Media Bias And Muslims

One thing that I have been noticing is that in basic issues the media (be they from US, UK, Oz, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, etc.; ie worldwide) generally reports similar stories from centralized sources.  They all may have their particular agendas or bias in the story selection process or on OPed pieces but the basic stories generally are the same.

For example, the Mumbai attacks.  OPed aside, every major news source reported the same or similar stories on the topic.  OPed pieces especially in the Hindu papers were the portions that showed any bias.  Yet OPed is really not news, but opinion just as it is called “OP”ed.  This article (post) is an example of OPed.

The reason I bring this up is because it is common in the Muslim community upon hearing of a crime of terrorism involving Muslims to immediately react and call it lies and biased reporting, etc.  Just like in the Mumbai attacks.  This was the first reaction from many hardline Muslim activists, yet we find out that initial reporting (as reported by Indian media as well as every other source worldwide) was accurate.  It was Muslims.

Sure, reporting is not always accurate, but only in minor details usually.  Reporters are human and subject to the same vices and faults as anyone else.  Even through those vices and faults, the basic event remains in tact.

The world is no longer the compartmentalized place that people perceive it to be. There are no true nation states when it comes to what goes on in the world.  There is no “what goes on in my house is my business” anymore.  We are all in the same house and what goes on is everyone’s business now.  People may have their slant on the events, but the events are there for everyone to see.

Time to be honest with ourselves, Muslims, and clean our own house before someone we don’t wish decides to do it for us.  Time to stop burying our heads in the sand in love for our lives amusements while ignoring the real problems that exist in our communities, fearing the extremist gangster thugs and standing up for what is right.

Please visit our new website!

Hating America

One thing that annoys me is the stark nationalism that exists among many Muslims worldwide that is translated and misrepresented to reverts as “Islamic”.

I have gone through this process as I became more and more educated by Muslims and Islamic scholars that are from non-western, traditionally “Islamic” countries.  Many of these countries being ruled by brutal dictatorships or generally oppressive or unstable regimes, not by Islam.

It is firstly important to realize that no country that exists today is an “Islamic” country, that is, ruled by shariah 100% without diluting it with either former colonial roman laws or made up laws by the dictatorships themselves.

It is my proposal that Islam and Islamic viewpoints do not have to be intrinsically anti-west or anti-American.  As an American revert, I see a heck of a lot more good in my country than most others, especially today’s countries that are mostly populated with Muslims.  In fact, America is still one of the safest places to practice, gather in numbers, and freely speak about any religion, despite the current Bush Administration scrutiny that attempts to curb terrorism by our group.

In my experience, it is the leftist ideologies predominant in many Muslim countries that often gets infused with Islamic understanding.

I remember one worldwide well known scholar (who will go nameless), whom I met personally and witnessed speaking in public in the US, state that his culture is superior to western culture because he is from a “Muslim country”, a society based on Islamic values.  In response, another well known scholar from Canada (who will also go nameless) stated in pubic to him, and I agree, that much of his countries culture, though Islam originated there, is based on unislamic culture predating Islam and still carries many stark unislamic practices.  You can still get prostitutes, drugs and many of the things in his Islamic country just as you can get these things in western societies as well.  Hence, neither culture is superior except in that which is good.  The only difference being that western culture has yet to embrace Islam and much of western is much safer to practice and preach Islam without being jailed or executed by the dictator that you are preaching against according to your beliefs, case in point the sham trial and execution of Syed Qutb by hanging.

Also, Muslim countries have fought many unjust wars, not just against non-Muslim, but Muslims as well.  So, America is not the only country we should look at, but we should also look at ourselves and our countries.

Preaching and railing against the west while using an Islamic platform as a moral high ground is hypocritical and counterproductive.  Muslims can ally with the west on common ground as the Prophet (pbuh) did in his time and by living in the west we ally ourselves by default with them.  So, we should abide by our civic agreement to live in our western countries peacefully and abide by the laws of the land in exchange for security and freedom.  This is what is commonly known by political scholars as a “social contract”.  The Prophet (pbuh) did this when he sent the sahabbah to flee from oppression to the Abbasid King (who was Christian) and the early Muslims abided by the agreement to live peacefully in a non-Muslim land in exchange for protection.

As Muslims, we dont have to be against our government any more than any other government, even Islamic ones.  We can be patriotic and allied to the land that we grew up in and love.  If we love our country, we will do everything possible to peacefully impart Islamic knowledge to them.  We should not defame, rail, plot against it in the name of Islam.

I don’t hate America.  I want what is best for America and our constitution give us the freedom and opportunity, equal to any other group, to alter the course of its policies that we dont agree with. We just need enough people involved in the political and social process.

As American (or western) Muslims, we should not tolerate any other Muslim defaming or speaking unjustly or hypocritically about our nation.  We should separate nationalism from Islam and recognize when our scholars are speaking like this.  We should correct them and always speak with justice and fairness in all things.  Nationalism infused into Islamic rhetoric will divide and destroy us as a people.

Read my signature and you will understand.

Please visit our new website!

True Origins of Halloween

Remember, you heard it on Islamfactor! Most folks, let alone Muslims, havent a clue what the history of Halloween really is.Similar to the history of the symbol of the crescent and star that Muslims now use to symbolize their faith which was originally dedicated to the goddess Diana, Halloween began and was celebrated as a benign NON-RELIGIOUS holiday and became to be assimilated by local Pagans, Christians and many others.

The Origin of Halloween: From the Celts to the Romans

Some historians trace the origin of Halloween back to the Celtic people of pre-medieval Europe. The Celts of Ireland, Britain, and France divided their year into halves: the “light half,” roughly consisting of the spring and summer months when days are longer and nights are shorter, and the “dark half,” roughly consisting of the autumn and winter months when days are shorter and nights are longer. Celts celebrated the end of the light half of the year with the festival of “Samhain” (pronounced sah-wen), which they observed during the October/November lunar cycle. Following the Roman conquest of Britain, British Celts adopted the Julian calendar and fixed the date of Samhain’s observance to November 1.

Costumes and treats were a traditional part of the Celtic celebration. And while Samhain began as a strictly Celtic festival, it is probable that aspects of Roman religion were incorporated into its observance over the four centuries of Roman rule in Britain (43-410 AD). For example, Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit trees and gardens. Her symbol was an apple. Some scholars believe this may explain how candied apples and bobbing for apples became associated with Halloween (as Samhain was later renamed — see below).

Please visit our new website!

Ramadan for New Muslims and non-Muslim Friends

Perfecting one’s Ramadan experience can be a lifetime achievement. We should not expect that we can perform the fasts perfectly or in their entirety when we have not had the benefit of many years of practice. To do so would undoubtedly be counterproductive as it would be overwhelming and cause burn-out. Even those who are born Muslim and those who have been Muslim for many years struggle in perfecting the important aspects of Ramadan.

It’s for this reason that for new Muslims, the scholars often agree that reverts (and those born Muslim who are rediscovering their Islamic faith) should “ease” themselves into it by whatever way possible. Allah is Most Merciful and Forgiving of our situations and does not hold it against us.

For those who are not Muslim but following the fast in solidarity or for the experience, it is beneficial to follow the same guidelines as new Muslims. It would take a serious effort for someone not already acclimatized to performing all 30 days of Ramadan fasts perfectly from dawn to dusk and is not necessary for you to benefit from Ramadan.

There are many things to discuss about Ramadan and many more suggestions but I will try to focus on but a few to get you started.

The following is some tips on preparing for Ramadan for those who are taking on the fast…. (Remaining article published at link below)

Please visit our new website!

Rataliate

This goes out to those of you who think for the past week or so you have gone through a lot of Salafi bashing. Who like to play the “victimized” role.

Playing their Salafist victimized role is like a person who slaps himself in the face and then complains that his cheek hurts. They bash themselves.

Stop crying.

They don’t like freedom of speech because freely speaking exposes them so they have to run off and backbite you elsewhere. They are those who cannot hack it on a place that allows people to freely speak their minds. They are fitna nay sayers who love to criticize others but then decry fitna at the ability of people to freely speak their minds when they begin to criticize a few Salafi. Lastly, they are those who think they are doing good by maintaining a presence and punitive to people by leaving a group. The reality is their presence rarely without agenda.

If they aren’t intelligent enough to get a clue, no one is trying to modernize Islam. They are trying to bring Islam to a “pre-Islamic” (primitive) state. Oh, that’s right, they worship scholars! Yeah, maybe the ones that live in a cave in fricken Afghanistan. Yeah, the one’s who are to cowardly to kill themselves and get others to do the work instead. No, I take that back, maybe they are those who wouldn’t go that far. I know the scholars they worship, the Saudi (or Saudi fashioned) Salafi women haters. Worshipping these scholars is like a black man who bows before the great knowledge of the Klu Klux Klan or the Jewish person who bows before the majestic wisdom of the Nazi Party. Self-oppressive, hypocritical, oxymoronic, and truly a juxtaposition for them. There are many scholars, a great deal more than the Salafi, yet they claim the glories of your Saudi and Saudi influenced non-Saudi Salafist (Wahabi) Sheikhs. Actually, I go back on myself, they claim the glories of your Saudi Sheikhs. Perhaps they know better than the Prophet (pbuh) himself. Perhaps the Majestic Salafi scholars will intercede on their behalf to Allah on the day of judgment. Allah must have passed them up for brains on the day of creation if they think that the scholars will give a *** about them on the Day of Judgment.

Let’s read a play of the final events:

Please visit our new website!

Muslims worship Muhammad

Muslims do not worship the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Every Prophet since Adam (a.s.) had followers. The messages of all of the Prophets are unanimous. Mankind was created to worship the Creator only! Qur’an 39:65-66 says, “But it has already been revealed to thee,- as it was to those before thee,- ‘If thou wert to join (gods with Allah), truly fruitless will be thy work (in life), and thou wilt surely be among the losers.’ Nay, but worship Allah, and be of those who give thanks.”

Of all of the Prophets, the most detailed and authentic account of a Prophet’s life and what made him pleasing to God is the accounts recorded of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). We quote his quotes and perform his Sunnah (way of life) because God was pleased with him and we want God to be pleased with us. He is the perfect example for us to follow if we want to please God. God has instructed us in the Qur’an that we follow the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), “…those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to the Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (forever) and that will be the supreme achievement.” (Qur’an 4:13) In accordance to the Word of God we follow the Sunnah (way of life) of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and worship God and God alone!

Exerpt from Western Misconceptions: The Facts About Islam by BrJimC 2000

Please visit our new website!

The Perfumed Garden

Has anyone heard of the work entitled “The Perfumed Garden” by an Islamic scholar named Shaykh Nefwazi?

He lived about 925 Hijra, which is roughly 16th century AD.

His work focused on healthy sexual relationships between Muslim couples. By todays standards, the book would be considered a mixture of sexual psychology and erotic literature.

It is something that many Muslims today who don’t delve into the importance of a healthy sexual relationship, let alone for the pleasure of their wives.

What do you guys think about a scholar doing a work like this?

Does anyone know about this scholar?

What do you think about his literary work and scholarship?

To read more and post discussion or debate you must be registered at Islamfactor and goto “The Cage” protected forum.

Please visit our new website!

Muslims and Louis Farrakhan

Muslims follow Louis Farrakhan

The Nation of Islam Movement (then known as the Black Muslims) was first founded by Wallace D. Fard, founder of the Temple of Islam in Detroit. In 1934 he disappeared and Elijah Poole declared himself the leader of the movement. Soon afterward Elijah Poole changed his name to Elijah Muhammad. The movement has nothing to do with Islam in practice but uses the terminology for identification. The teachings of black nationalism and civil disobedience are not Islamic teachings. Elijah Muhammad believed that he was the final prophet sent to earth. He taught that there is a mother spaceship in orbit of the earth prepared to bomb the United States for the evil they committed against blacks. White people are taught to be the creation of an evil scientist from long ago.

In 1952, Malcom Little (known as Malcom X), became a member of the Black Muslims. After attending the Hajj (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia he converted to Islam and accepted the unity of the races, which formed a rift between him and Elijah Muhammad. In 1964 he formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Subsequently, he was assassinated by the Black Muslim Movement.

Louis Eugene Wilcott became a member of the Black Muslims in 1955. He adopted the name Abdul Haleem Farrakhan and became commonly known as Louis Farrakhan. When Elijah Muhammad died in 1975 his son, Wallace Muhammad, succeeded him. Wallace Muhammad downplayed black nationalism and disbanded his fathers organization. In 1978 Louis ….

Please visit our new website!

Hadith Debate

“The prophet said: ‘Do not write anything from me EXCEPT QURAN. Whoever wrote, must destroy it” (Muslim, Zuhd 72; Hanbel3/12,21,39)

If Non-Muslims made that claim, some Muslims would oppose it out of ignorance, given that they themselves are Ahadith followers.

Hadith are “stories” they are not “Islamic rules”.

Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja, and Al-Nasa’I – Ahadith collectors – have confused and mislead the masses, and worst part yet, they convinced people that the Quran is not good enough to be followed on its own.

Once again I can’t help but ask, what did the Muslims that lived for 200 years before Ahadith were introduced to the masses – do? Where they bad Muslims? According to Ahadith, they were not even Muslims, because they rejected to use any other book but the Quran, and the Quran, once again, is not enough for the confused Muslims that follow Ahadith.

Please visit our new website!

Beyond Shahada

There is no god but God
Mohammed (sas) is the prophet of God

Allah(swt) is the Arabic word for the GOD, it is not a name given to God of Muslims as usually thought of by some non-muslims. the word Allah is used by all Arabic speakers muslims, christians and pagans etc for the God.

SWT= subbhana watala which is for Allah(swt) SAS is sallillah hu alhiwaslim which means peace be upon him and is reffered with respect to Prophet Muhammed.

It is customery for muslims to use swt and sas respectively for Allah(swt) and Muhammed(sas).

So by speaking these two sentence with sincerety in front of a muslim a person becomes muslim, shahada means to testify, so basically a person is testifying that he/she believes that there is only one God and Muhammed is His messenger.
basically we are testifying to the oneness of God, The God of Abraham, Moses, david, Jesus and all other prophets know and unknown.

As to having doubt about certain things, as brother Jim said it is human nature to doubt and question everything, Allah(swt) says in the Quran to question, challenge, inspect and satisfy yourself about every thing. Do not follow anything or any advice blindly, Allah(swt) encourages us to use our intellect, be inqusitive.

The only way to remove doubts is to study and ask questions to knowledgeable scholars, and there are many available.
Reading Quran by ourselves is great, but to really undersatnd it we have to either have a teacher or read different tafsirs, and we need to read atleast a couple of tafsirs to actually get the gist of it.

One more aspect of being muslim is practicing moderation, Prophet(sas) said the best is to follow the middle path. that is avoid either exterme. In essence as Allah(swt) says in Quran, we have made this deen(religion) easy for you.

So once a person says his/her shahada, He/she is a muslim. but there are certain obligations on him/her to become a practicing muslim.

1. obligatry prayers 5 times a day
2. Zakat
3. Fasting during Ramadan
4. Hajj

Islam defines anything which is harmful to you, your family, your community, humanity at large and all living things to be sin, as a muslim we are commanded to stay away from sins.

Please visit our new website!