Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief ---------------------------------------------------------
Jamada al-thani 18, 1426/July 24, 2005 #56
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Dr. Gamal Badawi is Board Member of CAIR in Canada which has been issuing support for one-sided fatwas against terrorism while ignoring hundreds of thousands of Muslims killed in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnia. Does Badawi have the competence to issue statements in the name of Islam? Please scroll down to analysis by Dr. Kaukab Siddique.
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APPEAL [With reference to atrocities in Kashmir]

Boycott Indian Products

We are running several professional campaigns for the full and permanent boycott of all Indian products in Germany, Holland and France. We are persuading our fellow Pakistanis in these three countries, where we have a professional network of our organization, Boycott India, to purchase only and only the Pakistani products and boycott the Indian. This revolutionary gesture would provide valuable foreign exchange and would also create millions of job opportunities in our Sunehra Pakistan. Our slogan in this regard is :
Buy Pakistani, Be Pakistani, Build Pakistani economy

We all request you to please start one such campaign in USA also and incline our compatriots to boycott ALL indian products.

Khuda hafiz.
from Sunehra Pakistan
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THINK ABOUT IT:

July 22. Sudan allowed Condileeza Rice and her Zionist entourage [Andrea Mitchell, Andrea Koppel, etc] to visit Darfur. Sudan has nothing to hide. Yet the dirty propaganda against Sudan continues.

Andrea Mitchell [of NBC] was stopped from barging into President Bashir's office to question him. She was outraged and indulged in the usual cliches of Zionist propaganda against Sudan. By the afternoon she was in Tel Aviv, her real home.
[How many of these media people are Israelis in disguise?]

Lesson: You can't please the Zionists however hard you might try.
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WAR NEWS: [with analysis by our media monitor]

EGYPT: Mubarak's Tourist Playland Blown Away

July 23, 2005. Major night life areas of Sharm El-Shaikh were destroyed by two martyrdom operators resulting in the death of 88 people and injuries to 200, many of them in bars and a major hotel. This is the latest in an ongoing war between Hosni Mubarak and the Islamic movement. Till 2004 it seemed that Mubarak had won with tens of thousands of Muslims arrested, imprisoned and tortured. Hundreds of Muslims were executed by Mubarak following his police raids on homes and mosques. Women were raped by his secret services and families were held hostage to force surrender of opponents.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have documented routine and systematic torture of Islamic men, women and children by the Hosni Mubarak regime. Suspects are left with their bodies broken and their spirits humiliated for ever. Only recently Italy uncovered a CIA plot by which an Islamic scholar, Abu Umar, was kidnaped in Italy and flown to Egypt. He was tortured for two years till he lost his sanity.

Mubarak is protected by the CIA and Mossad. Israel needs him to protect its western flank while it crushes the Palestinian people. Only a regime which violates Islam can fulfil the needs of Israel.

Islamic scholars consider Mubarak a non-Muslim who sold Egypt out by keeping up the recognition of Israel which Sadat started. The U.S. gives him three billion dollars every year to terrorize his people.

Mubarak keeps up the façade of being Muslim and tells his western friends that he is "democratizing" Egypt. However, he has left no avenue open for peaceful change. Hence Islamic groups try to remove his regime by force but are no match for his brutality.

Second to U.S. aid, tourism is the main source of hard currency which keeps the Mubarak regime alive. Also, tourism dilutes the Islamic identity of Egypt by bringing liquor, night clubs, fornication, gambling and nudity into Egypt. These are serious violations of Islamic law. In Egypt, there is no peaceful way of stopping the government from these violations.

Most serious of all, Israeli tourists in large numbers come into Egypt to continue their fornication on Sinai's beautiful beaches in peace after their genocidal actions against the Palestinian people.

In October 2004, a new Islamic force emerged with successful attacks on Israeli tourists which killed 34. During today's attack, Egypt's Middle East Times reports there are 10,000 Israeli tourists in Sinai [and are now packing their bags.]

Thus the martyrdom operations seem to be the work of a nation which is facing cultural rape at the hands of Mubarak's collaborators, Israel, the U.S., Britain and Europe.

Will this blow, which will dry up a major source of revenue, topple or crack Mubarak's regime? It's doubtful. The stakes are too high. Israel and the U.S. need Mubarak. The war will probably continue.

Mubarak is known in the Muslim world by three titles: Tyrant, Traitor, Terrorist.
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PAKISTAN:

Setback for Musharraf in Frontier Area

July 21: A tribal chief known as Malik Meerzalam, whom the Musharraf regime paid a handsome amount, and who had been speaking strongly in favor of Pakistan army's operations in South Waziristan, was killed along with his two brothers, adult son and nephew while travelling in an armed convoy towards Wana. The gunmen who ambushed him evaded arrest.

The same day, another tribal chief who supports Musharraf, Malik Malikshai, was killed along with his son and another relative in another ambush.

In a third ambush, a jeep of the Pakistan army was blown up and 4 soldiers in it seriously injured.

Meanwhile in KARACHI, nine 'ULEMA were arrested after they gave Friday sermons condemning the Musharraf regime's raids on Medressas [Islamic schools].

Demonstrations against the regime's moves were held in all major cities, orchestrated by the Islamic coalition MMA. In Islamabad, some demonstrators showed that they could hit back against the regime when they set fire to a police motorcycle and beat up some policemen, but Jamaate Islami condemned the violence.

Observers say that Musharraf has been cornered like a rat but the peaceful Islamic Coalition does not have the will to topple him. MMA fears a clash with the army and thus loses its opportunity to change Pakistan. It is difficult to see any pro-Islam elements left in the army, analysts say, and Musharraf has sold out the country so completely that there is not much left to sell. Yet the MMA continues to hope that there are patriots in the army. The same is true of Jamaat ad-Da'wa which is totally at the mercy of the hope that the army will not abandon Kashmir.

Owing to this peaceful stance, secularist elements are able to spread rumors that MMA is not serious about opposing Musharraf and is actually cooperating with him, our analysts say.
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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CENSORED POEM CRITICAL of ISRAEL

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Last Monday (13 June 2005) I was one of many performers who participated in a charity event for Human Rights Watch at the Globe in London. The event, which included contributions from Lemn Sissay, Dame Judi Dench, George Alagiah and Saaed Jaffrey to mention a few, was a resounding success.
My sister poet, Jean Binta Breeze, had also agreed to perform and was included in the billing and the programme. Unfortunately, Jean had to pull out at the last minute because, Isaiah, the poem she had chosen to recite, was censored by the organisers. I've read the poem. It is a very powerful poem.

Jean Binta Breeze uses the persona of a Rasta man and the prophetic language of the Old Testament to castigate the state of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinian people. I was the last performer on the night and did not want the event to end on a sour note. However, it was my duty to explain the reason for Jean's absence to the audience and to convey her apologies. Human Rights Watch has an impeccable record for defending human rights. It is, therefore, deeply worrying when an organisation with such a reputation finds it necessary to resort to censorship of poetry for fear of alienating their Jewish supporters and benefactors.

Yours sincerely,
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Herne Hill
London

ISAIAH
by Jean Binta Breeze 
ISAIAH
de rastaman
tongue full of flames
red righteous brains
descend from de mountains
trod troo de plains
bringing a warning
to a nation gawn insane

ISAIAH
de nyaman
chanting fire troo de lan
talk like thunder touch im han
breathe brimstone pon Babylon
Israel, you forget God plan
no more burning dove or ram
no more sacrifice of lamb
no more fasting, no more prayer
God is deaf to your desire

ISAIAH
de rastaman
heart beating hard
no stone, no sword, no guard
talking every word de spirit declare
Israel, yuh forget yuh God
corruption mek yuh choose de bad
wickedness defile yuh
vain power start beguile yuh
de lust for blood done spoil you
if God neva mek dat promise to yuh
you woulda sink like Sodom an Gomorrah
yuh woulda run like yuh jus laas yuh shadow
today would be the end of yuh tomorrow
an yuh children would reap pure sorrow

ISAIAH
de iyaman
bow im head as im humbly stan
an big Israel come clean
to remember what love mean
an retreat from a murderous scene
stop pushing others to where you've been
you of all should find genocide obscene
God just might let yah een

ISAIAH
de binghiman
come to chant dung Babylon
day by day in burning sun
bringing de word of God anger
let Israel tremble and hear
why truth can fill de hunger
Israel be humble and prepare
God's wrath is drawing near
there's land enough to share
let covetousness disappear
offer up a humbler prayer

ISAIAH
de rastaman
let words burn across the lan
an wait for God to play im han
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Critical Essays

Dr. Jamal Badawi's Blunders about the Meaning of Jihad in Islam: Here we recount nine aspects of Jihad which Dr. Badawi missed, including Jihad against slavery and to stop Exploitation of Women

by Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D
Associate Professor of English

INTRODUCTION: It is our task to help Americans understand the great changes in thought and worldview which are rapidly transforming the Muslim world. The most important concept in this emerging worldview is that of Jihad. If Jihad takes root in the Muslim masses, countries as varied as Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Indonesia will move towards socio-economic and political independence. If the worldwide movement for Jihad is squelched, the de-Islamized and politically castrated regimes in Muslim countries will either persist or will be replaced by even worse ones with no pretense of selfhood at all.

Will the American people support the Jihad to liberate the Muslim world or will they support the war party led by President Bush and International Jewry which plans to destroy the Muslim movement towards freedom? It depends in part on what Americans think is Jihad. Is it a genuine Islamic response or is it a symbol of "wahhabi craziness" which has hijacked Islam?

In June 2005, a supporter of W.D. Muhammad distributed Dr. Jamal Badawi's article on Jihad. It is a seriously misleading article and amounts to an attempt to distort the Qur'an, in particular, and Islam, in general. Dr. Badawi has long been a central figure in America's pro-government Muslim establishment known as ISNA [Islamic Society of North America, so-called]; hence his views need to be addressed.

I can understand that in this day and age it is difficult for most Muslims in America to provide an honest explication of the Qur'an on Jihad. Dr. Badawi could have come up with some valid excuses not to discuss the central meaning of Jihad in the Qur'an. For instance, he could have said: Instead we find Dr. Badawi coming up with a meaning of Jihad which violates the text of the Qur'an and contradicts the meaning of Jihad as taught by the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh and as understood by the Sahabah, r.a.
  1. JIHAD is PRESCRIBED and OBLIGATORY in the QUR'AN.

    The main point Dr. Badawi makes is as follows:

    "Even when the Qur'an speaks about defensive war, it never glorifies it or calls it "Holy", but as something which is inherently hated [2:216-217]."

    However when we look at 2:216-217, clearly the exact opposite of Dr. Badawi's claim is true. Allah is commanding that fighting is OBLIGATORY on Muslims although the Muslims might dislike it. Here is the text:

    "Fighting is prescribed for you and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you, but Allah knows, and ye know not." [2:216]

    The words for "prescribed" or "obligatory" in Arabic are: 'kutiba alaikum" [literally "written down for you"] which are exactly the words used to make fasting obligatory: "kutiba alaikum us-siyam" [fasting is prescribed for you] 2:183.

    So our dear Dr. Badawi has changed something prescribed and obligatory into something "inherently hated." Hopefully he is not going to claim next that fasting too is "inherently hated" in Islam!


  2. JIHAD and MARTYRDOM: CENTRAL TO ISLAM:

    Dr. Badawi's attempt to present Jihad as marginal to Islam and not obligatory could be the result of his ignorance of Hadith. Perhaps he does not know that the Qur'an has to be interpreted with the help of the Hadith of the Prophet, pbuh, not according to one's own subjective notions. Here is what Muhammad, pbuh, the messenger of Allah, says about Jihad:

    [From Abu Qatada, r.a.: The messenger of Allah, pbuh, said while standing among his companions:] " Jihad in the way of Allah and faith in Allah are the greatest of all deeds." Whereupon a person asked: O messenger of Allah! If I am killed while fighting in the way of Allah, will all my sins be removed? The messenger of Allah replied: "Yes! If you are killed in Allah's way and are perseverent while fighting to achieve that end and move forward seeking that reward and do not show your back [to the enemy.]" [Hadith, Bukhari, Muslim]

    Any doubts about the centrality of Jihad in the Islamic world view should be dispelled by the following Hadith which goes beyond Jihad to the teaching of martyrdom in Allah's way:

    From Abu Huraira, r.a., the messenger of Allah, pbuh, said: "... By Him in whose hand is my life, I wish with all my heart to be killed in Allah's way and be brought back to life, be killed again and be brought back to life, be killed a third time and brought back to life and killed again!" [Hadith, Sahih Muslim. kitabal-imarat: section on the excellence of Jihad and going forth to fight in Allah's way.]

    Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, taught that every capability of the Muslim's entire being should be put into fighting those who associate others with Allah and bring about the disruption of the just way of life:

    "Fight the associators [mushrikeen] with your wealth, and with your lives and with your words." [Hadith, Sunan of Abu Dawud, kitab al-jihad, chapter on the harm of giving up armed struggle, Sunan of Nasai, kitab al-Jihad, chapter on the obligatory duty of Jihad, Sunan of Darimi, kitab al-Jihad, chapter on fighting the associators by one's tongue and by one's hand [Also Musnad of Ahmad, al-Mustadrak of Hakim and Sahih of Ibn Hiban]

    I hope Dr. Badawi gets the point, otherwise there are numerous other Hadith which support the excellence of Jihad in Allah's way.


  3. JIHAD is HOLY and AGAINST CULTURAL IMPERIALISM WHICH OBSTRUCTS The WAY OF ISLAM

    Dr. Badawi did not quote the next verse otherwise it would have taken the wind out of his claim that Islam considers fighting as not "holy" and something hated. In fact 2:217 tells us clearly the centrality of the purpose of Jihad in Islam. The Muslim should prefer death over acceptance of oppression and slavery. Armed struggle here is so holy that it even cancels out the holiness of months in which fighting is prohibited. The verse says:

    "They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Months. Say: 'Fighting therein is a grave (offense), but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Mosque and to drive out its people.' FITNA [oppression and wrong doing] is worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith, if they can...[2:217 to the end]

    So this is not just self-defense. It includes fighting against what what we call "cultural imperialism" in modern language: Dr. Badawi's next important point about the armed struggle:
    "the combative Jihad, is allowed in the Qur'an for legitimate self-defense in the face of unprovoked aggression or in resisting severe oppression, on religious or other grounds [2:190-194]."


  4. JIHAD and WORSHIP: PARTS of a COMPLETE ETHOS

    Here Dr. Badawi's use of the term "combative jihad" is deceptive. It gives the impression that there are many kinds of Jihad and "combative jihad" is only one of them. [The term in the Qur'an for actual fighting is "qital": There is nothing equivalent to the term "combative" in the Qur'an. Dr. Badawi here is attempting to take the holiness out of Jihad by using this weird terminology.]

    Jihad in the Way of Allah is strictly related in the Qur'an to fighting or "qital." The non-fighting aspects of Jihad too are related to "qital" and not separated from it. For instance, preparation of weaponry, organization, discipline, worship, caring for the families of fighters can all be aspects of "qital." Also, there are stages of the struggle which include dialogue, confrontation without conflict, self-sacrifice in front of tyrants, but these are all parts of the total context of Jihad, not separate fragments.

    Dr. Badawi has tried to present a fragmented picture of Islam in which the armed struggle and the preaching and praying are separated from each other to such an extent that an impression of "two Islams" is created.


  5. JIHAD against MUSLIM EXPLOITERS who PRACTICE CAPITALISM:

    Dr. Badawi is out of touch with the Qur'an: Hence he leaves out ALTOGETHER important aspects of Jihad which are empatically taught to Muslims by Allah. One is that of Jihad against EXPLOITERS [such as, historically, the usurious Jews] who make money from money. Aggressive capitalism even if run by people with Muslim names, which has taken over the Muslim world, would be the subject of Jihad. Here is what the Qur'an says:

    "O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury [riba, bank interest], if ye are indeed believers. If ye do it not, take notice of WAR from Allah and His messenger: but if ye repent, ye shall have your capital sums: Deal not unjustly, and ye shall not be dealt with unjustly." [The Qur'an 2:278-279.]

    The word in the Arabic is HURB, which simply means war, much more directly than the relatively more complex "jihad fi sabil Allah." An excellent example of this situation in our times is the relationship "Saudi" Arabia has with the financial institutions of the United States such as Chase Manhattan.


  6. JIHAD AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO DISHONOR WOMEN:

    Most Muslims and non-Muslims focus on the dress of modesty Muslim women wear when they go outdoors. It's in sura 33 verse 59. However, the Muslims in our decadent times ignore verses 60 and 61 which teach Muslims to fight against MEN who continue to misbehave. They, the Qur'an says, should be seized and slain. Here are the three verses:

    "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when out of doors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested. And Allah is oft Forgiving, most Merciful. Truly, if the Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the city, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbors for any length of time: They shall have a curse on them: wherever they are found, they shall be seized and slain." [The Qur'an 33:59-61]

    One reason why there is so much exploitation in the Muslim world is that Muslims keep telling women to cover themselves but do not move to seize and slay those men who try to disturb the social order of modesty and decency taught by Allah. Along with the attempt to disrobe women is the entire industry based on night clubs, liquor, fornication and the general "night life" of the West being imported into Muslim countries.


  7. JIHAD AGAINST SLAVERY.

    Allah ordained early in the mission of Muhammad, pbuh, that the purpose of Islam is to FREE the SLAVES. The Qur'an describes the Islamic struggle thus:

    "And what will explain to thee the path that is steep? It is to free the slave ...." [The Qur'an 90:12-13]

    Most people remember the peaceful way in which Abu Bakr, r.a., freed Bilal, r.a., from slavery, but most forget that passage in Hadith which indicates that Bilal, r.a., slew his slave master, Ummaya, on the field of battle. [See Sirat Rasul Allah, The Life of the Messenger of Allah, pbuh, by ibn Ishaq.]

    When the Islamic system was organized, one of the segments of obligatory charity ordained by Allah were funds to free the slaves:

    "....spend of your substance, out of love for Him ....to set slaves free." [The Qur'an 2:177]

    The Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad, pbuh, waged war to set slaves free. Tens of thousands of slaves were freed by Muhammad, pbuh, and his Companions. Ayesha, r.a., the blessed wife of Muhammad, pbuh, set free numerous slaves. Abu Bakra, r.a., [not to be confused with Abu Bakr, the First Caliph] was among the slaves who were freed from Taif when the Prophet waged war against that obdurate city which was under the control of arrogant tribal chiefs.

    The Qur'an also taught that captives taken in war are to be freed, [47:4] thus making a break in the history of human warfare. In cases of total defeat and decimation of the enemy, Islam brought captive women into the Islamic family system and Muslim men were urged to marry such captive women, with the Prophet himself [see the case of the Jewish woman Safiya, r.a., after the battle of Khaibar] and Ali, r.a., leading by example. This again broke the history of enslavement of women in war time which all nations practiced.

    Muhammad, pbuh, spent his life after the Hijra on the field of battle. Later, his companions dismantled the superpowers of that time through Jihad. Dr. Jamal Badawi has belittled their lives by diminishing the centrality of Jihad in Islam.


  8. JIHAD against OPPRESSION: Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnia, Afghanistan, Iraq.

    Dr. Badawi did mention oppression but he glossed over it without pointing out its comprehensive nature. The verses which he mentioned, 2:190-194, would have done serious harm to his thesis that fighting is hateful in Islam: so he did not quote them. In any case, these verses are about self-defense and fighting against aggression. They are NOT about oppression. Perhaps Dr. Badawi does not understand what oppression means. It is a condition of helplessness and hopelessness where the oppressor seems to be too strong to be tackled.

    For instance, the Russians took over Chechnia, the Indians took over Kashmir, the Jews took over Palestine, the Americans took over Afghanistan and Iraq. If the people of these lands do not carry out Jihad, and there is no Muslim force able to carry out Jihad, the occupiers will simply implement their agenda to de-Islamize these countries and make them over in their own image. The occupiers will not have to carry out any physical killing and murdering when the slaves are too terrified to fight back.

    The Qur'an calls such oppressed people MUSTADAFIN Dr. Badawi missed the term and thus showed that he is incompetent as far as understanding the Qur'an is concerned. Here is what the Qur'an says:

    "And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who are weak [mustadafin], from among the men and women and children, who are saying: 'Our Lord, rescue us from this territory whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Thee, one who will protect, and raise for us from Thee one who will help." [4:75]

    Note that here the cause of Allah and of the mustadafin is ONE and the SAME.

    The Qur'an teaches not only Jihad to rescue the oppressed people but also the preparation for Jihad which would deter oppression and would put the fear of Allah in the hearts of enemies whom the Muslims may not even know of and who may be waiting to strike:

    "Against your enemy, make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides whom ye may not know but whom Allah does know. Whatever ye shall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly." [8:60]


  9. JIHAD is not UNHOLY WAR: IT DEFENDS ALL THAT IS HOLY to the people of the Creator.

    Dr. Jamal Badawi took a very defensive position by claiming that there is no "HOLY WAR" in Islam and in fact even the term is not used in the Qur'an. From the lexical point of view, he is right. The term is not used, but he is dead wrong in thinking that Islam does not have a sense of the sacred and that Jihad is something secular or even unholy!

    Islam's sense of the sacred and the holy is much stronger and more inclusive than that of any other religion. Jihad includes armed struggle to secure the sacredness of all holy places. Here is the key verse which Dr. Badawi missed. Note the natural movement from self-defense to the defense of refugees to defense of sacred places:

    "To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight) because they are wronged, - and verily Allah is most powerful for their aid, - those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- except that they say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' If Allah did not ward off one set of people by means of another, there would have surely been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid His cause; - for verily Allah is full of Strength, exalted in Might." [22:39-40]

    [To be continued, inshallah]
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2005-07-24 Sun 21:47ct
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