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Rajab 26, 1426/September 1, 2005 #68
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THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
Bush's entire team has shown once again that it is inept and
incapable of dealing urgently and in a timely fashion with
large scale human suffering. On September 1, Homeland Security
boss Chertoff made a complete fool of himself on NPR radio
when he would not accept a reporter's eyewitness account
that 2000 people at the New Orleans' Convention Center are
without food, water and medicine for the 3rd day, and old
people are lying dead at the door.
Scroll down
to reports on chaos and racism
in the wake of the hurricane.
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[10 stricken Muslim Families from New Orleans are on the
way to Greensboro, North Carolina where GMRF, Gulf Medical
Relief Fund, has prepared housing for them.
Please scroll down
for appeal from GMRF]
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Woman Leader Calls for Urgent Relief for New Orleans
Muslims, Non-Muslims: We are One Human Family
by Sis. Ashira Na'im, Baltimore, Maryland
The past 3 days have found me so gloomy--not knowing what has
happened to my family members in my hometown of New Orleans.
Now, after seeing that gloom will not help, I have decided
to make this appeal to others like myself who want to do
something to help.
We have a 501-C3 tax exempt organization called FEET
(Family Extended Educational Tide) that's been helping
others for over 20 years, especially in the areas of temporary
housing and education.
Help us to help as many survivors as we can. We have
representatives in both New Orleans and Houston. Our
representatives in Baltimore are standing by.
Send your contributions to help people with the basic necessities:
food, clothing, shelter. You can also send your monies directly
to our bank account, with the notation:
for Katrina survivors
The bank is Bank of America [ Account # for FEET is: 003935382984].
You will be sent receipt for your contribution.
No more than 10% of your contribution will
be used for administrative fees to cover the cost of operations.
To mail checks to us: Make payable to:
Family Extended Educational Tide or
FEET
Post Office Box 39732
Baltimore, Maryland 21212
May God bless us and have mercy on us as we strive to
help the human family. May we receive His forgiveness.
You can reach us by calling 410-435-5000, ext. 5
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For Our Appeal issued on August 29 from GMRF and FEET, see below.
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MEANWHILE the WAR Continues
Iraq: In August 2005, the U.S. miltary's monthly death
toll in Iraq reached the highest it has been since the
invasion began, except for the 2 months of fighting in
Fallujah. A total of 83 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in August.
August also ended with the biggest tragedy to hit the Shi'ite
communities of Iraq. At least 760 people were killed neared
the tomb of a Shi'ite imam in Baghdad when a mass panic
developed in a large crowd. Many of those who died in the
crush were women and children.
The puppet Jaafari clique installed by the U.S. as rulers of
Iraq claimed that a rumor of a "suicide bomber" started the
panic. This is a typical ploy by U.S. puppets to blame the
mujahideen and to create sectarian hatred. It appears that
through Sistani, puppet Jaafari and Allawi are using the
innocent Shi'ite civilians as cannon fodder to unite them
behind a pro-Iran regime under U.S. protection. The sending
out of such large numbers of civilians into a war zone itself
shows criminal intent.
Many Shi'ites do not agree with Sistani-Jaafari-Allawi.
Syed Muqteda al-Sadr recently showed that he still
has the strength to stand up against this triumvirate when
heavy fighting erupted between his followers and those of
the pro-Iran-pro-Americans. Pictures of the Syed are carried
by Sunni demonstrators along with those of President
Saddam Hussain. Syed Muqteda Al-Sadr gives the hope that
the Sunnis and Shias of Iraq will unite.
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New Trend's Staff Report on the Hurricane Aftermath
Hurricane Katrina May Turn Out to be Worse than 9.11
By the end of August 31 it was becoming clear that Katrina has
struck a deadly blow. The numbers of people dead in New Orleans
might be not in hundreds but in thousands. It appears now that
the entire one MILLION people of this beautiful city have
become refugees and may not be able to return to their homes
before three months or never at all.
In Gulf Port and Biloxi and other little towns on the coast
of Mississippi and Alabama, all the casinos, bars, gambling
houses, hotels and all the related businesses dealing with sin
and corruption have been wiped out.
In the entire coastal area, there is NO ELECTRICITY,
NO DRINKING WATER, NO TELEPHONES and ALL BUSINESSES
are closed down. Losses are estimated at $20 billion
[insured] and countless millions uninsured.
LOOTING is going on in New Orleans and gun shots are ringing
out as gangs fight it out. There has been a general breakdown
of law and order.
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BUSH ADMINISTRATION DROPS the BALL
The night of August 29 [immediately after the hurricane struck],
the day of August 30, the night of August 30, the day of August 31
and the night of August 31, the Bush administration failed
miserably to to carry out any significant effort to rescue
the people struck by the hurricane.
The most powerful country in the world could not bring
FOOD and basic necessities to masses of its people.
Transportation was not available and it took all of
August 31 to take 50 people from New Orleans to Houston.
Nearly 70,000 are still stuck in the disaster area.
People were walking out of New Orleans on the highway,
hoping that they would be picked up.
People are asking: After spending BILLIONS of dollars on
Homeland Security and FEMA, the government was completely
helpless and left it to local authorities to rescue the victims.
President Bush made one more of his ridiculous statements,
asking the people to give cash for the victims! This man
spends ONE BILLION dollars a week to subjugate Iraq and he
wants people to donate at personal level for the suffering
people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Gradually, the American people will come forth to help
the needy, but the harm has already been done. The first
three crucial days and nights should have seen a whole
armada of helicopters, ships, boats coming in to help the
needy. It didn't happen except on a very small scale.
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RACISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD in NEW ORLEANS
As hurricane Katrina approached, Americans saw on TV long
lines of flashy cars and SUVs leaving New Orleans. Looks
like just about all the White folks and the Black elites got out.
Now look at the scenes after the storm: Thousands of the poor
and the needy were stuck in the superdome. ALMOST ALL OF THEM
were BLACK. They did not have the cars to leave the city.
They did not have money to buy bus tickets. They did not have
the money to stay in hotels elsewhere even if they had been
able to leave.
The Bush administration did not bring a fleet of buses to take
them out or a fleet of boats and helicopters to ferry them out.
Thus in 2005, the African population of America is still
largely poor, downtrodden, oppressed and exploited. This is
called INSTITUTIONAL RACISM. The society is shaped in such a
way that the poor are Black and continue to be the most
vulnerable section of the population.
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Jamaat al-Muslimeen
P.O. Box 10881
Baltimore, MD 21234
[Jamaat al-Muslimeen was the first Muslim organization in
America to appeal for help for the stricken people. See our
RED ALERT of August 29. Here we repeat our appeal.]
HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED:
These Muslim organizations have roots in Louisiana.
The sister of one of our activists worked in the
superdome helping people during the storm.
The mosques of New Orleans and the environs are under water,
as far as we know. Many Muslims were able to leave but the
poorer ones are probably still stuck there or are "refugees."
Help will also be given to non-Muslims. Most Muslims here
have non-Muslim relatives.
Please rush your donations to the following addresses.
[Goods should also be collected for the time after the
situation stabilizes somewhat.]
Here are two Muslim relief organizations which are fully
registered and documented to help people. They are
tax exempt and able to provide help and volunteers:
Gulf Medical Relief Fund [GMRF]
c/o P.O. Box 10402
Greensboro, NC 27404
[Phone:
Imam Badi Ali:
336-988-0818]
[The original address of GMRF is in the New Orleans area but it
was hit by the storm and probably will not be available till
things return to normal.]
GMRF will provide immediate relief to the needy,
including food, vitamins and health needs.
Family Extended Educational Tide [FEET]
P.O. Box 39732
Baltimore, MD 21212
[Phone: 410-435-5000]
This second organization will provide help for sheltering
the homeless, particularly women and children who do not
have males with them.
The founder of FEET is originally from New Orleans.
We urge you to donate generously and without delay.
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BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
We have copies in stock of the new book by Dr. Sherman Jackson, Islam and the Black American"[$29.95].
Also, Revolution by the Book by Imam Jamil Al-Amin has been reprinted [$12].
For more information you can reach me at
Dar Es Salaam Books, 4000 34th St. Mt. Rainier, Md 20712.
301-209-0010.
Hodari Abdul-Ali
------------------------------------
Ongoing Jewish attempts to Silence
Dr. Siddique
[The local Rabbi Complained: Result: A Top Front Page Article
on Kaukab Siddique in the Daily Local New, main paper serving
the area where he works. See our rebuttal in the next New Trend.]
[Note CAIR's Cute response: How dishonest and arrogant this
lick spittle heavily funded group is!]
Top Stories
Muslim professor draws ire
MICHAEL CRIST, Staff Writer
08/28/2005
The disclaimer at the top of the Islamic online magazine
New Trend clearly states that it does not endorse violence
of any kind, and that it is against racism, classism,
gender superiority, Zionism and imperialism. However,
some tend to disagree.
The magazine's editor, Dr. Kaukab Siddique, who is also an
English professor at Lincoln University, has recently come
under fire by several Jewish organizations, including the
Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League,
for content they have characterized as anti-Semitic, a
charge Siddique vehemently denies.
"I'm a Semite myself, so there is nothing on the basis of
anti-Semitism," Siddique said. "I work at Lincoln University,
which is an all-African-American institution, and I wouldn't
last there a day if there were racist overtones."
Much of the controversy has centered on Siddique's support
of Holocaust revisionism and his views on Zionism.
In a book review posted on the Web site
www.newtrendmag.org ,
Siddique describes the Holocaust as "a Jewish milk cow,"
adding "The Auschwitz story ... has been a regular fundraiser
for Israel and the funding of the Israeli occupation of Palestine."
In another essay, Siddique writes, "There is no evidence
available that Hitler planned or ordered the wholesale
decimation of Jews. The Jewish narratives of the gassing
of six million Jews too cannot be substantiated."
Also, according to a story in New Trend, "America's Jews
control the American media, big business, Wall Street,
Hollywood, Madison Avenue and the Pentagon.
They have a stranglehold on America's universities and
the medical system."
According to a July 14 online Cybercast News Service story,
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center, wrote a letter to
Lincoln University stating, "(Siddique's) Web site ..
embraces prominent bigots and racists who deny the WWII Nazi Holocaust
and equates Zionism with Racism, while accusing Israel of Genocide."
Cooper also wondered whether these views were being included
in the classroom, but Siddique said they are not at all. "I'm
a very professional person and teach what I'm supposed to teach."
Though the university was not at liberty to discuss Siddique's
personal activities, Michael Hill, vice president of development
and external communications, indirectly said that Siddique was
a highly regarded professor at the institution.
"Dr. Siddique has been with the university since 1985. He
became tenured in 1991. There's a whole routine professors
go through, and quality is certainly one of the determining
factors," Hill said. "You can intimate that at the point
that he went through the process, he was truly a valuable
asset to the university."
The Anti-Defamation League posted an article on its Web site
titled "Demonizing Jews: Anti-Semitism in the Saudi Media,"
which included an excerpt from an article Siddique wrote for
ArabNews.com, a Saudi English Daily news service.
The ADL cited the article that stated, "We are against the Jews
because they have usurped Palestine ... Remember, you cannot
appease the Jews who run this country by being quiet and humble."
What the ADL did not cite, Siddique asserted, was the paragraph
preceding that statement that said, "We are not against Jews
as a collective."
Siddique said that these attacks by the "American Jewish community"
are aimed to silence him.
"These are issues that need to be discussed. There's been wrongs
against the Jews, as well as others," he said. "This is a free
country. We need to deal with the issues, not try to silence a person."
Rabbi Eric Rosin, of Kesher Israel in West Chester, said the
tradition of Holocaust denials is based on political motivation
rather than verifiably sound evidence.
"If you deny the tragedy of the Holocaust, you can deny the
legitimacy of the state of Israel," Rosin said. Those who hold
on to those beliefs are not interested in finding the truth,
but putting forth a political agenda."
Siddique countered by saying, "There should be an open forum.
If someone can cite something specifically that is false,
they're invited to send a message to the magazine. Anyone
who objects is welcomed to write."
Rosin said New Trend was free to share its view, but "I'm
comfortable in letting the intellectual structure of universities
and its marketplace of ideas decide on the truths or untruths of
these stories."
Rosin, who has been involved in many interfaith programs with
the Islamic Center of West Chester, said he would not ascribe
the words on the Web site to Muslims throughout the world or
Muslims here in America -- another group New Trend has criticized.
After the London bombings on July 7, New Trend called several
American Muslim groups, including the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, "American Muslim
bootlickers" for sending condolences to the British Embassy.
New Trend's main issue was that "the idea that the entire body
of American Muslims should condole with the British is damaging
for the self-respect and dignity of American Muslims. It implies
that all of us are to be held responsible for what happened."
However, the magazine did issue a note on an article that
appeared on its site the day of the bombings that stated in
part, "We Americans must oppose all human suffering. ..We must
be against war, whether it is carried out by Apache
helicopters, tanks, F-16s or guerrilla fighters with sticks of dynamite."
New Trend also asked why "CAIR did not ask anyone to condole with
the people of Baghdad, Najaf, Fallujah, Ramadi .. and other Iraqi cities."
Adeeba Al-Zaman, director of communications for CAIR Philadelphia,
said, "We do not comment on fringe and unknown groups, and will
not dignify the allegations with an answer."
Dr. Mazhar Rishi, director of education programs and
principal of Sunday school at the Islamic Society of
Chester County, said the views of the Jewish community
expressed by New Trend are not shared by the majority
of American Muslims.
"There's always a group that has different ideas that do not
represent the mainstream," he said.
Rishi did agree with some of the content on the Web site,
particularly a page that allegedly showed civilian victims
in Palestine, as well as other Arab states.
"I think a majority of people agree that these things should
not happen," Rishi said. "The media don't show these pictures
and people need to know what's happening."
But Rishi cautioned that people have done damage on each side,
and that more should be done to bring the groups together
to bring peace.
"I don't think God wants us to fight each other.
We're all his children," he said. "There have been
contributions from all three faiths, and it is excellent
when we work together.
"We need to focus our energy on living together in peace.
That's what is most important, rather than propagating hate.
We can neutralize that by saying good things."
Siddique did not see the point of discussing the magazine
at length, but encouraged anyone who had an issue with
the content to send responses.
İDaily Local News 2005
[Published by permission of the Daily Local News.]
----------------------------------------
Abuse of Iraqi Children by US forces
By Amina Shaikh, London, England
[A New Trend exclusive from a young Muslimah.]
The previous scandal to hit headlines, was when facts emerged that
US/Coalition forces had tortured Iraqis in notorious prisons such
as Abu Ghraib. As if this revelation was not horrific enough,
according to a classified report by UNICEF, children in Iraq
are being subjected to severe torture and prolonged periods
of detention without access to lawyers and contact with
their families. Those of you who have been following this
aspect of the atrocities will have known that these
revelations did emerge last year.
A section of a report by UNICEF in July 2003 stated that there
is an inaccurate amount of number of detainees that are
children due to organisations such as International Committee
of Red Cross being denied access. This lack of transparency
raises a lot of questions, because even tyrannical regimes
that are taking part in similar practices give access to
human rights organisations. So what are they hiding?
According to eyewitness reports the age group of children varies,
even as young as those under the age of puberty. There are
accounts where children for instance have been forced to strip
naked, cuffed together face to face while US soldiers were
taking pictures and female soldiers were laughing at them.
Another example in a newspaper report last year stated that
a 15-year-old girl was shoved up against a wall by a group
of male soldiers who proceeded to manhandle her.
While organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International
have reported a number of violations on human rights during the
Saddam Hussein's regime; there seems now to be a re-occurrence
of this on a systematic basis but this time at the
hands of the 'liberators'.
How long will people remain silent when on a daily basis people
who pride themselves on being a beacon for human rights are
committing such atrocities? Surely by adopting such tactics
this serves to further alienate the Iraqis and even those who
did not take arms against the occupiers may re-think their
position simply because these acts of barbarity are occurring
without any legal redress. There doesn't seem to be much justice
for the ordinary Iraqi citizens.
Close examination for instance upon the Abu Ghraib scandal
would lead anyone to question whether or not justice was really
done. Knowledge of abuse on that scale was prevalent well
before it was out in the mainstream media. The questions that
are then posed is why did it take so long for ordinary citizens
like you and me to find out? In light of the horrendous acts,
were the perpetrators really caught? In the absence of a full
scale and independent investigation has justice been done? If
there is no scope for justice for the Abu Ghraib scandal then
what hope do we have for the scandal pertaining to children.
The result of the UNICEF report has led to pressure groups
such as those in Norway to speak out; there does not seem to
be any action taken though by the forces in Iraq to close down
such detention centres that house children and where necessary
for alternative humane measures to be in place.
Putting aside that there are gross human rights violations
and breaches of international conventions against torture,
it is an accepted fact that under torture and severe
humiliation suspects despite being innocent may confess to
a crime that they did not commit. So what is the purpose of
using such methods and why have the West emulated the same
tactics that are used by despotic regimes who they themselves
often criticise and call for democratic reform? Isn't it time that
the US takes a leaf out of their book and study the true meaning
of human rights?
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2005-09-02 Fri 18:40ct
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