NewTrendMag.org   News  #  2071
[ Click on NEWS for back issues ][ OUR BOOKS ][ Contact ][ Previous Issue ][ Next Issue ]

18 Shaban 1446 AH - February 16 2025 Issue # 7, Newsletter #2071



Scroll down for report on "DOJ Pressures New York Prosecutors to Drop Charges Against Mayor" by Sr. Aisha ; Imam Jamil's Phone Call to His Son from Kairi Al-Amin and "Arab Leaders Betrayed the People and America-Israel Won Chaos and Insanity" by Dr. Mahboob Khawaja


Qur'an and Hadith Studies with Dr. Kaukab Siddique

Allah's Help is Never Far Away;
Do Not Despair in Case of Imbalance of Power


"[Prophet], remember when you left your home at dawn to assign battle positions to the believers: Allah hears and knows everything. Remember when two groups of you were about to lose heart, and Allah protected them—let the believers put their trust in Allah—Allah helped you at Badr when you were very weak. Be mindful of Allah, so that you may be grateful. Remember when you said to the believers, 'Will you be satisfied if your Lord reinforces you by sending down three thousand angels?' Well, if you are steadfast and mindful of Allah, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand swooping angels if the enemy should suddenly attack you!' and Allah arranged it so, as a message of hope for you [believers] to put your hearts at rest—help comes only from Allah who has the power to decide— and in order to cut off the flanks of the disbelievers' army or frustrate them, to make them withdraw in total failure. You [Prophet] have nothing to do with it: whether Allah relents towards them or punishes them, they are wrongdoers. Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Allah. He forgives whoever He will and punishes whoever He will: Allah is most forgiving and merciful.

Source: Qur'an, Surah 3: 121 - 129

Comment by Dr. Kaukab Siddique: Allah Almighty helps the Muslims if they seek His help. It is readily available. All one has to do is to be sincere in one's worship. It's amazing to see the Qur'an's affirmation of those who call on Allah for help, in the belief that His help is the key to the battle.




Islam's Stance on Migrants and Refugees

By Dr. Kaukab Siddique

Tens of millions of people want to enter the US to seek a better life for themselves and their children. They are, by and large, peaceful people, refugees from countries whose economies and infrastructure were destroyed by invasions, wars, or interventions by the US military. Many of the migrants are desperate, determined, and resolute that they will enter the US, and, as a result, willing to take huge risks to do so. How can such a mass migration be stopped—without the mass killing of innocent, unarmed people? How will Trump stop them without committing a genocide which would make Stalin look like an innocent child?

Many Europeans were oppressed in their own countries, and came to America to escape persecution. For example, in Oxford, Pennsylvania, where I used to live, there is a sizeable population of Amish people, who came there from Switzerland and Germany to escape persecution for their Anabaptist beliefs. The Mennonites, the original religious grouping from which the Amish branched off, came to Pennsylvania and to the American Midwest to escape religious persecution. French Huguenots, fleeing severe religious persecution, came to what are now the states of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. And both Pilgrims and Puritans, if one believes the official version of American history, came to this country escaping religious persecution. So, the US is undoubtedly a nation of immigrants. Or so the story goes.

Why then is the US so averse to people entering its borders to escape persecution, whether religious, political, or gender-based? Both the Democratic and Republican parties have showed incredible inhumanity towards migrants, separating families, locking up children, deporting people to regions they have no connection with, and much else. Trump issued a series of executive orders during his first term to enact the "Muslim Ban," prohibiting nationals from primarily Muslim countries from traveling to the US. But, he was largely unsuccessful due to continuous legal challenges, until finally the "Muslim Ban" was reversed outright by the Biden administration when it assumed office. After Trump's first term, Biden took up the mantle, quietly deporting hundreds of thousands of people, while giving the appearance of inclusivity. And, in his current term, Trump has prioritized closing the borders to migration, and has already detained and/or deported a significant number of people.

We Muslims must remember that the US really belongs to the original people of the Americas, the indigenous people. The US took away their basic human rights: They were massacred at places like Wounded Knee and Sand Creek. They were repeatedly displaced from their homes, as occurred in the Trail of Tears—and as Israeli is now doing in Gaza and the West Bank—and relocated to unfamiliar turf where they suffered greatly. Some of these areas were later designated as Indian reservations, usually arid, unfarmable, mineral-devoid (or so their colonizers thought), barely habitable lands. There, indigenous people had to fight for basic necessities such as clean water and decent food, roads, schools and electricity in the areas where they lived. In another manifestation of genocide, indigenous peoples were largely prohibited from speaking their own languages. As a result, many of them don't know their own language to this day.

In my youth in Pakistan, I used to watch old style Westerns, which were popular there. I would almost cry at the treatment dealt to the "Red Indians." Even today, the US holds their leaders under sordid conditions, releasing them only when they're terminally ill, or on the verge of death. One example which stands out is recently released political prisoner Leonard Peltier.

Land theft on a grand scale and mass murder of indigenous people, coupled with the forced relocation of Africans to America to work as slaves are the foundation upon which the United States was formed. Given all of this, the US has no moral high ground to tell people from other countries they cannot come here.

Allah Almighty has ordained that slowly people of color will take over the country. Black, brown, and red people are integrating into the American fabric.

What is the Muslim responsibility towards refugees?

Some in the Muslim community seem to want to help only those of a specific nationality, or a specific faith (usually Islam). But the Qur'an tells us to help all who are oppressed, whether Muslim or not. In particular, Muslims are commanded to help the muhajireen. Who are the muhajireen? During the Prophet's (PBUH) time, they were those who migrated from Mecca to Medina fleeing persecution.

In our time, it may be Guatemalans or Salvadorans, fleeing the effects of the many US invasions of Latin America. It may be Colombians or Mexicans, seeking to escape the very dangerous climate created by the US's "War on Drugs." It may be Iraqis, Afghans, Palestinians and others, forced out of their homes by decades of US, Israeli or NATO bombing and occupation. Or it may be Algerians, Tunisians, Congolese, and others migrating to various European countries, after enduring decades of colonial rule.

In its description of muhajireen and ansar, the Qur'an says:

"Allah will be well pleased with the first emigrants [Muhajireen] and helpers [Ansar] and those who followed them in good deeds, and they will be well pleased with Him: He has prepared gardens graced with flowing streams for them, there to remain forever. That is the supreme triumph." (Qur'an, 9:100)

Further, the Qur'an portrays the ansar, or those who help the muhajireen (refugees) in a very positive light:

"The Ansar love the Muhajireen who sought refuge with them, and there is no jealousy in their hearts for what the Muhajireen have been given. The Ansar give the Muhajireen preference over themselves, although they were in need of what the Muhajireen received." (Qur'an, 59: 9).

These verses, coupled with Islam's clear message of internationalism, and its command to fight oppression, make it imperative for us, as Muslims, to help refugees, migrants, and others fleeing persecution, war, and economic despair.




World News

Lebanon

The Israelis continue to bomb Lebanon. It's not clear why they persist in doing this, having already they have killed the Hizbullah leaders. And the current Lebanese parliament, elected in 2022, has much fewer Hizbullah representatives in its ranks than previously. What then, are the Israelis concerned about?

US gives Israel bombs and war planes and they proceed like gangsters to drop bombs on Lebanon, Palestine, and to a lesser extent, Syria. It almost seems that the bombing is a show of force, meant to keep Lebanon in check. It is the act of a bully.

Saudi Arabia

Do "Saudi" Rulers Have a Mandate to Speak for the Palestinians?

The Saudis have come up with a proposal to counter President Trump's plan to remove the Palestinians from Gaza, and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." The Saudi plan supports the two-state solution, implying recognition for Israel. And it excludes the duly elected representative of the Palestinian people, Hamas.

Moreover, Saudi rulers have no right to decide about what should happen in Gaza. They are not Palestinians, have not talked to Palestinians, and have not been delegated in any fashion by Palestinians to speak for them.

Another question which arises is: Were the people of Arabia consulted on their government's initiative—or on any matter related to Palestine? If not, the proposed "Saudi" plan for Palestine is null and void.

It is extremely unlikely that the people of Saudi Arabia support the kings' initiative for Gaza. And it is even less likely that the "Saudi" population supports Israel. If free elections were held in "Saudi" Arabia, or in any Arab nation, the people would not support any candidate who recognized Israel. And that is precisely why freedom of expression, particularly when it comes to Israel, is severely limited, if not outright prohibited, in most Arab nations today.

Muhammad bin Salman should go to the people of Arabia and ask them what they think about making peace with Israel, and about giving Palestine to the Zionists. It can be said without hesitation that the answer will be a stunning no to Israel. The people of Arabia have never indicated that they want the land of Palestine to be given to the Zionists.

It's also telling that after years of positing Israel as the "only democracy in the Middle East," and after much ado about the importance of imparting democratic ideals to Muslim and African nations, the US (along with its Saudi friends) wish to enact solutions completely devoid of any semblance of democracy in Gaza. They wish to make Gazans' decisions for them, as if they don't exist or are incapable of self-expression—a completely racist and White Supremacist ideal.




Islamic View of Kingship

By Dr. Kaukab Siddique

On the topic of "Saudi" Arabia, and its desire to unilaterally determine the future of another Muslim people: It's important to examine how Arabia came to be called "Saudi Arabia." In a nutshell, the Saudi rulers battled it out with the Ikhwan Al-Muslimeen. In that battle, they killed thousands of sincere Muslims. Arabia was then turned into "Saudi Arabia" by force of arms by the Saudi rulers. No referendum was ever held in Arabia in which the Arab people expressed a desire for their beloved Muslim country to be renamed Saudi Arabia. So it is that a Muslim country, the home of Islam's holiest places, is named after a single family.

But kingship and hereditary rule is not permitted in Islam. The renowned Islamic scholar Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi addresses the topic in his book Khilafat-wa Maluqiyat (Kingship and Caliphate). In the book, Maudoodi makes it clear that hereditary rule is not allowed in Islam. For example, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) never said that any male progeny he might have had—would have been the ruler of Arabia. Similarly, the righteous caliphs, Abu Bakr (RA), Umar (RA), and Uthman (RA) did not ever claim that their children should be the rulers of Arabia. And that is because there is no hereditary rule in Islam. So, it is beyond dispute that no one has the right to rule Arabia based on family ties.

To reiterate: There is no hereditary rule in Islam. In the words of the Qur'an, "Allah alone is King." In one of its most well-known chapters, memorized by every child across the Muslim world, the Qur'an refers to Allah as the Only Sovereign: "Say: in the name of Allah, the Lord of Mercy, and the Giver of Mercy. Say: I seek refuge with the King of people, the Ruler of people, the Worshipped One of people, against the harm of the slinking whisperer—who whispers into the hearts of people, whether they be jinn or mankind." (Quran: 114: 1-5).

In other words, the Qur'an gives no quarter to any ruler who claims to be king or controller of the people, even though he might claim to follow God.




Imam Jamil Al-Amin Case

Update from Imam Jamil's son, Kairi Al-Amin

"Alhamdulillah I was able to speak with my father/Imam Jamil for the first time since his move and wanted to share a bit of that conversation with you all since you all helped make it possible.

Unfortunately, it takes some effort to understand him because of the tumor so captions were hard to generate but Alhamdulillah you can still hear if you listen.

As some of you may have already surmised, the Imam is now being housed at FMC Butner. That being said, please give him the space he needs as we fight this most recent health battle and we'll continue update you as updates become available. We are very excited about the development of the docuseries as well as the Imam's case and we are thankful for his opportunity to receive proper medical treatment so that Insha Allah he can be here to see his freedom and his name restored.

Video of Kairi and Imam Jamil's telephone call is here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1D64e8wQgL/

[From Kairi Al-Amin's Facebook page]




DOJ Pressures New York Prosecutors to Drop Charges Against Mayor

By Sis. 'Aisha
Jamaat al-Muslimeen New York City

On Monday, February 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered New York Federal Prosecutors to drop all charges against Mayor Eric Adams. The prosecutors refused to comply with the DOJ's orders, and some resigned in protest. On Friday, February 14, the DOJ went to court to request that the charges be dropped.

A federal judge still has to approve the request. If the charges against the mayor are dropped, the corruption cases against his former staff members would also be in jeopardy.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie said that New Yorkers should be outraged. He questioned what Mayor Adams had given up in getting this favor and how it would affect New Yorkers. For months, the media accused Mayor Eric Adams of cozying up to President Trump to get these federal charges dropped. If convicted, the mayor could have served prison time.

The mayor has not been critical of President Trump's Executive Order to rid New York City of undocumented immigrants. He has allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the hospitals and schools unchallenged.

The DOJ ordered the charges dropped simply because of a timing issue, not one based on merit. These charges interfere with Mayor Adams' bid for re-election. There were earlier reports that he might change from being a democrat to another political party.

Although President Trump said he would have considered pardoning Mayor Adams if he were convicted, many political consultants have stated that a pardon would have been worse because the mayor would have to be a convicted criminal to get it. But now, the DOJ's demand can end the case.

Mayor Adams' supporters, including former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, have called the evidence against him flimsy, but there are still calls for his resignation.

Status seekers are dangerous because there is no limit to what they will do to get into a false god's good graces. The false god can maintain a clean public image while the boot-licker does the dirty work. So, there is no limit to this false god's evil requests.

New Yorkers can only wait to see if or what bartering Mayor Adams made with President Trump and whether or not it was to New York City's detriment.

Source: Spectrum NY1 News




Arab Leaders Betrayed the People and America-Israel Won Chaos and Insanity

By Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

Leaders Who could not Lead

Naive egoism and favourite perversion unleash new window of working liberal democracy to make insane cruelty as a value to torture and murder innocent people and occupy foreign lands by force as a Riviera for the American leadership. President Trump is no stranger to being delusional and inconsistent in pronouncements and actions. Ralph Nader ("Underestimating Americans: A Coming Plunge of "Dictator Donald" D.D. Ralph Nader" Global Research: 01/31/2025):
GlobalResearch.ca/underestimating-americans-coming-plunge-dictator-donald/587912 , an American political activist of global fame and integrity describes President Trump as:

Convicted felon Donald Trump has declared war on Americans. He is using illegal executive orders as poisoned spears against just about every program the federal government administers to advance the health, safety, and economic well-being of all Americans. Trump's abuses of power can be divided into three categories: driving to destroy the historic safety net leads to a collective homicide. Americans will die or get sick, whether they voted for Trump or not. Genocide by continuing Biden's co-belligerency with mass killer Netanyahu and adding support for the expulsion of the remaining survivors in Gaza to their death in the desert. Add these criminal mayhems to the censorship or persecution of anyone who opposes Trump. Right now, Trump, the failed gambling czar in the White House, and his minions think they are invincible.

There are no intelligent Arab leaders having any moral and intellectual capacity to distinguish between foes and friends except neo-colonial tribal agents living in palaces. Crises are knocking at their door, yet most would prefer a free outlook lacking responsibility and courageous performance. King Abdullah of Jordan was the first to see President Trump and kneeled to coercion agreeing to take two thousand stranded Palestinians to his Kingdom. Trump claims to have Egyptian leader General Sissi willing to consider the besieged masses of Gaza to shelter in Egypt. This is not going to be a reasoned and honest remedy to an already volatile political situation prevalent in Gaza. Hamas claims Israel is not honoring its commitment to the ceasefire terms and would postpone freeing more hostages come Saturday. With mediators, it appears to have been avoided. Netanyahu, emboldened by Trump's statement to take over Gaza and turn it into a Riviera stuns the public consciousness keen to see the ceasefire fully implemented in all phases. Leaders of vision and integrity share candid hopes and strength in their thoughts and practices to conform to reality and sustainable future-making. His first foreign visiting leader happens to be PM Netanyahu of Israel - a person wanted by the ICJ-ICC for "crimes against humanity" and "genocide" in wars on Gaza.

President Trump and PM Netanyahu are No Exceptions to Triviality

Edward Curtin ("Palestine Hijacked: How Zionism Forged an Apartheid State from River to Sea by Thomas Suárez-A book review" Global Research: 02/12/25), points out the facts of current affairs: GlobalResearch.ca/palestine-hijacked-how-zionismforged-an-apartheid-state-from-river-to-sea-by-thomas-suarez/5879755

The Zionist Trump is stating baldly the ultimate goal of the ethnic cleansing of all non-Jews from Palestine, which has been the Zionists' goal from the beginning and lies behind Biden, who considers himself a Zionist, and Trump's recent support for Israel's genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank......Treachery of this nature defines the history of all those arrayed against the Palestinians from the start - as today, with Trump being no exception.....

Ralph Nader tells lot more: Trump knows no boundaries, no self-restraint and has often declared that he will do whatever he wants, meaning operating in massive violation of the laws of our land. He is now ruling by dictates that are getting more sweeping and penetrating by the day. He should read a history book. In a letter to the members of the US Congress on "RE: Hamas-Israel-Gaza-Genocide" Nov 28, 2023, he brings history to light: GlobalResearch.ca/open-letter-members-united-staes-congress-hamas-israel-gaza-genocide-ralph-nader/5841682 The Nazis in World War II attempted to conceal the Holocaust fearing legal accountability. Israel's genocide is unfolding in plain view confidant of impunity, including unconditional callous congressional support and gross misdirection of taxpayer dollars for violence, in lieu of satisfying the critical needs of the American people.

Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and taking Gaza by force and forcible displacement of 2.5 million people by Trump make media headlines across the globe. It should be a wake-up call to critical thinking and action but most Arab scholars and imams are well paid and well fed and their conscience is deaf silent to support an Islamic humanitarian cause of utmost urgency. Affluent oil exporting Arab monarchs of Arabia fear neither God nor people and have no public institutions of accountability to realize the facts of life. There are no Arab leaders having moral and political integrity to represent the masses and no Arab armies to defend Islam. Simply put, they are puppets and hired agents of Western imperialism. The Saudi, the UAE and others stooges kept silent profile while massacres of innocent embolden Israel to put finishing end to Gaza. The Divine Revelation warned the Israelites- in the Ten Commandments (Torah): Thou shalt not kill' (Exod. 20:13; also Deut. 5:17). Jewish law views the shedding of innocent blood very seriously, and lists murder as one of three sins (along with idolatry and sexual immorality), that fall under the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor - meaning "One should let himself be killed rather than violate it.

The world needs America for a balancing act but is there a future for democracy in America? History is living and offers lessons for change and reformation of thoughts and practices to those who are open to listening and learning and becoming effective leaders. It does not look much encouraging when you watch President Trump and Netanyahu speaking at the White House. Dr. Binoy Kampmark ("A Thief's Mentality: Trump, Real Estate and Dreams of Ethnic Cleansing." Global Research: 02/11/2025), shares his critical insight: GlobalResearch.ca/trump-real-estate-dreams-ethnic-cleansing/5879642

President Donald J. Trump likes teasing out the unmentionable, and the Israel-Palestinian situation was hardly going to be any different. With a touch of horror and the grotesque, he offered a solution to the issue of what would happen to Gaza at the conclusion of hostilities. In a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he declared that the United States "take over and own the Gaza Strip", in the process promising to "create an economic development that will supply an unlimited number of jobs and housing for people of the area." The strip, one of the most densely populated stretches of territory on the planet, would be reconstructed, redeveloped and turned, effectively, into a beach resort, "the Riviera of the Middle East.....

Was the "Ceasefire" a Pause for the Continuing War on Palestine?

Cynicism about politicians is always endemic and part of the seamless democratic cultures constantly progressive and often rebuked by social and political entertainment as an after-dinner joke. There is always much evil and much good in every society but evil cannot diagnose political tyranny, falsehood and resentment, the cure to evil is honesty, equal justice, freedom of expression, moral values and righteousness to lead and serve the people. [Cont.]

Read the rest of Dr. Khawaja's article here:
RealOvi.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/arab-leaders-betrayed-the-people-and-america-israel-won-chaos-and-insanity-by-mahboob-a-khawaja-phd

Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution. He is the author of several publications, including One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution, 2019; and Why Wars on Gaza and Ukraine? We, the People Search for Peace and Conflict Resolution, 2025.

2025-02-16 Sun 14:29:46 GMT/UTC/Zulu

NewTrendMag.org
NewTrendMag.us