Being Muslim in Cuba
CNN Report
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Casa de los Arabes, in Old Havana, the house that serves as the only mosque to all of Cuba’s Muslims. Fidel Castro banned the building of mosques in Cuba. |
CNN Editor’s note: During the month of Ramadan, Muslim in 2010, CNN International’s four-week series on modern Islam looks at what it means to be Muslim in the 21st century. Muslim in 2010 travels the world capturing the debates and the issues — and profiling Muslims who are embracing their faith in 2010.
Every Friday, Pedro Lazo Torres, clears the furniture out of his second-storey apartment in a potholed Havana suburb and lines the floors and balcony with carpets. For Havana’s Muslims, he is Imam Yahya, and the home that he shares with his wife and two adult children, is their place of worship. “You can be a Chinese, Cuban or Russian Muslim and the laws are the same for everyone,†Yahya told CNN. “The cultures can be different, but someone who embraces Islam must accept what Allah orders, it’s that simple.â€
There are about 1,500 Muslims in Cuba, but no mosques. That’s why, at the end of each week, Yahya, dressed in an immaculate white cap and tunic, welcomes people for Friday prayer. Women head inside, sitting on the living room floor, while men tend to kneel on the shady balcony. Most Muslims in Cuba are international college students from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia. Three medical students from Guyana were among those gathered at Yahya’s house for Friday prayer. Cuba is traditionally Catholic, but many don’t actively practice the religion and others adhere to Afro-Caribbean beliefs like Santeria.
Yahya was introduced to Islam by exchange students and converted more than a decade ago.
Cubans are generally very tolerant of religions, Yahya told CNN. But Muslims do sometimes encounter some of the same prejudices found in other countries. “Sometimes even friends say things jokingly, like ‘terrorist,’†Yahya said.
Muslims in Cuba also face some unique challenges. Pork, for example, is the most popular meat here. “Pork has the problem that it’s very attractive,†Yahya said. “Just like all things that are bad.â€
The faithful say they have to be flexible. Before Friday prayer, they perform ablutions, or cleansing of the body, in Yahya’s small bathroom. But the water supply is often turned off in Havana and adherents have to scoop water out of buckets filled in the shower for these kinds of emergencies.
Noalia Gladys Carmen Perez, who wears a headscarf, told CNN she and other adults have encountered some resistance to their faith.
“I’ve had good reactions, people who greet with you respect, and people who don’t like it,†she told CNN. “They’ll say, ‘It must be so hot,’ [and] comments like that as a form of criticism.â€
Headscarves have never been an issue in schools, in part because Islam is relatively new in the country. However, few can pray at work, either because their schedules or social norms won’t allow it.
Many also find it hard to adopt certain Muslim customs here in the touchy-feely tropics. In Cuba, men and women usually greet each other with a kiss.
Ibrahim Kinsan, a physical therapist, says most of his co-workers are women. “Now I’ve converted to Islam, but I can’t just turn into an alien,†he told CNN. “Most of them greet me with a kiss and that tradition isn’t going to disappear.â€
Many Muslim countries have offered to donate the money for a mosque, but Yahya wants the gesture to come from Cuba. The country inaugurated its first Russian Orthodox Church in 2008.
“I think we could see something similar for Muslims in the near future,†he said.
12-35
Do They Know?
By Dr. AS Nakadar, Publisher of TMO
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A Muslim woman prays in front of the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif during the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem’s Old City August 20, 2010. REUTERS/Ammar Awad |
A non-denominational church, The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville Florida is planning to desecrate the Qur`an by publicly burning it on 9-11 in remembrance of the victims of the infamous and dastardly events of September 11. They want to carry out this despicable act despite a permit denial by the local authorities.
An outreach center has lost its inner moral compass and its inner bearings. They are reaching out but through bigoted and abhorred means. They are unlikely to gain anything other than cheap publicity and stoking the fires in the hearts of about 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe.
In the past, pagans called Qur`an all sorts of names and desecrated it. What is the difference between the pagan of past years and the pagans of today? They both expressed their misguided fear, hate and anger in an uncivilized manner.
Is this a Christian Act? It can never be, because it is counter to the life and teachings of our Prophet Jesus (as) that fosters understanding, mutual respect and peace, while recognizing and appreciating one’s faith understandings. Many church leaders, local and national have spoken out against this heathen act.
History has witnessed burning of all kinds of books including religious scriptures like Torah, Talmud and others. The latest examples are of the Nazis in 1933, and in last part of 20th century the burning and looting of the famous libraries of Baghdad and that of Sarajevo.
The world reaction, especially Muslims, will depend upon how the media plays its role. No doubt Muslims will be riled over the flagrant disrespect of their holy book. Few will understand that the act is simply stupidity. It is paganism and doesn’t even call for indignation, but chances are some will overreact.
Mob emotions may lose control and may become violent, resulting in deaths and injuries. The Muslim anguish resulting into protests and upheaval is understandable, but the violence associated with this is uncalled for and the loss of life will be regrettable. This kind of reactionary approach is a reflection of our frustration to some of our problems. The impact of such acts is usually fleeting and is never lasting.
The prevention lies in religious education of the uneducated who call for cartoons or desecration of the Qur`an. We often distribute Qur`an to non Muslims in the hope that someday they will read and understand its message. But wouldn’t it be better while presenting the Qur`an that we request them to read a particular chapter that addresses what they believe in? For example, giving a Qur`an to a Christian we may say to read a specific chapter that deals with Mary or Jesus (as) or presenting it to a Jew we may tell him about chapters referring to Moses (as). Chances are they will read it rather than putting it in a space out of sight.
I had a patient who was a pastor. After I came back from the Hajj he asked me: “what was the most exhilarating experience?†If I had told him about spiritual inspirations I drew while going around Kaba, or going to Meena, or to Arafat, etc; he would have shown least interest. But when I told him about the space, next to where our Prophet (s) is buried in Medina, and our belief of his resurrection (of prophet Jesus-PBUH) on the Day of Judgment, pastor’s eyes popped out and with his mouth half open he asked whether I could lend him a copy of the Qur`an. I promptly delivered a copy of the Qur`an with English translation.
Similarly, the people of the Dove church should know that burning the Qur`an means burning the scripture that eloquently mentions in reverence all the people they believe in. And that vital issue as a Muslim is: Why have we not adequately explained what Qur’an is and what it stands for? Why have we not explained to Christians that Jesus (as) is one of the most-mentioned prophets in our holy book? Why have we not conveyed to them that an entire chapter is devoted to Mariam (as), the mother of Jesus (as)? Why are they unaware of our reverence for the prophets that they themselves accept? Why don’t they know our respect for Adam, Abraham, Ismail and Isaac, Moses, Noah, Seth, Job, Lot, (as)—why don’t they know that we have respect in our hearts for all these prophets? And some ignorant people are going to desecrate this holy book?
It is apparent that we have failed to communicate these vital facts to them. If they were aware of these facts would they then desecrate the holy book that speaks in so reverence of their prophets? Desecrating a Qur`an is equivalent to desecrating Abraham, Jesus, Mary Moses (as) and all the other prophets mentioned above. It also amounts to desecration of their holy books, the Gospels, Torah and Psalms, as these are reverently mentioned in Qur`an.
Qur`an orders Muslims to believe in these books as Qur’an says these are also Divine books. If they know these facts would any person of “Abrahamic†faith then dare to be disrespectful, let alone desecrate, it?
It is just a matter of educating the ignorant. Muslims will never desecrate a Bible or a Torah because they both find mentioned as Divine Scriptures in Qur’an. It considers the followers of these holy books as people of the book. So our better approach in future prevention of Qur`an desecration and similar assaults is teaching the people of “Abrahamic†faith what Qur`an stands for–especially our commonalities.
12-35
The Israeli Infiltrator
By Sumayyah Meehan, MMNS Middle East Correspondent
An uproar has exploded within the borders of Kuwait this Ramadan and it all has to do with an Israeli journalist that somehow managed to sneak into the country. Kuwait has long since banned all Israelis, and by extension Jews in general, from entering the tiny Gulf nation over its continued occupation and aggression against Palestinians. Even commercial products such as foodstuffs and other consumer goods manufactured in Israel are banned from being imported into Kuwait as well as several GCC nations.
So how did the Israeli journalist enter Kuwait? That question has got many a politician scratching his head, tugging on his beard and demanding answers. Some Kuwaiti MP’s are in total denial simply stating that the Israeli journalist is lying and must have learned about Kuwait online and fabricated the story. Others are not so sure since the journalist has specific information, cited in his article, that could only be known to someone who had seen Kuwait up close and personal.
The infiltrator in question is none other than Eldad Beck, who is a Haifa- born Israeli citizen and journalist for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
A local Kuwait newspaper managed to track him down at his home in Berlin and got information regarding his visit to Kuwait over the phone. According to Beck, he spent ten days in Kuwait and was able to elude authorities by entering Kuwait using his German passport.
He met with several high-ranking Kuwaiti officials who apparently did not know that he was an Israeli. Beck does confirm that one Kuwaiti MP he met did figure it out, but kept his Israeli nationality under wraps as an act of goodwill.
The reason for his visit remains unclear, although Beck did reveal during the phone interview that he was interested in “…Kuwait’s domestic situation since the majority of the Gulf States share a similar concern with Israel regarding the Iranian nuclear threat.†Beck went on to praise the “simplicity†of the Kuwaiti people and the hospitality that he was met with during his visit. He also noted that his stealthy visit was merely his duty as a global journalist entrusted with reporting the news, “I’m an Israeli-European journalist who lives in Europe, and I visited Kuwait as part of my job in order to provide people in Europe and Israel with insight into what’s going on in that state and other Middle Eastern countries.â€
This is not the first time that Beck has traveled throughout the Muslim world unnoticed. His past visits have included Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan with his German passport in tow and Israeli nationality safely hidden. Beck has documented his travels in several special series published in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and has penned a book called Behind the Border (2009) where he shares the stories of his travels.
Quite notably, Beck is quick to blame some Muslim nations for not granting Israelis safe passage within their borders, however he does not hold his own country accountable for atrocities committed against Palestinians and the region as a whole.
His intentions, at least on the surface, may be in good faith. However, that is not how the Kuwait populous is seeing it. In many circles, the commentary ranges from feelings of lapses in governmental security and a feeling of being “invaded†all over again by an enemy that can seemingly slip through the cracks unnoticed. Regardless of his reasoning, Beck has created a mini-chasm of mistrust within Kuwait and local authorities promise to file charges against anyone that helped Beck during his covert mission.
12-35
What If They Opposed a Synagogue?
By Hal Goodman
There is no logical argument why peaceful, law abiding US Muslim citizens can’t have a mosque near Ground Zero.
What if you opened up your e-mail and saw the following headline: “Join us in our opposition to a planned synagogue near Wall Street.†Then, after reading further, the statement blamed the entire Jewish community for the depraved actions of a few.
Imagine if the letter spoke at length about Bernie Madoff, Andrew Fastow, Jack Abramov, Ivan Boesky and even Meyer Lansky and David Berkowitz to create a picture of Jews far removed from reality. Needless to say, the first words out of your mouth might be “anti†and “Semitism.â€
In this imaginary world, however, most Americans are now open to this train of thought. Pundits on radio and television now echo the sentiment that the financial collapse we all experience is the work of Jewish elites who’ve lauded risky financial instruments.
Then, just as they reject the notion that a synagogue of all things could be built near the site where so many people had lost their American dream, these pundits don’t forget to mention from the corner of their mouths (as quietly as possible) that most Jews are good people and that a synagogue built farther away from Wall Street might make more sense. “It is insensitive to build a synagogue near Wall Street,†is a phrase heard countless number of times.
In addition, educated people of all backgrounds pontificate the potential dangers of allowing this synagogue to be built: “What if more Bernie Madoffs have their bar mitzva at this synagogue?†Reason and logic are as much anti- Semitism’s kryptonite as falsely legitimized fear and justified bigotry are its spinach. We indict all Muslim Americans for the actions of 19 insane men by saying a mosque near Ground Zero should be prohibited.
MORE THAN 60 years ago, a man once made the following observation of human nature: “…the best speaker is…the speaker who knows how to win the hearts of the masses.â€
Undoubtedly, this person knew very well that a wise person might at times dissect an argument and quickly disassemble the hollow building blocks of a bigoted vantage point. Therefore, this world leader preferred to pull on the heartstrings of the average person’s fears and tribal allegiances.
That man was Adolf Hitler. The quote above, from Mein Kampf, highlights exactly what is at the heart of the debate over this mosque. There is no logical argument why peaceful and law abiding American citizens of the Muslim faith can’t have a mosque near Ground Zero. After all, we’re not talking about a Taliban memorial. The actions of a small number of radicals can’t be the rationale for denying the vast majority of good citizens the right to pray.
Furthermore, our opinion regarding the tastefulness of building the mosque near Ground Zero does not overshadow the Bill of Rights that protects all Americans. Muslims can pray where they please, just like Jews and anyone else in this country. We are at a war with al-Qaida, not law abiding American citizens. We are also fighting a counterinsurgency war in two Muslim countries where recruiters of al- Qaida and insurgent groups feed off the intolerance displayed by the opposition to this mosque.
Muslim Americans are fighting in this war as well.
On August 6, 2007 Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan of the United States Army was killed along with three other American soldiers when a bomb detonated as they were checking abandoned houses for explosives in Baquba, Iraq.
If you have the chutzpah, try telling this American patriot’s family that they don’t have the right to pray at a mosque near Ground Zero.
The author is a Los Angeles-based writer.
12-35
On Obedient Wives
By Nadirah Angail
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard†(4:34).
It was bound to come up, guys. We couldn’t just keep glossing over it like we didn’t see it. Somebody had to address this “obedience†issue. So, here I am. Yes, we are Muslim women, but we’ve also been raised in a country that doesn’t take too kindly to the “O†word. In general, American culture looks down on obedience when it comes to a wife’s obligation to her husband. It’s been branded with an alternate meaning: oppression. Have we not been affected?
The command of obedience can be hard to swallow, even for Muslim women. It has a connotation we don’t always want to associate ourselves with. To some of us, an obedient wife is a voiceless woman that cowers in her husband’s shadow. It doesn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t be this way.
The problem is that we’ve gotten away from the real meaning. Obedience doesn’t mean the woman, all of a sudden, loses her right to be heard, and the man is free to behave in any way he chooses. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set a wonderful example for husbands to follow. He wasn’t harsh and insensitive toward his wives. He didn’t make obedience a chore for them. He was kind and allowed them to speak their minds, even when they didn’t agree with him. There is a hadith about how the best of men is he who is kindest to his wife (paraphrased). The husband does not have free reign. He has rules too.
With this in mind, obedience takes on a different light. It doesn’t seem hard and oppressive. It seems fair. Let’s consider a different scenario: the workplace. When you get a new job, you understand that you will have to obey your boss. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. It doesn’t mean she’s mean. The two of you are just doing your jobs; and, if you have a good boss, it will be enjoyable. You won’t mind being obedient because your boss respects you and doesn’t abuse her power. It is only when you have a jerk of a boss that obedience becomes a problem.
Marriage is no different. If you’ve married the right person— a kind, caring, considerate man— obedience shouldn’t be a problem. If you’ve married an overbearing, “Me Tarzan, you Jane†kind of brother, you may have some trouble. These are the kinds of brothers that can make obedience depressing. (If you are a brother taking offense to this, you are probably a Tarzan type.)
Sometimes, though, it’s not the husband. Sometimes it’s us. No matter how sweet and kind some husbands are, some brainwashed women are convinced to do what they want, when they want. Because so many of us want desperately to be “independent women,†we defy our husbands just to make a point that we will not be controlled. Of course, these same women still expect their husbands to “control†their responsibilities of providing for her and the children. They just don’t want him to do anything that would prevent them from having their way. This is a shame, because society has convinced some of us that being independent means disregarding our husbands’ feelings. This isn’t independence. It’s selfishness, and there is no room for that in a healthy marriage. No matter how independent you want to be, you’ve got to be dependent on someone.
We depend on our jobs for paychecks.
We depend on parents for love, comfort, etc. We depend on friends for companionship, entertainment and advice. We depend on schools to teach us. We depend on daycares to watch our children. This list could go on.
No one is truly independent. We’re just not that strong. Allah (swt) didn’t make us that way. We all need people to depend on, and if don’t want you husband to be one those people, you’ve got yourself a problem.
Nadirah Angail; “Empowering women- through knowledge, recognition & guidanceâ€: www.nadirahangail.com.
12-35
Dawah at the Dinner Table during Ramadan & Correct Fear of ALLAH
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
A famous general/politician once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itselfâ€. That may be true if you are speaking in generalities only. If you are afraid of the scrutiny of other people or their criticisms, then you will have a fear of them and be under their power, unable to utilize your own.
But if the only fear you have is the fear (respect, regardfulness) of ALLAH, you are empowered over everything in creation.
In my leadership at the masjid I often see people hold back from expressing the truth about a situation simply because they are afraid of the gaze or scrutiny of another person. That is the wrong fear.
People will also not pursue their dreams because someone told them they were unqualified and so they back up and let it drop and it is probably something they are very good at or at least something that can be sharpened. They drop their dreams because this naysayer appears to be stronger or smarter than you. But when you really look at this person you will probably find they are actually weaker than you.
Suppressing the talent ALLAH blessed you with is actually being ungrateful to Him. If you suppress your Islam so as to not let non-Muslims see you, you are being ungrateful of the greatest gift bestowed on mankind.
Alhamdullilah, we are at the advent of another Ramadan fast. We look to this month as a period of rejuvenation of our souls and our spirits. Almighty ALLAH orders us to abstain from food, drink, sex, and vain talk as a submission to Him so as to strengthen our iman. It is an excellent time to re-visit, study, and, strengthen some basic Islamic principles.
Ramadan is also the time when ALLAH affords us the opportunity to eat with each other more often. At Maghrib time, you can be sure most Muslims are scurrying around to find something to eat. During the rest of the year, with our busy schedules, it is difficult for some families to find time to eat together.
This Ramadan, we should focus on utilizing this time to do “Dawah at the dinner table.†When we have fear of ALLAH, it will be easier to combat the following weak behaviors.
Muslim men and women need to pay attention to how we live and practice our religion. This society makes a big point out of irresponsible men and loose women seeming to be normal. I know some Muslim males who have fathered children and never taken care of them. They have gotten to the point in their life where the sin of such action escapes them. In some communities the men go from woman to woman as though they were expendable collateral. To father children and not “maintain and protect them,†is in direct conflict to the directives of ALLAH. Men are also charged with maintaining and protecting the community. Adhering to basic directives like this is necessary to have a stable productive community.
Females also need to be reminded of basic Islamic principles. ALLAH orders women to not expose their breasts and not draw unnecessary attention to their bodies. Yet I am noticing increasing numbers of Muslim women exposing cleavage and wearing form fitting jeans and dresses with not enough top piece to cover their forms. And it is ironic that at the same time they are wearing a scarf. What do you think the men inside and outside of the mosque are looking at…the scarf?? I think not.
Female breasts are sexual body parts. That’s why ALLAH orders women to draw a veil over them. But I see lots of Muslim females from teenagers to young women – and even some “seasoned†women showing cleavage just like the women on TV.
Dawah at the dinner table will help those guilty of this.
Men, if you have babies with women and you haven’t financially, materially, or emotionally supported them, start doing it now – for the sake of ALLAH – if you believe. You cannot continue lying to and using women just because you can – because they are the weaker sex. Repent to ALLAH and ask for His forgiveness; and from then on, strive to be upright.
During this month I would like to see more men standing up to their obligations to our women and children. Start with what you have and ask ALLAH to make it easy for you to fulfill you duties.
And I don’t want to see any more females showing cleavage. I don’t want to see it at any mosque – or if I happen to see you at CVS pharmacy. If you don’t demand respect, you will not get any.
Let’s talk to each other for real. Do dawah at the dinner table – it’s the best place.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
12-35
Ron Paul Calls for Audit of US Gold Reserves
By Daniela Cambone, Of Kitco News
“If there was no question about the gold being there, you think they would be anxious to prove gold is there,†said U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of the Federal Reserve.
Editor’s Note: Catch Dr. Ron Paul at the upcoming Kitco Metals eConference September 12-13, 2010. A not-to-be missed event featuring Marc Faber, James Dines and other industry heavyweights. The eConference is free with Pre- Registration www.kitcoeconf.com.
Texas (Kitco News) — U.S. Rep. Ron Paul , R-Tex., plans to introduce a new bill next year that will allow for an audit of US gold reserves, he told Kitco News in an exclusive interview.
Paul dropped the news in the interview, indicating that the bill still does not have an official name yet but will be unveiled at the start of the new U.S. Congress.
“If there was no question about the gold being there, you think they would be anxious to prove gold is there,†he said of the Federal Reserve.
This is not the first time the congressman has made his pitch. “In the early 1980s when I was on the gold commission, I asked them to recommend to the Congress that they audit the gold reserves – we had 17 members of the commission and 15 voted not to the audit,†said Paul. “I think there was only one decent audit done 50 years ago,†he said.
Though Paul did not say whether there is any truth to claims that there is no gold in Fort Knox or the New York Federal Reserve, he said, “I think it is a possibility.â€
“If we ever get around to deciding we should use gold in relationship to our currency we ought to know how much is there,†said Paul. “Our Federal Reserve admits to nothing and they should prove all the gold is there. There is a reason to be suspicious and even if you are not suspicious why wouldn’t you have an audit?†he said.
The gold audit follows his crusade last year looking to audit the Federal Reserve, which he says is the chief culprit behind the economic crisis.
“I don’t think the Federal Reserve should exist – it would be best for congress to exert their responsibilities and that is find out what they are doingâ€â€™ said Paul. “It is an ominous amount of power they have to create money out of thin air and being the reserve currency of the world and be able to finance runaway spending whether it is for welfare or warfare; it seems so strange that we have been so complacent not to even look at the books. If we knew exactly what they were doing, who they were taking care of, there would be a growing momentum to reassess the whole system,†he told Kitco News.
Before the creation of the Federal Reserve however, the US saw 16 recessions from 1850 to 1910; they averaged 22 months long. During this time, the U.S. was in recession 60 out of 91 months. Many would argue that the severity of these recessions led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System.
“I think they would be exaggerating what happened before 1913,†Paul responds. “We had some panics …they were usually short and there were no long depressions,†he said. “The Fed creates the bubbles and they are much worse since 1913, if you think of the size of the government and the valuation of the dollar, we are down to about a 2 cent dollar from the 1913 dollar.â€
Paul said everyone accuses him of wanting the gold standard but he said he doesn’t accept that. “I accept the idea of a gold coin standard and I think we can do much better than what we had,†he said. “There was a lot that they did pre-Fed that was not exactly right but we never had a disastrous loss of purchasing power long-term, we didn’t have a great depression, we didn’t have the 1970s with stagflation and we wouldn’t have what we have right now.â€
Since the Fed’s creation in 1913 the dollar has lost more than 96% of its value, and by inflating the money supply the Fed continues to distort interest rates and intentionally erodes the value of the dollar said Paul.
Paul’s solution is to not replace the Fed with anything. “It would make the dollar strong… who wants money to be devalued? I want a strong dollar and if it were equivalent to gold it would remain strong.â€
Paul also said he wants to legalize the freedom for people to choose. “My proposal for now is to legalize the constitution to use gold and silver as legal tender in a parallel standard and have it compete with paper money. If people get tired of using the paper standard they can deal in gold or silver,†he said.
On the topic of gold price manipulation, Paul said, “I think it is probably true.â€
“I am not the one to lay out proof of this, others have done a lot of investigation. One of the reasons I don’t dwell on that is they are not going to listen to us†he said. “But I think it is very important somebody talks about it and emphasizes it just as a warning to be careful; you don’t have to only anticipate what the markets are doing, but you have to anticipate what the government is doing.â€
The best example of manipulating the ratio of gold to paper would have been from the late 1950s to 1971, said Paul. “We printed money like currency, we printed too many dollars against the gold, so they said, ‘we will take your gold.’ …if they are capable of that they are capable of doing this as well, because they don’t want their cover blown, †said Paul. If the markets are saying not to trust paper money, they have to do everything they can to “destroy gold,†said Paul.
Recounting a visit with Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Fed Reserve, Rep. Paul said the Chairman walked straight into the room, went immediately to his staffer and asked what the price of gold was. “They know gold is important. I think they are quite willing to manipulate it. That is the only way they can maintain this false illusion about gold.â€
“If they are involved isn’t it pretty amazing what has happened in past year? What will happen if they throw in the towel?†said Paul.
The current economic situation is very healthy for gold, said Paul. “You see people rushing just to put their money in any place …they don’t even care about making money.â€
When asked what regulations the Congressman is currently worried about, he said, “All of them.†However, Paul specifically points to the 1099 provision, a portion of the health-care act, passed earlier in the year. “For every transaction of over $600, gold dealers have to fill out a form, it is a lot of paperwork,†said the congressman. Entities must file a Form 1099 with the Internal Revenue Service whenever they make transactions paying out $600 a year to another party.
It is going to continue to go downhill said Paul on the US economy. “I don’t believe in a double dip, I believe we have single-dip and it has been continuous.â€
“The only reason it doesn’t look so bad is if you spend $2 trillion dollars and you have a $5 hundred billion increase in some GDP figures, you didn’t get much for your trillion dollars but it might improve your statistics, so it was a fake recovery.â€
As for another presidency run, Paul says it is too early to tell.
12-35
Iran’s New Ambassador of Death
By Adil James, MMNS
Middle Eastern leaders who use hyperbole to describe their military prowess cause more raucous laughter than apprehension on the part of their enemies.
Saddam’s “mother of all battles†has spawned literally two generations of “mother of†jokes. Iran’s new weapons platform, dubbed ominiously “the Ambassador of Death†by President Ahmadinejad, has been mocked as an “Envoy of Annoyance†by Noel Shachtman of Wired Magazine, however the drone could potentially be an important development in the Iranian arsenal.
Analysis by the Huffington Post shows that the Ambassador is a relative weakling when lined up next to its US and Israeli counterparts, who boast range an order of magnitude farther, and similarly outsized payloads. For example, the Reaper boasts a range of 3,682 miles, and a claimed payload of 3,000 pounds. Israel’s Heron has a range of 5,000 miles and a payload of 4,000 pounds. The Ambassador, however, is about twice as fast as the other presently available UAVs, at 560 miles per hour (although the US has a new Avenger drone planned which is expected to be nearly as fast as the Ambassador).
The so-called Ambassador of Death is really a missile platform. Honestly it seems strange for a potential defending army in an asymmetric war to use a drone to launch missiles, especially cruise missiles, until you consider the danger that Argentine pilots faced in the Falklands war when trying to get close enough to launch their Exocet missiles. In all their practice war-game missions against their own Argentine destroyers, the Argentine jets were “shot down†while attempting to launch their missiles (despite the success they enjoyed in real war).
And given the past lopsided defeats handed to enemy air forces by American pilots armed with extremely advanced weaponry, keeping real trained pilots on the ground might be wise during such a conflict.
The Exocet is a 1,444 lb. “Fire and Forget†weapon which the Argentine air force used to great effect in the Falklands war. Its range is about 35 miles, its cruising speed Mach .9. At the beginning of the Falklands war, the Argentine air force had only a handful of Exocets, five. But these five Exocets humbled the mighty British Navy in only a short time.
The Argentinians at the beginning of the Falklands war believed that their chances in the war hinged on sinking British aircraft carriers—without the carriers the British would face long delays in attacking Argentina.
On May 4th 1982, an Argentinian SP-2H Neptune located the destroyer HMS Sheffield and gave her coordinates to the most advanced airplanes the Argentines had, Super Etendards, armed with Exocets. At 10:35 that morning the Neptune again located one large target and two medium targets and radioed the information to the two Super Etendards, which after searching, located their targets and launched their AM.39 Exocets at exactly 11:04AM, and then returned to their bases.
Onboard the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Sheffield, Operations Officer Nick Batho saw an incoming smoke trail and identified the Exocet only a few seconds before it was to hit his destroyer. It hit with tremendous force, eventually sinking the destroyer.
The second Exocet fired that day is said to have narrowly missed the HMS Sheffield, falling harmlessly into the sea.
In fact the Sheffield had been placed where it was as a part of a picket line to prevent attacks on the British aircraft carriers, and so even in sinking, the Sheffield accomplished her mission.
May 25th 1982, the Argentines identified other targets via land-based radar, and flew a sortie. The Super Etendards found and targeted another large vessel, successfully sinking the cargo ship MV Atlantic Conveyor at about 4:30PM, with two Exocet missiles.
ON May 30th, the Argentines finally found what had been their main target from the beginning, the British aircraft carriers. Unfortunately for the Argentines, however, they only had one Exocet missile left. A sortie of two Super Etendards (capable of launching the Exocet) and four A-4C attack aircraft, engaged the Invincible at about 2:30PM. They targeted and launched their last remaining Exocet missile (at a target too far away to see with their naked eyes) and turned for home, while the A-4C’s went on to press the attack with guns and bombs, merely following the smoke trail of the Exocet to guide them to their enemy. Seeing black smoke pouring from the wounded Invincible, they expended their cannons and bombs, and without seeing a conclusive result they turned for home, avoiding all surface to air missiles.
The official British Navy account of the incident was that the Exocet had missed or been diverted, but the Invincible was delayed in returning to port and had new paint on her in approximately the position that the Argentine A-4 pilots said had been burning that day.
In addition, on June 12, 1982, the Argentines fired two land-based EM38 Exocets against the HMS Glamorgan, damaging that ship although the ship was saved by the prompt evasive action of the crew.
However, despite the 3-for-5 effectiveness of the Exocet during the Falklands war, Iraq launched 200 Exocet missiles with on-again off-again success in the late 80’s. However, two of the Iraqi Exocets did target and heavily damage the USS Stark on May 17, 1987, killing 37 sailors but not sinking the ship. The rumored punishment by Iraq for the wayward pilot who shot those two missiles was execution.
All of this is very relevant to the attack on Iran that it is popularly agreed to be brewing. The EM39 Exocet missiles are, at least on paper, inferior to the missiles fielded today by Iran. Though heavier and with larger warheads than the smaller Iranian missiles, their range was vastly less than some new Iranian anti-ship missiles.
The new ambassador of death drone is claimed by Iran to have a range of 620 miles and the capacity to carry one “cruise missile†or two 250lb bombs. Iran likely has three categories of active anti-ship cruise missile platforms (the smaller two with two variants each), the smallest of these platforms could potentially be used on the new drone weapons platform. The smallest category is the Kowsar 1 and 2—however both of these variants are designed to be fired only from land or sea. These both have approximately 50lb warheads (about one seventh of the Exocet’s), and a range of about 15 miles, and speed approximating the Exocet’s (about Mach .8). Version 2 of the Kowsar is a fire and forget weapon which performs its terminal guidance using “millimeter wave radar,†a type of active homing radar. The ambassador of death is capable of carrying the weight of the Kowsars, although it appears they cannot now be fired from the air.
The next level up is the Noor—this is the most common missile in the Iranian arsenal. This missile can be fired from land, sea, or air. The Noor is based on a Chinese anti-ship missile, the C-801. The Iranians bought approximately 200 Chinese C-801’s and reverse-engineered them to create their own anti-ship missile. This warhead is 363 lbs—the same as the Exocet. It would be effective against medium size warships, such as frigates, cruisers, and destroyers. Its range is about 25 miles. It is designed to penetrate a hull using kinetic energy then explode inside the hull. This missile is too heavy to attach to the ambassador of death, at about 1600 lbs.
The Noor 2 has been modified to use a turbojet rather than a solid rocket motor, and this was designed to increase the range dramatically, to an estimated 105 miles. The Noor 2 also has increased capacity due to more complicated maneuvering algorithms that make it much more lethal than the Noor 1, including last minute evasive maneuvers, and a pop up attack designed to fly up immediately before impact and then down through a ship’s deck.
Either the Noor or the Kowsar was the missile used by Hezbollah to damage the INS Hanit, a Saar-V class corvette that was hit by an anti-ship missile launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese coast on July 14, 2006 during the Israel-Hezbollah war. The Saar 5 class ships are Israel’s most advanced surface ships; they have three, which cost them $260 million each. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack, which forced Israeli ships to back away from the coast during the war. When Hezbollah fired the missile, the ship was about 10 miles away, about 60 seconds away for the missile. There was fairly significant damage to the Hanit, a ship of about 1,000 tons displacement (about 1/5 the size of the HMS Sheffield sunk in the Falklands), forcing it to be towed into port and killing four soldiers. The Hanit is also about 1/5 the size of the Glamorgan which faced a serious threat from the Exocet that hit it.
It is unclear whether a Kowsar or a Noor hit the Hanit—most Western commentators believe it was a Noor. But potentially a strike with a Kowsar could have caused the heavy fire damage and damage to ship control and steering that ensued. Judging from (1) the clandestine means by which arms were smuggled to Hezbollah, mandating small weapons, and (2) the fact that Israel relentlessly targeted the kinds of vehicles that could fire the Noor during the war, the argument that the Kowsar rather than the Noor was used gains credence. Also, the Noor 1’s range would extend all the way down to Haifa. The modified Noor 2 would be presumably able to reach to the far southern Mediterranean border of Israel. Yet no such very long range shots were attempted by Hezbollah during the war. Therefore it seems that the damage inflicted on the Hanit was a shot that was more effective than expected, but from the Kowsar and not the Noor.
Finally, the Iranians have the Raad missile. This is the largest Iranian anti-ship missile, and has the longest range. These were developed from the body of the Chinese Silkworm, but with many improvements in guidance and propulsion. It can skim the sea at only 3-5 meters, engage in last minute maneuvers, and can execute a ‘pop up’ attack on the deck of the target. This is a 6,600 lb. missile. The warhead is 660 lbs, a shaped charge designed to threaten even the heaviest Western destroyers. The range is 223 miles, meaning that the Raad can threaten the entire Persian Gulf and can likely control access to the Gulf, provided Iranian stockpiles of the Raad are not immediately destroyed during a potential war.
Therefore based on this analysis, it is unlikely unless Iran modifies the missiles that might fly from the Ambassador of Death, that it will be used in conjunction with their existing anti-ship missiles to impact shipping. They could harass shipping using pairs of 250 lb bombs, and simultaneously use the Ambassador for reconnaissance, however such reconnaissance may be unnecessary if they can see Israeli targets using radar, and it appears that the Ambassador of Death is designed primarily to attack ground targets. However the Ambassador’s existence is another arrow in Iran’s quiver as it seems to approach a dangerous war.
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Community News (V12-I35)
Cleveland Muslims support Cordoba Center
CLEVELAND,OH–The Shura Council of Cleveland has announced its support for the proposed Cordoba Center. In a media interaction member Khalid Samad said the debate revolves around hate against Islam and Muslims, and is being fueled by those who have political aspirations.
He says people shouldn’t be protesting against a mosque they should be worried about what else is near the site: a strip joint, porno store, and gambling facility.
Julia Shearson says the Muslim community is deeply saddened by what happened on 9/11, but it was the actions of 19 criminals who engaged in terrorism. A dark cloud should not be cast over the entire Muslim community.
The council agrees that building a mosque shouldn’t even be an issue because America was built on principles like freedom of religion.
Mayfield denies petition for mosque
MAYFIELD,KY–The City of Mayfield has denied a petition by a group of Somali Americans to open a new mosque in citing concerns about parking.
The building was already being used by a Muslim group for prayer, but they applied for a conditional use permit to use the building as a mosque.
Neighboring businesses argued that the surrounding area wouldn’t be able to handle the extra parking needed for the mosque.
The city board of adjustment voted on the petition after reviewing it Tuesday at city hall. Curiously, none of the mosque backers were present at a public hearing.
California interfaith leaders support Cordoba Center
LOS ANGELES,CA–More than 30 Southern California religious leaders gathered Friday in downtown Los Angeles to show their support for plans to build the proposed Cordoba Center in New York City.
They said growing “fear and hysteria†over the New York mosque is un-American and based on a distortion of the facts.
The letter was signed by 71 faith leaders, including Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, Universalists, Mormons and Sufis.
“This is un-American, what we are seeing and feeling today,†said Stephen Rohde, founder of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace said Friday. “It must be rejected by people of reason, it must be rejected by people of faith.â€
“Every faith here has been denied its right in one time and one place,†he said. “We have seen this before, we are seeing it now. Americans must speak with a united voice and we are speaking with that voice today.â€
University of Montana accommodates for Ramadan
MISSOULA,MT–The University of Montana’s campus dining hall has changed its schedule and menu to accommodate to cater to the needs of Muslim students. After requests from the Muslim students the Food Zoo on campus had decided to make changes.
The Ramadan Dining Program allows students to order food during dining hours, then have it boxed and saved. Once the sun falls below the horizon, the Food Zoo reopens and allows the Muslim students to retrieve their meals and eat in the dining room, reports the Missoulian.
The Food Zoo reopens at a slightly different time each night based on the Ramadan 2010 prayer times schedule, which lists the time for “Iftar.â€
In perhaps what is the first of its kind of marking system in the US, the menu item are tagged with info as to how they may or may not be halal. Pork based items are prominently marked as ‘haram.’
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Founding Fathers Would Be in Favor of a Mosque Being Built
By Shereef Akeel, Esq.
Our founding fathers would be rolling in their graves if they saw the Oakland press’s editorial opposing a group of America citizens, who wish to build an American Mosque to practice their faith, at least two blocks from ground zero. If only the paper looked a little deeper in our rich American history, it will find that Islam (where its adherents commemorate Jesus and Moses on a daily basis) has been a pillar to the formation of America, not its destruction, as the paper suggests. One does not need to look any further than our Library of Congress, where word “Islam†is prominently displayed in the center dome since the 1800’s, in recognition for its contribution to our society. Or stroll to the Supreme Court, our law of the land, where Mohammed is recognized as one of the greatest law givers, along with, of course, Jesus and Moses. As Thomas Jefferson so eloquently stated, “I am for freedom of religion and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.†America was formed by Americans seeking freedom from religious oppression. The First Amendment provides for the free exercise of religion. Such an opinion by the paper, if adopted, would not only down grade our great Country to the same level as other intolerant nations that persecute and discriminate against a people of a certain faith, but would hand the terrorist a great victory of crushing our First Amendment, and defeating our founding father’s dream of a free tolerant America. We should never let that happen. The terrorists caused 9/11, not the religion.
Shereef Akeel, Civil Rights Attorney, 888 West Big Beaver, Ste 910, Troy, Michigan 48084; (248) 269 9595 (work); (248) 269 9119 (fax); www.akeelvalentine.com
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Inaugural Fundraiser to Showcase Furqaan Academy Collin County is a Success
Press Release
Richardson, Texas—July 31, 2010. It was a thriving evening for the families who attended the Inaugural Fundraiser for the Furqaan Academy Collin County (FACC) on July 31st.
The Inaugural Fundraiser was launched to showcase the new Furqaan Academy Collin County and its leadership. It was attended by nearly 200 people and raised close to $60,000.
“We wanted to host a public event to introduce this newest and promising Islamic School to the DFW [Dallas Fort Worth] community. Though a good number of our parents and community leaders were traveling in the summer, we were happy to see an attendance of almost 200 peopleâ€, said Wajahat Sayeed, the President and Founder of Al Furqaan Foundation, a non-profit that spreads the message of the Qur’an everywhere, the parent of the Furqaan Academy franchise.
At the Inaugural Fundraiser a few of the notable guests included Imam Dr. Zafar Anjum of Frisco, Imam Yaseen Shaikh of Plano and keynote speaker Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, the founder of the Chicago based IQRA INTL.
Hussain Kedwaii, Chair of the FACC Steering Committee, welcomed the guests and shared the vision, mission and goals of the Academy. Shaheen Madni, Noor Anwer, and Wadud Hassan, members of the management team of Furqaan Academy spoke at the event to capture the vision and introduce the programs of their respective schools: the daycare, elementary and secondary schools.
“We want them to be curious and involved, to express their feelings and ideas freely and constructively, to practice self-control and to learn how to compete with others. To meet these goals and beliefs with respect to the child’s intellectual development, our approach encourages the problem-solving ability. Reading, Writing, Math, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Science and Social Studies are important parts of the program and are always based on the level and interests of the individual child,†said Shaheen Madni, the Director of the Furqaan Academy Daycare.
Hassan, the Secondary School and Special Programs Manager, is charged to plan for the Middle and High School grades. “The Middle and High School Age is a delicate time – maintaining the highest quality instruction and resources to keep the students engaged while also training them to develop their character and faith to fully appreciate and respect the education they are receiving is the key to their success,†mentioned Hassan during his speech at the event.
The Inaugural Fundraiser on July 31st marked an important milestone for Furqaan Academy Collin County, as this opportunity was used to showcase the school leadership, share the school’s vision with the DFW leadership, allow community members to support the project and to share in the reward of starting the first full time Islamic school in the area.
The Furqaan Academy Collin County grew out of a need to have an Islamic school in Collin County. When the Islamic Association of Collin County (Plano Masjid) chose to discontinue the elementary school in the 2010-2011 school year, Collin County families were looking for a full-time Islamic school for their children. Alhamdulillah, Al-Furqaan Foundation was able to start Furqaan Academy to offer the needed service of full-time Islamic education to the under served Collin County community.
The Academy is building a unique full-time Hifz (Qur’anic memorization) and Islamic school offering quality instruction for the core subjects of Math, Science, English and Social Studies while integrating Hifz and Arabic to embed the understanding and real appreciation of the Qu’ran in the minds of the young students.
The Furqaan Academy is the first full-time Islamic school to offer a full range of educational services including a daycare, which starts next week for infants and children up to 5 years, and an elementary school in the upcoming school year. The elementary school currently offers Kindergarten through 5th grade and is scheduled to open its doors to students on August 23rd.
InshAllah, the Furqaan Academy is committed to add one grade every year to complete its 12th grade class by the 2017-2018 school year. Furqaan Academy is currently located at 1227 West McDermott Dr. at the intersection of Alma and McDermott at the border of Allen, Plano and Frisco.
The members of the Collin County community were blessed to have the opportunity to become a pioneer in establishing prestigious Islamic Institutions such as the Islamic Association of Collin County, Islamic Association of Allen, East Plano Islamic Center and Islamic Center of Frisco; now it is an opportunity to become a pioneer in establishing the first full time Islamic school in Collin County and reap the rewards for all its offerings in the future.
For further information, please contact Wajahat Sayeed at (630) 620-0801.
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Shahid Khan Thwarted in Bid to Buy Rams
The National Football League’s Owner’s Committee this week voted to accept Stan Kroenke as majority owner of the St. Louis Rams, thus ending Pakistani-American Shahid Khan’s attempt to purchase a controlling share of the team. Khan had originally been named as the impending buyer of 60% of the team back in February, but Kroenke, as a minority owner, had a 30 day window to exercise a right to put together a bid for controlling ownership, which he subsequently did. Kroenke since spent the summer re-arranging his other assets, the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets and the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche. The NFL stipulates that their owners cannot own other American professional sports franchises, so Kroenke transferred ownership of his two other teams to his wife and sons in order to be in compliance.
Khan released a conciliatory statement, “I have nothing but best wishes for Stan Kroenke as the new controlling owner of the St. Louis Rams… This adventure didn’t turn out the way I had hoped, but it was otherwise a worthwhile experience in every respect and I’ll always be a fan of the St. Louis Rams†Khan made his fortune in auto parts, as the owner of the billion-dollar company Flex-N-Gate in Urbana, Illinois. Let’s hope that Shahid gets another opportunity to make his mark on the American sports scene.
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Mesut Ozil Steps Onto a Giant Spanish Stage
Turkish-German footballer Mesut Ozil has signed with Spanish giants Real Madrid it was announced last week. The 21-year-old midfielder played for the Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga, and a fee in the range of 15 million euros was reportedly agreed upon for the transfer. Ozil was beginning the last year of his contract, so Werder Bremen traded him away for fear of losing him for nothing next summer. He had been rumored to be on his way to either Chelsea or Manchester United in the English Premier League before being sent to Spain’s La Liga. Ozil came into prominence this past summer when he starred for the German national team, and was even one of only 10 players nominated for the tournament’s Golden Ball Award.
Real Madrid’s official website was effusive in its praise of their new acquisition, “His unique touch, unmatched individual technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make the German midfielder one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football.â€
Ozil will be joining a fellow German Muslim in the Real Madrid midfield, Turkish-German Sami Khedira, who was also on the German national team. And, Real Madrid has a history of Muslims prospering in the midfield, with French great Zinedine Zidane having played there. Some in the Spanish press have even dubbed Mesut Ozil as “The German Zidane.†And Ozil doesn’t seem to mind being mentioned in the same sentence as his childhood idol. “He was my hero,†Ozil told the German newspaper Bild. “As a boy I admired his skills on television and I tried to copy them. I’m honored by the comparison.â€
Ozil scored 13 goals in 60 matches for Werder Bremen, whom he joined in January of 2008 after a 4.3 million euro transfer from Bundesliga rivals FC Schalke 04. But he sees a real opportunity for not only Spanish titles, but also Champions League titles with his new club.â€Real Madrid is a symbol of success – it’s the best club in the world. Whoever comes here does so to win titles,†he announced at his press conference. “I only wanted to come here. To play for Real Madrid is a special honor.â€
Ozil’s brother Mutlu also plays professional soccer. He plays for Heßler 06 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Ozil recites Qur’an verses before all his matches to help him focus. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Ozil said, “I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my team-mates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period.†Ozil is a key piece of the offense on the pitch, but he is clearly a solid member of the Ummah off of it.
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U.S. Government Advice on Pakistani Aid
By Geoffrey Cook, MMNS
Klamath Falls, OR–August 20th–This article is directed toward American Muslims and especially Pakistani Americans on the District of Columbia’ attitude towards aid, which has been considerable, to Islamabad for the floods, and how Pakistan’s and others can most effectively react to the tragedy.
Coming up here and back to the (San Francisco) Bay Area, my wife and had to endure two twelve- hour red-eye train trips. I actually, slept better on the rails than I have been doing recently at home! Derailing, I studied the general documents enclosed with the letter from the Central government’s USAID, a sub-“Department†within the U.S. State Department from which I created filler on current Pakistan’s natural disaster last week. It asked me for help in contacting the Pakistani and larger Muslim communities for help and support and advice on the dreadful floods afflicting Karachi’s hinterlands. This week I would like to examine these documents to see how they apply to Muslims in America and elsewhere, and may help us better help the Islamic nation of Pakistan horrible tragic situation.
In a short general article on disaster relief in the Washington Post by an Ananda Shorey dated August 28 2001, the Associated Press writer points out that “[well-meaning, but untrained] people [can] hinder relief efforts in…attempts to help.†Further, into the article he quotes, a relief worker, Neil Frame, “Appropriate giving is a minefield …You don’t want your disaster response to be part of the disaster.†Something that is emphasized throughout the papers I was given is cash is best because the disaster districts urgently call for an economic boost. Providing the cash flow that the victims desperately require will allow the bankrupt merchant class to sell goods and to give employment to labor made destitute. This is very true for Pakistan today. Aid groups – governmental and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) – should work closely with their South Asiaian counterparts, for they are very good NGOs in the provinces devastated, and outside relief groups should co-ordinate with them, for they know their near neighbors best – their unique culture, languages and their long-established long-established tribulations. If you are knowledgeable, giving aid donations to local groups directly, provided that you are familiar with them, and can trust them to handle your money well – it is probably the best to commit to them directly. There is also, the question of their (U.S) IRS (Internal Revenue Service) status as foreign entities. It might be more effective to give to their American branches if they exist; so, you can save more at tax time. This can create the time-honored advantage of being able to give more next year if there still is a need, and is a type of stewardship, but most importantly, it is Ramadan where the Zakat is engendered of all faithful Muslims!
If you are unfamiliar with the culture of Pakistan, please do not send food for Muslims consume Halal (much like the Jewish Kosher that most people in Western culture are familiar). The Center for International Disaster relief (CIDI) – contact at di@cidi.org ; telephone – 1-(703)276-1914 (hotline) – was established by a perpetual grant from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in 1988, and provides information to the public at large and advice to the Washington on its relief efforts. If you are anxious over the fate of a relative, general information can be obtained at the State Department’s website – www.state.gov, if it is not on the web, you can call States’ Office of Consular Affairs for immediate assistance on the status of your in relative in the water ravaged area, but check the website first, for the facts and information you must have before you call the Office of Consular Affairs at (202) 647-5225.
Those who volunteer their services should have at least ten years of experience in catastrophe assistance. Frank Grove, writing for the Knight Ridder newspaper confirms that “…disaster experts say …sorting and distributing unsolicited [material] donations…occupies…half of… [the] volunteer[s’]†time.
The government of the States urges anyone not to go there individually unless invited (with the exception of having family in the affected zone). Roy Williams Director of Foreign Disaster during the Honduran Hurricane crisis said, “…We (the U.S.)…have the capacities to generate donated material on a huge scale…but we don’t have the ability to distribute [the] volume… at the other end…†Frank Grove in his article, “Relief Fiasco,†pointed out the dramatic (inflated) cost of staples in the United States versus the misfortunate neighborhoods in Pakistan is stunning.
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Floods
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. In the sense of “flowing waterâ€, the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, which overflows or breaks levees, with the result that some of the water escapes its usual boundaries. While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, it is not a significant flood unless such escapes of water endanger land areas used by man like a village, city or other inhabited area.
Floods can also occur in rivers, when flow exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are placed in natural flood plains of rivers. While flood damage can be virtually eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, since time out of mind, people have lived and worked by the water to seek sustenance and capitalize on the gains of cheap and easy travel and commerce. People love to live by water despite the dangers.
The word “flood†comes from the Old English flod, a word common to Germanic languages (compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float; also compare with Latin fluctus, flumen).
Many cultures have stories of tremendous floods that occurred in the past.
In many countries across the world, rivers prone to floods are often carefully managed. Defences such as levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent rivers from bursting their banks. When these defences fail, emergency measures such as sandbags or portable inflatable tubes are used. Coastal flooding has been addressed in Europe and the Americas with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.
Europe
Remembering the misery and destruction caused by the 1910 Great Flood of Paris, the French government built a series of reservoirs called Les Grands Lacs de Seine (or Great Lakes) which helps remove pressure from the Seine during floods, especially the regular winter flooding.
London is protected from sea flooding by a huge mechanical barrier across the River Thames, which is raised when the sea water level reaches a certain point (see Thames Barrier).
Venice has a similar arrangement, although it is already unable to cope with very high tides; a new system of variable-height dikes is under construction. The defences of both London and Venice would be rendered inadequate if sea levels were to rise.
The Adige in Northern Italy was provided with an underground canal that allows to drain part of its flow into the Garda Lake (in the Podrainage basin), thus lessening the risk of estuarine floods. The underground canal has been used twice, in 1966 and 2000.
Another elaborate system of floodway defences can be found in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The Red River flows northward from the United States, passing through the city of Winnipeg (where it meets the Assiniboine River) and into Lake Winnipeg. As is the case with all north-flowing rivers in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, snowmelt in southern sections may cause river levels to rise before northern sections have had a chance to completely thaw. This can lead to devastating flooding, as occurred in Winnipeg during the spring of 1950. To protect the city from future floods, the Manitoba government undertook the construction of a massive system of diversions, dikes, and floodways (including the Red River Floodway and the Portage Diversion). The system kept Winnipeg safe during the 1997 flood and which devastated many communities upriver from Winnipeg, including Grand Forks, North Dakota and Ste. Agathe, Manitoba. It also kept Winnipeg safe during the 2009 flood.
In the U.S., the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, 35% of which sits below sea level, is protected by hundreds of miles of levees and flood gates. This system failed catastrophically, in numerous sections, during Hurricane Katrina, in the city proper and in eastern sections of the Metro Area, resulting in the inundation of approximately 50% of the metropolitan area, ranging from a few centimetres to 8.2 metres (a few inches to 27 feet) in coastal communities.[8] In an act of successful flood prevention, the Federal Government of the United States offered to buy out flood-prone properties in the United States in order to prevent repeated disasters after the 1993 flood across the Midwest. Several communities accepted and the government, in partnership with the state, bought 25,000 properties which they converted into wetlands. These wetlands act as a sponge in storms and in 1995, when the floods returned, the government did not have to expend resources in those areas.
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Founding Father would be in favor of a Mosque being built
By Shereef Akeel, Esq.
Our founding fathers would be rolling in their graves if they saw the Oakland press’s editorial opposing a group of America citizens, who wish to build an American Mosque to practice their faith, at least two blocks from ground zero. If only the paper looked a little deeper in our rich American history, it will find that Islam (where its adherents commemorate Jesus and Moses on a daily basis) has been a pillar to the formation of America, not its destruction, as the paper suggests. One does not need to look any further than our Library of Congress, where word “Islam†is prominently displayed in the center dome since the 1800’s, in recognition for its contribution to our society. Or stroll to the Supreme Court, our law of the land, where Mohammed is recognized as one of the greatest law givers, along with, of course, Jesus and Moses. As Thomas Jefferson so eloquently stated, "I am for freedom of religion and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another." America was formed by Americans seeking freedom from religious oppression. The First Amendment provides for the free exercise of religion. Such an opinion by the paper, if adopted, would not only down grade our great Country to the same level as other intolerant nations that persecute and discriminate against a people of a certain faith, but would hand the terrorist a great victory of crushing our First Amendment, and defeating our founding father’s dream of a free tolerant America. We should never let that happen. The terrorists caused 9/11, not the religion.
Shereef Akeel
Civil Rights Attorney
Ste 910
888 West Big Beaver
Troy, Michigan 48084
(248) 269 9595 (work)
(248) 269 9119 (fax)
In Kind Donations for Pakistan
IN-KIND DONATIONS FOR PAKISTAN DROP-OFF LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION
Helping Hand USA, 11945 Bissonnet Street, Houston, Texas 77099
Maaz Adil: (281) 468-2238 / ILyas Choudry: (832) 275-0786
Mon-Fri: 11am-6pm / Sat-Sun: 11am-6pm
DEAR IN-KIND DONORS: FOLLOWING LIST HAS THE PRIORITY ITEMS FOR PAKISTAN’s FLOOD VICTIMS
The relief items should not be “used itemsâ€; food items should be Halal only; medicines should have sufficient expiry date and must comply with standards/specifications of Ministry of Health and Health Regulatory Authorities of Pakistan.
These must be packed in 15 " x 15 " x 12 " cartons: To make things a little easier for us, it would be ideal, if smaller groups could get together and drop the items at this above location.
FOOD ITEMS
1. Dried Milk for Children and Families
2. Dates
3. High Nuturition Biscuits
4. Food Packets Consisting of Tea, Sugar, Milk Powder, Vegetable Oil, Pulses and Spices
5. Mineral Water
NON-FOOD ITEMS
1. Water Coolers
2. Cooking Utensils
3. Footwear (NEW)
4. Mosquito Nets
5. Blankets (NEW)
6. Bed Sheets NEW)
7. Floor Mattresses
MEDICINES
1. Anti-Typhoid
2. Anti-Cholera
3. Anti-Malaria
4. Anti-Tetanus
5. Anti-Diahorea
6. Anti-Snake Venom
PERSONAL HYGIENE KIT
1. Soap
2. Hand Towels
3. Tooth Paste, Tooth Brush
4. Female Sanitary Pads
5. Diapers / Pampers
6. Washing Powder / Soap
MISCELLENOUS
1. Oral Rehydration Solution
2. Mosquito Repellents
3. Prickly Heat Powder
4. Anti-Rash Cream for Children
5. Water Purification Tablets and Units
6. Candles / Match Boxes
7. Torches and Batteries
8. Shoes (NEW)
__,_._,___
Do not send vaccines and do not engage in mass immunization campaigns before consulting with WHO.
Used clothing, shoes: do not send! In most cases, the local community donates more than enough of these items to meet the demand. It is more economical, convenient and sanitary to purchase items locally than to ship used items.
Temporary shelter such as tents, do not send them! Temporary resettlements in relative houses or in public edifices are by far more appropriate than creating population displacement camps.
Students Design 300MPG Car Based on Indy Car
A group of high school students from the DeLaSalle School in Kansas City, Mo., and their mentors, including engineers from Bridgestone Americas’ Technical Center in Akron, Ohio, have just concluded tests on a student-built electric car at Bridgestone’s Texas Proving Grounds — and may have set a world record for efficiency. The all-electric vehicle was built as a class project under the direction of instructor Steve Rees. With the help of automotive mentors, the students have created a plug-in electric car based on the chassis of a 2000 Lola Indy Car. The students have developed a driveline, electric propulsion system and full, ultra light-weight aerodynamic body. The car, which is mounted on Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 tires, showed remarkable results in testing— test runs reported efficiency levels that would be the equivalent of more than 300 miles per gallon. Steve Rees is currently petitioning Guinness World Records to consider the students’ accomplishments as a new world record.
Ground Zero (Cordoba House) Mosque is Not for Allah
By Jawad Hakim
The controversy surrounding the Ground Zero mosque is dividing our entire nation, as we approach the 9th anniversary of the worst historical terrorist attack against America. There should be no mosque built close to Ground Zero. Such a mosque is in extremely poor taste and is definitely not built for Allah, and the building of it will bring repercussions against the Muslim community in America. The people building the mosque should be flogged by American Muslims as traitors, for putting the entire nation of Muslims at risk for their idiotic egotistical purposes. Mosques are places to worship God. Mosques are not footholds of expanding influence.
First, who is behind this Islamic Center? Really just one man, Imam Feisal Abdul-Rauf, imam of Masjid al-Farah, an existing mosque located at 245 West Broadway. He wants to raze the 153-year-old former home of the Burlington Coat Factory and build in its stead an Islamic Center to be named the Cordoba House, supposedly overlooking ground zero. Rauf is said to be from an Ikhwani family—his father fled Egypt in 1948 where he had taught at Al-Azhar for years, and then lived around the world, including Kuwait and the United States. The elder Rauf is the man who found international financing for the 96th Street mosque. Apparently following in his footsteps, the younger Rauf appears to have secured about $5 million to buy the former Burlington Coat Factory property in cash, and appears very confident in his ability to obtain the planned $100 million to construct a 13 story glass and steel Islamic community center and mosque, despite reports that the current cash assets of his not-for-profit amount to about $20,000. Reporters have documented significant financing that Rauf has secured from international donors, particularly in the Middle East. In fact, Rauf has good relations with Western and Muslim financiers. He apparently fully expects to finish building the project in time for a grand opening… on 9/11/2011. Could he have chosen a worse date? Benyamin Netanyahu must be chortling over his pancakes.
Most Americans blame Muslims for 9/11, and in fact because of 9/11 consider all Muslims to be terrorists—which has led to firestorms of bigotry and mistreatment of Muslims in this country and around the world—in fact because of 9/11 very many Muslims have been discriminated against, tortured, maimed, and killed.
Suicide bombing is a crime which harms Muslims. First it is clearly haram because every idiot knows that in Shari’ah it is not permitted to kill people indiscriminately, especially Muslims, because any Muslim who kills another Muslim faces hell. And killing one person (Muslim or non) is tantamount to killing all of humanity. The people who commit suicide bombings do so more frequently in the Muslim world than elsewhere, killing Muslims more often than not. They also deliberately target groups, including Sufis and Shi’a, that disagree with their own idiotic version of Islam.
The deviated sects, Wahhabi and Salafi, which teach that it is permissible to commit suicide, to commit suicide bombings, and to kill innocent people indiscriminately have, unfortunately, a level of influence and power all out of proportion to the number of people who believe in them. When they commit these heinous acts, such as 9/11, or the Madrid train bombings, or the many other terrorist attacks or the suicide attacks—the outrages that have become routine, especially in the Muslim world—when they commit these acts they push people away from Islam, and help to convert millions of Christian and other observers worldwide from passive spectators into animated anti-Muslim activists. Just as American bombs that kill civilians turn non-combatants into insurgents, just so Muslim suicide bombs turn would-be potential friends into committed enemies of Islam and Muslims. What effect does the daily barrage of news coverage of satanic suicide bombings have on public perception? Much has been made of the American “hearts and minds†campaign—but Muslims have to think about their own hearts and minds campaign, and they must go beyond the shallow rhetoric that the real problem for Muslims is the “anti-Muslim media bias.†Maybe if Muslims weren’t committing atrocities every day the negative media coverage would be less (although this is not to give a pass to the anti-Muslim writers and journalists, some of them funded by interested governmental parties, who alter facts and use twisted logic to attack Islam and Muslims).
9/11 was a suicide terrorist attack, which harmed Muslims more than any other group because it focused the hatred and mobilized the peoples of the world to come against Muslims and even against Islam itself. The level of vitriol and rhetoric directed against Muslims today is unparalleled, has certainly transgressed the freedoms secured by the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, and likely could not have been imagined by non-Muslims on September 10, 2001—however that is the world in which we live and we Muslims can place the blame squarely at the feet of nineteen hijackers who died September 11. In the wake of 9/11 many innocent Muslims were interrogated in the United States, untold tens of thousands faced employment discrimination. Outside the United States, the 9/11 attacks led directly to: (1) revenge killings in which thousands of Taliban prisoners (who never knew about 9/11 before it happened) were stuffed in shipping crates and sent to the desert to slowly die from the heat; (2) war-based turmoil which swept Afghanistan and Iraq, potentially killing over 1 million people (according to some studies of Iraqi civilian casualties)—minimal realistic casualties for Iraq alone consist of about 100,000 civilians killed there; (3) imprisonment and torture of many innocent Muslims swept up by American forces in the orgy of revenge after 9/11 in and around Pakistan and Afghanistan; (4) the tortures and executions of thousands of people in Iraq during the sectarian war; (5) the replacement of functioning governmental regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan with incompetent and corrupt American client regimes.
These have been the results of the 9/11 attacks. And yet comparatively the 9/11 attacks were less of a crime than the Cordoba House. At least a suicide attack ends when it ends. Some people grieve a lifetime afterwards, but at least the event itself does not actively goad them every day.
Even worse than suicide bombing is the quiet suicide bombs, the catastrophes of faux-pas that idiotic Muslims do in the name of Islam. These gross overreaches beyond common courtesy are like continuous long-term suicide bombings that build resentment, anger and hatred over years and years—just such a gross deviation from common courtesy is the Ground Zero Mosque, called the Cordoba House. Notwithstanding the fact that Cordoba is not actually at Ground Zero, rather it is blocks away—the mere existence of the Cordoba center will be a lightning rod, a rallying cry for every anti-Muslim act done in the next twenty or thirty years by angry Americans. Doubtless there will be Muslims and potentially others killed solely because of the existence of this one mosque.
Allah says in Qur`an that Mosques are for Allah.
Waana almasajida lil Lahi fala tad’oo ma’a Allahi ahadan
Al-Jinn:18
If Cordoba House were for Allah, then you would have wanted to put the mosque in a quiet non-controversial location where thousands of people had not been murdered in the last ten years. You wouldn’t have wanted the controversy that you appear to be relishing. You could have built it, Mr. Rauf, by expanding your current mosque. You could have built it more cheaply in New Jersey rather than Manhattan.
The above analysis does not even touch on the fact that Muslims are not supposed to build large buildings, anything over two stories is for satan.
So please don’t tell me that this mosque is for Allah, or for Islam, or to serve Muslims.
No, this mosque is a monument to the egos of the idiotic Muslims who feel that in order to be a good Muslim one must oppose the West, must oppose Western powers. Given that so much financing was from Muslims outside of the United States, and that Rauf explicitly sought out a site tangent to Ground Zero, one gets the sickening feeling that this time for once the anti-Muslim bigots are actually right, that this really is a kind of sick 9/11 Victory Mosque.
You are so busy opposing the West that you have forgotten that Islam is East-West neutral. Islam is to support and worship God, and oppose satan. In Qur`an there is no injunction to oppose the West. While you are opposing the West, in this case you are opposing God. And the one leading you, Mr. Rauf and your Cordoba House, into more and more chaos and confusion, happily condemning the innocent Muslims in this country to weathering lifetimes of discrimination and hatred, is satan.
Mosques are supposed to be for Allah, not for satan. Your Cordoba mosque is not for Islam.
Build the condominiums that developer Sharif El-Gamal originally planned for the site—build Rauf’s mosque elsewhere.
