“Islam vs. Christianity and Judaism”

Sometimes, I wonder what the reaction would be if some Mosques across the country, ran advertisements (see below) for sermons such as the following:

• Masjid of Allah presents a series of free public seminars warning of the dangers of Christianity and Judaism in the world
  Sept 2. Quran vs. New Testament and Torah
  Sept 9. Sin and Salvation in Judaism and Christianity
  Sept 16. Judaism and Christianity; religions of slaughter and sword
  Sept 23. Totalitarian nature of Judaism and Christianity

  Services begin at 10:00 a.m.

Will we…should we Muslims grow up to be like our Jewish cousins?

The admirable thing about Jews of today is that even while they might dislike each other between groups, there are some issues over which they come together like a solid rock and thus scare the devil out of self-promoting politicians who in turn, make sure that Anti-Semitism or, even a shadow thereof is caught and fought before it ever raises its ugly head.

The discouraging thing about us Muslims is that we are ever

I wish I were fighting for Pakistan rather than the US…

“I wish I were fighting for Pakistan rather than for the US and I would like my son to be fighting and killing for Pakistan in the Pakistan Army“.

 

I can already see at least one hysterically paranoid person getting ready to string me up from the nearest lamp-post and a Hell of a lot of other REAL Americans getting mad at me. I can also see a lot of very sincere Americans…reasonable people all, wondering if I have taken leave of my senses and then, wondering what I am doing in the US.

 

Let’s add the the mix….

 

What if I then contributed $1000 to Jay Inslee or his opponent-to-be, Rob McKenna. Any bets that my money would be thrown back at me faster than a red-hot brick? they would also condemn my stand and tell me unequivocally, that I should leave this country if my heart and loyalties are so passionately with the country of my birth, Pakistan.

At the same time, I would be pilloried for being an untrustworthy “Muzlem” and I would be used to point out how Muslims are here to undermine this, so free, land of “Judeo-Christian values”.

Joni Balter’s piece on the French “burqa ban”

In writing her article in the Seattle Times (Rethinking France’s Burqa ban http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2016417207_joni06.html), I believe Ms. Balter is guilty of lumping several different issues into one and over-simplifying them all. It also appears to me that while she may have spoken with a few Muslim women who were liberal, she did not appear to have made the effort of talking to some conservative Muslim women who did prefer the coverings.

First, the matter of burqa and niqab. I agree it is not right for men to force women to wear these coverings, but at the same time, there are many Muslim women who willingly wear these coverings and I personally know many who would feel that being forced to take off the coverings is tantamount to being disrobed in public. Ms. Balter appears to take the position that the coverings are because men are forcing women to cover up. Frances laws are geared to punish the MEN for women wearing the coverings, is that not placing men in a position where they are forcing women to NOT wear coverings even if they want to?

Israel or Palestine? “My Home!”

This is a small part of the well-known story of two families, a Jewish one and a Muslim one, who are rooted in the same land…in the same house.

Watch the video!

Steadfast Hope Video

I don’t believe there will ever be peace on “The Holy Land” as long as the game being played is a zero-sum game; “I cannot win unless you lose”.

 

Almost every Jews in Israel lives on land that has been stolen in some form or another and they justify it as the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Jews. God has been used as the ultimate justifier in every atrocity that we can think of, from the current Muslim-on-Muslim slaughters

Norway Massacre; a Symptom or the Disease?

We have all mourned the tragedy of the children slaughtered on Norway by Anders Breivig, a right-wing Christian terrorist. Muslims heaved a sigh of relief that this man was not a “Muzlem“, as everyone believed at first, but a REAL, “homegrown Terrorist”, i.e., a Christian. Some of us Muslims, have taken great pains to point out that Breivig is NOT a Muslim and conversation has been place on the front burner, that Christians…non-Muslims…are just as capable of butchery as Muslims.

In the next few days, there will be endless acknowledgments that yes, we must also be wary of Christian right-wing extremists as we are of Muslim extremists and that terrorism is not a monopoly after all. There will also be the inevitable, “yes, BUT…” and people will start to point at Muslims again and eventually, the conversation that remains, will once again, focus on Muslims and on Islam.

Israel; Jewish State/Two-State

It looks like everything with regard to Israel, turns into an existential issue…”if this is allowed then it will doom Israel/Jews”, Blind Supporters of Israel seem to say. Others, who wish to support Israel and Jews are placed in the difficult situation of seeming to reject Israel (and therefore, Jews) or, underwriting Israel’s high-handedness and atrocities.

 

For decades, Israel has been asking and then demanding that the world recognize Israel as a legitimate state with most takers from Europe and Americas…a guilt-decision by the very nations that permitted or participated in the Shoah against Jews during WWII.

 

Now that there is explicit or, implicit recognition by almost every country in the world, Israel has ratcheted its demand up by several notches, it now demands that Israel be recognized as a JEWISH state; a state by Jews, for Jews and of Jews…clearly cleansed of the “Palestinian Problem” or, “the Demographic Bomb”

Iranian Jews to be investigated

Breaking news from Iran:

Iranian government is planning to investigate Iranian Jews for their loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

“Iranian Jews are not really Persian, they are foreigners who settled here many years ago” said Parliamentarian Farhad Bewaquf. “The Shah catered to them because of America and Israel and he placed them in high positions. But now that we have an Islamic government, we know that the loyalty of Jews in this country is doubtful, I cannot believe that they would consider themselves as Iranians__ they are all Zionists!“.

 

Hostile Iranian leaders are calling for the expulsion of all Jews and the imprisonment of those suspected of spying for Israel. The Ahmedinejad government is trying to pacify the leaders by suggesting less extreme measures such as limiting Jewish access to government jobs and contracts and keeping Jews from areas and cities deemed to be “sensitive”.

 

Iranian Minister for Minority Matters, Chengez Jungistani agrees, suggesting that the one Jewish reserved seat in the Iranian Parliament, be taken away. “Our civilization is incompatible with Jews. These days, when Israel keeps threatening Iran, we do not know if the Jews are providing intelligence to Israel, that would hurt us.” He said. 

 

The above “news” is of course, a concoction of mine, it is absolutely untrue…Bogus!

 

What were your reactions, as you read the “News”?

 

Most Muslims would be astonished

Lessons lost on US, West…and Israel; How to make enduring enemies

As Egypt struggles against the tyranny of over 50 years…well over 50 years under Mubarak, Sadaat and Nasser…the West (USA) is looking apprehensively.

 

While the empty slogans of “Freedom”, “Democracy”, “Free Speech” are pattered ad nauseum by all from the President of the United States down to the Republican Guards and echoed by the spineless gallery of the Democrats, nobody in their right minds envision those slogans to apply to the unwashed of the world…they can hardly tolerate them to be applied right HERE, in this great bastion of hypocrisy (er, I mean, Democracy).

 

Not wishing to be caught speechless, our Secretary of State, madam Hillary Clinton has forced herself to support the idea that democracy should prevail in Egypt…after “an orderly transition”…maybe meaning, another hundred years.

 

Egypt after all, is hardly like Tunisia; Egypt is the great stronghold against Arabs and Palestinians and a “strong partner in peace with Israel”….oh, yes, Israel! People are having heartburns in Israel and they are forcing their public into believing that if Egypt “falls”, the end of Time for Israel, is at hand…here come the cattle-cars and there fire the ovens!!!

Eid Mubarak?…Eid Mubarak!

What is Eid?

 

There are a few times when I miss the old country and my old friends, and Eid is among those times.

 

Eid in America is bittersweet event; on one hand there are the factionalized Muslim communities who insist on having Eid on at least two different days and sometimes, three. The inevitable and never-ending Moon-sighting controversy where Muslims cannot agree on whether to believe the science that accurately predicts to the minute, when the new moon will show and where or, to believe the old man on a hilltop claiming he saw the moon even as he points to en entirely different direction.

Should we accept the date set in Arabia? after all, that is where the final word on Eid is because that is when Haj is over.

Should we accept a global concept of moon-sighting where if it is sighted at one place, it is sighted all over the world or, should we accept local sightings by OUR religious scholars?

 

A Rabbi friend of mine told me that Jews addressed this problem (they too, work on the Lunar Calendar)…hundreds of years ago! They decreed that all holidays (except for Yom Kippur) would be observed for one extra day, just to be sure they observed it on the right moon-sighting day. Today, Reform (Liberal) Jews have removed the second day observance because they believe that it is scientifically possible to accurately determine the correct day.

 

Muslims’ dithering about when are our holy days, is what keeps us from having an actual holiday for Eid; if Muslims cannot agree when to hold their holy days, then how can we get our schools to agree on when the holy days are so they can give our children a holiday?

 

It never ends; we are doomed to celebrate our holy festivals on two, maybe three, different days. That’s the bitter part…