Jamrullistan

On why Iran's real "nuclear" weapon is the Euro...

2006-11-03T12:04:00.000Z

William Clark writing on 27 October 2004:

The Iranians are about to commit an "offense" far greater than Saddam Hussein's conversion to the euro of Iraq’s oil exports in the fall of 2000. Numerous articles have revealed Pentagon planning for operations against Iran as early as 2005. While the publicly stated reasons will be over Iran's nuclear ambitions, there are unspoken macroeconomic drivers explaining the Real Reasons regarding the 2nd stage of petrodollar warfare - Iran's upcoming euro-based oil Bourse.

The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target

And a breakdown by Krassimir Petrov on how he feels the proposed Iranian Oil Bourse will "accelerate the fall of the American Empire".

The History of Oil by Rob Newman

2006-10-31T09:55:00.000Z

Informative and relevant history lesson in comedy standup form from the brilliantly funny Rob Newman. Enjoy.

On the Art of Stealing Human Rights

2006-10-30T11:28:00.000Z

[The following extracts are from a speech given by Gerry Gambill at a conference on Human Rights at Tobique Reserve in New Brunswick, in August, 1958. In this speech, he warned native people about how this society goes about taking away the human rights of native people...]

The art of denying Indians their human rights has been refined to a science. The following list of commonly used techniques will be helpful in "burglar-proofing" your reserves, and your rights.

GAIN THE INDIANS CO-OPERATION - It is much easier to steal someone's human rights if you can do it with his OWN co-operation. So..:

1. Make him a non-person. Human rights are for people. Convince Indians their ancestors were savages, that they were pagan, that Indians were drunkards. Make them wards of the government. Make a legal distinction, as in the Indian Act, between Indians and persons. Write history books that tell half the story.

2. Convince the Indian that he should be patient, that these things take time. Tell him that we are making progress, and that progress takes time.

3. Make him believe that things are being done for his own good. Tell him you're sure that after he has experienced your laws and actions that he will realise how good they have been. Tell the Indian he has to take a little of the bad in order to enjoy the benefits you are conferring on him.

4. Get some Indian people to do the dirty work. There are always those who will act for you to the disadvantage of their own people. Just give them a little honor and praise. This is generally the function of band councils, chiefs, and advisory councils: they have little legal power, but can handle the tough decisions such as welfare, allocation of housing etc.

5. Consult the Indian, but do not act on the basis of what you hear. Tell the Indian he has a voice and go through the motions of listening. Then interpret what you have heard to suit your own needs.

6. Insist that the Indian "GOES THROUGH PROPER CHANNELS." Make the channels and the procedures so difficult that he won't bother to do anything. When he discovers what the proper channels are and becomes proficient at the procedures, change them.

7. Make the Indian believe that you are working hard for him, putting in much overtime and at a great sacrifice, and imply that he should be appreciative. This is the ultimate in skills in stealing human rights; when you obtain the thanks of your victim.

8. Allow a few individuals to "MAKE THE GRADE" and then point to them as examples. Say that the 'HARDWORKERS" AND THE "GOOD" Indians have made it, and that therefore it is a person's own fault if he doesn't succeed.

9. Appeal to the Indian's sense of fairness, and tell him that even though things are pretty bad it is not right for him to make strong protests. Keep the argument going on his form of protest and avoid talking about the real issue. refuse to deal with him while he is protesting. Take all the fire out of his efforts.

10. Encourage the Indian to take his case to court. This is very expensive, takes lots of time and energy and is very safe because laws are stacked against him. The court's ruling will defeat the Indian's cause, but makes him think he has obtained justice.

11. Make the Indian believe that things could be worse, and that instead of complaining about the loss of human rights, to be grateful for the rights we do have. In fact, convince him that to attempt to regain a right he has lost is likely to jepordize the rights that he still has.

12. Set yourself up as the protector of the Indian's human rights, and then you can choose to act only on those violations you wish to act upon. By getting successful on a few minor violations of human rights, you can point to these as examples of your devotion to his cause. The burglar who is also the doorman is the perfect combination.

13. Pretend that the reason for the loss of human rights is for some other reason that the person is an Indian. Tell him some of your best friends are Indians, and that his loss of rights is because of his housekeeping, his drinking, his clothing.

14. Make the situation more complicated than is necessary. Tell the Indian you will have to take a survey to find out how many other Indians are being discriminating against. Hire a group of professors to make a year-long research project.

15. Insist on unanimity. Let the Indian know that when all the Indians in Canada can make up their minds about just what they want as a group, then you will act. Play one group's special situation against another group's wishes.

16. Select very limited alternatives, neither of which has much merit, and then tell the Indian that indeed he has a choice. Ask, for instance, if he could or would rather have council elections in June or December, instead of asking if he wants them at all.

17. Convince the Indian that the leaders who are the most beneficial and powerful are dangerous and not to be trusted. Or simply lock them up on some charge like driving with no lights. Or refuse to listen to the real leaders and spend much time with the weak ones. Keep the people split from their leaders by sowing rumour. Attempt to get the best leaders into high paying jobs where they have to keep quiet to keep their paycheck coming in.

18. Speak of the common good. Tell the Indian that you can't consider yourselves when there is a whole nation to think of. Tell him that he can't think only of himself. For instance, in regard to hunting rights, tell him we have to think of all the hunters, or the sporting good industry.

19. Remove rights so gradually that people don't realize what has happened until it is too late. Again, in regard to hunting rights, first restrict the geographical area where hunting is permitted, then cut the season to certain times of the year, then cut the limits down gradually, then insist on licensing, and then Indians will be on the same grounds as white sportsmen.

20. Rely on some reason and logic (your reason and logic) instead of rightness and morality. Give thousands of reasons for things, but do not get trapped into arguments about what is right.

21. Hold a conference on HUMAN RIGHTS, have everyone blow off steam and tension, and go home feeling things are well in hand.

Source

Taliban Country

2006-10-29T13:10:00.000Z

Carmela Baranowska’s “Taliban Country” is a rare and damning insight into what U.S. forces are doing in remote Afghanistan. For three weeks, Carmela was embedded with the U.S. Marines in their remote forward operating Base.

Suspicious of what was really happening, Carmela later became the only person in 2004 to return and independently cover this area. She was reported kidnapped by the Taliban but the source of reports of an abandoned vehicle and Taliban abduction of a Western woman have never been uncovered.

Carmela obtained disturbing testimony from local villagers, some of which echo the sexual abuse documented at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Naval Base.

Four-part documentary can be viewed here
(Very strong language from the start)
(Quicktime required)

Final Solution...

2006-07-24T13:03:00.000+01:00

A film by Rakesh Sharma

"Those who forget history are condemned to relive it..."
- George Santayana

Borrowing its name from Hitler's policy towards the Jewish people, the Final Solution is a brave film by award winning director, Rakesh Sharma, on the politics of hate and violence in India. It focuses on the atrocities that took place when the BJP swept to power, and thousands of Muslims were killed, and hundreds of Muslim women and girls raped, by mobs in Gujarat, India in 2002.

Harrowing stuff.

Sonic Boom

2006-07-24T00:29:00.000+01:00

Although the phrase "sonic boom" would normally conjure up fond memories of the Street Fighter 2 machine down at the local arcade, I came across it in a quite different context in a blog I happened upon the other day, written by a doctor living and working in the volatile Gaza strip.

Amongst the many oppressive tactics of the Israeli occupation forces, is a technique known as sonic booming. Basically, when an object (in this case an American-built F-16 Israeli fighter jet) breaks the sound barrier, an effect known as the sonic boom is emitted. Not only is the sound very scary but the violent shockwaves which are created as a result of the sonic booms can have a whole range of horrible effects:

Low-flying F-16 fighter jets break the sound barrier above populated areas, creating thunderous shock waves which shake buildings, break windows, blow off doors, and cause widespread panic, fear, and hysteria.

The practice began in late September 2005 after Israeli settlers withdrew from Gaza.

Human rights groups and doctors have condemned the practice, which indiscriminately punishes the civilian population of Gaza, particularly young children:

According to Eyad Sarraj, a Palestinian psychiatrist, the attacks are terrorising the population and resulting in an array of psychosomatic effects ranging from anxiety attacks, seizures and nausea to nosebleeds and miscarriages.

"Although it is not lethal, it can lead to death indirectly, of unborn children, it can lead to highly traumatising effects on children particularly, and adults too," he says.

"Repeated attacks of that kind have resulted in widespread bedwetting and behavioural changes, depression and anxiety symptoms, in both children and adults."

Sarraj says the sonic attacks are particularly traumatising on children below the age of six, who cannot distinguish between real and simulated bombings and perceive loud noises as threats and danger.

"I have seen children who have changed completely after being subjected to sonic booms, from sociable to clingy and anxious, crying all the time.
Source

Here's a very simple model of how a sonic boom works.

Imagine how that would sound amplified, coming from a fighter jet, flying over your home.

Imagine how it would feel, not knowing whether it was a bomb or a sonic boom.

Imagine the feeling of the shockwaves raining down on you... shockwaves that are strong enough to shatter windows, rock buildings, and even shake your internal organs.

Now imagine you're six years old.

The Killing of Kashmir

2006-07-23T01:10:00.001+01:00

Unreported World: Killing of Kashmir first broadcasted on Channel 4 at 9pm April 8, 2004.

Reporter Sandra Jordan and producer Rodrigo Vazquez


Kashmir is a Muslim majority land split between Muslim-dominated Pakistan and Hindu-dominated India. It has been disputed over for years and civilians have been caught in the crossfire. This video details the crimes committed against the citizens of Kashmir.

How accurate and objective is the News?

2006-07-20T12:11:00.000+01:00

Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites--oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region, among others--work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported.

Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied terrorities appears to be a defensive move rather than an offensive one.

The documentary also explores the ways that U.S. journalists, for reasons ranging from intimidation to a lack of thorough investigation, have become complicit in carrying out Israel's PR campaign. At its core, the documentary raises questions about the ethics and role of journalism, and the relationship between media and politics.

View documentary

Does the Qur'an endorse beating a disobedient wife?

2005-11-22T12:33:00.000Z

Some say it does. They base their assertion on the now famous verse from Surah Nisa of the Qur'an (4:34).

But is beating your wife divinely sanctioned by the Qur'an, and by extension Almighty God himself?

First of all before we begin looking at the verse, it is important to note that Muslims do not interpet the Qur'an by itself, but take much from what is called the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), which is the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

He was often referred to as the "walking Qur'an" because he embodied the Qur'an's teachings.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never hit any of his wives, or indeed any female for that matter. In fact here are some of his sayings on this matter:

"Do not beat the female servants of Allah";

"Some (women) visited my family complaining about their husbands (beating them). These (husbands) are not the best of you."

“How does anyone of you beat his wife as he beats the stallion camel and then he may embrace (sleep with) her?”

Secondly, the Qur'an as accepted by Muslims as God's revealed words to mankind, are as it is in the original 7th century Arabic only. Once the Qur'an is no longer in the original 7th century Arabic, it becomes a translation only. Since it has been translated by a man (or woman) into another language such as English, it is only that person's best attempt at interepreting God's revealed words, and hence may contain mistakes (as is common in all translations of any book).

Thirdly, Semitic languages such as Hebrew and Arabic are quite vast, and hence each Hebrew or Arabic word may have several possible meanings in a language such as English.

Okay, the most commonly used English translations are the ones by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, and Marmaduke Pickthall.

Today we'll use the Yusuf Ali one. Here's verse 34 of Surah Nisa as translated by Yusuf Ali:

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).
Holy Qur'an, 4:34

First you'll notice that it says "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women...".
Some claim it says "Men have authority over women..."
Throughout the Qur'an, the general theme is about the equal treatment of men and women, in that God will judge men and women equally. The actual word in Arabic is "qawwam". "Men are the "qawwam" of women".

Qawwam is an intensive form of qaim, meaning: 'to take care of, to stand up for, to look after'. Does this mean men are superior to women? On the contrary, it merely states that it is a man's duty to take care of and look after the women. This is the woman's right, and the man's obligation.

Okay further on Yusuf Ali translates for us:

Some people read it as "Good women are obedient."
Okay I'm gonna take a guess that you assumed that it means "obedient" to their husbands. We get our first clue in Yusuf Ali's translation:

"Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient..."

"Devoutly" normally refers to something religious. If we take a look at the Arabic word used, it is qanitat which is the feminine plural form of the word "qanit". This is used in many places in the Qur'an and is used exclusively to mean 'submissive, obedient to Allah'. There is no reason why it should suddenly switch for this verse. It simply refers to pious women.

Okay let's continue.
Some translations say: "As for those from whom you fear disobedience..."

Yusuf Ali translates:
"As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct..."

If we look at the Arabic word used which has been translated as disloyalty/ill conduct/disobedience - the actual word is "nushooz" which means 'discord, hostility, dissonance'. In this context it seems to indicate marital problems, or discord between the spouses.

Okay, let's get to the bit about which there is most controversy, the bit people are most interested in:

A word by word translation says:
"As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat them."

Yusuf Ali translates as:
"As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly);..."

Okay there's not much difference in those translations apart from Yusuf Ali has (lightly) in parantheses after "beat them".

During the time of the Prophet (pbuh) anyone who was reported to have beaten his wife was severely rebuked by him.

Further the Qur'an says earlier in the same chapter:
“Live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.”
Holy Qur'an, 4:19

And later in, the Qur'an points to the importance of the relationship between the husband and wife being based on mutual love and kindness:
"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect."
Holy Qur'an, 30:21

And in several other places there are similar injunctions. It would seem very strange that just in this one verse, the Qur'an suddenly changes tack. Let's look at the word in Arabic. It is "adriboo". "admonish them first, then refuse to share their beds, and finally "adriboo" them;".

"Adriboo" has several possible meanings in English, one of which is indeed "to beat", but it can also mean "'to forsake, to avoid, to separate, to leave, to part'. In the same chapter, (4:128) the Qur'an says:

"If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves"

If the adriboo did mean harsh beating up, slapping, kicking, punching, wouldn't this constitute "cruelty"? How would they arrange an "amicable settlement" after this? It is more plausible that adriboo in this context refers to 'to forsake, to (gradually) avoid (more and more), possibly eventually leave altogether'.

Some scholars and jurists have interpreted the "adriboo" to mean "beat". Let's take a quick look at that. How can they reconcile it to the repeated sayings of the Prophet as well as the various other verese in the Qur'an which exhort the good Muslim man to be kind and gentle to his wife? They took it as a symbolic strike, rather than a beating.
As per the Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) it is impermissble to strike someone's face (man or woman), or cause bodily harm or even to be physically harsh. The jurists ruled that the strike should be adminstered with a miswak. This is a small light twig that the early Muslims used to use to clean their teeth! It was intended to be a final symbolic act after the admonishing and sleeping apart.

Muslims have been debating this for years. Whether you take the view that the word "adriboo" was translated incorrectly, or whether you take the view that the act is one of beating using a miswak twig, there is one thing that is in no doubt...

beating or abusing your wife, or any woman, has no place in Islam, as outlined above.

As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said:

"Do not beat the female servants of Allah";

72 Virgins in Paradise?

2005-10-25T16:34:00.000+01:00

Much is made of the promise made to Muslim martyrs of an assured place in a blissful Paradise complete with 72 virgins.

Whilst this is derogatorily poked fun at by Western media, orientalists, and even some Muslims, as the desperately illogical ideology of the crazed suicide bomber. what is the truth behind this 72 virgin "promise"?

Firstly, readers should be aware that (as far as I'm aware) there is no mention of 72 virgins in the Quran. There is talk of heavenly creatures, the hur al-ayn (reduced to houris in English) in the Quran, but no number 72 is mentioned, and the "virginal" idea has been developed later. There is hadiths which describe the hur al-ayn aswell.

Here's what this one guy had to say about it:

"Huria" is a corruption of a word that in the original Arabic means "virgin" only by extension. The usual English form is "houri." The term found in the Qur'an is "hur al-'ayn," which does not lend itself to easy translation into English. "Hur" is the plural of an adjective meaning "pure white" and in this juxtaposition, "al-'ayn" means "of the eye." One round-about way to translate or explain the term is "with eyes [i.e. sclera] of intense whiteness [and pupils of intense blackness]." Some Muslim exegetes have pushed this to mean "virgin" or "virginal." (A couple of years ago, a European scholar opined, based on a comparison with Aramaic, that the phrase in the Qur'an means "raisins," not exactly my idea of paradise.) In any event, it was fairly clear from the beginning that the Muslim warriors for the faith, who were beginning to die in battle, were being offered an eternity of bliss that was in sharp contrast to the hot, dry, bitter life they knew in the desert. The women of the community complained: their men were being promised an eternal oasis where they could lie on couches and be tended to by willing and ever-renewed virgins. What was in it for them? They were told that they would be those virgins. Everyone was happy.

Hur, is apparentely a word in Syriac which translates to "grape" or
"raisin". Some revisionists have claimed that the word in the Quran is
intending this meaning. Quite why Arabs of the Hijaz would be using Syriac
escapes me, but at any rate, a paradise complete with "white raisins"... hmm,
*cough* can't wait.

More detail on this line of argument as part of a general look at
Quranic analysis on Al-Muhajabah's blog, here.

Here's some good reads on the subject:

Are the Hur al-`Ayn exclusively female?

What is there for women in Paradise?

The Islamic paradise - What's in it and for Whom?

Will the Bliss of Paradise be Absolute?

The Lessons of Prophet Ayoub (Job) p.b.u.h. Part 1

2005-09-08T11:10:00.000+01:00

"If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop."**

These were the words spoken by Iblis to Allah (by Satan to God) with reference to one of Allah's most devoted servants, Prophet Ayoub (Job in English).

How many of us sing the praises of Allah whilst everything is going good, but the minute a problem happens, or we are met with some difficulty we begin to complain and say "Oh why me, why is this happening to me?" or "Why is God doing this/letting-this-happen to me?".

Allah tells us in the Quran:

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested?
(Holy Quran, 29:2)

Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!

(Holy Quran, 2:214)

We will be tried and we will be tested. And some of us will waver and doubt ourselves and what is happening in our lives. But then we have to dust ourselves off, put it down to Allah's will or Qadr (which we shall look at in more detail in another post), and carry on.

Ayoub (pbuh) was one of the richest men in his community. He had lands, cattle, wealth and riches more than any normal person. And yet, he was humble, and never haughty or selfish. He gave much in charity and bought many slaves only for the purpose of freeing them. Those around him, his family friends, and servants all benefitted from his good nature. So much so that even the angels remarked that Ayoub was, of his time, the best among mankind.

Iblis, as usual, was less complimentary, and said to Allah:

"If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop."

Allah told Iblis that Ayoub worshipped his Lord from his heart and not because he had the benefits of riches and material things. But in order to prove this to Iblis...

...with Allah's permission*, Iblis and his helpers set about to take away everything that Ayoub(pbuh)had. They took away his lands, his cattle, destroyed all his wealth. Yet still, Ayoub's faith remained strong. Instead of thinking that Allah was punishing him, or that his many prayers were going unanswered, Ayoub remained steadfast and put his trust in Allah:

"What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for a while. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills."

Iblis was annoyed to no end. How could Ayoub still remain faithful after all his wealth was gone? So he set about really putting the screws on Ayoub (pbuh).

He gathered his helpers and they went and shook Ayoub's house so much that the building crashed, killing all of Ayoub's children. Surely now, thought Iblis, Ayoub would reject Allah. Ayoub's response:

"Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator."

Iblis became very worried. What could he do to cast doubt in Ayoub's heart? His health, I will take away his health! And so, with Allah's permission*, he did. He filled Ayoub's body with disease and afflicted it with pain, the likes of which reduced Ayoub (pbuh) to almost skin and bones.

He had lost his wealth, his cattle, his lands, his riches, even his children, none of his friends came to visit him anymore, and now his health...

Ayoub was in a terrible state, but he had the loving companionship of his wife, which gave him a little strength. He continued to utter praises to his Lord, remaining steadfast in his faith.

Iblis was becoming desperate. He went to Ayoub's wife in the guise of a man, and tried to take her down memory lane, making her nostalgic about the times when life was good.

Suddenly, the painful memory of years of hardship overcame her, and she burst into tears. She said to Ayoub: "How long are you going to bear this torture from our Lord? Are we to remain without wealth, children or friends forever? Why don't you call upon Allah to remove this suffering?"

Ayoub: "Iblis must have whispered to you and made you dissatisfied. Tell me, how long did I enjoy good health and riches?"
Ayoub's Wife "For eighty years."
Ayoub: "How long am I suffering like this?"
Ayoub's wife: "For seven years.''
Ayoub: "In that case I am ashamed to call on my Lord to remove the hardship, for I have not suffered longer than the years of good health and plenty. It seems your faith has weakened and you are dissatisfied with the fate of Allah. If I ever regain health, I swear I will punish you with a hundred strokes! From this day onward, I forbid myself to eat or drink anything from your hand. Leave me alone and let my Lord do with me as He pleases."

Imagine that! He is is an state of such weakness and pain, and his loving wife who has stood by him through all the suffering, had a moment of tears. In his frustration at her lack of faith, he even ordered her to leave.

She didn't want to leave him, but she did as he asked her, probably sobbing as she went.

And then he was alone. No one was left. No friends. No servants. No children. No wife. No health. No money. Nothing.

Iblis rubbed his hands in glee. I have destroyed him. I took everything from him. He was the greatest of men. And I have reduced him to nothing. He has not a penny to his name, he is little more than a corpse waiting to die, and no one to hear his cries of pain.

But... Iblis was wrong.

There was someone. There had always been someone. And now it was this to this someone that Ayoub, turned:

"Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy."

Yeah that's right... Allah.

*We will look in greater detail in another post at Allah's Qadr, which will show us why sometimes Allah gives permission for bad things to happen.

**Read the story of Prophet Ayoub in greater detail here. I used it as a source to write the above post.

Do non-Muslims go straight to hell?

2005-05-30T01:55:00.000+01:00

Most people think (rightly or wrongly) that Islam is an exclusive religion. The thinking goes: You either believe in it or you don't. Anyone who doesn't, will suffer punishment. That punishment will most likely be the Hellfire.

Or the thinking goes: Hold on, what about all the really good people who were (or are) non-Muslim. Mother Teresa, Mahathma Gandhi, and so on, did countless good things for humanity. Will all their good deeds go to waste just because they weren't Muslims?

But what is the answer? Does Islam say that all non-Muslims will go to hell?

This post is not to say that the answer is "Yes, they're all gonna be punished" or "No, God is Love, the good people will be ok". This post is merely to give food for thought, and, if it makes any conclusion at all, will be to say "Don't know for sure, but not necessarily".

People cite different verses from the Qur'an to present their particular view point.

Let's take a look at a few (please note that for in-depth Quranic exegesis please refer to qualified Quranic scholars):

"Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve."
(Holy Qur'an 2:62 and (almost identical in) 5:69)

This seems to indicate that salvation is dependent upon three conditions only: Belief in God, Belief in the Day of Judgement, and righteous or good deeds.

What about Mother Teresa and her ilk of righteous non-Muslims?

"Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it."
(Holy Qur'an 99:7-8)

This verse suggests "anyone" or everyone will be rewarded for their good and bad actions. But will they go to Heaven or Hell? Allah hu Alim.

Another argument put forward is that, only those who have received a full and complete understanding of Islam will be judged by their acceptance(Muslim) or rejection (kufr) of it. If they haven't received this complete understanding of Islam then they will be tested on Judgement Day, and dealt with accordingly.

And as a final note, something useful from Mr. Lamaan Ball, editor of Ask About Islam:

When we refer to "Islam" there are at least two specific distinct meanings implied. Firstly there is the essential Islam as the religion of all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and until Muhammad. Secondly there is the meaning specific to the revelation given to Muhammad and all the religious instructions contained therein. We might call this the completed Islam. Essential Islam encompasses the broad principles of pure monotheism free from shirk(associating partners with God), and our moral accountability before God. The completed Islam is the full set of guidance provided through the Qur'an and the sunnah of Muhammad which abrogates the earlier rules given through previous prophets.

Both 5:69 and 3:85 refer to the essential Islam and not the completed Islam we often mean in our conversations. Once this point is understood, the apparent problem disappears.

Second, the mere historical existence of Muhammad (pbuh) does not mean that the completed Islam has reached everyone. Once the completed Islam reaches any group of people, - by which I mean that the message is adequately delivered – then they can no longer claim to be doing good if they are knowingly rejecting God's guidance in the Qur'an. Before that situation is reached, for any individual, it is quite possible that they are Muslims in the sense of following essential Islam. Just as the earliest followers of earlier prophets were.

Extra reading for those who like to.. errr... read: Isn't it unfair if good non-Muslims go to hell?

Arabic roots or English concepts

2005-05-02T14:17:00.000+01:00

Learning any language can be difficult, although we normally have a headstart on our mothertongues. Even the word mothertongue can be misleading especially for the descendants of immigrants, whose "mothertongue" is often not the language of their parents but the language of their host country, where they grew up and live.

Most of us in the West speak English, and so if we approach any work in a language other than English, we unwittingly approach it from an English language perspective.

However, not all languages follow the rules of English, or can be translated with adequate satisfaction word-for-word. In this post, I want to touch very briefly on the language of Arabic and how it varies from English, in structure and wording. The Qur'an is written in Arabic, and up until now, I have tried to understand it through English translations. This can sometimes be a little confusing when something doesnt quite make sense, or needs clarification.

We can endeavour to learn Arabic, God willing. In the meantime, we can at least appreciate the differences between the two languages, so that we don't limit our understanding of the Qur'an purely on its English interpretation.

Here's some interesting stuff from a univeristy boff:

For lack of a better term, you might say that Arabiyya is primitive language. It seems to be a less modern language than even the languages of ancient Mesopotamia—considering that the ancient Mesopotamian writings precede the Qur'an by at least 2500 years, that's pretty amazing. The reason Arabic didn't change drastically from its most primitive forms is that Arabic society tended to remain centered in small groups. It is a linguistic truth that languages that are spoken only by small groups change very little; languages that are spoken by large groups—especially when foreign speakers are constantly entering that society-change fairly quickly and often drastically
Prof. Richard Hooker, Washington State Univ.

Arabic, like its sister Hebrew, is a Semitic language. And like most Semitic languages it is based primarily on root words. In root languages, most words are formed off a base root, for example dhikr, which means to remember, recollect, bear in mind, is based on the root dh-k-r. Other words based on the root dh-k-r , are tadhkar and dhakira .

English, on the other hand is whats known as a concept language. Most of the world's languages are concept languages. An seemingly arbitrary word is taken and a particular concept attributed to it.

English belongs to the Indo-European group of languages which include Greek, Latin, Sanskrit and Hindi.

No, I don't want grapes, I want grapes!

2005-04-25T14:38:00.000+01:00

Four people were given a piece of money.

The first was a Persian. He said: 'I will buy with this some angur.'
The second was an Arab. He said: 'No, because I want inab.'
The third was Turk. He said: 'I do not want inab, I want uzum.'
The fourth was a Greek. He said: 'I want stafil.'

Because they did not know what lay behind the names of things, these four started to fight.
They had information but no knowledge.

One man of wisdom present could have reconciled them all, saying: 'I can fulfil the needs of all of you, with one and the same piece of money.
If you honestly give me your trust, your one coin will become as four; and four at odds will become as one united.'

Such a man would know that each in his own language wanted the same thing... grapes.

~Jalal-Uddin Rumi (d.1273)

Thoughts on approaching difficult questions

2005-04-18T13:06:00.000+01:00

From totalitarian regimes to democratic nations to anarchy, from Islam to Hinduism to Christianity to secularism, each societal system has its own rules and regulations, norms, and cultural traditions. Some of these are explicit, some are implicit but equally as applicable.

As in anything in life, from time to time, we may question the way we live, or the values and rules upon which our society is based. While some may say, it is dangerous to rock the boat or ask too many questions, for others it is of great importance that the way they live their life make sense to them.

In this respect, religion is no different. Islam, like most other religions, has its own structure and codes of practice. This is especially relevant to Islam, since it was brought forth and conveyed by Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) as a way of life, and not just an ascetically spiritual existence.

Living in a Western society, in which many different communities and systems of belief exist, is in many ways quite a unique experience. We often come across non-Muslims who are curious about what exactly Islam is, some, unfortunately, are outright hostile based on their own prejudices which may have been compounded by the recent negative coverage of Muslims in the news media since September 11 2001. Others just want to know more.

But its not only non-Muslims who have questions. Muslims themselves will seek clarification on what certain aspects of Islam mean or how they are to be properly carried out. Maybe we find particular things difficult to reconcile with what we regard as our inner values. These inner values may have been influenced by living as a minority in a secular environment, or they may simply be things which just don't make sense to us.

This often occurs because we try to examine the various injunctions in the Qur'an by the standards of decency, morality and justice as defined by our own time and the society in which we live.

It may also occur because of the way we view God (Allah in Arabic). Somethings are straightforward: we shouldn't kill people, we should be kind to one another, we shouldn't cheat on our spouses, etc. These can be easily understood by most, and we can also understand why these things are discouraged or forbidden.

Other situations or actions may not be as clear cut. We can't comprehend the reasons or logic behind why something is so. Or maybe we get the reasoning, but it "just doesnt feel right".
If we fail to realise that Allah is not restricted by human constraints, or time constraints, or spatial constraints, we end up making incorrect assessments why Allah wants us to do such and such, or why He has ordained that one action is commendable while others are punishable.

I think of it in terms of an example of a friend who you trust in, so if there's something you find suprising or troubling, instead of condemning outright, you search behind the reason for certain things or actions. A picture may speak a thousand words, or it may only be part of the story.

Once we look a little deeper, our fears and misunderstandings may or may not be allayed. Or we may come across the extraordinary situation where, through our searching, we realise that the inner beliefs we held about a particular subject change completely.

This is what learning and searching does for us. This can also be seen in the Qur'an, which is continually challenging us. It's as if it is saying "you sure about that?".

Learning and thinking and asking questions are the things that keep mankind progressing. Once we become content in our knowledge, once we think we know enough to get by, or that we are experts in our fields so no one can tell us any different, we stop learning. Stopping the process of learning eventually stops our growth, and turns us into dinosaurs. And we all know what happened to them, don't we?

Mic Mic Checka

2005-04-16T13:48:00.000+01:00

Testing...

One two, one two.

2004-12-26T17:53:00.000Z

What you've all been waiting for....

Take the red pill.

Joining forces...

2004-12-26T17:42:00.000Z

In a bid to keep, retiring websurfer, Plops Ploppington III, in active duty, and in hope of a brighter future.... Jamrullah will be joining forces with Plops, in a new blog, bringing North and South together in an unprecedented move.

Coming soon to a screen near you...

B L O G

This time it's personal.

Free and democratic...? (Pt. 2)

2004-11-23T14:14:00.000Z

Continuing from yesterday, then...

It's seemingly apparent that when one gives people the feeling that they are being consulted or that they are part of the decision making process, they usually become more cooperative. They have a need to feel part of this process, and when this need is met, they are more willing to meet the needs of others.

How about if someone is given the impression that they are part of the decision making of their own "free" will, but in fact it is merely an illusion. Designed perhaps to lull them into a false sense of "freedom" and "choice".

Is it totally outside the realms of human thinking for one to suppose, that if person A is given "freedom" by person B, then person A will be more receptive to person B's ideas of what they should do with their "free choice"?

In this way person B could have a subtle but very powerful influence over what person A will "choose" to do.

Okay so maybe the second red pill was a bit much...

Free and democratic...? (Pt. 1)

2004-11-22T22:45:00.000Z

"Free and democratic..."

What do those words actually mean?

To me "free" implies being able to choose your own paths in life and being given the space to do it.

Of course, you find in practice, it doesn't really mean this at all. In practice it actually means freedom within a certain set of socially accepted principles. That is to say, one can be "free", as long as they remain free in the confines of that group, or society, or box. So in reality it is turned on its head.

It is not really freedom at all.

It is in fact... control.

The illusion of freedom, in a carefully constructed prison. So, skillfully crafted that the inmates of this prison are not even aware of it.

I knew I should never have taken that red pill...

Word of the Day.... Taqwa

2004-11-12T02:11:00.000Z

There is a word I really like, and that word is "Taqwa".

For one, it rolls off the tongue nicely. But what is really beautiful about the word taqwa is its meaning and what this meaning implies.

Taqwa is an Arabic word which is explained as a shield against wrongdoing and further expounded as to be “conscious of Allah” or to have “fear of Allah” or to be “cautiously aware of Allah”.

This state of consciousness is something I feel, most of us lack in our busy hurried lives. And on the rare occasions, when one possesses this consciouness, we are only able to enjoy its ambience for what seems to be fleeting moments.

The origin of the word Taqwa is from the Arabic root letters wa’ ka’ ya (meaning shield) and its verb is from the word “Ittaki”. Ittaki means to be careful or to be protected or to be cautious.

The idea of being "shielded" from the evils of this world, through a state of consciousness is to mind, a wonderful goal.

Most of the time, we stumble through life, senses deadened to anything outside our post-modern material consumer society, our "civilised" concrete cities, our "essential" appliances.

Does this mean that if we are truly conscious of the Creator, and truly conscious of ourselves in relation to that Creator, and indeed the rest of creation which exists around us, we will attain this "shielded" state?

Or perhaps once we reach this level of consciouness we might find that no real shield is needed from that which is. Hmm...

Anyway, a word I like is "taqwa".

Court now in Session... All Rise

2004-11-11T21:43:00.000Z

Welcome to Jamrullistan.

Please take a seat.

Someone will be with you shortly.

Thank you for flying Jamrullistan Airways.

We hope you have a pleasant journey...