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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Sha'ban 30, 1433/July 20, 2012 # 31


Ramadan begins on July 21 for Muslims who follow the Sunnah of Muhammad, pbuh.
See Dr. Omar Afzal's web site: www.islamicmoon.com


The Islamic texts on crescent sighting are very clear. Scroll to end for texts of Islam.


ISNA's Shiateen blatantly Violate Islam again & Mislead Muslims on Ramadan

The westernized, secularized upper echelon of the so-called Islamic Society of North America [ISNA] completely ignored Islamic teachings on the sighting of the crescent and announced that Ramadan begins on July 20. This direct violation is part of ISNA's attempts to make American Muslims so secular that they won't take the trouble to sight the crescent. Nationalism and Saudi control also play a part in this shameless behavior of ISNA,
If this fitna continues, Eid will become like Christmas. The corrupt ISNA-types may as well shift Ramadan to an "easy" month. These people love their masters and are playing with the DEEN of innocent Muslims.


Our America
Nine Georgia prisoners on hunger strike.
First fast of Ramadan should be linked to support for the hunger strikers.
Baltimore activist Ameejill Whitlock reports that prisoners are on hunger strike in Georgia for their rights. Please scroll to end for the link.


Breaking News:
Sinister Attempts to label Iran as "terrorist" after attack on Israelis in Bulgaria

The July 18 attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria in which an alleged human bomber killed 5 Israeli Jews and wounded 33 is being attributed to Iran by the US and Israel. This claim came from Israel 20 minutes after the bombing and hours later {july 19] the US chimed in, even identifying the attacker as "hizbullah." It looks like a blatant attempt to pin the label of "terrorist" on Iran and its allies.
Iran does not carry out "suicide" bombings. Even when Gaza was under attack both Iran and Hizbullah were silent. Iran has categorically rejected the claims for this attack.
Many Islamic groups hate Israel and are capable of carrying out such attacks. The lebel being put on Iran is meant to tighten sanctions on Iran and to give a chance to Israel, the terrorist Jewish entity imposed on Palestine, to attack Iran.
As New Trend has pointed out many times before, any attack on Iran will lead to serious consequences for Israel. Iran wants peace and has never fired a shot at Israel or the US. Blatant attempts to label Iran must be rejected.


Latest news from Syria: Islamic Forces Countering Assad's power
On July 18, a human bomber struck tyrant Assad's top security building in Damascus. The Defense Minister, Rajha, a former general, was killed along with others. The Interior Minister and several others were seriously wounded. Rajha was a Syrian Christian, along with Alawites the main power constituency of Assad. Al-Qaida is suspected of taking over the fighting with Assad which could explain why Israel and the US have failed to do anything against Assad in spite of 15 months of upheaval in which Assad has killed more than 12,000 Muslims.
The Islamics have killed about 3,000 of his troops.

July 15-18, fighting has raged in Damascus. Syrians who defected from Assad's army are fighting his troops and are said to be receiving a slow but steady stream of small arms from Turkey


Viewpoint: Kaukab Siddique, Phd

Conspiracy theories see Islamic people as creations of the West.
Ego inflated "intellectuals," Iranian propagandists and Mentally defeated Muslims are at work.


When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and met weak but steadily growing resistance, Selig Harrison advised the US to arm the mujahideen. He claimed that the Islamics could never defeat the Soviets but could bleed them and thus the US would be revenged for Vietnam.
Unfortunately for Harrison, the Afghans not only kept fighting but forced the Soviets to withdraw. Suddenly the US faced the reality of an emerging Islamic state in Afghanistan. The US then encouraged groups like that of Hikmatyar, who had received most of the US weaponry but had done little fighting, to go in and challenge the mujahideen led by Burhanuddin Rabbani and others who had actually fought the Soviets. The result was that an Islamic state could not emerge and Afghanistan collapsed into chaos and intergroup fighting resembling civil war.

Once the lustre of the Islamic victory over the Soviets had been reduced, American writers on the left started claiming that it had been the CIA's war and compared the mujahideen to the American project in central America [even compared them to the Contras]..

From within the Afghan jihad emerged the Arab fighters led by Azzam and later Osama who were anti-American. Instead of seeing this as a natural development within the Islamic movement, the left in the US described the unpleasant fact as "blow back." It created the impression that somehow the Osama fighters were like the frankenstein which had escaped the American inventor's laboratory! Thus Americans could never understand that Islamic forces are quite independent of what America wants or does not want.

On a smaller scale, American intellectuals claimed that Hamas had been created by Israel. This was another mindless image of Muslims which clouded the fact that Hamas is a major Islamic movement with its own agenda and independent leadership working in a difficult environment.

The Arab Spring took both the American Left and the American Right by surprise. America had been quite happy with the dictators ruling Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria and Libya. [This last was a late addition when Qaddafi the "revolutionary" decided to become a capitalist and invested several billion dollars in the US and UK through his sons.]
The attacks on high value targets on September 11, 2001 by 19 Arab Muslims provided a rich source of conspiracy theories to both Iran and American intellectuals which came in handy when the Arab Spring Occurred. 9.11, as the devastating attacks came to be known, was seen as an "inside" job by "intellectuals." Pro-Iran media declared the day after the attack that it had been done by "Jews," and the "Israelis" in the towers did not turn up for work because they "knew."

Claims were made that "Muslims can't fly planes that well." Or that the planes were "remote controlled." Or that explosives had been placed within the towers, or the attack on the Pentagon was staged. Some even said that the hijackers were still alive. Or that Bush was going to be the next Hitler and this was the equivalent of the Reichstag fire!
The absurdity of all these conspiracy theories comes out if one realizes that 3000 Americans being killed in high value targets followed by trillions of dollars in losses from which America never recovered would not have allowed any conspirators [the Jews in particular] to survive in America.
Why were so many "intellectuals" so stupid? There are a number of basic reasons. Most important is the idea that the "enemy" is too strong and whatever happens is done by the "enemy." Secondly, Islamic people cannot possibly fight against and hurt a superpower like America. Killing three thousand White elites in one day? No way! It must have been Bush, or the neo-cons, or the "powers that be."

The Iranians had their own reasons. They have been using the image of Imam Khomeini as the leader of the world's Muslims. Iran is sectarian and nationalistic to an extreme but still claims that only those Islamic movements are legitimate which are controlled by it. For Iran, Shaykh Osama was a serious problem. He was also considered a savage by other Muslim intellectuls such as those living in Pakistan [quite comfortably] Remember all those stories that Osama had died of kidney failure in December 2001 or was it 2002?

These conspiracy theories have proliferated to such an extent that a Carlucci or a Romondo can openly claim that the Arab Spring was the conspiracy of the USA or that USA invented al-Qaida.

Meanwhile the wars rage on and no Islamic fighting group [people who should know] has ever claimed that 9.11 was a conpiracy or that Osama died 12 years back.



July 17. Mass Rally blocks Nato route from Pakistan into Afghanistan which is battling NATO
 Munawar Hasan at Pakistan Mass Rally
Pakistan
NATO Supply routes can be blocked by force but we want it done by peaceful means.
Munawar Hasan Calls for United Action by Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif

Lahore, July 17: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hasan has claimed that JI can block the NATO supply line by force but it wants the government to take the decision in the larger interests of the nation.
According to a press release issued here at Mansoora on Tuesday, he said this while addressing a sit-in protest staged against the NATO supply resumption at Jamrood, Kyber Agency.
He again invited PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and Chairman PTI Imran Khan to come to streets against reopening of NATO supply. "It is the right time for Imran and Nawaz Sharif to come forward against NATO supply restoration. If they do not come, the nation would be right to consider them as an ally of the US," he added.
He said JI and other religious parties had a keen desire for a peaceful world but the US and anti-Islam forces considered their weakness. He strongly criticized the US for its anti-Muslim policies saying the terrorism and anarchy were making ways throughout the world due to the ill policies of the US. He said the US had massacred innocent people in the region on the pretext of war on terror. "The US has openly described its enmity against the Muslims and Islam by burning the Holy Quran and depicting derogatory sketches of the Holy Prophet, he added.
The JI ameer said the US not only wanted to block Pakistan nuclear program and take resources of Central Asia in possession but also to raise India as the sole power in the region in opposition to China.. He said the military operation in tribal areas was also launched on the dictation of the US which rendered 3 million people homeless. He demanded of the government to offer compensation to the affectees.
He said the withdrawal of the US and NATO forces from the region was a must for the welfare and progress of the people of the region.


Basic Facts about Ramadan, the Global Month of Fasting
by Imam Ali Siddiqui
O! You who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for the people before you, so that you may acquire self control and God-consciousness - Quran 2:183 1433rd Ramadan - the Month of Blessings and Peace 2.8 billion Muslims of the world will celebrate the blessed month of Ramadan starting Saturday, July 21, 2012. During this month, healthy Muslim adults will observe fasting during the daylight hours.
Muslim Fasting is a total abstention from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for 29 or 30 days of the month of Ramadan. In addition, avoiding immoral behavior and anger and showing compassion is part of the requirements of fasting. The purpose of fasting is manifold. Allah (the God Almighty) mentioned it in the Holy Book of Islam, Quran, that fasting is prescribed for the believers as it was prescribed for the people before them, so that they may acquire self control and God-consciousness (Quran 2:183). Therefore, the purpose of fasting is to develop self-control, God-consciousness, improvement of health by reducing or eliminating impurities from the body, and to become aware of the plight of the poor, hungry, and the sick.
Ramadan is a month of spiritual consciousness and high sense of social responsibility.
The fulfillment of one's obligations during this month is rewarded 70 times. Fasting is one of the 5 pillars of Islam including Announcement of Faith, Salaat (praying 5 times a day), Zakaat (the right of the poor on the wealth of the financially able), Fasting during the month of Ramadan, and Hajj (once in a life time pilgrimage to Kaaba). It is an obligation on every adult and healthy Muslim to fast during the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan is also the month in which Holy Quran was sent down from the highest level of heaven to the 1st level, from where it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a piece meal basis over a period of 23 years. It is a very joyous occasion for the Muslims of the world. They fast during the day, pray, and read Quran during the part of the night.
There is a special night called the Night of Power, which is mentioned in the Quran (Chapter 97), as a night of peace, mercy, and light. Worshiping during this night is better than the worship of 1,000 months. During this night, Muhammad was chosen by Allah, as the Messenger and Quran was sent to the 1st level of heaven. During this night, Allah, God Almighty, sends down an army of special angels, under the leadership of Archangel Gabriel, who go to every nook and cranny of the earth to pray for the mercy of Allah, God Almighty, and salvation of the believers.
Unlike common calendar, which is Solar based, Islamic calendar is Lunar based. It does not mean that Muslims worship moon. It is another way to count days of the month and the year. Like all Islamic months, Ramadan, 9th lunar month, begins after sighting the Crescent, but not the new moon. The probability to see the Crescent for Ramadan is on Friday, July 20, 2012 just after the sunset on the western horizon.
The population of Muslims in the US is estimated at 9 million, of which about 2 million lives in California. All healthy Muslim adults including homemakers, school-going kids around the age of 13, factory workers, businessmen, and others among them will be fasting. Your Muslim neighbors will be getting up very early to take their sahoor, a pre- dawn meal before starting their fast. So, don't get alarmed if you hear lot of noise next door. School staff has to show understanding and consideration towards Muslim students who may be fasting during the month of Ramadan from July 20 to August 18, 2012. They should be assigned alternate activities instead of strenuous gym activities.
Physicians should also understand that their patients might be fasting. They should prescribe the medicine in a way that they could take it with their pre-dawn or after sunset meals. However, if the patients' life may be in jeopardy, explain it to the patients or seek help from a Muslim Medical Chaplain at a local hospital or an Imam/director of a local Masjid/Islamic Center. According to Muslim physicians, there are some physiological benefits from Muslim Fasting (total abstention from food and liquids) including lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol, and lowering of systolic blood pressure.
At the completion of month of Fasting, Muslims all over the world celebrate their holiday of Eid al-Fitr. It is the biggest Muslim holiday. It is a true thanksgiving for a Muslim believer for having the opportunity to obey Allah, God Almighty, by observing Fasting. It is celebrated on the 1st day of 10th lunar month, Shaw'waal.
The holiday begins with Muslims putting on their best, preferably new clothes and going to the Eid congregation. Eid congregations are very large gatherings of Muslim men, women, and children across the country. You can witness these gathering at local Convention Centers, Fair grounds, and/or Community Parks. Afterwards, people greet each other with hugs and handshakes. The children receive gifts of money and toys. After the congregation, Muslims visit each other at their homes and hold lunches or dinners for family and friends. Don't be surprised if you are invited to an Eid dinner or Eid celebration by your Muslim neighbors or friends. Please do accept such an invitation. The hospitality, friendliness, and variety of international Muslim cuisine will pleasantly surprise you.
Greetings of Ramadan, Ramadan Karim! Appreciation for the Police and the Interfaith Volunteers The Muslim Communities across the nations appreciate the police and the law enforcement agencies for looking after their safety and request them to take extra precautions during the month of Ramadan around the local Masjid / mosque / Islamic Center, and the places of Eid Congregations.
They are also thankful of interfaith volunteers who have provided support and vigilance.
Thank you! May Allah, the Creator, look after you in your hour of need! Amen!

© Imam Ali Siddiqui
P.S. Muslims should call their local Masjid for the beginning and end of Ramadan.
Additional information can be acquired through e-mail: alisiddiqui.imam@gmail.com
About the author:
Imam Ali Siddiqui with 40 years of service, is a Friday Khatib, Islamic teacher, Muslim Chaplain, youth advisor, family counselor, educator, poet, and writer with a vision who has been involved in the teaching Islam, history, comparative religion, contemporary issues to Muslims and non-Muslims. He is actively involved in the community service including spiritual/educational development, service to the sick and the incarcerated; and the interfaith work. His work has been successfully building bridges between faiths and communities. Presently Imam Siddiqui serves the North Bay Muslim Community, CA. including Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies & Understanding, Santa Rosa, CA; North Bay Jewish Muslim Dialogue; Santa Rosa Interfaith Ministerial Association, Japanese American Citizen League, and Khatib at North Marin Islamic Center and Muslim Society of Napa. For additional information about the author, please Google: "Imam Ali Siddiqui". For speaking engagement: alisiddiqui.imam@gmail.com.


Zakat-ul-Fitr is Wajib
Zakat al-Maal - the right
of the Poor
Lai-la-tul Qadr - The
Night of Mercy and
Peace

Eid al-Fitr - A True
Thanksgiving
The Significance of Eid

Combat Islamophobia with Interfaith Engagement
About Ramadan - A PowerPoint presentation for schools
What Do You Need to
Know about Islam and
Muslims?

Muslims in Americas and
Their Contributions: 889
AD to Present - A Brief
History
Published by Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies & Understanding as a public service.
Please post on your website or mail to your lists including your local newspaper. Editing
and translation is permitted. Please forward a copy of translation to:
MIISU, 1841 Vermillion Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; alisiddiqui.imam@gmail.com; 707-545-5234
"Bridging the gap of understanding between Muslims and the community through teaching about Islam, Muslims, and Islamic
Civilization and developing the understanding of other religions, cultures, and civilizations through interfaith engagement."


With thanks to Salim Mansur Khalid
Diplomatic Catastrophe Awaits Bangladesh
by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Weekly Blitz July 15, 2012
United Nations Human Rights Commission [UNHRC] will be sending delegation to Bangladesh soon to investigate the cases of disappearances, secret killing and gross violation of human rights. The independent human rights experts of the United Nations have examined 13 reported cases of enforced disappearance under its urgent action procedure, as well as information on more than 200 cases in 33 countries, including in Bangladesh. According to UN News Agency, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances during its 97th session, that took place in Geneva from July 9 to 13, also reviewed the newly-submitted cases and the previously accepted ones. Bangladesh topped the list of the UNHRC committee following alarming rise in enforced or involuntary disappearances of numerous people, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader and former MP Ilias Ali as well as the secret killing of Saudi diplomat Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali who was found dead only 30 metres from his home in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave named Gulshan. He had bullet wounds to his chest and was taken to a hospital. Though Bangladeshi police confirmed that the murder was "pre-planned" and professional killers were used in it, the case has not been investigated in proper manner yet and the culprits are yet to be traced by the Bangladeshi intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The 5-member investigation team from UNHRC will be arriving in Bangladesh during first week of August. It is anticipated that current government in Bangladesh may face severe diplomatic catastrophe once the investigation team convincingly finds the facts about enforced disappearance of various individuals particularly the case enforced disappearance of Ilias Ali as well as murder of Saudi diplomat Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, garment trade unionist Aminul Islam, journo couple Sagor Sarwar and Meherun Runi, it will submit report with the United Nations, which may ultimately result in sending back of Bangladeshi troops from the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces. United Nations may even recommend punitive measures against the Bangladeshi government for gross violation of human rights and extreme expression of press. While signals of imminent diplomatic catastrophe for the current government is already prominent, the Bangladeshi foreign minister Dr. Dipu Moni and entire team are totally ignorant as well as reluctant in taking any immediate measures in resolving the issue without further delay. The foreign minister even did not send any emergency note to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, briefing her of the possible outcome of the investigation of the UNHRC team.
Since assuming power in January 2009, the current government led by Bangladesh Awami League has been facing serious diplomatic setbacks internationally as the government and particularly the foreign minister is completely depending on New Delhi's protection and blessings, while she is continuing to ignore the importance of the international community. Dr. Dipu Moni's series of failures has already caused severe crisis to country's manpower exports to various countries including the Middle East, while in recent times, there are signs that US buyers of Bangladeshi textile products are already moving to other countries seeing unending repression of garment workers including the murder of trade unionist Aminul Islam. The US ambassador in Bangladesh, Dan Mozena had already warned the government that large buyers in his country may refrain from buying textile products from Bangladesh due to recent murder of the trade unionist as well as numerous forms of repressive actions of the readymade garment workers in the country. According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, there had already been significant decline in export of textile products to United States and the European nations. It expressed grave concern at such scenario stating, further decline in orders from the United States in particular may force the owners of the garment factories in either suspending productions or cutting off the work forces. If the readymade garment industry owners will go for slicing down the number of their workers, it will surely create a huge employment crisis in Bangladesh, which would be added to already trouble manpower export sector. It may be mentioned here that, a few million female workers are employed in readymade garment factories in Bangladesh as the country is still one of the major producers of textile products in the world.
Following the enforced disappearance of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader M Ilias Ali, the Prime Minister, home minister and most of the important figures in the government gave assurances to the family of the missing politician that the government would do everything possible in finding out the facts behind this case. There had also been numerous blank promises from the government of finding the missing opposition leader, though now the hope has already started fading out. According to newspaper reports, M Ilias Ali was picked up during late hours of the night by plain-clothe members of an intelligence agency.
Similarly, the current government gave fullest assurances to the Saudi authorities in identifying the murderers of Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, which also has now been proven to be another blank promise of the ruling party. The murder of Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali and subsequent reluctance of Bangladeshi Awami League led government in investigating the case has already caused dissatisfaction and anger into the minds of the Saudi policymakers as well it also has generated serious doubts about good governance and rule of law in Bangladesh.
United Nations and the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces were already concerned following statements of the ruling party saying a significant segment of the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces were belonging to radical Islamic ideology. Current Prime Minister's son wrote a research-based paper in Harvard journal giving further details of his accusation of madrassa-educated radical Jihadists inside Bangladesh Army. The paper was further supported by statement from Bangladesh Army few months back, following a foiled coup attempt, where claims were made that radical Islamists inside Bangladesh Army were conspiring to stage coup against the current government in the country. Such statements and claims had generated serious concern within United Nations Peace Keeping Forces, who were raising eyebrows thinking, if it was safe to recruit such radical Jihadists or Islamists in the peace keeping force.


Nine Georgia prisoners are literally starving for human rights
blacktalkradionetwork.com
Nine prisoners starving for human rights Georgian prisoners starving to death for human rights Nine prisoners face death on a hunger strike for human rights


 Hadrat Sayyiduna Ibn-e-‘Umar Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
Hadrat Sayyiduna Ibn-e-'Umar Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam has said,


"Do not commence fasting (Ramadan) till you see the new moon, and do not cease fasting (perform Eid) till you see it. But if the weather is cloudy, or there is a smog in the sky (which prevents sighting of the moon), then complete 30 days of the month." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Page 256]

In another narration, the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said,


"The month sometimes is of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you see the moon. But if the weather is cloudy or there is a smog, then complete thirty days of the month." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Page 256]

2012-07-20 Fri 18:09:30 cdt
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