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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Dhu'l Qada 4, 1432/October 2, 2011 # 41

See Imam Badi's latest khutba on daily requirements of behavior. Scroll to end.

Syria: Point of no return. Scroll way down.

Bangladesh: Peaceful demonstrators facing ugly pro-India regime. [Go way down]

Spotlights from Imam Badi Ali, National JAM Shoora, North Carolina

Spotlight #1:
Rulers are using national armies against their own people rather than against external aggression.
Spotlight #2:
Hypocrisy stinks. Muslims are living in the stink of hypocrisy. They are getting so used to it that they no longer smell it, like smokers in a smoky room.
Spotlight #3:
Religion is what you do AFTER listening to the khutba or the teaching session or the study circle.
Spotlight #4:
Many people are not thinking of the future. Our children are our future. Our present decisions will contribute to their future.
Spotlight 5:
Islamic movements are becoming "moderate movements." They want to make Islam presentable to the West. The Brotherhood movement [Ikhwan] is being used to manipulate Muslims. They know the Islamic lingo and can use sophisticated language to manipulate Muslims. The same is happening in Turkey.
Spotlight #6:
Wrong can be done by "nice" people to kill orphans, destroy villages and undermine the sources of water.
Spotlight #7:
In Libya, they say they are saving civilians. If that is true, why are you destroying the countries infrastructure, bridges, installations. Is it so you can first destroy the country and then get contracts to rebuild it.
Spotlight #8:
The Arab rulers have given away everything, including their most sensitive intelligence information. They want to stay in power at all costs, but even then Allah will not save them from their inevitable downfall.

Islamic Scholar on the Killing of Shaykh al-Awlaki
Br. Shamim Siddiqui [JAM Adviser] answers a writer from England

Terrorism is a curse and it is totally disallowed in Islam. But you forget that the ousting of God from the tentacles of power and feeling not at all accountable to Him is the worst and most heinous crime of Western societies and men in power.

It has made them reckless, greedy, irresponsible, arrogant and devoid of all moral responsibilities. They feel they can violate any law, can kill humans - men, women and children wherever they want without trial or any judicial probe [as has happened in the Tragedy of 9/11}. You have no right even to protest otherwise you will be "nicknamed" as "terrorist" or his "collaborator" . The world has changed. There is no justice any where in this world. Might is right and Zulm (Oppression} is dominant.

So, if you and your Society have any guts and moral courage, please first try to restore the authority of God on this earth. When people in power will start feeling accountable to their Lord, only then, they will stop from committing injustices on earth, especially on the poor and innocent Muslims. Till then your protest is meaningless and will be lost in waves of modern Jahiliyah.

With best wishes to you and Br Ramadan

Shamim Siddiqi
WWW.dawahinamericas.com

Br. Shamim was responding to a letter from Mohammed Shafiq , Director of the Ramadan Foundation in Manchester, England, who though very much opposed to al-Awlaki, wrote:

"I am disappointed that the United States Government has increased this sort of extra judicial killing without referring to the legal system .These drone attacks have no legal justification in international law and have killed thousands of innocent people including children. The United States must return to the rule of law and ensure that all alleged terrorists are put on trial and held responsible for their actions."

"O you who believe! If a wrong doer [fasiq] comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done. " The Qur'an 49:6

CAIR on the Assassination of Shaykh al-Awlaki:
"a voice of hate has been eliminated" says CAIR.

[NT advice to CAIR: "And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or rejects the Truth when it reaches him? Is there not a home in hell for those who reject faith." The Qur'an 29:68]
[See below : Voices of arrogance and voices of reason.]

[Comments by Kaukab Siddique: We say that without its heavy funding and support from the White House, CAIR would have no voice at all. Muslims spit on CAIR for its steady stream of lies and distortions of the Qur'an and Sunnah. CAIR supported Bush in his war on Islam; now it is supporting Obama. It does not have the SLIGHTEST Islamic credibility, yet its "directors" speak in the name of Islam! Ask Muslims what they think of CAIR when CAIR's protectors are not listening. Even Zionist Jews do not jump so fast to condemn Muslims as CAIR does]

I urge Muslims to write to the Obama administration to condemn the murders it has committed against two non-combatants who were both US citizens, Shaykh al-Awlaki and Samir Khan.

Here are the undisputed facts:

  1. Even the most evil regimes do not justify the murder of opposing scholars and editors/writers. Did Hitler order bombing raids on scholars and preachers and writers and editors? No! They kept hammering at him from London and Moscow but he did not order them killed. So, Obama has gone beyond the lowest of the low.
    Al-Awlaki was a great Islamic scholar, teacher and imam. He left the US and joined al-Qaidah. Samir Khan was the editor of INSPIRE magazine which attacked the USA.
  2. By killing a great Islamic scholar and an outstanding Islamic editor, Obama has opened the floodgates for the assassination of all scholars and writers/editors who support resistance against occupying powers. Is Obama okay with that? Hosni Mubarak must be smiling.
  3. There is tremendous propaganda against al-Awlaki and some against Samir Khan in the US corporate media. CAIR-type Muslims and the government are undermining whatever remains of the US Constitution by replacing the process of law with support for lynching on TV.
  4. Is America such a weak power that two individuals can be a threat to its security? This is a superpower which has occupied two Muslim countries and is pulverizing Pakistani villages in its search for "suspected" enemies.
  5. Obama is openly violating the rights of US citizens by ordering their execution. This country is not even under martial law yet and he is carrying out these stalinistic killings.
  6. In the near future US citizens living WITHIN the USA may suffer a similar fate if they are similarly condemned by the media as "terrorists."
  7. Obama does not realize that by killing Muslims opposed to the US, he increases support for the enemies of America. Al-Awlaki and Samir Khan will both be considered SHAHEED by the great majority of Muslims. This is the most effective recruiting tool for al-Qaidah.
Conclusion: Mr. President, your Zionist advisers have probably mislead you. The more you kill, the worse it gets for the American cause. Compare how few Muslims were against America before the assaults on Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Pakistan. Bush tried to kill as many Muslims as he could. The result was total failure.

Mr. President you were elected because people were tired of the Bush murder machine. Why do you think you can kill more successfully than he did? He wiped out entire cities in Iraq and bombed villages and mosques in Afghanistan.
The way to the future is through concrete efforts for peace by way of USA's acceptance of Islamic self-determination by Muslim countries.

Remembrance for Troy Davis
Justice is not Possible in an Unjust Society.
Comparing al-Awlaki with Troy Davis
On October 1, activists gathered at Pratt & Sharp Street in Baltimore, Maryland in remembrance of Troy Davis [coinciding with his funeral in Georgia]. The main speakers were Steven Ceci [All Peoples Congress], Andrew Castro [ANSWER Coalition], Ron Kipling Williams [poet and journalist], Sis. Ashira [Jamaat al-Muslimeen] and Br. Kaukab Siddique [Jamaat al-Muslimeen].

Although it was a top level gathering, the media didn't turn up. Owing to the efforts of Bill Hughes, who filmed every speaker, its all available on Facebook and in Google.

Ron Kipling read out a long and powerful poem which will probably emerge as the outcry of the oppressed people of America all the way from slavery till today. He includes in the stunning stanzas of his poem, the suffering of the Muslims in Guantanamo Bay.

Steven Ceci read out Troy Davis' last letter to the people before he was executed.

Sis. Ashira said: we must always remember that Believers will succeed if they unite under the command of God. Together we can make Good dominate. Islam teaches the victory of Goodness through the acceptance of God [Allah]. She said she could not stop her tears crying for Troy but then she realized that best way is to educate and change society according to the will of God [Allah]. Protesting is good but not enough.

Here is a summary of Dr. Siddique's main points:
  1. Islam teaches that justice is not possible in an unjust society.
  2. An unjust secular system, based on exploitation, by definition has no right to carry out a judicial execution.
  3. The poor, the downtrodde, the exploited, the people of African descent and Muslims are the main victims of the American power structure.
  4. When Muslims were tortured in Iraq, Imam Jamil pointed out that similar atrocties occur in US prisons. We must make the international connection.
  5. Now Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan have been executed without due process in Yemen. This is murder. Thus we accuse Troy of murder and execute him, but then we murder two US citizens and we glorify it as a great deed.
  6. President Obama, our first Black president, didn't say a word about Troy, although millions around the world, including the Pope and President Carter, pleaded for mercy.
  7. On the day of the execution, Obama made a long speech in defense of Israel, talking of the dangers Israel faces [although it has America's latest weaponry], and of its need of support [although USA has pumped in millions of dollars].
  8. Even Hitler did not bomb the poets, writers and scholars in England and Russia who opposed his regime. We are killing non-combatant enemies, thus losing all sense of humanity
  9. In that context, what right does this system have to execute anyone for murder or alleged murder?
  10. Death penalty is not the only issue. America is humiliating and dehumanizing millions of prisoners. In America's prisons, people are treated like things with numbers. Cavity searches are carried out when families visit them
  11. Islam does not permit life imprisonment or any long prison term. In many a case, it has turned out that the sentence was unjust and plain WRONG.
  12. In a secular system witnesses routinely lie or provide impressions which cannot be verified. Criminals are induced to make witness claims just to get their own sentences reduced.
  13. America does not recognize political prisoners but treats all its opponents as criminals.
  14. America's people are helpless. They can't stop any war and they have failed to stop the execution of Troy Davis.
Our call:
Down with Zionism, Down with Imperialism, Down with racism.

Why is Obama Silent about Gaza? Here is Why.

Newly Released Document Shows US Role in Gaza Siege
Ali Abunimah
http://electronicintifada.net/blog/ali-abunimah/egypts-militry-ruler-tantawi-and-american-siege-gaza-revelations-wikileas

The US administration of President Barack Obama was even more actively involved than previously known in enforcing the siege of Gaza along Egypt's border with the territory. And the Pentagon provided direct assistance and technology for these efforts, a newly released official document reveals. The US Embassy cable dated April 8, 2009 ... shows that the Americans coordinated Egypt's efforts to keep Gaza sealed from the outside world directly with Egyptian Army chief Field Marshal Muhammad Tantawi - who is currently Egypt's military ruler. Tantawi heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

The Voices of War, Arrogance and Irrationality
Re: The Murders of Shaykh Awlaki & Samir Khan
President Obama called the killing of al-Awlaki a tribute to the U.S. intelligence community and the efforts of leaders in Yemen. He said al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula remains "a dangerous but weakened terrorist organization."
"Make no mistake, this is further proof al Qaeda and its affiliates will find no safe haven in Yemen or anywhere around the world," Mr. Obama said.
Republican leaders on Friday praised the dealth of al-Awlaki and Mr. Obama's leadership. GOP presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry called al-Awlaki's death "an important victory in the war on terror."
"I want to congratulate the United States military and intelligence communities - and President Obama for sticking with the government's longstanding and aggressive anti-terror policies - for getting another key international terrorist," Perry said in a statement.
Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, called the killing of al-Awlaki "another great step forward in breaking the back of Al Qaeda."
Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called it "a great success in our fight against al-Qaeda" and "a tremendous tribute to President Obama and the men and women of our intelligence community."
[Ed. note: Peter King, one of the most hostile people against Islam, is very close in his thinking to CAIR.]

The Voices of Reason, Peace and Decency
The American Civil Liberties Union, decried the killing of an American citizen who was never charged with a crime.
"The government's authority to use lethal force against its own citizens should be limited to circumstances in which the threat to life is concrete, specific and imminent," ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement. "It is a mistake to invest the President - any President - with the unreviewable power to kill any American whom he deems to present a threat to the country."
Obama's Policy of Assassination condemned by Ron Paul [libertarian leader]
"If the American people accept this blindly and casually, that we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys, I think it's sad," Paul told reporters after a speech in Manchester Sept 30.
The libertarian firebrand pointed to the case of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who was tried and sentenced to death, as an example of how to deal with suspected terrorists.
"Al-Awlaki was born here, he's an American citizen, he was never tried or charged for any crimes," Paul said. "To start assassinating American citizens without charges - we should think very seriously about this."

From New Trend's Bangladesh observer.
India-related Regime Crushing Peaceful Demonstrators in Bangladesh.
Rapidly Increasing Support for Jamaate Islami to oppose Fake Trials
On September 19, Islamic activists held peaceful protests in several cities in Bangladesh to protest so-called trials of Islamic leaders. The police cracked down hard and arrested scores of people. [By September 30 the number of people arrested had gone above 1000.] However, the protestors continued to confront the police and threw stones at them.
For the first time Bangladeshi activists have come out openly in the streets. This follows the arrests of 120 leaders of Jamaate Islami. Forty years after the events of 1971, the regime is accusing Islamic leaders of having sided with the Pakistanu military in killing civilians.
The regime is deeply in bed with India and sees the Islamic awakening of the people as a threat to its pro-India activities.
Very pious Islamic scholars, totally non-violent, are being held by the Awami League government. This activity, 40 years after the alleged events, is nothing more than India-backed efforts to crush a movement which is 100% Bengali and solidly Islamic.
We urge readers to be aware of the situation in this key Islamic country. Please write to the Bangladesh embassy in your country to protest these show trials and these mass arrests.

[Sent by Brothers & Sisters of Iqra.]
Irreparable Cracks in the Syrian Regime

http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/middle-east/287-irreparable-cracks-in-the-syrian-regime

Ahmad Al-Najjar
Thursday, 29 September

In March 2011, only a week before the Syrian revolution sparked off, Michael
Broning of Foreign Affairs wrote an article about the "Sturdy House that Assad
Built", arguing the robustness of the Syrian military dictatorship and its
ability to deter country-wide, public sedition.

More than two months later, after seeing the events unfolding on Syrian soil, he
corrected his article and wrote "Cracks in the House of Assad". This exhibits
the extent to which the brave Syrian people have surprised policy experts, the
international community, the regime and their own countrymen.

Many political observers of Syrian origin were dubious about the revolution
taking place at all, much less its ability to dismantle this iron-clad despotic
regime. Such doubts were not unjustified, taking into consideration the ruthless
nature of the regime, its criminal history and how far it was ready to go to
crush any anti-government sentiment.

Now, more than six months after the start of Syria's velvet revolution, there
are many signs that the Assad regime is, indeed, falling apart.

Both the Syrian protesters and the government realize that their predicament is
a one-way process. The people are demanding their much-deserved freedom and
human rights, and the police state will continue to do what it does best - rule
with an iron fist.

In late April, I wrote that the Syrian people recognize that there is no turning
back. If that truism applied then, it does much more so now.

Hypothetically if the revolution were to come to a halt, not only will the
people lose their opportune momentum, but they will also be subjected to savage
retaliation intended to cleanse every house of Assad's opponents.

Eventually, though, the people's perseverance will prevail. The regime cannot
keep terrorizing the people of Syria forever and many activists have alluded to
the lethargy of the regime's military and security forces which are ordered to
work round the clock to quell any rebellious activity.

Military defections are increasing countrywide in cities like Homs, Hama,
Dar'aa, Idlib, Deir Al-Zour and even Damascus and its suburbs. This is one of
the most critical issues facing the regime, especially as defections have even
taken place from the elite republican guard. It is important to note that the
number of defectors is not an accurate gauge of the army's morale; the defection
trend would rise rapidly if it wasn't for soldiers' genuine fear of reprisals.
In addition, there are many who haven't revealed their defection for tactical
reasons or for personal safety.

In reality, there is real misery in the ranks of the police and military, not
least because of fatigue from facing the public unrest daily, and salaries are
either withheld or paid late. There is a general reluctance to carry on in this
way and a real possibility that the imposition of a no-fly zone over Syria may
provide the cover needed to generate mass defections that would deal a massive
and potentially fatal blow to the Assad regime.

The newly-formed "Free Syrian Army" is attempting to accomplish this by creating
a liberated zone in Jabal Al-Zawiya in northwest Syria close to the Turkish
border; this would serve as a refuge for military defectors.

The Assad security apparatus and its thugs have used appalling violence and
repression against peaceful protestors.

In reality, this is merely an extension of the regime's long history of gross
human rights' violations and blatant disregard for human life. The regime is
waging what seems like an all out war against civilians using tanks, fighter
jets, heavy artillery and even warships. This reprehensible violence illustrates
the regime's political and moral bankruptcy and shows how weak it is.

The crackdown has resulted in more than 2,700 being killed, tens of thousands
taken prisoner and an alarming number of people wounded. The death toll is based
on conservative UN estimates; the actual number is probably much higher.

A new report released by Avaaz, the global humanitarian campaign group, puts the
death toll at 5,300; that's more than double the UN estimate.

Assad's forces have sunk to a new low by beating the elderly, women and
children; they have, without shame, resorted to killing, imprisonment, torture,
gang rape and mutilation. What sparked the revolution was the torture of
children from Dar'aa who painted popular Arab spring slogans in all innocence on
a wall; it has been claimed that their fingernails were ripped off.

Hamza Al-Khatib, a 13 year old who was tortured to death has become one of the
symbols of the revolution. The many parents who are searching for imprisoned
children are frequently summoned to receive their sons and daughters in body
bags; a 19 year old girl in Homs, for example, was kidnapped and gang raped by
Assad's thugs and then handed back to her parents as a headless and limbless
corpse.

Sadly, there are many such cases. Many of these grotesque practices have been
verified by obscene video recordings made by the perpetrators themselves. If we
consider how much attention the regime pays to human rights accusations and
media accountability, it is easy to believe that such recordings have been
leaked in order to strike fear in the hearts of the people. As despicable as it
may be, such sadistic videos are being sold for profit.

Syria has been ruled mercilessly by the Assad clan for more than four decades.
Throughout that period, they promoted sectarian divisions by favouring their own
Al-Alwie minority and discriminating against the Sunni Muslim majority and other
minorities. Despite that, Syrian society has been able to achieve a considerable
degree of peaceful coexistence.

Now that the regime finds its back against the wall, it is playing the sectarian
card and inciting violence by arming the Al-Awies and spreading hateful graffiti
on walls and inside places of worship, in a desperate attempt to hang on to
power. Cynically, the regime blames its opponents for instigating a sectarian
civil war while portraying itself as the counterbalance against such an
occurrence. It is worth noting that the protest movement has raised banners
condemning sectarianism and promoting unity.

The Assad regime has also manipulated the Palestine question and there is
increasing realization that it has been exploited to justify the regime's
existence and its "right" to tyrannize the people with several decades of
emergency law. This was made obvious when Bashar Assad allowed hundreds of
youths to agitate at the Syrian Golan-Israel border for the first time in forty
years on the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. It was a multi-faceted
message meant to divert attention from the Syrian conundrum and show Israel that
Syria was the best protector of its neighbour's borders.

Thus, it is not surprising that most Israeli media, which have always cast Assad
as the villain of the peace, have expressed real fear that he may be overthrown.
Rami Makhlouf, the notorious tycoon and Assad's maternal cousin, put it this
way: "Security for Israel stems from security for Syria."

Alas, for Assad and his cronies, the Syrian people are finally telling the
regime that supporting occupied Palestine sincerely and living with human
dignity and freedom are not mutually exclusive.

As the Syrian crisis grows, Bashar Assad may lose what used to be unconditional
support from his most valuable ally, Iran. There is evidence that Tehran is
taking a closer, more pragmatic look at the situation and planning for a
post-Assad Syria. This is corroborated by news of secret talks with the Syrian
opposition in Paris recently. Furthermore, official government media in Iran is
focusing more on the Syrian protest movement and the subsequent violent
crackdown by the government.

In addition, some Syrian opposition leaders look positively upon their most
recent meeting with Russian government officials, and feel that Russia's support
for Assad may also start to wane, albeit slowly.

As for Turkey, Syria lost that ally long ago. Ankara has stopped several arms
shipments to Syria and the abyss widened with the comments of Prime Minister
Erdogan in liberated Tripoli: "Do not forget this: those in Syria who inflict
repression on the people will not be able to stand on their feet because
oppression and prosperity cannot exist together... The time of autocracies is
over. Totalitarian regimes are disappearing. The rule of the people is coming."

From a practical point of view, the New York Times last week quoted several
western intelligence sources predicating that Assad is on the edge and isn't
coming back.

Adding to Syria's isolation, international pressure has been mounting and
several world powers have called for Assad to step aside; Arab condemnation has
been limited, but is growing.

The recent finger-pointing exchange between the New York Times and Iraqi
officials about Iraq asking Assad to step down, may signal a change in Baghdad's
position.

A few days back, there were calls to suspend Syria from the Arab League.
Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition is working hard to form a more homogeneous,
united body to serve as an alternative, transition government.

The unrest has precipitated an economic crisis in Syria due to reduced
commercial activity and foreign investment, restricted labour, closures and
international sanctions.

The most drastic step yet taken was the "crude oil and petroleum products"
embargo implemented by the EU, Syria's largest single trading partner. This was
followed by the EU prohibition of investments in Syria's oil sector.

The last 6 months of military crackdown has also hurt the shipping industry as
sources estimate a 35-40% drop in cargo volume at Latakia and Tartous, two of
Syria's main ports. An important shipping agent in Tartous reported a reduction
in vessel exchange from 25-30 vessels daily to a low of 5-10.

Furthermore, while the IMF had originally predicted a 3% growth in Syrian GDP
back in April, its September "World Economic Outlook" modified that to a 2%
decline. Turkey is also preparing sanctions against its Arab neighbour.

The repeated miscalculations of the Assad clan show how out of tune they are
with the new reality facing them. The most salient example of this is the
repeated announcement that the revolution is over and that normality is
returning, while the protest movement is actually growing unabated. Other
examples include but are not limited to childish actions such as media
performances acted out for national television to frame the protestors, false
testimony aired after torturing alleged conspirators, and the ongoing ridiculous
attempts to justify the brutal crackdown. The government claims that the
presence of armed gangs, terrorists, extreme Islamic elements and traitors makes
the crackdown essential. In the light of such efforts, the cosmetic reforms
introduced by Assad are fooling no one.

The regime has exhibited an obvious inability to institute reforms, much less
convince the people that they are bona fide. This is because genuine reform
requires laws and institutions and is impossible in the presence of military
predominance. Assad and his comrades will understand that real reform can only
lead to the complete downfall of their autocracy.

The Syrian people have been hearing empty promises of reform for years, so the
farcical directives made over the past 6 months to appease public anger were
null before the ink dried.

Despite the horrible massacres committed by the Syrian regime, it is clear that
the people's resolve is growing stronger. The revolution continues to expand
despite the mass arrests and protests have become a daily event, day and night.
All of this speaks of the people's intransigence with regards to engaging in
dialogue with the regime and their insistence on toppling it. It has become
customary to give an expressive name to every Friday, and Friday 16th September
was called "Moving on until the regime is toppled".

The increasing intensity of the crowd's slogans has led to frequent calls for
the execution of the president and last week scores of Syrian students boycotted
the first day of school spending their day chanting an Arabic rhyme: "No
studying and no teaching, until the leader falls."

Activists say that the wall of fear has finally fallen; it can only be a matter
of time before the House of Assad falls too.


Ahmad Al Najjar is an activist and writer of Syrian origin. Currently working on
a number of research papers related to Arab spring across the Middle East and
North Africa.

Imam Badi Ali's Khutba in Greensboro, Norh Carolina
Essential requirements of Daily Muslim Behavior
Here are the texts Imam Badi presented followed by a summary of his main points.
Texts: "A man asked the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him: 'Which Islam is best?" He replied: To feed people and to give the greetings of peace, salam, to all whether you know them or not." [Bukhari's sahih, narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar, r.a.]
"The messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be on him. Said: Do not despise any good deed however small. Included in good deeds is the smiling face with which you meet people. A good deed is when you share water from your meager supply with your brother [in humanity." [Hadith in the Sunan of Tirmidhi.]


2011-10-03 Mon 18:41:08 cdt
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