Hina Jilani–women’s movement in Pakistan

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By Geoffrey Cook

The following is a narrative composed by writer Geoffrey Cook based on statements made by Hina Jilani.

The Peace Movement that is developing between peoples in South Asia impacts both Pakistanis and Indians. It is clearly a multiple initiative resulting from the two nations’ atomic 1998 blasts. It is an interaction between two peoples: “The Peace Movement actually emerged from…discussions, debate and dialog.” among individuals from the two nationalities. It has already had a significant impact… There have been “…hostilities [all over the region], but India and Pakistan are the…cause of the majority of [the] tension[s].”

Women in Pakistan never dissociated themselves from the struggle for democracy. On the other hand, the Women’s Movement has gained with its contact with the democratic Movement there.

”The argument that there… should be…a secular approach…has nothing to do with Islam…[but] the laws have to be clear and unambiguous.” If the legal system is administered solely by religion, there will be tension. “This is not conducive to…a stable foundation for human rights…”

The past periods of the military dictating foreign policy has proved disastrous for her country! While in power, the Army has de-prioritized the interests of their body politic destroying all political and social harmony!

A new democratic period must evolve to save us from this in the present and in the future! If it does not, there is not much hope for Islamabad. Especially now when it is finding it harder to compete with India on an economic basis, and the U.S. is betraying our interests!

9-2

Ancient tyrants and Saddam

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By Orhan Karimov

There is a story of a tyrant who lived in Iraq hundreds of years ago who called a group of scholars before him and posed them the question, “Am I a tyrant?” They responded no, and he had them killed for lying.

Then he called another group of scholars and asked them the same question. They answered yes, and he had them killed.

He called a third group of scholars and asked the same quesion, and one of them answered that it is impossible for him to be more of a tyrant than his subjects. The tyrant gave that third group life, because this was the answer he had been looking for.

This is in support of the hadith qudsi that “…The hearts of the rulers are in my control. When My servants obey Me, I turn their leaders towards them in kindness. When My servants disobey Me, I turn their rulers towards them with wrath and anger, then they punish them terribly. So do not engross yourselves in swearing and criticizing your rulers but rather engross yourselves in du’a and humble submission so that I may take care of your (oppressive) rulers.”

Saddam murdered many people, and according to the reports of those close to him used to enjoy watching videotapes of their killings.

It is not a coincidence that he died the same way, with videotape. Perhaps it was the prayers of people witness to his cruelty that gave him such a death.

His own videotaped killing arouses mercy. He died on a holy day of sacrifice, and with the shahada on his lips, defiant against his enemies and having asked that his death be accepted as a sacrifice on behalf of the Iraqi people. According to recent reports the years of his captivity were filled with model behavior. He fed birds, read poetry, never complained.

But we should not forget that many of those he killed must have died well also. We may never see their videotapes, but some of them must have died as well as Saddam himself, or better. But this did not stop him from killing them, or from killing others.

Perhaps what distinguishes us from him is that mercy. For those of us who have that mercy, it is a protection against our being ruled by tyrants. For those who enjoy such displays–perhaps they deserve rulers like him.

9-2

Saddam’s death–Sunni and Shia

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By Imam Abdullah El-Amin

It is no doubt that those who were first-hand recipients of murder and torture from the hands of Saddam Hussein’s regime have a personal reason to rejoice at his execution last week. I have heard the stories, and seen the evidence, of the brutal cruelty from his mind and hands.

But for the majority of Muslims, the execution is a slap in the face. It was an undignified show of force to shock and awe the world. And it wasn’t the Iraqi government that engineered the execution. Saddam Hussein was in American custody right up to the last minute and then given to the Iraqi government to carry out the dirty work. Added insult was the way the U.S. delivered his body back to his home town as if to say, “Here! Here is your Saddam – in a box. What do you think of that?”

Through policies built on the lies of our president, thousands of American lives and untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, and others, have been lost in a personal vendetta carried out through the branches of government. It is a shame that Mr. Bush used the aftermath of 9/11 to launch an attack on a person and a country that had nothing to do with 9/11.

At first we went in and took over Afghanistan looking for public enemy #1, Osama Bin Laden. Still, we spent a lot of time on focusing on women wearing the burqa and not going to school so that we could justify our invasion and forced “democracy” of the country. So after we couldn’t find Osama, even after a $25 million ransom, we decided to focus on Saddam.

We used our might, power, and the gullible American mentality, to manufacture a campaign against Iraq and Saddam. The biggest “crime” of his was he had weapons of mass destruction and was a brutal dictator who “gassed his own people,” as Bush was famous for saying. The first charge was not provable, even after extensive international inspections. And the second was nothing but another big excuse to invade the country.

I say this because if Bush was so concerned about brutal dictators he had many more terrible people and countries to choose from besides Iraq. Look at what’s happening in Sudan. The big bad US refuses to use its influence to stop the rape and brutal murder of thousands of defenseless men, women and children.

Colin Powell had a virtually blemish-free career before he co-signed Bush’s “weapons of mass destruction” lie. Mr. Powell even admitted that that was the thing he regretted most in his other-wise stellar career. And he proved it by getting out of that corrupt administration.

So this brings us to the realization that this divisiveness, brought on by this Suni-Shia adversarial madness, is the single most destructive element in the Muslim community. We should be making a bee-line to embrace our brothers and sisters in all sects of the Islamic faith rather than killing each other. I see many of us going out of our way to be apologetic and accommodating to members of other faiths, primarily Christians and Jews, but I don’t see the same zeal in reaching out to your Shi’a or Sunni brothers and sisters.

And it is so tragic because this whole thing is engineered by the enemies of Islam. They want Sunni and Shi’a to fight because it makes their work easier. This is the time for all Muslims to stop being pawns of their enemies and truly live by the directives of the Qur`an. I encourage Muslims from all areas to put their minds and hearts together and truly “love for your brother what you love for yourself.”

As Salaam Alaikum
(Al Hajj) Abdullah Bey El-Amin

9-2

Secular Europe’s fundamental test

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By Aslam Abdullah

When the renowned German Opera in Berlin cancelled Idomeneo in September amid security fears that its content might offend Muslims, the move triggered weeks of continental convulsions.

The self-censorship came at a sensitive time. Muslims were outraged at Pope Benedict XVI for linking Islam with violence during a speech in Germany. And earlier in the year, Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (s) had caused riots in some Muslim countries.

Berlin’s opera officials feared a climactic scene added in a 2003 version of the opera might further inflame passions. It depicts the King of Crete’s revolt against the gods by displaying the severed heads of Buddha, Jesus Christ (as), Prophet Muhammad (s) and the mythical Greek god Poseidon.

The cancellation unleashed a predictable chorus, led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on freedom of expression and a threat to Europe as we know it.

Opera officials reversed their decision and Germany’s political class came out in force under tight security on Dec. 18 to attend the premiere. The evening went ahead peacefully with not a Muslim protestor in sight.

Politicians congratulated themselves on having upheld a cherished value and the subtext was as clear as a tenor’s squillo: the perils of fundamentalist Islam had been beaten back.

Lost in the applause was the fact that Germany’s Muslim leaders had never asked for the show’s cancellation.

Ganging up on Islam is a sign of the times in Europe. Whether it’s British cabinet ministers launching an attack on the veil, the Netherlands proposing to ban the head-to-toe-covering burqa, or France banning headscarves in schools, all forced tense national debates over a tiny, almost invisible minority of women.

These issues are certainly topics for discussion in a continent where the integration of 15 million Muslims is probably the most pressing challenge. But the message too often, even in countries with a multicultural model, is that citizens can’t be Europeans and devout Muslims at the same time.

From the xenophobic right, at least, the overtones at times suggest Muslim hordes back at the gates of Vienna after a 400-year reprieve. But the clash isn’t so much between Christianity and Islam, as between Islam and Europe’s dominant faith, secular humanism.

Christianity is part of Europe’s heritage. But like the King of Crete, Europe long ago attacked religion, with the guillotines of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment’s prophets of reason. Even Pope Benedict, during a recent trip to Turkey, suggested an alliance with Islam to combat secularism, described as the scourge of contemporary times.

Perhaps the pontiff was recalling the decision of Oslo’s local authorities six years ago, when they first granted Muslims the right to call the faithful to prayer through loudspeakers. They balanced it off with permission for atheists to shout from the rooftops, “God does not exist.”

A recent poll found that 85 per cent of Muslim schoolchildren in France considered religion an extremely important part of their identity, compared with 35 per cent of non-Muslim students.

Yet France is the most extreme example in Europe of secularism as a condition of citizenship. When mainly Muslim youths undertake the yearly ritual of torching their suburban ghettos and demanding they be fully accepted as French citizens, it’s not just their poverty they’re protesting. Integration doesn’t prevent riots or terrorism, but it certainly reduces the pool of recruits to the cause. Nowhere is this more apparent that in the United States.

The White House’s disastrous Middle East policy, particularly its war on Iraq, provoked Muslim outrage worldwide and boosted support for extremist views. Yet even widespread detentions of Muslims in the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks didn’t cause a noteworthy spike in homegrown terrorism.

By contrast, bombers have hit London and Madrid, a Dutch filmmaker was butchered in the name of God on the streets of Amsterdam, a noticeable flow of European Muslims are taking up jihad in Iraq, and arrests of suspected plotters is practically a monthly event.

In Britain alone, 99 people await trial on terror-related charges and 1,600 others are actively engaged in promoting attacks at home and abroad, according to MI5 intelligence.

Immigration patterns made it easier for the U.S. to integrate its Muslim population, estimated at anywhere from three to seven million people. They were better educated and more affluent than Muslim migrants to Europe, and today tend to be better off financially than the average American family.

With few exceptions, European governments spent decades using Turkish and North African immigrant “guest workers” for cheap labor. Neglect, and a belief that they would one day return home, meant they got little help to integrate.

Last year, the Paris-based Montaigne Institute conducted an experiment: It responded to job ads with identical CVs and found that CVs with “traditional” French names got five times as many replies as those with Arab names.

Yet since 9/11, European politicians have defined the problem of integration not in terms of economic and social barriers but in terms of religion.

American Muslims also face a disturbing amount of “Islamophobia.” But in a country where the dollar bill proclaims trust in God and Bible study groups are held in the White House, the notion religion might be a barrier to integration is inconceivable. Simply put, Muslims feel more at home in God-fearing America than in atheist Europe.

“If the message they hear from us is that the necessary condition for being European is to abandon their religion, then they will choose not to be European,” writes Timothy Gordon Ash, professor of European Studies at Oxford University.

Muslims have much to do to help their integration. An attitude of victimization is setting in that risks seeing Muslims accept their marginal status, indeed wear it as a badge of honour. More effort is needed to develop a European brand of Islam, which fully incorporates values of democracy, tolerance and equality, and is preached by homegrown imams.

Reform is all the harder, however, in an atmosphere where even Tony Blair, a devout Christian, is reluctant to publicly profess his faith. In the run-up to the Iraq war, when a journalist asked about rumours that he prayed with Bush, the British prime minister allowed his chief spin doctor to cut off the question with a blunt, “I’m sorry, we don’t do God.”

The sooner Europe accepts that many of its Muslim citizens are legitimately “doing God,” the better.

9-2

The year in review

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By Bob Wood

As I write this column on the last trading day of the year, I think the timing is perfect for reviewing the advice I’ve offered during 2006 and determining, quite honestly, its value. Advice givers should be held accountable for the service they provide, and I am no exception. With that in mind, let’s take a look.

If you have been following my advice closely, you are, no doubt, aware that I have done my best to discourage you from investing in the domestic stock markets. As luck would have it, this has been one of the best years in a decade for the Dow and S&P 500. So far, not so good!

But anyone suggesting what not to invest in should also offer alternatives. And I did, beginning with foreign stock markets. In general, international markets have done quite well and, in some cases, dramatically better than our home markets. For example, two markets that are almost impossible for investors here to get exposure to have shown “eye-popping” returns, to help my case.

Investors in Venezuela’s stock market enjoyed a whopping 150% return in 2006, while those in Peru’s market watched gleefully as that market rose 180%. But as good as that was for local investors, too few companies based there were offered for sale on our exchanges, and few, if any, of our mutual funds included exposure to those markets. I provide this information only to show that the best investment opportunities often lie where the crowd is least likely to look.

However, there were plenty of other great places to invest money freed from domestic allocations this year. Instead of tying up your savings in the S&P 500, which rose about 14% for the year, you could have put money into some shares of exchange traded funds focused on places like India, where the market climbed enough to power the Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund (IIF) to a gain of almost 30%.

Investors in Brazil’s stock market have enjoyed an annual gain of 34%, as shown in the performance of the IShares Brazil Index fund (EWZ). And investors in the IShares Mexico Index (EWW) did even better, with those shares going higher by 37% in 2006. Also, investors in the Hong Kong market, as shown in the IShares Hong Kong Index fund (EWH), gained 25% for their efforts.

Admittedly, I didn’t have one dollar invested in any of those shares, since I prefer shares of closed-end mutual funds, which, at the time of purchase, are priced at discounts to their Net Asset Value (NAV). This feature allows buying a basket of stocks in selected markets for less than they are worth if sold piece by piece.

For example, as quoted from Barrons Magazine, shares of The Greater China Fund rocketed higher, gaining 149% for the year and doing almost as well as Venezuela’s market! Those shares are now selling at a premium to the fund’s NAV, and I sold them from all client accounts this week. To replace them, I bought shares of the Asia Pacific Fund (APB) at a small discount, since I still want exposure to Asia’s faster-growing markets and healthier economies.

That fund has risen in price by 52% for the year, followed closely by another I hold in client accounts, the Asia Tigers Fund (GRR), which climbed 47% in 2006. And one of my favorite choices in that area of the world, as managed by the legendary Mark Mobius, is the Templeton Dragon Fund (TDF), recording a 44% gain for the year. And Lipper shows the China Region funds, as a group, up over 54% as 2006 ends.

The Latin American markets of Brazil and Mexico have been well represented in my client accounts this year, with shares in the Latin American Discovery Fund (LDF) rising by about 58%. Following closely are shares in the Latin American Equity Fund (LAQ), which rose by 55%. Lipper calculates that Latin American funds rose over 39%, on average, in 2006.

Surprising many during the year was how well European markets performed, as they were well ahead of our domestic markets. Lipper shows the group of funds focused on there up almost 33% for the year. And emerging markets funds climbed 29%, with one holding, the Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Fund (MSF), gaining 44% in 2006.

Also performing quite nicely in 2006 were gold-oriented funds, which Lipper quotes as rising 27%, as a group. One disappointment, considering my strong optimism for their long-term outlook, involved energy shares, which did not meet expected returns. As a consolation prize, though, Lipper quotes average natural resources funds as having risen by almost 16% for the year.

So, how do these returns fare when compared to the S&P 500’s gain of 14%? Not bad, eh? Of course, you could have done a bit better by investing in the Dow, which leads the major domestic averages with its 16.7% gain, or the Russell 2000, with a gain of 18%. But I wonder how many investors left money in those sectors with so many promoters convinced again this year that large cap stocks would outperform small caps, since smaller stocks have led the pack in recent years.

And I wonder how many tied up money in the health care sector, one of the most universally loved by promoters and returning meager 4% gains for the year? In addition, those universally-loved Science and Technology funds rose by about 7%, thus displaying another case of “opportunity cost,” for investors, who tied up investment funds in shares of companies that, in my opinion, don’t even register as investment possibilities, with so many cases of phony accounting and egregious executive pay packages.

Of course, my recommendations included that not only were domestic markets a bad bet for investors, but that hedging their portfolios with allocations in bear market mutual funds (which rise in a falling market) was a good idea. The fact that those funds tend to fall in rising markets didn’t help me much, although my favorite bear market mutual fund, the Prudent Bear Fund (BEARX), which I use to hedge against what I believe will someday be the resumption of the secular bear market begun in early 2000, is actually up almost 9% for the year.

That fund’s manager, David Tice is alarmed, as I have been, by massive money printing, rapidly rising credit availability and the staggering debt and liability loads of consumers, not to mention the federal government’s horrific fiscal situation. And his heavy allocation into gold stocks, used as an insurance policy by hedgers like me to rise along with a rising stock market, helped that fund. It offered a wonderful case for holding insurance against a falling market that also paid its holders to sit patiently with their shares. Imagine: an insurance policy that pays you to hold it!

Two other mutual funds used as hedges in client accounts did not perform as well, but, then, they are supposed to lose money in a rising market. Sizable allocations in the Rydex Inverse OTC Fund (RYAIX) lost over 7% on the year, and shares of the Direxion U.S. Short Fund (PSPSX) lost about as much as the S&P 500 gained, as expected.

So in general, what I have advocated in these 2006 columns went as well as could be expected, considering my bad call on domestic markets, which have risen far more than I would have ever imagined as the year began. But the strong returns in foreign markets, especially the closed-end funds, as well as allocations in gold and energy stocks, saved the day.

As for my “Outlook 2007,” which is so much in fashion at this time of year, I don’t have one! I never plot a strategy for one year. My long-term strategy remains well in place. I still favor the foreign over domestic markets, and allocations in gold and energy remain in place as they have been in recent years. I see little reason to make substantial changes from one year to the next and prefer to stay with what I see as the best long-term trends.

Being wrong in one year or another, at least to some degree, is part of the investment game, But being right in the long-term helps ease any damage done by being on the wrong side of short-term market moves. And what went right this year was enough to offset what went wrong. Overall, I’ll take the gains gladly and head into next year with much the same allocations.

Have a great week,
Bob

Bob Wood ChFC, CLU Yusuf Kadiwala. Registered Investment Advisors, KMA, Inc., invest@muslimobserver.com.

9-2

SE Michigan Vol. 9 Iss. 2

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Area Mosques Celebrate ‘Eidul Adha

Most local mosques celebrated ‘Eidul Adha on Saturday, but some celebrated it on Sunday. In Flint, the Flint Islamic Center and Grand Blanc Islamic Center celebrated ‘Eid together on Saturday. The Tawheed Center in Farmington and the Detroit Muslim Unity Center celebrated ‘Eid on Saturday also. IAGD and the MCWS (Canton Mosque) celebrated ‘Eid on Sunday. The Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW), Islamic Center of America (ICA), and Islamic Institute of Knowledge (IIK) celebrated ‘Eid on Sunday.

The FCNA date for ‘Eid as endorsed by ISNA, was December 31st. Saudi Arabia announced ‘Eid would be on Saturday, December 30th. Indonesia celebrated ‘Eid on Sunday, December 31st.

Canton (By Beena Inam)

Canton–Sunday, December 31–Nearly 2,000 people gathered at the Rock Financial Showplace, formerly known as Novi Expo Center, for Eid prayers on Sunday Dec 31 at 9:30 a.m.

Imam Saeed of Tawheed Center led the ‘Eid payers, which was followed by the khutbah. In his khutbah, he gave examples from the life of Prophet Ibrahim and the submission to the will of God.

The imam discussed the tough sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim (as) had to make, and his reward from Allah of sparing Ismail (as) and making him an example for the Muslims all over the world to remember and follow in our lives.

Further, the imam talked about the unquestionable obedience of Prophet Ibrahim (as) when he left Bibi Hajra and their son Ismail in the valley of Mecca–showing Muslims the right path to follow. He said we should never ask the question ‘why’ when carrying out the command of our Lord. Instead, we should ask God to guide us to the straight path.

Another aspect of the imam’s khutbuh was to help the disadvantaged. We not only have the responsibility to help the poverty-stricken people on Eidul Adha but to help them all round the year.

After the khutbuh, people exchanged greetings. Some men headed to the slaughterhouse to perform the ritual of slaughtering a goat, sheep or a cow while others donated to the other parts of the world.

Due to the limited space for people at the Muslim Community of the Western Suburbs (MCWS) in Eidul Fitr, the Eidul Adha prayers were held at the Rock Financial Showplace.

“This place is spacious and big enough for everyone to pray. I liked it here and hope to attend many Eid prayers here in the future,” said Zainab Rangoonwala, a local resident.

BUC

Bloomfield–Saturday–The Bloomfield Unity Center held two ‘Eid prayers on Saturday. One was led by Imam Achmat Sallie who spoke on the surprising issue of seeking wealth in dunya. He said not to be guilty about being wealthy, that we should encourage our children to be millionaires and billionaires, and in support of this argument pointed to the negative point of the vulnerability of Muslims to Christian-funded proselytizing in the wake of the Asian tsunami, and to the positive point of Nobel Prize winner Mohammad Younus’s efforts to help Bangladesh’s people achieve self-sufficiency through micro-loans.

Relating this focus on seeking wealth in dunya to Eidul Adha, Imam Sallie explained that wealthy Muslims must sacrifice by giving in support of Islam and Muslims.

Imam Sallie said that Muslims should be the first and best in offering solutions to today’s world problems like global warming.

IAGD

Troy–Sunday, December 31–All together, according to IAGD Board President Dr. Syed Akbar, about 4,000 people attended 3 prayers held at IAGD in Troy to celebrate Eidul Adha.

The first prayer was at 8:30, and the khutbah was given by Imam Muneer Fareed, who spoke about the importance of using iman in daily life in imitation of prophets Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) and Sayyidina Isma’il (as), saying that there are levels of faith, and emphasizing the importance for Muslims of being good human beings.

The second prayer was at 10 and was led by Imam Ali Leyla, a professor from the Islamic American University, who spoke on the importance of Sayyidina Ibrahim’s (as) correct belief, which led to Allah’s protecting him against the fire of Nimrud, which cooled on his entry–making it “bardan wa salaaman.” He also emphasized the importance for Muslims of being good human beings.

Oakland University’s Islamic Studies Program Launches

Troy–December 31–Oakland University’s brand new Islamic Studies program, arranged by Imam Sallie of the Bloomfield Unity Center, comes to life on January 4th, 2007.

TMO profiled the program in the Southeast Michigan section of its Volume 8 Issue 34, describing a posh fundraiser designed to raise $250,000 for the program.

The fundraiser was successful in kickstarting the program. This year there will be two classes at Oakland University, one taught by Imam Ali of the Muslim Community of the Western Suburbs (Canton Mosque), and another taught by Imam Sallie.

Imam Ali will teach the evening class, Tuesday evenings. Imam Sallie will teach on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Sallie shows satisfaction with the university’s great welcome to him and the Islamic courses, as they have given him the latest available classrooms–”Smart” classrooms with all the latest technology.

Imam Sallie explains that “what we need now is for people to show up.” He hopes to offer an online version of the course as well in the near future.

Sallie explains that Oakland University is an up-and-coming force in the area, being expected to have 20,000 students after 2 years. (It currently has approximately 4,700 students, including 100 Muslims).

So far 15 students have enrolled in the program. The total capacity of the program is 20 students per class.

The effort has garnered widespread success, owing to Imam Sallie’s ecumenical appeal and soft and open approach to non-Muslims. It has been profiled in the Detroit Free Press, Channel 7 News, and in radio programs.

As explained in the Vol. 8 Iss. 34 article, this program is dependent on donations from the community. Presently the teaching position pays, but is not yet self-sufficient.

If you would like to support the program by donations, please mail payments to Oakland University, FAJRI/ORSP Linda Tucker 152 DHE Rochester, MI 48309-4401.

9-2

Houstonian Corner Vol. 9 Iss. 2

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UNFORTUNATE: Eidul-Adha in Houston on Saturday and Sunday

Eidul-Adha was celebrated with traditional fervor on Saturday – & – Sunday – December 30th and 31st – 2006. The biggest gathering was organized by the Islamic Forum of North America (IFNA) on Sunday at Fun Plex.

Instead of organizing at a Central Location, the largest umbrella organization of the city, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) arranged Eid Prayers at individual area Masajids on Saturday – December 30th – 2006. Some of the local Masajids Directors allowed ‘Eidul-Adha Prayers to be established on Sunday as well. After ‘Eid prayers, most of the places provided complimentary hot breakfasts for the whole family, and toys for kids.

People went to several slaughter houses across the Greater Houston Region to sacrifice their animals. Those who did not book in advance had to pay hefty amounts for the sacrifice.

Considering the way Muslims are facing bigger and graver issues and concerns worldwide as well as in North America, it should not be a big problem to have two Eids, as it has been happening for centuries and several efforts to resolve it have been futile: As such why make a huge fuss about it, when there are other pressing issues.

However it does become confusing for new Muslims and younger second- and third-generation immigrants, who frequent the public arena more than their elders at their schools and other places and face the difficulty of explaining to their peers why one Muslim has ‘Eid on Saturday while another has ‘Eid on Sunday is something not very easy to utter.

After several efforts, a Committee of Islamic Scholars was formed in Houston and its first task was to decide the date for Eidul-Fitr, so that at least in Houston, there is ‘Eid on one day. This committee had members from the Scholars Committee of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), Madrasae Islamiah, ASIA SE Houston and the Clear Lake Islamic Center.

The committee decided that in Houston the determination of ‘Eidul-Fitr would be based on local moon sighting. Using this criterion, Eidul-Fitr was announced. Another organization, the Islamic Forum of North America (IFNA) also said that all ‘Eids should be based on local moon sighting – However they rejected the evidences of moon sighting done by the committee and and organized Eidul-Fitr on a different day.

Now, when the time came for the decision regarding Eid-AL-Adha, it was thought that again the criterion of local moon sighting would be taken into account. But the Scholars of ISGH recommended that for Eidul-Adha, the local moon does not work, once it is known when the Arafat Day is and the day after that is the day of sacrifice for those at Hajj and should be the ‘Eid for rest of the ummah.

This ruling was rejected by IFNA, Madrasae Islamiah and ASIA SE Houston and as such the community got more divided than it was at Eidul-Fitr.

It is being appealed to all the Muslims that they should not make this any bigger issue, since we all need to spend our most valuable time and energies on several other crucial problems facing the many facets of our community and trying to also resolve issues of people living around the Muslim World.

It is further being appealed to the Leaders and Scholars of the Community that this Local Committee Platform of Scholars should not be abandoned if it has failed – Keep meeting on regular basis not only to determine Ramadhan and Eid Moons, but also the other months moons and eventually the continuous dialogue and respect and understanding of different view points will result in better outcome – It may be painful now, but will never be like this as long as discourse is continued.

Hall Of Shame – Saddam’s Hanging On Eidul-Adha

Many in Houston while greeting each other on Eidul-Adha expressed their dismay on the hanging of Saddam on ‘Eid Day. One of them said: “Now that his fate is with Allah (swt), what can we say about Dictator Saddam Hussein–he may very well have deserved this eventual fate, however the Muslim world did not deserve this–the tradition of Muslims is that at the eve of Eids, we pardon prisoners–Muslims never hang people on Eid Day, whatever they may have done–this is another shame inflicted on Muslims worldwide.”

Another person agreeing said: “I agree with you 100%, it is so pathetic, uncivil, inhuman and totally un-Islamic to hang a person on the day to sacrifice (Eidul-Adha). It is day of forgiving, generosity, mercy and compassion. The Iraqi Government has committed a grave crime, now every Eid day–Saddam’s death will be celebrated. There is no justification for Saddam’s evil deeds, but it is against the teachings of Islam i.e. mercy and compassion, to forgive your enemy and not to hang your enemy on Eid Day – People, who decided this act must go in the “Hall of Shame.” They have made a mockery of Islam’s compassion.”

9-2

Taliban commander intends 2007 attacks in Afghanistan

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By Saeed Ali Achakzai

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The Taliban will step up attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan this year and kill anyone who negotiates with the government, a top rebel commander said on Tuesday.

Taliban fighters staged a surprise comeback last year with the bloodiest violence since U.S.-led troops forced them from power in 2001. More than 4,000 people were killed on both sides in 2006 including nearly 170 foreign troops.

Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah said the new year would see more attacks on NATO and U.S. forces.

“Suicide and guerrilla attacks on NATO, American and coalition forces will continue and increase this year. The Taliban will inflict heavy casualties on them,” Dadullah told Reuters by satellite telephone from an undisclosed location.

Dadullah did not refer to the death last month of Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, the most senior Taliban commander to be killed by U.S. forces since 2001.

Osmani was killed in a U.S. air strike in the south, and another rebel commander, who declined to be identified, said earlier his death would be a blow to the Taliban.

About 40,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, some 32,000 of them under NATO command. They are trying to ensure enough security to enable development projects to get started.

Dadullah said the Taliban had used a winter lull in fighting to draw up new war plans to inflict maximum damage on foreign forces. Afghan fighting traditionally falls off during the bitter winter when snow blocks mountain passes.

“They will soon come to know about the Taliban’s strength and war strategy. We will attack with such a force they will have no time to settle,” Dadullah said.

The rebel commander ruled out any negotiations while foreign troops were in the country and threatened dire consequences for anyone who did so.

“Those who negotiate in the name of the Taliban will be killed,” he said. He did not elaborate.

The government has a reconciliation program aimed at persuading Taliban members to give up their fight and rejoin society but few insurgents have taken up the offer.

Some Afghan politicians have said peace will be impossible unless elements of the Taliban are included in talks.

A Taliban spokesman said last month the rebels might take part in planned tribal councils that Pakistan and Afghanistan aim to hold on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.

But other Taliban members quickly denied there was any chance of the insurgents attending the councils. Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was reported to have denounced the proposed meetings as an American trick in a message last week.

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