It was 1893 and a young Indian lawyer, dressed in an impeccable European dress, was travelling first class in a train from Durban to Pretoria in South Africa. All was well until the train reached Pietermaritzburg in the province of Natal. A European passenger had summoned the railway officials who ordered that the young lawyer vacate the compartment since ‘coolies’ and non-whites were supposedly not allowed in first class compartments. When the lawyer protested he was pushed out of the train along with this luggage.
The lawyer, who went on to attain fame as the apostle of nonviolence Mahatma Gandhi, was forced to stay in a cold waiting room. “It was winter,†he later wrote in his autobiography, and “the cold was extremely bitter. My over-coat was in my luggage, but I did not dare to ask for it lest I should be insulted again, so I sat and shivered.â€
It was exactly how I felt when I was told by Air Canada officials in London’s Heathrow Airport that I won’t be allowed to board my flight to Toronto. I had flown in from Mumbai and was to connect to an Air Canada flight. Despite the fact that I arrived two hours ahead of departure the airline officials rudely told me that the flight has closed and that I might be able to fly in the next flight in another three hours. The reason being that because of my first and last names they will do a security check. All other passengers who came along with me on the flight were given their boarding passes in Mumbai itself and zipped through to the aircraft.
I waited in an immensely crowded waiting area with stiff chairs, rude staff, and dirty washrooms. As the departure timed neared for the next flight I was told to board it at the last moment.
When I finally, reached Toronto I was shocked to find that my luggage is missing. I was told that it will be delivered to me in the next few days. I prayed that it reaches me as it contained several research documents, rare photographs, several books, and most of my clothes. The Air Canada call centre representatives in India says repeatedly said that they are working on locating it and still haven’t found it. I do not understand why they can’t find when all checked bags have a computerized number tag on them.
As I waited for my luggage I was reminded of Gandhi and his predicament 116 years ago. The Muslims are the new ‘coolies’ to be harassed and abused with impunity by one and all. There was only one difference. At least Gandhi had his luggage intact with him. I got my bag back after sixteen days of waiting.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama promised to improve U.S. ties with the Muslim world in his inauguration address on Tuesday, after tensions that followed the September 11 attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect,†said Obama, who became the first black president of the United States.
Obama, a practicing Christian, spent several years of his childhood in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation. His American mother, Ann Dunham, married Muslim Indonesian Lolo Soetoro after the end of her marriage to Obama’s Kenyan father.
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist,†Obama said.
Under President George W. Bush, U.S. relations with Muslim nations have often been fractious, particularly after the September 11 attacks.
Many Muslims were angered by the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the opening of a prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, widely seen as a symbol of human rights abuses of mostly Muslim prisoners carried out in the name of the “war on terrorism.â€
The Council on American Islamic Relations welcomed Obama’s promise on seeking better relations with Muslim nations.
“We hope this encouraging statement, coupled with a change in America’s previous policies toward the Muslim world, will help improve our nation’s image and promote a safe and prosperous future for all of humanity,†said Nihad Awad, executive director of the council.
The first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, said Obama’s words were an important signal of goodwill to Muslims in the United States as well as the rest of the world.
“I do believe it could undermine recruiting for al Qaeda,†he told Reuters, because “their message depends on trying to demonize the United States as a country that is somehow hostile to Islam and the Muslim world.â€
Ellison said Obama’s outreach would make it hard for al Qaeda to sustain its anti-American message.
Many Muslims are already excited about Obama, he said.
“If you were to go to Damascus, or Cairo, or Jerusalem today, you could find an Obama tee shirt. People are excited about the possibilities for what this means around the globe.â€
The population of Ellison’s district is three or four percent Muslim, he said. Since his election to Congress in 2006, another Muslim has also been voted in: Democrat Andre Carson of Indiana.
About 300 young Muslims from 76 countries signed a letter published in the Washington Post on Tuesday, urging the new president to make policy changes that could improve relations between the Muslim world and the West.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; editing by Patricia Zengerle)
As an Americanist and a Palestinian intellectual who is not affiliated to any political party in Palestine, I feel that I have to stand up and speak out. I have to speak about the faulty policy which feeds the spirit of hatred and resentment.
Almost every man, woman and child in the world knows that the American policy in the Middle East during the two terms of Bush’s Administration is distinguished by being biased and double standard.
Very few, however, are easily deceived by the glittering rhetoric made by some American politicians, particularly, the most articulate outgoing Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice! Dr. Condi was very smart when she declared at the outset of the most brutal Israeli war on Gaza that it was the Palestinian side which is held responsible for violating the six-month truce.
She was even smarter when she concluded her career by signing an MOU, which is completely in favor of the Israelis. It is an MOU which further tightens the siege on Gaza and allows Israel to posses more American WMD to kill more Palestinians.
The most disturbing statement about the situation in Gaza was made by Dr. Rice was when she declared that it was the Palestinian side who violated the truce and subsequently is responsible for what is happening in Gaza.
Such a statement is easy to be made by Ms. Condi whose accomplishments in America’s foreign policy were spectacular! She promised that by 2008 the presidents vision of two states would be concretized.
It seems though that she succeeded in having two Palestinian cantons, one in Gaza, and the other in the West Bank ! So we can easily say that Ms. Rice succeeded in fulfilling her President’s vicious vision of having two viable Palestinian states.
Perhaps Dr. Rice was the most frequent visitor to the Middle East when compared with her predecessors. The normal expectation has been that Ms. Rice would have a deeper understanding of the Middle East crisis in general, and the Palestinian side in particular.
As Palestinians living in Gaza, we expected Ms. Rice to have done some research about the demography of Gaza. We also expected here to have done some investigations about the psyche of the true victims living in Gaza.
We are not sure if Dr. Rice knows that more than seventy percent of the Palestinians living in Gaza are Palestinian refugees who had been kicked out of their towns and villages in Palestine.
We are not certain if Dr. Rice knows that most of the Israelis who replaced the displaced Palestinians had come from far off land, from diverse countries to establish a state on the land of other people.
It seems that Ms. Rice is very happy to see the Palestinians suffer under siege ; she wants them to sing for peace in a big cage called Gaza, and if they protest by sending home made or ineffective Chinese rockets, she will hold them responsible for the mess!
The most recent MOU signed by Dr. Condi and Ms. Livne, one of the most notorious Israeli war criminals, stipulates that the American government helps in preventing weapons smuggling into Gaza.
According to Ms. Condi, the signing of this MOU is only a step in the process towards a permanent seize fire. Of course she speaks about a process which gives the Israeli more time for human cleansing in Gaza; she wants to give the Israeli army more time to kill more Palestinian children and women.
However, unfortunately this MOU does not stipulate that the American government stops sending weapons of mass destruction to Israel. The MOU does not speak about the most sophisticated weapons, the American government is giving for free to Israel to kill Palestinian children and women in Gaza. The MOU does not talk about any practical procedure to ban Israel from using DIM and White Phosphorus bombs that kill Palestinian children by burning their little and tender bodies.
The MOU has ignored the fact that the Palestinian living in Gaza are occupied ; they are not terrorist as promulgated by the colonial rhetoric; they are freedom fighters who want their legitimate rights, they are people who want to live in dignity like all the peoples of the world.
The MOU has never included anything related to lifting the siege imposed in Gaza by opening crossings for humanitarian purposes.
The Palestinians in Gaza do not bank much on the American government but rather on the good American people, the good people who do not want to see the tax they pay used in building the Israeli arsenal of mass destruction which is used to threaten the Arab people, in general, and the Palestinian people in particular.
Indeed Bush’s administration has left the soon coming Obama’s administration with a heavy legacy; a legacy of anger and resentment against the biased American government which does not represent the American voice which calls for freedom, independence and dignity.
It is a heavy burden Obama’s administration should waive. We hope, though that Obama’s administration follows a different policy , a policy which is based on objectivity and transparency.
We hope that Ms. Clinton, Condi’s successor would be the one who would improve the image of America in the Middle East and the Islamic world.
We are sure that Ms. Clinton would be more objective and realistic when she deals with the Palestinian Issue.
We hope that the Administration would follow policy which balances between the nationalistic aspirations of the Palestinians and the divine dream of the Jews, those who totally disagree with the massacres committed by the Israeli army against the innocent Palestinian in Gaza.
January 5th–Israeli Gaza border– Israel has announced a ceasefire in Gaza has left it precipitously, in time for the retirement of the disgraced President George Bush.
Essentially, Tel Aviv has strategically lost the battle, for its objectives were not achieved in this David versus Goliath battle in reverse (curiously, Gaza City was the ancient capital of the Philistines from which the name Palestine derives): “David†did not destroy the Hamas “army†as a fighting force. In fact, at no time during this struggle were the Muslim rockets into Southern Israel halted, and (as of this writing) they are still being shot, nor were the tunnels under the Egyptian crossing ever completely destroyed. (An Israeli general even admitted that the Gazans were unbroken.) Now, what will become more evident by the time my audience reads these words, is the immensity of the dire humanitarian crisis. (40% of the dead and wounded slaughtered were women and children.) So far it is apparent that at least 4,000 buildings were destroyed, leaving 50,000 homeless. Further, most of these structures were constructed under international aid.
I was part of a conference – through cyber technology — with Amnesty International’s Rapporteur on the Israeli-Gazan border, Donatella Rover. (Israel refused entrance to human rights, humanitarian, and news workers during the fight.) Of the few outside groups let in, the U.N.R.W.A. [the United Nations Relief and works Agency’s] was hit by an IDF (Israel Defense Force) tank shells with an unacceptable loss of life and limb and the destruction of an edifice that contained most of the food and medicine available in the combat zone! As I file this story the U.N. (the United Nations) has requested an investigation into Israeli war crimes.
Amnesty has taken a terribly legalistic stance on what is a very human crisis (although later in the day as the meeting discussed, I was asked by their New York office to sign on to their condemnation of West Jerusalem as the humanitarian aggressor), Donatella began in the Philistine evening that Amnesty International (AI) had called for an arms embargo on both sides. She stated that there have been rocket attacks by each faction to the conflict. Trying to maintain a “balance†acceptable for American audiences, “Both Israel and Hamas justify their own human rights [record] by arguing that their attacks are in response to abuses from the other side.†Thus, they are applying pressure on both parties. Yet, in defense of Gaza City, she affirmed that a proportionate attack would not strike civilians!
“The Palestinian civilians cannot be punished for that which they have no responsibility!†The international family must insist that both sides respect the right of the individual to life. Here is where the American government has fallen short: the United States must be an honest broker! (Finally, Obama has broken his silence, and has called for an end to the violence, and has expressed a profound sympathy for the Palestinian inmates of the sliver of a land along the Mediterranean Sea sandwiched between a hostile Tel Aviv and Alexandra. Hopefully, the American President’s assertion is a positive glimmer for the possibility for the future of a larger Arab-Israeli settlement.)
Replying to a question, Rover responded that the U.N. relief team had not totally pulled out from Gaza (and they and others are currently moving in force), but the blockade, in and of itself, has been disproportionate for years that had made the humane situation dismal even before the recent aggression. Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the territory unlawfully! Some of Samaria’s abuses, she said, “…constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity…â€
As I am filing this piece New York (i.e., the U.N.) has accused Israel of war crimes and has requested an independent investigation, for, as Donatella phrases it, They are “…among the gravest…under International Law.†AI had not felt Israel has committed genocide, nor does she place the blame squarely on Tel Aviv. In working in another benighted country, I found the same lack of moral fortitude with Amnesty. She feels that the Hamas organization had (questionably) broken the prior truce (actually the prior truce was broken on November 4th 2008 when the IDF made an incursion into Gazan sovereign terrain), but, even from her perspective, this does not give Israel the prerogative to apply collective punishment to the essentially unprotected population of Gaza. This very principle that was enforced by the IDF was unquestionably a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Amnesty works on a legalistic framework, as was intimated above, that is why “…we are using the standards of International Law to judge the conduct of all parties…Pressure must be exerted… to not hurt civilians…[Diplomatic] force has to be applied upon the Israel [and to Cairo, also] to grant unfettered access to the Strip…â€
To a question, Donatella Rover responded that (high) government officials can be held for war and human rights violations if it is proven that they created the policy that permitted the offenses. She, also, declared that London had confirmed that White Phosphorous was being used by the Israeli military even though it has been banned by Convention, but they had not confirmed the use of DIME (Dense Inert Metal Explosion) although, since, a team of investigative reporters from RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) confirmed a like substance was being applied upon the citizens of Gaza.
Your author concludes that whereas Israel has degenerated into a rogue State, Hamas glorifies martyrdom and victimhood. This is not a positive situation for either populace to resolve their mutual antagonisms. Tel Aviv has lost any remaining stature in the world due to their naked cruel conduct of this conflict.
Although Cairo pulled itself out of the mire of collaboration with the Israelis through its negotiation of the truce, it is quite clear that the Arab world had abandoned Gaza. Hence, a new “Cold War’ may be smoldering within the Middle East led by the more conservative Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the one hand and the more radical Iran and possibly Syria on the other. Also, this episode has deepened the alienation of the citizens from many of their nation states that could lead to instability and even revolt throughout the region. On the West Bank, where Fatah has dominated, it is clear through the tenor of the demonstrations during the emergency, Hamas is gaining influence within the electorate there.
This clash has changed the balance of political power and influence in West Asia and North Africa. For one thing, Palestine has become even more urgent. President Obama has already prioritized achieving a resolution to this conundrum. This has put a huge pressure on the new Administration in D.C. Surely the events over these two months have demonstrated the need for engagement with Damascus and Tehran to which our recently sworn-in president has already declared he is amenable.
In film, the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images of the third dimension, the illusion of depth as seen by the viewer.
The technique usually involves filming two images simultaneously, with two cameras positioned side by side, generally facing each other and filming at a 90 degree angle via mirrors, in perfect synchronization and with identical technical characteristics. When viewed in such a way that each eye sees its photographed counterpart, the viewer’s visual cortex will interpret the pair of images as a single three-dimensional image. Modern computer technology also allows for the production of pseudo-3D films using CGI and without the need for dual cameras.
The stereoscopic era of motion pictures began in the late 1890s when British film pioneer William Friese-Greene filed a patent for a 3-D movie process. In his patent, two films were projected side by side on screen. The viewer looked through a stereoscope to converge the two images. Because of the obtrusive mechanics behind this method, theatrical use was not practical.
Frederick Eugene Ives patented his stereo camera rig in 1900. The camera had 2 lenses attached together, 1 3/4 inches apart.
Early in December 1922, William Van Doren Kelley cashed in on the growing interest in 3-D films started by Fairall’s demonstration and shot footage with a camera system of his own design. Kelley then struck a deal with Samuel “Roxy†Rothafel to premiere the first in his series of “Plasticon†shorts entitled Movies of the Future at the Rivoli Theater in New York City.
Kelley, who was primarily a producer of color films, used his color system, Prizma, to print his anaglyph films. In early 1923, he shopped around a second Plasticon entitled Through the Trees – Washington D.C., shot by William T. Crespinel, which consisted of stereoscopic views of Washington, D.C., but found no buyers. Also in December 1922, Laurens Hammond (later inventor of the Hammond organ) and William F. Cassidy unveiled their Teleview system. Teleview was the earliest alternate-frame sequencing form of projection. Through the use of two interlocked projectors, alternating left/right frames were projected one after another in rapid succession. Synchronized viewers attached to the arm-rests of the seats in the theater open and closed at the same time, and took advantage of the viewer’s persistence of vision, thereby creating a true stereoscopic image.
Most films to date are not 3-D; because of the difficulty of displaying in that format; it is more of a movie gimmick rather than a standard movie feature.
Once again the Palestinian/Israeli conflict spirals out of control. However, this particular battle has produced circumstantial evidence that the conflict has become more dangerous than ever before. Unless a permanent solution is found soon, the violence may increase in severity until the conflict ends tragically. In the latest fighting, Israel has bombed the HAMAS controlled city of Gaza for the stated reason of neutralizing HAMAS and stopping them from firing rockets into Southern Israel. As of the date of this article, approximately 900 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed. HAMAS’ stated reasons for firing the rockets is to end the siege of Gaza by Israel which HAMAS alleges is preventing the free movement of people and goods and causing a humanitarian crisis. Israel denies the existence of a humanitarian crisis and refuses to end the siege of Gaza unless HAMAS recognizes Israel or is out power.
In general, what makes the Palestinian/Israeli conflict so dangerous is that half the world, (three billion people (Jews, Christians & Muslims)) are emotionally, historically and religiously attached to the land known as Israel/Palestine. This fact was demonstrated in the last few days as demonstrations erupted in more than 95 countries around the world.
Moreover, due to the affordability of satellite TV, in even the most underdeveloped countries, billions of interested people are exposed to 24 hour graphic coverage of this latest battle in Gaza.
Western News stations like BBC and CNN no longer have a monopoly on reporting news. Many Middle Eastern TV stations have surpassed the reach of BBC, CNN and other western media.
As to graphic images, dozens of news stations like Aljazeera have been broadcasting live and prerecorded graphic images of Palestinian babies blown up into pieces by the Israeli military. One particular gruesome scene that was played over and over again was that of a three year old little girl with her heart protruding out of her body after a bomb fell on her house. Another station, Al Alam, repeated the scene of four dead babies who were placed next to each other in the same refrigerator of a morgue because of the large number of dead in Gaza. The graphic and often emotional coverage of this latest battle is inspiring the fury of the masses which in turn are putting enormous pressure on their governments to join the fight on the side of the Palestinians. This conflict is much more dangerous than most people realize.
For example, Egypt is receiving so much negative media coverage for not opening its border with Gaza that People throughout the Arab and Muslim world started calling for the overthrow of the Egyptian government and demonstrators attacked Egyptian embassies in several countries. The pressure on Egypt is so intense and ruthless that a shaken Egyptian president was forced to hold two press conferences to explain his government’s position and to distance Egypt from Israel. Similarly, the friendly nation20of Jordan came under so much pressure for not breaking diplomatic relations with Israel that King Abdullah held a publicity stunt in which he was seen donating blood for the people of Gaza and for the first time in recent memory he referred to Israel as the Enemy. Even the Saudi government was not immune from attacks and calls for the overthrow of the Saudi government. Media outlets repeated scenes of demonstrators burning the effigy of the King of Saudi Arabia with the Israeli flag wrapped around him for hundreds of millions of people to see. Saudi Arabia is perceived as a secret ally of Israel in the desire to destroy HAMAS and the refusal of the Saudi government to allow demonstrations against Israel only reinforced this belief. Whatever the truth, the Saudi government was so shaken by the attacks against it and the constant portrayal of the Saudi King wrapped in the Israeli flag that the official Saudi media began publicizing Saudi efforts to raise money for the people of Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is becoming extremely dangerous and can only be described as a ticking NUCLEAR BOMB. Currently, only Israel has nuclear weapons in the Middle East. But Iran may also go nuclear and if that happens the Arabs will try to do the same. Without a doubt, there is no conflict on earth that has the same global impact as the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Because of the potential for global instability, the entire world must do all it can to bring peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. The question is can this conflict be solved after many wars failed to end the conflict? The answer is YES but time is running out.
Currently, there are four proposals to the Israel/Palestinian conflict and three have been attempted and failed. The first is that the Israelis and Palestinians continue fighting until one submits to the other, a plan that has been tried and failed. The second is a plan where both people separate by creating two separate countries. This plan is referred to as the two state solution and all attempts to implement it have failed. The third is to divide the Palestinian territories and place them under the control of Egypt and Jordan. This solution has been tried (1948-1967) and also failed because it did not address the core of the conflict. The fourth solution is based on integration of both Israelis and Palestinians in one nation and is the only solution that has proven successful.
For the last 20 years the world has focused on the two state (two country) solution which has clearly failed. However, contrary to unanimous belief, neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are to blame for the failure of the two state solution. The two state solution failed because the concept of creating two separate countries by dividing Israel/Palestine was and still is a difficult pill to swallow for Israelis & Palestinians. It is a fact that Israelis and Palestinians have religious, historical and emotional attachments to every square inch of the land that include s Israel and Palestine and neither side is eager to embrace permanent separation or “amputation†as described by Israeli novelist Amos Oz. Consequently, it is highly unlikely that permanent separation will lead to permanent peace.
In light of the above facts some may think that a solution is impossible. NOT TRUE. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict can be solved as long as both sides give up the notion that they deserve exclusive control and rule over Israel/Palestine.
In light of the attachments that both parties have for the same territory, the solution cannot be in separating but in finding a formula for living together. Many Israelis and Palestinians agree that Israel/Palestine is indivisible. Thus, the solution lies in uniting Israelis and Palestinians in one country while guaranteeing both sides equality and absolute security. What is being proposed here is the creation of two sovereign states similar to New York and New Jersey, joined together in a confederation to form one country.
To illustrate further, after occupying the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, Israel could have annexed those territories into Israel by providing the Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. Israel did not do this and instead chose to treat the West Bank and Gaza as part of Israel without granting the Palestinians citizenship, equality or political participation. Legally, Palestinians were and continue to have the same status as American blacks in the 19th century. Israel did not integrate the Palestinians into Israel because Israelis were afraid that the Palestinians may one day outnumber the Jews and vote Israel out of existence. While this is a legitimate concern, Jews and Israelis who fear equality for Palestinians assume that granting the Palestinians equality would lead to the destruction of Israel. This is a false assumption.
The world has produced many successful formulas for different people living together and sharing power and a formula can be found in this case. An example of a formula is the creation of a confederation of Israel/Palestine based on the principles of free trade and the free movement of labor and people. As to the national government, Israel and Palestine can each contribute 50% to the national parliament, a formula that would guarantee security, and eliminate political dilution from demographic changes and make certain that extremist become marginalized.
The above formula is an example that gives Palestinians and Israelis most of what they want while allowing both people to be independent and secure. Moreover, with this solution, Jerusalem becomes a non-issue and borders become less relevant.
As proof that integration can work, consider that Israel has one million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship who are often referred to as “Israeli Arabs.†It is important to note that they are not participating in violence. This is because Palestinians who are citizens of Israel have civil and political rights while the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have nothing.
Without a doubt most readers of this article will think that the author is naïve, idealistic, stupid, Zionists or trying to destroy Israel. We understand your beliefs. However, please ask yourself if Israel destroys Hamas or Islamic Jihad will there be peace between Israelis and Palestinians? Consider that Hamas was created in 1987.
Before HAMAS was created, Israel fought five major wars and numerous other battles. Moreover, before HAMAS there were the PLO, Fatah, PFLP, PFLP-GC, 15 May Organization, Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, Al-’Asifah, Arab Liberation Front, Force 17, Black Hand , Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – Special Command, Popular Resistance Committees, Popular Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Black September, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Doghmush, Omar Ben al-Khatib Warriors, Palestinian Liberation Army, Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, Palestinian fedayeen, Swords of Truth, Rejectionist Front, among other organizations. Today most of the above organizations have been destroyed or just vanished. However, the conflict has not ended as the above organizations have been replaced by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Holy Jihad Brigades, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Army of Islam, As-Sa’iqa, Tanzim, Al-Quds Brigades, among others. The point here is that even if Israel destroys HAMAS, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians would not be solved and it would only be a matter of time before a new group forms to replace HAMAS. Israelis and Palestinians must realize that what they have done for the last 70 years will never bring peace to either Palestine or Israel under the best of circumstances. Under the worst of circumstances this conflict may lead to an all out nuclear war where millions will die and this is no longer an exaggeration.
To summarize, Israel and its neighbors have fought numerous wars and no side has given up on their fundamental claims. For the last 20 years, both sides have tried to separate by creating two separate countries but this approach has failed because all sides have attachments to Israel and Palestine. The only solution that has a record of success is integration as demonstrated by the Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. If peace is not found then the day may soon come when the governments of the Middle East maybe overthrown by people who want to directly intervene on behalf of the Palestinians. If an uprising erupts throughout the Middle East then nuclear war may soon follow. Therefore, the choices are between total annihilation or equality for Palestinians and security for Israel. There are no other choices.
Editor’s note: Mr. Habeeb is working with serious risk to his safety, including his having received at least two death threats, and making long walks through wartorn streets to maintain his equipment and research stories.
Daily Feed About Gaza War:
1-Air raids on all points where the military ground operation in the first hour of Day 16.
2-Air raid destroyed the house of Abu Nizar Awadallah in Nasir area south north of Gaza.
3-Bombings near Omar Bin Khatab mosque in Khan Younis in time of dawn prayer for Muslims.
4-Extensive bombings on Palestinian Egyptian borders south of Rafah City.
5-A-25 year old woman was killed in Khoza’a area due to Phosphorous bombs in Khan Yonis. Around 50 wounded according to medical sources.
6-An air raid destroyed the house of Al Qasam commander, Ahmed Al Ja’bari, in east of Gaza, the Shijaya area.
7-Shells and rockets rained down in Khan Yonis City, targeting open places.
8-A rocket targeted an orphanage and Al Fadila mosque in Rafah City.
9- A Palestinian was killed and his father wounded in an Israeli raid in Khan Yonis City central Gaza.
10-Al Quds brigades: three of its fighters were killed in Jabalia town.
11-The Israeli air force threw thousand of leaflets at Rafah areas near the borders requesting populations to leave their houses.
12-A Palestinian, Baha’ Abed 25 years old, was killed and his sister Shaida Abed wounded in the Jabalia Refugee camp by artillery shells.
13-A Palestinian was killed and 2 wounded in the Al Zana area, east of Khan Yonis City.
14-A rocket hit a car in Rafah and 5 people were wounded in Rafah City.
15-Four Palestinians were wounded in artillery shelling in Jabalia.
16-A Palestinian was killed due to his wounds in Khan Yonis City.
17-An Israeli drone fired a rocket towards Al Karama building, leaving 4 dead from one family, and an old woman. They are Ala Bashir 40, his wife Lamia, 40, their son Sohaib, 18, and Jamila zyada 75 years.
18-A Palestinian was killed, Ebrahim Salma, 25 years old, killed near Al Krama buildings by bombs from the Israeli air force.
19-Artillery shells hit the house of Muhammad Khalaf in Jabalia. Two Palestinians from the same killed, the dead are Ebrahim Khalad, 35, and Belal Yahya,19. Around 10 were wounded before the Israeli army destroyed the house with bulldozers.
20-Five children were killed in Bait Lahia due to Israeli bombings. Two of them are sisters and 7 from others family. The killed ones are Haitham Yaser Ma’rof 12, Jehan, 16, Fatima Ma’rof 16. Two others from Ghaban family whose name are Khawla,16, Sahar, 14.
21- Two Palestinian militants were killed in Shija’ya area east of Gaza City.
22-A rocket targeted the house of Tal’at Hamoda, killing his two sons. One of them is an infant, Fares 1 year and a half, and Muhmmad, 22 years.
23-Head of Emergency and Ambulances: Death toll 880 and injured 3620.
24-A Palestinian was killed in Rafah and several wounded south of the occupied strip.
25-The Israeli army raided the borders with Egypt, many tunnels were destroyed.
26-A Palestinian was killed in Jabalai evening of today. Around 3 others were wounded, medical sources said.
27-Israeli tanks advanced into the Gaza Strip town of Tal Al Hawa. The tanks were faced by heavy fighting, resulting in the deaths of many militants and some civilians. Muhammad Sada, Abd Al Kashif, Ebrahim Hamada, Abdalla Shmalkh, Ali Shamalkh, Esam Shamalkh, Mahmoud Shamalk, Muhammd Tatr, Muhammad Al Naji, Ramzi Abu Ghanima and Ata Al Dahdods. They all were aged between 18 to 37.
28-An artillery shell hit the house of Al Jilb in the Tal Al Hawa area. A 70-year-old man was killed in the attack.
29-A rocket fired from an Israeli drone killed a man aged 24, Nour Abu Amish.
30-Local radios: A Palestinian woman who was going to deliver a baby and two of her relatives were killed in Bait Lahia City. Many were wounded there by an artillery shell which targeted them.
31-Artillery shells targeted many buildings in Tal Al Hawa. Tens were wounded and 3 killed, including a child aged 4 years.
32-Deadly clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters took place near Jabal Al Kashif area northern Gaza.
33-A Palestinian called Osama Abu Rijila was killed by a rocket fired from a drone in Khan Yonis. Another woman called Hanan Al Najar was also killed.
34-Amnesty claimed that Israeli army is perpetrating War Crimes in Gaza.
35-Two rockets hit the area of Yaromk mid of Gaza, no one was injured in the place.
36-Paramedics found 14 dead bodies after Israeli tanks retreated from the Khan Yonis area.
37-The Israeli army targeted the house of Awad and Hanya in the northern Gaza Strip.
38-Continued shells from Artillery cannons hit the northern Gaza Strip.
39-Heavy shells on the Gaza port and Al Shati’ Refugee camp.
40-Apache helicopters fired at Al Tofah and Sah’f area east of Gaza.
41-Many buildings were destroyed at al Sudanya area.
42-More heavy raids on the borders with Egypt by F16s.
43-More thousands leaflets from Israeli air force in Rafah requesting all residents to leave their houses near Palestinian Egyptian borders.
44-Four people seriously injured in bombings targeted house of Muhammad Al Mutwag in Jabalia.
45-Rocket targeted Al Kahlout family in Gaza City and four people wounded in the place.
46-Palestinian fighters fired 20 rockets into Israeli settlements.
47-More Phosphorous bombs are being used east of Gaza City and this is so clear the TV footage going out of Gaza.
48-Humanitarian Crisis still exacerbated as no access to water and bread.
49-Medical sector still paralyzed!
50-Hundreds of people flee from Jabalia town to Gaza City.
51-Three Egyptian soldiers wounded in Israeli bombings near the borders.
The origins of the DC Green Muslims lie in an organic vegetarian potluck of 15 people, held in October of 2007. They had gathered to celebrate a “green Iftar,†putting an environmental spin on the meal that breaks the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. “We wanted to have a catalyst to get people thinking,†explains Nadia Janjua, an architect who helped launch the group. “We wanted to talk about where do we get our meat from and where do we get our produce from.â€
DC Green Muslims held six more potlucks in the year after that first dinner, and grew rapidly, attracting as many as 150 people at a time. The group’s energy and enthusiasm has helped make the Washington area home to one of the most environmentally active Muslim communities in the United States.
They are also part of an international movement that has been incubating for half a century and which is gaining force in the context of modern environmentalism. Philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr, who has been teaching and writing about Islam and the environment since the 1960s, is an important inspiration for these Muslim environmentalists, some of whom studied with him at George Washington University. In the 1980s, the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences was founded in the United Kingdom, and today it claims to be the “only internationally recognized body articulating the Islamic position on environmental protection.†The Muslim World League contributed a declaration to a collection of statements on faith and the environment published by the World Bank in 2003, making its case for Muslim environmentalism based on core tenets of Islam and passages in the Koran in which Allah made man guardians of the earth.
In the past year, two leading Islamic organizations, the Muslim Alliance of North America and the Islamic Society of North America, both held panels on the environment at their annual meetings. But, says DC Green Muslim co-founder Mohamad Chakaki, in the United States much of the important work is being done at the local level, and his group is inspired by projects such as the one in Chicago to create “eco-halal.†In addition to the regular potlucks, the DC Green Muslims hold monthly events that range from horseback rides to installing handrails in an inner-city park. They recently held a clothing swap at a local Goodwill with more than 60 participants and three fashion design students to alter recycled clothes on site.
When participants arrived for the most recent green dinner in early December, they were greeted by loud music and found the banquet tables were divided by graffiti-covered cardboard. Led by three recent graduates of an urban planning program, the group kicked off a discussion about sustainable neighborhoods by taking down the cardboard and rearranging the room to make their environment more hospitable.
At the dinner’s conclusion, Sarah Jawaid, one of the evening’s leaders, offered a soliloquy on the “Niyyah of Space,†applying the Islamic concept of doing something well-intentioned for Allah to questions of the built environment. She urged participants to be “present in the moment so that we are [in] position to see God work in our lives and finally, to look within and find ways to be better protectors of this earth in whatever capacity works for us.â€
The DC Green Muslims, says former Muslim Society of Washington president Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, “edifies the grassroots.†Inspired in part by their example, Imam Johari is leading a group of DC-area mosques to take Muslim environmentalism “to the next level.†These congregations are working with an energy consultant to conduct audits of their operations and identify ways to improve energy efficiency. One major goal, Imam Johari says, is to use solar water heaters to heat the water for the ablutions that each worshiper must perform before prayers. “We have 3,000 people every Friday at our mosque, and four- to five-hundred every evening. Mmmm, that’s a lot of hot water.â€
The All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Virginia, is one of the mosques leading the way. ADAMS Center Deputy Director Khalid Iqbal first became interested in the environment when a 9-year-old girl told him that Muslims should get involved with the earth. At her urging, Iqbal delivered a sermon on Muslims’ obligation to care for the environment at George Washington University, one of the area schools where he performed services before joining the ADAMS Center staff.
After this sermon, Iqbal looked for ways to put his newfound green convictions to work. “That would be merely words if I just delivered the sermon without actually participating in it. Then I realized that I don’t want to give [a sermon] I don’t practice myself,†says Iqbal. After joining the ADAMS Center staff, Iqbal found resources on energy conservation and green operations that he could use with the congregation with the help of the DC Green Muslims. “They really inspired me a lot,†he says.
The ADAMS Center, which serves more than 5,000 families, made a goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 10 percent in one year. Located in DC’s sprawling outer suburbs, the center has created parking spaces reserved for carpoolers to encourage congregants to reduce their driving. It has installed solar-powered lights in the parking lot and upgraded to energy-efficient lighting inside. As part of a new extension to the building, the center is now considering installing a wind turbine on the roof, which could even produce surplus electricity that could be sold back to the electric company.
Imam Johari believes that the environment is a top issue for Muslims today, in part because of the problems associated with oil that affect so much of the Muslim world. “If we weren’t addicted to oil, we wouldn’t [have crises in] Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, [and] the Arab- Israeli conflict wouldn’t be what it is today,†he says.
But he stresses that Islamic environmentalism grows organically out of the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. “The Prophet Mohammed said, ‘You do not waste water even if you are beside a river,’†he quotes. “Muslims are the trustees, the ones who pass from generation to generation this way of life.†Taking care of the environment, he says, is simply a “manifestation of faith.â€
Photo by Flickr user My Brother Godzilla
Lester Feder is a freelance journalist covering conservative politics and popular culture. He is currently working on a book about the evangelical environmental movement.
ISTANBUL – A new search engine on the Internet was launched recently, but this time it is for Muslims only.
According to the Web site, it uses the database of the well-known search engine Google and is powered by it, but filters search terms in accordance with Islam.
It is stated on the Web site’s “About Us†section that the engine was built on the substructure of Google and anyone could build a similar site. Some terms are not available to search at all, while in the results for searchable terms, results about Islam come first. “The best search for Islam,†the Web site states on its main page, on which the color green, known as Islam’s color is used.
“This is a search engine to filter inconvenient results in search engines,†the Web site states. For example, a search for “alcohol†first lists results about alcohol in Islam. Meanwhile, words like “porn,†or its Turkish version “porno,†and the word “sex,†cannot be searched for using the engine. However, “seks†the Turkish word for “sex†can be searched.
The Web site also states that it has no affiliation with any individual or institution. Meanwhile Google stated that Web sites can use Google custom search to create custom search engines, but cannot abuse the Google brand or it will be disabled. However, the site cannot filter advertisements about terms that are searched, but they have a solution for that, “MüslümanGoogle.com does not profit from advertisements,†the Web site states, adding that all advertising income will be donated to charitable foundations that send aid to Palestine. The site can be reached at www.muslumangoogle.com.
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Condoleezza Rice was ordered to abstain in a key UN vote on the Gaza war, Israeli PM Olmert said Monday.
“She was left shamed. A resolution that she prepared and arranged, and in the end she did not vote in favour,†Olmert said in a speech in the southern town of Ashkelon.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza and an Israeli withdrawal.
14 of the council’s 15 members voted in favour of the resolution, which was later rejected by both Israel and Hamas.
“In the night between Thursday and Friday, when the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favor,†Olmert said
“I said ‘get me President Bush on the phone’. They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn’t care. ‘I need to talk to him now’. He got off the podium and spoke to me.
“I told him the United States could not vote in favour. It cannot vote in favour of such a resolution. He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote in favour.â€
Residents of Southern California, outraged by the situation in Gaza and by the reluctance of national and local figures in government and the media to condemn Israel for its barbarity, participated in a massive demonstration and attended two successful fund raisers this past weekend.
More than ten thousand people demonstrated in front of the Westwood Federal Building from noon Saturday well into the afternoon. They marched down the streets leading to the campus of UCLA carrying banners and chanting. Passersby, both motorists and pedestrians, indicated their solidarity with the latter often joining the demonstration.
Signs held aloft read: “Stop Bombing Gaza†and “The Real Terrorists: US/Israel War Machineâ€. The event was titled “Let Gaza Live†and ended in a rally. A mock funeral procession with Palestinian flag draped coffins symbolizing the loss of lives in Gaza led the march.
Sponsors included ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism); the Free Palestine Alliance; the Palestinian American Women’s Association; the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California; CAIR; AL AWDA, and the Muslim American Society to name but a few.
Saturday evening the Baitulmaal organization held an emergency fundraiser for Palestine at Al Ansar Hall in Anaheim. The dining area was filled to overflowing, and chairs and tables had to be set up in the adjacent hallway.
Funds raised that evening will be used to purchase ambulances for the Gaza forces. The keynote speaker, Hussam Ayloush of CAIR, told his audience that ambulances, aside from their obvious use, have been targeted for destruction by the Israeli forces, so the need for them is critical.
Mr. Ayloush indicated his disgust with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for their support of Israel. He suggested that the mayor might try spending a week in Gaza. He told the audience that the congressional representative from Anaheim was Loretta Sanchez. She recently voted “present†for a resolution in the House of Representatives supporting Israel. Mr. Ayloush suggested calling or e mailing her and telling her that we are glad she did not vote for the resolution, but a “no†vote was clearly called for.
Mr. Ayloush told the attendees that when we see lies and misrepresentation by the media concerning the situation in Gaza, we should confront them with the truth. He gave credit to Muslims’ use of the Internet for bringing much of the truth about Gaza to the public and countering Israeli lies.
Touching videos on the horrors of the Israeli attack on Gaza were shown. Tears filled the eyes of many. One woman held hands with the woman next to her and said: “I can’t look any moreâ€.
Those wishing to get in touch with the Baitulmaal organization can access their web site at: www.baitulmaal.org.
On Sunday evening the Islamic Relief organization held a successful and well attended fundraiser filling the dining hall of the Anaheim Marriott to its full 1000 seat capacity. Before the event began the attendees waited in the adjacent lobby speaking among themselves about the atrocities in Gaza, their dismay over the situation and their disgust for a government that would permit this evident.
Speakers included well known Muslim activist and retired physician Maher Hathout, a senior advisor to MPAC, an author, and a tireless interfaith worker. Anwar Khan, a national leader in Islamic Relief, also spoke and told of the work of his organization in nations all over the world and where there are needy in this country. The audience heard the chilling words of an Islamic Relief worker in Gaza as he sought refuge in a basement and gave a first hand report of the devastation around him.
“The suffering of the people of Gaza is unbelievable†said one young man as he watched a video taken in Gaza.
The keynote speaker and fundraiser was Shaikh Kifah Mustapha, Imam and Associate Director of the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois. Shaikh Mustapha inspired his audience while speaking of the needs of Gaza and the duty of giving.
Lebanese soldiers inspect remains of two rockets fired towards Israel but which fell short in south Lebanon, in al-Meri village in southern Lebanon January 14, 2009. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The commander of a U.N. peacekeeping force urged Lebanon and Israel to exercise restraint after at least three rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday.
The Lebanese government condemned the attack, the second launched from Lebanon against Israel since it began its offensive in the Gaza Strip on December 27. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said it “gave Israel an excuse to harm the national interest.â€
The army deployed additional forces in the south to boost its “defensive capabilities,†a military source said.
Labor Minister Mohammed Fneish, the Hezbollah minister in government, denied that the Lebanese political and military group had anything to do with the attack.
“… we don’t know who fired these rockets, we have nothing to do with it,†Hezbollah’s website quoted him as saying.
“For the Israeli enemy to exploit this accident in order to use its aggression against Lebanon, that is something we condemn, reject and don’t accept,†he said, referring to Israel’s response with artillery fire.
The group, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006, denied any role in a similar attack last week. Israeli officials blamed smaller, armed Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
The Lebanese army and members of the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, also deactivated three rockets rigged to launch an hour after they had been found, the army said.
UNIFIL commander Major General Claudio Graziano urged maximum restraint after the early morning rocket salvo.
He was working with both Lebanon and Israel to maintain the cessation of hostilities, UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said in a statement. There had been no claims of responsibility for the rocket attack, she said.
Israel responded with two barrages of artillery fire. There were no reports of damage or injury caused by the Israeli shells, Bouziane said. The rockets fired from Lebanon landed in open areas and caused no damage or injuries, she added.
“At present, we cannot confirm the exact location of the launch area,†she said.
There have been no claims of responsibility for the January 8 rocket attack from Lebanon.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force was expanded as part of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. The Lebanese army deployed in the south as part of the same resolution. Israeli forces had occupied south Lebanon until their withdrawal in 2000.
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian archaeologists have found the remains of a mummy thought to be that of Queen Seshestet, the mother of a pharaoh who ruled Egypt in the 24th century BC, the government said on Thursday.
After five hours spent lifting the lid of a sarcophagus in a pyramid discovered south of Cairo last year, they found a skull, legs, pelvis, other body parts wrapped in linen, and ancient pottery, the government’s antiquities department said.
They also found gold wrappings which would have been put on the fingers of the mummified person. Grave robbers ransacked the burial chamber in ancient times and stole the other objects.
“Although they did not find the name of the queen buried in the pyramid, all the signs indicate that she is Seshestet, the mother of King Teti, the first king of the Sixth Dynasty,†chief archaeologist Zahi Hawass said in a statement.
Teti ruled Egypt for at least 10 years around the year 2300 BC and is buried nearby. While archaeologists have found many royal mummies from ancient Egypt, most of them are from the New Kingdom, which began 500 years after Teti’s time.
(Writing by Jonathan Wright; Editing by Sophie Hardach)
Iraqi journalist, Muntadar Al Zaidi, did a whole lot more than just throw his shoes at outgoing US President George W. Bush this past December. What was seen by most as a symbolic gesture of Arab anger and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness over Bush’s failed foreign policies during his tender has turned into a global phenomenon that transcends all borders. Thanks to Al Zaidi, the shoe, in all its ordinariness, has been catapulted into a common rallying cry against oppression and unlawful acts of aggression. Al Zaidi used the power of his footwear to denounce the Iraqi war. Most recently, protestors across the world have used their footwear to show their outrage against Israel’s war on Gaza since it began.
- In Mexico City, hundreds of protestors demonstrated for an end to the Gaza siege outside of the American Embassy. Many took off their shoes, lit them on fire and smashed them against the entrance gates.
- In the Philippines, thousands of protestors marched to the Israeli Embassy carrying placards, a shrouded ‘corpse’ and a giant shoe made out of paper mache, which was later thrown at the embassy gates.
- In Morocco, thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Rabat chanting anti-Israeli slogans and brandishing a shoe in the air.
- In London, thousands of protestors threw their footwear at number 10 Downing Street, residence of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, while shouting “Shame on you, have my shoe!â€
There have also been shoe brandishing protests in many parts of the Middle East, the most notable was one that happened in Kuwait shortly after the siege on Gaza began. Kuwait MP Waleed Al-Tabtabae, along with 1,000 protestors, gathered in front of Kuwait’s National Assembly building to show opposition against Israel’s war on Gaza. Al-Tabtabae himself removed his shoe and, while brandishing it, said that he wanted to smack President Mahmoud Abbas’s nose with it for his recriminations against Hamas. The act itself was very courageous given that there is a deep resentment that exists in Kuwait between the two Arab nations. The reason for the bitterness is because when late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 he was lauded and supported by late PLO President Yasser Arafat.
After the protest, several Kuwaitis who saw Al-Tabtabae’s shoe as a collector’s item began requesting to purchase it. Out of all the offers, the highest one was for $25,000. However, Tabtabae’s office revealed that the minister would only agree to auction off his footwear on the condition that all proceeds would be donated to help charities assisting with the Gaza humanitarian effort.
As with all popular symbols of protest, which are used to ‘speak’ volumes without anyone even having to utter a word, there is a risk that they will be used inappropriately by those who do not understand the jest of the meaning they hold. Quicker than outgoing US President Bush can dodge a pair of size 10 loafers, some children in the Arab world have started using their own miniature footwear to display their anger no matter how inappropriate the situation. Most recently, a student in Bint Jbeil, Lebanon raised one of his shoes and threw it at his class teacher because he was incensed over her scoring of one of his tests. It remains to be seen if any of his classmates will attempt to purchase, or possibly trade for, the tiny footwear.
For the past two and a half weeks I have been in Nairobi and Mombassa, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, Tanzania. As I am preparing to leave from these countries, I am reflecting on what I have seen in regards to the universality of the religion of Islam.
I went to East Africa on a mission of the Federal government’s USAID and the Detroit Department of Health and Substance Abuse. My primary responsibility was to build coalitions among the various faith communities in Zanzibar to help coordinate interfaith activities between Christians and Muslims to enhance the spirit and power of cooperative interaction.
The mere fact that I was asked to go there is a sad commentary of the state of affairs in the religious community there – and, unfortunately in many places world-wide. One thing I have observed is the need for Muslims and Christians to come out of the boxes many of us have put ourselves in. It became more obvious to me that the religious community, both here and there, has a hard time venturing out from our comfort zones, whether they be cultural, ethnic, or mathab. Interfaith work, with a productive agenda, is practically non-existent in most parts of the world.
I visited many churches and mosques and was well received at all of them. I visited Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and others, including local traditional churches. I also had the opportunity to meet and visit many imams of varying schools of thought. I was able, by the Grace of ALLAH, to coordinate a historic meeting at the office of the Chief Mufti of Zanzibar, The highest Islamic official in all Zanzibar. I say “historic†because, although they knew each other well, they had never come together with a plan for continuing dialogue before. It simply was not done there. When they were in each other’s company, they did what we often do here in America – met and greeted each other, drank some tea, said some niceties, and then went back to their respective niches.
The meeting, hosted by Mufti Harith Helef, was attended by representatives of Catholicsm, the Lutheran chief officer, the Bishop of the Anglican church, plus many imams from various schools of thought including Maliki and Hanifi – which also don’t tend to meet much. We agreed that religious cooperation is the surest method to neutralize Shaitaan.
You see, Zanzibar has started to have a drug problem that has spawned an increase in HIV infection. Although neither the drugs nor the HIV is as bad as it is here in America, the potential for total devastation of the population is much worse in Zanzibar because there are thousands of young men and women unemployed, unproductive, uneducated, and just ripe for an onslaught of Satan. We found that there, as well as here in the U.S., the easiest victims for Shaitaan to overpower are the illiterate and those enslaved by some negative aspects of their culture. However, with the visible and vocal presence of the respected religious leaders, who the people respect, the people see a brighter picture of the purpose ALLAH created man for in the first place – as caretakers and representatives of His creation.
We have an opportunity to do so much more here in America because we have a precious commodity that most of the world does not have – freedom of speech and action. The suppression of these basic human qualities is a huge part of the problem in Zanzibar. If the people do happen to have an opinion about, say, world events, they are not open to express it. For instance, I did a radio interview on a station called Radio Islam, which is run by Zanzibar’s Ministry of Information. In private conversation I asked the manager of the station what he thought about the Israeli attack on Gaza. He simply said he didn’t have an opinion because the Prime Minister had not commented yet.
But nearly everyone respects the religious leaders because the people have a strong belief in ALLAH. They just don’t have knowledge of or recognize the high position of Adam in the Qur’an. So these religious leaders have the ability (and responsibility) to show the people the true strength of religious respect. Regardless of your political system of government, faith in ALLAH will not allow you to be a tool of the Devil and use drugs.
The religious leaders at the meeting with Mufti are designing a poster with a picture of them linking arms and showing their respect for each other. They are also visibly and vocally expressing that this unity is possible because there is only One God over all.
As I said earlier, our freedom in this country is precious. It also takes away our excuses to fall so easily to the onslaught of Satan. People in most other countries are not ignorant. They are very hard workers and very bright. It is just the suppression of their freedom to exercise their humanity that keeps them down. That is why when most of them come to America they excel because, for the first time, they can actually pursue a dream without fear of retribution.
One of the major issues affecting society is its lack of ethics and standards. Ethical standards determine moral conduct. We have here another example of the principle of gender at work. The unseen assertive masculine influence acts upon the seen receptive feminine entity and together they create the moral behavior of society. By eliminating the authority of men, Western society has destroyed its ethical base, rendered its organizations impotent, and fallen into a state of increasing governmental dependency.
Men build organizations when they realize the need to cooperate with others in order to accomplish an objective. They build teams, armies, associations, crews, brotherhoods, families.
The fundamental objective of human association focuses on the propagation and preservation of the species, which is accomplished through the family—the first organization. All other organizations developed centered on sustaining the family and the extended family or tribe. Men create defense groups to protect the tribe, hunt parties to obtain food, and develop mating rituals to propagate the tribe.
In order to determine who can best fill certain positions in the organization men observe and judge each other’s abilities. They do this in a spirit of cooperation for they all understand that they need the most capable man in each position to best ensure their own survival and that of the tribe. It is important to know who can run the fastest, yell the loudest, lift the most and last the longest. Sports were developed as a means of evaluating the ability of men to serve the needs of the tribe. It also gave women the opportunity to assess potential mates.
As the masculine influence is reduced in an organization its vitality declines and its ethics disappear, a condition spreading rapidly throughout Western society, and by design.
At the 4th International Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995 the feminist objective was to eliminate gender and religion from all societal structures. The powers behind the feminists knew that if gender were eliminated, dynamic virile organizations could not be formed or maintained. The elimination of gender also weakens religion—an integral component of ethics.
Virile organizations have disappeared in America. Western religions have become impotent and have reduced their activities to conducting empty rituals. All standards and values have declined. The adage “do not judge†has been taken out of the context of its spiritual meaning and has become a mantra that condones all behavior.
The true purpose behind the elimination of men’s organizations is to destroy the source of ethics. Without ethics all society degenerates. As the degeneration continues people cry out for help. With the elimination of viable men’s groups the government is the only alternative source of help. We beg it for help, to protect us. We beg it to feed us. We beg it to be our masters and for us to become its slaves. We are getting what we begged for.
The elimination of tyranny and the slavery it produces, can only occur when men of good will band together and act. Good will is a function of ethics, and the banding together is organization. Action comes from the WILL of organization members. No ethics—no organization. No organization—no constructive action. No constructive action—no escape from tyranny.
The only species of life designed to provide for the well-being of women and children is called man. Men provide well-being through ethical based and active organizations.
Elder George’s website is www.mensaction.net and he can be reached at 212-874-7900 ext. 1329.
The media coverage of the war in Gaza by Western television companies is largely unfair and biased because of a refusal to show viewers the real images of the victims.
One of the reasons for this is Israel’s decision not to allow the Western media in to Gaza.
In addition to this outrageous censorship by a so-called democracy, we get the usual arguments that most of the images shown by the Arab media are too shocking to show the viewing public in the West.
Admittedly, the horrific clip sent to me of a child’s head lying detached, among debris in Gaza did make me gasp.
But this is war and this is real and if the Western media did show these sort of images may be the general public would wake up to the full horrors of what happens when bombs are dropped on civilian populations.
There is no such reticence in the Arab media which is why more people with satellites are switching on to television from the Middle East to watch the unfolding genocide in Gaza.
And one rising media star is the fledgling Press TV, broadcast from Iran, and recently introduced to the Sky platform 515. It is fast becoming the first station of choice for the viewing public – especially the English-speaking across Europe – who simply want the truth, no matter who shocking or unpalatable it may be.
There are around half a dozen Palestinian journalists on the ground with Press TV crews revealing the full horrors of the war as it unfolds. I am amazed by their dedication and courage and I salute each and every one of them … some are my personal friends.
Yes, I do present a show for the station, but I have also worked as a journalist for more than three decades covering conflicts and their aftermaths from The Falklands, first and second Gulf wars, the Irish Troubles, as well as Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq for a variety of print and electronic media.
And one thing common in each conflict is the constant battle by journalists and war correspondents to get to the truth of the matter, but the battle to tell the truth is becoming more and more difficult despite the amazing technology now available.
People in powerful places who do terrible things do not want the truth to get out, which is why journalists are finding themselves banned or censored more and more.
You see the truth is a very strong and influential weapon which can be used against those people.
Sadly when it is twisted and manipulated it can wreak even more havoc.
The Israeli war machine is masterful in its complete distortion of the truth which is why the state continues to go unpunished for its failure to adhere to the Geneva convention concerning the collective punishment of the citizens of Gaza.
Israeli tactics are cruel, malicious and demonstrate that its leaders are not interested in the peace process or a Palestinian State.
They are creating the ideal breeding ground for extremism, sabotaging peace efforts and squandering the good will they have been given.
Five years ago, the Bush administration lied about weapons of mass destruction … it was a lie eagerly repeated by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to fool the media into supporting an illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq.
And it worked.
To their eternal shame, most of the we stern media fell in line and swallowed the lie – with the exception of a few journalists most have kept quiet about this collective cock up. The New York Times did issue a front page apology later, but the damage had been done and public perception was difficult to change.
Sadly, many of the same news organizations and the same journalists have learned nothing from that shameful period. At the beginning of this war, Israel trotted out only the flimsy excuse of the Hamas rockets as justification for unleashing its brand of Shock and Awe in Gaza.
Hamas rockets have killed just over 20 Israelis since 2001 whereas Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 700 including more than 200 children in the last 13 days. The seriously maimed and injured is running in to thousands as I write.
But the ‘Hamas rocket’ excuse went unchallenged in the West, although to its full credit the Israeli media revealed days later that Operation Cast Lead was a long-planned campaign six months in the making aimed at crushing democratically elected Hamas.
Yes, I admit the rockets do exist but they are nothing more than metal barrels of junk fuelled by fertilizer. As one colleague remarked they’re mere slingshots compared to the shells, million dollar missiles and bunker-busting bombs used by Israel.
Some argue the Qassam rockets are used out of desperation, I personally think they’re more of a two-fingered gesture from a people who have suffered a brutal, medieval siege at the hands of Israel for years.
Despite its amazing war machine, and its state-of-the-art-technology these little rockets rarely show up on any military radars. The Israelis don’t know about them until they’ve landed and that’s what hacks them off.
Yet Israeli leaders and their supporters continue to present absurd propaganda about Hamas rockets which are far less sophisticated than anything the IRA ever used in mainland Britain during the height of The Troubles. Mind you, the IRA was funded and backed by US dollars whereas the Hamas military wing has no such generous donors.
I don’t recall the British Government ordering cruise missiles to be launched on Belfast in retaliation for the misery and suffering of IRA bombing campaigns in London, Manchester, Birmingham and other places. I can’t ever recall Apache Attack Helicopters hovering outside the Sinn Fein offices in the Falls Road or targeted assassinations of IRA leaders.
Most journalists with an ounce of investigation skills would realise that the Hamas Rocket excuse is a sham.
But it continues to be used as an excuse for unleashing what has been described by various people, including Jewish peace activists, as a holocaust and genocide.
Millions across the world have demonstrated – anger and anarchy on the streets has been witness across all continents but the only ones who look away are the Western leaders and the servile media.
The gaggle of belly-dancing Middle Eastern leaders are largely a disgrace and are about as much use as the increasingly toothless United Nations, but there is a backlash coming and it’s coming from ordinary citizens across the world.
People power, the sort of power which inspired the Iranian and Cuban revolutions, the toppling of brutal dictators like Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, is emerging.
The Western media can either catch up with the agenda instead of trying to follow the Zionist agenda by continuing to peddle big lies. The viewing piblic have largely lost trust in the mainstream media, especially in the wake of Iraq.
Quite simply, the public has become cynical and jaded and can not be lied to any more. if the mainstream media is to regain any credibility journalists need to challenge Israeli and Western leaders.
The truth is a powerful weapon and it is true that…
Israel targets civilians – more than two thirds of the dead are women and children. So why allow Tzipi Livni to say: “Gaza Strip being controlled by Hamas, and the price is being paid by Israeli children and Palestinian children, but the blame is and the address is Hamas.†This is a clear lie. What Israeli children have been killed?
The only dead children are in Gaza.
HAMAS is a political organization which has a military wing and not the other way around. It was democratically elected by the people who were sick of the previous corrupt politicians who let them down.
ISRAEL broke the ceasefire on November 4 2008 – a fact finally acknowledged on CNN nearly two months later in a discussion show although the BBC, Fox and other western media have yet to mention this.
HAMAS does not use civilians as human shields – again, where is the evidence? Israel needs to put up or shut up, but the media never demands to see the evidence.
ISRAEL says it cares about civilians and warns them in advance of the bombing raids in their area – well so did the IRA but I don’t remember anyone congratulating them on their humanitarian actions.
And beware of the latest lie about to hit the media about Hamas commander Mahmoud Zahar who, according to the Zionist propaganda said Jewish children across the world are targets. A guest columnist in The Guardian quoted Zahar as saying: “The Zionists have legitimized the killing of their children by killing our children. They have legitimized the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people.â€
This is not what he said. Unfortunately the Arabic translation was incorrect and those who should know better have failed to check the original speech against the transcript.
The damage has now been done and it remains to see if an apology or correction will follow.
As Sir Winston Churchill said: “A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get its boots on.â€
Market pundits and seers have been watching how stocks would begin the New Year, citing ‘’The January Effect’’ as an early indicator of what’s ahead for domestic markets in 2009. As the first full week of January ends, the S&P 500 is already lower than at the start of business for the year. Does this portend another year of pain for investors? “Not to worry,†we hear. “The economy and markets will recover in the second half of the year.â€
Does that sound at all familiar? I seem to remember hearing that tired refrain every year when stocks have failed to find their footing in the early months. Then, when we find ourselves in the year’s second half with no recovery in sight, we are assured that growth and higher share prices are right around the corner. “Surely the good news will come in the first half of the new year, as savers add money to their tax-deferred accounts.â€
Yet here we sit, waiting again for the recovery and the start of a new bull market that never seems to come as predicted. This entire decade has been a bust for investors — with the S&P 500 sitting just about where it was in the summer of 1997! Oh, and all those wonderful second-half recoveries have yet to appear!
Investors wait patiently, watching as their savings accounts continue to shrink in nominal terms and weaken in purchasing power. Is there any end to these requests for patience? How long must we continue to “hang in there,†waiting for the next recovery that market promoters promise?
Rather than listening to these false promises, investors would benefit from using a little common sense and their own powers of observation. How many of us knew full well that our economy was sputtering and most likely going into recession well before government officials admitted these possibilities? Now we hear that, indeed, the recession did begin in late 2007. Many of us could have told them at the time, as we saw mounting job losses and home foreclosures on a steady, monthly basis.
Yet many investors who were clinging to the hopes of a “looming recovery†endured another round of pain, with 2008 going into the record books as the worst year for investments since 1931. For many of us, this is the worst year during our entire lifetime.
As I’ve said previously, when investing in the stock market, you’re on your own. Relying on the help of market professionals has produced little, at best, for investors, though the situation hasn’t seemed to hurt those professionals to any great extent! Merrill Lynch is reported to have earned another $1.5 billion last year from its wealth management activities, and that’s with the markets experiencing one of their worst years ever.
How many times have we heard in previous years that “stocks are cheap,†based on forward operating earnings or some other specious metric? I wish I had kept track of the times I’ve heard that comment in prior years when stocks were selling at 14 times forward earnings or a similar, reasonable level.
And here we are at the start of 2009, with the S&P 500 still selling at over 20 times earnings! Is it really possible that the sharpest minds out there can be so steadily wrong in their predictions for the markets? Will virtually none of their predictions come true, year after year, as though they were as clueless as the rest of us? Doesn’t it seem odd that the experts are so often wrong?
Perhaps the argument is that they are not so much continually wrong as they are simply doing their jobs — selling shares and keeping trading activity at high levels. But at what point are any of them held accountable for giving such costly advice? At what point do promoters with miserable track records suffer fines or get banned from offering their views to a mass audience?
But if you’re looking for some sort of investor protection, forget it! The new poster boy for investor fraud, Bernard Madoff, was fingered by a sharp-eyed analyst as far back as 1998. The analyst wrote detailed letters to the SEC about suspicions of wrongdoing, but nothing came of it until Madoff’s scheme blew up, taking investors’ funds with him.
This week, we heard news of another spectacular blow up, already called “India’s Enronâ€! The founder, chairman and CEO, Byrraju Ramalinga Raju, of the Indian computer software and outsourcing company Satyam Computer Services, has admitted to doctoring the company’s books to the tune of $1.04 billion or 94% of its listed cash and assets.
Those assets weren’t actually held by the company, though its auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers signed off on financial statements, including the balance sheet showing that mountain of cash, without ever actually checking on it! Ironically, Raju won the Ernst & Young “2007 Entrepreneur of the Year Award†and, just three months ago, the company received recognition from the London-based World Council for Corporate Governance for its excellence in corporate governance! And Satyam recently earned a top award, for the fourth consecutive year, as the “Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise for 2008†— for its excellence in knowledge management!
Yes, we investors are truly on our own until some form of real regulation and accountability is enacted. But don’t stay awake at night, waiting for regulations to be enacted!
So what’s an investor to do? Well, if the game is as corrupt as the stock markets appear to be, with no accountability, no real regulation and no trust apparent, who says you need to do anything? No law mandates that you play this game at all.
If we investors lose faith in the markets and see no prospect of investor protections, who says we must stay invested? Wouldn’t it send the right signal if investors simply pulled their money out of stocks and let it sit in cash? Wouldn’t it send a useful signal to the big brokers and other promoters that limits exist on how badly burned the investing public will allow itself to get before pulling the plug on paying fees and commissions for yet another round of losing?
We keep hearing about record amounts of cash ‘’sitting on the sidelines,’’ and how record low yields in Treasury bonds must signal that another bubble will soon burst. Maybe that’s true, or maybe investors are beginning to do exactly what I am suggesting.
All that cash invested in bonds that yield next to nothing must surely signal investor revulsion at a very high level. Why would anyone continue to play a game that appears to be so steadily rigged against them? Where are the customers’ yachts? That question has been hanging around since 1940, and those yachts have yet to appear!
The thought of sitting in cash for the foreseeable future might strike some as a big mistake. Wouldn’t we make that error just as another bull cycle was about to begin, as so often happens? Well, yes, that is a possibility.
But as of right now, stocks could well be selling at some lower multiple of future operating earnings after all the bad stuff has been purged from the income statements of many large companies. But since we are looking at a market that sells at a premium compared to its long-term historic average, I don’t see us missing out on much!
Secular bear markets tend to last about as long as the preceding bull market. That suggests that this bear cycle is only about half over. Given that and the seemingly total lack of investor protections, why bother with stocks at all? Maybe this is the best time ever for investors to stand up and say that they’ll simply not stand for these empty promises any longer!
Have a great week. Bob
Bob Wood ChFC, CLU Yusuf Kadiwala. Registered Investment Advisors, KMA, Inc., invest@muslimobserver.com.
