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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Shaban 15, 1432/July 17, 2011 # 30



From Shamsuddin Amjad: Pakistan
Mass Rally Condemns US Intervention: Hasan Denounces Drone Attacks
Woman's Outcry Brings up Case of "disappeared" victim of Paki regime

On July 15, Jamaate Islami Pakistan held a mass rally and dharna [sit in] in Gujranwala. Syed Munawar Hasan, top JI leader, addressed thousands of men, women and children and condemned US intervention in Pakistan. He said the US "war on terror" was not Pakistan's war. The crowd roared with approval when he denounced the US drone attacks on Pakistani villages.

Earlier in LAHORE, : The Jamaat e Islami chief, Syed Munawar expressed deep concern over the continued disappearance of Masood Janjua, husband of A'mina Masood Janjua, chairperson, Defense of Human Rights, Pakistan, and demanded his immediate release.

In a statement here he said that Masood Janjua had been abducted years ago and had been in the custody of the agencies. But now it had been stated in the court that Masood Janjua had been killed by the Al-Qaida!

The question, he said, was that a man had been picked up by the intelligence agencies and had been in their custody, so how could be killed by the Al-Qaida?

The JI chief said that A'mina Masood Janjua and her family believed that Masood Janjua was alive and they had evidence to this effect which had been produced in the court. He therefore urged the government and the Supreme Court to ensure immediate release of Masood Janjua.



Please scroll to end for an unusual report on resistance to pork conumption in African American communities.



Detroit, Michigan [500 miles north west of Baltimore]
Confronting Repression of Human Rights and civil liberties in USA: Political prisoners: Role of Informants and CAIR

On July 16, 2011 the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms, NCPCF, held an important hearing at a Black institution known as the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan.

Although it was mostly about Muslim political prisoners, most local mosque people did not turn up. Michigan's Muslims seem to be the most mentally subjugated Muslims in America. However, owing to non-Muslim activism, the room was full and the presentations were of good quality.

Political prisoner Tarek Mehanna's brother Dr. Tamer Mehanna had come all the way from Boston.

Political prisoner Ehsanul Shifa Sadequee's sister Sharmin spoke of the trauma of this pious Bangladeshi family. Shifa is in the notorious Marion, Illinois prison.

Political prisoner Dr. Kifah Jayyousi's wife brought up his case at the tail end of the program. His mother died recently but he was not permitted to attend the funeral. The family, once well to do, is in serious financial straits.

[There are fears that a GTMO for Muslim women is to be set up starting with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.]

Later the terrible suffering of Lynne Stewart, the Blind Shaikh's attorney, was also brought up.

Political prisoner Dr. Sami al-Arian's plight was highlighted in a power point presentation by Dr. Mel Underbakke. The major charges against him were dismissed but after so many years, he has still not been released.

Tom Burke, a labor unionist, made a powerful presentation about the expanding government program against dissidents. Owing to his work for people in Columbia, he launched a successful boycott of Coca Cola.He is the spokesman of the National Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Abayomi Azikiwe presented a scholarly paper on the struggle of African Americans all the way from slavery days till today. He is widely read and a prolific writer with contributions on both Haiti and Gaza.

Dr. Siddique Challenges CAIR's betrayal of Five US Muslims:

The hearing focused on the role of informants in the entrappment of Muslims in this country. In that context, Dr. Kaukab Siddique brought up the role of Muslim organizations acting as informants. He pointed out that CAIR put five American Muslims in the hands of of the FBI. They were then arrested in Pakistan, tortured and sentenced by a court which met INSIDE the prison.

CAIR's representative Dawud Walid who had made a rambling speech earlier went ballistic on hearing Dr. Siddique's criticism. He grabbed the microphone and started praising CAIR. Dr. Siddique insisted that Walid answer the issue of CAIR's betrayal of 5 young American Muslims who were denied due process. Finally Walid fell back on his patriotism. He insisted that ONE of the youths had a jihad video and he, Walid, and CAIR would report anyone who posed a threat to even one US soldier.

A number of people came to Dr. Siddique after his uncovering of CAIR and assured him that CAIR is known as a lackey group. The scene in the hearing room exposed CAIR's reality ion front of a room full of activists from across the country. [During his confused speech earlier, CAIR rep. Walid claimed that those who bring up Israel as a problem are agents provocateurs.]



Canton, Michigan. Good Hunting for the ISNA types

From the diary of Kaukab Siddique, editor of New Trend:

July 15, 2011. Today I was in Canton, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Juma' at a large, beautiful, mosque. Hundreds of worshippers. Affluent community. Could be good pickings for the likes of ISNA's Siraj Wahhaj. Is that a sense I have? Right at the mosque door an announcement of a coming visit by "imam" Siraj! He never misses a chance to make the rich, richer, with a nice cut for himself too.

Very subservient community. Whole khutba was about the blessings of Sha'aban. All made up of weak and/or fabricated narrations. Imam dressed like a salafi, turban and all, admitted that the narrations were daif and/or munkar but still narrated them. Looks like the imam either has never heard of any problems the Muslims are facing or is in the business of putting Muslims to sleep.

Announcements by the mosque admin that there are a couple of Christians near the entrance. Warnings to several hundred Muslims not to talk to the three Christians. What's wrong with these Muslims? Three hundreds scared of Three? I "disobeyed" the announcements and talked to the Christians. They were very happy and gave me a segment of the New Testament. I thanked them.

Are we Muslims so scared of ordinary Americans while at the leadership level, ISNA types are fraternizing with Zionist Rabbis and reps of the Pope! Dumbing down of the Ummah? Enrichment of the sell outs? So many Siraj Wahhajs and Zaid Shakirs now, living off the ummah while our people starve in Bangladesh, Africa and India and our prisoners mistreated by the US of A..



Amazing: Before I heard the juma khutba in Canton, MI, I received a superb article from a scholarly sister in Houston, Texas, which debunks the superstitions and miracle stories narrated by the "salafi" imam in Canton. Here is an example of a woman who is better than a man. Please scroll down to Sha'aban article.



An Invitation to Think
From Imam Badi Ali, National Shoora, Jamaat al-Muslimeen, NC

Spotlight #1: Those who say they love liberty but follow temporary desires do not really love liberty. Freedom grows from control of earthly desires.

Spotlight #2: Don't seek advice on marriage from a wife beater. Why do Muslims seek advice on freedom from dictators.

Spotlight #3: Turn CREED into DEED.

Spotlight #4: Learn that family violence teaches children to be violent. Learn to stand for truth and goodness at home.

Spotlight #5: Re-think the raising of children. Muslims talk of TRUTH and FAITH but do they stand for these values at home in their daily lives?

Spotlight #6: Open your hearts and minds. A closed fist cannot shake hands.

Spotlight #7: There is misleading talk nowadays coming from "Islamic movements." They say dialogue requires "concessions." How have "concessions" helped us? One third of SUDAN has been given away. It is weird that some Muslims are celebrating!

Spotlight #8: At one time the western powers used Sharif Hussain to undermine the Caliphate. Today the West is using scholars who know FIQH but do not understand our world and the way 24 hour TV is dividing Muslims.

Spotlight #9: Fake leaders lack character. Leadership requires both oxygen and hydrogen, You can't take out an essential element and still have water,



Cole, ACLU, Sue CIA, FBI seeking Bloggergate Documents
www.juancole.com

Spencer Ackerman at Wired reports on the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit launched on my behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union against the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence. See also this report in the Detroit News.



Real History: The Uprising of the Oppressed

The Prosser Slave Rebellion occurred in Richmond in 1800. I attended high school (partially) in Northern Virgina, about 60 miles from where this brotha took dramatic and incredibly courageous action in freeing himself and others from the shackles of slavery. He gave his life. Yet, the event was not mentioned in a single N. Va. high school history class then, and I doubt very much it is discussed now.

Historical Background of the Gabriel Prosser Slave Revolt
chss.montclair.edu

from Herbert Aptheker, American Negro Slave Revolts, new edition, New York: International Publishers, 1974, pages 219-226 (original edition: Columbia University Press, 1943).

- Nadrat Siddique



Emperor Akbar type religion rejected.

Killing Muslims will not Stop the Qur'an: Victory is Assured by Allah

Oppressors See Islam as a threat: For Humanity, it is a blessing

by Sis. Sofia [New York City]

The Qur'an is a spiritual, moral and ethical guide for all of humanity. It is the only Divine Scripture whose text has survived intact through the centuries in its original form, beyond human tampering. All other past revealed scriptures did not survive in their original form. Human individual and racial pride, intellectual arrogance, a desire for worldly power and ignorance led to tampering, distortion and destruction. Men attempted to rewrite, re-make and translate the divine laws of Lord Almighty to suit their own purpose. There are countless examples in history of mankind's tampering the Word of the Creator. Some of them defied the prophets and messengers of the Creator. Others put forth competing false and pseudo-messengers thus fragmenting both the revelations and the religion. All those who turn to "saints" "sufis" as their guide or who claim that the Message from Lord Almighty is being continued by their self- proclaimed "guides" or who falsely call their groups as linked to Islam in any way are recent examples in religious history. Some of these groups use parts of the Qur'an and reject the rest and continue to call their belief system as a "religion."
One example from Indian history is the Moghul king Akbar and his new-fangled religion that he called "Deen-e-Ilahi" that died with him.

Islam and the Qur'an have lasted through centuries as the only exception. Not only that, even if all Muslims were killed in the current assault on their Faith and their civilization, the Qur'an will continue as the Eternal Message of the Creator. Any attack on it comes back to haunt those who attack it. The wheels of Time are a-turning now to prove the Majesty and Power of Almighty God. And those who believe they can are merely displaying the arrogance of Iblis, the fallen angel of yore.

In recent times, Muslims have experienced similar vain and fruitless attempts by non-Muslims, atheists and hypocritical self-proclaiming "Muslims" to tamper with the Qur'an by ridiculing it's message, tainting the personality of its most revered Prophet Prophet Mohammad -- may Peace and Blessing of Allah Almighty be upon him. Why has there been such a vicious backlash against only Islam? Because the Message of the Qur'an is a threat to all those who are morally and spiritually corrupt and whose actions cause grief, suffering and destruction of innocent human beings in society.

Here is just one verse from the Qur'an as illustration of the Eternal and relevant message of Allah Almighty:
Surah # 4 (an-Nisa), verses # 74 through 76 (Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an by M. Pickthall) Verse number 74 mentions:
(a) those who fight in the way of Allah, (b) who sell the life of the world for the other, (c) whose fights in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.

So, it's a win-win situation for those Muslims who fight in the way of Allah Almighty. They are winners when they win their battles. They are winners even when they die for the cause of the Lord.
This is most infuriating for the enemies of Muslims! For when these enemies of islam / the non-Muslims think they have won the battles, they have in actuality lost them! And when they find that they have lost their battles against Muslims, they have lost it also! That is a lose-lose situation---infuriating to people with such arrogance and pride in their "fire- power."

Even if there is not a single surviving Muslim-- a believer in the one and only true Lord and Creation -- on the the face of this earth, Allah Almighty's Message / the Sublime Qur'an will survive.

As the Qur'an states: "Let there be no compulsion in Religion." Allah Almighty's Power is sufficient!


[Superstitions and Misleading Beliefs of many Muslims clarified here - editor]

Sha'baan: Misconceptions and Realities
by Asma bint Shameem [Houston, Texas]

Growing up in Pakistan, the month of Sha'baan would bring in a lot of excitement and celebration. And that was because celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan was a big thing and considered a very virtuous act, indeed. Men would gather in the masjid while the women prepared 'Halwas' and sweets, preparations were made for all night vigils or "Shabeenas" as they were called, buses were made available to take the men to visit the graveyards and flyers were distributed to everyone containing a long list of 'special prayers' so that they could stay up all night praying.

But, Alhamdulillaah, how Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala protects His Deen. When Allaah enabled me to study this beautiful religion of ours, all that changed. I realized that all those 'special prayers', all those night vigils, all those Halwas and all those graveyard visits were really not the way of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam). In fact all that was far...far away from his Sunnah and the Sharee'ah that he brought.

And so I thought I would bring to attention some of the misconceptions and wrong ideas attached to this month as this ignorance and innovation has become so rampant, that it has become a sort of an epidemic, not only in Pakistan but in practically every Muslim community that exists.

Misconception # 1: The night of the 15th of Sha'baan should be singled out for worship, prayer, etc.

Clarification: Our best example and role model is the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) and he never, ever singled out this night for worship or qiyaam nor did his Sahaba.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:"There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan. All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that are mawdoo' (fabricated) and da'eef (weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and no recitation of Qur'aan or prayer, whether alone or in congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any special actions. This is the correct view. And Allaah is the Source of strength." (Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511)

Misconception # 2: There are specificl prayers to be offered on this night.

Clarification: The truth of the matter is that there are NO special prayers to be offered on this night specifically. And all those 'ahaadeeth' giving you long lists of special 'formulas' that are "supposed to guarantee you Allaah's forgiveness and Jannah" are all fabricated, false and innovations in our Deen. If there were such prayers, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) would have told us about them and we would have had evidence of him and the Sahaba doing it.

Misconception # 3: Allaah descends to the first heavens on this night to forgive us.

Clarification: Allaah's descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan. Rather it happens every single night of the year.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: "Every night when it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Superior, the Blessed, descends to the nearest heaven and says: Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?. " (Bukhaari)
Thus, when 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak was asked about the descent of Allaah on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan, he said to the one who asked him: "O weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends every night!"

Misconception # 4: This is the night when our fate, lifespan, and provisions are decreed.

Clarification: Some people think that the "blessed night" (laylatim-mubarakah) mentioned in Surah ad-Dukhaan (44): 3, refers to the night of 15th Shabaan, when Allah decrees our lifespan, provisions and fate. In fact, they even pray 6 rakahs, 2 for each of these things. However, all that is fabricated and far, far away from the Sunnah. And, in reality, the "blessed night" mentioned in Surah ad-Dukhaan, actually is referring to Laylatul Qadr that comes in Ramadhaan. (Tafseer Ibn Kathir of Surah al-Qadr)

Misconception # 5: One should fast on the day of the fifteenth.

Clarification: Here again, there is no saheeh reports that tell us that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) or his Sahaabah ever picked this day specifically to fast. The Sunnah of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) was to fast most of this month and not just the 15th. However, if the fifteenth of Sha'baan coincides with a Monday or Thursday, or with the three white days or if a person is generally fasting, without associating seeking extra rewards to fasting this specific day, then it is allowed. (Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid)

Misconception # 6: This is the night when the souls of departed ones return to their families.

Clarification: Here again, some people misunderstand the ayaat in Surah al-Qadr and think that the 'sending down of the Ruh' as mentioned in this Surah refers to the souls of dead people returning to see their families, even though it refers to Jibreel (Tafseer Ibn Kathir). And that is why we see women preparing the sweets, the Halwas and other 'goodies' for the souls of their loved ones.
Not only is that in itself an erroneous, deviant belief and bid'ah, but to believe that the souls of the dead can return back to the world and meet with their relatives is also totally incorrect and false. The teachings of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah clearly state that the souls of the dead do not return back to the world. Besides, they don't even eat the Halwas. It is actually you who eats it!

Misconception # 7: Visiting graveyards especially this night is something good.

Clarification: Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) encouraged visiting graves, he forbade singling out any day or night for any kinds of good deeds if it is not prescribed in the Sharee'ah. And he did not specifically visit the graveyard on the night of the 15th of Sha'aan. The hadeeth of Aisha that mentions that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) visited the graveyard this night is not authentic and thus does not have any proof for visiting graves specifically on this night of Shabaan.

Misconception # 8: Even if the ahaadeeth about worship on this night are weak, one can still do it.

Clarification: The correct scholarly view is that weak ahaadeeth should not be followed at all, even if they speak of righteous deeds or of targheeb and tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da'eef reports.
Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir said: "There is no difference between rulings or righteous deeds; we do not take any of them from da'eef reports, rather no one has the right to use any report as evidence unless it is proven to be soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) in a saheeh or hasan hadeeth."

Misconception # 9: Look at all those people doing it. How can they all be wrong?
Clarification: The Muslim is supposed to refer to Allaah and His Messenger (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam)'s Sunnah, if there is any confusion or dispute about matters and NOT what the rest of the world is doing.

"O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination [al-Nisaa' 4:59]

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen said: "These reports (about worship and fasting an the 15th of Sha'baan) became very well known in some countries which were overwhelmed by ignorance; One should not be deceived by the large numbers of ignorant people who do these things."

The REAL Sunnah regarding Sha'baan:
If you truly and sincerely want to please Allaah and do deeds that will be acceptable to Him, then follow the REAL Sunnah of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam). Here is what is proven in the authentic sunnah:
1. Fast most of this month as much as you can.
Aa'ishah RA said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allaah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha'baan." (Bukhaari, Muslim).

2. However, if you are weak or do not fast habitually and feel that this nafil fasting may be a hindrance to your obligatory fasting in the month of Ramadhaan, then the person may stop the nafil fasting in the last few days of this month. And for that person, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
"When Sha'baan is half over, do not fast." (saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi).

3. If you have fasts left over from last Ramadhaan to make up, then hurry up and do so in this month of Sha'baan before the next Ramadhaan comes. It is not permissible to delay missed fasts until after the following Ramadhaan, except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadaans). Aa'ishah RA said: 'It used to be that I had days to make up for Ramadhaan and I would not be able to do so except in Sha'baan." [Bukhaari]

US is mistaken in Opposing Qaddafi: Islamic forces are overthrowing him.
[One of the few who understood that Qaddafi was right when he said: "It is al-Qaida, al-Qaida...]

fundamentalism, rather than liberal democracy.
by Andy Stone
(centrist)

As the commitment of French, British, Danish, Canadian and US military assets to Libya draws near, the fundamental question of the rebels' identity has not yet been seriously addressed. The international face of the revolt are former Qaddafi officials such as Abdul Jalil. It is, however, also clear that the conflict has been started and sustained by a mass uprising. (It is not a coup d'etat and most of the state apparatus has remained loyal.) Behind it all, who are the people on the ground, and what motivated them to revolt?
The facts are well documented, and at odds with wishful thinking. This is no Solidarnosc movement. The revolt was started in Benghazi on February 15-17th by the group called the National Conference of the Libyan Opposition. The protests had a clear fundamentalist religious motivation, and were convened to commemorate the 2006 Danish cartoons protests, which had been particularly violent in Benghazi.
The NCLO web site (Arabic) carries a document (Arabic; Google Cache; legible in automatic translation) dated February 15th (the day the protests began), which clearly spells out NCLO's objections to Qaddafi's rule. The main points of "Qaddafi: Islam's no. 1 enemy" are as follows:

(The last claim involves a curious episode. At one point, Qaddafi declared himself a follower of the "Qur'an alone" movement, which rejects orthodox Muslim punishments, like stoning for adultery, death penalty for homosexuals etc. This got him into some serious trouble. An international committee of scholars went to discuss the issue with Qaddafi. After being told that "if he did not repent and take back his statement, he would fall under the law of renegades and infidels [...] which would force true Muslims to kill him", Qaddafi "repented and took back his statement".)

None of this is surprising. The leaked State Department memos describe Eastern Libya (2008) as an area of fervent Islamic sentiment, where "a number of Libyans who had fought and in some cases undergone 'religious and ideological training' in Afghanistan, Lebanon and the West Bank in the late 1970's and early 1980's had returned [...] in the mid to late 1980's". There they engaged into "a deliberate, coordinated campaign to propagate more conservative iterations of Islam, in part to prepare the ground for the eventual overthrow by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) of Muammar Qadhafi's regime, which is 'hated' by conservative Islamists". While Qaddafi's position was perceived to be strong, the East Libyans sent jihadis to Iraq, where "fighting against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq represented a way for frustrated young radicals to strike a blow against both Qadhafi and against his perceived American backers".

It is these same religiously and ideologically trained East Libyans who are now armed and arrayed against Qaddafi. Qaddafi's claim that all his opponents are members of Al Qaeda is overblown, but also not very far off, in regards to their sympathies. Anyone claiming that the Eastern Libyans are standing for secular, liberal values needs to overcome a huge burden of proof. First, what is the social basis of such a movement, when neutral observers have been characterizing East Libya as a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism? Second, if the revolt has started on religious grounds, when and how exactly has it radically changed its character?

These hard facts are not counter-acted by Abdul Jalil's statements of liberal, democratic purpose. As head of the National Transitional Council, he is the West's favorite partner in dialogue (and recognized by France as Libya's legitimate head of state). His reliability and control are, however, questionable. As Qaddafi's Minister of Justice until last month, Abdul Jalil's democratic credentials are dubious; he has not participated in the initiation of the revolt, has latched onto it when it seemed likely to succeed, and his organization's control over the rebel forces is unproven. Overall, the participation of former Qaddafi officials is no reason to assume that the character and aims of a revolt that started on fundamentalist religious principles have changed to liberal, democratic ones.

In conclusion, the Western leaders seem to be rushing to replace an already bad regime with one that is likely to be even worse. The French embarrassment with getting the Tunisian and Egyptian revolts wrong (and subsequent change of foreign ministers) and the British embarrassment with close ties to the Qaddafi regime (including the award of a PhD from the prestigious London School of Economics to Qaddafi's son) have caused these two countries to jump in, trying to remedy their perceived previous failings. However, lack of cool reasoning and ignorance of the facts on the ground are only likely to make the remedy (should it succeed) worse than the disease.

More Reasons Why Not to Eat Pork
Sublime Qur'an Subsumes Science
By Nadrat Siddique

As a Muslim and a marathoner, I eschew pork following Islamic guidelines on proscribed foods.
This, like other Qur'anic injunctions, has helped me to avoid a plethora of health problems,
to stay out of the doctor's office, and to maintain a rigorous athletic regimen free of injury.
Recently, I participated in an exchange with friends (and some of their friends) on a social
networking site. A young black (Afrocentric) Towson University student—not a Muslim—was
recommending to all of his friends not to eat pork. This is an increasingly common phenomenon
among activists of color—even those who do not claim the label of Muslim (or who do not
claim it openly). Some of these are directly influenced by Qur'anic teachings, by their Muslim
friends, or by the writings of Elijah Muhammad such as How to Eat to Live.

Pork and pork products are a major source of health problems in the Black community.
Historically, White slavers fed Black slaves chitterlings (or chitlins, for short) and other pork
products. Chitterlings were the worse part of the pig--a reminder to the slave that he was
lower than an animal, worthy of eating only the slave master's rubbish. I was proud of my
Towson University friend who had thrown off his mental shackles and encouraged others to do
the same. But immediately many of his friends assailed his position. Pork is no more deleterious
than beef or chicken; some parts of it are white meat and quite lean—and therefore worthy
of consumption—they said. Pork is intrinsic to Soul Food, said others; how can we possibly do
away with it? I knew that the instinctive revulsion I felt for pork mightn't be shared by others,
particularly those who were not Muslim, and so determined to find intellectual support for my
feelings. Here are the initial findings of my inquiry, which I shared in the course of the online
exchange:

Pork takes longer than most foods to digest (4.5 hr, according to some reports). One of the
reasons for this: It is rich in residues of the amino acid Proline.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20356084

I'm guessing that the high incidence of Proline, which contains a hetercyclic ring, may be one
reason for the difficulty in pork metabolization. Unfortunately, lengthy retention of food—in
this case pork—in a digestive tract that is relatively short (compared to that of most carnivores)
leads to elevated colorectal cancer risk.

Additionally, prevalence of Staphyloccus aureus bacteria in pigs is relatively high (e.g., 25-30%
in the Netherlands). In fact, locating swine populations not afflicted to some degree by the
Staph species in question is highly unlikely.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=first-por-invades-washington-then-

2009-03-12

As a result, very high dosages of antibiotics are administered to most pig populations. So,
consumers of pork are partaking of a product, which has been doused with antibiotics. And—
by supporting the administration of antibiotics to this animal population, they are inadvertently
contributing to the rise of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

Staphylococcus aureus is thought to be carried by rats in a pig farm setting:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19523703

Unfortunately, the bacterium may be conveyed between the pig and rat population to humans:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19145257

So, the answer seems to be: Either administer massive dosages of antibiotics to pig populations
(and then consume the antibiotic-laden pork products)--a strategy which may work in the
short term, but has serious long-term implications for the production of drug-resistant strains
of Staphyloccus aureus--or find other alternatives to pork products. While it's true that some
cuts of pork contain a relatively low lipid content, comparable to those of beef or other meats,
given all of the forgoing, as well as the dynamics of pork between White slavers and Black slave
descendants, the choice, to me, is rather obvious.

2011-07-19 Tue 04:47:36 cdt
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