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Aman ki faktha roasted at Ipl

Posted on January 22, 2010 //

I have been living life in a vacuum for the past few days.. yes sir, my left eyes  sudden inflammation prompted my doctor to proclaim all screen related activities such as TV, PC, Iphone completely off for a period till said inflammation gets better. Thus with no input other than word of mouth or music I have been living life as it was lived back in the day. Not that i have emerged any worse for wear because of it as I have rested and am now almost ready to go digi all over again.

However the first news I have feasted my eyes upon since re emergence of sorts has been the debacle of auctioning in IPL two day ago and believe me it has my blood boiling.  The very gall of the BCCI and the cricket authorities in India who have since then been claiming that the fact of no pakistani player being picked has nothing to do with politics is mind boggling. What do they think the people of Pakistan are, mindless morons? Who will nod their heads and accept the fact that they have a  T20 player better than “Shaih Afridi” or “Umar Akmal” or “Sohail Tanveer” in those ranks the Indian clubs have picked? Do they expect us to swallow the rhetoric given by Shukla on Geo tv a day ago about clubs only wanting to pick players who can bring them success?

Bloody hell, Pakistan is the reigning T 20 world champion, so Shukla sahab before you tell us why and how your IPL teams pick players from auctions do I need to remind you of the fact that Pakistan beat teams comprising of all those players to win the final of the T20 world cup? Why cannot the Indians call a spade a spade like some writers in their journalistic community have pointed out here and here and say that this was a decision manipulated purely by the hawks in the Indian establishment and the war mongers in the Indian government.

I admit that the recent aman ki faktha/asha endevour started by the Jang group and the Times of India was a laudable measure but we should realize as a nation,  that even though there are people who want peace with their neighbors in India and they are raising their voice they are far outweighed by the hawks who cannot bear the existence of Pakistan. These hawks will do their utmost to snub, humiliate and bring down any peace initiative and what took place at the IPL auction was an extension of this.

Our parliamentarians by not going through with their peace mission to India have taken a credible stand for their teams respect. We should do the same and ban IPL completely from our cable networks, in fact I say we go a step further and ban all Indian content in Pakistan until they can prove to us that they are ready to weigh our media and our sportsmen on scales of merit rather than hypocrisy.

India can keep trumpeting to the world that they are serious about being a regional leader and have a state which operates on the principles of fairness and justice but they will never be recognized as such as long as practices like these continue in their sporting bodies. It is their right to pick whom they want but at least they should make it clear what the decision was based on rather than pussy footing around the real issue and claiming its not their fault.

The IPL without the best players of T20 “us Pakistanis” will only be a spectacle of lights as far as I am concerned. Shame on you India, some democracy you are!!! Shame on you!!

Filed Under: Cricket, F.K's Life, Religon, Sports // Tagged: , ,

Debunking myths about Shias, Part II

Posted on January 22, 2010 //

Presenting the second part of the series, I wish to point out once again that the whole concept of these posts is to encourage understanding between us all. some people raised the question of why “aalims” were not being asked these questions rather then common folk. Well I think it is the “aalims” who have led us to this life of hate we now live. So perhaps it is now time to face one another as people and not as flocks led by different sheepherders.
The contributors to this post are

SH – Sehrish Haider - She did her bachelors in social sciences from LUMS & currently works for a bank
SW : Salma Warraich - Who describes herself in the following words “I call myself a displaced Lahori learning about life and living in Karachi. I come from a Sunni family which by any standard is very liberal and tolerant. The practice of religion was strictly enforced in my childhood but I credit my family for recognizing the fact that religion and faith come from within oneself and the mere act of praying does not make one a good Muslim. I have always held an interest in religion and the shroud of mystery that envelopes ALL faiths. My husband is a practicing Shia and my insights in the Shia faith are both of an outsider fascinated by the myths surrounding the sect and of a brand new inductee into the Shia community learning something new everyday. In the two years of my marriage, I have learnt a lot about the Shia faith and my meandering mind has conjured up a lot more questions regarding both Sunni and Shia sects as well as other sects of Islam. The quest continues … ”
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1) Often sunnis are told that shias do matam because they are cursed by bibi ayesha what truth is there in this if any?

SH – Refer below

SW – Maatam is an expression of grief and an act of remembrance of the events that occurred at Karbala. Maatam ranges from ‘haath ka Maatam’ to the more extreme flagellation with chains and knives. The principal is the same and the devotion of the Azaadar can’t be measured by the extremity of the expression of Maatam. Grieving by acts of self flagellation is deeply rooted in Arab culture where the griever beats himself over the head, so it is not just restricted to Shia faith.

2) Why are tajias taken out and matam done in Pakistan when these practices are not common in public in the majority shia countries like Iran?
SH- Remembering and mourning martyrdom of Imam Hussain(A.S) and his family has been urged in shitte school of thought. The way it is practiced may vary from place to place depending on how people of that particular region traditionally mourn. For instance, Iranis do matam with the beat of the drum while drums are used for entirely different purpose in subcontinent. Similarly Arabs mourn by beating their chest.
· Tajzia/shabeeh are used to symbolize what happened in Karbalah. Symbolism greatly features in other Islamic practices as well.For example
Kaaba is said to symbolize Bait ul ateek on Arsh.
Running between safa marwa while performing Hajj .
Stoning of Satan while performing Hajj.
SW – That isn’t correct! Tazyeh, Processions and Maatam is done across the Muslim world in the Shia communities. Tazyeh are symbolic in nature; a portal for paying tribute to the events at Karbala and a form of remembrance. As such, they are a living lesson in history. In countries like Pakistan, the taboo on human representation is strictly adhered to. The Tazyeh and processions carry inanimate objects symbolizing the army of Imam Hussein going to their final battle. In Iran, Tazyehs often refer to re-enactments of the battle of Karbala with actors playing the roles of the key protagonists on both sides of the battle.

3) Why are imambargahs sealed off for sunnis can we visit them?

SH – Neither Imambargah nor masjids are sealed off for followers of any sect. Followers of all fiqh/sects are allowed to pray in Shia mosques and vice versa.

SW – This is again a very common misconception. Imambargahs don’t ask the visitor to declare their sect upon entrance. In my opinion, these myths have come about as a result of both sects speculating about each other and mutual wariness and distrust. I visited Imambargahs before my marriage because I was genuinely curious about the Shia faith. Everyone kept to their own business and no one questioned my presence.

4) Muttah is regarded by sunnis as an abhorrent shia tradition of promiscuity could u pls shed some light on its real purpose? Is it even applicable today?

SH – Following is narrated various sunni sources (As I have “Al Farooq”by Allama Shibli Numani ,I am quoting from it):Caliph Umar said that two mutah were allowed during the time of Prophet but I disallow them from now on and these are Mutah of Haj and Mutah of Nisaa (Pg 217)

SW – I’ll preface my response by saying that I am not an expert and there are varied views on this subject within the Shia sect. I will try to explain it as best I can. If there are inaccuracies in my understanding, I apologize to all readers.

Mut’ah is a time bound contract of marriage which is usually entered into with the intent of having ‘religiously approved’ intercourse. The time frame varies from a few hours to a year and the marriage is automatically void at the end of the time period without the requirement of going through ‘Talaaq’. However, if the marriage is physically consummated, the woman has to observe a period of ‘idaat’.

Mut’ah was observed in the early years of Islam and there are references to the Prophet (saw) allowing it in Hadith (Bukhaari). As I mentioned, it is a controversial subject within the Shia sect itself. It isn’t practiced in Pakistan to the best of my knowledge though it is in other countries. The necessity of Mut’ah existed in early islam since the Prophet himself sanctioned it but in modern times, I would personally find the practice more than a little unacceptable.
Please refer to the following source as it provides a brief overview of this subject along with its relevance for today:http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/muta/

5) There is some mention of a hadith by shias in which umar broke down alis door and dragged him to abubakar for his refusal to give bait causing bibi fatima a miscarriage wud u shed some light on this also?

SH – Following is an extract from Sunni source Isbaat al-Wasiyyah (by Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Hussain Al-Masudi)
“They surrounded Ali (AS) and burned the door of his
house and pulled him out against his will and pressed the leader of all
women (Hadhrat Fatimah (AS)) between the door and the wall killing Mohsin
(the male-child she was carrying in her womb for six months).”

This is what is widely believed by Shiite as to what happened.Similar instances are quoted in other sunni sources.
‘History of Tabari (Arabic), v1, pp 1118-1120- History of Ibn Athir, v2, p325- al-Isti’ab, by Ibn Abd al-Barr, v3, p975- Tarikh al-Kulafa, by Ibn Qutaybah, v1, p20- al-Imamah wal-Siyasah, by Ibn Qutaybah, v1, pp 19-20

SW – There are multiple references to such an incident but I can’t comment on it since I haven’t studied it in detail. It is true that Bibi Fatima was very dejected by the response of some of the Prophet’s followers following his passing, so is the fact that her daughter, Bibi Umm Kulthum Bint Ali was later married to Hazrat Umar with the consent of Hazrat Ali. A historian or religious scholar would be better suited to answer this question.

6) sunnis claim shias have changed the kalima by adding ali un waliullah to it what is the purpose behind this change? Does it actually happen?

SH – Qalma is considered expression of Aqeeda.Hence the addition reflects the Shiite belief in walait of Hazrat Ali (Concept of Walaya is too vast to be explained here).However it is not obligatory to say ali un waliullah.

SW – The Kalima is a declaration of faith acknowledging the supremacy of Allah and accepting the Prophet as his representative. To understand why the third phrase is suffixed to the two basics tenets, one has to study the event at Ghadeer al Khum which is referenced in both Sunni and Shia texts and is considered irrefutable (mutawatir).

Following Hujja tul Widah, the Prophet (saw) held another congregation at Ghadeer al Khumm where following a lengthy sermon, the Prophet (Saw) declared the oft-referred phrase: “Mun Kunto Maula Fa-Haazan Ali un Maula”. (sic)

“For whoever I am his leader (Mawla), Ali is his leader (Mawla). O Allah! Love those who love Ali, and be the enemy of the enemy of Ali; help him who helps Ali, and forsake him who forsakes Ali.”

The meaning of Maula has been interpreted in different ways in Shia and Sunni faith but there is no dispute as to the authenticity of the event and the declaration. Shia faith takes this as the appointment of Hazrat Ali as the wali of the Prophet (saw).

Following this address, the following verse was revealed to the Prophet:

“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion;” (Al-Maeda, verse 3; 5:3)

This revelation of this verse right after the sermon at Ghadeer al Khumm is considered to be the completion of the three tenets of faith as interpreted by Shia faith, Toheed, Rasaalat and Imaamat. It does not take away from the basic declaration and only adds what was declared by the Prophet at Ghadeer al Khumm.

7) I have seen some of my shia friends do sajda on a small tablet of mud from kerbala or khake shafa i think its called. Why is this done is it thought of as a medium?

SH – There is a hadith by Prophet that sajda performed on “Khak” is the most Afzal.As far as I know Imam Malik (sunni source) has also quoted this hadith.

SW – This is a literal interpretation of Hadith where Sajda is supposed to be done on something natural, i.e. earth. Given the religious significance of Karbala, the Fazeelat of a mohr made from Khaak e Shifa’a is considered to be inestimable. It should be clear that the act of Sajdah on the mohr does not constitute it as essential to Namaaz. If a mohr isn’t available, the Sajdah can be done on the prayer mat as well.

8) Why is the entire shiat faith si shrouded in mystery? Or is it that the sunni ulema give it that color to make us feel like its some sort of cult?

SH – If you go through the history of subcontinent, it was not only Shiite but also sunni and hindus who participated in muharram mourning. It was only after deobandi movement in 1800s that the azadari was proclaimed sinful and represented as some sort of a cult.

SW – There is no mystery only a self-imposed distance with respect to religious discussions from both sects which fuels speculation and theories. Anyone who wants to know about either sect can go and ask or research.
9) Why are fiqaye jafria timings for seher and iftar different? Don’t u think we can even agree on something small like this?

SH – The Quranic verse regarding opening of fast( “thamar atmou alsiyamar ilaa Al-lail”) uses the word “lail” which means “night” so the iftar is likewise timed when darkness casts in representing the beginning of Night.The sunni iftar timing is seen to be set earlier which is thought as evening.In Arabic,the word “Masaa” is used for “evening” while “Lail” is used for “night” and thus the interpretation.

SW – I don’t think this question even merits to be asked. The fiqh timings are a matter of interpretation in a religion which is extremely flexible since it is based on interpretation of a Book which is said to be for all times.

The Fiqh Jafriya simply interprets the timings for Sehr & Iftar as the time when dawn/dusk can clearly be distinguished from night/day.

Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , ,

Debunking myths about shia’s part I

Posted on December 24, 2009 //

I have always had a fascination with religion and religious history. If one would try to categorize my curiosity, I would be a type A, total fantasist about what lies beyond and the one to always ask the craziest of questions right from childhood about my religion, my ancestry and so on. It has stood me in good stead over the years, as throughout my life as a Muslim of the Sunni sect indoctrination in various methods and forms of bigotry and hate have been commonplace.

I can pinpoint the start of my curiosity with the Shiate sect of Islam. I had heard plenty of myths about their revered Imam Ali and his failings, his rage, his drunkenness and so on. I had also heard stories about his sword, how it never existed, how it was just a figment of  shia hyperbole. Well one day while visiting the Topkappi museum in Istanbul me and my wife saw it, among other historic Islamic exhibits like the Quran Hazrat Usman was attacked on. Immediately we looked at each other and smiled because believe me when you see the length and the breadth of this sword (the exhibit said it was real) you can begin to understand the failings of the historians in our sect who have done their best to vilify Hazrat Ali.  Even if that sword we saw was not “Zulfiqar” and one of the swords Ali wielded, by god no mere mortal can even lift that thing it is enormous!! To date no one will believe me, perhaps they are right or perhaps they are blinded by the hate ingrained in them, well hate serves no purpose and as moharram is in front of us and undoubtedly violence will break out on this somber occasion in Pakistan, one thing is clear to me. It does not matter if you are celebrating the birth of our prophet (PBUH) or in tears at the tragic death of his nephews in Karbala, belief is something which cannot be judged.

So I thought, hey gods given me a voice,  why don’t I do something about this hate. Well I want to finish it, and the only way I know how is to educate people, thus I got together  people from different strata and careers in the “shia community”and asked them the questions most used against them by imams of other sects. Perhaps this exercise will go some way in dispelling the myths created and manipulated about shias.

Due to the overwhelming response from twitter and among my friends, these will be a series of posts with the same set of questions asked from totally different individuals.

Participants in this post

Raza Abbas :  25 year-old student and blogger from Karachi. A Computer Science PhD student in the states at present.

Shaista Hussain : A blogger and peacemaker from Isloo, organizes like a demon and has the power to equally convince and shoo away at a moments notice

Samar Fatima : She claims she aint a scholar but her words speak otherwise to me

Often sunnis are told that shias do matam because they are cursed by bibi ayesha what truth is there in this if any?

Raza: This is totally false. Matam is an expression of grief in the Arab world where they beat their chests and slap their faces in times of tragedy. Different cultures have different ways of doing matam (expressing grief). The matam done here is a little different to the one done in Iran and Iraq, but is purpose is the same i.e., remembrance of the great tragedy of Karbala.

Shaista:  Had the Shias been really cursed, they would have been self-flagellating all year round! Enough Said….

Samar : Matam simply means a state of mourning and lamentation. But most of us take it as beating ourselves And if we quote Sunni Books, its written that Hazrat Ayesha (R.A) said, at the last time of my husband Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W) his head was in my lap, when he breathed hus last I was so much disturbed that I picked up grinder (a form of wood cylinder) and do matam on my head with that and do matam on my legs with my hands..  Ibn Katheer al Nasibi in al Bidayah wa al Nihayah Volume 5 page 420. Theres no truth in Shias being cursed by Ayesha.

Why are taaziyas taken out and matam done in pakistan when these practices are not common in public in yhe majority shia countries like
iran?

Samar: Tazias are common everywhere. There are juloos and Alams even in Iran, KSA or Gulf countries. Tazias are symbols. Verse 158 from Chapter Al Baqarah,

“Verily, Safa and Marwa are among the signs of Allah”
Al-Qur’an, Surah 2, Ayah 248
And (further) their Prophet said to them: “A Sign of His authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the covenant, with (an assurance) therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a symbol for you if ye indeed have faith.”
Since the love of Imam Husain (as) is obedience to Allah then all Symbols, Monuments, Taaziyah, Zareeh, Zuljanah etc. that indicate love and attachment to Rasulullah (s) and his Ahl’ul bayt (as) are all Signs of Allah (swt) and they command respect.
Raza: To say matam is not common in other shia-majority countries would be false. Tazias and Alam are perhaps more common in Pakistan than anywhere else. Like I said, different cultures have developed different ways of paying tribute to the Imam. These are all symbols or replicas of their tombs, their swords, their horses (zuljanas) and should not be thought of as idolatry, as
they are not worshiped.
Shaista: Taazias and Matam (self-flagellation) are different forms of expressing your grief and mourning.  Agreed that Taazia is specific to Indo Pakistan but Matam is not.  Quma (matam by sword) is practiced in Iran, Iraq and Damascus.  Matam by hand and Zanjeer is practiced widely across Shia states.  In some countries, silent processions are also taken out to mark the mourning of the event. Therefore you will notice that the way the event of Karbala is remembered and mourned is marked by the local cultural values and socio-economic conditions

 

Why are imambargahs sealed off for sunnis can we visit them?

Raza: Shias do not have separate ID cards, sir :) . Anyone can visit the imambargahs anywhere. I have seen a lot of people go to Nishtar Park in Karachi on 9th and 10th Muharram to see what actually goes on there. Nothing is sealed off.
Shaista : This is again a myth.  An Imam Bargah is perhaps more open than a Shia-Sunni mosque because it is a used for a gathering that discusses an event, based on historical references and knowledge is imparted using primarily the Quranic references.  I have personally witnessed and met with several Sunni families who do come to attend the Majalis.  Therefore there is by no means any bar or ‘sealing off’ the place.

Samar: Shia masjid/imam bargahs are never closed for anyone, shia sunni whoever be. Even women can, since its Allah’s house. No one can stop anyone from entering it.

Muttah is regarded by sunnis as an abhorrent shia tradition of promiscuity could u pls shed some light on its real purpose? Is it even applicable today?

Samar : Mut’ah is a type of Nikah until an agreed time. It can be for a day, two days, a month, one year, three years etc. It  has certain condtions to be fullfilled. If they fullfill them, then theres no harm in doing it. And no to forget, theres a similar concept in Sunnism as well, often refered as Misyar marriage, which can be further elaborated.

Raza : How is muttah an “abhorrent shia tradition” when it is part of Sunna itself? The second Caliph revoked this practice (which we dispute he couldn’t do since no one can revoke a sunnat), and we, therefore, claim it still stands. It is not widespread, certainly, and is simply there for extreme situations. Remember, Islam is a DEEN of great flexibility. Muttah was never meant to be part of our daily lives, but only something that could be invoked under specific circumstances.

Shaista : Muttah was coined to support the soldiers who would be traveling long distances, away from their wives.  The idea was obvious, and it allowed them to meet their desires without violating the limits set out by Allah.  However, Muttah as I understand is perhaps not practiced anymore because the world as a global village hardly has any distances that cannot be borne.  Muttah is also an exception for those who are not ready to support a life long relationship and it allows them timebound relation with another woman (who should not be in another active relationship/marriage)

There is some mention of a hadith by shias in which umar broke down alis door and dragged him to abubakar for his refusal to give bait causing bibi fatima a miscarriage wud u shed some light on this also?

Raza: The hadith is not only mentioned by Shias, but is also present is several works of hadtih done by Sunni scholars as well (for example, Al-Tabari). It is not fiction, and this actually did happen. What more can I say? Things weren’t as rosy as they are painted out to be in our “glorified” Muslim history. There were schisms in Islam deeper than we think. That is why I recommended you that book yesterday (After the Prophet). It is objective, and talks about this particular event happening as well. Suffice it to say, there are several things that are not brought up when talking about history, in order to present a much more peaceful and positive view of that time in early Islam, yet we see that only 10 years after the Prophet’s death, Ali (A.S) and Hazrat Ayesha (R.A) fought a battle against each other. And only 50 years after the Prophet’s death happened the great tragedy of Karbala. Does this sound like a rosy history to you?

Samar : Yes, burning people’s homes was a favourite threat from the khalifa to get people to see things their way. It didn’t work to get the Bayya when Abu Bakr and Umar burned Ali (as) and Fatima (as)’s house.

Shaista : As far as I know, this is true and has been mentioned in history books esp the ones that I have read.  I do not have exact references but somebody should be able to pull out Sahih Bukhair or Tirmazi reference for the Sunni audience.

Sunnis claim shias have changed the kalima by adding ali un waliullah to it what is the purpose behind this change? Does it actually happen?

Raza : What does Kalima mean my friend? It is simply an exclamation of faith. Nowhere in Quran is written La Illaha Ill Allah Muhammad un Rasool Allah. It is simply arabic for “No God but one God, and Mohammad (PBUH) is his Messenger”. The kalima is not end-all, nor it has been claimed to be. To add one more phrase to it is not KUFR. It is simply a expression of our faith.

Shaista : The short answer to your question is that there is only one Kalima: There is no god but God, and that Mohammad is His Prophet. Citing ‘Ali un Waliullah’ is an exclamation of your allegiance to acknowledge Ali as the rightful spiritual leader of the Muslims, after Prophet Mohammad’s departure.  This by no means implies that if you do not ever say it in a lifetime, you shall not be considered a Muslim, no absolutely not. However, it is important to note that this was coined at the famous incident of Ghadeer when the Prophet himself declared Ali as his ‘Wali’ post Hajj.  This incident has been cited in Sahih Bukhari and other history books also. You will find some contradictions in history books (views of sunnis and shias) that Prophet Mohammad praised Ali only to ‘protect him from further criticism, esp after his departure’ and yet majority of the Muslims also believe that whatever Prophet ever said was by the Will of God.  Therefore, the fact that all history books agree on Prophet stating Ali as Wali should suffice for this argument.  Interpretations of why he said so become secondary in my point of view.

Samar : Kalima means any sentence that means something. Theres no single hadith that say that Kalima is fixed and cannot be changed.  Or even Kalima Tayiba in quran ? Not merging up the verses but complete Kalima in just one sentence ? If innovations are Biddah, then What is As-salatu khair al-min an-Naum which was added by Umar !

I have seen some of my shia friends do sajda on a small tablet of mud from kerbala or khake shafa i think its called. Why is this done is it thought of as a medium?

Raza : Yes, its called Khaak e Shifa. We pray on Khaak e Shifa because of its FAZEELAT. Its unlike any other sand anywhere in the world. Another reason is that, our scholars have recommended to do sajdah on things that are natural (and what could be more natural than sand, and that too, sand of Karbala).

Shaista : Sajda is meant to be done on a pure surface (organic if I may say so such as leaf, piece of wood or sand). Majority of the Shia muslims use khak-e-Shifa (as sijdagah) to place their forehead on a ‘clean’ surface.  This by no means implies that they are ‘worshipping’ that, or that it is used as a ‘medium to connect to Allah’.  It is used only for the stated purpose, placing forehead on a clean surface.

Samar : In Ahl’ul Sunnah’s authority work Targhib wal-Tarhib, Vol 1 page 581 we read:
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh&hf) said: Make your faces dusty, and cover your noses with dust.”
The Prophet (s) explained the reasons for prostrating on soil in the most beautiful manner.

 

Why is the entire shiate faith si shrouded in mystery? Or is it that the sunni ulema give it that color to make us feel like its some sort of cult?

Raza : I would argue that the entire Shia faith is made out to be so different and mysterious for our Sunni brothers, when it is not. True, there are differences among us, but there is far more common to us than we think. Too often these differences are used politically and otherwise to divide us, and the only way to defeat them is to seek out the truth yourself instead of letting others tell you what Shia do or do not believe.

Shaista : Shiaism in my humble opinion is a branch of the Muslim Ummah that show their allegiance to Mohammad’s immediate family and acknowledges them as the rightful spiritual leaders of the Muslims.  It is by no means a ‘cult’. People as we understand them come in all shapes, sizes and social practices and there are extremists in every corner of this world.  This should by no means undermine the true spirit of this faith, which forms part of the larger Muslim Ummah.  Remembering Hussain for his great sacrifice for his grandfather’s religion is a way of ensuring that the event is not shrouded in the dark corridors of history.  Because if Hussain has a progeny and followers who mourn him every year, then so does the army who stood against Hussain and his cause! Therefore, Moharram every year should serve as a reminder that Hussain’s sacrifice was for Islam, as we understand it today.  Had Hussain not given up his life, along with his friends, family and especially children, our present faith would have been distorted and totally chaotic.  Read Allama Iqbal’s poetry for further reinforcement!

Samar : Nothing is mystry. You just need to learn and you can just learn everything. Lack of knowledge and mistook silence can be the reasons.

Why are fiqaye jafria timings for seher and iftar different? Don’t u think we can even agree on something small like this?

Raza : It is simply a matter of interpreting hadith. Our scholars have concluded that Sehar must be stopped a good 10-12 mins earlier than actual time (for precaution). And Iftar should be opened 10-12 minutes later when it is sufficiently dark. This is not something small, and I think it still is no big deal. We’ve always had it this way.
In general, I would say the JAHAALAT and narrow-mindedness of our people has helped fuel the divide between us. Again, I would ask you to refer to Maulana Ishaq’s video about shia-sunni differences. Just because we interpret things differently does not mean we are any lesser Muslim. People should think with an open mind, and accept that this difference has been there for ages and concentrate on 90% of the things that we have in common rather than the 10% that makes us different.

Shaista : Quran does not state that Seher timings should be 4:45 a.m or that Iftar is at 5:35 p.m sharp! It provides indications that have been interpreted in different ways.  Shias interpretation of Iftar after maghrib prayers come from the Quranic statement of dusk/darkness and next Ramzan you must objectively notice how much light there still is when the first call of Maghrib Azaan takes place.  However I agree that this could be settled between Ullemahs but then again, for a nation that cannot agree on Eid (which is again based on the citing of the moon) how can we expect them to agree on something perhaps a bit more complicated than Eid

Samar : The time for the breaking of fast in Ramadan, and for Maghrib prayers is the same, therefore for the breaking of fast Allah Almighty says:

“Establish prayers after the decline of the sun till the darkness of the night and the morning recitation…”
Surah al-Israa, verse 78

And just to conclude, Imam Ghazali stated in Ahya ul-Uloom, volume 1, page 335 (Dar ul Isha’at, Lahore):

 

“…the time for Maghrib prayer is when the sun is concealed from one’s vision. This concealment is meant to be in terms of going below the surface of the earth. In this case, one should wait till the darkness prevails over the horizon/sky”

_______________________________
I would like to add that these people have taken considerable time out to open up and answer my questions, so I will certainly not tolerate any abusive comments on their faith or way of life, discussion is encouraged ignorance will not be tolerated.
Pic of Hazrat ali’s sword by Emane @ deviant art
Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , , , , , ,

Ye islam nahi hay

Posted on April 28, 2009 //

We have all been brought up by our elders to not question men of our faith, some of us were given the leverage to do so and thus developed a higher level of understanding as to what Islam is and what it actually entails. Others however were taught dogmatically and rigidly and thus for them to question someone speaking from a pulpit with a long beard is almost akin to committing social murder.

Perhaps this is the core difference between the masses and the moderate elite of Pakistan the difference in which they have been taught Islam. Perhaps this is why a Karachiite is not able to accept the Islam being propagated by the Taliban while someone in Swat just bows their head and nods. This has to be so because the million strong throng of men witnessed at the Muslim Khans rally call could not be there only because of his good will. Nay they looked like they were ready to do it all for him and those were ordinary residents of Swat who no doubt are convinced that the Taliban are their saviors.

However we as a society cannot function if the moderates among us are wiped out of existence or lashed for speaking their minds. We have a task, which is to enlighten and educate the conservatives and to point out to them the vivid differences between the Prophet Muhammad’s implemented Shariah and the one being implemented by the Taliban. Obviously we each have a different interpretation of Islam and thus have to find and consult ulema who can help guide us as to where we are headed with our reasoning.

For this purpose I had the good fortune of coming in contact with Dr Khalid Zaheer an enlightened scholar of Islam who helped clear out a lot of my thoughts regarding the following three burning questions.

1. Where in our religion is beheading allowed and against what crime? How is it that the taliban are beheading people for crimes like spying?

KZ :Islam allows taking the life of another human for two — and only — reasons: If the individual is guilty of killing another human or he is, worse still, guilty of creating mischief on earth, which means he has caused the life, wealth, or honour of others to be in peril because of his misdeeds. In the latter case, such criminals are allowed to be sometimes killed in a merciless manner, if the severity of the crime so demands. If an individual kills another human for any reasons other than these two, he will be held guilty of killing the entire mankind. (Qur’an; 5:32)

Taliban are killing people for spying because they find some mentions of similar incidents of killing in the hadith. What they fail to understand is the fact that the cases mentioned in the hadith have to do with the times of the messenger alone. The Quran clarifies unmistakably the fact that the people who deny God’s messengers during their lifetime are to be subjected to divine punishments. One form divine punishments can take is through the might of the companions of the prophet. The Quran clarifies that during the prophet’s life, it was this kind of punishment that was inflicted on the enemies of Islam. It has nothing to do with any other times.

Taliban and the likes do not acknowledge that reality. They are people who cannot be talked to. Therefore the damage that has been done cannot, unfortunately, be undone by any amount of efforts.


2. Religiously speaking is it right to demand of women not to venture out of their home for work or recreation?

KZ :There is no reason why women can be prevented from stepping out of their homes. Again, during the lifetime of the prophet, his wives were asked not to step out of their homes unnecessarily, because there were hypocrites and Jews who wanted to scandalize the family of the prophet, alaihissalaam. Quran is clear in this matter too. Taliban generalize those verses and the ahadith related to them even though there are many others that clarify the real understanding.

3. Does Islam allow for annexation of land through religion, if we recall the Muslims of mecca won many battles and ruled many countries during their time, can the Taliban then capture Pakistan as their right to spread Islam?

KZ: No, Muslims can’t do it now. What happened in the first generation of Muslims again had to do with God’s laws for the messengers.

You will find that many modern-day problems are linked with two issues: Muslims i) not willing to alter their views and as a consequence ii) not understanding the clear mention of the law regarding the messengers in the Quran.


In short my friends, this is hardly the Islam brought by the Quran and taught by the Prophet through his teachings the sunnah, this is a very rigid very cruel subversion of it based on Wahabiasm and Talibanism mixed with just the added flavor of militancy to make it suitable to the needs of this section of our country. We must learn the difference and I hope this writeup will go a few steps in that direction.

Filed Under: Politics in pakistan, Religon // Tagged: , , ,

Why are muslims suffering?

Posted on April 22, 2009 //

By Dr Khalid Zaheer

A tiny minority of Muslims has engaged itself in a war (jihad) against the West in general and against the US, Israel, and India in particular. What they are doing through their military adventurism is causing the entire Muslim ummah suffering at the hands of the Jihadis and, because of their misadventures, at the hands of the US and others as well.

The analysis of the situation done by the Jihadi Muslims is that there is a grand conspiracy of the Jews which has caused the entire West to go against Islam and Muslims. They believe that the only way to counter this trend is to undertake an open war against them. If Muslims join hands and fight against the US, Israel, and India, God Almighty would help them in annihilating these enemies of God, His messenger, and Muslims.

Most certainly, proper solution to a problem is based upon two components: the right analysis of the problem and a sincere effort at implementing the solution based on the analysis. In my opinion the analysis of these Muslims is seriously flawed. The truth is that the opposition of the US, Israel, and India against Muslims and their successful attempts to subjugate and cause serious damage to us is not the cause of our woes. Their successful military adventurism against us is in itself the result of another, bigger cause. It is God’s displeasure with Muslims that has allowed Americans, Israelis, and Indians to successfully launch their military campaign against us because God is allowing them to be succeed in their mission. It cannot be that despite the fact that He doesn’t want them to cause damage to us, we would still suffer.

What is happening to us is exactly what happened to the Children of Israel, the Muslims of the earlier times, in their history of two thousand years before the arrival of Prophet Muhammad, Allah’s mercy be on him. The Qur’an describes their suffering in these words:

“And we forewarned the Children of Israel in their Holy Book that ‘you will do mischief in the land twice through and you will become arrogant transgressors (and each time you will be punished).’

When the promise for the first of the two fore warnings came to be fulfilled, WE SENT AGAINST YOU OUR SERVANTS WITH MILITARY MIGHT: THEY RAMPAGED THROUGH YOUR HOMES TO CARRY OUT THE PUNISHMENT OF WHICH YOU WERE FOREWARNED. Then after this, we afforded you an opportunity to overpower them and helped you with wealth and sons and granted you more manpower. If you perform well you do so for your own benefit; but if you do evil, it would cause harm to your own selves.

Then, when the promise for your second forewarning came to be fulfilled, (WE SENT ANOTHER ARMY) TO DISFIGURE YOUR FACES AND TO ENTER YOUR TEMPLE AS THE FORMER HAD ENTERED IT BEFORE AND THEY UTTERLY DESTROYED ALL THAT THEY LAID THEIR HANDS ON.

Now your Lord may again be merciful to you; but if you repeat the same behavior, we will repeat the punishment, and in the hereafter, we have made hell a prison for such unbelievers.

Surely this Qur’an guides to the way that is perfectly straight and gives the good news to the believers who do good deeds that they shall have a magnificent reward, and at the same time it gives warnings to those who do not believe in the hereafter, that we have prepared for them a painful punishment.” (Qur’an; 17:4-10)

Indeed one of these two analyses of the situation could be correct: It’s either the lack of proper willingness, as the Jihadis say, in the majority of Muslims to fight against the US and its allies which is causing Muslims to be damned in this world or it is God’s decision to inflict His punishment on Muslims through “our servants with military might” which is causing Muslims to be in the state of complete disarray. One of the two possibilities could be correct. Both cannot be simultaneously correct unless one agrees with the proposition that God is displeased with Muslims because they were not undertaking Jihad against the non-Muslims, which is what the Qur’an is most certainly “not” suggesting. The Qur’an is warning the Children of Israel in the above-stated passage of dire consequences because they did mischief on the land twice and they become arrogant transgressors.

The fact that God is punishing us through non-Muslims is undeniable. The reason this has happened is not because we are not undertaking proper war against our enemies but because of our “mischief” and “arrogance”. In my opinion the following are some of the prominent misdeeds that have invited God’s punishment to be inflicted on Muslims:

i) As a nation Muslims are corrupt. Cheating, disregard of merit, and breaking of commitments are some of the crimes we are consistently committing. Exceptions apart, hypocrisy is the hallmark of the present-day Muslims.
ii) The present-day Muslims are extremely arrogant. Despite being morally corrupt, Muslims are dead sure that they will eventually succeed in the hereafter while all non-Muslims shall be doomed.
iii) The greatest evil in the present-day Muslims is that although they were expected to bring non-Muslims closer to Islam by their good acts and words, they have caused them to hate the religion of God by presenting a picture of it which cannot incline a decent human being to accept it as the religion of God. The Islam Muslims are presenting appears to be against every beautiful blessing God has created for humans in this life; it seems to suggest that the creator of this world is, God forbid, extremely unfair in that He will look at the religion of humans and not their intentions and deeds while deciding about their eternal fate; they have also caused great harm to the message of God by creating the impression that hating fellow humans to the extent of even killing them was a part of the expectation of God from his His devoted servants.

If these allegations against Muslims were correct, how can a sane non-Muslim come close to Islam? And if non-Muslims, who are equally God’s creation, have been drawn away from His religion by the misdeeds of Muslims, how can He be pleased with them? And if He is annoyed with Muslims, why should He not punish them?

If what I am claiming is correct, then the Jihadis are fighting a losing battle, because they are not fighting against the Americans, Israelis, or Indians; they are fighting against God’s decision. If they are really interested in bringing back the lost glory of Muslims, they should address the problems that are causing God to be displeased with them.

_____________________________________________

Dr Khalid Zaheer is the Director Education, Al-Mawrid, which is an NGO established to promote research and education on Islam. Prior to joining Al-Mawrid in September 2006, he was an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Ethics at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). He has a teaching experience of more than 20 years. He can be reached @ www.khalidzaheer.com
Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , , , ,

Is this Shariah Law?

Posted on April 3, 2009 //

Still cannot describe what I feel when I see this video, a woman being publicly lashed in the northern areas of Pakistan. This is what we have reduced Islam to, this is what the government has handed people’s lives to?

All the women leaders in the assemblies of Pakistan upon seeing this should resign from their posts in protest, how can we even approach upon the subject of womens rights after wathcing this, this is utterly disgusting.

Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , ,

Hijab & why I observe it

Posted on March 11, 2009 //

By ZAINUB RAZVI

I’m often asked what it feels like to observe pardah. “Isn’t it difficult?”…“Don’t you feel hot?”… “Can you breathe alright?”…You could be forgiven for thinking that most such questions come from non-Muslim westerners, who have little or no idea about the practical implications of such a lifestyle choice (yes, pardah implies a lot more than merely a dress code). But in actuality, this question comes just as often from fellow Muslims. Fellow Muslims who either do not practice the same levels of pardah or abstain from it altogether and hence find my choice somewhat difficult to comprehend.

Discussions about this topic within the sub-continental framework tend to be, for this very reason, rather confusing. Many women here who do wear a head covering (hijab), veil (niqab) or outer clothing garment (julabab, abaya or burqa) may actually confirm to you that they do not observe pardah at all. They may just be wearing the hijab to protect them from the sun, or because sometimes it is custom in a family to wear the abaya when leaving the home or when travelling by public transport but okay, and even necessary, to take it off when they have reached their destination. In short, not all women who you may see wearing the hijab, niqab or abaya will be doing it for religious reasons, also explaining why it is also common to see such women cover themselves up on some occasions but not on others.

That term “pardah” usually implies a level of strictness in adhering to either all or at least one of these attires mentioned above, in front of all non-mehrim men (an explanation of what this term means comes later). In addition, pardah also entails a certain level of modesty and reservation in all of a woman’s activities involving non-mehrim men (explaining why it isn’t just a dress code, but a wide lifestyle choice).

For me personally, being someone who has worn a hijab for all her adult life, people asking me why I cover my head or wear an abaya almost seems like asking the obvious; at one time, when I was really irritated by the condescending tone in which I was asked, I almost felt like resorting to ask back, why do you wear clothes? But as I have grown up and come to terms with the complexities of the world (complexities like not all women dress as I do for the reasons that I do) I can begin to understand why and how my attire (amongst other things incurred by the choice to observe pardah) would raise such questions.

For me, the hijab was a natural progression from childhood to adolescence. I had seen my elder sister and my mother wear hijab when I was still a child, so I always knew I was to follow. Of course this social conditioning had a part in making me believe this was a normal and necessary part of life, but growing up, as I began to gain a greater understanding of my faith, as well as the male psychology, I was able to appreciate both the more subtle and palpable benefits of my habit.

But to begin with some of the most commonly asked questions, no, it is not so difficult to wear a head covering all the time. And yes, it gets hot sometimes, but you get used to it very quickly, and once you’ve got used to it, it doesn’t bother you. Besides, you’re not supposed to wear it all the time, only in front of non-mehrims. In Islamic fiqh, non-mehrims include all men a woman can marry. Mehrims hence are the relatively few men a woman can never marry; these would include her father, her brother, her father and mother’s brothers, her nephews, her grandchildren, her father-in-law, her son and her son-in-law. (Hopefully this will also have addressed the incredibly ridiculous query some girls have put to me, that is if I also wear the hijab in front of my husband!)

Admittedly, this list of mehrims in front of whom I’m not required to wear the hijab is a limited one, but as I’ll proceed to explain, the choice to wear the hijab in front of most of the men of the world is more liberating then it is repressive. Let me assure you before I proceed, that only rarely will Muslim women in the sub-continent forcefully wear the hijab. Despite some amount of latent and other manifest conditioning that may initially shape their habits, as young girls grow older, most of them, will observe the hijab under their own free will. In many Middle Eastern counties however, it is illegal for women of any faith to go out in public without hijab, and I will not comment here on that, but certainly in the sub-continent this is not the case.

In many sub continental families in fact, a woman’s choice to wear a hijab within the immediate family circle of non-mehrims, such as in front of your cousins and aunts’ husbands, or after she is married, in front of her husband’s brothers, may invite much displeasure and even censure from other family members. The reason behind this of course is the culture we have adopted, often falsely in the name of religion, from pre-partition India, but that is a separate and lengthy debate in itself so I will not dwell on that for now. But just to reinforce the point, despite what the media might make you believe, the hijab, save exceptions, is normally not forced on to women, in fact quite often, they’re forced to take it off.

Coming back to the benefits of the hijab though, for starters, the hijab becomes a physical manifestation of one’s faith. It automatically gives the other person at least some idea about you. Unfortunately, negative stereotyping by the media and other social institutions in several countries, means this “idea” people get about you from the hijab isn’t always a positive one, but in the least, the hijab becomes synonymous with a Muslim women’s identity. This accounts for one of primary reasons why the practice was introduced in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s time in the first place, i.e. to distinguish the believing women from the non-believing ones.

Secondly, for a modest man, a women’s hijab is a sign of her being off limits. Unfortunately, this breed of men is becoming rarer and rarer, but even for the more promiscuous type; the hijab is usually a sign to keep their distance. For instance, I have been involved in situations in the workplace where male colleagues have just exchanged handshakes with several other women in the room, made friendly, sometimes even suggestive small talk with them but in their conversations with me, refrained from shaking hands or getting overtly friendly, let alone think of flirting. This exemplifies another reason why the practice was first introduced: to provide women a safeguard from unwanted attention from other men. So the hijab is unique in the way it gives Muslim women both a separate identity and yet makes their presence less conspicuous amongst a crowd.

Thirdly, and this is especially true for fashion indifferent people like myself, it is immensely easy to just put on my abaya and stroll into any social gathering without having to be conscious of whether I’m dressed too formally or informally.

The media and fashion industry combined have created an enormous invisible monster of desires that pressurises women to keep abreast with the all the latest twists and turns of fashion. One season, it is high hem lines that are “in”, next season, it is back to low, for all you know, a fashion trend can be anything a so-called fashion guru whims it to be. The society we have constructed puts pressure on women to keep up with these whims. Everywhere you cast your eyes you will see glamorous women in the media observing the latest fashions. Their ubiquitous presence is designed to make women who refuse to participate feel like outcasts of society.

Hence, it is not uncommon to learn of women spending extravagantly on updating their wardrobes with one just arrived trend, and by the time they have barely used up their newly acquired collection, it is already time for a new upgrade to keep up with the latest whim of the so-called guru. So out goes all the expensive clothes of last season, and in come more new clothes of the new, latest fashions, sustaining the viscous cycle of consumerism that is rapidly engulfing out society.

I’m not at attempting to imply that Muslim women who observe hijab are style defunct, for style is a much broader term then fashion, but I like to think that to a great extent they are immune to this hidden pressure generated by the fashion industry, that seeks to exploit a woman’s inherent desire to “look good” (which the media has exploited to the effect of looking better than all the other women in the world). The hijab, in essence, keeps a woman’s innate desires “to look good” within bounds, serving as a reminder to the pious Muslim woman that she is indeed a thing of special beauty, but beauty that is best preserved and protected, not showcased to every passerby.

For me personally, realizing this as a young teenager, that my dress code gave me and my body a special status that only “few” select people had the right to see, made me feel immensely empowered. It made me feel special. This coupled with the promise of reward for fulfilling a divine decree, of emulating the very best of the Muslim women of all time, and I was moulded for life.

Fortunately, at a time when I had just turned into an adult and starting wearing the hijab, the world was still in pre 9-11 stage, so wearing the hijab didn’t have any obvious political meanings. It was just a religious practice, just like the five daily prayers, or the fasts. Some Muslims would observe all these more vigorously than others, but the labelling and stereotyping as “Taliban” or “extremist” or alternatively “oppressed” wasn’t as immediately an added bonus as it seems to be today.

I was asked to write this article for Deadpan Thoughts because I was told “the western media” had requested editors here for a realistic perspective about the issue of hijab versus the picture of oppression they see. My contention of course, is that the picture of oppression is their created. Hopefully, in writing this I will have dispelled the myth that the hijab oppresses women. It does not, if anything, it empowers them by giving them a stronger sense of their distinct feminine and religious identity and by giving them the right to prevent the objectification of their bodies.

The writer is a former blogger, aspiring journalist and International Relations student at the University of Karachi

Filed Under: Day To Day, Religon // Tagged: , ,

Controversial verses part II

Posted on November 6, 2008 //

Ayat Al Sayf (the verse of the sword) Chapter 9 verse 5

Frequently quoted by fundamentals and terrorists the world over to justify their barbaric and inhuman acts this verse is perhaps one of the most controversial of the verses of the Holy Quran. It has been thrown in the face of peace loving Muslims the world over again and again as proof that their religion preaches hate and killing.

“Slay the pagans wherever you may come upon them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place…” (9:5)

Rather than just leave it out there for the rest of us to go cross eyed over, i have tried to research this and found the best explanation at Muajabah’s Blog which says

Case closed? Wrong. These verses have a context, and when understood in their proper context, it will become quite clear that the verses cited above are not a carte blanche for Muslims to kill all non-Muslims…

…In the Qur’an, the principle of fighting is purely self-defensive. According to all available Traditions, the earliest verses revealed with regards to fighting are these:

“Permission [to fight] is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged and, verily, God has indeed the power to succour them; those who have been driven from their homelands against all right for no other reason than their saying, ‘Our sustainer is God!’” (22:39-40).

Along with this verse is 2:190, which says:

“And fight in God’s cause against those who wage war against you…”

Thus, it is quite clear that fighting is to be done in self-defense. Now, anyone can commit acts of terror and aggression and say, “it’s in self-defense.” In fact, that is precisely what Al Qaeda is doing: they claim by killing 3,000 people in New York City and Washington, D.C., they are “defending” the Muslim nation against “Zionist and Crusader” aggression against the Muslims. What sheer rubbish.

The Qur’an clearly states, in the remainder of 2:190 it says:

“…but do not commit aggression, for verily, God does not love aggressors.”

“Committing aggression” includes killing innocent civilians in Tel Aviv, Beslan, New York, Baghdad, or wherever. Furthermore, when the enemy ceases its hostility, fighting must cease:

“…but if they desist, then all hostility shall cease, save against those who [willfully] do wrong” (2:193).

Another verse repeats this insistence that hostility must cease when the enemy stops its aggression against you:

“But if they [the enemy] incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing! And should they seek but to deceive thee [by their show of peace] – behold, God is enough for thee! He it is who has strengthened thee with His succour, and by giving thee believing followers” (8:61-62).

Thus, even if the enemy is feigning a peaceful posture, the Muslims are still commanded to cease hostility and “place their trust in God.” Thus, it is quite clear that fighting is in self-defense, and aggression is not allowed. Now, Muslims have waged wars of aggression in the past, for sure, and they even called them “jihad against the infidels” in order to justify their desire for territorial expansion. In fact, one of the most pertinent examples of this was the Ummayad Dynasty, which enacted a policy of “jihad” as perpetual warfare. But, such a policy is not Islamically correct, and as the collapse of the Ummayad Dynasty showed, not sustainable.

The point is, on its own anything taken from scripture can be misunderstood, one has to study things a bit go into a little depth and know the context of the passage to make an informed decision.

Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , , ,

Muslims at the Vatican

Posted on November 3, 2008 //

Muslim scholars from all over the world are arriving at the Vatican this week to hold talks with the pope. It seems that the bulb finally lit up over someone’s head to sit down on a table and hash things out between the two biggest religions of the world, by sheer volume of followers at least.

You have to admit that 90% of all war raging in today’s world is solely because of religious differences. Just think how fast those cartoonists would have shut up in Denmark if the Pope and Muslim clerics both declared them unsavory and called for their censorship. So much could have been avoided, but that is then and this is now & it warms my heart to see that “interfaith” is up for discussion now and that no qualms are being made about a closed door meeting on everything from theology to issues between the two religions as well as the rights to practice them in each others countries.

Hopefully at least the religious scholars can see eye to eye on promoting world peace instead of the usual hijacking of their faiths to cause general mayhem and much bloodshed all over. Who knows one day we can even appreciate the beauty of each others beliefs and live the pipe dream of eternal peace. I would also like the holy cities to be opened up to one another, yes i am not trying to be blasphemous here but would it really not help to give people an insight on what is going on when congregations gather than to do it all hush hush and give fire to speculations and doomsday pundits? Open it all up I say and let goodwill prevail!!!

Full Story

Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: ,

Obsession

Posted on October 4, 2008 //

Well its finally over, Eid that is and I can sufficiently say that I must have crossed all prior limits of eating cake and sleeping in. Not to say that it was a bad experience at all. These are the kind of things one can enjoy in a country like Pakistan, the ability to wedge out without making too much of a dent in your savings.

However it is quite sad to see that this Eid, Muslims in North America got quite a shock as well as other tolerant folk, when they received with their daily papers a paid supplement by The Clarion Fund, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 to address “the most urgent threat of radical Islam”. This supplement contained a paid ad as well as a hour long DVD.

The DVD has been entitled “Obsession” and is an hour-long movie that features graphic images of terrorism, video of anti-American speeches from Mideast television and comparisons with Nazi Germany.  It has been sent to about 28 million households through newspapers and direct mail.

Only a few newspapers in the U.S refused to carry this “paid ad” and free DVD inset and in all it was sent via 70 papers which includednames like “The New York Times”

Clarion Fund spokesman Gregory Ross said the group spent several million dollars in donations from individuals he would not name, and he said running the ad in swing states was a means of drawing media attention and not meant to influence the election’s result, a move barred by federal tax law covering nonprofits.

“We found (newspapers were) the most economical and best way to get it out there,” Ross said.

I understand that these newspapers cannot refuse to carry this ad based on principals of “Free Speech” but distributing  hate propaganda which is religious based is not exactly free and fair journalism is it? Would they run an ad by the KKK along the same merits against African Americans?

What is interesting to note is that the focus of this DVD’s distribution seems to be on the swing states in the U.S right before the upcoming elections.

I often wonder who funds organizations like the Clarion fund and why are their motives not questioned like we question the Taliban.

in any case the fires of hate are spreading even as we speak. I wonder what it will take to put them out.

Full Story

Filed Under: Religon // Tagged: , , , ,
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