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Showing posts from September, 2009

Afghanistan: Losing Hearts, Minds and The War

This Article is written by Brother Abid Mustafa The events in Afghanistan over the passed few weeks clearly demonstrate that America and her allies are running out of options to extricate themselves from a hazardous quagmire that threatens to end their occupation in disgrace. The situation has rapidly deteriorated and the recent NATO airstrike which killed scores of innocent civilians not only epitomizes the callous attitude of the crusaders, but sets a new benchmark for measuring West's sacred ideal of human rights when applied to the Muslims of Afghanistan let alone the Muslim world. The indiscriminate killing of civilians belittles the oft quoted mantra of winning hearts and minds; instead it has diminished West's credibility, appalled the nations of the world and more significantly emboldened the Afghan resistance. This new dose of realism, has stirred some western politician and military leaders to intensely question the war in Afghanistan. Commenting on Gordon Brown's

Views on the News - 24/09/2009

Germany attacks UK ahead of the G20 meeting This week, German finance minister Peer Steinbrueck launched an outspoken attack on the City of London, saying the financial lobby is 'doing its best' to block the introduction of stricter financial market regulations. 'There is clearly a lobby in London that wants to defend its competitive advantage tooth and nail,' Steinbrueck told Germany's Stern magazine. He singled out Britain's approach to hedge funds, claiming the UK is fighting tougher regulations because it is worried about suffering from an exodus of talent. He said the financial sector accounted for 15% of the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) in contrast to just 6% in Germany. Steinbrueck last year poured scorn on Gordon Brown's bank and business bailout plans. His attack came as the European Commission unveiled detailed proposals to create new pan-European authorities with the authority to oversee and intervene in national financial markets. Th

This is Iman

The article is written by a Sister The Prophet SAW in his ascent to Jannah could smell a beautiful smell and asked Jibrael what the beautiful smell was. He SAW was told this was the smell of the hairdresser of the daughter of Firaun, and her children,. Who may this woman and her children be, we may ask? Yet another figure in an Islamic history book? But surely, my dear sisters, this woman is more than a dormant figure in a book. This woman is the magnificent, most beautiful example for us all, on what Iman really means. What steadfastness upon the Haq really means. And what sacrifice fi sabeelilah really means. And the hadith narrated in Ahmad and Ibn Majah is as follows: The hairdresser of the daughter of the Firaun, a nobody, another servant in the expansive quarters of the Firaun was one day combing the hair of her master's daughter. And as she was doing so, she accidentally dropped the comb and after picking it up to resume her combing, she subconsciously uttered Bismillah. Jus

Parenting in Islam

Many issues in the Muslim community have highlighted the breakdown in communication between parents and their children – especially teenagers. As parents we must do our utmost to protect ourselves and our family from the Hellfire. We cannot simply accomplish this by being a taskmaster. Rather we must build a relationship with our children based on respect, trust, love and friendship just as RasulAllah (saw) and the Sahaba (ra) did. Men and Stones Allah (swt) has laid a heavy responsibility on the parents for the well-being of their children in the Dunya and in the Akhira: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ “Oh you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the C

Views on the News - 18/09/2009

America needs you, CIA chief tells Arabs In a historic visit to Dearborn Detroit, CIA Director Leon Panetta reached out to metro Detroiters with roots in the Middle East at a Ramadan dinner aimed at engaging Arab Americans. "The reason I'm here ... is very simple: Your country needs you," he told a crowd of about 150 Arab Americans and Chaldeans on Wednesday at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center. "It needs your ingenuity; it needs your wisdom; it needs the skills of your communities to help protect the way of life that all of us hold dear." Panetta's speech was believed to be the first time a CIA head has held a public Ramadan dinner, said CIA official George Little. And it comes at a time when the CIA finds itself involved in conflicts across the Muslim world. "I am particularly honored to be with you on this night, which I understand is the Night of Power, which holds such deep spiritual meaning for all Muslims," Panetta said. In order for the CIA t

Al-Quds: Don't Visit Us - Liberate Us

This article is written by brother Asif Salahuddin Umar Bin Al-Khattab (ra) in the year 636 was the first to do so. Under his command as Khaleefah, the armies of Islam, after their continued expansion outside the Arabian Peninsula, had reached the gates of Jerusalem (Al Quds) and had the city surrounded. Partly because of the city's immense importance - it is home to Masjid-Al-Aqsa (the third holiest mosque in Islam) and had been the first Qibla for the Muslims - Umar (ra) himself journeyed to the land and oversaw the liberation of this sacred city. The second to do so was none other than Salahuddin Al-Ayubi in the year 1187 following the brutal period of conquest by the crusading forces from Europe. Western historians themselves account that the streets of Jerusalem flowed knee-deep in Muslim blood when the crusaders overran and ransacked the city. But it was Salahuddin that finally rallied the various Muslim regions together to unite as one army and under one leader that would co

Views on the News - 11/09/2009

UN calls for the dollar to be replaced The dollar should be replaced with a global currency, the United Nations has said, proposing the biggest overhaul of the world's monetary system since the Second World War. In a radical report, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said the system of currencies and capital rules which binds the world economy is not working properly, and was largely responsible for the financial and economic crises. It added that the present system, under which the dollar acts as the world's reserve currency , should be subject to a wholesale reconsideration. Although a number of countries, including China and Russia , have suggested replacing the dollar as the world's reserve currency, the UNCTAD report is the first time a major multinational institution has posited such a suggestion. In essence, the report calls for a new Bretton Woods-style system of managed international exchange rates, meaning central banks would be forced to inte

Analysing Obama's Honeymoon: The End of the Beginning

When Barrack Hussein Obama was inaugurated on January 20th 2009, he achieved something no other person of his race has ever done in the 232 year history of the United States. Obama become the first black man to take the oath of office and by doing so entered the history books as the 44th President of the United States. Obama shattered the myth that a black person could not ascend to the most powerful office in the country and become the leader of the free world. But Obama is no ordinary politician, born to a black Kenyan father and a white American mother from Kansas, Obama has been shattering records all his life. The first black editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, a gifted orator a freshman Senator who was elected with over 70% of the vote in 2004 and who then become the only black person to gain the nomination of either major party. Fighting under the banner of "Change We Can Believe In", the Obama juggernaut didn't just win his party's nomination or the

Liberation of Makkah - 20th Ramadan

This is an extract from the book " The Islamic State " by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani. As soon as the treaty of Hudaybiyah was signed between the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the Quraysh, the tribe of Khuza'ah came under the protection of Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and Banu Bakr sided with the Quraysh. Relations between the Quraysh and the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم remained peaceful and both sides resumed their business. The Quraysh expanded their trade in order to make up for what they had lost during the wars against the Muslims. Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم pursued his task of conveying the Message of Islam to the whole of mankind while simultaneously strengthening the position of the Islamic State over the Arabian Peninsula and providing safety and security within the State itself. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم defeated the Jewish fortifications at Khaybar and then he صلى الله علي

Islam and International Relations

The basis of the Islamic foreign policy consists of taking the message of Islam to every people and every nation. For Allah سبحانه وتعالى says: يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ "O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed his Message." [Al-Ma'idah, 5:67] When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم established the Islamic state in Madinah, the foreign policy of the state was implemented without delay. Examples of this was when He صلى الله عليه وسلم signed the treaty of Hudaibiyah with, many Muslims were displeased with some aspects of the agreement, to such an extent that Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) approached the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and expressed his disagreement. However, he صلى الله عليه وسلم reminded U

The Battle of Badr - 17th Ramadan

This is an extract from the book " The Islamic State " by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani. In the second year of the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم set out on the 8th of Ramadhan with three hundred and five of his Sahabah mounted on seventy camels. ‘Amr ibn Umm Maktum was assigned to lead the prayer while Abu Lubabah was left in charge of Madinah. They rode the camels in turn heading towards a caravan led by Abu Sufyan. As they marched on, they sought news of the caravan until they had reached the valley of Dafran where they settled, and news reached them there that the Quraysh had set out from Makkah to protect their caravan. The whole affair then assumed different proportions for it was no longer the caravan, the question was whether to confront the Quraysh or not. So Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم consulted the Muslims. Abu Bakr and then ‘Umar voiced their opinions, then al-Miqdad ibn ‘Amr arose and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Go w

Views on the News - 04/09/2009

Young Muslims in Britain feel demonized A sweeping majority of young British Muslims feel demonized and under attack by the police and media, while they face a dilemma to cling to their Muslim identity in a growingly suspicious society, a London-based think tank said in a report on Tuesday, September 1. “They see one Asian person's mistakes and the rest of the community ... has to pay for it," one unnamed young Muslim said in the "Seen and Not Heard: Voices of Young British Muslims" report. The report, conducted by the Islamic think tank Policy Research Center, warns that since July 7, 2005 attacks on London, media outlets are portraying the Muslim community as a national threat. Britain is home nearly 2 million Muslims, most of them are of south Asian origins. A recent UK government-commissioned study has also found that a torrent of negative and imbalance stories in the British media demonize Muslims and their faith by portraying them as the enemy within. British