NTM 1177 | NewTrendMag.org

NewTrendMag.org News # 1177 [ Click on NEWS for back issues ][ OUR BOOKS ]

Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief

Shawwal 23, 1428. November 4, 2007. #85

Coca Cola, which supports Israel, is doing serious damage to the ordinary people of India. Please scroll all the way down.

Prominent Palestinian activist Prof. Abdelhaleem Ashqar is facing long prison sentence in U.S. court. No crime, but he refuses to talk against Muslims. Shameful U.S. behavior. Every Muslim must support him. Please scroll down to Jamaat report.

Pakistan: November 3, 2007:
Musharraf Imposes Emergency, Suspends Constitution, Dismisses Chief Justice. High Treason Says Islamic Leader.
U.S. Hand Behind Usurpation of Pak Sovereignty: New Era of War Against Islam

When General Musharraf's coup [or second coup occurred] the national leadership cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan were meeting at a vast Convention 37 km from Lahore. More than 30,000 men and 7,000 women were in attendance. New Trend reached Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Secretary General Syed Munawar Hasan on November 4 morning, the last day of the 3-day Convention. He was gracious enough to accept our interview. The points he made were as follows:

Musharraf's declaration of "Emergency" is an act of High Treason against Pakistan. This is his ultimate act of betrayal.
The Judges of the Supreme Court [7, the great majority] declared the "Emergency" invalid before Musharraf forcefully removed them. He suspended the Constitution, cut off transmissions of privately owned TV channels and held his own "inauguration" of a new Supreme Court under guard of his generals.
Pakistan's entire community of lawyers is starting a series of protests. We will support them.
We will activate the entire civil society to stand up against Musharraf in peaceful ways to put an end to his fraudulent administration.
The Bush Administration is 100% behind Musharraf's move. Only two days back Condoleezza Rice had publicly said that Emergency Rule should not be imposed. That was only for public consumption. By the end of November 3, within hours of Musharraf's speech, the Pentagon had already declared that it will continue to support Musharraf's military forces and his war on "terrorism."
This looks like a preliminary step to install Benazir Bhutto. Remember that her father too came in with a "civilian Martial Law." Something similar is happening here.

Musharraf will be Brought to Trial for Crimes against Humanity. U.S. Islamic Leader Calls for Steps to bring Mush to Justice in the Hague or in USA

According to a Jamaat al-Muslimeen press release, Imam Badi Ali [Greensboro, North Carolina] is calling for joint action by U.S. Muslims to bring Pakistani coup leader Pervez Musharraf to justice.

According to Imam Ali, Musharraf should be tried for:

Violation of the Sovereignty and Integrity of Pakistan.
Undermining the process of Democracy and Rule of Law.
Crimes against humanity including mass murder of civilians in Waziristan and Frontier areas of Pakistan.
Desecration of places of worship and education, particularly the military action against the Red Mosque and the Women's Islamic University known as Jamia Hafsa.
Arbitrary arrest of hundreds of Pakistanis who have disappeared without trace.
Arrests of numerous people who were handed over to the U.S. and ended up in Guantanamo Bay and still do not know the charges against them 6 years later.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen will collect evidence against Musharraf and take it to the International Court of Justice in the Hague or might even try to file a case in the U.S., Imam Badi Ali said.

Structural Analysis Of Pakistani Political Forces

by Kaukab Siddique, PhD

One of the most ridiculous aspects of Pakistani politics, which has been repeated so often that its recurrence makes outside observers yawn, is the imposition of blatant military rule on the excuse of "chaos," "anarchy" and "economic deterioration."

Pakistanis somehow manage to forget that the Pakistani military establishment runs the country. Democracy is nothing more than a facade which is touted to let middle class groups have their say and to let them vent their frustrations. Every now and then civilian groups are allowed by the military to form a government. These civilian rulers are usually from the feudal, landlord and/or industrial cliques in Pakistan who are themselves secularized and quite akin to the military establishment. These are usually self-seekers and soon show their ineptitude. The military inevitably steps in and proclaims itself ["once again"] as the savior of the nation.

The only exceptions to these rules were Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and General Zia-ul-Haq. Bhutto, an elected leader with wide support among the poor in spite of his autocratic ways, was hanged by the military on spurious charges. General Zia himself got out of line, started gaining support from religious leaders and was influenced by the jihad in Afghanistan. He was literally blown out of the sky. Till today no one has been arrested in his assassination though the U.S. is high on the list of suspects.

AMERICA'S ROLE: Surely but steadily the U.S. has increased its influence on the Pakistani military. Over several decades, the process of "ownership" has reached such a stage that the upper elites of the Pakistani military, including the intelligence branch, ISI, the air force, the navy and all the generals in the army are clones of American culture. The lower ranks do have some Islamic influences but are largely mercenaries for whom the military is their livelihood.

In the CIVILIAN SECTOR too the U.S. has created American enclaves in each major Pakistani city. There are now thousands of Pakistanis, particularly the richest, who not only live like Americans but think like Americans. In turn they are linked to the large Pakistani immigrant community in the U.S. The immigrants act as a natural conduit for the transmission of American consumerism and materialism into the Americanized enclaves in Pakistan. From there, American influences are transmitted into the larger Pakistani population through the servant class: each well to do Pakistani household has servants.

Thus we have Benazir Bhutto and the Peoples Party as beneficiaries of America. This is America's B team, ready to step in and provide the "civilian front" if America's venture through the military fails.

Among the westernized middle classes are people who genuinely believe in democracy and are influenced by America's Jeffersonian ideals. These few clamor for Rule of Law and Freedom of the Press. They are, however, quite ineffective because they neither empathize with nor understand the Islamic ethos of the Pakistani people.

The ISLAMIC RESPONSE: Pakistan's masses are very religious. Islam appeals to their innermost desires. The mosques are packed beyond capacity. During Ramadan, Hajj/Eid al-Adha, and a great variety of religious anniversaries, the Islamic fervor of the people is evidently strong beyond doubt. The basic problem is the lack of unity among the forces of Islam. Here we look briefly at the most important Islamic tendencies:

Jamaat-e-Islami. This is the best organized Islamic force in Pakistan. It draws large numbers of people from the educated middle class, as well as some from among the lower middle class and a few from the poor. In the last 10 years, its female membership has expanded exponentially. Jamaat-e-Islami is the decisive factor in Pakistan's Islamic politics because it takes initiatives and can defeat the moves of the power structure at the intellectual level. Owing to its peaceful behavior and lack of fighting ability, it is easily victimized by the government.
Lal Masjid, Jamia Hafsa and Madressas. Its most powerful manifestation was in Islamabad's Red Mosque which was militarily crushed by the Pak commando forces trained by the U.S. As this movement perceives Islam as a revolution based on shari'a and has successfully brought women into the struggle, it has the ability to draw impressive support from madressas [representing the Pakistani masses and "lower" classes]. Its ability to gain madressa support seems to be increasing through an internal debate about the tragedy of Jamia Hafsa and the martyrdom of Abdul Rashid Ghazi.
Jamat-ad-Da'wah. This was a jihad-oriented organization calling the people to support the liberation of Kashmir. It needed the army's collusion to be able to go into Kashmir and thus it became linked to the army. The alliance between Musharraf, the Indian government and the U.S. made this group ineffective and it is now largely a social welfare and charitable organization. Owing to its "free Kashmir" orientation, it still draws large crowds in various parts of the Punjab.
The Taliban. This is the only Islamic movement posing an armed counter to General Musharraf's military force. It has become the most important Islamic movement in North and South Waziristan, Swat, Malakand, Bajaur and parts of Baluchistan. These are the Pakistani Taliban, not to be confused with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They are very sympathetic to the Afghan Taliban and have learned from the military experience of the Afghans against the U.S. and NATO. They are resilient fighters and are making Pakistan's over-confident military forces pay a heavy price. However, the victory of the Taliban, though quite possible in the Frontier areas, owing to grassroots support, will ultimately depend on the direction taken by Pakistani masses in Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan. If the Taliban can make the people outside the Frontier mountains rise against the military, Pakistan may well become an Islamic state [or an Emirate]. Within the Frontier area too exist the older generation of tribesmen willing to accept "peace" at Musharraf's terms, so the situation is complex.
Tablighi Jamaat and Hizb-ut-Tahrir: The Tablighi movement is quite extensive and provides basic religious sentiment to millions of Pakistanis. However, its political influence is negative. It offers no program for opposition to Musharraf and/or America. It is in fact marginalizing people of religion into pietism and extreme conservatism. Hizb-ut-Tahrir is the opposite of Tabligh. Its objective is the establishment of Khilafat [Caliphate]. No Muslim can disagree with its objective but it does not support jihad and has not been able to clarify how [or whether] Khilafat can be established without jihad against the U.S. and its surrogate Pakistani military. At present it has no significant support in Pakistan.
Shi'ite religious groups are quite active in Pakistan, often in tandem with coalitions created by Jamaat-e-Islami. Their fortunes are linked to those of Iran. Some of them are islamically progressive. Others are sectarian and some support General Musharraf because they see the Taliban [backed by al-Qaida] as a threat.

Letter from Pakistan: Re: Documentary on Maulana Maudoodi

Assalam O Alaikum W.R.W.B
Please visit www.karachijamaat.org to see the documentary on SYED ABUL ALA MAUDUDI, rahmatullah alaih. I'm waiting for your response when you have seen it. Please spread this message as much as you can. Please remember me in your du'a as well.

Wassalam
DR.MERAJ UL HUDA SIDDIQUI
Ameer Jamaat Islami Karachi

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

Latino Activist Sulaiman Solano: Islamic Da'awah to Spanish Speakers

Br. Roberto Sulaiman Solano lives all the way down in Brownsville, Texas. So enthused is he about Jamaat al-Muslimeen's Islamic program that he traveled all the way north to Lincoln University, Pennsylvania to participate in the National Islamic Shoora on October 20.

As a member of Jamaat's National Shoora, he brings the special flavor of the steadily increasing Latino population of America. He is extremely active in spreading the message of Islam to people from Mexico coming into Texas. Every few months, he travels to Monterray, Mexico's second biggest city which is about 4 hours drive south from his home. He has personally donated ONE HUNDRED Qur'ans to Muslims in Monterray's Islamic center for people who want to accept Islam.

Br. Solano embraced Islam in September 1995. He still remembers that memorable day as if it was yesterday. He says that he had studied the Bible in several translations and found too many contradictions in it for it to be God's word. Then he read the Spanish translation of the Qur'an by Prof. Julio Cortes and it went to his heart and soul. Prof. Cortes himself started the translation as a Christian but embraced Islam while he was translating it. The translation was authorized, Br. Solano says, by a Shi'ite group but he has checked it carefully and there is nothing sectarian in it.

A well-kept secret of the Spanish language, Br. Solano says, is that 23% of the words in it are of Arabic origin. For instance, Ojala is actually a distortion of inshallah and means the same thing.

The history of Islam is part of the Latino experience, often negatively because the people don't know the origins. For instance, the Mexican town across from Brownsville, Texas is called Matamoros [literally 'the killer of the Moors']. Inshallah, he says, one day, people will change it to "saving the Moors."]

One of the greatest successes of Br. Solano's life occurred 18 months ago, when his handsome young son, from his former wife, embraced Islam. The young man, in his twenties, took the name Mujahid; he attended the Shoora with his father.

We asked Br. Solano how others might support or assist his tremendous da'awah activities. He told us of two major projects with which people can help:

Jamaat al-Muslimeen is planning to set up a small masjid in the Brownsville area for Spanish-speaking people coming in from Mexico. Immigrant Muslims [Indo-Pak and Arab] are not desirous of setting up such a mosque because it could upset the local Catholic establishment.
He is giving out more and more Qur'ans in Spanish, at his own expense. Till now 500 have been given. [People can support either effort by sending donations to Jamaat's address above.]

Is this Justice? Palestinian Professor Ashqar Facing Jail: Why? Not because of a crime: He refuses to speak against Other Muslims!

Respected Brothers and Sisters
As-salam Alaikum,
Please be advised that on Thursday 11/8 at 10:00 AM, 2007, Br. Abdelhaleem Ashqar will be sentenced. He was convicted on two charges (obstruction of justice and criminal contempt for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury);. Please keep him in your du'a. Also, try every effort to attend the sentencing proceedings. Your presence is very important. The details are below:

When: 11/8 at 10:00 AM. One weeks from today
Who: The Honorable Amy J. St. Eve will preside over the sentencing
Where: U. S. District Court for Northern Illinois
Eastern Division
Room 1241
Everett McKinley Dirksen Building
219 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604

Free Dr. Ashqar Committee (FDAC)

Islam is Key Stabilizing Factor in Turkish-Kurd Conflict

Robert Miranda (Da'ud Ali Salaam) [Latino writer recommended to New Trend by the independent Islamic community in Milwaukee, WI.]

"Taking Sides" Milwaukee Spanish Journal

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy recently released a report entitled, "Disarming, Demobilizing and Reintegrating the Kurdistan Workers Party." The report is authored by David L. Phillips, Project Director of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Human Rights.

David L. Phillips states that reestablishing stability in the troubled areas of Turkey, where hostile actions have increased between Turkey and the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), must include international community and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) putting political pressure on the PKK to establish a cease-fire in order to allow diplomatic efforts aimed at finding solutions to the troubles that have festered and ultimately exploded into violence between the PKK and the Turkish government.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is a Marxist-Leninist group seeking to establish a pan-national Kurdish state carved out of lands where the majority of the Kurdish people are populated. The PKK operates in northern Iraq where it has been a source of friction between Turkey and the current Iraqi U.S. backed government.

Despite Turkey passing a resolution authorizing military action against the PKK (if they continue to engage in violent actions inside Turkish borders), Turkey's government appears ready and willing to begin diplomatic talks with the PKK. Clearly, the government does not wish to engage in a military campaign. Indeed, it is in Turkey's best interest to resolve this matter diplomatically, or risk having its candidacy for membership into the European Union compromised.

While the report filed by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy provides insight and well-thought-out solutions to the troubles, the report did fail to point out one vitally important factor in reaching a peaceful solution, and that is how Islam can and must play a critical role in bringing about stability to this troubled region.

Phillips' report failed to recognize this vitally important aspect when he described the history of this upheaval in Turkey. In his report Phillips states:

"Mustafa Kemal, known as Ataturk ("the father of all Turks"), collected the remnants of the Ottoman Empire to create the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Although Ataturk was committed to building a truly modern state on par with its European neighbors, he was wary of European intentions. In the wake of World War I, the terms set by the Allies in the Sevres Treaty of 1920 partitioned Turkey, reducing it to one-third of its current size, and promised the Kurds a country of their own. Ataturk rejected the treaty, rallying Turks in a "war of liberation" that led to the replacement of Sevres with the Lausanne Treaty in 1923.

In response, Kurds launched an insurgency in 1925 with the goal of establishing an independent homeland..."

Phillips addresses the issue of Turkish nationalism exploding during a time when Turkey was rebuilding its national infrastructure after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Further, he speaks to the attempts to carve up Turkey by Western powers after World War I.

It was Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), who raised the consciousness of the people of Turkey to defend the nation from destruction at the hands of the West. Turkish nationalism rose to preserve the sovereignty of the nation, and in its wake, left the Turkish-Kurds feeling increasingly isolated in their homeland. In addition, the 1925 insurgency Phillips speaks of was actually an Islamic revolt aimed at maintaining Turkey as an Islamic state. The rise of secularism in Turkey was met with armed resistance; the insurgency was not designed to "establish an independent homeland" for the Kurds. This should be corrected by Phillips.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, a Kurdish scholar and leader pointed out on many occasions that stability in Turkey can be achieved under the banner of Islam. As was in the past under Ottoman rule, Kurds and Turks alike enjoyed relative peace and prosperity because they saw themselves as Muslims. "The Ottomans' freedom is the discloser of mighty Asia's good fortune. It is the key to Islam's prosperity. It is the foundation of the ramparts of Islamic Unity", stated Bediuzzaman.

To be sure, Islam is the way to unity and stability in the region. Bediuzzaman stated, "If we die, Islam, which is our nation, lives; it will live forever. Let my nation be strong and well."

Phillips' report failed to point out the vital role Islam plays in the lives of the Muslim people. Indeed, Phillips does bring forth good ideas towards finding solutions, but his research was limited to secular and socialist theories and suggestions which would be complimented by unifying the theme of Islam.

Today, the secular government of Turkey is seeking to become part of the European Union. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his government's willingness to dialogue with the PKK. In fact, Turkey's government is comprised of Kurds positioned in influential posts of the current government. Phillips points out in his report that the majority of Kurds in Turkey do not want a separate state; this is due to contemporary efforts by the government to integrate the Kurdish people within the fabric of Turkey's society. Clearly, Turkey is moving away from its past in order to establish a better way of life for all of Turkey's people.

The key in doing so is to recall the teachings of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, to stabilize the region means all powerbrokers involved must recognize that everyone concerned in this matter are Muslim. Muslims are bound together by Islam. Turkey's government must allow for bilingual education to flourish in its schools and provide Turkish-Kurds with broader access to education, health care and greater economic opportunities. For they are Turkish-Kurds, but above all, they are Muslims of an Islamic nation.

-- Robert Miranda (Da'ud Ali Salaam) is a national award-winning columnist, Latino community activist, executive director of Esperanza Unida, Inc. and publisher of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. E-mail at: rmiranda@wi.rr.com.

http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2007/1054.html

Community Protests Coca-Cola Plant in India
Community Files Police Report Accusing Coca-Cola of Water Theft and Pollution

Contacts: Baliram Ram, Coca-Cola Bhagao, Krishi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti +91 94507 79325 (Hindi)

Nandlal Master, Lok Samiti +91 94153 00520 (Hindi)

Amit Srivastava, India Resource Center +91 98103 46161 E: info@IndiaResource.org

Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India (October 25, 2007): Over 600 people marched and rallied against the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the village of Sinhachawar in Ballia district in India yesterday, demanding that the plant be shut down permanently.

March to Coca-Cola Plant in Sinhachawar

The community has accused the bottling plant of pollution and also illegally occupying land held by the village assembly.

A visit by community members to the factory premises in May 2007 found the bottling plant indiscriminately dumping its hazardous waste inside and outside the factory premises.

In 2003, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India assessed the sludge at eight Coca-Cola bottling plants, and found them all to contain excessive levels of lead, cadmium or chromium. As a result, the CPCB ordered the Coca-Cola company in India to treat its waste at all its bottling plants as industrial hazardous waste, and deal with it accordingly.

Four years later, the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sinhachawar has failed to follow the orders. In particular, the dumping of such hazardous waste violates the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 from the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India.

"We are demanding that the Coca-Cola bottling plant cease its operations permanently because they are destroying our land and water, the very source of our livelihoods," said Mr. Baliram Ram of the Coca-Cola Bhagao, Krishi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, the main organizer of the protest.

The Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sinhachawar has also built its boundary walls encompassing some land that is owned by the village assembly. In December 2005, villagers noticed that the Coca-Cola bottling plant had blocked access to a public road that went through the bottling plant. The villagers forcibly removed the gates placed by the bottling plant on either side of the road. The community is alleging that the Coca-Cola bottling plant illegally occupies another 1.5 acres of village assembly land.

The community is also concerned about water shortages in the area as a result of the extraction of water by the Coca-Cola bottling plant. The area is already experiencing water shortages, and the villagers point to other communities in India around Coca-Cola bottling plants where the water crises have been severely exacerbated as a result of Coca-Cola's operations

Rally at Coca-Cola Plant in Sinhachawar

The bottling plant in Sinhachawar is a Coca-Cola franchisee owned unit operated by the Brindavan Bottlers Limited, which is owned by India's largest bottler of Coca-Cola, the Ladhani Group of Companies. The bottling plant is in the process of being bought by the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Ltd, the subsidiary of the Coca-Cola company.

The protest at the Coca-Cola bottling plant came a day after another demonstration at the District Magistrate's office in Balia on October 23 where community members presented their demands to the District Magistrate.

The bottling plant has come under increased scrutiny after the community visit to the plant which confirmed that Coca-Cola was carelessly and illegally dumping its waste around the factory premises and into the surrounding fields.

2007-11-04 Sun 10:30:45 cst
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