muslim Children in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq are treated as Terrorists}

Hadassah Lieberman in Jerusalem on Sunday.

Last update - 14:33 02/10/2007

Senator Lieberman's wife, Hadassah, pays brief visit to Israel

By Daphna Berman, Haaretz Correspondent

Hadassah Lieberman, the wife of U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, made a brief trip to Israel on Sunday, in a visit she said stressed her family's long-time commitment to the State of Israel and Jewish education.

Lieberman told Haaretz that while American support for Israel remains strong, an effort must be made to strengthen the bond between the state and young American Jews. She added that the role of religious institutions in fostering this bond must be thoroughly examined.

During her visit, which lasted only a few hours, Lieberman addressed hundreds of women at the inauguration of a new campus for Nishmat - The Jerusalem Center for Advanced Jewish Study for Women.

In an interview to Haaretz, Lieberman said that she and her husband are proud Jews, adding that one or two of their children intend to make Aliyah. The Liebermans have four children, one child from their marriage as well as three from previous marriages.

One of their sons lived and studied at a yeshiva on Kibbutz Ma'aleh Gilboa, and another of their sons lived on Kibbutz Keturah during the Gulf War.

Hadassah Lieberman is a member of Nishmat's international forum, and is also actively involved in developing Shaare Zedek Medical Center's international network for consulting on women's health.

Joseph Lieberman was Al Gore's running mate during his failed presidential campaign in 2000. In 2004, Senator Lieberman made an unsuccessful attempt to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Israeli Murder of Palestinian is not News on U.S. TV

Sept. 20-Oct. 8: No coverage of this tragedy in on America TV

GAZA CITY (AFP) - A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was killed on Thursday after being run over by an Israeli army bulldozer during a military incursion in the Gaza Strip, medics and witnesses said.

Mahmoud Kayed was run over by the bulldozer when it lurched towards a group of youths throwing rocks at the vehicle during the army incursion in the Al-Bureij refugee camp, they said.

Four Palestinians, including two militants from the Hamas movement that has ruled Gaza for three months, were wounded by Israeli gunfire during the operation, medics said.

The two militants, one of whom was seriously wounded, were injured by helicopter fire, medics said.

Israeli bulldozers were ripping up farmland in the area, while soldiers were going house to house searching for militants and weapons, they said.

No comment from the Israeli army was immediately available.

The death brings to 5,866 the number of people killed since the start of the second Palestinian uprising (Intifadah) in September 2000, the vast majority of them Palestinians, according to an AFP tally.

Submitted by Br. Saad [California] from Bloom's blog

Israeli military aid to Burmese regime: Jane's

Submitted by David Bloom on Sat, 09/29/2007 - 20:14.

The Burmese junta currently shooting unarmed protestors received a cynical plea for restraint from the Israel government on Sept. 29. According to the Israeli paper Haaretz, the Israeli foreign ministry announced "Israel is concerned by the situation in Myanmar, and urges the government to demonstrate restraint and refrain from harming demonstrators." The article ended by pointing out that "Israel denies selling weapons to Burma or Myanmar." (Haaretz, Sept. 29)

Not true, according to a March 1, 2000 report in the authoritative British publication Jane's Intelligence Review by William Ashton. The article, titled "Myanmar and Israel develop military pact," details how Israeli companies and the Israeli government have been supplying and developing weapons for the Burmese regime, and sharing intelligence:

In August 1997 it was revealed that the Israeli defence manufacturing company Elbit had won a contract to upgrade Myanmar's (then) three squadrons of Chinese-built F-7 fighters and FT-7 trainers. The F-7 is a derivative of the Mikoyan MiG-21 'Fishbed' jet fighter. The FT-7 is the export version of the GAIC JJ-7, itself a copy of the MiG-21 'Mongol-B' trainer. Since they began to be delivered by China in 1991, the Myanmar Air Force has progressively acquired about 54 (or four squadrons) of these aircraft, the latest arriving at Hmawbi air base only last year. In related sales, the air force has also acquired about 350 PL-2A air-to-air missiles (AAM) from China and at least one shipment of the more sophisticated PL-5 AAMs.

Since their delivery to Myanmar, these new aircraft have caused the air force considerable problems. Several aircraft (and pilots) have already been lost through accidents, raising questions about the reliability of the Chinese technology. There have also been reliable reports that the F-7s were delivered without the computer software to permit the AAMs to be fired in flight. Also, the air force has complained that the F-7s are difficult to maintain, in part reflecting major differences between the structure and underlying philosophy of the Myanmar and Chinese logistics systems. Spare parts have been in very short supply. In addition, the air force seems to have experienced difficulties in using the F-7 (designed primarily for air defence) in a ground attack role. These, and other problems, seem to have prompted the air force to turn to Israel for assistance.

According to sources in the international arms market, 36 of Myanmar's F-7 fighters are to be retro-fitted with the Elta EL/M- 2032 air-to-air radar, Rafael Python 3 infrared, short range AAMs, and Litening laser designator pods. The same equipment will also be installed on the two-seater FT-7 fighter trainers. In a related deal, Israel will also sell Myanmar at least one consignment of laser-guided bombs. Since the Elbit contract was won in 1997, the air force has acquired at least one more squadron of F-7 and FT-7 aircraft from China, but it is not known whether the Israeli-backed upgrade programme will now be extended to include the additional aircraft. Myanmar's critical shortage of foreign exchange will be a major factor in the SPDC's decision.

The army has also benefited from Myanmar's new closeness to Israel.

As part of the regime's massive military modernisation and expansion programme, considerable effort has been put into upgrading the army's artillery capabilities. In keeping with its practice of never abandoning any equipment of value, the army clearly still aims, as far as possible, to keep older weapons operational. (Pakistan, for example, has recently provided Myanmar with ammunition for its vintage 25 pounder field guns). The older UK, US and Yugoslav guns in the Tatmadaw's [Myanmar Armed Forces] inventory have been supplemented over the past 10 years with a range of new towed and self-propelled artillery pieces. Purchased mainly from China, they include 122mm howitzers, anti-tank guns, 57mm Type 80 anti-aircraft guns, 37mm Type 74 anti-aircraft guns and 107mm Type 63 multiple rocket launchers. In a barter deal brokered by China last year, the SPDC has also managed to acquire about 16 130mm artillery pieces from North Korea. Despite all this new firepower, however, the army has still looked to Israel to help equip its new artillery battalions.

Around 1998 Myanmar negotiated the purchase of 16 155mm Soltam towed howitzers, possibly through a third party like Singapore. These guns are believed to be second-hand pieces no longer required by the Israel Defence Force. Last year, ammunition for these guns (including high explosive and white phosphorous rounds) was ordered from Pakistan's government ordnance factories. Before the purchase of these new Chinese and North Korean weapons, Myanmar's largest artillery pieces were 105mm medium guns, provided by the USA almost 40 years ago. Acquiring the Israeli weapons thus marks a major capability leap for Myanmar's army gunners. It is possible that either Israel or Pakistan has provided instructors to help the army learn to use and maintain these new weapons.

Nor has the Myanmar Navy missed out on Israeli assistance. There have been several reports that Israel is playing a crucial role in the construction and fitting out of three new warships, currently being built in Yangon.

Myanmar's military leaders have long wanted to acquire two or three frigates to replace the country's obsolete PCE-827 and Admirable- class corvettes, decommissioned in 1994, and its two 1960s-vintage Nawarat-class corvettes, which have been gradually phased out since 1989. As military ties with China rapidly grew during the 1990s, the SLORC hoped to buy two or three Jiangnan- or even Jianghu-class frigates, but it could not afford even the special 'friendship' prices being asked by Beijing. As a compromise, the SPDC has now purchased three Chinese hulls, and is currently fitting them out as corvettes in Yangon's Sinmalaik shipyard.

According to reliable reports, the three vessels will each be about 75m long and displace about 1,200 tons. Despite a European Community embargo against arms sales to Myanmar, the ships' main guns are being imported (apparently through a third party) from Italy. Based on the information currently available, they are likely to be 76mm OTO Melara Compact guns, weapons which (perhaps coincidentally) have been extensively combat-tested by the Israeli Navy on its Reshef- class fast attack missile patrol boats. The corvettes will probably also be fitted with anti-submarine weapons, but it is not known what, if any, surface-to-surface and SAMs the ships will carry.

Israel's main role in fitting out the three corvettes is apparently to provide their electronics suites. Details of the full contract are not known, but it is expected that each package will include at least a surface-search radar, a fire-control radar, a navigation radar and a hull-mounted sonar.

The first of these warships will probably be commissioned and commence sea trials later this year.

Only sales or a strategic imperative?

While Myanmar remains a pariah state, subject to comprehensive sanctions by the USA and European Community, it is unlikely that Israel will ever admit publicly to having military links with the Tatmadaw. Until it does, the reasons for Israel's secret partnership with the Yangon regime will remain unclear. A number of factors, however, have probably played a part in influencing policy decisions in Tel Aviv.

There is clearly a strong commercial imperative behind some of these ventures. From a regional base in Singapore, with which it shares a very close relationship, Israel has already managed to penetrate the lucrative Chinese arms market. It is now aggressively seeking new targets for sales of weapons and military equipment in the Asia- Pacific. These sales are sometimes supported by offers of technology transfers and specialised advice. This approach has led to fears among some countries that Israel will introduce new military capabilities into the region which could encourage a mini arms race, as others attempt to catch up. The weapon systems being provided to the Myanmar armed forces are not that new, and the Asian economic crisis has dramatically reduced the purchasing power of many regional countries, but Israel's current activities in Myanmar will add to those concerns.

Given the nature of some of these sales, and other probable forms of military assistance to Myanmar, these initiatives would appear to enjoy the strong support of the Israeli government. In addition to the ever-present trade imperative, one reason for this support could be a calculation by senior Israeli officials that closer ties to Myanmar could reap diplomatic and intelligence dividends. For example, Myanmar is now a full member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which, despite the economic crisis, is still a major force in a part of the world which has received much closer attention from strategic analysts since the end of the Cold War. Israel's regional base will remain Singapore, but it is possible that Tel Aviv believes Myanmar can provide another avenue for influence in ASEAN, and a useful vantage point from which to monitor critical strategic developments in places like China and India.

In particular, Israel is interested in the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and the transfer of technologies related to the development of ballistic and other missiles. Myanmar has close military relations with China and Pakistan, both of which have been accused of transferring sensitive weapons technologies to rogue Islamic states, such as Iran. Myanmar is also a neighbour of India, another nuclear power that has resisted international pressure to curb its proliferation activities. Yangon could thus be seen by Israel as a useful listening post from which to monitor and report on these countries.

Also, despite accusations over the years that Myanmar has developed chemical and biological weapons, and more convincing arguments that Israel has a sizeable nuclear arsenal of its own, both countries share an interest in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Myanmar's support for anti-proliferation initiatives, in multilateral forums like the UN General Assembly and the Committee on Disarmament, would seem to be worth a modest investment by the Israeli government in bilateral relations with the SPDC. In addition to training Myanmar agriculturalists in Israel, assisting the Tatmadaw to upgrade its military capabilities seems a sure way of getting close to the Yangon regime.

Israel's repeated denial of any military links with Myanmar are not unexpected. Israel has never liked advertising such ties, particularly with countries like Myanmar, South Africa and China, which have been condemned by the international community for gross abuses of human rights. Even Israel's very close military ties with Singapore are routinely denied by both sides. Yet there seems little room for doubt that, after the 1988 takeover, Israel did start to develop close links with the SLORC, which are continuing to grow under the SPDC. In these circumstances, it would be surprising if Israel was not still looking for opportunities to restore the kind of mutually beneficial bilateral relationship that was first established when both countries became independent modern states in 1948.

2007-10-09 Tue 20:21:32 cdt
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