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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Sha'ban 28, 1432/July 30, 2011 # 32

Latest News from the Muslim world: From NT's Media monitor.
[Syed Munawar Hasan, Jamaate Islami Pakistan leader, addresses Pakistanis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Please scroll way down.]

Egypt: July 29: A huge prayer rally was held in Tahrir Square. After the prayers, the massive crowd chanted slogans calling for "Shar'ia Law" and Islamic State. Large numbers of women participated. The Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi movement led the demonstrations. [BBC and alJazeerah mixed their editorial comments with the news to signal their discontent at the rising voice of Islam which Hosni Mubarak had outlawed.]
Syria: Large Islamic crowds protested against the tyrant Alawite Assad's regime in the cities of Hama, Homs, Baniyas, Latakia, Deraa and in the outlying areas of Damascus. The regime opened fire killing numbers of people. Syria has killed 1600 unarmed demonstrators till now and arrested 12,500. [US and West have taken no action because Assad is reputedly a secret ally of the West.]
Yemen: The Friday prayers led to vast crowds of Yemenis in Sana' and other cities calling for the end of the entire Salah regime. Tribal supporters of the regime held their own gatherings for Salah. [Also,see South Yemen below.]
Pakistan: The US has declared that the Pakistani Tehreeke Taliban is now listed as a terrorist organization. The Pakistani military is complaining that Faquir Muhammad, one of the Pak Taliban leaders, has not only survived but has set up an FM radio in Kunar province of Afghanistan [right across the border from Pak, from which US retreated] on which Faquir Muhammad preaches three times a week in spite of Pak military radio's attempts to drown him out. In South Waziristan, Pak Taliban leader Wali-ur Rahman told news agencies that Pak Taliban have abducted two Swiss tourists from Baluchistan and intend to hold them in exchange for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui now in a US prison. [Source for these: Dawn.]

New York City: A Muslim woman alone
Bangladeshi woman Sis. Asma Ahmad: A Genuine case of Great Need
by Sis. Sofia [a trusted supporter of New Trend]

There is a single Muslim Sister that I have encountered (in the 96th Street Masjid in Manhattan, New York City) who is in need of financial assistance to pay for an urgently needed surgery, current need for colustomy bags, daily medicine and for basic needs such as food and rent.
I assure you that this is a genuine case after listening to her at length and being able to personally see her current medical needs. For some personal reasons that I don't think I should mention here, I am convinced that she is living from one day to the next WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SAFETY NET WHATSOEVER. I believe that I can personally vouch for this --- although she has been a familiar face in the crowd of Muslim sisters who visit this Masjid, it is only as recently as this week that I became aware of her personal medical condition and her need for financial assistance.
[New Trend has sent her some help. New Trend has her address and account number. You are welcome to help her. Ramadan is just days away.]

Masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen, Baltimore
Muslim women and Christian women meet: Unite Against Evil
by Sis. Ashira Naim [Administrator of the masjid.]

For almost a year a group of 8 to 12 Muslims and Christians has been meeting once a month to discuss issues of mutual concern. The book, A Muslim And A Christian In Dialogue, by Kateregga and Shenk, has been the stimulus for the wonderful exchange that the regular attendees agree has taken place.
For such a group of "truth sayers" it has been a real exercise in tolerance. Many times the differences in fundamentals could not be compromised on either side. Oftentimes passages from the bible were referenced by both muslim and Christian. However, owing to the Christians desire to learn more about Islam, the holy Qur'an was quoted more often and expounded upon by the Muslims present. It was soon recognized that there was a common thread in these books insofar as what God expects from man toward his fellowman.

Allah says to us in His Book, Holy Quran 3:64 (Muhammad Asad translation): Say: "O followers of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lords beside God." And if they turn away, then say: "Bear witness that it is we who have surrendered ourselves unto Him."

In Holy Quran 3: 114 (Muhammad Asad translation) "They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and vie with one another in doing good works: and these are among the righteous."

These members have shown their love of humanity and sincere desire to please God (Allah). Recently, the newly appointed Bishop for the Evangelical group was
given a welcome luncheon to which the dialogue committee was invited, and
several did attend. The members are of various cultures and ethnicity, males
and females. Visitors are always welcomed.

Meetings have been suspended during the month of August in observance of the
Blessed month of Ramadan and will resume on September 12th. Thus, the dialogue has been successful in the building of strong ties between people who believe and realize that their unity is imperative against the social influence of evil
so prevalent in the "civilization" of our times. The challenge before the group
is how to manifest that imperative!

You are required by Islam to look for the crescent. Try on July 31 and Aug.1

Ibn-e-'Umar, r.a. reported that the Messenger of Allah has said, "Do not commence fasting (Ramadan) till you see the new moon, and do not cease fasting (perform Eid) till you see it. But if the weather is cloudy (which prevents sighting of the moon), then complete 30 days of the month." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 1, Page 256] [Hadith sent to New Trend by Br. Noori.]

Inshallah,Islamic Date for Ramadan 1 is August 2 and Eid on August 31.
Is it Permissible to Change Allah's command for Fixing Ramadan and Eid dates?

By Dr. Omar Afzal [Ithaca, NY]

Both ISNA Fiqh Council and its sister European Council for Fatwa &Research (ECFR) changed the criterion from "Hilal" to bogus calculation and Hilal cannot be exactly calculated except for broad regions and the New Moon (invisible) cannot be a basis for any calendar as it occurs all times of day and night. Islamic date has to be from the sunset.
The Qur'an asks the Muslims to fix Ramadan and Hajj dates by the Hilal (visible moon) but ISNA Changed it to "Calculation of the conjunction." Both"ISNA Fiqh Council & ECFR use Makkah al-Mukarramah as a conventional point, and take the position that the conjunction (Black moon) must take place before sunset in Makkah and the moon must set after sunset in Makkah." (Totally bogus argument. The New Moon may set after the sun, and yet the old astronomical month may not be over)
ISNA date for 2011 Ramadan is August 1, and for Eid al-Fitr August 30. Let us see if a Hilal will be seen on July 31, 2011 in Makkah or in N. America:
Makkah Age 21hr 18 min (But Altitude: 5.8 degree, lag 26 minutes)
Morocco 24 48 4.3 21
Washington 29 42 4.3 23
Chicago 30 30 3.6 20
Miami 29 24 8.0 36
LA 32 12 6.6 32
[Note: Lag means the number of minutes the moon sets after sunset. It has to be at least 45 minutes for the moon to be visible. Thus in no case will it be visible on JUly 31. ISNA is totally off the mark.]
Obviously the Hilal of the Qur'an will not be seen on July 31, 2011.
Eid al-Fitr 2011
The Muslims will NOT SEE a Hilal on August 29, 2011 anywhere in the world .
Makkah 12h 36min. Altitude 1.1 Angle 8.8 Lag 5 min.
Morocco 15h 54 0.2 10.5 1
Miami 20h 36 3.5 13.0 16
LA 23h. 18 2.5 14.4 14
If the Muslims in N. America follow the Quran and Hadith/Fiqh then they will start Ramadan on August 2 (Tuesday) and celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Wed. Aug. 31, 2011

Omar www.islamicmoon.com

Lest we Forget: Reminder from Ilm Publications
Islamic Women's Uprising: What's behind the fighting in Pakistan?
July 27, 2007. General Musharraf's Assault on Red Mosque & Jamia Hafsa. Now the entire frontier area of Pakistan is fighting for that cause.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrKEaOeZs2o
206,000 views on part 1 and 175,000 on part 2. Must see.

Footage from an African Muslim journalist. Meet Abdur Rashid Ghazi [shaheed] and Umm Hasan. There are some errors in the video. [The contents of a dirty video shop were not burned by the girls but by the owner himself after they preached to him. The number of women killed by the Paki army is in the hundreds. Some secular viewpoints have been included and are incorrect.]
[The video leaves out the confirmed info that the army used phosphorous in the mosque and Ghazi's mother was burned alive. Also, that Musharraf's main commando "hero" tried to break into the women's lodgings and was killed.]
[The army has not allowed the re-building of the women's seminary Jamia Hafsa. The generals know that Islamic women can mobilize 50% of the population against the tyrants. Secular women are ineffective. Loyalty to Allah is the central message of Umm Hasan]

[In America, only Dr. Kaukab Siddique interviewed Ghazi and Umm Hasan. See his book Return to Pakistan.]

Don't forget Islamic victories. July 26, 2006
Remember the Israeli Repulse at hands of Hizbullah

July 26, 20011: The Muslims of Lebanon, the Shi'a fighters led by Shaikh Nasrallah, defeated an all out attack by Israel 5 years back. An Islamic militia made it impossible for Israel to win. Hizbullah was poorly armed otherwise it could have done serious damage to the Zionist aggressors.
Addressing a large crowd in Raya stadium, southern Beirut, Shaikh Nasrallah warned Israel against renewed aggression. He said, Hizbullah is much better prepared now. Also, he made the public aware of Israeli attempts to steal Lebanon's wealth. [He spoke by video link owing to danger of terrorism by Israel.]
[Hizbullah is named after a verse in the Qur'an.]

Letter:Re: Critical comments on Pakistan: Change will come [article by Dr. Siddique in NT 7/24]

Planned change by whom?
Unplanned change 1, assumes Islamic spirit + charismatic leadership. Where is he/she?
Unplanned change 2. Actually sounds more like a plausible organised change. Bad news eh?
Conclusion, Pakistan... easily succeed.If Islamic forces plan strategically?
Sounds rather like a pipedream.
Now I'm depressed. (By the way I work in strategic planning. It's hard enough to get Muslims to work together inside the same company with the combined objective of making money, never mind across a country). Unplanned change 2, is most likely, now I'm double depressed.
Shoaib [Qatar]

Syed Maudoodi: A testimony and a Comparison [part 2]
By Dr. Malik Badri [Sudan]
[Continued from New Trend July 24 issue]

In fact at that time, this emotional and personal sentiment was uppermost in the literature of Ikwhan al-Muslimeen [Muslim Brotherhood] at that time. Probably the
The polemical , fervent and emotionally reactive spirit of Egyptian nationalism was reflected in these writings. It attracted the heart filled with emotions rather than the mind which was logic oriented. Hence during the organizational and training sessions of the Ikhwan, [known as Isra] I was largely influenced by the inspiring and emotive speeches of Dr. Saeed Ramadan and Dr. Mustafa Sibai. Poetry read in packed student gatherings were also pleasant and inspirational for me.
This emotional atmosphere lacked the balance which could have occurred in our personal lives through the implementation of Islam's authentic message and the faith which goes with it. I was not clear about the practical implications of faith: my understanding of it was deficient and I could not understand what Islam really means by obedience to Allah. Mere emotional expression and criticism, just and unjust, of western civilization, could not get rid of the spiritual and mental ambiguity, conflict and difficulties which misleading study courses and the American way of life at the university had created in us.
It was this severe need of mine which was fulfilled by Syed Maudoodi [may Allah accept him and bestow his mercy on him]. May Allah be pleased with him and give eternal tranquility to his soul. [Amen.]
My first introduction to this great reformer and benefactor of modern times was through his book Towards Understanding Islam [deeniyyat]. The translator, Prof. Khurshid Ahmed, wrote in the introduction: "This book is an elementary study of Islam and provides a simple and rational explanation of Islam to young people." Although the book was published before 1940, but even today it is at the top of the list of Islamic best sellers. Although it was written for youths but it has continued to influence people of all ages.
My understanding of Islam changed even as I studied the first few pages of deeniyyat. God's awesome plan for the entire universe has a specific place for everything, this book told me. The sun, the moon, the stars, the rotation of the earth in an established path, the smallest cell in the human body to the major organs like the heart and the brain, all work under the established law of God.

Islamic Leader Addresses Pakistanis in Riyadh. Pakistan has become US' Colony: Indo-Pak talks Futile
by Shamsuddin Amjad

July 28: The Jamaat e Islami chief, Syed Munawar Hasan, has said the corrupt rulers won't be able to humble the Supreme Court as the 180 million Pakistanis stood behind the judiciary.
The government would have to ultimately implement the Supreme Court decisions or the people would throw the regime out, he said while talking to the Pakistani community in Riyadh during his current visit to Saudi Arabia.
Syed Munawar Hasan said the government was compelling the apex court to exercise its powers under article 190 of the Constitution which won't be something pleasant for the rulers.
The present government, he said, had destroyed the state institutions and corruption had crept into all ranks. The President and the Prime Minister had crossed all limits of nepotism. The parliament had become redundant and the country had been turned into a US colony. Price spiral was touching new heights and load shedding of gas and electricity had ruined all business and industry. If the present rulers remained in power for another two years, the things would go still worse, he added.
He said, in spite of the prevailing conditions, the JI was not disappointed and it was looking for better days.
Referring to the Pak-India talks, the JI chief termed these a futile exercise. India, he said, had a long history of delaying the solutions of all issues including Kashmir under the cover of dialogue and the end result of talks had always been a big Zero. The present talks too had been borne no fruit, he added.

Yemeni Al-Qaida Accepts Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri as Leader

Yemeni Militants Demand Ransom for Missing Aid Workers
July 28, 2011. Al-Qaida-linked militants in Yemen are demanding a $12 million ransom for the release of three French aid workers who went missing in May.

Yemeni security officials and tribesmen revealed the demand on Wednesday.

The two women and one man disappeared in the eastern city of Sayoun, where they had been working with a French-based relief agency.

French and Yemen authorities previously said the aid workers were probably kidnapped but had no definite word on their status.

The reports of a ransom demand come a day after the head of al-Qaida's offshoot in Yemen vowed loyalty to Osama bin Laden's successor and promised to keep fighting against Sana'a's Western-allied government.

In a 10-minute audio message posted on Islamist websites Tuesday, Nasser al-Wahishi said his organization officially recognizes Ayman al-Zawahiri as al-Qaida's new global leader.

The terror group proclaimed the 60-year-old Egyptian its chieftain following bin Laden's death in a U.S. military raid on his Pakistani compound in May.

Wahishi said al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula will fight until it overthrows the government of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

He also said he supports the anti-government protests in Yemen that seek to oust Mr. Saleh after 33 years in power.

The United States says the Yemeni branch is al-Qaida's most active. The group has been linked to several attempted attacks on U.S. targets.

Washington fears al-Qaida-linked militants will take advantage of Yemen's anti-government unrest to expand their haven in the country and plot attacks against the West.
[Voice of America, Yemen Post, Yemen Online.]

2011-07-31 Sun 11:05:06 cdt
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