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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Jamada al-Thani 21,1430/ June 15, 2009, # 29


Here's a real surprise. How are the Taliban reaching out to women and gaining mass support from women? Scroll way down.

Latest: Israel destroyed Palestinians' cultivated fields and fired on their fishing boats. Please scroll all the way down.

Shaykh Usama's audio message may have led to the Pak attack on South Waziristan. Please scroll all the way down.

From Imam Badi Ali [North Carolina]

Spotlight #1

America's smart bombs were killing Muslims under Bush's orders in Iraq and Palestine. Now they are killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan under Obama's orders. Nothing has changed except names and that now the policies are slippery like a snake.

Spotlight # 2: Netanyahoo's latest "concession" is ridiculous. He wants Palestinians to pick up trash and clean the sewage. Netanyahoo should realize that America could not win against Muslims when it was a real superpower, strong and fresh. America today is weak, worn out and near collapse. It can't keep propping up Israel.

Spotlight #3: There is no place for Israel in the Muslim world. It is a usurper entity, planted by force. It will have to be dismantled and can be dismantled by peaceful means. Palestine will be ONE State: Inshallah an Islamic state with full rights for minorities.


Our America [This item only.]
June 10, 2009
Rev. Wright Complains of Jewish control of Obama: Says: Israel did Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza

In an exclusive interview at the 95th annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference, Wright told the Daily Press that he has not spoken to his former church member since Obama became president, and he implied that the White House won't allow Obama to talk to him.

"Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me," Wright said. "I told my baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office. ...

"They will not let him to talk to somebody who calls a spade what it is. ... I said from the beginning: He's a politician; I'm a pastor. He's got to do what politicians do."

Wright also said Obama should have sent a U.S. delegation to the World Conference on Racism held recently in Geneva, Switzerland, but that the president did not for fear of offending Jews and Israel. He specifically cited the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group.

"Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza. Ethnic cleansing (by) the Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel," Wright said.


Obama Day 145
Landslide Victory in Genuine Elections
Congratulations to the People of Iran: Hail Ahmedinejad!

by Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D

According to the official vote count, incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected president after receiving 24,527,516 votes, which was 62.63 percent of the 39 million votes cast in Friday's election. Main challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi received 13,216,411 votes, which was 33.75 percent of the turnout.

It was a massive and historic turnout: 80%. The challenger Mousavi did very well indeed with more than 13 million votes, almost all middle class and upper class [plus overseas Iranians]. He didn't have a chance against Ahmadinejad who has the support of the broad masses of Iran, the workers, peasants, housewives, including the Islamic core trained by Imam Khomeini.

U.S. media, led by CNN, tried as before to mislead the American people about Iran. Christiane Amanpour has been extremely irresponsible. She along with Fareed Zakaria and others put on quite a show with the pretense that Ahmadinejad is unpopular [!] and Mousavi would win.

American observers make the mistake of depending for their information on Iranian immigrants in the U.S. and Britain. These alienated people are westernized and to listen to them, one would think that Iran is ruled by a little clique.

On June 14, there was a huge victory rally to hail Ahmadinejad. Even by iranian standards it was a mammoth rally. CNN showed the rally as seen from the air but did not try to interview anyone. Instead CNN was involved in publicizing tiny protests by Iran's westernized community. V.P Biden waded in to cast aspersions on the clear cut victory. Obama and Hillary Clinton have been cautious but there can be little doubt that they were waiting for the defeat of Ahmadinejad. Another intelligence blunder by the CIA?

Christiane Amanpour was very rude to President Ahmadinejad. She should try that with President Obama. Has anyone in the U.S. press corp ever questioned a U.S. president about the Blind Shaikh or about Leonard Peltier or Imam Jamil?

There is a funny side to this story. The U.S. media have been saying that Obama's Cairo speech might bring about an opposition [pro-western] victory in Iran! [Believe it or not!]

The danger is that Israel might see the Mousavi vote [13 million is a lot] as a sign of weakness and might decide to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. That would be a fatal error. Just about all Iranians and Muslims would unite with Iran if the terrorist Jewish entity attacks.


Book Review by Dr. Kaukab Siddique
U.S. Muslim's Significant Contribution to Islamic Theology and Qur'anic Understanding

Al-Fateha and its Significance by Shamim A. Siddiqi, 106 pages, March 2009, $6, Forum Publication, 6 Plant Lane, Westbury, NY 11590.

The first seven verses of the Qur'an known as Al-Fateha are recited by Muslims in every unit [rak'at] of prayer, be it the obligatory prayer [fard], the sunnat or the nafl. Formal prayers are not valid without the recitation of these 7 verses. Over the centuries these verses have become ritualized and most Muslims go over them rapidly just to complete the prayer. Thus the deep transformational and life changing meaning of the verses is either missed or minimized.

Br. Shamim Siddiqi discusses each of the 7 verses and helps Muslims to realize why the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, required that every unit of every prayer include these verses.

The most important aspect of these verses is the focus on Allah Almighty and Allah's attributes of mercy, compassion and nourishing care for all of humanity. Br. Shamim points out the connection of these attributes to the responsibility and answerability of humans before Allah which will culminate in the Hereafter and Judgement.

The writer has done a superb job of connecting sura al-Fateha to various key verses of the Qur'an. Some of his best comments in this process of internal Qur'anic connectivity is the discussion of Sura al-Asr, one of the most radical suras in the Qur'an.

The value of the book is enhanced by one's perception that the writer is aware of classical commentaries [tafseers] on the Qur'an. In addition he has a good understanding of Hadith and quotes some sublime Hadith of the Prophet, peace be on him, as direct commentary on the sura.

How do our mundane lives connect with and are guided by the enlightenment in the Qur'an. Here too Br. Shamim does very well. He also brings in anecdotes to show how far Muslims have strayed from the Qur'anic guidance. Even while they are involved in Islamic worship, Muslims violate the direct connection the Qur'an gives them with Allah.

"Last year during Hajj time, a brother from Lahore, Pakistan, while doing Tawaf around the House of Allah, was urging his family in Lahore on his cell phone to go to Data Durbar [the grave of a Sufi saint in Lahore] and pray for the acceptance of his Hajj which he was performing in the House of Allah." [p.38]

Most Muslim writers also violate the Qur'an's guidance by ignoring the jihad [struggle] aspect of Islam which is essential to the revelation from Allah Almighty. Enemies of Islam like Israel are clearly noted in the Qur'an.

"And We decreed for the children of Bani Israel in the Scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice and ye will become great tyrants." [The Qur'an 17:4]

Br. Shamim discusses the issue of the struggle against Israel under the final verse of sura al-Fateha " ... those who have been condemned... " [by Allah]. He points out that modern Israel is an artificial concoction put up by the western powers and would collapse without American support. [See pp.72 onwards.] Not many Muslims in America have the moral courage to make such a clear statement against Israel based on the Qur'an and the Hadith.

Finally, a very refreshing aspect of the book is that it clarifies the gender issue. The Qur'an gives equal guidance for men and women and rewards both equally. The issue is good works and awareness of Allah, not gender.

Hopefully the next edition of Al-Fateha and its Significance will be edited for a sprinkling of errors of English which are apparent to the critical eye though they do not mar the overall message of the book. Also, in some places the turgid style of the writing is bothersome and needs to be worked on.

Br. Shamim has spent his life in the service of Allah. He has done systematic studies on Da'wah in America. Eight of these valuable books can be checked at www.dawahinamericas.com .


Caution: Siddiqi [with its variation of Siddiqui] is a common name in South Asia. It is very different from Siddique [pronounced as Siddiq]. Shamim Siddiqui is not related to Kaukab Siddique in any way other than as a Muslim and a human being.


Al-Fateha and its Significance can also be ordered from: New Trend, P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087 for $6 including postage and handling. A very special price!


Letter: May 31 issue: New Trend's Error Pinpointed: "A young man ["white"] has embraced Islam at this masjid. Jamaat gifted the English translation of the Qur'an to him."

Salaam alaikum, Dr. Siddique

This above quote was rather insensitive (i.e. racist). First of all, when you refer to black Americans you never put "quotation marks" around the word "black." If he's not white, then what is he? Probably it's more meaningful to tell us he's Polish-American or he's Italian-American, just like you get to be a Pakistani-American. Nobody refers to you as ["brown."] How would you react to that? There was indeed a time in America when "white" was a legal category but those times are gone so why continue the label? One could just as easily say Euro-American or who knows, ask the guy, maybe he even knows what tribe he descends from. Since being born with a particular skin tone is no shame since God determined it anyway, then why not just at least say he's white without the "quotes"?

1st Generation American Swiss and Muslim
Sis. Karima


Letter: Another Correction about Terminology Re: June 11 issue of New Trend

Please correct your English: Please see below:

What you say and what is correct English.

Pakistan Military --- Na-Pakistan Military
War on Terror --- War on Islam
Islamic Terrorists -- Mujahideens
NATO -- North Atlantic Terrorist Organization

I hope you and all civilized media will correct their English terminology.

Robert Khan


Obama: Day 145
War News: Pakistan [From New Trend's Pakistan Monitor]

June 14: Pakistan Launches Al Out Offensive Against South Waziristan

Five hours after a U.S. air strike in South Waziristan [see next item], General Kayani's military forces launched an all out offensive to destroy the Taliban in South Waziristan and with specific orders to kill Baitullah Mehsud. According to Associated Press the Pak military columns have already made contact with Taliban resistance fighters and fighting is going on as we go to the press.

The U.S. and General Kayani suspect that top al-Qaidah leaders, including Shaykh Usama, are in South Waziristan along with Arab mujahideen, Islamic Uzbeks and the newly emerging Taliban from Punjab.

Shaykh Osama's recent audio message as well as that of Islamic ideologue Ayman al-Zawahiri which pre-empted President Obama's Cairo speech, may well have been successfully monitored by U.S. intelligence. [See report on Shaykh Usama's audio message below. Scroll way down.]

Latest reports indicate that U.S. forces are mobilizing across from the border with South Waziristan.


Latest U.S. Air Strike on Pakistan

June 14, 2009: A U.S. drone launched a missile attack on a vehicle in the Ladda area of South Waziristan. Everyone in the vehicle was killed. First reports in the daily Jung say that 5 Islamic militants were killed but the number may rise.


June 14: PAF Bombs Makeen Area in South Waziristan after Taliban Attacks in Lahore and Nowshera

Pakistan Air Force [PAF] launched air strikes in the Makeen area of South Waziristan, the stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, one of the top leaders of Pakistani Taliban. At least 31 people were killed in the bombing. Pak military says they were "militants."


New Fighting in Swat, Dir and Buner

June 13, 2009: General Kayani has clamped tight censorship in the areas of Swat, Dir and Buner occupied by Pak military forces. The military is reporting that it has the upper hand and has killed 21 more Taliban but reports of widespread fighting from the military itself indicates that the Taliban are challenging Kayani's forces in all three districts.
[As New Trend reported earlier, in Buner Kayani's troops destroyed mosques, Islamic schools and Qurans. Reports of atrocities in Swat and Dir are also trickling through.]


New Trend reporters and monitors of Pakistan contributed to this:
Taliban kill pro-Government Cleric in retaliation for murder of Maulana Amin [see below]

June 12: Lahore, Pakistan: After Friday prayers, a young man entered the office of Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi outside the religious seminary known as Jamia Naeemia and blew himself up along with Dr. Naeemi. Jamia Naeemia, a large seminary, has support among very conservative and non-political religious establishment and Dr.Naeemi was the top leader.

Dr. Naeemi had worked hard to whip up support for the pro-U.S. regime against the Taliban. He had declared that martyrdom operations are not permitted in Islam and that Taliban are terrorists who should be crushed.

The Pak army and regime needed a religious cover for their genocidal military action in Swat. The regime and army have been peddling the idea that the Taliban are against Islam and are linked to India. This kind of Big Lie technique had limited success and that too only among Pak's westernized elites.

Someone like Naeemi was needed to give an ideological orientation to the demonization of the Taliban so that the Taliban's entire community could be wiped out without any protests from Pakistanis. Dr. Naeemi provided the necessary Islamic garb. He was saying just about what the U.S. says but couched in religious terminology.

He was given a state funeral by the government. Baitullah Mehsud has acknowledged the attack.


Pak Troops Attending prayers Attacked in Nowshera

Pakistani troops need a justification for killing 1400 Muslims in Swat and driving three million from their homes. The Pak generals tell the troops that the Pak army is in fact fighting for Islam. The troops are given mosques to pray in. The military garrison in Nowshera [known as the Cantonment] has several military mosques strongly guarded by heavily armed troops.

According to the Taliban, soldiers who fight in support of a kafir force like America cannot be called Muslims and their "mosques" should be called masjid Dhirar.

On June 12, while the troops were praying, the Taliban struck and blew them up, killing and wounding many.
Baitullah Mahsood took responsibilty for the attack.

[Editor's comment: Pakistan has religious scholars. We urge them to call on General Kayani to stop attacking mosques, medressas and Islamic libraries. If Kayani agrees, then they should urge the Taliban to stop counterattacking in kind. Peace can only come through communication on an Islamic basis. Cartainly the Taliban are not afraid of the military's firepower]


June 12, 2009: PAF Launches Bombardment of Bajaur's Chaharmung area

At 8 AM, General Kayani's jet fighters launched air strikes on hilltops harboring Islamic populations supporting the Taliban in the Chaharmung area of Bajaur which borders Afghanistan. [See map below.] The airstrikes were followed by attacks on the villages by helicopter gunships. According to information from local villagers, scores of civilians have been killed in the bombardment.

Maulvi Umar, Bajaur Taliban spokesman, called from an undisclosed location to tell Pak media that the bombing violates the cease fire which was in effect in Bajaur and the Islamic forces will respond.


General Kayani's Air Force Bombs Mosque, Islamic Schools, Kills Top Local Islamic Scholar

Hangu. June 11, 2009. Jet fighters from the Pakistan air force targeted the main [jami'] mosque and an Islamic school [medressa] in the Shahu Khel Bazar area of Hangu. They also hit the home of Maulana Muhammad Amin, the leader of Hangu's Sunni Supreme council.

Maulana Amin was killed in the air strike along with his 12 year old nephew and 10 other people including 5 children.and 3 women. The Islamic school and prayer area were seriously damaged and Maulana Amin's Islamic library was destroyed.

The same day, Pak jets attacked the home and medressa of an Islamic scholar, Mufti Deen Asghar, in the Zergeri area near the Orakzai agency border. Mufti Deen was not there but his home and the homes of his two neighbors were flattened by the jet fighters. Five people, 2 women and three children, were killed and 8 people were injured. The Mufti's wife was seriously injured.

Maulana Amin is a deeply respected Islamic scholar in the Hangu-Orakazai area. Hearing of his martyrdom, thousands of angry people rushed to the area to show support for Taliban and take part in his funeral.

Maulana Amin was prestigious among all Taliban groups and was sometimes a go-between in negotiations with the Pak government.

See Map for Hangu [bordering North Waziristan] and Orakzai. The Southern part of Hangu is under government control.



NATO Supply Line through Baluchistan Attacked

Earlier, before the latest fighting, the NATO supply terminal in Chaman [Pak Baluchistan] came under attack by 20 Taliban. The attackers exchanged fire with the heavy police guard killing 2 police and wounding two others. Before Pak reinforcements could arrive, the gunmen set fire to 8 supply containers which gutted them and damaged 2 others. The gunmen fled, covering themselves with bursts of automatic rifle fire.

NATO faced serious difficulties in moving its supplies through Peshawar-Khyber and is using Baluchistan.


Palestine
Israelis Destroy Cultivated Field, fire on Fishing Boats

Israeli tanks, bulldozers roll into Gaza
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:46:00 GMT

Israeli tanks have crossed the border into the southeast Gaza Strip after the regime's gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast across the strip.

According to witnesses and local sources, four tanks provided cover for six bulldozers to roll hundreds meters deep into the strip on Tuesday and flattened the cultivated fields in al-Shouka neighborhood in eastern Rafah city.

Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast in northern and southern Gaza Strip, Xinhua reported.

The incursion came a day after Israeli forces backed by a helicopter gunship killed four Palestinians at the border with the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel's army employs bulldozers, backed by tanks, to demolish the residence of suspected activists in Palestinian territories. The tactic is part of Israel's "iron fist" policy against the Palestinians.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=97525§ionid=351020202


Background
Pakistani Taliban Using Technology to Reach out to Women: Why do many Women Support Taliban?

On June 4, 2009 Asia Times published a report on the use of FM radios by the Taliban, particularly Maulvi Fazlullah, to reach out to the people of Swat even while the area is under the occupation of General Kayani's Pakistani army. Most of the article by Mukhtar A. Khan titled "FM Mullahs Spread the Taliban's Message" aims at explaining the dangers in the Taliban's use of FM radio programs and advises the army on how to defeat this "menace." However, during the course of the article, the writer let's slip some valuable information. New Trend has underlined the key information in the quotes below:

"The Taliban are smart enough to have exploited these outlets in their propaganda war against the US and foreign forces in Afghanistan. They incite the local youth to rise up for jihad against the foreign armies and urge elderly men and women to give their moral and financial support to the cause of jihad. Typically, the broadcasts are made from mosques and madrassas where hundreds of men are present to listen to the FM Mullahs in person while women listen in their homes.

"The broadcasts are highly interactive - not only do men ask questions of the mullahs in these live broadcasts but women also send questions to be answered by the mullahs, who have successfully won a majority of the women over to their side by asking men to give women their legal share of inheritances, especially land.

"All the FM Mullahs' broadcasts start with the recitation of the Koran and its interpretation. They soon switch to politics and hate sermons against the US and Pakistani governments and their militaries. Their political and ideological agenda is justified by their own interpretation of the religion. However, they may refer to Pashtun culture or nationalism if it suits their goals and ambitions.

"The Taliban are not shy about exploiting other traditional and modern media tools like night-letters (unsigned leaflets), pamphlets, CDs, DVDs and mobile messaging. They also make efforts to appear live on other electronic media to voice their unedited propaganda."

It might interest New Trend readers to know that most well-to-do Pakistanis try to deny women their rights in inheritance, especially land, by carrying out cousin marriages. Islam is the only religion which ordains women's share in ALL inheritance but men who claim to be Muslims try to evade the Law [Shar'ia] of Islam. Years of court visits are required to get anything in Pakistan. The Taliban carry out quick justice. Hence support for the Taliban is spreading all over Pakistan, particularly in the key province of Punjab.


[Looks like the al-Qaidah leaders successfully pre-empted President Obama's speech.]

Osama bin Laden says Barack Obama 'planting seeds of hatred'

Published: 2:28PM BST 03 Jun 2009


Osama bin Laden's remarks were aired on Wednesday by Al Jazeera television Photo: AP
The al-Qaeda leader's remarks, aired on Wednesday by Al Jazeera television, came a day after comments by his deputy.
Their statements marked a concerted al-Qaeda propaganda drive to pre-empt a major speech to the Muslim world that the US president is due to deliver in Egypt on Thursday."Obama and his administration have planted seeds for hatred and revenge against America," the Saudi-born bin Laden said in the audio recording.
He added that Mr Obama was treading in the footsteps of his predecessor, George W Bush.
"Let the American people prepare to continue to reap what has been planted by the heads of the White House in the coming years and decades," bin Laden said.
Mr Obama's policies in Pakistan had raised "animosity" among Muslims, he said.
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, said in an audio tape posted on an Islamist website on Tuesday that Muslims had already received Mr Obama's "bloody messages", which were pre-empting the US president's charm offensive.
"They (Obama's messages) will not be concealed by public relations campaigns or theatrical visits or polished words," Zawahri said.

2009-06-15 Mon 20:04:13 cdt
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