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Sunday Open Thread 5/3/2009

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  • Feds drop charges against pro-Israel lobbyists:
    • What a surprise… imagine if these people were spying for another nation, other than Israel. Once again this proves that AIPAC is the strongest lobby on the Hill, and that Israeli interests continue to overwhelm US interests, even in the USA!
    • The indictment against Rosen and Weissman charged that they obtained and then disclosed to reporters and to an Israeli official classified information on U.S. policy toward Iran, as well as information on the al-Qaida terror network and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel.
    • Prosecutors moved Friday to dismiss all charges against two former pro-Israel lobbyists accused of disclosing U.S. defense secrets, ending a four-year legal battle that promised to put former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other Bush administration insiders on the witness stand.
  • What Afghanistan can learn from the Taliban
    • Yet the Taliban proved that corruption could be curbed. As the US and others aid Afghanistan, they should learn from the Taliban and draw on the Koran, Islamic law, and Afghan values to help the country move away from the corrosive system of baksheesh.
    • But the Taliban’s policy of zero tolerance worked. The streets were safe and cleaned regularly. The police were harsh, but honest. Doors to Afghan homes and cars were left unlocked, without fear of theft. Many warlords stopped fighting. The Taliban maintained a network of community mobilizers who used Koranic verses to shame farmers out of poppy production while also introducing alternative crops.
    • Again, the Taliban went too far. But America can learn from what worked, and avoid what didn’t. America can help the Afghan government enforce a zero tolerance rule for baksheesh among officials in the executive and judicial branches. President Hamid Karzai and his cronies can be replaced. Progressive schools for Islamic law can be established to support the judiciary.
  • Imran Khan: Sufi Mohammed violating Quran
    • “Sufi Mohammad is not just violating the Swat accord; he is going against the Holy Quran by breaking promises,” Khan, the chief of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, said.
  • Muslims have an excuse not to go to gym now, FBI?
  • No more make-believe in the Middle East
    • Now, though, Netanyahu appears to have ended the charade, although perhaps only until political expediency warrants another metamorphosis. His policies may be misguided, but his intellectual honesty may prove salutary. The Israeli right and its American supporters have a hard time claiming Israeli moderation and reasonableness when Netanyahu and his ministers openly oppose a two-state arrangement; affirm the blockade of Gaza, preventing reconstruction there; tout settlement expansion; brag of undermining US efforts to talk with Iran; and threaten an attack on Iran – across US-controlled Iraqi airspace – that could jeopardize US troops and interests throughout the region.
  • Zoubir Bouchiki, Houston’s jailed Imam, on Democracy Now!
    • In 2007, he received notice that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services had denied his application for permanent residency status. He was arrested by immigration authorities in December 2008. He has been held without bail ever since.
  • Girl beheaded for bumper crop on Hindu auspicious day
    • Remember the outcry over Bridges TV founder’s murder of his wife?  While religion was not even a factor in that case, in this case, it is clear that the girl was beheaded for a “good harvest”. But no outcry of course. Imagine if this was a Muslim family.
    • Hembram who owned three acres of farmland, planned in advance to sow seeds mixed with the blood of his granddaughter on Akshaya Tritya on Monday, a day considered auspicious by Hindus, police said.
  • Sadistic Abu Dhabi prince makes Abu Ghurayb torture seem childish
    • If there is going to be a downfall for these tiny kingdoms in the Middle East, it won’t be due to the lack of democracy, but a turn towards injustice. The prince’s sadistic torture of a person due to a business deal turned sour is so disgusting that it is hard to imagine if the guy is a human being or an animal (the prince that is). And more disgusting is the official response from the UAE government that all “process and procedures” were followed in this case.

What are your thoughts on these stories or others?

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17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. IbnYounus

    May 3, 2009 at 4:42 PM

    As-salamaulikum,

    MM

    I have stayed in Dubai for 13 years and believe me when I say, the sadistic torture fetish of the “Sheikh” from Abu Dhabi is just the tip of the ice-berg. Those ruling “Sheikhs” lure poor Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians with the promise of “tons of money” if they work as labour. However they keep them in small camps with poor sanitation, closet sized rooms or even put 20 of them in one room.. they seize their passpors and dont pay them for months.

    Check this… even for the Iftar for the labour people during Ramadan guess who spons it… Red Crescent. Most of the mosques in UAE, their khutbahs are monitored. So like ever week, their Khutbahs will be pre-written or pre-authorized by a head… so eventually most of the Mosques give out similiar khutbah.Only a handful of mosques exist where the Khutbah is in Urdu, English. During the entire Gaza massacre not one khutbah spoke of Gaza. You would’ve seen people in the mosques making Dua for the people of Gaza rather than listen to the khutbah.

    In the job market, if a white person (foreigner) applies for a job he will get more pay than an asian even if the asian has more experience. I remember they used to give high positions like managers to asian people and once the companies make it big time they fire them without benefits and replace them with white people… and they say “this improves the image of the people”.

    Look at any Emirates add… you will hardly see an Indian in the ad.. its mostly white people sitting next to an Arab. The image of “Arabs” are tainted amongst the masses (most of the population non-citizens) in that country because of the acts of the “local” Arabs. The local Arabs (citizens of U.A.E) treat the masses like scum. I’ve seen “locals” harrass taxi drivers. Once the driver of the cab got pulled over by a local and he started beating him in public only because the cab guy overtook him while driving..

    Alcohol based crimes is so rampant. There are bars and clubs everywhere now. Also, if you haven’t already heard.. UAE is in the record books for the most accidents. Most of the accidents are because of alcohol and “arrogance”. Once a junior from my school was crushed by an SUV driven by a “local”. He was rammed so hard his body height actually shrunk. During the incident the police asked the Local person to stay just a bit for the paper work to be done.. the local guy said he had an important meeting so he left.. thats it.. he did pay the blood money.

    Also, I don;t know if this is Bidah or not.. but during at the end of Khutbah the Imams (everywhere) they make Dua to Allah to bless “Sheikh” Maktoum, Sheikh Zayed (all the other sheikhs of UAE). Is this allowed?

    The entire society in UAE is so un-Islamic.. its beyond words..

    Ok.. I just needed to get that out of my system..

    I pray to Allah(swt) to guide those “Sheikhs” to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) or to destroy them all.

    Reply

  2. IbnYounus

    May 3, 2009 at 4:47 PM

    For more “inside” information on Dubai, or UAE, check this blog

    http://secretdubai.blogspot.com/

    Its just news by the way.. not an Islamic website.

    Reply

  3. Nihal Khan

    May 3, 2009 at 6:46 PM

    http://www.HelpImamSiraj.com

    – We’ve raised $73, 328 so far
    – The recordings from last weeks fundraiser are up!

    Reply

  4. student

    May 3, 2009 at 7:16 PM

    If even half of the things mentioned in “The Dark Side of Dubai” are true, then we would all do well to stay as far away as possible from that place. A very disturbing article. I always thought something was wrong about Dubai, but nowhere near the level portrayed in the article.

    The gym informant story is funny/sad/ridiculous.

    Reply

    • Amad

      May 3, 2009 at 10:44 PM

      Sr. Hidaya, how is your brother doing?

      Reply

  6. ayesha

    May 4, 2009 at 3:21 AM

    Shar’i analysis of the financial crisis:

    comments of the eminent Shaykh Muhammad al Munajjid about the financial crisis:

    http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/126477

    Reply

  7. Ibrahim

    May 5, 2009 at 11:16 PM

    One of the biggest scholars in the world just passed away.

    http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45612

    Reply

  9. UmmeAmmaarah

    May 6, 2009 at 3:48 PM

    get a load of this: http://www.cafepress.com/vienna1683.177753927 ….boy! what hate-mongering… i don’t want to find out anymore!

    Reply

  10. UmmeAmmaarah

    May 6, 2009 at 3:58 PM

    SubhanAllah…just when i was wondering if there was anyone doing da’wah to the Native Indians.

    http://turtleisland.muslims.tripod.com/index.htm

    Reply

  11. UmmeAmmaarah

    May 6, 2009 at 5:36 PM

    PLZ HELP HUDA TV

    Dear brothers and sisters…. Huda TV is doing a wonderful job. It’s has one of the best Islamic programs around, and has done wonders for me personally. This is Al-Maghrib and Al-Bayyinah for all those who don’t stay in the US, or cannot attend for some reason or the other. This channel introduced me to sh. Yusuf Estes, Sh. Yasir Qadhi , Abdullah Hakim Quick, among other shuyookh and scholars, and it’s a terrible shame that now they have no funds to continue producing live episodes anymore. I request you all to look into your hearts and wallets, and co-sponsor one of these programs, and before you do, do take the time out to watch it on live streaming if you can’t access it through satellite TV. They do not acept ‘donations’ for legal reasons, only ask to sponsor their programs

    http://huda.tv/

    MM, do u think maybe we could have an article about Huda TV, and raise some awareness? It’s been life-changing for a lot of people, especially muslim households in the Middle-East, and has led to a lot of non-muslims from there to accept Islam.

    Reply

    • Hala

      January 4, 2010 at 12:17 PM

      Just yesterday evening Shaikh Mohammad Salah said on his show Ask Husa that they missed more than a half of the crew due to the lack of financial supports they wouldn’t be able to pay salaries for almost four months.Yes Huda channel deserve to be supported by all the means we can afford.

      Reply

  12. Hidaya

    May 6, 2009 at 10:41 PM

    My brother is doing much better alhamdulillah..it wasn’t swine flu, but he is recovering..Pls keep him in ur Duaas. jzk 4 asking.

    Reply

  13. UmmeNumair

    May 9, 2009 at 8:43 AM

    assalam alykum warahmatullah wabarakatahu

    for sure HUDA TV is doing amazing job mashallah and through them Allah has given guidance to so many families… they are indeed going in some financial crisis and need sponsors for their program…

    BUT if u write to support@huda.tv … u can even do partial sponsor ship or one time partial sponsorship… if one still thinks the fee is higher for one’s limits .. 2 or 3 families can sponsor together .. single single drop makes an ocean.. and this ocean is beneficient to so many ppl… y not become a drop of this noble ocean and be the part of it for the sake of Our Creator… have courage and remember Muhammad Peace be upon him, Abu bakr RA and omar bin khattab RA etc. and their ways of donation … this is surely sadqa jariya ..

    Those who will aquire knowledge and others putting a stop to certain bid’aahs… this act which will be followed by their generations inshallah … one will be inshallah getting reward for it till Day of Resurrection !!!!

    Reply

  14. Sakina Al-Amin

    May 9, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    As Muslims we are fugitives in the current world. As Muhammad Qutb says, we are back to the days of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) early Makka days. People think we are the bad guys and we will only make their view of us worse by fighting. Instead we have to concentrate on Islam’s early message, La Ilaha IllaAllah, and do this with peace whether people are indifferent to us or fight us. That is how Islam began. If the Prophet and the early Muslims had fought Quraish in the beginning, when people thought Quraish had the right to keep its rule, then Islam would have never had a chance to grow.

    Instead, no matter what they did to the Muslims, they never fought back. Because of that, many enemies of Islam lost their hostility toward Islam and instead started accepting it and even entering it.

    Reply

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