News Around the world

Zimbabwe: Cholera has broken out...
 
     In the first two weeks of December, 2008, more than 800 people are reported to have died of cholera in Zimbabwe.
Instead of giving a humanitarian response to a human tragedy, Britain and the western powers are trying to use it to oust Robert Mugabe, the ruler of Zimbabwe.
British Prime Minister Gordon Browne has been most insensitive, trying to use human suffering for political ends.
   The people who are helping the victims in Zimbabwe are a Muslim group from South Africa.
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 Top Ten Idiots of the Year 2008
 
   Information gathered by New Trend's Think Tank was used to come up with this list of Top Ten Idiots of the Year 2008. The list was released by Imam Badi Ali, Jamaat al-Muslimeen National Shoora leader [North Carolina] on December 21, 2008.
 
   1. President George Bush. He is totally unaware that he has brought misery, death and destruction to millions of people around the world, in particular to Iraqis, Palestenians, Afghans, Somalis and Pakistanis. He is still claiming that he brought "democracy" and "freedom." He is so incapable of thought that he could not relate to reality even as the American people themselves, including some Republicans, saw him as the source of much evil. The Iraqi journalist Montader al-Zaidi spoke for Arabs, Muslims and Americans when he threw two shoes at Bush, one expressing contempt, ["dog"], and the second for the deaths of  masses of women and children. After that countless people in Arab countries metaphorically threw their shoes at Bush, the ultimate symbol of contempt and disgust.
 
   2. Mahmoud Abbas. President of the Palestinian Authority [PA], is used as a puppet by the U.S. and Israel. He thinks he is the leader of the Palestinian people. PALESTINE is a central issue for the global Muslim ummah and Abbas is certainly unfit to lead such a nation.  Gaza has been turned into a concentration camp by his masters but he continues to work for personal power and for the fragmentation and disunity of Palestine.
 
   3. Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt. He has isolated Egypt from the Arab world and the Muslim world. His state of mind can be seen from the fact that he is a partner with Israel in the embargo on Gaza. The U.S. sends opponents to be tortured by Hosni's regime which is notorious for its crimes against humanity. Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman, top Islamic scholar, teacher, Hafiz is in a U.S. prison owing to Hosni's desire to suppress Egypt's rights and its humanity and to serve Israel and the U.S.
 
    4. King Abdullah of Jordan.  This playboy king makes the circuits of American casinos and nightclubs totally unconcerned about the steady erosion of the rights of people in his country and the entire Middle East. He is kept in power by an elite bodyguard and by Israeli and U.S. intelligence services. His father handed over Jerusalem to the Israelis almost without a fight. His grandfather sold Palestine to the Jews.
    5. Mohammed Syed Tantawi, Grand Shaikh of al-Azhar: Slowly and steadily Tantawi has allowed himself to be used against Islam by the Egyptian dictator Hosno Mubarak. He is willing to serve and is useful because many Muslims do not know that he is an appointee of the regime. His behavior is becoming erratic as it came out in his efforts to support the edicts of the President of Egypt and to please Europe. He came out against hijab with the idea that France has the right to ban it. Very recently he claimed that Hamas is preventing pilgrims from going to Makka. Thus one of greatest centers of Islamic learning has been usurped.
    6. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan. He can be best understood as "General Musharraf without the uniform." The Zionists and the Americans play games with him. He thinks he can outsmart them, though he is TOTALLY in their control. He is providing a civilian front for Pakistan army's attempts to crush the people of Frontier province, in particular those who stand for Islam and those who support the Islamic resistance in Afghanistan. Zardari's world view is very narrow: It does not go beyond himself and thus he suits the purposes of the enemies of Pakistan perhaps more than Musharraf did [which was the lowest of the low]. He does not realize that like Musharraf, he will be used and discarded.
   7. Gordon Browne, Prime Minister of "Great" Britain: He still cannot face the fact  that Tony Blair was a failure and a great liar. Most Britons were against Blair's support for Bush. Browne was expected to make a break with Blair's tricks and frauds, but Browne has betrayed the British people. He can't see that the presence of British troops in Afghanistan is a throwback to colonial times and an attempt to resurrect the crusades. His narrow view of the world and inability to think rationally portends major problems for Britain.
   8. Sarkozy, President of France. He is funny in a weird kind of way, but behind the jokes and the grand gestures lies the bland old program of imperialism. His positions on Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran show that he is being used and is happy to be used as long as he can play in the waters of Maine with Bush and others. His irresponsible behavior in Chad and Africa in general smacks of a backward mindset.
    9. Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, The ruler of Bahrain. He hosts one of the biggest U.S. military bases in the Middle East. He has been in secret contact with Israelis and is now openly calling for relations with Israel. A wise ruler would bond with his own people and care for them, so that they will care for him. Instead this man is making himself available to outside powers while trying to crush his own people.
   10. Vice President Cheyney. Many people consider him an evil genius. We were reluctant to list him as an idiot but his defense of torture shows that he is incapable of thought. As Vice President, he was in the service of the neo-cons and was willing to push their war agenda. Such slow thinkers are easy fare for the control groups which ran Bush's presidency.
 
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New Trend sends Christmas greetings to its Christian readers. Please send greetings to these eminent Prisoners of Conscience.
 
    At Christmas time we urge Christian readers and Muslims who understand this issue to write letters of support and compassion to these two prisoners of conscience. Rudolf and Zundel are the two  most eminent prisoners among several thousand who have been imprisoned for "thought crimes." A thought crime in Germany means any effort to question, discuss or deny the Jewish story of the "holocaust" during World War II.
    Please do not write any political or holocaust-related comments in your letters.

Germar Rudolf

Schloss 1

D-72108 Rottenburg

Germany

 

Ernst Zündel

J.V.A. Mannheim

Herzogenried Str. 111

D - 68169 Mannheim

F.R.G./BRD

Germany 

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This report from the BBC did not make it to the Pakistani press and of course not to U.S. media.

[Published with thanks to NT reader "Malangababa. "] [British spelling from BBC, not ours.]

16 December 2008

Hindus rally for Muslim charity

The protesters say the charity has helped them Hundreds of members of Pakistan's Hindu community have turned out to protest on behalf of a Muslim charity accused by India over the deadly Mumbai attacks. The protesters in the city of Hyderabad in Sindh province complained that Jamaat-ud-Dawa was not a terrorist organisation and should not be banned. They said it was a "saviour" in providing food and water. India says Jamaat-ud-Dawa is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba which it blames for the attacks that killed more than 170. Water wells Many in Pakistan's minority Hindu community are poor farm workers. One protester, Biga Ram, told Reuters news agency: "How can an organisation be terrorist if it's been providing food and water to us despite knowing that we're not Muslims?" She added: "They're friends of humanity. We condemn the ban. It's unjust." Some of the banners read: "Do not ban our saviour!" Bhai Chand, a Hindu community leader, told Associated Press the charity had set up water wells in the desert. Pakistan has yet formally to ban Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which has been put on a blacklist by the UN Security Council. Its bank accounts have been frozen by the Pakistani government and a number of members detained. India blames Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, for training the Mumbai attackers. The group and the Pakistani government deny involvement.   ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----- Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News] P.O. Box 10881 Baltimore, MD 21234   Outreach to Arab American Muslim Community and others            Dr. Kaukab Siddique gave the Eid al-Adha khutba in Greensboro, North Carolina. More than 400 people were in the congregation mostly from Arab countries.   In the Fridays before and after Eid, Dr. Siddique gave the Juma' khutba at a small masjid in west Baltimore [mostly Indo-Pakistani] and a small masjid in central Baltimoree [mostly African and African-American] .   Outreach to Shi'a Muslims        Over the last three weeks, Jamaat al-Muslimeen National Shoora resolutions were given on a person-to-person basis to 50 Muslims at a Shi'a masjid in Brooklyn, New York. The Jamaat rep explained to the recipients that Jamat al-Muslimeen is non-sectarian and bases its work on issues, not fiqhi differences or sects. The Jamaat resolutions include a prsentation by Br. Sulayman Solano about the growth of the Hispanic community in America and its potential for acceptance of Islam.      For the text of the resolutions, go to: www.jamaatalmuslime eninternational. org  ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------     The Shoora resolutions Big, Empty Mosques: Homeless Muslim Women in the Cold: Confused and Manipulative Imams   by Hadayai Majeed [Atlanta, Georgia]   It is very cold in metro Atlanta with sporadic periods of warmth this winter.  Nightly, Muslims call the Baitul Salaam Network, Inc. for assistance (men and women) due to there is no one else in the Islamic community with a publicly published number to call.  Yet, Baitul Salaam receives the bare minimal of financial support from the Islamic community.  We do not want to seem ungrateful to those who do give. We appreciate the loyal support of those who give to us (even when we are gossiped about and slandered).  However due to politics and the nastiness of a handful of vengeful women,  the organization, after 11 years (almost 12 years) of service to the community as a whole, a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, numerous certficates of appreciation presented by Muslim and non-Muslim organizations alike, received a nice nasty certified letter from a local Masjid this summer stating we can't ask for sadaaqah after Salatul Jumuah because the organization is not a masjid approved entity or committee.  The letter was signed by the Resident Imam and assistant Imam and was issued by the Board of Trustees.  "You can use the literature table to put your literature if you choose."  I have the letter and will make copies for all who want to see if you doubt what I am saying in this article.  To add insult to injury the letter was posted on the bulletin board in the masjid for several weeks for all to see (visitors and all) when you entered the building.    This type of politics is sanctioned by many in leadership in our communities:  The same community that if a sister and her children come to the leadership for assistance will be handed the number to Sis. Hadayai Majeed's business or her husband's cell phone number to contact for assistance.  The same community by the way allowed pettiness,lies and innuendo to close the only Islamic managed Food Pantry in the city three years ago. The pantry provided a service that received much praise from non-Muslims and assisted in feeding thousands the five years it was open in that community.  Fortunately the Food Pantry has been re-opened in another masjid in the city this past April, alhamdulillah!  This love/hate relationship between Baitul Salaam and some of the citiy's  leadership is so strange that when many of our leaders go to meetings of local ministers, Rabbis and other clergy of other religious communites, they have nice things to say about the Baitul Salaam organization and even its leader (Sis. Hadayai Majeed).  At one convention the group was mentioned favorably by one of our leaders "We have a shelter" and mentioned Baitul Salaam. Try to figure this one out. I can't. it borders on insanity. The hyprocrisy is so thick in the Islamic community in general and in metro Atlanta in particular you can cut it with a knife when it comes to the welfare of women and children.  Nice flowery Khutbahs are given from the rostrum; however no responsibility is taken by the leadership in the community.  Why am I writing this you may ask? Am I angry out for revenge..no!   I write this artcle at this time because I refuse to lend my silence that may appear to give consent to the continous deadly game being played with the lives of Muslims in general and women and children in particular in the Islamic community daily.  The game of: if the Imam is in a good mood, knows you, likes you, then you may get some token of assistance or justice.  If the Imam does not know you, is not in a good mood then forget it or worse! If the Imam knows you and you disagree with him about something in a meeting then you will pay and pay dearly in other areas.   Eventually a sister, or worse one of our children, is going to be denied justice in one of our communities, turned away to go to places like the Task Force for the Homeless waiting room and later on the local news we will hear about her/him or them being found dead or read about harm coming to a Muslim due to what we are allowing in the way of a grave injustice to be perpetrated in our midst.  I pray we wake up and do what Allah says before this happens.  I am tired of some of our leaders being heralded for their concern for women and children when in fact they are no better or worse than anyone else in our community when it comes to the issue.  Recently we have received reports from many who have gone for help (asked for one or two night stays at the masjid) and were refused. One particular situation was a woman eight months pregnant with her husband.  While able bodied men were allowed to stay at the masjid due to not having money, etc. she and her husband were refused.  This is not an isolated or one time situation.  Unfortunately at the same masjid there is a group of brothers allowed to lounge around and sleep there night after night without a time limit. I personally know of one sister who was told to leave the masjd (it was known that there were no beds at any shelters) one night while men stayed.  I know because I had to take her there.  I Stayed with her while waiting on a call from the local Imam.  He did not call (after more than an hour wait) and I had to leave.  Later about midnight she told me the Imam told her she could not stay and the men who were there that night confirmed it.  They were so ashamed of what was happening one confided that he hated to ask her to leave. Now another sister was allowed to stay even after she exhibited very disturbing behavior. She cursed and swore at some of the brothers and they had to ask the police to escort her off the property one day.  The resident Imam later allowed her to return and stay for weeks. Okay, figure it out.  Why was she allowed to stay and two other sisters to my knowledge not allowed?  No consistent policy.      As long as we are quiet about this and other situations in our communiy it will only grow worse.  Of course no one (especially a woman) wants to stay at a masjid. However politics should not determine any policy on any level in our communities.  Our community leaders should be held accountable for opening some of the masjid (especially those in the city near bus lines at night to at least Muslims) as Christians and others do for everyone else.  As long as  Muslims (especially women and children) are in need and they have to go to others outside of the Islamic community for assistance, not one Imam should expect any loyalty from Believers. To be fair to the Islamic community of metro Atlanta there have been times when individual Muslims (men and women) have put sisters (especially with children) in hotels for two or three nights when in trouble.  The same masjid mentioned earlier when politics were not at play partially supported the Baitul Salaam Network, Inc. with allowing us to collect sadaaqah after Salatul Jumuah. We in turn held many of our events there (paying most of the time to use the facility). This mutually beneficial arrangement has been shattered by narrow thinking believers (some are women) and wishy/washy leadership that uses the narrowminded Believers invalid complaints as the excuses for being unfair and injust to the organization as a whole and to me in particular. Some of the smaller (very poor communities) do all they can to assist. However many of your larger communities in the city do not have any policy for assisting those in need and do not support as a community any of the independent organizations that feed the hungry on the streets, assist women and children, etc. In fact all of independent organizations in some way are treated like stepchildren in the Islamic community (unless you are headed by a popular Imam).   It is time for the Islamic community to organize like many other communities (Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Ministries and the Jewish Community Centers) and establish services for all managed by Muslims in an Islamic manner.  It is irresponsible for Muslims in leadership (Imams, Amirs and others) not to attempt the meet the needs of Believers and send Muslims in need to others for assistance.  It is really horrific for Muslim women and children to sleep in chairs or on the floor at places like the Salvation Army, Union Mission and Task Force for the homeless while masjids lie empty or with men who sleep in relative comfort in a clean and warm building when it is cold outside during the winter or very hot during the summer, leaving women and women with children to do the best they can in the streets of our cities.  This is not Islam and as long as we are quiet about it we are just as guilty as those who are perpetrating this ill in our communities. When will we step up as a community and take the responsibility for our own social problems like other communities do?  When will women speak up and stop aiding in their own harm?   ------------ --------- --------- --------- -------- *Hadayai Majeed is the Co-founder and present administrator of the Baitul Salaam Network,Inc. located in metro Atlanta.   ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -- War News: Iraq: War Continues in spite of 150,000 U.S. Troops. No Troop Movements  in two months        During the month of November, 17 U.S. troops were killed and 25 wounded in Iraq. The fighting was not reported in U.S. corporate media. It appears that most of the casualties were the result of al-Qaida attacks in the Mosul area. The losses are significant because the U.S. did not carry out any military operations and let its Shi'ite clients do the fighting.             Dec. 1, 2008: December began with an al-Qaida attack on the Police Academy in Baghdad. It was a truck bomb combined with a martyrdom operator. The "authorities" admitted 19 killed 45 wounded in the attack.     Fighting in the Mosul area is a daily routine but on December 1 there was a serious al-Qaida attack which killed 16 Shi'ite police organized by the U.S.              Dec.4, 2008: Suspected al-Qaida fighters used truck bombs to blow up a police check point in Fallujah [40 miles west of Baghdad]. At least 17 Iraqi police were killed and others wounded. On December 8, Tariq, the mastermind of the attack, an Iraqi, was arrested in Baghdad. Another 30 Iraqis suspected of helping him were also arrested. [The Shi'ite government is holding 25,000 Iraqis in its prisons. Another 15,000 "suspects" are held by the U.S.]     The attack has had an unsettling effect because Fallujah was entirely destroyed by U.S. forces, along with its mosques and Islamic schools, when it was controlled by al-Qaida. It was rebuilt in part by the U.S. and people were allowed to enter and live there after person-by-person identification and record. Permanent martial law is enforced and torture is liberally used to crush resistance.         December 11, 2008: Al-Qaida seems to have wiped out a major section of the PUK [Kurdish organization linked to Israel] and of the local Arab tribal leadership working with the U.S. The festive gathering held in a restaurant on the outskirts of Kirkuk was to be addressed by the U.S.-installed Iraqi President Talabani. A martyrdom operator walked into the restaurant. The local military governor says 50 people were killed and 120 wounded.        ------------ --------- -------- War News: Afghanistan. Taliban control 70% of the Country, except when U.S. Air Force attacks ............ ......... ... "We have to put much more effort into Afghanistan. " Obama appointee Medeleine Albright as new National Security Adviser speaking to self-confessed lesbian Rachel Maddow." [MSNBC December 1, 2008]           [1]Taliban posing threat to Kabul: report [Daily Dawn, Karachi] [Excerpt] KABUL, Dec 8: Taliban insurgents have a "permanent presence" in almost three-quarters of Afghanistan and pose an increasing threat to Kabul itself, a think-tank said on Monday. The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) said in a report that the Taliban had extended its tentacles from its southern powerbase and established itself across large swathes of the country. "The Taliban now holds a permanent presence in 72 per cent of Afghanistan, up from 54 per cent just a year ago," ICOS said in its report, which was rejected by the Afghan government. "Taliban forces have advanced from their traditional southern heartlands ... to Afghanistan's western and north-western provinces, as well as provinces north of Kabul and in Kabul itself," the report said. For the ICOS, a permanent presence counts as the ability of the Taliban to carry out at least one attack a week.   [2] December 20: U.S. TV channels say that 3,000 fresh U.S. troops are on the way to Afghanistan. Another 30,000 will be sent by March. The Taliban threat is turning into defeat for NATO. New Trend notes that a MASS UPRISING of the people in support of the Taliban is taking place. NATO is facing genuine grassroots resistance.      The U.S. sees the danger of the Taliban taking Kabul itself. Hence most of the American forces will be placed around Kabul to stop the Taliban spring offensive.        The U.S. air force is going all out to attack the Taliban. On December 9, Taliban opened fire with automatic rifles on a U.S. army camp in rugged Kunar province. The U.S. forces, feeling threatened, called in air strikes which bombed the entire area killing 15 civilians, including 4 women and 8 children. Eight huts belonging to shepherds were destroyed in the air strikes.   [3] December 12. In Helmand province, a martyrdom operator hit British troops, killing 3 elite British marines. [Gordon Browne, Brit Prime Minister was visiting Afghanistan and complained that the assailant was too young.] In another part of Helmand, a British trooper was killed by a Taliban sniper.   [4] December 17. Taliban are using pin prick attacks in small numbers to avoid U.S. air strikes. In one ambush a British soldier was killed in Helmand province. An Australian working for the British army was also killed. A Dutch soldier was killed in Uruzgun province.   [5] December 19.[Helmand province.] A Taliban elite cardre ambushed a heavily armed military unit from Denmark killing 3 Danish soldiers and wounding 1.