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Open Thread Sunday 3/23/08
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Ilyas khan Baloch
March 23, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Dear sir/Madam,
How to bring back –Pakistani, economic, political Stability?
Tensions in Pakistan have been rising; the political instability surrounding both the presidential and parliamentarian is inclusive with the increase in militant activity within Pakistan, which led suicide attacks in Pakistan. Following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination on December 27, the external forces are working within their planning and span of control in Pakistan to destabilize the whole country. It is very much clear that more and more restriction could only be possible to impose on Pakistani ruler if the internal circumstance turns in to bad to worse. In order to compel Pakistani government to accept more condition due to gloomy socio-political condition, indirectly helping to disrupt the security situation to implement more rigid and brutal action, so that socio-political unrest increase shaking /deteriorating confidence in administration, so that people and administration could not get together to settle their grievances at large and Pakistan could be declare as the world’s “most dangerous nation”. To achieve further political gain. Such as, submission of 11 point demand draft by the USA for future implementation of His planning to attain more and more control on Pakistani administration and force them to work, accordingly, even at the cost of sovereignty of the country and against Pakistani people’s aspiration.
Since the creation of Pakistan the Pakistani people are left at distant from the corridor of power so that the ruling elite can do what they wanted to do in favor of their interest, leaving the Pakistani people at the mercy of circumstances. As this policy is denial of right of Pakistani people to rule their country according to their aspiration and desire to built this country, which can provide equal opportunity to all without any discrimination for the establishment of welfare society. Only the society base on tolerance, equality and justice can be the real guarantee for the prosperous and strong Pakistan there for your intention is invited to the crucial movement which could be the point of distraction or disaster.
We have already lost the major part of Pakistan in 1971 simply to save the centralized sole power to exploit this country by the ruling elite they let the country break in part then allowing the masses to rule this country democratically. In the present circumstances we are again dragging our sovereignty at stack for the external interest in the name of national interest, instead of our interest i.e. the interest of Pakistani people at large.
Events affecting current socio-political situation are:
• In March 2007, Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry
• In July, security forces raided Islamabad’s Red Mosque,
• On October 6, Musharraf was overwhelmingly reelected President while still ,
acting, as Chief of Army Staff.
• On November 3, Musharraf declared a state of emergency and dismissed
Chaudhry once again,
• In late November, Musharraf removed his uniform, appointing General Kiyani as
the new Chief of Army Staff, and inaugurated as civilian president.
• On December 27, nearly two weeks after Musharraf ended emergency rule,
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at a campaign rally.
• More suicide attacks within country may more have to be followed. Violence and military
activity in the tribal areas has risen significantly.
The current socio-political system did not have accountability and transparency, therefore, both the presidential and parliamentary members ,have greater than before the uncertainty, the instability, and Musharraf’s loss of credibility. Political uncertainly has been compounded by a simultaneous rise in militancy, which has fed into the ongoing sectarian violence throughout Pakistan and the Security situation in Pakistan is evaporating, this fact was made clear in January when refugees flooded into Afghanistan from Pakistan, the former being perceived as providing a safer environment.
In spite of who wins, all of the leading candidates will likely pursue similar policies to Musharraf, with contrary levels of aptitude. Stability will be maintained by the army with force, mainly certain stability that General Kiyani brings to the leadership will not be complete, however any of the candidates for Prime Minister will face the same challenges, discrepancy in their presentation will be in the precincts, this election will bring in change of faces not the change of socio-political system in Pakistan as expected by the people of Pakistan and essential for the country.
Perhaps the more important factor than the selected one has the process to be followed, and whether the people feel their voices are being heard and their participation encouraged. Since the creation of Pakistan the Pakistani people are left at distant from the corridor of power, so that the ruling elite can do what they wanted to do in favor of their interest, leaving the Pakistani people at the mercy of circumstances. As this policy is denial of right of Pakistani people to rule their country according to their aspiration and desire to built this country, which can provide equal opportunity to all without any discrimination for the establishment of welfare society. Only the society base on tolerance, equality and justice can be the real guarantee for the prosperous and strong Pakistan there for your intention is to invite, to the crucial movement which could be the point of distraction or disaster. Many innocent people are dying every day-week and every month. Because of bombast, suicide attacks and target killing in Pakistan the factual condition is that nothing happened in this world without any reason, the need of the time is to redress the grievances of the people and eliminate the reason the route cause.
The right way to reverence to Martyr is to eliminate the causes after the incidents. If we can redress the route cause after the suicide killing, we can save many lives in future. The only way out is the change of system the route cause of all kind of grievances within society, the time is to empower the Pakistani at grass route level to eliminate the socio-political injustice and strengthen the unity within the society at large, and closing the door for outsiders or intruder to penetrate in our society because of social unrest.
Unfortunately, despite the significance of the democratic elements, only the power full elite are fitted in power and Pakistani are always left at the mercy of circumstances again and again… As this policy is denial of right of Pakistani people to rule their country according to their aspiration and desire to built this country, which can provide equal opportunity to all without any discrimination for the establishment of welfare society. Only the society based on tolerance, equality and justice can be the real guarantee for real peace and progress in the society. Therefore, Change of socio-political system is inevitable to empower the Pakistani at grass route level for rapid industrial and agriculture development.
See http://www.idp.org.pk
Ilyas khan Baloch
Islamic Democratic Party
Ilyas khan Baloch
March 23, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Dear sir/Madam,
Charter of demand an Advice or intimidation?
Since the creation of Pakistan our ruler have turn their faces toward a mighty democratic regime of USA who never proved a real friend of Pakistan, keeping Pakistan as backward state depending on USA and never encourage or help the country in becoming basic industrial state while providing debt in billions and supplying the readymade product in Pakistan, mean the Pakistan was developed as the market place for American products,
and an instrument to protect American interest in the region, which our ruler are doing with full loyalty but perhaps the master is not satisfy.
Therefore, USA continues to influence our internal politics and dictating our leaders and institution as well. USA was supporting the feudal politician and weakening the institution, ignoring the real democracy in Pakistan.
The current demand draft of 11 points, submitted by the so-called democratic imperialistic state of USA is a clear sign to a sovereign government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to accept and obey as matter of master’s voice. This act is a kind of intimidation and direct involvement in the internal matter of a sovereign state.
This act create a question as if we are really a sovereign state or part and partial of USA,
This is a moment invite us all for serious consideration weather to keep our independence in tact or bow down before this mighty evil, democratically bullying to accept the terms and condition of USA or in other words be ready to loose our independence for ever. Now a days there are so many elements within the country influenced by the mighty, to work for money and benefit even at the cost of our freedom.
This moment in time invites serious concern of all patriotic forces and peace loving citizen in the country to think and start to join the rank and file before it is too late, for the protection of dignity, respect and sovereignty of this country, considering these demands as prior warning for the adverse events to happen.
Ilyas khan Baloch
Organizer Islamic Democratic party
http://www.idp.org.pk
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 10:58 AM
This headline is so annoying:
Pope baptizes famous Muslim convert
Urgent memo to reporters: The dude was NEVER a Muslim (according to his own words), so you can’t convert from what you weren’t.
Also, he had already sold his soul to the Israeli devil, about whom he said
Yes, of course only Israel has the right to life, even at the expense of the right to life of all Palestinians.
Furthermore, WHO CARES? What’s the big news about this? I never heard of this guy before, and hopefully won’t hear him again (except of course he’s going to be on FOX probably regularly)… I mean tons of people have become Muslims, much more high-profile than this guy… and so if some unknown zio-con OFFICIALLY takes up another religion, good riddance!
Yahya Pallavicini, vice president of Coreis, a group of observant Muslims in Italy, said he respected Allam’s choice but said he was “perplexed” by the symbolic and high-profile way in which he chose to convert.
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Here is another disturbing story
About a pregnant, developmentally disabled woman who was found killed Jan. 31, 2008, after being beaten, shot with a BB gun and scalded with hot liquid, according to police.
Imagine if this family was a Muslim… the news headline would be talking about “Muslim slavery”… but no such thing here.
What sick individuals!
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 11:11 AM
More on Magdi Allam, the “convert”:
Audio: Magdi Allam Accepts Mass Media Award
His poem for Israel almost made me throw up:
Puke…
Ruth Nasrullah
March 23, 2008 at 11:20 AM
LOL, Br. Amad, don’t do it on your keyboard – you’ll have a terrible time cleaning it up ;)
The important thing about the Allam story is that he was baptized by the Pope himself – as the quote from Pallavicini notes, it could have been a quiet, spiritual affair, but Pope Benedict apparently took the opportunity to very publicly demonstrate a “triumph” over Islam – especially on the most holy Christian holiday.
bint3li
March 23, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Assalam Alaykum
This open thread idea is great! Okay, so theres this big case here in the tri-state area regarding possible deportation of the imam of the largest masjid (mosque) in NJ, Dr. Shaykh Mohammad Qatanani. I personally know the Imam, and Masha Allah, he has dedicated his life for the community at large.
If MuslimMatters could write a possible article about that, that would be great. As part of the grass roots campaign, we want to get as many people as we can aware about the case. As of now, he has many supporters including Senator Bill Pascrell and prominent clergy members of other faiths.
There is an online petition that you could perhaps link to so people could sign and show their support. For more information about the case, you can email me or check it out here: http://www.aafusa.org/imam_qatanani_story.htm
Jazakallahu Khairun
bint3li
March 23, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Sorry, I meant to write Bill Pascrell as a Congressman, and not a Senator as written above.
Ruth Nasrullah
March 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Here’s an interesting op-ed from today’s NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/opinion/23berman.html?ex=1206936000&en=5725721c634b4060&ei=5070&emc=eta1 .
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 11:59 AM
salam Bint3li… I find the case of Imam Qatanani absolutely AMAZING. I mean if people argue that Israel is not ACTUALLY involved in American affairs and the State department in screening Muslims, then could there be more evidence than this?
The more I hear of these cases, the more it increases my despise and hatred for the way the Israel lobby is working against Muslims in this country. Unbelievable!
If you wish to write something and send it to us at info at muslimmatters dot//org … that will be great. Make sure you include tangible actions that Muslims can do.
With regards to the article, it seems more of the same crap… especially when he refers to the Ayan Hirsi as an outspoken Muslim liberal. Ahem, she is not even a Muslim. And it is not that she is outspoken that she is considered a Zio-con stooge, but because she absolutely is one. I am not sure what this guy is arguing people should do? Support more of these lunatics, more than the disproportionate (relative to their influence) support they ALREADY receive? What a waste of space in NYTimes.
w/s
Abu Omar
March 23, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Well, what grinds my gears is the media lynch mob that went after Rev. Jeremiah Wright. No one even took that time to take an objective look at his statements and consider their merit.
See: http://www.antiwar.com/henderson/?articleid=12553
Meanwhile, John McCain was again, given a free pass by the liberal media for his association with two vicious and radical right-wing Christian preachers who pronounce bigoted and hateful rhetoric against Muslims, Catholics, and others.
I’m sorry, but such hypocrisy really irks me.
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 1:18 PM
You don’t get it Abu Omar
It is entirely okay to suggest the destruction and elimination of 1.2 billion Muslims. Some would cheer that.
But it is not okay to REMOTELY suggest that Israel is doing anything wrong. In the end, its all about Israel. The lobby senses that Obama is not 100% behind them, only 99.9%. Compare this to Clinton and McCain who don’t share the 0.1% doubt.
You see it became tricky for the LOBBY this time. Many liberals like Obama… so how do you destroy him without getting your own hands dirty, and let not people notice how Israel is upending national issues? You do this by letting the right-wing outlets have a field day with him, and letting MSM remain quiet. Its masterfully machiavellian, but then are we surprised?
P.S. I also find it interesting that while Muslims are incessantly urged to leave the I/P issue out of our “core issues”, the Lobby though makes Israel front and center for all voters– the 2-3% Jewish voters (though based on MSM, you’d think that there are 20-30% Jews in US) and non-Jewish alike. And unfortunately, it does seem that many Jews do prefer the Israel issue as being of primary importance to them over other common liberal issues.
Ammar Diwan
March 23, 2008 at 1:35 PM
@ Amad: What do you think Muslims should do in this election?
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 1:51 PM
@ Ammar: Not get too excited about any one candidate!
In general, either Democratic candidate will probably be better than McCrazy… so promote Dems to the extent possible.
Dawud Israel
March 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Something EASY YOU can do to CHANGE the world:
http://muslimology.wordpress.com/2008/03/23/money-talks-dawah/
Dawud Israel
March 23, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I gave up on Bakistan a long time ago bruda…
This is going to be a silly comment but the power of Obama’s words make me wonder if he’s really Dajjal or something…
I remember a saying of Ibn Umar (ra) or was it Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (ra): ‘Words can become so powerful that they can constitute a form of sihr (magic).’ (paraphrased)
Manas Shaikh
March 23, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Br. Amad
I think it will kill the dems if we endorse them as a group. But we can always help them as individuals.
What we can do more forcefully is to educate people about mccain. There is a lot wrong with this guy, and people need to know that.
I am sorry to say it, but this time- we have to primarily focus on negative marketing. We should also not highlight the Muslim experience until the elections are over.
That’s my thoughts. One thing I am sure about- the best thing to do is that CAIR sits down one day and decides a plan of action. I am very fond of the saying “there is barakah in ijtema.”
Manas Shaikh
March 23, 2008 at 3:00 PM
DI
You made me cringe. But then isn’t Dajjal supposed to be fair and one-eyed?
Dawud Israel
March 23, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Yeah I know Manas, that was my stupid comment of the day.
I got a question for everyone:
You know when you get up at Fajr to make wudhu, your body temperature is a little funny, especially since it’s cold this early in the morning.
So that if you do wudhu, you will find yourself with a runny nose, sneezing and having difficulty in salaah. It’s not a cold or a flu but just temporary. This happens to me a lot.
Any remedies for getting rid of this?
Dawud Israel
March 23, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Please spread this as far as you can. This has affected all Canadian Muslims.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-kFa2RiZ08
Dawud Israel
March 23, 2008 at 3:50 PM
^Amad can you do a post on this PLEASE!?
This really needs to get around ASAP bro. This was a really complex ridiculous case of some crack dealer convert named Mubin Shaikh who ruined the lives of some young Canadian Muslims.
Navaid Aziz
March 23, 2008 at 4:05 PM
As salaam ‘alaikum wa rahamatullah,
I just came across this video a couple of minutes ago, and it brought a lot of thoughts to mind. From them:
1- People have been giving da’wah from the time some of us were kids (I was 11 years old when this talk took place) and some of us weren’t even born! Yet some how we are very quick to criticize our predecessors, even though most of the times it is only a perceived error.
2- How much the realm of da’wah has changed! We took a lot of our freedoms for granted, and da’wah is no longer as easy as it used to be.
2a- At those times it was sufficient for a da’ee to be educated in the sciences of Islam alone. In our times in order for a da’ee to even be relatively successful he has to be clued up not only in the most detailed matters of Islam, but in the world around him as well.
2b- Even though there is a revival of Islamic education and thought, there seems to be a decline in the Muslim identity and personality. There is an increase in the number of du’aat, yet a decrease in the quality and Iman of the Muslims.
2c- The commercialization of da’wah! A lot more money is put into advertising and getting better facilities, but has it necessarily made the da’wah any better?
3- The need to learn from the mistakes of our predecessors. Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, we just need to find ways to improve it.
4- The da’wah was deemed so great back then, why can’t we make it even better today? We need to have high hopes and aspirations to make it even better! Dedication and sincerity definitely come a long way.
5- We will not be in this dunya forever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be remembered. We dictate the way we live our lives, and make a conscience decision if we want to make an impact in the lives of others or not. Those that want to should hasten towards righteousness and goodness, as you never know how or when you just might change someones life.
Lastly, I ask Allah to hasten the release of our imprisoned, help the weak and those in need, and to grant us the tawfeeq to fulfill the potential that this ummah has been blessed with.
Without any further delay:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=IFEPajRmvpg
inexplicabletimelessness
March 23, 2008 at 5:28 PM
SubhanAllah… that ‘pope baptizing Muslim’ irks me sooooooo MUCH!
Every single week, hundreds of Christians are becoming Muslim but NONE of it gets in the media.
And here we have some random ‘Muslim’ guy who, like br. Amad mentioned, was never really even a Muslim and he became Christian and look how it gets on headlines.
In my opinion, it’s propaganda, specifically chosen to be aired on Easter!
Allah knows best
bint3li
March 23, 2008 at 7:02 PM
“If you wish to write something and send it to us at info at muslimmatters dot//org … that will be great. Make sure you include tangible actions that Muslims can do.”
Awesome. Insha Allah, I’ll work on the article and send it out in a few days. Jazakallahu Khairun for the opportunity.
Siraaj Muhammad
March 23, 2008 at 9:25 PM
The headline ought to read, “Munaafiq comes out of closet, becomes Mushrik.”
Siraaj
ruth nasrullah
March 23, 2008 at 10:21 PM
I was inspired to write about the “Muslim” conversion on my Chronicle blog.
Amad
March 23, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Lol at siraj
Abu Hafsa
March 23, 2008 at 11:35 PM
A great piece by a great author:
Robert Fisk: The only lesson we ever learn is that we never learn
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-the-only-lesson-we-ever-learn-is-that-we-never-learn-797816.html
Umm Ahmad
March 25, 2008 at 2:10 PM
“I just came across this video a couple of minutes ago, and it brought a lot of thoughts to mind……”
JazaakAllah khayr for an insightful contribution. I believe that a lot of what you mentioned is important to think about and consider. Although I was very young at the time of this video I do recall how things were before the “commercialization” of dawah (as you put it). There was a time when the masaajid in the community were the place to turn to in order to learn and bond with your brothers/sisters but now it seems as if the focus has shifted to more global and widespread ventures. I don’t necessarily think it is something bad but it just makes you wonder if it is the hype surrounding these ventures that attracts the numbers or is it the want/need to seek knowledge that was prevalent before?
I believe part of this goes back to the need for more “grassroots” dawah, which one of the MM staff touched upon in a previous post. The correct attitude and beginning stages of seeking knowledge need to start in the community. I am not downplaying the need for nationwide classes, conferences, and speakers but I don’t think that one is able to extract the most benefit from them if they can not find basic nourishment at home.
bint3li
March 27, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Assalam Alaikum
I sent an email to info@muslimmatters.org regarding the article about Imam Qatanani. But, I still havent received a response. Do I have the wrong address, perhaps?
Amad
March 27, 2008 at 1:23 PM
salam
Sr. Bint Ali… i have already inputted it into our queue… I think we’ll have it up inshallah mon-wed next week… to give it maximum exposure.
jazakillahkahir
bint3li
March 27, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Whew. I thought I emailed the wrong person, somehow. Alhamdulillah.
wa iyyak
Hassan
March 28, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Must read Keith Ellison interview:
http://www.counterpunch.org/waj03242008.html