Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Palestine-Israel ONE STATE-binational solution

It's controversial to proclaim that the answer to the conflict in Palestine is to create ONE STATE. Since 1947, the invaders have attempted to split the holy land into two states. One plan was drawn up to look like a quilt of settlements, now Palestine is so cut up that Palestinians in Gaza cannot reach the West Bank. The wall is not only demeaning and reminiscent of World War II, it is a sign of such unequal control of land that creates a psyche of fear on both sides of the fence.

The only way for all people of Palestine to have equality is to have ONE STATE. A state without illegal walls surrounding neighborhoods to keep people in. Currently, native people are not given equal pay for the work they do in Israel, they (native people) have considerable little freedom to move around, receive political anonymity, or have basic human rights due to the Israelis.

Having One State where people can actually live democratically with human rights, freedom of politics, human dignity, and right to practice their religion is what all modern nations are shooting for. Why won't the world pressure Israel to accept One State where all are allowed to vote? One State where all are allowed equal pay for equal work? One State where all can live in dignity?
Clearly, Israelis do not want to share political control with the native people. Demographics show that Israelis are having fewer children than their Palestinian counterparts. Within a few generations the voting population of the One State would be majority Palestinian. Of course, though, Israel would never allow Palestinians the right to vote or form political parties in the Holy Land for fear the their nasty right-wing Likud party would be thrown from the rings of control.
A One State deal would show the world how truly nasty Israeli Zionism is and how fearful they are of their shaky culture.

Some will say that if there is a binational state that with in time it will be similar to the former Yugoslav republic as there would be much fragmentation, ethnic cleansing, and that an apartheid like regime would become evident.
All those hypothesis are considerable fear mongering. Of course violence will happen if one group of people oppress another group of people or attempt to murder them.
One nation state is the only state that would be fair to the native people of the Holy Land.

Jzk.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Disporportionate murder

We won't know how many have truly lost their lives in Gaza for a probably a week if not longer. What we do know from history is that the life of an Arab Palestinian is not worth very much. One statistician claims that 1 Israeli life is worth 450 Arab and Palestinians. during this last war it came out to be 1 Israeli life for 100 Gazans. In just 21 days we know that at least 1300 Muslims in Palestine are dead.

It's a sad day for all who can reflect on our brothers and sisters lost lives. But as Maulana Jelaluddin Balkhi Rumi said that the day that we pass from this dunya is really our wedding day to Allah swt. It's our return to the real life. This concept is the only relief that one can take when contemplating the major loss of life. By that knowledge of an awliya we can take that when we pass we are going somewhere better and for those left behind, knowledge that the one who passed is celebrating with the Creator.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Israel pulls out of Gaza

Wow. So Israel has a great PR team that knows exactly what the West is interested in and how long our attention span is! Israel pulls out of Gaza on the eve of the biggest and most anticipated event in modern American history, the Inauguration of soon to be president Barack H. Obama.
Israel allowed western journalists into Gaza yesterday, knowing that the destruction and horror they were going to witness would be of little interest to their biggest backer, the American public. It is just another war to Israel and to the American public that is wildly apathetic to the horrors of war. It seems that we can pay attention to the war if we are being affected physically. May Allah forgive us.

On this day of action, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we all need to stand up to injustice to the oppressors in this world and if we can't stand up to them then we need to stand up to our own nafs that oppress our hearts. WE must never allow those who physically oppress and take away our rights to oppress our faith in Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, with Allah swt, this dunya (material world) is temporary and this bag of chemicals that our spirit carries around is nothing but for use in this sensory filled existence. Do not live here. Live for the akhera (afterlife).

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Prince Harry Raghead

“F*** me, you look like a rag-head,” Prince Harry comments, I believe jokingly, about his army buddy while in an airport in Cyprus on duty for the British government. Though jokingly or not derogatory terms such as “rag-head” raises emotions in this pluralized world. Prince Harry, grandson of the Queen Mother of England and son of iconic mother, Diana, who single-handedly saved people all over the world from landmines and who was known to have a relationship with an Egyptian/“rag-head,” Dody al-Fayed. Where did the morals and love his mother taught him to have, go?

During the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2006, Ann Coulter, conservative political and social commentator, used the term rag-head to describe Muslims when she said, "I think our motto should be post-9-11, rag-head talks tough, rag-head faces consequences.” Why would she use this derogatory term, since many American Muslims agree with some of her conservative social rhetoric? She must have alienated many people who would have otherwise agreed with her stance on different issues, by using such a derogatory term.

Rag-head was first seen in published writing in CASEY & T. CASEY Gay-cat vi. 70. “It's the Ragheads all right{em}a whole army of Hindoo [sic] laborers.” Rag-head was described as a Hindu; any Asiatic. It was later seen in 1970 when used to describe African American men were called rag heads because they wore scarves around their hair to protect expensive hairdos. In 1975, the term reappeared in Canadian Magazine March 8. It stated East Indians are called “rah-heads” if they continue to wear the traditional turban of the Sikh religion. The modern usage of the term was seen first in 2003 in Anthony Swofford’s, Jarhead. “I'm proud of our president standing up to the evil. Them ragheads is gonna go down.” Besides the point that the scarves that various religious groups wear are often well crafted and often elaborate drapes of fabric. They are rarely scraps of worthless material that would denote a “rag.”

Derogatory words have a cartoon-like effect for the people that use them. There are many words that are similar to rag-head in its effects on culture in the words ability to cause more oppression of a particular people being objectified by the term. Why, though, do certain people insist on using such language? According to Demetrius Semien, a professor of sociology, the use of such language has two primary affects. One is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you demean a group of people by using words that objectify them, the more they begin to act out the use of word and become a depressed group. The other effect is that when a group of people are issued a certain derogatory term they begin to see their options as being less and will act out and cause civil disorder and unrest due to the perceived lack of options they have. Why though do people choose to use such language? Maybe for the Ann Coulters of this world it is simply to be a provocateur. Maybe for Prince Harry it’s because he feels he is being funny with his friends who understand the “joke” behind the use of such language. For most who use it the possibility of demeaning your perceived enemy through your own amply available means, the voice, is the safest route to show your hatred, fear, and anxiety about a particular group of people.

Words such as rag-head hurt more than the person the word is being directed at, it indirectly affects many people. It intimately hurts the person who is using it. According to the research done by Dr. Masaru Emoto, the use of negative words have a profound affect on water causing the water to not form crystals when it is frozen, when compared to water exposed to positive words which caused beautiful and intricate crystals to form when the water is frozen. All who are exposed to derogatory terms can and are affected by such words. It is not patriotic to use racist and prejudiced terms to describe your “perceived” enemies. It does not prove any point nor does it bring any to the cause. Clearly, it is not just our Muslim “enemies” who are “rag-heads,” but so are Mennonite Christians, Amish, Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, many Russians, Eastern Europeans, , Africans to protect their hair, or an old woman on a rainy or windy day.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Israel planned attacks on Haamas for over 6 months

According to the Israeli news bureau, Haaretz, DM Ehud Barak and the IDF have been gathering information and planning this recent war with Palestine for over 6 months. The purpose was to gather information of whether or not Hamas was stockpiling weapons, where Hamas bunkers were located, training camps, etc.

Not only were they intentionally sealing the borders of Gaza so that no food, water, and humanitarian aid could be readily available to the people of Gaza, but they were actively planning how they were going to go in there and flush out an elected government.

This is not a plan to create peace this is a plan to annihilate a race of people.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

The necessity of Religion- period.

Many in today's world have completely walked away from religion because of some logical appropriate reasons. Unfortunately, fanatics have taken over the meaning and structure of different religions, esp. Christianity and Islam, and have reinterpreted them in such a way that people who are formerly religious find no validity and it gives those who were never religious reasons to not want to be.

What is spirituality? Broadly, it is the belief that one has a spirit and is concerned about it. Where does spirituality come from? Billions of people believe that spirituality comes from the creator. For thousands of years people have thought extensively about the spirit, the creator, and the afterlife. From ancient Chinese spirituality to Islam, the belief in Allah, Heaven and every other name the creator has given himself, people have sought solace in spirituality through religious practice. However, modern people have decided to take it upon themselves to develop their own spirituality and "connection" with the creator. Talk about making the biggest mistake first, which is the lack of humility due to extreme ego inflation! How can anyone face the creator through their spirit when they are still completely controlled by their ego?

Instead of seeking religious affiliation, many, esp. in the West are seeking spirituality, which is the heart of all religions. People are wanting all the benefits of religion without wanting to take responsibility in this existence for their actions that are moderated by the direction that the creator has given to us through religion.

As I am a Muslim, and one who initially did not want to assimilate religion with spirituality, I cannot help but to promote my opinion with arguments based on 1400 years of Islamic thought. When I was reintegrating myself into spirituality I thought that it would be possible to just practice the spirituality of Islam without having to follow the laws of Islam, quickly I realized that without the discipline that the religion gives me, I would not get anywhere with my spirituality. I began to ponder why it was that I needed to follow these 1400 year old ideas in my modern life. Outwardly, in the west, Islam appears to be mid-evil, uncivilized, and even static. One has to swallow a lot of pride to follow the general rules of Islam if they are reverts in the west. I, myself, had to give up going out on dates along with flirting, eating haraam food, my very cool bicycle, alcohol, and my general status in culture. I had to also give my friends, not because Islam dictates it, but because I know longer had anything in common with them. I knew though, that if I wanted to develop any form of spirituality whether directed by Western religions or Eastern, I was going to have to give up all of my ego through ritualistic discipline first before I was going to taste any spiritual "wine".

As of yet, I have not met any real spiritual person who is not deeply religious, not to say that it cannot be, but that the odds are far greater if one has developed the strong discipline of religious ritual and rites first or in conjunction with spiritual development. Understandably, when people who seek to know their spirit have to contend with narrow-minded religious zealots, instead of trying to understand that religion, they immediately walk away. Instead, what our spirit is truly asking us is to educate ourselves about the religion, humble ourselves to the fact that we know so little, and find the truth.

Islam, is a religion based on law, enlightenment, and justice. Prophet, saaws, was immediately enlightened by the light of the creator and was immediately purified spiritually. Others around him, the sahabis, also became enlightened when they received the undeniable word of Allah. It was only in subsequent generations, that people turned away from enlightenment and became fully immersed in ego aggrandizement and personal idol worship, instead of following the path to enlightenment that Islam offers.

The right of practice of Islam is essential to enlightenment. It is by far the quickest path and most explicit. The path to enlightenment, sirat al-mustaqim, is begged upon in every prayer, essentially one who practices Islam puts intention to have enlightenment 40+ times a day. That's INCREDIBLE! As a practicing Muslim, one says that they want the straight path to Allah (enlightenment) so often. Although, not everyone is making true intention when they ask for the path, the fact is that what passes the lips still has an affect on the heart. It is healthy for the heart to feel those words. In our human life, we walk easily with 2 feet, religious practice and spiritual servitude are the 2 feet that we use to walk on the path to enlightenment. If one only practices religious doctrine they will have a struggle to know Allah, if one only uses "spirituality" they miss the whole point of life and thus will struggle in the long-term to know Allah. When one uses both their lives will become meaningful and if Allah wills it, their path to Him will be easy.

The whole point of Islam and sunnah of rasul, saaws, is to facilitate spiritual development and social harmony and illumination. It recognizes the fact that ALL deserve to find the Creator in their lives right now. Islam (synonym for spiritual work) is for everyone, not just priests, fathers, popes, pastors and monastics, it is the right for all in humanity. It is a right that Allah has on us that we try to know Him, through his generous and loving nature, he has created this miraculous universe and the way to him through 140,000 prophets and through the exemplary human P. Mohammad, saaws. Why waste time constructing your own spirituality, when the quickest path to spirituality has been given to the world?

I would be surprised to hear any reason that is not based on ego attachment. The path to spiritual success is a well trodden path especially amongst the Muslims. May Allah guide us all on the sirat al-mustaqim so that we can experience enlightenment here and now.

jzk.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Hasidic Jews against Israel

Our brothers and sisters in faith of Elohim, of Allah, YHWH, have declared Israel a false state that should not be supported and even to be opposed. They stand in solidarity with Muslims. They recognize that Jews have lived in peace with Muslims for over 1400 years in the Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Spain, etc. Maybe with the solidarity with our Hasidic brothers and sisters, a real comprehensive movement that opposes using secular political ideas to govern.

May Allah protect them.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Universal Sufism- Inayat Khan

bismelah ar-rahman ar-raheem

Salaam alaikum,

I enter this problem in hope that we are all seeking truth and not just egotistical desires, insha allah we only say what we say for the love of Allah and not his wrath.

Here is my bones about Univeral Sufism. Sufism is to Islam as Kabaalah is too Judaism as Monasticism is to Christianity. I cannot be a monastic Muslim, nor can I be a kabaalite Muslim. Sufism belongs to the refined and defined spiritual practices of Islam and not any other practice. Without Islam you have no sufism tasawwuf, period! It is just a catch word for people to manipulate and use without having any knowledge of the real practice of the heart. This is where my heart breaks. Because of kafirs that use this beautiful word and practice to their own egotistical desires, the true essence of it becomes diluted and then the true seekers of the heart of the Beloved have a harder and harder time finding it.

Abu Ishaq Shami
of Chist, may Allah be pleased, integrated aspects of Hindu singing that is how singing was introduced to the practice, although i would be highly suspect about claiming that he said the Sufism is Universal.

The practice of tasawwuf is based purely in the practice of Islam and practically all lineages are traced back to Sayyidina Ali, ra, the son-in-law of Rasul, saaws which ultimately leads to our beloved Rasul and to our pure Beloved, Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

Islam is the one religion/dogma that truly takes into account spirituality, all of it's laws are set to help Muslims to lead spiritual lives. To disconnect the divine from it makes it worthless, I'm sorry to say. The practice of sufism becomes hollow without Islam (body) and Iman (mind/faith). Anyone who thinks that they can practice sufism without Islam cannot truly remember G-d and will continue to practice their big egos! Sufism is about zikr, Islam is about Allah, purely.
Believe me, I have tried to just consider Sufism as the way, but it is only one foot of the way, believe me hopping is not easy and most will fail and will decide to leave it. So many people are looking for meaning. I live by an ashram with a fake guru/swami and I see the hopeful go there in droves and leave in droves after finding mind control, sexual and financial manipulation, and scary forms of meditation. Offering up the most important piece of the puzzle, ihsan, without having discipline that is taught through Islam is fallacy.

If one can't give up their old physical practices of this world, what makes any think they can give up their EGOS so that their spirit can thrive in this world, also? this is key. All who truly practice sufism must believe in Allah, in his messengers, in the Quran, in jinn, in angels, in the day of judgement. period.

Sufism should not be given away or sold, it is earned. Historically, sufism comes from the sahabis who were all enlightened by the pure light of Allah through our beloved Rasul Mohammad, saaws. Practice of Zikr was determined in the QURAN ash-shareef and not in any other.
I could go on and on. Allah is universal, no doubt, but sufism is not. Sufism belongs to Islam and no other. It came from Islamic mystics that trace their lineage to Rasul, saaws, and Sayyidina Ali ra, and not a Hindu, Christian, animist, Jewish mystic, etc. Do not deviate from the straight path. I beg for the sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala and his most beautiful Nabi Mohammad, saaws.

May Allah guide all on the sirat al-mustaqim.

You Tube tips and Islam

You Tube is a 21 century phenomenon that every group of people have taken part in. There are thousands of videos done by Muslim brother and Sisters. Although most are not of the highest quality, the fact that they are put out there for the world to see is good, right?

Unfortunately, You tube is an unmonitored ground of racism and islamaphobic hate speech. It is disgusting to read the comments that people make about Islam, Muslims, and the Quran al-kareem. What is even worse is to read 'Muslims' return the negative hate speech instead of just ignoring it or by using compassion and logic to combat the hate.

Perusing the videos, I found an attack on the seal of Prophets, saaws, that purported that he was a child molestor. The person said that he attacked the prophet because someone had insulted Jesus, ss. Of course, no real Muslim would ever say anything against the Messiah Isa, ss.

Muslims can either enter into intelligent, logical and level-headed debate when explaining the what they know and how they come to their conclusions or just not enter into any debate and say Peace and pray for the person to find a way to honest truth.
Imam Al-Ghazali recommends that if you enter a debate because of your want to win it, than that is a debate based off your ego. Nafs=Bad. If you enter into a debate because both sides wish to know the truth regardless of where the truth comes from than you enter the debate without ego. This is good.

One must know themselves and their opponents in order to even commit to an intellectual dialog. You must determine if the person is one of 3 personality types.
a: the person is someone who knows they do not know
b: the person is someone who does not know that they do not know
c: the person is someone who thinks they know but do not know and will never listen to reason or logic.

For person A enter the dialog with calmness, positivity, and rationality. This person you can use colorful language with to paint the picture of your point.

For person B you must first tell them what you know they do not know. Once you set the basis for your dialog and have deconstructed their comments and possible irrational debate you can begin to use more dialectic tactics.

For person C you should just say Salaam, walk away, and then pray for them.

When entering into the realm of You tube commenting, the possibility of turning people completely off to Allah is high. People can be extremely cynical and only see hatred. Even mundane comments such as, "anyone who has an ear can sound like that."- in regards to a beautiful quranic recitation. Shows that people are out there to stir up trouble all in hopes of offending Muslims enough to cause hatred.

Now more than ever, Muslims around the world need to show restraint against their nafs. We need to take the route of peace, non-violence, and wisdom.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Zionism is Political

What is surprising is that most people don't know the History of how Israel became a country. In fact with the Balfour declaration it only stated that Jews should have a "National Homeland" that does not mean they should constitute a country/STATE! When the first European jews in the late 1800's came over to Palestine they did not try to take it over from the Palestinian Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It wasn't until WWII that the US pressured England to submit to allowing more Jews into Palestine, still though this did not mean they constituted a STATE! They stole the land from other Jewish, Christian and Muslim Palestinians who formerly were ruled by a JUST Ottoman empire (before the british conquered).

For over 1500 years that land had primarily lived in peace under MUSLIM caliphate rule except for when the European Christian CRUSADERS massacred people there.
Anyone with baseless opinions to this conflict need to calm down, do some reading, look beyond their local media and try to understand the other side.

There is a very specific reason to why the Palestinians, such as Hamas, will never recognize Israel. Palestinians have been shat upon for the past 60 years. Much of the Muslim world has been in too much internal conflict because of Nationalism to respond to this occupation. Proud Palestinians have been dehumanized continuously for 60 years.
In fact, the water table under Gaza, has been siphoned from underneath them by Israel amongst other issues. What we haven't heard in the news here is that Israel has enforced STRICT sanctions on Gaza for over 9 months. Egypt is too afraid of opening the border with Gaza because of Israeli repercussions, which is causing much strife internationally.

I want people to imagine how they would act if someone came to your land that your family has had for hundreds of years and claimed it as their own! WHAT WOULD YOU DO??? You would fight for your land and you would not give up until you had your ancestral land! period.

HOW can anyone sitting in the WEST who has not been forcibly removed from their ancestral land possibly imagine how the Palestinians feel and how Hamas desires to restore land stolen by the Zionist?

btw, I was raised Jewish and had even contemplated in my youth to become an Israeli citizen. I don't make any comment from a racist xenophobic place, but speak from a place of knowledge.

The only religious state where all 3 Abrahamic faiths lived peacefully was an Islamic STATE. In fact, it was the Islamic state that specifically protected it's different religious denomination against foreign attack especially against the all too righteous Catholic church.

More than ever we need an Islamic State that follows the laws and rules of God that will allow society to restore itself to a place of spiritual development and not on one where hedonistic and utilitarian desires run rampant!