Minst åtte personer ble skadd da den første homofestivalen som er arrangert i Sarajevo, ble angrepet av unge menn onsdag.
Mange av dem som angrep festivalen, ropte «Drep de homofile» og «Allahu Akbar» (Allah er stor).

Vad säger de "toleranta" i Norge då?
Det islamiska rådet i Norge uppmanar muslimska homosexuella att "komma ut " !!
De bor i Norge, ett demokratiskt land, och de är fria att komma ut, säger Senaid Kobilica ledare för det Islamiska rådet Norge till Dagsavisen. Han betonar att ingen bör leva i rädsla för sin sexualitet "Mest av allt de behöver någon att tala med. Imamer måste därför vara öppna för att lyssna till homosexuella muslimer. Vi rekommenderar att alla respekterar homosexuella och lesbiska, säger Kobilica.

Man är inte lite fräcka, när man befinner sig i Norden så uppvisar man en fasad, när man har majoritet, så är islam sitt rätta jag.

To continue our meanings of the dhikr posts, we'll analyze Takbeer which means to say: Allahu Akbar.

Allah ta'ala says in Suratul Israa ayah 111:

وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا

"and glorify Him with a great glorification".

Both of these words in the ayah are from kaaf-ba-ra (ك-ب-ر) or kabar, which means to be great. كَبِّرْهُ Kabirhu means: Make Him great, declare His Greatness, Exalt Him, Magnify Him. How? تَكْبِيرًا ,takbeera, by saying Allahu Akbar. This is the highest and best way to Exalt Allah.

Furthermore, there is a deeper meaning to "Allahu Akbar".  It's not just Allahu Akbar, it is : Allahu akbaru min kulli shay'in, Allah is greater than everything. When we say Allahu Akbar, we are implying this whole phrase although "min kulli shay'in", "than everything" is omitted from the sentence.

When we start the prayer we say Allahu Akbar, Allah is THE Greatest--He is Greater than EVERYTHING ELSE. So we put everything aside that's in our mind, all of those things we are thinking ofand say Allah is the greatest, more important than all these things, and this helps us focus and keep a good connection with Allah during prayer, and have more khushoo' (humility). We say Allahu Akbar throughout the salaah to keep reminding us: Allah is Greater than everything else, so keep your attention to Him and His Remembrance.

The word Akbar is categorized as 'ism tafdeel' in Arabic grammar, which means it is the superlative. So Akbar can mean greater or greatest--Akbar is the highest meaning of great: the most great, the greatest.

So when we say "Allahu Akbar", it means: Allah is The Greatest, and He is Greater than everything else.

say Allahu Akbar.

The same thing can be said about the sea too. It is vast, calm and deep. Still there can be tsunamis.

The first wave of so called ‘Sinhalese Buddhist’ talibanic tsunami hit us in 2003 – in the immediate aftermath of the demise of Ven. Gangodawila Soma thero. Racism and ethnic hatred are not uncommon in Lankan society but there were no precedents for the abuse of religion for political purposes at such low level. Not even in 1956, with the liberal unleash of chauvinism under the opportunistic leadership of S W R D Bandaranaike.

To give credit to those who deserve it, Ven. Soma thero has always been reluctant to jump to the mud hole of politics. Perhaps he realized it was not his forte. Perhaps he was not dreaming for a Mercedes Benz. In the non-materialistic universe of Ven. Soma thero the place for a Bhikku was at a higher orbit – not so close to earth. So he kept out of politics, leaving it for mortal souls like ourselves.

The politically motivated JHU Benz-wallahs were the opposite. Seeing the opportunity they jumped immediately –like bunch of pariah dogs jump for a bone or bitch under heat. They could win nine seats in the 2004 General Election – a significant number for a party born yesterday – but little did the apolitical upasaka ammas who voted under a kind of religious giddiness know what was in for them.

Ever since it was a bumpy ride. Benz-wallahs broke every possible rule in the book. They sold car permits, abducted their own colleagues, threw ‘parusha vacha’ and ‘pisuna vacha’ not only at political enemies, but also at others belong to different factions. Staged few dramas like the event at Sharuk Khan’s show. (Poor Sharuk! He never returned!) During a ‘fast unto death’ (rather fast unto hospitalization) event at Kandy JHU cheevaradharis behaved like common thugs in closing down the shops.

Still there is something called ‘karma’. We saw it at work when some of them got their testicles massaged by the good doctor Mervin Silva reminding us ‘ditta dhamma vedaniya karmaya’.

All this would have been fine. We would have been enjoyed the comedy if not the believers of other religions were unnecessarily brought in the middle of all this.

Christians and Catholics were the first victims. Overnight even the Sinhalese Christians became non-indigenous; non-Bhumiputra, ‘arrived yesterday’ outsiders. All Christians and Catholics were the target for handful of conversions that have been carried out by few non-traditional and small Christian groups. The madness knew no limits. Only God would have known how many churches have been burnt down ever since.

Then the Muslims. Courtesy of JHU , poor in Ampara were denied shelter simply because of their belief. When thousands of Muslims were unceremoniously chased off from Glennie street there wasn’t anybody even to raise a voice.

Things would not have been so deplorable if not for the Kurrakkan uncle – the opportunists’ opportunist - who saw nothing wrong in riding this racist wave for his own political gains. The outcome was catastrophic. The level of racism unleashed at the 2005 Presidential election was incredible. The divisions in society caused deep wounds, which will never be healed. All these because of the greed of one individual – to make his the royal family of Lanka.

The recent incidents in and out of the Supreme Court too are the continuation of the same drama. What Taliban wants it clear. They look for a discrimination that treats them better than the rest of the society. Muslims chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ is not tolerable; but noise pollution by temples is not only acceptable but welcome as well. No, we do not want to stand for anybody. We are supreme and above the law. See where they are leading?

As Buddhists, how long are we going to tolerate this Taliban mafia? Shouldn’t it high time that we stand up and say we are tired of all this nonsense and that as Buddhists we do not expect to be treated better than the rest – rather we do not want anyone else mistreated?

These are questions we should ask ourselves as Buddhists, Sinhalese and Sri Lankans. It is not a question of a political party. It is a question of our common future. The damage caused by these extremists to the Lankan society is no means small. We already live in a highly divided society thanks to all racist forces that divided us ever since 1956. Isn’t this the time to use our brains and not our hearts?

While pondering about ‘ashta loka dharmaya’ – alone and dejected – in a small dirty room in the police station we believe the images of JHU leaders Champika ‘kata-misa-weda-nethi’ Ranawaka and Udaya ‘tax’ Gammanpila will certainly come to his mind. These two gentlemen were one of the parties responsible for making the unauthorised use of loud speakers after 10 pm illegal.

(Strictly speaking use of loudspeakers out of specified limits was banned through a police ordinance, not by an act in Paliament, but it is an open secret JHU openly supported it.)

Not that I question the law. Once passed everybody has to obey the law - monks or laymen. The law does not recognise the difference. Further noise pollution is bad – religious institutions generating noise pollution is worse. I am glad that we have at least some laws against noise pollution. None of these is the point.

The whole point is the irony of the situation. A Buddhist monk has been remanded for breaking a law promoted by a political party that by its very name, committed to safe guard the Buddhist heritage. Should one laugh or cry?

From its early ‘Sihala Urumaya’ days, the key objective of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was to condemn any religion other then Theravada Buddhism. The only policy JHU ever had could be summerised in this one line: ‘Down with Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Catholics; only Sinhalese Buddhist have the ultimate right to live in this land.’

JHU’s hatred for Christians and Muslims is no secret. Serious questions have been asked about their involvement in the attacks on churches. Its racist politics have even crossed the limits of humanity when it stood against poor Muslims having houses in Ampara district. Would Buddha have ever endorsed denying basic shelter to non-believers?

When JHU was introducing this law to curb religions activities of Muslims – amplified chanting of ‘Allahu Akbar’ five times a day I do not think they ever dreamt it would one day boomerang on Buddhists – who make 100% of their own voter base. What they did not know (or ignored) was that the law does not differentiate between Buddhists and Muslims. So the medicine Champika ‘kata-misa-weda-nethi’ Ranawaka and Udaya ‘tax’ Gammanpila had in their mind was also forced down the throats of Buddhist monks. Pity that Ven. Pannala Pannarathne thero had to learn it the hard way.

Do we need any more examples that Jathika Hela Urumaya is the dumbest political party in Sri Lanka?

A Bedouin was walking with his dog in the desert, carrying a leather skin of water on his shoulder, and crying pitifully as he went along. When asked why he was crying, he replied,

“Because my dog is dying of thirst!” 

“Why don’t you give him some of your water, then?” the person said.

“Because I might need it for myself.”

So it is with many who aspire to the Path of Love. They enjoy reading Rumi and Hafez and other Sufi books, and hearing Sufi music, and listening to Sufi Shaykhs give talks, and they like calling themselves Sufis or darvishes, but when it comes time to put it into practice, their nafs, their self-absorbed ego, has second thoughts.

The Sufi prayer (namaz) is only two rak’ats. In order to perform these two rak’ats, Sufis do their ablutions with the water of love, then face the qibla of “And wherever you turn, there is God’s countenance.”, and repeat Allahu akbar four times.

·         With the first Allahu akbar, they put the world and all of its inhabitants behind them.

·         With the second Allahu akbar, they forget the hereafter.

·         With the third Allahu akbar, they cast the very thought of anything other than God out of their heart.

·         With the fourth Allahu akbar, they forget even themselves.

Only then do they begin the prayer, performing the two rak’ats sincerely over the corpse of their nafs (egos).The ablution alone for this namaz (prayer) takes most Sufis many years. If they manage to complete the ablution, they spend more years on the first Allahu akbar, and there are very few who get to the second and forget the two worlds.

Jakarta (Kabarin) - GALERI FOTO JURNALISTIK ANTARA (GFJA) mengundang Sahabat semua untuk menghadiri pembukaan pameran & peluncuran Buku Fotografi karya Zarqoni Maksum,

"MAKKAH FINAL DESTINATION"

Pembukaan oleh Menteri Agama RI Bapak Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni

Kamis, 28 Agustus 2008, Pukul: 19.30 WIB

GALERI FOTO JURNALISTIK ANTARA
Jl. Antara No. 59, Pasar Baru, Jakarta 10710
T/F: (62-21 3458771)
www.gfja.org / blog.gfja.org

Pameran berlangsung 28 AGUSTUS - 12 OKTOBER 2008
Pukul 10.00 WIB s/d 21.00 WIB
(Hari Senin tutup)

Gallery Talk "Catatan Visual Perjalanan Spiritual"
Taufik Ismail, Mohammad Sobary, Asro Kamal Rokan
(dilanjutkan dengan buka puasa bersama)
Jumat, 19 September 2008, Pukul: 15:00 - 17:30 WIB

Rangkaian Pameran Foto:

Sky Dining Plaza Semanggi Jakarta
1 - 10 September 2008
Pembukaan: 5 September 2008, Pukul: 16.00 WIB
Pertunjukan: Kotak & Tari Saman SMU 28 Jakarta

Sun Plaza Medan
12 - 20 September 2008
Pembukaan: 12 September 2008, Pukul: 16.00 WIB

_________________________________________________________________________________

ANTARA GALLERY FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM

Cordially invites you to attend
the opening of a photo exhibition & a Photography Book launching
By Zarqoni Maksum

"MAKKAH FINAL DESTINATION"

Will be opened by the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia
Bapak Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni

Thursday, 28 August 2008, at 07:30 PM

GALERI FOTO JURNALISTIK ANTARA
Jl. Antara No. 59, Pasar Baru, Jakarta 10710
P/F: (62-21 3458771)
www.gfja.org / blog.gfja.org

The exhibition will run from 28 AUGUST until 12 OCTOBER 2008
10:00 AM- 09:00 PM
(Closed in Mondays)

Gallery Talk "A Visual Note of A Spiritual Journey"
Taufik Ismail, Mohammad Sobary, Asro Kamal Rokan
(will be continued with breaking the fast)
Friday, 19 September 2008, at 3:00 PM to 05:30 PM

Connected Photo Exhibition:
1 - 10 September 2008

Opening: 5 September 2008, at 04:00 PM
Showing: Kotak & Saman Dance from SMU 28 Jakarta

12 - 20 September 2008
Opening: 12 September 2008, at 04:00. (*)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, August 15 (Compass Direct News) – A civil court on Aug. 5 denied a woman’s appeal to renounce Islam in favor of Christianity, highlighting the jurisdictional disputes in Malaysia’s dual legal system.

Lim Yoke Khoon had filed a suit in her original ethnic Chinese name to renounce Islam and embrace Christianity. In a 2-1 majority ruling, the Shah Alam Court of Appeal denied her case on a technicality: According to judges Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud and Sulong Mat Jeraie, Lim had ceased to exist under her original name when she converted to Islam and assumed a new name, Noorashikin Lim binti Abdullah.

The 35-year-old Lim is reportedly expected to appeal to the country’s top civil court.

After marrying a Muslim man in 1994, Lim converted to Islam and obtained a new identity card with her Muslim name. She divorced three years later. In 2003, she applied for a change to her name and religion on her identity card, but the National Registration Department told her she must get permission from the Islamic sharia court to renounce Islam.

She sought a declaration from the high court that she was no longer a Muslim, but it ruled in 2006 that it had no jurisdiction to hear the case.

Malaysia’s civil courts have not been known to rule in favor of non-Muslims in conversion cases in recent years. Many, such as Lina Joy, have been directed to obtain an exit certificate from the sharia court in order to leave Islam. But Lina – and others like her – are reluctant to subject themselves to a religious court that has no jurisdiction over them since they are no longer professing Muslims.

Quelling Discussion

A public forum to discuss such jurisdictional disputes, in this case the dual court system’s effect on families of people who convert to Islam, was scheduled for Saturday (Aug. 9) but Muslim protestors succeeded in halting it after only one hour.

Sponsored by a body of legal practitioners called the Malaysian Bar Council, the public forum that began at 9 a.m. was scheduled to last until 1 p.m., but police advised organizers to end it at 10 a.m. as protestors outside the council headquarters shouting “Allahu Akbar [God is greater],” “Destroy Bar Council” and “Long Live Islam” became rowdy. A handful of protestors flanked by police officers marched into the building shouting for the meeting to end immediately.

The protestors included members from several Malay-Muslim movements, including the Malaysian Islamic Propagation and Welfare Organization and the Federation of Malay Students Union, as well as members of political parties such as the United Malays National Organization, the People’s Justice Party (PKR) and Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS).

The forum had been widely criticized by various Malay-Muslim groups and individuals for raising the ire of Muslims by touching on issues sensitive to Islam. Among those critical were cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Prior to the event, the Bar Council had been urged to either cancel the forum or hold the event behind closed doors, but the organizers decided to proceed albeit with the cautionary measure of requiring participants at the open forum to register.

A day prior to the forum, the Bar Council issued a press release to clarify the purpose of the forum through council Vice President Ragunath Kesavan. Ragunath made clear that the forum would not question the provisions of Article 121(1A), which confer jurisdiction over Muslims in personal, religious and family matters on the sharia courts, and that the forum would not question Islam or its status as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Rather, Ragunath said, the purpose of the meeting was to address issues affecting families of those who convert to Islam and were caught between the separate jurisdiction of the civil and sharia courts.

The morning of the forum, two unidentified men on motorcycles threw kerosene bombs into the compound of a residence formerly occupied by the president of the Bar Council, Ambiga Sreenevasan. Many believed the incident was linked to the Bar Council’s forum on conversion.

Other Muslim Responses

Not all Muslims agreed with the protestors’ actions.

Leaders of the Muslim political party PAS and Muslim-led multi-racial party, PKR, have distanced themselves from members who participated in the raucous disruption of the Bar Council forum.

Dr. Dzulkifli Ahmad, director of the PAS Research Centre, told The Star daily on Wednesday (Aug. 13), “We were unanimous that [the forum] should have been allowed to proceed,” and that “those who had united to oppose the forum had no understanding of the issue at hand.”

PKR Deputy President Syed Husin Ali reportedly also condemned the “rough action” of the protestors, although he said the party agreed with its adviser Anwar Ibrahim that the meeting should have been held behind closed doors “in view of the sensitive reactions and wrong perception among a section of the Malay-Muslim community.”

Karim Raslan, a Malay-Muslim columnist at The Star argued that “we can’t achieve any sense of mutual agreement unless we are willing to talk – and openly – to one another about the issues that matter.”

Non-Muslim Reactions

Civil society groups and members of the non-Muslim community, including those from the ruling coalition government, have also criticized the Muslim protestors’ actions for failing to acknowledge long-standing problems non-Muslims caught in jurisdictional conflict situations have had to face and endure.

Others have urged the government to take decisive and immediate steps to address the problems arising from the country’s dual legal system. In Malaysia, sharia laws are binding on Muslims in personal, religious and family matters while civil laws apply to all citizens.

Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, representing five different women’s groups, reportedly called on the government “to act against mob rule and to allow citizens more democratic space for open dialogue.”

T. Mohan, youth coordinator of the Malaysian Indian Congress, a party within the ruling coalition, told online news agency Malaysiakini on Monday (Aug. 11), “[The protestors] should have come out with their proposals in addressing the issue of non-Muslim husbands who abandon their spouses and their families and convert into Islam, rather than stop a legitimate forum.”

Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, acting president of Gerakan, a party within the ruling coalition government, was quoted in local media as calling for the government to convene a joint committee of civil and sharia lawyers “to formulate, clarify and rectify procedures related to marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims, conversion, custody of children and burial rituals.”  

Report from Compass Direct News

HISTORIES FIRSTS

1. Almighty Allah first created the Noor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) from His Noor.
2. The first adult free male to accept Islam was Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu); the first woman was Hazrat Khadija (radi Allahu anha); amongst the children, Hazrat Ali (radi Allahu anhu); among the freed slaves, Hazrat Zaid Bin Haarith (radi Allahu anhu); and amongst the slaves was Hazrat Bilal (radi Allahu anhu).
3. The first wife of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra (radi Allahu anha).
4. Hazrat Khadija (radi Allahu anha) was the first of the Holy Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) wives to pass away.
5. Hazrat Qaasim (radi Allahu anhu) was the first of the Holy Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) children to be born. He passed away in his infancy.
6. Hazrat Khadija (radi Allahu anha) was the first person to read Namaaz amongst the Ummah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
7. The home of Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansaari (radi Allahu anhu) was the first place where the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) stayed in Madina Shareef.
8. The first verse of the Holy Quran to be revealed was "Iqra Bi Ismi Rabbikal Lazi Khalaq". This took place on Friday, 27th of Ramadaan on the night of Qadr thirteen and a half years before Hijra, coinciding with the 14th of August 610 A.C. in the cave of Hira.
9. Hazrat Jibraeel (alaihis salaam) gave the first Azaan in the skies.
10. The first Azaan on earth was given by Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam).
11. Hazrat Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) gave the first Azaan in the year 1 A.H. to announce the Namaaz of Fajr.
12. The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) performed the first Jummah Salaah in Madina Munawwarah on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal.
13. The first Hajj became Fardh in the year 9 A.H.
14. The first Fardh fast was that of Ashurah (10th Muharram). This was then nullified and the fasting on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month became Fardh. This was also nullified, and on the 10th of Shawaal in 2 A.H., fasting for the entire month of Ramadaan was made Fardh and the remainder of the fasts was made Nafil (optional).
15. The first Muslims migrated towards Abyssinia.
16. The first battle to take place was the Ghazwa Abwaa.
17. The first Sadqa was given by Hazrat Adi bin Haatim (radi Allahu anhu) on behalf of his people.
18. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) established the first madrassah (Suffah) in Musjid-e-Nabawi.
19. The first person sent to spread Islam under the instructions of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was Hazrat Mus'ab bin Umair (radi Allahu anhu), who was sent to Madinah.
20. The first person to be appointed a teacher in the madrassah was Hazrat Mus'ab bin Umair (radi Allahu anhu).
21. The first Mosque to be built was Musjid-e-Quba, which the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) built himself. After the Holy Kaaba, the Musjid-e-Nabawi and the Musjid-e-Aqsa, the most excellence is given to Musjid-eQuba. Two rakaats of Salaah in this Musjid is equivalent to the Sawaab of one Umrah.
22. Sayyiduna Ameer Mu'awiyah (radi Allahu anhu) constructed the first Minaret built for the purpose of Azaan.
23. The first Mehraab for Imaamat was built by Sayyiduna Umar bin Abdul Aziz (radi Allahu anhu).
24. Hazrat Tameem Daari (radi Allahu anhu) was the first person who sent his slave, Fateh, to light a candle in Musjid-e-Nabawi. Due to this act, the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) changed his name to "Siraaj".
25. The first Shaheed (Martyr) was Sayyiduna Amaar bin Yaasir (radi Allahu anhu).
26. The first female to be made Shaheed was the mother of Sayyiduna Amaar bin Yaasir (radi Allahu anhu). Her name was Sayyidah Summaya (radi Allahu anha).
27. The first person to be martyred in the Battle of Badr was the freed slave of Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu), whose name was Muhaj'jah (radi Allahu anhu).
28. The first person to make Ijtihaad was Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu).
29. Hazrat Abu Zirr Ghaffari (radi Allahu anhu) is known as the first Dervish.
30. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Maz'oom (radi Allahu anhu) was the first person to be buried in Jannatul Baqi. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) buried him here in the year 2 A.H.
31. Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was the first person to perform Janazah Salaah in Jamaat with four Takbeers.
32. The first person to start writing the Muslim calendar was Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu).
33. Sayyiduna Sa'ad ibnil Waq'qaas (radi Allahu anhu) was the first person to fire an arrow towards the Kuffar.
34. The first person to become murtad (out of the folds of Islam) was either Muqees bin Khubaaba or Ubaidullah bin Jahash.
35. The first false claimant of Prophethood was Musailma Kazzab who claimed Prophethood in the time of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
36. A person called Abdullah Chakraalwi from Miyanwaali, Punjab, Pakistan was the first person to openly reject the Ahadith-e-Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
37. The first translation of the Holy Quran was in Persian. Sayyiduna Sheikh Saadi Shiraazi (radi Allahu anhu) accomplished it.
38. The first Urdu translation of the Holy Quran was made in the year 1774 by Shah Rafi'ud'deen (radi Allahu anhu).
39. The first mountain to be created on earth was Mount Bu Qubais, which is near the Holy Kaaba. After the great flood, the Hajr-e-Aswad remained protected within this mountain, and the splitting of the moon took place on this very mountain.
40. The first physical human to be created is Sayyiduna Adam (alaihis salaam).
41. Man first descended on earth in India.
42. The first Rasool to be sent towards the Kuffaar was Hazrat Nooh (alaihis salaam).
43. The first idol worshipping took place in the time of Hazrat Nooh (alaihis salaam).
44. The first murder on earth took place when Hazrat Adam's (alaihis salaam) son, Qaabil, killed his brother Haabil.
45. The first person to be put into Hell will be Qaabil.
46. In the Ummah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), the first person to enter Jannah will be Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu).
47. The first person to awake from his grave on the Day of Qiyamah will be the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
48. The first person to be clothed on the Day of Qiyamah will be Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam).
49. Sayyiduna Jibraeel (alaihis salaam) will be the first person to be questioned on the Day of Qiyamah.
50. The first person to be brought back to life on the day of Qiyamah will be Hazrat Israfeel (alaihis salaam).
51. From amongst the animals, the first animal to be brought back to life will be the Buraaq of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
52. The first person to intercede on the Day of Qiyamah will be the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
53. The first person to enter Jannah will be the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
54. The first meal in Jannah will be fish liver.
55. The Angels did the first construction of the Holy Kaaba.
56. The first person to place a Ghilaaf (Cloth) on the Holy Kaaba was a person called Asad who was the King of Yemen.
57. The first Arab woman to place a silk cloth over the Holy Kaaba was Nateela, who was the mother of Hazrat Abbas ibn Abdul Mutallib (radi Allahu anhuma).
58. Hazrat Idrees (alaihis salaam) used the first pen.
59. Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) was the first person to circumcise himself and his son.
60. The first persons hair to turn white in colour was that of Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam).
61. Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) was the first person to wear a sewn trouser.
62. Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) was the first person to build a Mimbar (Pulpit) and to deliver a sermon from it.
63. The first person to make Mu'aaniqa (embrace shoulder to shoulder) was Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam).
64. Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) was the first person to hold an Aasa (Staff).
65. Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) made the first Salaam to the Angels.
66. The Angels made the first Sajda-e-Tazeem or Sajda of Respect to Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam). (N.B.: Sajda-e-Tazeem is Haraam for the Ummah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
67. The first person to make Gustakh-e-Nabi (Insultor of a Prophet - sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was Shaitaan.
68. The first person to say "Subhaan-Allah" was Hazrat Jibraeel (alaihis salaam) when he saw the beauty of the Arsh.
69. The first person to say "Alhumdulillah" was Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) when the soul was put into him.
70. The first person to say "La ilaha Ilal laah" was Hazrat Nooh (alaihis salaam) when he saw the Great Flood.
71. The first person to say "Allahu Akbar" was Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) when he saw the ram in place of Hazrat Ismaeel (alaihis salaam).
72. The first Namaaz of Eid-ul-Fitr was performed in the year 2 A.H. in Madinatul Munawwarah.
73. Hazrat Buraida Aslami (radi Allahu anhu) planted the first Flag of Islam.
74. The first battle fought for the protection of Islam was the Battle of Badr in Ramadaan 2 A.H.
75. Sayyiduna Zubair bin Aw'waam (radi Allahu anhu) was the fist person to draw his sword for Islam.
76. Sayyiduna Haarith bin Abi Haalah (radi Allahu anhu) was the first Sahabi to give his life for Islam in Makkah.
77. The first enemy of Islam to be killed in the battle of Badr was Utbah bin Rabi.
78. The first Namaaz-e-Janazah performed by Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was that of Asad bin Zaraara (radi Allahu anhu).
79. The first Namaaz to be made Fardh was Tahajjud Namaaz, which was later made Nafil.
80. The first time that four Rakaat Namaaz was read was after the Hijrat in Madinah.
81. The first person to recite the Holy Quran aloud after the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in Makkah was Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (radi Allahu anhu).
82. The first Ibaadat on earth was Tauba (repentance).
83. The first person to have the Ghilaaf of the Kaaba embroided with verses of the Holy Quran was Sultan Hassan of Egypt in 761 A.H.
84. The first person to be called "Ameerul Mo'mineen" was Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu).
85. The first Mujaddid of Islam is Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (radi Allahu anhu).
86. Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Yusuf (radi Allahu anhu) was the first Muslim Qaazi-ul-Qazah (Chief Justice) in the time of Haroon Rasheed.
87. Sayyiduna Sa'ad ibn Abil Waqqas (radi Allahu anhu) was the first Sahabi to be a conqueror.
88. The first Hafizul Quraan in the Ummah was Hazrat Uthman-e-Ghani (radi Allahu anhu).
89. The first Namaaz to be performed openly in the Kaaba was after Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) accepted Islam.
90. Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was the first person to start Salaatul Taraweeh in Jamaat.
91. The first Khalifa (Caliph) of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu).
92. The first stanzas of Naath (Poetry in Praise of the Prophet - sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) were written by Tub'bah, the King of Yemen, one thousand years before the Birth of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He had also written a Will in which he left instructions that when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is born, then these verses of praise should be presented to him.

Note: Beauty dalam pengertian American English lebih menekankan pada keindahan dan berkaitan dengan quality suatu proses atau system. Seperti, istilah film American Beauty, yang lebih menekankan pada "Begitu Indahnya Amrik dengan segala Kompleksitas Kehidupan Masyarakatnya".

ANALISA AMATIRAN (REKAMAN): (1). Dengan ketinggian standar terbang sebuah pesawat rata-rata 35.000 feet (1 feet = 0.3048 meter, kalo ngga salah), rata-rata kecepatan sebuah pesawat normal lk. 1000 km/jam. Ketika pesawat hendak heading, jatuh dari atas dan sudah tidak terkontrol lagi menukik ke bawah, kecepatan pesawat diprediksi menjadi 1100 km/jam dan pasti menjadi lebih cepat lagi (> 1100 km/jam) karena mengalami gaya tarik percepatan gravitasi bumi. (1a). Suara riuh desing pertama (pada menit ke 5.02, 5.03 dari durasi rekaman) diprediksi merupakan suara pesawat pada saat meluncur masuk ke dalam air laut, (2) Kedalaman dasar laut Sulawesi sekitar Majene diprediksi lk. 3000 meter di bawah MSL, Mean Sea Level = tinggi nol meter laut. Dan pada saat pesawat meluncur menukik di dalam laut, ada suara-suara "naik-naik", yang berarti dan mengindikasikan bahwa sebagian badan pesawat masih utuh termasuk kockpit pesawat sebelum membentur dasar laut. (2a). Pada saat pesawat meluncur ke dalam laut, sesuai hukum pembiasan, pesawat dibelokkan dan mengalami perlambatan kecepatan karena kerapatan (salinitas) air laut berbeda-beda sesuai kedalaman laut. Pesawat membentur dasar laut sebanyak 2 kali (suara benturan 2 kali, pertama pada menit 05.12 dr rekaman, dan yang kedua pada menit ke 05.14, dan kemungkinan sudah mencederai kedua pilot dan co-pilot tsb). (3). Jika pesawat normal menukik tajam ke bawah di ruang udara terbuka dengan kecepatan 1100 km/jam atau 3 km/detik dan kedalaman dasar laut perairan Majene sekitar 3000 meter (3 km) di bawah MSL, lama pesawat menukik saat masuk laut sampai membentur dasar laut diperkirakan sekitaran 10 detik. (4). Setelah pesawat membentur dasar laut dan tergeletak di dasar laut, suara-suara riuh............. Allahu Akbar.......... tidak hanya berasal dari pilot dan ko-pilot tapi juga diluar keduanya. Dan pada menit ke 05.30, 05.31 dari durasi rekaman atau lk. 15 sd 18 detik setelah pesawat membentur dasar laut, pesawat meledak di dasar laut.... Wallahu alam bissawab..

Note: Informasi dari berbagai sumber dan analisa hanya berupa prediksi...

Nonie Darwish's entrancing and frightening account of her childhood and upbringing in the 50's, 60's and 70's Middle East gives the reader an opportunity to see the build up of jihad and the perpetuation of hatred towards Israel and America at a very personal level. Her status as a Shahid's (Martyr's) daughter and being of the upper class in Egyptian Society allowed her access to the media and therefore information from the outside world that most did not share. Her early years were spent in Gaza where her father was a high ranking member of Nasser's Egyptian Army. She was taught hatred and prejudice towards the Jews and Israel and the passion for jihad as early as elementary school. She was told not to accept candy from strangers on the street because it could be a Jew who wants to poison Arab children. She was told that Jews love to kill Arab children and use their blood in their cookies. Nonie did not buy in to the hate speech and ugliness of the propaganda that is spread throughout Muslim countries. After her father was killed by a package bomb from Israel, her mother, Nonie and four siblings moved to Egypt. She couldn't understand, even at a young age, why President Nasser asked of her and her siblings, "Which of you will kill Jews in retaliation of your father's death?" She did not want to kill Jews. She speaks of Egypt, her country of origin, as being more westernized than other countries in the Middle East. When she was growing up, most women did not wear the veil. There was still polygamy and she had heard tales of female circumcision. But, her mother sent them to private, Christian schools to get the best education and she was able to purchase a car and obtain a driver's license to get them to school. Ms. Darwish's education at the American University of Cairo introduced her to diversity and open discussion. She was amazed that the average Egyptian thought that Egypt had always been Muslim, even when the pyramids were built. They never knew that Israel was inhabited by Jews for centuries before Muhammad was born. The Arab media and Dictators had been lying to their people for generations now. She was able to "escape" to the U.S. where her personality finally found a home. She took several years to raise a family and settle in Los Angeles. Nonie tells of a time she took a visiting family friend to a mosque in her neighborhood. She was embarrassed by the hate speech in the mosques even then. According to Ms. Darwish many Muslims in America do not attend mosques because the local Imams are spreading anti-American propaganda and encourage jihad. She felt the Jihad was coming to America. Most of the Mosques in America are built and supported by Saudi Arabia. When the Jihadists flew into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon and that field in Pennsylvania Nonie called her family and friends in Egypt. All of them denied it was Islamic Terrorists. They said it was an Israeli plot. She was even admonished for not being a good Muslim and blaming the attacks on Muslim Terrorists. She pointed out to them that Mohammed Atta was Egyptian and they responded with anger that Nonie would not defend her culture of origin. After 9/11 Nonie felt compelled to speak out against the Jihadist movement. Now she speaks around the world and on college campuses to refute the hate coming out of the Muslim world towards Israel and the West. She has organized a group, Arabs for Israel, to open a venue for Arabs who do support Israel's democracy in the Middle East. This book is one brave woman's story of life in a repressed society and her escape to the freedom loving United States. Her insight into Arab culture is invaluable. There needs to be more voices, women's voices coming from these cultures so we can shine a light on the injustice and persecution still being applied to people in these countries today.

Her writing style is not aggressive or combative. Her love of the Egyptian people and the beauty that the diverse Arab culture has given the world is evident in her chapters. She simply deplores the hateful rhetoric and violent methods Islamists are endorsing. She hopes for peace for everyone in this life. Ms. Darwish was able to write her life story because she has been living in the United States for over 25 years now. She is a U.S. citizen; she has the courage of her convictions and the freedom of speech behind her now. See details

(Mudah-mudahan tidak terkesan menggurui... )

Bacaan tasbih, tahmid dan takbir merupakan bacaan-bacaan terpuji (kalimah thoyyibah). Untuk dapat menghayati ketiga dzikir di atas mari kita tinjau pengertian dari masing-masing kalimah di atas:

-Subhanallah : Maha Suci (Engkau) Allah
dalam kita berdialog dengan Allah, baik dalam sholat maupun dalam dzikir, puji-pujian, yang perlu kita tekankan ada plus (+) dan minus (-). plus di sisi Allah minus di sisi kita, hambanya. Kalau di dalam sholat, mengingat waktunya singkat, di saat kita baca diusahakan dalam benak kita langsung terlintas dan dirasakan ke-Maha SucianNya (dari sifat lemah, salah, butuh dll) dan pengakuan sifat lemah kita, salah dan butuh kita padaNya. 2 task sekali waktu (berbarengan)

Saat kita baca subhanallah....dg teringat tafsirnya, kita paparkan dalam hati....Maha suci engkau Ya Allah, hanya engkaulah yang suci, diriku kotor ya Allah...
Subhanallah... Maha suci engkau dari sifat lemah, sedang kekuatanku tiada apa-apanya di hadapanmu...
subhanallah... Maha suci engkau dari mendlolimi, akulah hambamu yang dlolim...

- Alhamdulilllah : segala puji untuk(mu) Allah
kata " li" dalam bahasa arab, utk bacaan tahmid bisa berarti untuk, bisa juga berarti milik. Alhamdulillah = segala puji hanya untukMu ya Allah, atau segala puji hanya milikmu. Mari kita tengok ke dalam diri kita, ketika kita mendapat nikmat, atau kabar gembira, saat kita mengucap alhamdulillah, yg terpikir di benak kita itu kita memuji Allah karena telah memberi nikmat atau kabar gembira saja, ataukah ada penjabaran yang lain. Dalam hampir semua tulisan-tulisan sebelumnya penjabaran itu selalu saya kedepankan, karena dari penjabaran itulah RASA bisa hadir, pemahaman dan keyakinan menjadi kuat. Misal ketika kita mendapat rizki tambahan, terucap Alhamdulillah... di hati dan pikiran kita spontan berkata : Terimakasih Ya Allah, segala puji hanya untukmu Wahai Tuhan yang Maha pemurah, Maha tahu akan kebutuhanku, Maha bijaksana dalam semua ketetapan-ketetapanMu, dst.....

Ada hal lain yang bisa dipraktekkan agar "Alhamdulillah" bisa mencegahkita dari "kibr" alias sombong, terutama ketika mendengar pujian dari orang lain. Yaitu kita langsung menterjemahkan nya menjadi : Segala puji hanya milikmu Ya Allah, bukan milikku. Ketampanan/kecantikan (misal orang memuji ketampanan/kecantikan kita) ini milikmu Ya Allah, kepandaian ini milikmu Ya Allah tak pantas aku menyombongkannya dan merasa besar diri di hadapanMu ataupun dihadapan yg lain.

-Allahu Akbar : Allah Maha Besar
Kata "Akbar" merupakan bentuk "the most" dari Kabir, yang artinya besar; maka artinya paling besar, karena untuk Tuhan menjadi Maha Besar. Dalam konteks yang lain berdasar Wazan nya kata Akbar juga bisa berarti lebih besar.
Saat kita ucapkan Allahu Akbar, terucap juga dalam diri kita: "Ya Allah... engkau yg Maha besar, Aku kecil ya Allah, tidak ada seper-berapa-punnya dibandingkan Engkau...Kalau kulihat diriku dan luas tanah lapang yg ada didepanku sudah tak berbanding, apalagi diukur dengan luas seluruh daratanMu di bumi, langitMui..., sistem tata surya..., gugusan-gugusan galaksi....Ohh...Ya Huw.... Allaahu Akbar... Sungguh besar kekuasaanMu yg telah menciptakan alam jagad yang Maha besar, kutundukkan diriku, pasrah akan segala ketetapanMu. dst... "
Dzat Allah hanya Allah yg tahu, dan kita dilarang untuk memikirkannya. Kita dianjurkan untuk memikirkan ciptaan-ciptaannya untuk mengambil 'ibroh atau pelajaran darinya, yang mendekatkan pemahaman kita akan ke-Maha-an Allah.

Wallahu a'lam bishshowab.

PASS THIS INFORMATION TO ALL MUSLIM

 BROTHERS AND SISTERS  

AND inshallah EARN VIRTUE.  

Step 1 

Say with your heart and tongue:  

*SUBHANA'LLAH  
*ALHAMDULI'LLAH  
*LA I LAHA ILLA'LLAH  
*ALLAHU AKBAR  
*ASTAGHFIRU'LLAH  
*LA ILAH ILLA'LLAH, MUHAMMADUR RASULU'LLAH  
*Allahumma sali'ala sayyiddina Muhammadin wa 'ala alay sayyiddina Muhammadin wa barik wa salim.

Step 2 Contemplate in their meaning sentence by sentence and word by word  

Step 3 copy this and send to people. eg. put in emails, blogs, webistes or just tell ur family n friends.

Result 1: Within hours you have caused a multitude of people to remember, praise and glorify The Almighty ALLAH

Result 2: Within hours you have caused a multitude of people to Salute, pray for and glorify the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)

INSHA'A'LLAH   

 NOW.......... Sit back and watch the power of ALLAH work in your life for doing the thing that you know HE loves.

 please make copies of this and distribute them among all Muslims. You will be earning a Reward as well as helping to show your brother the Right Path. May Allah give guidance to all of us. 
AAMEEN!!!!!!! 
 
Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said'.  

 
Forward this e-mail to a number of people you know and by the grace ! of Allah you will be blessed for each person you forward this e-mail to. Insha-Allah.  

 Jazak ALLAH

PASS THIS INFORMATION TO ALL MUSLIM

 BROTHERS AND SISTERS  

 Jazak ALLAH

PASS THIS INFORMATION TO ALL MUSLIM

 BROTHERS AND SISTERS  

 Jazak ALLAH

Allahu Akbar... Allahu Akbar... Allahu Akbar... Walillaahilhamdu

Taqabbalallaahu minnaa wa minkum, shiyaamana wa shiyaamakum,

kulu ‘aamin wa antum bi khoirin, minal ‘aidin wal faidzin.

Laisal ‘iidu liman labisal jadiid, wa lakinnal ‘iidu liman thoo’atahu taziid.

(”Idul Fitri bukanlah diperuntukkan bagi orang yang mengenakan sesuatu yang serba baru, tetapi dipersembahkan bagi orang yang ketaatannya bertambah.”)

Mohon maaf atas segala kesalahan. Semoga ALLAH menambah ketaatan kita kepada-Nya dan semoga kita masih diberiNya kesempatan untuk bertemu dengan Ramadhan 1429 H. Aamiiiiin

Now this is just lovely, and by lovely, I mean horrible. Don't forget, this is the mindset of the people we are dealing with.

I'm sure this asshole is laughing and eating popcorn.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Killers swapped messages with wife of marine

AFTER her husband Marine Private First Class Reuben S. Doronio Jr. was killed in an ambush in Basilan last July 10, Jomarie Doronio received several text messages from her husband’s killers.

One of them asked if he could befriend her. The others inquired about her well-being.

Either way, she could only feel disgust at their attempt to add insult to injury.

The communication began on the day her husband was killed, Jomarie said.

“Pasensya ka na. Nabalitaan naming napatay na ang mister nyo (We’re sorry. We heard that your husband has been killed),” was the text message she received from her husband’s cellular phone number.

“Bastos”

She and her sister-in-law Honeylee called the number but nobody answered.

The next day, the military camp in Basilan confirmed that Reuben was among the 14 marines killed in the encounter with Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels. They had been scouring the jungles for the kidnapped Italian priest, Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, when they were attacked.

Ten of them were beheaded, including her husband, while some of the soldiers had their genitals cut off.

The mutilations spark-ed outrage across the country.

The two women called the acts “bastos” (barbaric).

Honeylee said the rebels again sent 10 more text messages to Jomarie, still using her brother’s number.

One of them was, “Puwede ba makigpag-kaibigan (Can we be friends)?”

Honeylee said the sender might have fallen for Jomarie after he saw her picture on her husband’s phone.

“Naibog gyud na nimo (He must like you),” Honeylee told Jomarie.

The messages only stopped when Honeylee told them, through text message, “One day, you will also suffer the pain we have at present.”

The two, united in grief, vowed never to forgive Reuben’s killers.

The rest of the family is also seeking justice for his death.

His father Doronio Sr. described him as a brave and compassionate person.

Appeal

“It was unfortunate that he died young,” was the sentiment shared by the victim’s brothers and other relatives.

Reuben’s body lies in state at the Cebu Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels in Banilad, Cebu City.

He will be buried on Saturday.

Doronio Sr. told Sun.Star Cebu that despite the pain they are feeling right now, he is appealing to the Muslim rebels responsible for their deaths to free Fr. Bossi and return to the fold of the law.

Reuben graduated with a degree in science and education at the Cebu State College of Science and Technology at the age of 19.

He might have chosen the field of education because of his mother, who is a Department of Education supervisor in their hometown of Borbon, said his father.

But instead of practicing his profession, he joined the Marines at the age of 20, so he could serve his country.

Reuben turned 25 last Feb. 10.

Surprise visit

He married Jomarie on May 25, 2006. The couple has a five-month-old son Lexben Gabriel who was born last Feb. 12.
Doronio Sr. said his son flew to Manila last week to visit a friend who was in the hospital.

He suddenly showed up in Borbon to visit his family, but he did not stay long.

According to his father, Reuben asked him to buy a plane ticket for his trip to the Basilan military camp so he could join his group in the search for the missing priest.

“The last thing I can remember (of him) is that he smiled while bidding goodbye to us,” Doronio Sr. said. (EOB)

Muslim on Muslim violence does not divert the hypocritical gaze of the jihadist. Only imagined conflict pitting the west and modernity against Islam and tradition draws their ire.

While our foreign policy--that being the west in general--does play a role in stoking the naked hatred and aggression of terror groups such as al-Qaida, Abu Sayyaf, Hezbollah, and Hamas, it by no means consists as the primary make-up of the whole, and to claim as much is disingenuous. It is the Islamist ideology that stands at the center of their philosophical, religious, and political ideologies that exists as their principal rationalization behind their actions; all stemming from the Qur'an and the Hadith and a desire to emulate in all things their prophet, Muhammad.

Whether it be lying (taqqiya), plural marriage, spousal abuse, pedophilia, or murder, all is justifiable in the pages of the Muslim holy text with Muhammad setting the proper example for all good followers of Islam.

So while suicide and car bomb attacks will likely persist for decades, while the west continues to embrace such concepts as political correctness, multiculturalism, one-world governments, and unbridled, reckless equality, those who wish us harm will continue to exploit those weaknesses until, under our very noses, sharia law rules the land--overly dramatic yes, but a point that cries out for continued repetition rather than an absurd impossibility. Until our leaders can fully understand a concept of life within Dar al-Islam, we will only trudge ever on toward that possibility.

The Islamic world needs more moderate Muslim voices like M. Zuhdi Jasser and Asim Siddiqui below.

Not in our name

Blaming UK foreign policy is not the answer. Where are the Muslim marches in revulsion against acts of terror in Islam's name?

July 3, 2007 12:00 PM

Asim Siddiqui

The events of the last few days have been sobering for us all. The response from some UK Muslim groups (influenced by Islamist thinking) is still largely to blame foreign policy (undoubtedly an exacerbating influence but not the cause), rather than marching "not in my name" in revulsion against terrorist acts committed in Islam's name. By blaming foreign policy they try to divert pressure off themselves from the real need to tackle extremism being peddled within. Diverting attention away from the problems within Muslim communities and blaming others - especially the west - is always more popular than the difficult task of self-scrutiny. And what part of foreign policy do the Islamists want us to change to tackle terrorism? Withdrawal from Iraq?

The UK presence on the ground in Iraq is minuscule compared to the US. We currently have 5,500 troops from 40,000 at the start of the invasion. We will reduce them further to 5,000 by the end of the summer. The bulk of which will be located near Basra airport in a supporting role. Next year will likely see the numbers dwindle even further. Our troop presence is far more symbolic than military. It provides the Americans with their "coalition of the willing". The US, by contrast, is the only serious occupier in the country with over 160,000 troops. The government will not (and cannot) admit it, but we have been in withdrawal mode since the end of the war.

And once we've left Iraq, will they be satisfied? Of course not. Their list of grievances is endless: Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, Burma ... so long as the world is presented as one where the west is forever at war with Islam and Muslims there is nothing we can do to appease the terrorists and those who share their world view. Instead it is this extremist world view that must change.

Take for example the idea that radical Islamists are concerned about Muslim life (let's ignore human life in general for a moment). Where is their outrage at the 400,000 Muslims slaughtered in Darfur? Where are the marches and calls for action against this ongoing genocide? Where is the "Muslim anger" boiling up amongst British Islamists? It is nowhere to be seen because the Darfurians have been massacred by fellow Muslims, not by the west. Hence it does not appear on the Islamist radar screen as a "grievance". Such is the moral bankruptcy of this ideology.

No, it's not foreign policy that's the main driver in combating the terrorists; it is their mindset. The radical Islamist ideology needs to be exposed to young Muslims for what it really is. A tool for the introduction of a medieval form of governance that describes itself as an "Islamic state" that is violent, retrogressive, discriminatory, a perversion of the sacred texts and a totalitarian dictatorship.

When the IRA was busy blowing up London, there would have been little point in Irish "community leaders" urging "all" citizens to cooperate with the police equally when it was obvious the problem lay specifically within Irish communities. Likewise for Muslim "community leaders" to condemn terrorism is a no-brainer. What is required is for those that claim to represent and have influence among young British Muslims to proactively counter the extremist Islamist narrative. That is the biggest challenge for British Muslim leadership over the next five to 10 years. It is because they are failing to rise to this challenge that the government feels it needs to act by further eroding our civil liberties with anti-terror legislation to get the state to do what Muslims should be doing themselves. If British Muslim groups focus on grassroots de-radicalisation then this will provide civil liberty groups the space they need to argue against any further anti-terror legislation.

Of course I would like to see changes in our foreign policy and have marched on the streets (with thousands of non-Muslims) in protest on many occasions. But blaming foreign policy in the face of suicide attacks is not only tactless but a cop-out that fails to tackle extremism, fails to promote an ethical foreign policy and fails to protect our civil liberties.

When nutroot pundits can't see the forest for the trees, it comes as no surprise when left-wing dilettante's frantically politicize tragic events for their own ignominious ends. Indeed, it is tragic when seven oblivious children acting as human sacrifices are strategically placed to assure their deaths in order to demonstrate the supposed barbarity of U.S. led forces. Unfortunately, once the children have been killed, the grim incident becomes a soapbox upon which al Qaeda, the Taliban, and the far-left can beat their chests and accuse Bush (again, can't stand the man) of child murder, shamefully glamorizing it as a reason to unilaterally pull-out of the Middle East.

While I have heard much from the left on the above incident that transpired last week in eastern Afghanistan--a grievous misfortune for which our military officials should be held accountable--I have seen little mention of the abhorrent story reproduced below. To me it often seems liberals, with forethought, ignore palpable and real-life nightmares (intentionally and deceptively placed at the feet of children in this instance) by those the left feels the need to humanize--namely Islamic jihadists who are doing nothing more than following in the footsteps of the prophet, Muhammad.

The below Associated Press story is potent enough to bring a tear to your eye, unless perhaps it does nothing to foment disgust in the United States military. If that's the case, then there is no hope for you and your own humanity. Way to be a good dhimmi.

Afghan boy Juma Gul, 6, sits on a table surrounded by elders during a gathering at a joint U.S.-Afghan military command center in Andar district of Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 23, 2007. The story of Juma Gul, who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into carrying out a suicide bombing against U.S. troops provoked tears and anger at a weekend meeting of tribal leaders. Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when U.S. and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Boy: Taliban recruited me to bomb troops

By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer

FORWARD OPERATING BASE THUNDER, Afghanistan - The story of a 6-year-old Afghan boy who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into being a suicide bomber provoked tears and anger at a meeting of tribal leaders.

The account from Juma Gul, a dirt-caked child who collects scrap metal for money, left American soldiers dumbfounded that a youngster could be sent on such a mission. Afghan troops crowded around the boy to call him a hero.

Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when U.S. and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account.

Juma said that sometime last month Taliban fighters forced him to wear a vest they said would spray out flowers when he touched a button. He said they told him that when he saw American soldiers, "throw your body at them."

The militants cornered Juma in a Taliban-controlled district in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province. Their target was an impoverished youngster being raised by an older sister — but also one who proved too street-smart for their plan.

"When they first put the vest on my body I didn't know what to think, but then I felt the bomb," Juma told The Associated Press as he ate lamb and rice after being introduced to the elders at this joint U.S.-Afghan base in Ghazni. "After I figured out it was a bomb, I went to the Afghan soldiers for help."

While Juma's story could not be independently verified, local government leaders backed his account and the U.S. and NATO military missions said they believed his story.

Abdul Rahim Deciwal, the chief administrator for Juma's village of Athul, brought the boy and an older brother, Dad Gul, to a weekend meeting between Afghan elders and U.S. Army Col. Martin P. Schweitzer.

Schweitzer called the Taliban's attempt "a cowardly act."

As Deciwal told Juma's story, 20 Afghan elders repeatedly clicked their tongues in sadness and disapproval. When the boy and his brother were brought in, several of the turban-wearing men welled up, wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs.

"If anybody has a heart, then how can you control yourself (before) these kids?" Deciwal said in broken English.

Wallets quickly opened, and the boys were handed $60 in American and Afghan currency — a good chunk of money in a country where teachers and police earn $70 a month.

Afghan officials described the boys as extremely poor, and Juma said he is being raised by his sister because his father works in a bakery in Pakistan and his mother lives and does domestic work in another village.

"I think the boy is intelligent," Deciwal said. "When he comes from the enemy he found a checkpoint of the ANA (Afghan National Army), and he asked the ANA: 'Hey, can you help me? Somebody gave me this jacket and I don't know what's inside but maybe something bad.'"

Lt. Col. George Graff, a father of five who attended the meeting, also teared up.

"Relating to them as a father and trying to fathom somebody using one of my children for that kind of a purpose, jeez, it just tore me up," said Graff, a National Guard soldier from St. George, Utah. "The depths that these people will go to get what they want, which is power for themselves — it's just disgusting."

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, denied the militant group uses child fighters, saying it has hundreds of adults ready for suicide missions.

"We don't need to use a child," Ahmadi told the AP by satellite phone. "It's against Islamic law, it's against humanitarian law. This is just propaganda against the Taliban."

However, a gory Taliban video that surfaced in April showed militants instructing a boy of about 12 as he beheaded an alleged traitor with a large knife. U.N. officials condemned the act as a war crime.

Fidgety but smiling during all the attention, Juma told the AP that he had been scared when he was surrounded by Taliban fighters. He cupped his hands together to show the size of the bomb, then ran his hands along his waist to show where it was on his body.

A fan of soccer, Juma said his favorite subject in school is Pashto, his native language, but he also showed off a little English, shyly counting "1, 2, 3" before breaking out in an oversize smile.

Raised in a country where birthdays are not always carefully tracked, Juma said he is 4. But he looks older and Afghan officials said he is about 6. His brother appears to be a year or so older.

Their village lies in Ghazni province's Andar district, a Taliban stronghold targeted this month in a joint Afghan-U.S. operation. The region remains dangerous and Afghan elders worry for Juma's safety.

Maj. John Thomas, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said he was "a bit skeptical" about Juma's story at first, "but everything I've heard makes me more and more comfortable."

Thomas said the case would force soldiers to think twice before assuming children are safe.

"This is one incident. We hope it doesn't repeat itself. But it gives us reason to pause, to be extra careful," he said. "We want to publicize this as much as we can to the Afghan people so that they can protect their children from these killers."

Col. Sayed Waqef Shah, a religious and cultural affairs officer for the Afghan army, wiped away tears after seeing Juma. "Whenever I see this kind of action from the Taliban, if I am able to arrest them, I'll kill them on the spot," he said.

Haji Niaz Mohammad, one of the elders at the gathering, said he hoped "God makes the Afghan government strong" so it can defeat the Taliban.

"They are the enemy of Muslims and the enemy of the children," he said, shaking his fists in anger.

Afghan boy Juma Gul 6, drinks during lunch at a joint US-Afghan military command center in Andar district of Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 23, 2007. The story of Juma Gul, who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into carrying out a suicide bombing against U.S. troops provoked tears and anger at a weekend meeting of tribal leaders. Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when U.S. and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Here's something those familiar with the dubitable nature that is the Council on American-Islamic Relations will likely find unsurprising: CAIR has been named in a terrorist funding plot. Who have they been funding one might ask? Among others, no less than Palestinian Islamic resistant movement (i.e. terrorist organization) and quasi-political entity, Hamas.

If anything, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has existed as nothing more than a divisive thorn in the side to actual American-Islamic Relations. At nearly every turn CAIR has squandered real opportunities to foment genuine understanding of the Islamic faith to infidels such as myself by bridging the much needed gap between Islamic fanatics and Islamic moderates. Instead, since the inception of CAIR back in 1994, their leadership has time and again opted to litigiously decry openly outward views that, from their perspective, have demonized, even in the most intangible sense, the Islamic faith and the Muslim faithful while persistently refusing to censure peoples (such as Osama bin Laden) and groups (such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood) who actively use violent means in the name of Allah, and in emulation of Muhammad, to achieve their ends. The US Airways Flight 300 fiasco and subsequent suit of that airlines (and innocent passengers as well) was only their latest despicable tactic to silence dissenters of Islam in their desire to squelch perceived discrimination against Muslims.

I've said this before, but it seems necessary to retread old and familiar ground--the only thing Muslims of Middle Eastern descent need do in order to prevent recognizably questionable behavior is refrain from participating in such questionable behavior--behavior such as the type committed by the flying imams on US Airways Flight 300 for example, or the audacious behavior of the Muslim "musical group" on a Northwest flight back in 2004. In other words, don't act like a moron and you'll be fine. I promise. No one will care about you if you simply relax and enjoy your trip. Suspicions are rarely raised against persons, regardless of their ethnic background, if they're just sitting quietly in their seats. I am a big advocate of that policy and guarantee it will work.

So, while CAIR continues its reckless public relations policies, more and more American citizens are becoming aware of their shameless tactics and shameful funding policies. Let's hope today's revelation indicates another solid nail in the coffin for this detestable organization.

Feds name CAIR in plot to fund Hamas
Prominent U.S. Islamic group designated 'unindicted co-conspirator'

FBI agents arrest CAIR Texas founder Ghassan Elashi and brothers in 2002.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which brands itself as a mainstream promoter of civil rights, has been named with two other prominent U.S. Islamic groups as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a plot to fund the terrorist group Hamas.

Federal prosecutors also cited the Islamic Society of North America and the North American Islamic Trust as participants in a plot with five officials of the defunct Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, who go on trial July 16 in Dallas, the New York Sun reported.

CAIR is a spinoff of the defunct Islamic Association for Palestine, launched by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and former university professor Sami al-Arian, who pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to provide services to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Several CAIR staffers have been convicted on terrorism-related charges, and CAIR founder Omar Ahmad allegedly told a group of Muslims they are in America not to assimilate but to help assert Islam's rule over the country.

The officials on trial in Dallas include Ghassan Elashi, who founded CAIR's Texas chapter. The Holy Land Foundation also gave $5,000 in seed money to set up CAIR's Washington office, according to congressional testimony by counter-terrorism researcher Steven Emerson.

As WND reported in October, Elashi already has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for financial ties to a high-ranking Hamas terrorist and for making illegal computer exports to countries that back terrorism.

The other officials on trial in Dallas are Shukri Abu-Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, Mufid Abdulqader and Abdulraham Odeh.

The court filing listed the three Islamic groups among about 300 individuals or entities named as co-conspirators, the Sun reported. While few details were given, the prosecutors described CAIR as a present or past member of "the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee and/or its organizations."