Sunday, August 06, 2006
Can We Take Israel Off The Table.
There is nothing in Islam or Judaism that make us and the Jews the children of Ishmael and Isaac enemies. Both religions are from the same God and both want us to be good human beings. It is well known fact and God's plan to have the Jews return to the holy land at the end of times. I do not know where is the obsession of eliminating Israel came from. The scary thing is that some people wants to see an Armageddon so Jesus would return. The mission that Jesus wants us to adapt is to spread peace and lift oppression among us. We have to remember that God would not appreciate that we make widespread wars to bring peace. Wars should be our last resort and done with a lot of politics to bring it short. The Arab tyrants also uses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to distract their people from their rights for prosperous and democratic countries. Arab and Muslims need to have a peaceful resolution of this conflict and grantee the security of Israel. After Israel did the treaty with Sadat they kept it for more than 25 years. They came to the holy land for a noble cause and the persecution of the Jews by Hitler made them more willing to die for a Jewish state. For Muslims there are a lot of good causes to live for. Prosperity and being righteous happy Muslim societies among the nations are great aims to Muslims. Islam is pro-life and wars are rarely needed unless we are obligated to. Thus Muslims have to take Israel off the table not of the map, have a life.
Pope renews Mideast cease-fire call
LES COMBES, Italy (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday renewed his appeal for an immediate cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon and encouraged all sides to start negotiations.
Benedict issued his latest plea as he greeted some 3,000 pilgrims in a meadow near his Alpine vacation retreat on a day that he had dedicated to prayers for peace in the Middle East. He reiterated his recent statements in support of Lebanese sovereignty and of Israel's right to live in peace.
"I renew with vigor my appeal to all sides in the conflict, so that they immediately cease fighting and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, and so, with the help of the international community, they search for ways to begin negotiations," Benedict said.
"I take the occasion to reaffirm the right of Lebanese to the wholeness and sovereignty of the country, the right of the Israelis to live in peace in their state and the right of the Palestinians to have a free and sovereign country," the pope said.
The pontiff expressed special closeness to the "defenseless civilian populations, unjustly hit in a conflict in which there are only victims."
He said the victims included those in Israel's Galilee region who, he said, are "forced to live in (bomb) shelters," and the "great multitudes of Lebanese, who, yet again, see their country destroyed and who have had to abandon everything and flee elsewhere."
Benedict said he was praying that "the aspirations for peace by overwhelming majority of people can be realized as soon as possible" thanks to actions by their leaders.
He invited others to join him in prayer "so that the beloved peoples of the Middle East are able to abandon the path of armed conflict and construct, with the daringness of dialogue, a just and lasting peace."
The pope also renewed his appeal to humanitarian groups to help.
Benedict is vacationing in the Italian Alps until Friday, when he returns to the Vatican.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New World Order (Moral Utopia Project)
Eureka: Taman Health Plan.
Taman Health Plan (can be ordered from www.trafford.com) is as simple as your ABC:What it covers?All Americans for Health Care and Long Term care.Who run it?As a big corporation it will have a central command "Human Health Services" in Washington and branches in the states "health departments". This will help us to provide standard health and long term care services to all Americans.What it replaces?All the current systems of HMO's, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.How it works?We are replacing all of the above systems with Health Credit Cards. Every American will have a health card with a corresponding account in the Bank of the plan. He will get a bank statement every two months.What these Cards?Card A: for all children.Card B: for all working group 18-65 years old.Card C: for Medicare above 65 years old.Card D: for few of card B, for all Card C if they run out of money in account.Card E: for few who will need expensive medicines and investigations.What cards pay for?Cards pay for all health care as outpatient (doctors fees, investigations, health products and medications) as well for the hotel part of hospitals and nursing homes. Thus credit card machines that are devoted to all these services will be in the corresponding places ( doctors offices, pharmacies, hospitals and nursing homes).What covers the medical part of hospitals and nursing home?The plan itself and not the cards. The plan will budget the medical part of hospitals and nursing homes.How the plan revenues, expenses and investments work?Revenues: first year all funds of Medicare and Social Security. Yearly revenues from taxes.Expenses: budget medical part of hospitals and nursing homes and pay for cards A, D and E.Investments: in wall street in diverse stocks (as mutual funds).What card B and C accounts come from?Most Americans will be in cards B and as they hit 65 years old their account will be continued but as Cards C. First year of the plan all of us will get bonus in our account ( B and C cards) from what each of us had accumulated over the years. Say we starting the plan 2006 and suppose I have with the government 200,000 dollars as my Medicare and social security that was withheld from me over the years. 70% or so of that will be the bonus of my account and 30% will go to the plan if we need to. Second year of the plan bonus of say 50,000 dollars will go to new card B comers ( 18 years old as the card B first issued). Then a yearly tax withholding say 5% of income or pay roll will go as 3% to the person card and 2% to the plan.Why cards?Cards will provide these functions:1- Eliminate bureaucracy.2- Will save more than 200 billion dollars a year paper work.3- Will insure all Americans.4- As every American has a medical record and a health card he will be shopping for his health care and understands well his medical condition and as he invests in his health he save the system a lot of wasted money.
Why Islam Did Spread Fast And Stayed Long?
What Islam And Judaism have in Common?
Both two religions have many in common:1- Both believe in the same God of Abraham and Israel.2- Both are against any idols with God.3- Their believe in God has no mystery. plainly one God and prophets he send to us. No divine son. God can not be a man.4- Ten commandments are the basis of both religions.5- There are laws in both religions. But teachings of morality, justice and wisdom make people much less to need laws.6- spirituality is high in both religions.7- Fear of God and considering ourselves servants to God are more used in both religions.8- Secular, conservative and ultraconservative present in two religions. Like in Islam people have to work together to accommodate all of them.9- Both religions do not believe in oppressing or discriminating any group of people. Humanity plays a great role in both religions.10- They have same messiahs: Ben Joseph and Ben David.11- Both religions admire the teachings and the love message of Christianity.
Antisemitism is Racism: Harun Yahya.
Why The President Of Iran Got It Wrong?
The president of Iran is a devout Muslim and he believes much in the coming of El Mahdi. He tries to run his countries on the concepts of humanity, justice and the common good. He is however missing the point that if there is Al Mahdi he would be very likely to be a political leader. He is very likely to prepare the earth for Jesus second coming. He is very likely to fill the earth with peace and not to destroy it. He is very likely to have all people regardless of thier religions to get rightous and good humans. For any leader to be that capable he has not to be agressive any nuclear war would end our world. He will work to prevent Armagdon and not to make it. He is very likely to be friendly to Israel like any other nation. If God to send Jesus today he would be in a jail somewhere in the world. Corruption, tyranny and oppression are widespread. We have to play very reasonable and responsible geopolitics. God is the one who makes prophecies not us. Many times people do good or bad things and they trurn to be a prophecy or an old vision. I like the enthusiasm of the Iran president but we have to understand that Islam can conquer the world with its message not its troops.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Why Muslims need a different Ben Ladin?
A lot of Muslims/Arab and even foreigners understands well the compelling reasons for his terrible terrorist attacks of 9/11 (more recently it is being thought as an internal job). Even the American administration acknowledge that and talked about the hopelessness and severe oppression and poverty as causes for terrorism. They admitted as well their unconditioned and unjustified support to many of the Arab regimes.
The words are good but actions are what count for. As Muslims/Arabs we have always to keep open door that actions may come at sometime. As one Muslim politician Mawya said " If there is a thread of hair between me and the other people I would never cut it off". Ben Ladin may be still be a hero to many Muslims and Arabs. However, he did not attract the moderates who are the greatest bulk and the most able so less brave to move masses.
The animalistic styles of killing Muslims and non-Muslims and the failure to talk politics harmed well their cause. Though other alternatives are very difficult to do, like a revolution, though we have no alternatives but to do it. When the Arab streets are full of protestors America would have no alternative but to stand with the masses against the tyrants. Moderate Muslims are to be better organized and form a new front against all the terrorists/Jihadists, Arab dictators and American hypocrisy.
The problem is they think they can work through the American government. The trick is the American government main task is to fight the terrorists so they need the Arab tyrants for a number of years. Thus only revolutions, peaceful ones will drag America to support the masses even if they to hide the tyrants somewhere.
The main wealth of the Muslim is the oil which used to finance Iraqi-Iranian war, Gulf war one and the western economies and not used to invest in Arab and Muslim countries. The minister of the Saudi foreign affairs talked about the poverty saying the famous ward of Imam Ali " If the poverty was a man I would have killed him". I do not know why he did not kill him in the past 20 years when he was a minister and continues to do so.
The Arab and Muslim moderates would need to gather masses around them and use all resources particularly the media. They need a kind of a leader that can gather them. If there is no Mahdi they have to make one, say a geopolitical leader or a group of elite that best represent them.
They have to accept Israel as first goal. Let us close the theater that the Arab leaders hides behind. Thousands of Muslims killed in Sudan and no much talk in the media about them. They caused us to be desensitized to any problem but the Arab/Israel struggle. Religiously it is also their land and with the Palestinian they have to work things out. We need our main goals to get rid of the tyrants and create democratic prosperous societies enjoying the mainstream Islam which is very moderate. I do not care if the Muslim world will look like an Empire or as prosperous and loosely connected states. All I care is we get the best of Islam to the advantage of Muslims and non-Muslims.
We have to deal with America prudently even the Europeans do that. There are a lot of Christians and Jews all over the world that understand well our problems and ready to open the dialogue. Let us push them in the Arab media let us liberate America from the imperialism and selfishness to be a great moral world power. We have to win politically the major powers as China, EU and Russia. All powers in the world would appreciate a non hostile, moderate and civilized group of Islamic states that would adapt the humanistic cooperative approach to all problems with open dialogue, no secrecy or imperialism.
The Simple Life of Muhammad
3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Prophet Muhammad.
Top Ten List According to Bible Rejecting Jesus’ Divinity!
Freedom From All Oppression.
Oppression is the worst abuse humans can suffer. For a lot of people death can be preferred over oppression. There are a lot of faces for oppression:1- Occupation.2- Tyrant regimes.3- Oppression against women.4- Oppression of minorities.5- Discrimination with all its forms: race, color, gender, sexuality...6- Poverty.7- Sins.8- Fear: second to tyranny, absence of health and long term security, sins...9- Insecurity: physical and sexual abuse, violent societies, absence of health and long term security...10- Debts.11- Religious oppression to people with different faith or no faith.As you see to liberate the human mind and spirit there are a lot of things that need to be done. The UN and world leaders both political and religious have to work it out to liberate the human soul and mind. This can be done with a lot of politics and not wars. There is no absolute evil and good. Many times people against us are not our enemies but the other side. If every one is to be fair and put his foot on other person shoe we will have a lot of understanding and we can change the world. People who follow prophecies think the world will change only through the tribulation that God will inflict on humans. I do not know, I keep reading prophecies, meanwhile we have to use the sound politics and judgment to change the world. Prophecies ultimately reflects our judgments and actions.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
The Failure Of The Western Civilization.
Muslims Are Coming.
Jesus Is A Great Prophet.
(Psalms 2:7) David is the begotten Son of God.
Many others in the Bible are called God's son;
Jacob God's firstborn son (Exodus 4:22)
Solomon is God's son (2 Samuel 7:13-14)
Ephraim is God's firstborn son (Jeremiah 31:9)
Adam is the son of God (Luke 3:38)
Other Prophets Preformed similar Miracles as Jesus ;
Ezekiel raised many from the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-9)
Joshua stopped the sun and moon for one whole day (Joshua 10:12-13)
Elisha raised the dead, resurrected himself, healed a leper, fed a hundred people with twenty barley loaves and a few ears of corn, and healed a blind man: (2 Kings 4:35, 13:21, 5:14, 4:44, and 6:11.)
Elijah raised the dead (1 Kings 17:22 and 14.)
Other Prophets were filled with the Holy Ghost;
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:67)
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:41)
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 4:8)
Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 13:9)
Many other Prophets were called Lord for example;
Abraham (Genesis 18:12)
Esau (Genesis 32:4)
Joseph (Genesis 44:20)
David (1 Samuel 25:24)
Jesus taught Salvation comes from Submitting your will to God and Faith as Muslims do .
(Matthew 7:21-23) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Why Allah Can Not Be God?
Would the real creator (if he exists) allow any of His dear creation to be born in a place where His message was being hated so much, and thus not receive the message in the correct context? Ofcourse not.
The message of a Real God to his creation, would be very important and there would be NO one who would be able to tarnish the clean image of his message.
We have sane people finding faults with Quran and talking about using it as toilet paper. Would a real God allow this to happen to his message?
Not if he thought his message was important!
God wants to test us? For what? Are we the guineu pigs of the Universe? No, we're not! God doesnt even have any rights on us!
e) God would never declare his previous messages to be false, and only the latest one(Islam) to be true.
A real God would NEVER say this:
"And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire!" -Quran 48:13
This verse is clearly talking about Islam and not just any Messenger or religion. There is another verse which says that "no religion will be accepted of man except Islam". (3:85).
f) A real God would not violate our rights.
Besides the above reasons, there is another logical explanation of why Allah cannot be a God.
Allah is a God who becomes offended if you abuse or disobey him. What kind of weak God is that?
Here is an explanation, of why:
1) God cannot be offended when man abuses him. 2) Allah cannot be a true god. I will present two approaches to prove this. First, I will prove by logical reasoning that Allah cannot be a God. Then, I will present an analogy to support my claim further.
2) Logical Reasoning
God is supposed to be an infinitely powerful being. It is not possible to have any power or influence over an infinitely powerful being. It is not possible to effect God in any way.
I cannot make God angry, niether can I make him happy. If I could make God happy or angry, it would mean that I have some control over God's emotions. Thus, I would have some control over God. But such a God, whose emotions (anger) I can control, cannot be a God. When even a billion blackholes, which have the power to bend light, due to enormous gravitational attraction, cannot effect God, then can I, a 65 Kg man, effect God in any way? No.Now, let us study Allah, the God of Muslims. A muslim is told to worship Allah and praise him. Allah created man to worship him (Q:51.56). We know that Allah will punish all those who dont beleive in him Quran 48.13 "And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire!" Thus, if Allah will punish anyone who does'nt beleive in him, he will also punish anyone who abuses him. But if Allah punishes anyone who abuses him, it means that Allah is offended when a human abuses him. This means that a human being can offend Allah, by either disobeying his orders, or abusing him. If a human can offend Allah, it means that the human being has control over Allah's emotions. A human being has control over Allah's anger and thus has partial control over Allah. But we know from our earlier discussion, that a being cannot be a God, if its emotions can be controlled by a human being.
Note: Abusing another human is a different matter, because a human can be effected by abuse, since she/he is not infinitely powerful, as God is. It makes sense to say that if God existed, he would provide justice to all those who were abused in any way, and would give punishment to those who abused the humans. BUT, God would not be angry at the criminals. The role of a good judge is to provide justice, without being effected by hate or anger, induced by the criminal. If Allah can become angry due to a human abusing him, the rule of Allah being the strongest entity is violated. Conclusion: Allah, the God of Muslims, can not be a God. Now I will present an analogy to make this explanation more clear.
Analogy
A guy whom we shall call 'X', is doing a study on social behaviors, decides to do an experiment. He wants to see the reaction of abuse on different types of people. He goes out on a street to meet people and chooses one guy whom he calls 'A'.
X says some verbal abuse and racial remarks to 'A'. But 'A' is a cool-headed guy and does not mind the abuse. Instead, he thinks to himself, that this guy must be insane. 'A' does not let his anger grow and just looks on to 'X' with amusement and raises his eyebrows and then ignores ‘X’, thinking its nothing to be serious about. X notes down the reaction of 'A' in his research journal and walks away to find another guy, whom he calls 'B'. Now, ‘B’ is a hot headed guy, who can become angry on the smallest of things. ‘X’ calls him some verbal abuse along with racial remarks. ‘B’'s anger shoots up very quickly and his blood begins to boil. He starts abusing ‘X’ in return, making even bigger and more vulgar abuse to ‘X’, telling him to '#$^@ off'. ‘B’ starts coming near ‘X’ and it looks like hes ready to punch X in the face. Before ‘B’ can do that, ‘X’ runs away for his life and disappears.
His study is complete. Which person, 'A' or 'B', has the greater character strength ? If you were to choose a leader for a group, who would you choose between 'A' and 'B' ? The vast majority of people would chose 'A' as the leader, who has more strong character, and has proven to be more resistant to attacks than ‘B’. Lets transfer this example to God’s. Suppose there are two God's.
One of them is God ‘B’, who is a sensitive God and for him, its easy to become angry when a human abuses him. So down on the planet, there is a man who abuses God B. God B becomes angry and he plans to punish the human for what he did. The God plans to burn the human and give him all sorts of pain when he dies. The other God, called God A, is cool-headed and when He sees a human being abuse Him, He doesn't mind, because his ego is not so sensitive as that of God B. God A loves humans unconditionally and infinitely. When He sees the human abuse Him, he thinks to himself that this human might be crazy and he forgives that human. He knows that abuse doesn't effect him. He still loves the human, and he knows that a human cannot harm Him in any way. When the human will die, he will see for himself, how loving God is.
So God A says to himself : “Nevermind, he's a human, my loved creation, it doesn’t matter to me if he believes in me or not. His belief or disbelief does not effect ME because I have infinite power over all things. I cannot be effected by even a million black holes, let alone a 65 kg 5’6” tall human, who will live only 70 years.” Which of the Gods, A or B, is more strong and loving ? Which of God do you think rules the universe?
A large majority of the people would choose God 'A', the one who is not affected by human abuse or love and loves his creation infinitely. If Allah is infinite in power, he is infinite in strength of personal character. If Allah can become angry due to a human abusing him, the rule of Allah being the strongest entity is violated.
Conclusion:
God, if exists, does not and cannot become angry when a human praises/abuses him. Thus, Allah, the god of Muslims, who can be offended by abuse, can NOT be a true god.
* * *
Abul Kasem
from Muslim Apostates site.
My Answer:
The best way to know God is through the scripture. In The Bible and Quran God identifies himself well to us. He is not isolated from us. If you believe the Adam and Eve story you have to understand he created man in his image and gave him his spirit. He has man as his favor creation. Man has the will unlike the good as angels and evils as demons to do either. The two big compenets of humans are his mentality and his spirtuality and both attest to the presence of a God. You have the right to beleive or disbelive the verse in Quran " who wish to beleive to belevie and who wish to disbelive to disbelive". God anger with those who did not beleive is great since he gave signs to all of us and as individuals. The latter like an answered prayer, a vision that came true or a hardship that he got us through it. It is an anger as that of two parents who raised a child and gave him his existance and provided for him and then he denied them. In the Quran you find God talks well in favour of those who acknowledged him and did the good deeds for him. Even outside the Bible and Quran people who created Gods to worship they expected them to get angry and happy. It is actually for humans quite considerate that God gets angry and happy. A rightous man who would do the good deeds and pray to God should enjoy feeling a God that has created the whole universe is taking him personally and feeling happy with him. A God who takes prophets like Abraham and Moses to be his freinds should be very joyful to humans. God anger is related to:
1- Denying or blesphaming him in anyway.
2- Disobeying his messages and his messangers.
3- Doing injustice and mischief in the world.
Even in Christinity which is a religion of love it is clear that there is heaven and blaze of fire and God gets angry for his laws. God is not a robot or UFO he is a real great being and the best to identify him is himself. Despite his anger he has a lot of compassion and in Islam God talked about himself saying "my compassion preceeded my justice". In the few times God put harsh judgments in humanity it occured particulaly to their injustices against him and against people.
If people hate Islam Jesus himself said to Christians " they will hate you because of me". The world anger and violence are not stemed from religions but abuse of religions and the widespread injustices. Even without a religion oppression and injustices led to violence as with the communism revolution. The supposingly most relegious state in the Arab world is the most corrupt regiem in the world even. The Saudi people do not know the whealth of the King and loyal family have and how they control the whealth of their country and how they are oppressing their people despite Islam being anti-oppressive religion and for honest government.
Abul Kasem should look to the other side of God which is full of compassion, forgiveness and gifts. Few years in earth and you win luxurious eternity. If we would be all nice and rightous we may not even find or discover the anger side of God. Even of the 99 names of God he names himself " has revange" and he did not say " the revengous". He revange to his message, messangers and laws but in most time he is patient enough waiting for us to come back to him. He is not an angry God but we know how well to provoke his anger.
Catholics and Muslims - The Rapprochement.
The outpouring of affection for John Paul II is unprecedented in Muslim history. Reminiscing at the first anniversary of John Paul II's death Scott Alexander, Associate Professor of Islam and director Catholic-Muslim Studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, marveled at the outpouring of affection by Muslims as the news of the Pope's death spread. "It started out as a single phone call," he recalled "but soon grew into a flood: telephone call after telephone call from Muslim friends, colleagues, and associates from all over the United States." The proximate reasons for his popularity among Muslims, were his unfailing support for the rights of the Palestinian people, and his stand against the Iraq war. He earned a reputation in the Muslim world of a man of principle that stood for justice and peace. Appreciation of his persona came from all parts of the Muslim spectrum. The warm Catholic-Muslim relationship, however, antedates John Paul II's papacy and is not merely political but far more nuanced and complex. The Vatican's rapprochement with Islam started in Paul VI's papacy. Scholars attribute this to the influence of the distinguished French scholar of Islam, Louis Massignon, who was close to Pope Paul VI. Massignon was far more than an influential academic. Jerry Ryan in an article "The mystical vision of Louis Massignon: Islam inspired scholar's gratitude, life work and Christian faith" published in the National Catholic Reporter, Dec 17, 2004, details Massignon's relationship with Islam and Muslims. This relationship was deeply personal and marked his life in profound and dramatic ways.While being held as spy on a ship on the Tigris River Massignon had a vision, from a "Stranger without a Face", who took away everything he was and gave him everything he would become.As Braibanti points out in his monograph "The Nature and Structure of the Islamic world", as early as 1964, following the second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI declared in Ecclesiam Suam, "We do well to admire these people [of the Moslem religion] for all that is good and true in their worship of God." It was Paul VI's encyclical declaration, Nostra Aetate, proclaimed in 1965, which set forth this new relationship most clearly and fully: "They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth who also has spoken to men. They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God's plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God, they worship Jesus as a prophet, his Virgin Mother they also honor, and even at times devoutly invoke. Further they await the Day of Judgment and the reward of God following the resurrection of the dead."John Paul II built on these ecumenical foundations and strengthened them. In his address at his visit to the Umayyad mosque in Syria in 2001, he said "It is important that Muslims and Christians continue to explore philosophical and theological questions together, in order to come to a more objective and comprehensive knowledge of each others' religious beliefs.Better mutual understanding will surely lead, at the practical level, to a new way of presenting our two religions, not in opposition, as has happened too often in the past, but in partnership for the good of the human family.""For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another" he said "we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness." Some feel this was an implicit apology for the Crusades.This decidedly inclusive attitude, and a serious attempt at bridge building, stands in sharp contrast against the hostile attitude of some Christian Church leaders in the US, who in the post September the 11th environment, have called Islam an evil religion and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) an impostor and worse.The new Pope Benedictine XVI seems to be reaching out to Muslims and other traditions. "I am particularly grateful" said Pope Benedictine, "for the presence in our midst of members of the Muslim community," the International Herald Tribune reported on April 26th. History will remember John Paul II as a man of vision who believed in cooperation between faiths and traditions rather than in confrontation. The world will be better off if the Vatican continues to advance the ecumenism that John Paul II so deeply cherished and so assiduously nourished. Other faith communities could emulate his example. Massignon's metaphor of the "Stranger without a Face" has a different and less metaphysical significance in my mind. As we get to know each other, we learn from our rich traditions that enhance our mutual experience and deepen it. If, on the other hand, we fail to do so, we remain strangers without faces.
Javeed Akhter, a physician, is founding member of a Muslim American think tank the "International Strategy And Policy Institute."
Friday, April 21, 2006
My Twilight Zone.
A lot of people think we are at the end of times. I personally do not know for sure but there are a lot of signs everywhere. I feel like I am four persons together living in the same house.
Person one is a religious one gets his information about the end of times from prophecies in the three major religions and related web sites like imam AL Mahdi or Christians web sites as those who are predicting the rupture.
Person two is a very serious one that follow the geopolitics in media avenues and see if any thing sound like the end of time.
Person three is the funniest one he gets information about end of times from the Hollywood movies like 40 years old virgin, chicken little, ice age 2 and bench-warmers. Those people in Hollywood look like they know things that we do not know.
Person four is the real me a boring physician who goes to work almost every day.
When I look at the mirror I startle myself I find four of me in the mirror looking in different directions.
I look like this gentleman in the T.V who always loose a loan to ditech. In one of the ads there were four of him knocking the same door and they all were turned down for a laon from ditech.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
The Quran: Inspired By God Or Satan Or Made Up By Muhammad (PBUH)? Part1.
A Program For The Messiah.
If you would read the literature about messiah particularly from Jewish literature you will get frustrated. How, why and by what all means all or most people will allow someone to be a messiah. The only acceptance people knew over the years is that silent acceptance in tyrannical countries of a certain leader or a dynasty or the localized acceptance of a democratically elected leader. How and why all people would universally accept a single person to be that leader. Where the human cynic, jealous, corruption, selfishness ....Will go. For one person to be that one it became clear to people over thousands of years he is needed to be selected and guided by God. For a program of that messiah to succeed he would need:
1- People to believe that he is really guided by God.
2- He has the signs that described to them in the holly books of that person.
3- He has the power of prophecy: that it is a done deal. God fulfills his will.
4- People believe that he is a genuine person.
5- They believe he suffered enough that they are willing to help him.
6- His sufferings are the injustices in the world that he will plan to solve.
7- A universal peace needs A universal justice that he would have to achieve.
8- Their wellbeing in life and after-life would be his aim.
9- You will feel at the end of the day when you look at your family that he is beside you and thinks like you what the best we can do for them?.
10- You will feel that he is not a superhuman and not dictating to others what they do but to reflect their most moral consensus.
11- He will live by example and his life would be his message.
12- He will have people just love to participate in his big plan.
13- He will give them the hope that it is not only achievable and sustainable but also it is their destiny.
14- He will have God as his guide and the people as his consultants.
15- His plan will need all of us to unite through: God, humanity and our interests.
16- He will convince them that Utopia is not a boring existence but it provides peace, stability and justice that allow all of us to get the best of our minds and hearts. It does not kill human ego but directs it to the best of the individual and humanity. Nothing boring in this utopia you have more peace to stop to worry and pray to God and enjoy your family.
17- He will stimulate their intellect and get the best of their heart and mind. They will enjoy his program both by their hearts and minds.
18- He will be ultimately the reflection of all what is good in their hearts in a single person. He will be every one's messiah.
As you see it is a very nice dream and it will continue to be unless God would send such person.
Who is Imam Al Mahdi?
There is no textual evidence telling us that it is an act of piety to wait for him or to anticipate his coming. It is not appropriate for any Muslim to accept such a claim on the basis of mere supposition. A claim must be backed up by sufficient evidence. Those making claims are many. This has been the case since the dawn of history, as I will soon make clear. A Muslim is expected to examine matters, verify them, and approach them with caution. A Muslim must never be hasty and accept matters on the basis of personal desires or wishful thinking.
Likewise, no aspect of Islamic Law is dependent on the appearance of the Mahdi. Claims that such Islamic institutions as the Friday prayer, congregational prayers, jihad, carrying out the prescribed punishments, or applying the laws of Islam are contingent on his appearance are baseless. Muslims must conduct their lives as normal. They must perform their acts of worship, fulfill their duties, engage in jihad, reform their societies, learn their religion, and teach each other. When this pious man does appear and his identity is established with unambiguous, indisputable proofs, then we should follow him. This was the attitude of the Companions and those that followed them. The scholars throughout the ages have adhered to this view. The idea that the Mahdi should be awaited and anticipated and the excessive emphasis placed on him was a much later development. "
Copied from: Uzpekistan Muslims website.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Row as ancient Arab university honours Charles
The Prince of Wales flew to Egypt and into controversy yesterday as Cairo's ancient and celebrated Al-Azhar mosque and university, one of the Arab world's most venerated Islamic institutions, prepared to honour him for his promotion of inter-faith tolerance.
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As the prince, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall was due to receive an honorary doctorate today, some directors of the 1,000-year-old university have questioned whether the award from such a famed seat of Sunni Islam is appropriate.
The honour is to mark the prince's conciliatory messages about Islam, especially after September 11 and the world-wide demonstrations caused by the cartoon depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper.
But, behind the scenes, some of those associated with the university believe despite his efforts they do not justify the bestowing on him of one of the highest tributes the Islamic world can offer.
"All that Prince Charles did is to say that Islam is the most widespread religion in the world and that's a reality, not a discovery made by the prince," said Abdel Azim al-Mataanni, an Al-Azhar lecturer in Arab literature.
However, Abdel Sabur Shahin, another university director, said the prince had adopted "positions close to Islam and Muslims, something no one else of his importance has done".
The honorary doctorate was supposed to "encourage him to befriend Muslims in Great Britain and to support Islam against the obstacles it faces in Europe", he added.
Al-Azhar, the world's oldest university for both religious and secular studies, attracts more than 40,000 students of Islam annually from around the world. It has long promoted inter-faith dialogue, even with crusaders during the Crusades.
The prince's visit to the mosque is one of the highlights of his five-day visit to Egypt, which began yesterday at Cairo's Al-Azhar Park, which has been transformed from a rubbish dump into gardens by the Aga Khan, the leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims.
In an interview with Egyptian television, the prince said he would use his speech at Al-Azhar University to relay his personal experience of terrorism.
"I know so well from having experienced the horror of terrorism myself, in losing my beloved great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, back in 1979 when he was blown up in a terrorist bomb," he told Nile TV.
He added: "It is tolerance, it is understanding of what other people hold sacred, which I think is so vital - the old wisdom that is contained within the scriptures of 'do unto others as you would have them do to you'."
Security is extremely tight as the Foreign Office general advice warns of a high risk of terrorism in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia which the Royal couple will also visit.
From: News.Telgraph
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Christians, Jews, Muslims must seek dialogue: Pope
Staff and agencies
17 March, 2006
Thu Mar 16, 11:00 AM ET
VATICAN CITY - Christians, Jews and Muslims must work together to promote peace and teach respect for religions and their symbols, Pope Benedict said on Thursday.
In reference to a wave of violence over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, but also to attacks in recent months on churches, mosques and synagogues in several countries, the Pope said religious leaders had a responsibility to "work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue."
"Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in the one God ... It follows, therefore, that all three monotheistic religions are called to cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the case of justice and peace in the world," he told a visiting delegation of the American Jewish Committee.
"This is especially important today when particular attention must be given to teaching respect for God, for religions and their symbols, and for holy sites and places of worship," he said.
The Pope has condemned the cartoons, whose publication first in a Danish newspaper and later in other European papers sparked worldwide protests by Muslims who believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet.
But he also said violent protests against the perceived offence were wrong.
In the wake of the unrest, Roman Catholic and Jewish leaders agreed earlier this month to widen their two-way dialogue to involve Muslims.
David Rosen, director for inter-religious affairs at the American Jewish Committee and a member of the delegation that met the Pope, said reaching out to Islam was "the challenge of our time.
"We believe it‘s very difficult not only because it‘s hard to find moderate voices (in the Muslim world) but also because those voices, if they come forward, could be endangered by extremists," he said.