In the Name of Allah the Glorious and Compassionate One!

It began in Tunisia and the flame now is spreading to Egypt, Yemen, and all across the Muslim Arab world. This spreading flame is the flame of freedom as people across the Muslim world desire to cast off the yoke of tyranny that has for far too long enslaved them. Allah Himself is awakening the common man, woman, and child to the reality that those who have truly oppressed them are their own leaders! These tyrants have spend much time trying to make the faithful think that their oppressors are the West but the people are figuring out that this is a LIE because Allah is showing them the TRUTH! And He is awakening them, opening their eyes, so that more and more people in the Muslim world are seeing that their true oppressor is NOT the West but is the infidels who sit in their own halls of government! For a long time these tyrants have used the West as a scapegoat to deflect the attention of the faithful away from them hoping that Allah would never awaken the faithful to the tyranny that they so love! These tyrants all across the Muslim Arab world have plotted BUT Allah too has plotted and now the plot of Allah is dawning!

All of these tyrants from Egypt’s Mubarak to Saudi Arabia’s kings have spoken great words on how they seek to better the lives of their people but they have done NOTHING to improve the lives of the faithful except to tighten the yoke they have placed around the necks of the faithful! These tyrants are liars who have spent decades now spending lavishly while their people live in absolute poverty and daily struggle. They have lived as princes while the faithful have been left to fend for themselves. And they have used their police and military’s to keep the faithful in a perpetual state of subjection to their rule of oppression and tyranny!

Did the Prophet (pbuh) rule as a tyrant? Did he show no care for the plight of his people? Absolutely not! He was a just man who sought to improve the circumstances of those who followed him and in his example we find true Muslim government. A government of justice, equality, compassion, and a government that seeks to ensure the freedoms of the people and that works to improve their lives and not simply those of the elites! But Arab governments have not followed the example of the Prophet (pbuh)! Instead, after the European colonization ended, Arab governments set up dictatorships of tyranny to lord over the faithful and to oppress the faithful in every way possible!

No people wish to live under tyranny! No people desire to dwell in poverty and struggle! All people seek to live under justice and fairness with compassion! It is human nature to be free because this is the way Allah has created people! Those who seek to plunder this human nature for freedom are those who stand against Allah and the Prophet (pbuh) even though they too claim they are among the faithful. They are NOT! They are liars! And their actions of oppression, persecution, and tyranny prove that they stand against Allah and the Prophet (pbuh)! Let NOT the faithful be deceived any longer! Let all of the faithful across the Muslim Arab world awaken and hear the call of Allah Himself who is now calling for LIBERATION of the faithful from the yoke of their true oppressors, their own leaders!!

What has happened in Tunisia, what is happening in Egypt and Yemen, and what is to soon happen in every other Muslim nation is the most inspiring event in Muslim history in centuries as the faithful fight to cast off the chains that the tyrants have tried so desperately to keep around them! Oh yes! These tyrants may be able to turn off the cell phones and shut down the Internet but they cannot silence the VOICE OF ALLAH that is shouting to all of the faithful to STAND UP, FIGHT BACK, AND BRING FORTH FREEDOM AND LIBERATION all across the Muslim world!! Allah Himself is empowering the people and it is He who is inspiring them to fight so that they will be free! No man can stop this now! No human army can end it now! This is the WILL of ALLAH for the Muslim Arab people, that they be FREE from the tyranny of their leaders that have for so long enslaved and terrorized them! Praise be to Allah for this! May the flame of liberation that He has ignited fan across the Muslim world in every Muslim nation!

The media calls this “protest” and “revolution” but this is not how Allah sees it. In the eyes of Allah what is happening today in the Middle East is a true JIHAD for the liberation of the Muslim Arab people who are tired of the tyranny that has ruled over them for decades now! Like all other people the Muslim Arab people seek to be FREE and to live under JUST governance in which there is compassion, truth, HONOR, and justice. A government in which the common man and woman have a voice instead of in regimes where the voices of the faithful are brutally silenced! Allah will no longer allow tyranny to rule over and oppress His people! Allah Himself is demanding that the faithful STAND UP and cast off the yoke of tyranny that their own leaders have tightened around their necks! This is not revolution or mere protest. This is a Holy War (Jihad) for FREEDOM AND LIBERATION! So let the faithful arise and oust those leaders who have ruled as tyrants from every Muslim nation!

This is the time for the despotism to end! It must end! The dictators must go! The sooner they are gone from power, the better!! They have exploited the faithful and they have enchained them in fear and injustice and this is not the desire of Allah for the faithful! The people want to be free! Allah wants the people to be free! These tyrant leaders who have ruled for so long detest their own people and they detest all of the faithful and everyone has known this now for a long time. This is why they have done nothing to improve the circumstances of their own people! This is why they have exploited and oppressed their own people!

Allah desires this to become a time of Wisdom and Vision! Not the wisdom and vision of man but the Wisdom and Vision that only comes from Allah Himself! This cannot be achieved by the faithful under the iron fist of tyranny and persecution! This can only be achieved in an air of freedom and justice! Allah’s Will will NOT be ignored! He achieves all that he desires no matter what! And He will achieve this too in the Muslim Arab world!

All across the Muslim Arab world today the leaders are in panic. They are beginning to see that their oppression and tyranny is going to come to an end sooner than later. They do not know what to do! They are making plans to escape into exile and safety because they are realizing more and more that their people are angry at THEM! They are beginning to see how their lies have failed them! They are beginning to see how their lies and persecutions can NO LONGER secure them in their power or position! They know well that they have treated their own people like rabid dogs and now the rabid dogs have grown upset and fierce and desire to be free from their tyranny!

It is Allah who desires that the Muslim Arab people liberate themselves from this tyranny which has so long oppressed them. It is Allah’s Will that a new age of Muslim wisdom, enlightened vision, and aspiration dawn! It is His Will that the futures and the present of the faithful be improved! None of this can happen for as long as the faithful continue to allow themselves to be ruled over by the tyrants! This is why all of them must be ousted from power! THIS IS THE WILL OF ALLAH! Let NOT the faithful ignore it!

Let us hide no longer from the truth! For long the faithful have known that the true oppressors have not been the West, have not been the Christian or the Jew, but have been their own leaders because they have seen many among themselves suffer at the hands of the tyrants who rule over them! These tyrants have ruled with iron fists enslaving and exploiting their own people for decades now while they get richer and richer and the faithful get poorer and poorer. And when the people have suffered injustices these tyrants have turned the other way and pretended not to notice and they have plugged their ears so that they will not hear the cries of the people. They have cared only for themselves and for their elites! They have cared NOTHING for the common man, woman, or child! They have used force, persecution, and even religion to ensure that they remain in power and remain as the oppressors. But, now the people are awakening PRAISE BE TO ALLAH! Now the faithful see TRUTH and they are moved to do something to break off the yoke from around their necks! And this is rightly so! For it is the common faithful who are rightly guided by Allah and not the tyrants who rule over them!

Allah Akbar! And NO man can stand against the greatness of God!! No man, no army, no tyrant can now extinguish the flame of democracy and liberation that burns brighter and brighter with each passing day all across the Muslim Arab world! Allah Himself has set this flame alight! Only Allah can extinguish it and He will not extinguish it until the faithful are FREE from their tyrants!

Let the prayers of all of the truly faithful be with those who fight against the tyranny to oust the tyrants from power! Let our support be with those who truly are the FREEDOM FIGHTERS for Allah as they break the yokes from around their necks and from the necks of their children! Enough of the oppression! Enough of the tyranny! Now is the time for FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY in the Muslim Arab world! This IS the WILL of ALLAH and no man may stop it!!

Praise be to Allah! Lord of all creation!
In Allah let the faithful put their trust!
Allah Akbar!

Imam Mohammad Abbas Salah ad-Din Azari
Amir al-Mu’minin

9/11 and Burning of the Holy Qur’an Response

As many of you may know by now the Reverend Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center in Florida USA has announced that to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 he has his congregation will burn the Holy Qur’an as a protest against Islam on Sept. 11, 2010. This is an unfortunate decision by Rev. Jones in our estimation and one that will surely do nothing to bring together various faiths in the spirit of tolerance and understanding. However, we are certain Rev. Jones’ decision to burn the Holy Qur’an will surely put more of a division between people of various faiths, especially Islam and Christianity and that is unfortunate. Sadly, the good reverend seems to have completely missed the symbolism that his own ministry embarrasses (ie: the DOVE which is a symbol of PEACE).

It is within this context of the planned actions of Rev. Jones and his congregation to take place on 9/11/2010 that we make the following response:

–Rev. Jones’ decision to burn the Koran is completely incompatible with the Christian Gospels and with traditional Christian values Further, it is a clear violation of good conscience in all respects.

–It should be noted that the Islamic Holy Qur’an contains numerous verses in reference to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) some of which, in FACT, praise Him along with Mary (pbuh), Christians and the Gospels. It is Islamic belief that certain errors in Christianity are corrected by the Holy Qur’an yet the Qur’an still confirms the Gospel as a holy book of revelation sent down by Allah (God).

–It must be noted and we hope the good Rev. Jones and his congregation will take note, that Christians and Jews enjoy a special status in Islam as being the “People of the Book” which the Qur’an has much to say about (ie: much GOOD to say about!). The People of the Book are suppose to be Muslim’s allies against the Kuffar (unbelievers). Therefore, it must be noted that those who will be participating in the burning of the Qur’an on 9/11/2010 at the insistence of Rev. Jones will actually be taking a very thoughtless and uniformed action as they will be burning all the praise of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) contained in and revealed by the Holy Qur’an. Again, this is very unfortunate!!

–It is rather obvious that Satan himself is the real director behind this planned action of burning the Qur’an on 9/11/10. The hatred that he is obviously inspiring among the faithful is obvious but not surprising and Satan is the author of division and of confusion, not Allah (God). In FACT, the Bible itself makes this clear by stating that God is NOT the author of confusion does it not? We ask why burn the Qur’an? Aren’t all the books written by humanists and Kuffar really the books that should be burned? Such unholy books stand in direct opposition to God and to all Christians, Jews, and Muslims! In fact, such books and full of anger, hatred, and spite for Muslims and the People of the Book. In our estimation books written by the Kuffar are far more disturbing and dangerous than are the Qur’an. The Kuffar write books that are blatantly against the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Christianity and, in fact, their books inspire hatred towards Jesus (pbuh) and Christians as well as Jews!

–It is our hope that our Christian brothers will NOT forget that when someone whose heart is predisposed to faith but ignorant of religious matters reads the Qur’an their love for the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) grows. When this happens, such a person naturally wants to adopt the moral values as their own role model. So we ask Rev. Jones and his congregation just what kind of role model will they be establishing during their burning of the Qur’an on 9/11/2010? Surely it will NOT be a positive one nor will it be an example of the great love of Jesus (pbuh).

–Rev. Jones may think that the Gospel stand alone under the protection of God, however, so does the Holy Qur’an of Islam.

–We ask that all planning to participate in Rev. Jone’s burning of the Qur’an consider these verses from the Qur’an itself:

“…you will find the people most affectionate to those who have faith (Muslims) are those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because some of them (Christians) are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.” (Surah al-Ma’ida 82)

“And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah tha came before him. We gave him (Jesus) the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who have taqwa (faith).” (Surah al Ma’ida 46)

–Like Christians, Muslims too await the coming again of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in the End Times (in which we are now living). And like Christians, Muslims have the Allah (God)-given duty to love, protect, and watch over others especially those of the Faithful and People of the Book.

–It is blatantly obvious to the wise and enlightened among society today that the air of hostility and hatred SOME people are attempting to create between Christians and Muslims is completely artificial and is the result of gross error and ignorance!

–It is also blatantly clear that the Kuffar (unbelievers) in global society are making every effort possible to incite certain Christians (especially Evangelicals) against Muslims. These Kuffar are attempting to target Muslims for the woes facing Western society today when, in fact, most of those woes have been caused by Westerners themselves and their long and insistent obsession with the accumulation of and even worship of materialism. Greed and selfishness NEVER end good! They always destroy and the deterioration seen in the West today is a direct result of that greed and selfishness as the West has turned AWAY from Allah (God)! If there must be blame assigned then let us see truth!

–The Kuffar (atheists) are attempting to get Christians to forget that it is actually antichrist ideology (such as humanism) that they should be fighting! The Kuffar are attempting to sway away Christians from their fight against evolution (Satan’s lie!!), materialism, humanism, communism, etc. In fact, the Kuffar are making every effort possible to make Muslims out to be scapegoats for Western ills and spread hate of Islam!!

–Sadly, it is apparent that Rev. Terry Jones and his congregation have fallen under the darkness spread by none other than Satan himself. We pray for the Reverend and his congregation that Allah will open their eyes to TRUTH so that they may see how Satan has deceived them. Jones and his followers must awaken to the fact that they are simply being used as PAWNS in Satan’s struggle against and hatred for the whole of humanity! It is our sincere prayer that God (Allah) will awaken them so that they might see the REAL BATTLE and the TRUE ENEMY!!

–Muslims accept and espouse those parts of the Gospel that are true and compatible with the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, it is very incompatible with logic, reason, and the teachings of the Gospel to seek to use the teachings of the Gospel as a weapon against Islam and Muslims!

–It is a terrible mistake and error to take the blessed teachings of the Torah and Gospel and use them against Muslims. Such an error can only be the result of conditioning and misguidedness at the hands of Kuffar influences and we think all of the faithful will agree the Kuffar do Satan’s bidding not God’s (Allah’s). Further, it is no secret that it is the plan of antichrist to set believers in Allah (God) against each other especially in these End Times in which we are all now living. We would hope that Rev. Jones and his followers would see the seriousness of the error they are about to commit and see the EVIL game being played out.

–We request that Rev. Jones and his congregation bear in mind the following commands from the Gospels themselves:

“Love you neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

“Love you neighbor as yourself. Love does NO HARM to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the FULFILLMENT of the (God’s) LAW!” (Romans 13:9-10)

“And the Lord’s servant MUST not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to EVERYONE, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Timothy 2:24)

“Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

“Be merciful, just as your Lord is merciful.” (Gospel of Luke 6:36)

–It is our sincere hope that Rev. Jones and his followers will come to the realization that Muslims ARE their neighbors in our global community and realize that Islam is a faith at the heart of whose moral values lay LOVE AND PEACE!

–Sadly, may like Rev. Jones mistakenly believe Islam to be a bloodthirsty and barbaric faith due to their knowing nothing about Islam’s nature or true face. Contrary to popular opinion as advocated by the media the 9/11 terrorists DO NOT represent TRUE ISLAM!! Neither do any other terrorists!! Islam, in truth, is a religion of BROTHERHOOD, Love, and Peace. The Kuffar are using the media and some Christians as pawns to promote the desires of antichrist and Satan, sadly. They seek to spread misinformation and deception and to slander against Islam and Muslims across the world.

–It is a FACT that leaders of terrorism who make claim to being “Muslims” are lost people with Kuffar mindsets mostly the result of their arrogant and spoiled upbringing! They were raised in a manner far REMOVED from true moral values of ISLAM! Most of these people spend their time in night clubs and live DEGENERATE LIVES! Only when it suits their own fancy do they grow beards and try to assume an Islamic appearance and make it APPEAR that they embrace Islam. But, in fact, they are Kuffar (unbelievers) themselves only using Islam as a way to further their own arrogant agendas! In truth, they stand against Allah and Allah stands against them!! Arrogance is born of Satan not God!! These FALSE MUSLIMS who are really Kuffar have NOTHING to do with TRUE ISLAM!! Their real “religion” is ego worship, greed, selfishness, and materialism, NOT ISLAM. The MAJORITY of TRUE MUSLIMS around the world DO NOT SUPPORT their acts of terrorism and, in fact, RESENT Islam being used by them!!

–It is a great error (SIN) to ignore the teaching of Islam that COMMAND peace and brotherhood. It is also a great mistake to ignore the teachings in the Quran that support the Gospel and to equate a small bloodthirsty minority group with Islam itself. Islam CONDEMNS the perverted and Kuffar mindset that carries out ANY act of TERRORISM in the name of Allah!!

–We are saddened that Rev. Jones and his congregation have chosen to be a part of the growing hate instead of standing up and fighting against hate. We wonder, is that what Jesus (pbuh) would do??

–It is our hope that Rev. Jones and his adherents will educate themselves in what true Islam is and what it is NOT. Further, we understand that the Gospel Truth, “Love thy neighbor” is written on a sign in front of Rev. Jones’ church in Florida and so we are left to wonder why he does not practice what he is preaching? Surely Rev. Jones does not have this sign in front of his church as a sign for hypocrisy!

–The more the faithful are divided and turn upon each others throats, the stronger will become the demonic system of antichrist and the further Satan will achieve his agenda in this world.

–Finally, we ask that Rev. Jones and his followers and everyone else, for that matter, take time to educate themselves and NOT be a part of the HYPE to hate Muslims! Further, we ask that they consider “What would Jesus do?” before they act and that they act with reason, mercy, compassion, and good conscience in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (pbuh).

–In conclusion, we would ask that Reverend Jones and his congregation as “ambassadors of Christ” reconsider the actions and error they are about to partake of by burning the Holy Qur’an on 9/11/2010 and, thus, enraging a great number of Muslims all over the world who COULD BE friends but if such action is taken will SURELY make them ENEMIES. The only thing the burning of the Qur’an will do is create another WALL among Muslims, Christians, and Jews and we really DO NOT need anymore walls of division or of HATE. Rev. Jones will only be adding to the growing HATE in this world and we really DO NOT think that is what JESUS (pbuh) would do!!

Note: This response is inspired by the more in-depth response posted by noted author
Harun Yahya on his website at

http://us2.harunyahya.com/Detail/T/EDCRFV/productId/29505/

We very highly recommend that all who read our response go to Yahya’s website and read his response which is more excellent.

Surah 2: 177. It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah.fearing. [Al-Baqara]

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As Surah 2:185 from the Holy Qur’an states, we celebrate Ramadan because it is the month in which Allah sent down the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammid (pbuh). But the Qur’an is not just any book! It was sent down by Allah as a guide to mankind and as a clear sign for guidance and judgment between right and wrong. Here is Surah 2:185 we find the requirement that Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramadan and Allah reassures us that He does not wish to put difficulties upon us but wants us to fast during the holy month in order that we may glorify Him and be thankful. And we should be thankful ALWAYS for what Allah has given us and we should stop to consider those who are less fortunate than us, those who do not have much, the poor and needy.

Ramadan involves many things but one of the things that some of us forget about is that we as Muslims are obliged to help the needy especially during Ramadan, although we should do it all year around. Consider Surah 2:177. These verses teach us that true righteousness (rightness) is NOT whether we turn our faces towards East or West when we pray. Facing whatever direction when we pray does NOT make us righteous in Allah’s eyes. So what makes us righteous then? Surah 2:177 tells us that in Allah’s eyes we are righteous when we have faith in and believe in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book (Qur’an), and the Messengers of Allah, glory be His Name. We are righteous when we spend our substance out of Love for Allah for our kinsmen, orphans, the needy, the traveler, for those who ask, and when we are steadfast in our prayers and when we practice charity. We are righteousness in Allah’s eyes when we stand strong and with patience in times of suffering, adversity, and troubles.

When it comes to the needy we must give to them not for our own glory or righteousness but out of love for Allah who is our Creator and Sustainer. And we must give for Allah’s glorification not our own. Surah 2:271 says:

“If you give alms openly, it is well,
and if you hide it and give it to the poor,
it is better for you;
and this will do away with some of your evil deeds;
and Allah is aware of what you do.”
[Surah 2:271]

Arrogance and egotism are NOT from Allah. Humbleness is! If one is arrogant and egotistical then he is full of Satan and he is NOT rightly guided as the Faithful are. Our world today, sadly, is literally overflowing with arrogance and egotism and there seems to be no end to it. We see people giving, when the momentarily forget about their own greed and selfishness, and when we see them giving they do so openly with spectacle so that they are sure everyone will see them. Such people are NOT People of Truth. These people are giving to the needy not to glorify Allah and not for their love of Him but for their own self glorification! This is wrong! This is NOT the kind of giving Allah wants and this is NOT the way Allah wants us to give because when we do something like this we are NOT giving out of our love for Allah but out of love for our own egos!

Allah wants us to work to overcome our lower selves (our egos) and this is one of the many things we can do during the holy month of Ramadan to strengthen and purify our Faith in Allah so that we might better glorify Him in all that we do in this world. Surah 2:271 tells us that giving openly is well BUT when we give in secret to the needy it is BETTER for us. Why? Because when we give in secret we cannot employ our egos or arrogance for all the world to see. When we give in secret we give all the glory to Allah instead of our own selves and this is the way it should be. And notice Surah 2:271 tells us that when we give to the needy in secret it does away with some of our own evil deeds? That means when we give in secret to the needy Allah is more apt to grant forgiveness for ourselves! Most people who give in secret do so humbly. Most people who give openly do so out of arrogance and self importance. Allah loves the humble and this is why He is more apt to grant us forgiveness for our own sins when we give to the needy in secret.

We need to reflect on our giving to the needy during this Ramadan. We need to consider not only how much we give but how we give. We need to ponder who we are trying to glorify when we give. Allah or our own selves?

We also need to consider what we give. When we think of giving we typically think of giving money. But we can give food or clothing or other things in kind. Giving does not have to be money. We can give even more valuable things than money too. Things like love, compassion, and forgiveness! We can begin to give love and compassion for the homeless, for example, that we may have despised before now. We can start to show love to a kinsman who we’ve had a difficult time with or a child or sibling who might cause us great grief. We can give forgiveness to those who we previously have not forgiven and by so doing liberate not only them but our own selves from the darkness of harboring hatred and resentments. There are a thousand ways to give and a thousand things to give. Perhaps we should ponder them this Ramadan and make a new effort to be more giving, in secret, so that we glorify Allah and so that we give out of our devotion, faith, and love for Him and not ourselves.

Ramadan is the holy month in which Allah revealed the Holy Qur’an to the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Allah did not have to give forth this revelation but He did and He did out of His love for us! Consider that He gave the Torah to the Jews who distorted it and did not do Allah’s Will. Consider that Allah then gave forth the Scriptures to the Christians who did the same. Allah could have ended it all there! He could have brought forth His Judgment but He didn’t. Instead, out of His great Love for us and because He wants us to be rightly guided and People of Truth, Allah gave forth the Holy Qur’an to the Prophet (pbuh). That’s magnificent! It shows how much Allah cares for us. It shows how vast Allah’s compassion and mercy is for mankind! And we should be grateful for that vast compassion and mercy! Allah did not have to give forth the Holy Qur’an but He did and THAT is mind-blowing! We should realize how much Allah wants us to “get it right.” How much Allah wants us to submit ourselves fully to Him, be rightly guided, and be truly and fully People of Truth!

During this Ramadan I hope that you will make it a practice to give to those in need, secretly for the glory of Allah. You can give money, food, clothing, love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, etc. The important thing is not what you give but how you give and that you give. And it is my hope that in this coming year you continue to give to the needy and continue leading people to Islam so that the world might become a better place as well as our own personal lives.

Ramadan has traditionally been a time for the expression of goodness, compassion, and mercy. The Hadith teaches us that, “Those who do not give mercy, shall not receive mercy.” (Hadith Bukhari). So why not begin this Ramadan by showing mercy in the form of forgiveness? Let us use this special time for forgiving all of those who have wronged us or that we feel have wronged us. Let us express our goodness and compassion by forgiving all others this first day of Ramadan.

This may be no easy task as we may feel that someone has grossly wronged us and that we cannot possibly forgive them but let us try to forgive them anyway. Let us show them mercy so that we might receive mercy.
When we harbor resentments towards others we are really harming no one more than our own selves. This is because our resentments eat away at us from the inside out, normally. Our resentments tend to occupy our thoughts and so we tend to focus our attention of them instead of Allah. Allah desires us to focus our attention and thoughts on Him but how can we do that when our minds are filled with resentments?

When we forgive it frees our thoughts so that we can have a greater focus on Allah and this is what Allah wants. This is part of fully submitting to God (Islam). Allah does not anything to stand in the way of our faith yet when we harbor resentment those resentments do, in fact, stand in the way of our faith. So let us forgive. Let us give mercy so that we might receive mercy. And let us begin anew today, this first day of Ramadan, so that we can strengthen our faith and submit more fully to Allah.

In one of the articles I read it was stated that American Muslims even the most Americanized Muslim “secretly wants to replace the Constitution with Islamic Shariah Law.” Really? I’m an American. I was born American. I’ve been a Muslim for 25+ years and I have NO desire whatsoever to see our beloved Constitution replaced with Shariah Law! In fact, I’m not only an American Muslim but I’m a Constitituionalist as well. So how can someone make a generalized comment like they did in this article that even the most Americanized Muslim wants the Constitution replaced with Shariah? BTW the first article is located at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/us/08mosque.html?_r=2

and the next article I read is located at:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/09/plans-build-tennessee-islamic-centers/

What is happening to our country today? There’s a growing hatred here but it’s NOT new at all. In fact, it is a hatred that has been underground for decades now. The civil rights movements of the 1960′s kind of quashed the hate and people stopped expressing their hate but now it’s coming to the open surface again and that is NOT good for our nation in my opinion. Racism, Religious Hatred, and discrimination are never good. They always end in disaster and I fear that disaster is what our Republic is headed towards. Disaster caused by our own hand I fear.

The main controversy right now seems to center around American Muslims building Islamic Centers and Mosques across the nation to accomodate the growing number of the faithful. For some reason some people think that this is wrong and should not be allowed to happen. Some are even claiming as one of their arguements that Islam is not even a religion but a “political government.” Excuse me? Of course it’s a religion and anyone with even an elementary knowledge of Islam knows it’s a religion and NOT a “political government.”

Many of the faithful and their Imam’s are trying to build Islamic Centers to deter radicalism among young American Muslims. Is that wrong? Is it wrong for American Muslims to want to try to prevent their youth from becoming radicalized? Opponents claim all Mosques are centers of radicalism and places where weapons are stored. Where’s the proof of that? I could make the same claim about Christian Churches couldn’t I? Of course it would be a completely uninformed claim because I know Christian Churches are NOT such things as I also know MOST US Mosques are NOT such things either.

Hate…hate…hate….when will it end? I think hate is a horrible thing and I think hate is UNACCEPTABLE to God!

I fail to understand where this concept of Religious Freedom for ONLY this or that group comes from while not for that or that group. Doesn’t the Constitution guarantee religious freedom and NO RELIGION at all? Sure it does. This conflict has nothing to do with our Constitution or religious freedom and it has everything to do with hate. That’s sad and hate is a SIN! Don’t believe it? Go ask your own clergyman or woman and see what they have to say about hatred being a sin in the eyes of God.

As I read these articles I kept thinking about the mega-churches that have been and are being built across our nation. Where was the outcry against them? There was none apparently. If Christians can have mega-Churches then why can’t Muslims have mega-Islamic Centers or Jewish people have mega-Synagogues? Isn’t what is fair for one is fair for all? Isn’t that REAL religious freedom? Of course it is.

Let’s face it, the peaceful, law-abiding, compassion honoring Muslim in America is being completely ignored. No matter what good works we do we are NOT going to get attention because the media in this nation is promoting the radical killer terrorist as the “normal Muslim” even though they do NOT represent the MAJORITY of Muslim people in our nation or in the world! That’s sad because all the media focus on radical Muslims is only promoting the inaccurate stereotype of Muslims and it does nothing more than to serve to strengthen the demonization of peaceful, Constitution loving American Muslims.

In honesty I have to tell you something else that crossed my mind as I read these two articles. That is, I kept thinking “Are we living in an ignorant society today?”. I don’t want to believe that! I want to believe that we live in an America that is intelligent and freedom loving but I’m beginning to wonder. Remember the so called “dumping down of America”? Apparently IT WORKED! I think it’s high time we start SMARTING UP AMERICA!

What really gets me is that most of these people cited in the articles have no interest at all in getting informed or in getting to personally know a Muslim. Instead, they would rather cling to their inaccurate stereotypes and hatreds. That’s SAD and there is no other word for it. There is something BADLY wrong not only in our nation but in our Ameircan society and it must be corrected before our Republic is no more. And, frankly, that is where I think our Republic is headed for and, bluntly, that scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to live in ANY kind of dictatorship and I don’t think most people in this nation do either.

I like what was said in the first article by Dr. Mansoor Mirza. He said he is trying to take the “long view of the controversy.” And he went on to say, “Every new group coming to this country–Jews, Catholics, Irish, Germans, Japanese—has gone through this. Now I think it’s our turn to pay the price, and eventually we will be coming out of this, too.” I hope Dr. Mirza is right.

I also want to let you know that I had another thought that crossed my mind as I read these two articles. That thought was this, “I recall when the Chrisitan Church was strong in America. Then something happened and people began leaving the churches. The nation started going downhill and it was because people started turning against God. Many Christians were upset by all this. So, now are they blaming Islam? I do recall an intense hatred of the New Age Movement which was once blamed for the exodus from Christendom.” Is this true? Is Christianity now blaming Islam for their own lose of adherents in this nation? Is so, then why have they chosen to play the blame game instead of trying to do something to get their adherents back? Oh, I know, it’s always easier to play the Blame Game and use a scapegoat for one’s own woes isn’t it? That’s really sad because I thought Christianity had moved beyond the Blame Game and I thought Christianity was a religion of peace and love. But is it?

I guess what is breaking my heart the most is what I’ve read in these two articles and many others and that is the great division that has now invested our great nation like a growing malignant cancer. United we stand? I don’t think that is the case in America anymore. Today it would be more accurate to say “Divided we do NOT stand.” And there’s the key isn’t it to the future of our Constitution and Republic? Divided we CANNOT and WILL NOT stand as a free nation!! And this is what every one of you reading this had better catch onto right away! I don’t care what your faith is or even if you have one. If the people of this nation don’t stand united then our nation is NOT going to endure for much longer I fear. And when that happens I guarantee you none of us will be worrying about who’s building what down the street or what religion the neighbor is or is not. Think about it!

You know there is something right about a nation when everybody wants in and no one wants out. In contrast, you know there is something grossly wrong with a nation when most want out and few want to stay! America has always been the kind of nation that everybody wants into because it has always been a bastion of liberty, freedom, and rights. Will we continue to be so? Or are we becoming the other type of nation? They type in which no one want to stary and most want out? I guess time will tell which we now are before long. There is one thing I know that MUST be figured into our future as Americans, however, and that is that I know Ameirca MUST turn back to God! And I think if you are a true Christian, true Muslim, true Jew, or true anything else you know that somewhere inside yourself. Soooo when is it going to happen? In fact, allow me to be blunt, the ONLY thing that is going to save our great nation is GOD! And I think most of you know that too.

Getting back to the ACLU legal briefs, it appears that most of these suits have been filed by the ACLU in connection with one man and that man is Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Anyone wish to tell me why I’m NOT suprised? This is the now infamous Arizona Sheriff who loves conducting “sweeps” (ie: RAIDS) against undocumented immigrates in his county. I sometimes wonder if he does anything else BTW.

In May 2009 I former Maricopa Country Sheriff’s Detention Officer filed suit against the Sheriff and County because the Sheriff demanded he cut his beard. The former employee refused because he’s a practicing Muslim and, in fact, MCSO hired him with the beard and assured him he could keep it due to his religion! But, when Sheriff Arpaio saw his employee with the beard it became another story. The former employee got a pay cut and demotion to a clerical job simply because he refused to shave his beard because he was a Muslim. I guess Sheriff Joe thinks he IS the law and above the US Constitution. That’s DANGEROUS!

Continuing my review of ACLU religious legal briefs I then came across ANOTHER suit brought by the ACLU against the Arizona, Maricopa Country Sheriff dated 2/4/2010. In this matter the ACLU successfully challenged a Maricopa Country policy restricting religious head coverings worn by inmates and detainees in Sheriff Joe’s jail. The case centers around a Muslim woman who was denied the right to wear a head scarf while detained by the MCSO. The MCSO now allows Muslim women to wear head scarves during intake and booking after a brief initial search.

Of course it goes on and on and it’s just not Arizona but every other state across the nation that seems to have a seething underground hate based on skin color, gender preference, and religion!! In short, I’m thankful for organizations like the ACLU who stand up legally to protect OUR rights, meaning the rights of people of ALL RELIGIONS because if they didn’t then we all be forced to be one religion I’m sure and I’m certain that religion would NOT be Islam. Thank God someone has the gutts to stand up to someone like Sheriff Joe and his cronies who would have us trash our religion like so many others do today. Seems to me that he’s one elected Sheriff bent on violating CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS no matter what! Hopefully the man will NOT be re-elected as Sheriff and he can then retire along with his obvious HATE.

I then reviewed a map on the Southern Poverty Law Center website concerning the number of hate groups by state in the US and not surprisingly found 16 listed in the State of Arizona. Most of these groups are white supremists groups who hate and target undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Again, why am I NOT surprised??

After trying to digest all this I then kicked back in my office chair and began wondering just when all the hate is going to stop. When are we going to stop hating people based on the color of their skin, their legal status, or religion? When are we going to stop using each other as scapegoats for our woes (most of which are self created)?

Hate is a horrible thing, always! Hate breeds more hate and eventually that hate breeds acts of violence and human slaughter if left unchecked. Is this the kind of world we really want? A world drowned in hate and human death? How is hate going to make the world better? How is it going to make our personal lives any better?

I think people must stand up and challenge hate every time they see it and no matter where they see it! I’m not talking about challenging hate with violence but about challenging it in our legal system just like the ACLU and SPLC along with others are doing every day. And I think people need to challenge hate, racism, and religious racism until people start thinking twice about hating and discriminating.

Sometimes people hate because they are afraid and they tend to hate because they don’t understand people of other faiths, culures, etc. It seems to me educationing these people is also necessary. Educating them about other religions so they can begin to rip apart all the myths and lies they’ve been told about this or that faith. We often fear that which we do not understand and I think education is key to understanding and overcoming hate.

Of course, you are going to encounter people who do NOT wish to be educated just like I did a few weeks ago. I attempted a few weeks ago to educate a small group of people regarding some verses from the Qur’an they had wrote that were misquotes. They did not want to hear it and I suddenly became their target. Suddenly, Islam had a face and a name and it was ME! And, let me assure you these people directed every bit of their psychotic venom right at me!! Never have I encountered such intense hatred especially for TRUTH. That truth being I provided them with accurate quotes from the Qur’an that they did not wish to hear! These people called me every filthy name they could think of publically. They tried to demonize and marginalize me. And their response to me went far, far beyond simple hatred. And all because they were using misquotes from the Qur’an and I corrected them by providing them with the correct quotes from the Qur’an!

Obviously, these people did NOT wish to be educated about the Qur’an, Islam, Muslims, or anything else. They loved their hate apparently but what really got me was how miserable and negative they were. Did they enjoy that too? I guess so as they defended every aspect of their hate and miserableness as if it were gold.

I hope people like this are the minority and I’d like to think that the majority of people would be willing to be corrected and educated but I’m now unsure even about that. Do people love their hate so much that they are unwilling to surrender it no matter what? Do they love their myths so much that they will defend them even to the point of complete ignorance?

Of course I got a lot of “YOUR people are responsible for 9/11″ talk. Really? MY people? I don’t think so! My people had NOTHING to do with 9/11. In fact, some of MY PEOPLE died in the 9/11 horror and every one of them was a MUSLIM!! Interesting that I hear people talk about 9/11 and how many Christians and Jews died that day but when it comes to how many Muslims died that day who were in the WTC and Pentagon there is an unnerving SILENCE! Frankly, I don’t care what the hijackers/terrorists called themselves. They were NOT part of “my people” as far as I’m concerned!!

So I guess the deal is that if you happen to be a Muslim you are automatically a terrorist? And, thanks to the little group I mentioned earlier, I’m not aware that if you are a Muslim you cannot be a patriotic American either LOL. What?? Where the hell does that come from??? Most Muslims I know in the US are in the US because they value independence and freedom which America enshrines so how can they not be PATRIOTIC? Just because we are Muslims that automatically disqualifies us from being Patriotic? What kind of absolute IGNORANCE is that?

Ok so I get it. In fact every Muslim in America now gets it. We are hated because we are Muslim, right? We are all blamed for 9/11 no matter what, right? We all hate America and Jews, right? What a CROCK! I and many more do hate America, did not support the 9/11 terrorist illogic, and we don’t hate Jews either but I guess that all doesn’t matter because we are Muslims, right? Is that insane or is that insane? And that is what hate eventualy does…drives the hater into the arms of INSANITY!

Frankly, I wish more people would stop to consider something significant. And that is this: Just becasue others hate does NOT mean YOU have to be a part of that hate! In fact, YOU can make the choice NOT to be part of the hate and I hope you do make that choice because it’s the only way we are really going to STOP THE HATE!

I would also hope that the Muslim community does NOT return hate with more hate. That solves nothing and, in fact, what that does is only ensure that hate will continue to grow and become even more insane. Islam has a historical tradition of teaching by personal example. During the times of the Crusades and the Ottomans (and at many other times) people of other faiths chose to convert to Islam based mainly on the personal examples of tolerance and compassion they seen exhibited by Muslims. I would hope that we as modern Muslims continue that personal example because there is no better educator or enlightener than by personal example!

You don’t have to hate just because others around you have chosen to hate. You don’t have to be one of the psychotic haters in the world. You can be a living personal example of tolerance and mercy be you a Muslim or not. You can truly work to make the world and your own life better by making the conscious choice NOT to be part of the hate. And I’d hope that would be the choice you would make as that is the choice I have made.

Sa’laam

Those who are filled with hate are many today, sadly. And their hate tells the rest of us everything we need to know about them. Hatred seethes from these people like leaking ooze that smells of death and rot because, in fact, people who hate are already dead inside themselves. Their stench is that of their own inner rotting and death!

It has always amazed me how quickly people will latch on to hate but how reluctantly they are to latch on to love. Are we as a species really that miserable and misguided? Are we as a species so ignorant that we really believe hate will bring us what we so desire? The world has been deceived and it has been deceived greatly! The deception is that people have been made to somehow believe that hate is their friend and that it will get them what they want unscathed. Yet, those of us who are still sane know how delusional such thinking is. For, we know that hate will NOT get us what we truly want and it NEVER leaves the hater unscathed.

I cannot help but notice that people who hate also tend to be rather arrogant and self righteous. To watch them or listen to them they fancy themselves as perfect and untouchable. They go to and fro acting as if they are some sort of newly dawned messiah or prophet but I assure you they are neither. How do I know? Because hate and arrogance are of Satan not of God!

Arrogance, self righteousness, and hate have become the hallmarks of our global society and they are nothing to be proud of at all. In fact, we should all be ashamed of this. Where is humbleness? As believers and followers of Truth aren’t we suppose to be humble, not arrogant? Aren’t we suppose to have compassion and mercy, not hate? Sadly, many people hate thrown these things out the door in favor of their hate and arrogance and these two things PROVE such people are NOT rightly guided even though they might proclaim loudly that they are!

Another thing that has always amazed me is why we give haters so much of our attention. Why do we not give people of compassion and humbleness our attention instead? What so fascinates us about hatred and haters? Could it be that we love drama and, as we all know, haters are normally BIG drama queens be they male or female! So is it the drama we like or are we so miserable as a species that we secretly have a death wish? We all claim that we fear the end of the human race but do we, really? Or do we secretly desire it?

I’ve heard many people in my lifetime talk about the advancement of the human race. Yes, technological-wise we have advanced but spiritually and psychologically I really question just how far we have advanced. In fact I’ve often thought that what is really happening is not human “evolution” (growth) at all but instead it’s really human degeneration or de-evolution.

I really think that before the human race can really grow and advance at all that God is requiring of us that we get beyond our hatred. That we get beyond our arrogance and our self righteousness and be humble and compassionate. I think this is what Allah (God) wants of us, to be humble and compassionate. I think Allah wants us NOT to be filled with seething hatred or arrogance. And I think Allah’s Will is that we as a species will NOT advance and grow until we become humble and compassionate.

Hatred, open or not, stand at the very root of many if not most of our global problems today. And hatred stands at the very root of many of our personal problems today as well. Look around you. Hate is everywhere today! This one hates that one and “they” (whoever “they” are) hate them (whoever “them” are). This color hates that color and that religion hates this religions and on and on and on. There is no end to the hate! BUT somewhere along the line of human history there MUST be an END TO OUR HATE!!

Sound like I sit in a Ivory Tower doesn’t it? But you’re wrong! I don’t sit in a Ivory Tower thinking of utopia. But what I do do is listen to Allah and read His Word and it is clear to me that God wants us to END our hatreds! Not some of them but ALL OF THEM!

In another post I suggested that this coming Ramadan we look within ourselves and find forgiveness for all of those who have wronged us. That’s one one to stop the hate, YOUR hate. I have suggested that Muslims be sensible, merciful, and compassionate because I believe that is what Allah wants of us. That’s another way to stop the hate! And another way we can stop the hate is through NOT giving our attention to the drama queens, the haters! Why don’t we START giving our attention to those people who are humble and compassionate instead? Why must the spotlight always shine on those who hate? On those seething with self arrogance and obviously the children of Satan? And there are a thousand other ways to help stop the hate and the haters!

Recently I was made aware of a Christian outreach group that plans on holding an “event” this coming 9/11. They are calling is a “Burn a Koran Day.” There’s more hate! I really wonder with all the jokes I hear from some people about Islam being a religion of peace if Christianity is really what it claims to be (ie: a religion of peace). This “event” will certainly do nothing to strengthen the view that Christianity is a religion of peace. In fact, what it will do is support the idea that it is a religion of hate! Is that the image Christians really wish to project? I don’t think it is. I would hope that no one attends this “event” of HATE but I’m sure a few diehard haters will, sadly.

This is just one example of what must be stopped. These are the kinds of things we all must stop doing no matter what our faith or ideologies. We must stop promoting hate and start promoting humbleness and compassion! We must consciously remove the spotlight off of the drama queen haters and start putting it on the humble peacemakers.

In the end, all of our hate is going to get us all. None of us is going to be immune to the end effects of the world’s hate. Our hate is going to result in our own destruction and it’s just a matter of time. Is that what we really want? Do we desire mass death and disease? Do we desire to live in whatever comes after the destruction trying to survive in a nuclear wasteland? I don’t think that is what most people want and I know that is not what God wants!

When people hate it normally tells us more about them than we wish to know. It tells us how misguided they really are. It tells us how much under the influence of Satan they really are because Satan is the author of hate, not God. It tells us how arrogant and self righteous they are. And it tells us just how much they lack humility and compassion. Finally, it also lets us know how insensible and insane they are because, in the end, hate will ALWAYS drive one towards insanity and insensibility. Personally I’ve never met a hater with any sense and I’ve never met one that I thought was sane either.

In this world we have choices and two of those choices are choosing to hate or not to hate. The choice is yours and mine and we each much choose to hate or reject hate. I myself reject hate and I’ll keep rejecting it because I am absolutely certain that hate is NOT Allah’s Will for me. What about you?

The Holy Month of Ramadan is many things and part of it involves “soul searching.” During the Holy Month which begins in a few short days, Muslims all around the world are enjoined to look within themselves and to make changes in their souls and behaviors which will bring them closer to Allah (God) and which will help them to better know His Will.

In many ways Islam is an inner journey that takes a true Muslim closer and closer to Allah (God). It is a journey of growth and self purification. It involves inward struglle (jihad) and the overcoming of our own selfish wills in favor of Allah’s Supreme Will. That is no easy task for most! Most of us want to do our own will and, sadly, many only acknowledge Allah’s Will when it suits them. But this is no true Islam. True Islam involves acknowleging Allah’s Will all the time, just not sometimes. True Islam involves submitting to Allah’s Will even when it does not suit us. Islam is about coming to understand and know that life is about Allah and His Will and NOT about our selfish and flawed personal wills. It is about realizing that Allah is in control of all things and it’s about realizing and accepting the fact that nothing can befall us unless it is by Allah’s Will.

For most of us it is difficult to give up control or even to admit that we are not in control. This is especially true of people in the West because humanism has been rammed down our throats for decades. Humanism is based on man and it holds the erroneous view that man is all knowing and all powerful. It promotes the false claim that man is in control of his own destiny and God is nowhere to be found. Humanism is a false and lying doctrine contrived by evil men long, long ago. It puts Allah totally out of the picture of one’s life and world affairs. It is a false ideology that stands in direct opposition to Allah Himself!

Ramadan reminds Believers that Allah is ultimately in control of everything including world affairs and our lives. It reminds us that nothing can befall us except by Allah’s Will. It reminds us that the Faithful must stand strong against false doctrines and false ideologies like humanism. And most especially, Ramadan reminds us that God is NOT “out there….somewhere??” but that He is everywhere above and below us and all around us.

Ramadan also reminds us of unity. As Muslims we are suppose to be united not dividing ourselves into various sects but as you well know that is NOT the case today. There are many sects of Islam. One of the purposes of revealing the Holy Qur’an was to bring back the original faith, the faith of Abraham (pbuh). How can that possibly happen when we have divided ourselves into sects? How can this possibly happen if we have one saying this and another saying that? Muslims are suppose to be unite in their faith not divided.

In a post I made on this blog yesterday I said that Ramadan is also about forgiveness of others and it is. Ramadan is a time for setting aside our differences, our offenses, our grudges. It is a time for healing and renewal not only for ourselves but also for all other people around us. And one of the ways we can help others renew and heal is by giving them our forgiveness. The Hadith says that “Those who do not give mercy shall not receive mercy.” [Hadith Bukhari]. We should NOT expect mercy from Allah or from other people unless we are first williing to show mercy ourselves. The same holds true for forgiveness. We should not expect forgiveness unless we ourselves show forgiveness and Ramadan is the perfect time to show such forgiveness!

I’ve heard many people speak of something and conclude with something like, “I just can’t forgive them.” But, I really do not think it is a matter of CAN’T and it is more a matter of WON’T. It’s not that you cannot forgive, it is that you will not forgive! That’s wrong! There is no other way around it. Each of us must realize that when we refuse to forgive we are really hurting no one more than we hurt our own selves. Think about it. Our minds are consummed by thoughts of the person we won’t forgive. Our thoughts focus on our hatred towards that person. Is this where Allah wants our thoughts to be? Not at all. Allah wants our thoughts to be upon Him not on our hate!

As Ramadan approaches it is my hope that each of you who read this blog will use it as an opportunity to begin to forgive and show mercy so that you might receive forgiveness and mercy yourselves. Allah wants us to do what is right. When we refuse to forgive we are NOT doing what is right at all but what is wrong.

Ramadan is a time in which we can become something MORE, something BETTER as men and women. It is a time when we can walk closer to Allah and submit ourselves even more to Him and, thus, become better Muslims and people. No person is beyond comitting wrong. We have all committed wrongs in our lives and we have all been wronged by others in our lives. The important thing is how we handle it all and the best way I thiink to handle it is by being merciful and forgiving. In so doing we do Allah’s Will and not our own wills that wish to strike out and hurt. In so doing we do not lower ourselves to those who refuse to forgive but instead shine like beacons of light for the glory of Allah our Creator. And by forgiving and being merciful we establish a living example in our own selves to others showing them what the truly Faithful are and are NOT. And there is no better teacher to the world than your own personal example!