Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief ---------------------------------------------------------
Muharram 16, 1426/February 25, 2005 #17
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Good Example of How U.S. Media Distort Cases of Muslims: Abu Ali's Character Assassination before trial.
A Letter to the Baltimore Sun.

Letter to the Editor
letters@baltsun.com
The Sun
Baltimore, Maryland

Dear Editor

Your paper [February 23] did a disservice to the cause of informative and factual journalism in your coverage of the case of Abu Ali. Newspapers get their readers' attention by the headlines they publish. Your main headline was "Va. Man charged in plot to kill Bush." You tried to balance this with the picture of Ali's parents, with his mother wearing a face veil, and the heading "Family, friends denounce charges against 'pious man.' "

Abu Ali's case is not new. He was kept in a Saudi prison for 20 months. It's not that the U.S. suddenly discovered that he was plotting to kill the President. At best its an after thought to hold on to him even after his ordeal in Saudi Arabia where he is alleged to have been tortured at U.S.' nod. The accusations against him were not news by any acceptable definition of news.

Abu Ali is a U.S. citizen. He was held without charge in a foreign jail for 20 months. That's the real news. The indictment is meaningless till the trial begins and it is proven in court. You have killed Ali's chances of getting justice by creating the impression that this peaceful young man who has never indulged in violence, as you admit in the body of your report, is dangerous.

Notice how you attributed the opposition to the charges only to "family" and "friends" and then put the words 'pious man' in commas to indicate that it's only the opinion of his circle.
You did not put the words 'plot to kill Bush' in commas. Thus it's obvious that you have taken an editorial position [as indicated by your headlines] against a U.S. citizen who has been, at the least, mistreated by a foreign country.

According to the law, a person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Fair journalism should not trail too far behind the law otherwise it becomes a message of hate.

Sincerely

Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D
Associate Professor of English
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Letter:

Re: New Trend's report on Shia-Sunni Conflict

This is quite interesting! Before now I had been searching for a way to know the Islamic history behind the broken bridge between shias and sunnis. I think I have a few questions about this. Pls let me know if u have any literature on this.

Jubril Oyeyemi [from Nigeria]
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Letter Re: New Trend report on bogus vote in Iraq Dear Siddique Asslamu alikum

How ru? How is ur family? Hope by the gracefulness of Allah all are happy there. Thanks for ur amazing and referenced mails. Allah's kind fullness and our good wishes always with you. Keep it up. We have good days ahead. Take care. Pass my Salaam to all.

With love and care

Ur Friend
Ahmed Hussain
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Letter

Angry Allegations From W.D. Muhammad's "main man" in Washington, DC. Kashif Claims Elijah Muhammad was "head and shoulders" above Malcolm X and Imam Jamil

[In response to our item "Malcolm and Makka," New Trend has received this from Ghayth Kashif, one of "imam" W.D. Muhammad's "imams" who runs a mosque in Washington, DC. We are publishing it as is without any editing. See our response below.]

Dear Kaukab Saddique:

Here again you are using this alias (butshik...) in sending unsolicited e-mails. I've respected you over the years, as you know; but you seem to have this obsession with continually attacking WD Muhammad in nearly all of your publications. In addition we've had this conversation about you sending unsolicited mail to this address more than once before. Surely you can recalled being removed from forum after forum because of you divisive attacks upon a number of Muslim communities and the leadership thereof.

Either you are an honest person or you are not. You certainly agreed not to continue to send such mail to this address nor to Strategicalliance. By Allah, what ails you with your obsession to continue to show such disrespect to you Muslim brothers and sisters?

I can only say that it must stem from an inferiiority complex which feels it must slander others that you envy and/or hate continually, so as to eliviate you feeling of inferiority or the reality of it. You claim to hail Malcolm, Jamil, et al as if you could qualify to be in their class, and you fail to realize that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was and remains head and shoulders above them, even as they respected his work as a bona fide nationalists whose use of religious avenues was designed to ultimately promote what came about with his son, ie: bringing the community in the light of the Qu'ran and the sunna of the Prophet.

Frankly I have no desire to dialogue with you about all of this. I have only responded herewith because again you have lied regarding you insistence that you are not doing this said thing.

Your email, below, is proff in itself.

Meanwhile you have used "attacks" (not only against WD), against scores of Muslims---to gain some kind of noteriety? For what other reason then? If you have or you're worth your own "salt" you don't need to do this. Just do your own thing (unless this is your "only" thing), so that people will appreciate "your work," (not vis-a-vis some straw man images you make of other Muslims. )

You and I both know of such repugnant polemic strategies, and I am sure you will not deny this. Meanwhile, I repeat: I have not desire to dialogue or argue with you---this message was predicated on the fact that you have lied about this several times, and continue to annoy your brother by repeatedly e-mailing him, while denying that you do this purposely. You want me to continue to ignore this.

I notice that you like to join forums and find people to argue with and to spead "gossip" and "slander" about others---I see none of these people responding to your slander, and I give them credit for not deigning to such things. You could take a lesson from them in Islamic conduct. Do you not believe in the Qur'anic injunction from Allah against such slander? How then can you claim what you do is in "the Name Allah?" I can tell you that you have little time to clean this up, by what is indicated in the Qur'an. You should read (and seek to understand) that this is a Book that does not approve of evil eyes or evil words from those who hypocritically claim Islam. Do you have no fear of Allah?

gnk
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[New Trend's editor responds.]

We have published the following facts about W.D. Muhammad. None of them can be called slanders as the source is W.D. Muhammad himself, unless he is slandering himself. So what does Kashif mean by slanders? These are facts.

New Trend is distributed on a big scale on the Internet. Once it was sent to Kashif because he was sending us stuff from his inner group. When he got something from us, he bridled and removed us from his list. We removed his name from our list. Probably, after that we received a big bunch of addresses in which his might have been included and thus it got sent to him again.

He could have simply written the word "unsubscribe" and sent it to us. This is standard practice on the Internet. Instead he indulged in this diatribe.

Obviously W.D.'s followers have nothing to say on the basis of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This is the kind of stuff they write when they feel challenged. Note the implied threat towards the end.

Previously, when we reported W.D's claim that there can be messengers after Muhammad (pbuh), one of his blind followers claimed that the person who reported it was at war with Islam and equal to a monkey or an ape. [We published that in full too.] Till now W.D. has not taken back his remarks.
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REPORT OF US STATE DEPARTMENT BLAMES MUSLIMS FOR ANTI SEMITISM:
CIC CALLS REPORT UNSCIENTIFIC, ONE-SIDED AND FUEL FOR ISLAMOPHOBIA.

[U.S. Claims Anti-Israel Sentiment is included in anti-Semitism!]

The Canadian Islamic Congress is strongly criticizing the recently released U.S. State Department "Report on Global anti-Semitism" as beingunscientific, biased, and a blatant incentive for Islamophobia against western Muslim minorities.

Released on January 5, 2005, the report covers the period of July 1, 2003 through December 15, 2004 and was compiled in response to President Bush's Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of October 16, 2004.

The Canadian Islamic Congress has summarized its criticism of the document in six key points:
  1. The report is politically motivated, and lacks independently audited and verified statistics. The fact that this report has been issued by a government department and not an NGO; plus the fact that it addresses only one form of hatred against one specific minority (Jews); and that there were no other reports commissioned to address equally serious hate-issues against other worldwide minorities (e.g. Christians, Muslims, Blacks, First Nations, Aboriginals, women, the poor, the disabled, homosexuals, etc.), clearly shows that political motivation is a far higher priority for the U.S. State Department than human rights or social justice.


  2. The report addresses only anti-Jewish hatred, completely ignoring the equally important issue of Islamophobia (hatred towards Muslims). Muslims around the world -- especially in areas where they are in the minority -- have been, and still are, victims of discrimination, harassment, physical and mental abuse, and negative stereotyping by the media. They suffer loss of self-identity and self-esteem, reduced job opportunities, and loss of religious freedom. Since 9/11, Muslim minorities in Western countries have been routinely targeted as if they were suspected criminals. As a minority, they suffer from the same list of social ills attributed to Jews today. To be balanced, the report should have addressed not only anti-Semitism, but also Islamophobia.


  3. The report cites, without documented scientific data, that Muslims are one of four main sources for "global anti-Semitism in recent years." It says further that "Anti-Jewish sentiment expressed by some in Europe's growing Muslim population, [is] based on longstanding antipathy toward both Israel and Jews, as well as Muslim opposition to developments in Israel and the occupied territories, and more recently in Iraq."


  4. The report says that another source of "global anti-Semitism" is the "strong anti-Israel sentiment that crosses the line between objective criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitism" without identifying who defines those lines; there are no examples of what it considers "objective criticism of Israeli policies."


  5. The report blames Muslims in Western Europe for anti-Semitism, especially those it calls "disadvantaged and disaffected Muslim youths."
    It further incites hatred against Muslim minorities by saying, "This trend appears likely to persist as the number of Muslims in Europe continues to grow, while their level of education and economic prospects remain limited."


  6. The report also does not address the discrimination against Falasha Jews and Arab Jews in Israel. Falasha means "the misunderstood" in Aramaic.
CONTACTS:
Dr. Mohamed Elmasry
(519) 746-4107 (O)
(519) 577-2267 (Cell)
e-mail: np@canadianislamiccongress.com

Mrs. Wahida Valiante
(905) 771-1023,
e-mail: nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com

FOR FRENCH MEDIA:
Dr. Mohamed Nekili
(514) 745-1255
e-mail: mohamed.nekili@sympatico.ca
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The Canadian Islamic Congress is a national Canadian organization committed to serve Muslim Canadians.
Be a member ($100/year, $50/year for youth [Ages: 13-23] ) or a life member ($1000) and/or donate. Read more CIC news, other information, and find membership application forms at our web site.
675 Queen St South, Suite: 208
Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1A1
Tel: 519-746-1CIC (1242) Fax: 519-746-2929
E-mail: cic@canadianislamiccongress.com
URL: http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com
_______________________________________________________________________

Diary of a Young British Muslim in Palestine [#2]
Eyewitness Account of home demolitions.
Zionists from Brooklyn Living in Hebron [al-Khalil].

by Rizwan Nazir

[Exclusive to New Trend.]

Forgot to mention, the Dehesheim Camp with its 11,000 residents is populated in a 0.5 square km area! And has only one doctor, and he is only available 6 hours each day.
Also, check out www.fromoccupiedpalestine.org when you get the chance.

Wa'salaam,
Rn.

Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 11:12 PM
Subject: diary from the torn holy land: Day 2

Dear All,
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
All praise is due to Allah (swt), Lord of the Worlds.
Monday 29th November: West Bank
Day starts abruptly, Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD) member gets a phone call, houses are geting demolished in a town called Anata in the West Bank - we decide we must get there before the Israelis to sit in the houses and generally obstruct their actions. Was rather anxious to go as was advised, at best you are likely to be arrested for 24-48 hours, and at worst you get deported. Also, have never come face to face with a bulldozer but there is no such thing as a normal day here am afraid, what with things being so sporadic.

We arrived near the site only to find half a dozen soldiers are blocking our entrance. We see before our very eyes (perhaps 70 yards away) a caterpiller pneumatic bulldozer tearing down a three storey house. We want to get closer but can't. ICAD members stay behind to get closer to the action whereas Christian, Emma and myself decide to go to Hebron instead to check it out. Later, an ISMer informed us that another house was later destroyed, so 25 and 9, i.e. 34 people (mostly children) left homeless today. Mother was distraught, I mean she had only been living there for 12 years; children physicallly shaken. One soldier, of which 300 present today, was laughing and taking still pictures. Twat.

Justification given? The houses are illegal as there is no licence or them!! One guy even told us how a Palestinian's house has been destroyed 4 times to date.

Hebron Old City is ethnic cleansing at its worst. There is a radical, active zionist movement, many from Brooklyn (very wealthy), that live here in 4 monthly cycles (city been shrunk and condensed, in terms of numbers from 11,000 to a mere 1,000).

Visited the Ibrahami Mosque, split into Muslim and Jewish Section since 1994 when Goldstein opened fire there and killed 29 Muslims in prayer. Saw Prophet Abraham (as) and his wife Sara's tomb, as well as the tomb of Isaac and Joseph (the latter of which is only visible from the Jewish side) - we managed to talk ourselves into both sections despite the tight security in place. Also managed to get into the jewish plush settlement area for a quick look around.

Then got bus to Bethlehem (Emma mentioned that she was advised not to travel on them but it was fine, as most things usually are). Arrival very strange indeed. Bus stopped and then we told to walk over to catch a taxi to get to Bethlehem, basically the jews have totally restricted access and movement of the Palestinians in the city.

Visited IBDAA Cultural Centre and Dehesheim Refugee Camp. Centre teaches traditional dance and educates the masses by travelling worldwide (basically giving the youth some hope where there is none).

The camp was formed in 1994 when 46 villages were illegally taken from Jerusalem, Hebron and Ramallah. Today home to 11,000, 50 percent of which are aged under 16! The guy that showed us around was 18 years old but looked around 26 and very wise as many are here. His younger brother killed in 1999 during first Intifidah (uprising), was only 12 and shot in the heart. He then told us that he has never been out of Jerusalem, never seen his true home - travelled the world with the dancing etc but cannot travel 15 minutes as in't allowed to. Demobilisation in the truest sense what with the road block (car cannot physically leave), armed soldiers, wall, fence, barbed wire, curfew...prison if I ever saw one.

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed", Dr Martin Luther King Jr:
He told of the desperation, I could literally see tears swelling in his eyes, and he then mentioned suicide bombing and how if a Palestinian defends his land, he is a terrorist and that's how it gets reported in all media worldwide, whereas if an Israeli takes a life, or several which is usually the case, then it is a necessary action as they are defending themselves.

Then visited Church of Nativity in Bethlehem (and Manger Square) only to find it closed. Played with 3 of the cutiest children you'll ever see instead.

Leaving Bethlehem, strange expeience. Taxi stops well in advance of checkpoint as soldier inform us that he can't go any further than that, we look to our right and see the Apartheid Wall - huge and disgusting now a reality.

Walk the few hundred yards and as we approach checkpoint, soldier shouts "Do you want a bullet" 3 times as his gun is pointed to my chest. Stunned, we reply, tourist and he says something like "Duh (not and shake of head) just tourist"! (btw - don't worry about the guns, got used to them being in your direction as see them often enough) Get back to hostel around 7'ish, barely in and the electricity goes out for short while!

Tomorrow the plan was to go to Gaza but now been advised there is no chance of getting in...living each day as it happens, but I am conscience that Ineed to get to teach english asap (also been advised must be kept moving whilst here) but am awaiting for details from the project director.
Wa'salam,
Love, Ridwan
PS - on a lighter note, humous for breakfast is lovely and falafel is yummy
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2005-02-25 Fri 21:20ct
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