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Monday, January 18, 2016

A call for sanity: How the Quran-abiding Muslims view the Jews -by Adnan Oktar

Op-Ed: A call for sanity: How the Quran-abiding Muslims view the Jews

The author writes that Quranic verses taken out of context and therefore misinterpreted are used as a pretense for Muslim hatred of Jews.
Adnan Oktar
The writer, an influential Turkish writer and publicist in the Muslim world, wrote the book Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah, available in English, Turkish, Azerbaijani and Hebrew. His articles have appeared in global media including Huffington Post, Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, Ynet News, IsraCast, New Straits Times, (Malaysia), Jakarta Post, Straits Times (Singapore), China Post, Malaysian Insider, Al Quds Al Arabi (London), Makkah Newspaper, Gulf Daily News, Al Arabiya, Tehran Times, Iran Daily and others.

Adnan Oktar's Articles

Adnan Oktar on Arutz Sheva 

Published: Monday, January 18, 2016 4:18 AM

This article is in response to Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld's article on Jewish Schools in the UK and the apes and pigs dilemma.

It is clear to anyone that our world is in dire need of peace. Any contribution to peace, small or large, will be extremely valuable. For this reason, I believe that clearing a major confusion about how the Quran-abiding Muslims really see Jews is of paramount importance.

For decades now, regrettably certain religious authorities in the world, especially in Muslim areas in and around Israel disillusioned by erroneous explanations derived from traditions, superstitions, and fake hadiths (Prophet Mohammed’s sayings),  created an image of Jew-hating Muslims. They even went as far as making absurd claims that Jews descend from pigs. (Our Jewish brothers and sisters are surely beyond such remarks).

It is crucial that Muslims and non-Muslims alike become aware that such an approach and attitude is purely non-Quranic, untrue, not to mention disrespectful and downright racist.

As a matter of fact, Prophet Moses is the most mentioned Prophet in the Quran. Torah, Prophet Moses and the righteous Jewish people are praised in multiple verses throughout the Quran.

In the three verses that radicals try to use, either knowingly or due to lack of information, God is condemning the transgressors from the Jewish communities of the time that defied the orders of God. In these verses, those transgressors that caused trouble for the pious Jews are condemned through metaphorical expressions that compared them to pigs and apes. It should be noted that there are many verses where transgressing Muslims are condemned in similar ways in the Quran.

Therefore taking these verses out of context and trying to apply it to a whole group of people that God wants Muslims to love and protect is a defiance of the Quran (Quran is beyond that), and a blatant display of racism, which is strictly banned by Islam.

Now let’s look at the verses in question and see why such an approach is unacceptable.

Jews according to the Quran

First and foremost, Muslims love and deeply revere all the Prophets, and Prophet Moses is a very beloved messenger of God for Muslims. In addition, Muslims accept those parts of the Torah that are in compliance with the Quran.

Now let’s see why radicals are gravely mistaken in their interpretation of some verses:

Shall I tell you of a reward with God far worse than that: that of those whom God has cursed and with whom He is angry – turning some of them into monkeys and into pigs – and who worshipped false gods? (Qur'an, 5:60)

The Quran has a self-explanatory beauty and in some cases one would need other verses to understand a verse. For this reason, singling out a single verse by taking it out of context might lead to very erroneous conclusions. This is exactly what is happening with the verses in question.

From the verses preceding the above one, we understand that the 60th verse refers to the transgressors amongst the Christians and the Jews, through a metaphorical expression. After pointing out to the errors of the offenders, our Lord makes a clear distinction between the righteous and the transgressors in these communities and praises the pious amongst them:

Those who have faith and those who are Jews and the Sabaeans and the Christians, all who have faith in God and the Last Day and act rightly will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 5:69)


In the second verse that are widely attempted to be used by radicals, our Lord says: When they were insolent about what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them, “Be apes, despised, cast out!” (Qur'an, 7:166)

As the verse itself makes it very clear, this condemnation is for the deviator and transgressors that ignored the orders of God. However, once again it is preceded by verses that make a clear distinction between the righteous ones and the transgressors. In the verse 164, God mentions about Jews who persistently warned that transgressor community, calling them to the truth.

And in the 159th verse, our Lord draws attention to a distinguished people amongst the Jews: Among the people of Moses there is a group who guide by the truth and act justly in accordance with it. (Qur'an, 7:159)


The last verse used by the radicals once again refers to the offenders that disobeyed the orders of God. Our Lord, after praising righteous people among Jews and Christians in the 62nd verse, condemns the transgressors who broke the Sabbath in the 65th verse.

Christians and Sabaeans, all who have faith in God and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 2:62)

You are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be apes, despised, cast out.” (Qur'an, 2:65)

These verses make it very clear that, such condemnation applies only to those that defy the orders of God.

As one reads the Quran in its entirety, it will become plainly clear that there is no adverse viewing of the Jews, on the contrary, pious Jews are praised by our Lord in many verses where He reveals that He will give them a great reward. Indeed, Prophet Mohammed was a great example with his loving, embracing attitude towards them and with his Medina Document, the first written constitution in history that guaranteed the lives, beliefs, honors, and rights of Jews and considered them as the brothers of Muslims.

We hope that Muslims all around the world abandon hostility towards Jews with the pretense of justification having a religious background. Our Lord wants us to love and protect our brothers from the People of the Book.

We cannot allow ourselves to be swallowed by anger and hatred when our religion commands us the opposite. We should keep in mind that the mistakes of few cannot justify hostility towards an entire society and especially not on non-existing religious grounds. 

Adnan Oktar is an influential Turkish writer and opinion leader.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Post 9/11 E-mail Exchanges with Eric Johnson of Washington Times/UPI

To:
Mr. Eric M. Johnson
Internet Development Manager
The Washington Times/United Press International
voice: (202) 636-3088 fax: (202) 636-4930
e-mail: webmanager@washingtontimes.com

Br. Eric M.Johnson

In your first mail dated 16th Sept.2001, reacting to my Statement No.160901.1 you cursed us in following language :

QUOTE (YOUR MAIL TO ME) :

"I hope Allah eradicates you from the face of the earth for profaning his name with your hateful rhetoric.
Have a nice day,
Eric M. Johnson"
UNQUOTE

In response to your above curse we humbly wrote to you :
QUOTE (MY MAIL TO YOU):

"Dear brother Eric M. Johnson,

We have written nothing out of hatred.  English is not our mother tongue. So if from our English composition it seems that it is a "hateful rhetoric" then we apologize.  Our purpose is not to spread hatred.

We are very simple people committed to live in the Path of Allah.  We accept as Sovereign none but Allah. We believe that the whole mankind is the progeny of Hazrat Adam and Eve (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them). Thus all human beings are related to each other by blood bond.  Pious Muslims are modest.  Satan (Devil) and the followers of Satan are arrogant.

 It is our understanding from history and track record that USA IS THE CULT OF ARROGANCE.  They created and used the Weapon of Mass Destruction on innocent  civilians.  They are again threatening to use the Nuclear Weapons, Biological Weapons and Chemical Weapons against the innocent civilians.

It has not been even a fortnight since the attacks took place in New York and Pentagon. Hazrat Osma Bin Laden (may his divine shade be ever-increasing) has categorically denied his connection to the attack. Osama was not in the USA or Europe during the incident. Neither he was involved in the attack nor it has been proved that he ordered and funded the attack. What type of justice it is to put the blame on him without necessary proof ?

 In fact USA is proving herself to be the CULT OF ARROGANCE.  USA is haughty. They are wealthy. They are too proud to let live others in honor.  They have maligned justice. They have maligned media.

If the mankind is to be saved, we have to get rid of the CULT OF ARROGANCE.

I remain, an humble slave of God, and your brother as a progeny of Prophet Adam (pbuh)."
UNQUOTE

In response to our above letter you tried to make some points, which was not convincing. Rather your repeated call for wrath of Allah on us obliges us to inquire first whether you truly believe in Allah (God), His Holy Prophets, His Books, His Angels, The Hereafter.  Mankind is the viceroy of God. Mankind is required to follow the Guidance Revealed in the Books of God and practiced by the Holy Prophets of God. God cursed Satan the Devil for his disobedience to God's order. God has ordered Mankind to guard themselves against misguidance of Satan the Devil.

We are not communal. We think that there are people of God in all communities including among Muslims, Christians and Jews. We think that there are people of Satan (Devil) in all communities including among Muslims, Christians and Jews. And it is a fact that more people of God are available in the Muslim  community than in any other community on the Earth today.

Secularism essentially means atheism. Secularists are more fascist and arrogant than communalists.   Secularism is a tricky hypocritical Satanic (Devilish) way to ignore and dominate all Faith. Secularists can be more cruel than any one else to suppress the establishment of God's Kingdom on the Earth. 

Our experience about Western people is that most of them are actually atheist. They say that they have faith in God and in Christian or Jewish religion. But at the same time most of them believe that man was created in races through evolution (as it is described in the Theory of Origin of Species). Most of them do not actually believe that the whole mankind is a single race as the progeny of Holy Prophet Adam and his wife Eve (may Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them). Most of them do not actually believe in the Books of God (Divine Scriptures). Most of them consider the Books of God as the sayings of the Wiseman of the past. And the base of Western Civilization is rooted in the hedonism, polytheism and atheism of Ancient Greece. Our conflict with Western Civilization is not only material, but mainly Spiritual.

So, my brother, I urge you to re-discover your own Faith first.

I am your well-wisher and
an humble slave of God,

Kazi Azizul Huque,
24/A, Wali Para,
Joar Shahara, Dhaka-1229

=============================
YOU WROTE :

From: "Eric M. Johnson/IT" <EMJohnson@upi.com>
To: khelafat@cimabd.com
Subject: RE: USA is the CULT OF ARROGANCE
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 08:56:16 -0400
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)


Your facts are wrong, once again, especially about the "indiscriminate killing of civilians." But that would take a long period of time, which I do not have. So, speaking only for myself and not for my employer, let me say this:

The nations of Islam are weak and effeminate. You do not build airplanes, you can only crash them into buildings. You cannot build societies in which people of all faiths can worship without fear, you can only attack them (especially Israel, may God protect her.) You are like bitter old women; you scream profanity at those who are more powerful, remembering the days when you were younger and stronger. You laugh when innocent people are murdered, but the righteous would weep; you convict yourselves of your guilt.

Most seriously, you yourself are a blasphemer, using the name of God to spread lies and hatred. You face the wrath of our common God if you do not repent of your poisons.

Regards,
Eric Johnson

///////////////////////////////////////////////////
  Eric M. Johnson
  Internet Development Manager
  The Washington Times/United Press International
  voice: (202) 636-3088 fax: (202) 636-4930
  e-mail: webmanager@washingtontimes.com
///////////////////////////////////////////////////

-----Original Message-----
>From: khelafat@cimabd.com
>Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 11:29 PM
>To: Mr. Colin Powell
>Cc: wembaster@icj-cij.org; information@icj-cij.org;
>webmaster@fco.gov.uk; oiccabinet@oic-oci.org; guestbook@dfa-deplu.go.id;
>pakfo@yahoo.com; ps2@pmo.bdonline.com; bbcworld@bbc.co.uk;
>cnn@turner.com; editor.reuters@reuters.com; contact@afp.com;
>info@ap.org; letters@voa.gov; editor@usatoday.com; letters@nytimes.com;
>webadmin@washtimes.com; helpdesk@bernama.com; mwlhq@clara.net;
>letters@finalcall.com; aibd@bangla.net; almaeena@arabnews.com;
>ktimes@emirates.net.ae; editor@metimes.com; irna@irna.com;
>Hoque@IRIB.com; salimi@tehrantimes.com; webmaster@kayhannews.com;
>observer@best.net.pk; observer@shapla.net; letters@iht.com;
>dms@itar-tass.com; demos@ndi.org; ljones@amnesty.org
>Subject: USA is the CULT OF ARROGANCE 

USA IS THE CULT OF ARROGANCE : MANKIND NEEDS TO GET RID OF IT

 It is our understanding from history and track record that USA IS THE CULT OF ARROGANCE AND THUS TERRORIST.  They are the first to make Weapon of Mass Destruction and they used it on innocent civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  They are again threatening to use the Nuclear Weapons, Biological Weapons and Chemical Weapons against the innocent civilians of Afghanistan. They are habituated to hit civilians indiscriminately. They indiscriminately hit civilians in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan. Their protectorate Israel hits indiscriminately civilians of Palestine and Lebanon frequently. USA HAS OBLIGED VICTIMS TO USE INHUMAN TACTICS TO HIT BACK.

 USA is again and again proving herself to be the CULT OF ARROGANCE.  USA is haughty. They are wealthy. THEY ARE TOO PROUD TO LET OTHERS LIVE IN HONOR.  They have MALIGNED JUSTICE. They have MALIGNED MEDIA. They have MALIGNED MIND OF THEIR OWN POPULATION.

PIOUS MUSLIMS are very simple people committed to live in the Path of Allah.  We accept as Sovereign none but ALLAH. We believe the whole mankind is the progeny of Hazrat ADAM and EVE (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them). Thus all human beings are related to each other by blood bond.  Pious Muslims are modest.  Satan (Devil) and the followers of Satan are arrogant.

USA has dishonored ISLAM & MUSLIMS by stationing their troops in Arabian Peninsula. They deserve Divine Punishment. The devastation of Twin Tower and Pentagon were Acts of God.

If the mankind is to be saved, we have to get rid of the STANIC CULT OF ARROGANCE.

LIST OF SOME OF THE CRIMES FOR WHICH INTERNATIONAL WARRANTS COULD BE ISSUED AGAINST U.S.PRESIDENTS AND MILITARY OFFICIALS:-

(1) USING NUCLEAR WEAPONS ON CIVILIANS OF JAPAN

(2) INDISCRIMINATE KILLING OF CIVILIANS IN KOREA & VIETNAM

(3) BOMBING FAMILY RESIDENCE OF COL.GADDAFI
    (NON-COMBATANT WOMEN AND CHILD WERE KILLED)

(4) SHOOTING DOWN IRANIAN CIVIL AIRCRAFT
    (235 CIVILIAN PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE KILLED)

(5) INDISCRIMINATE KILLING OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ

(6) FIRING MISSILES ON AFGHANISTAN AND SUDAN IN 1998 WITHOUT ANY         AUTHORITY OF MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE OR WITHOUT DECLARING ANY WAR.

(7) CURRENT AGGRESSION AGAINST AFGHANISTAN

(8) BOMBING FAMILY RESIDENCE OF MOLLAH OMAR IN KANDAHAR AND                 THEREBY KILLING NON-COMBATANT CHILD AND FAMILY MEMBER.

(9) OPPRESSING, SUPPRESSING AND KILLING PEOPLE OF LATIN AMERICA,ASIA AND AFRICA THROUGH STOOGE GOVERNMENTS, DICTATORS AND CRIMNAL PARA-MILITARIES.

(10)COMITTING CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY SPECIFICALLY AGAINST WOMEN BY NOURISHING ANTI-FAMILY VALUES & CULTURE OF PRONOGRAPHY, GAY,  LESBIANISM ETC., UNDER THE COVER OF DEMOCRACY & CIVIL SOCIETY.


From : Kazi Azizul Huq, 24/A, Walipara, Joar Shahara Bazar, Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh.

======================================

YOU WROTE :
From: "Eric M. Johnson/IT" <EMJohnson@upi.com>
To: "'Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon '" <khelafat@cimabd.com>
Subject: RE: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY & TERRORISM ?
Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 14:23:56 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
           
RE: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY TERRORISM ?

Speaking only for myself, I hope Allah eradicates you from the face of the earth for profaning his name with your hateful rhetoric.

 Have a nice day,
Eric Johnson


>-----Original Message-----<
From: khelafat@cimabd.com
To: Managing Director<iht@iht.com>
Cc: ihtbkk@loxinfo.co.th; letters@iht.com; editor@usatoday.com; webadmin@washtimes.com; webeditor@washtimes.com; letters@nytimes.com; feedback@nytimes.com; editors@asiaweek.com

Subject: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

CIRB (HEZBOLLAH)
24/A, Wali Para,
DHAKA-1229, BANGLADESH                                                         
Tel/Fax : (880-2)988 14
E-mail: cirb_hezbollah@hotmail.com

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

PRESS RELEASE : 160901.1 : 16.Sept.2001

WHAT DO THE WEST UNDERSTAND BY CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY & TERRORISM

Founder of CIRB(HEZBOLLAH), Mr. Kazi Azizul Huque in a statement has called Western  politicians, intellectuals and journalists  to explain what do they mean by Crime Against Humanity and Terrorism.

He said :  " To us  the following acts of the West are Terrorism and Crimes Against Humanity :-

1. THE WEST ABANDONED THE BIBLICAL FACT that mankind is the progeny of ADAM & EVE (Peace be upon   them).  Instead  they adopted and propagated the hypothesis that man was born in different races in different parts of the world  through EVOLUTION.  Thus the WESTERN CIVILIZATION  is  inherently RACIST, DISCRIMINATORY & INHUMAN.  Thus the more  one  is  committed  to  Western Civilization,  the more one is ARROGANT, IMMODEST  &  INHUMAN.  The apparent modesty of any Westernized being is deceptive and hypercritic.  Because Western  Civilization makes human  mind   egoistic,  selfish, arrogant  and sick.

2. THE WEST MALIGNED FAMILY LIFE, particularly WOMENFOLK. God created woman as a sacred and honorable divine re-productive machine. The West degraded her to bitches as she is portrayed in most of the pornography.  The West  promoted adultery,  pornography,  lesbianism, gay culture and live-together culture in the name of human rights and democracy. 

3. THE WEST IS THE INVENTOR OF MODERN TERRORISM. They created Weapon of Mass Destruction. They killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian men, women and children of Hiroshima and Nagasaki just to TERRORIZE not only the Japanese, but everyone outside the West. They celebrated this horrendous inhuman cruelty, violence and terrorism.

4. THE WEST PATRONIZED THE ATHEIST & RACIST JEWS to promote Zionism.  They helped the Racist Zionists to wipeout hundreds of thousands of indigenous population of Palestine through TERRORISM.

5. In 1982 the West celebrated the killing of about 17,500  civilians by Israel in Lebanon.

6. THE WEST DEMONSTRATED THEIR HORRENDOUS TERRORIST CHARACTER when they shot down IRANIAN CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT killing all its 235 passengers and crew.

7. The West indiscriminately bombed civilian areas of Iraq and killed half a million children by inhuman sanctions.

8. THE WEST VIOLATED THE SANCTITY OF THE HEART OF ISLAM by stationing its troops in the Arabian Peninsula.

ON THE OTHER HAND, It is the ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION which is still UPHOLDING the BIBLICAL TRUTH  that the MANKIND is the PROGENY of a single pair of parents - PROPHET HAZRAT ADAM and  his  wife  HAZRAT  HAWA i.e. EVE (Peace be upon them).  Thus Islamic Civilization is  still propagating that  the  whole  mankind  is  related  to  each other  by  blood  connection.  ISLAM  is the  way  of  life  of  submission  to  ONE GOD.  MUSLIM  is  he/she  who  submits to ONE GOD. 

Thus Pious Muslims are inherently submissive, modest and compassionate.  They are compassionate to those who are obedient to God.  They  are  hard against those who are disobedient to God.  The more pious a Muslim is,  the more non-arrogant, modest  and  human he/she is.   HAZRAT OSMA BIN LADEN is not only a pious Muslim, but also a Wali-Allah, i.e. the Saint of God.  He is on a Divine Mission  against the  Cult of Arrogance.    He is on a Divine Mission to save the Faith and the weak and the oppressed from the arrogance of Satanic elite of our age. "

Press Release
===============================================


At 02:23 PM 9/16/01 -0400, you wrote:
To:  "Eric M. Johnson/IT" <EMJohnson@upi.com>
From: "'Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon '" <khelafat@cimabd.com>
Subject: RE: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY & TERRORISM ?
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 07:42:07 -0400

Dear brother Eric Johnson,

Thank you for your kind arguments.  I am furnishing my replies to your points here under:-

1. REPLY :
I am not convinced.  When World War-ll was almost at the end, you hurriedly dropped two nuclear weapons on Japanese civilian population just to TERRORIZE the world outside White West.  Every nation has the right to prepare their civilian population for civil defense.  To resist invader with whatever available at hand is a part of civil defense. It does not turn a civilian into a combatant. 

2. REPLY:
There are reports in our local press that USA is considering all options including biological, chemical and even nuclear weapons to be used against Afghanistan.

3. REPLY:
Hazrat Osama (mhdsbei) called for resisting and hitting the USA, as many of we political and religious activists often call. 

Those who blasted bombs in Tanzania and Kenya are not Hazrat Osam's (mhdsbei) men.  They are people likely to be planted by Israeli intelligence services to create a pretext for instigating US administration to attack Afghanistan and Sudan.

Those who attacked US naval ship near Yemen are Islamic activists, not people directly connected with Osama.

About the last attack of 11th Sept.2001, I think, the only aircraft which crushed probably in Pennsylvania was hijacked by humans.  The other 3 aircraft which crushed into WTC New York and Pentagon were hijacked by UNSEEN SPIRITS. 

In fact for a long time ARROGANT US leadership have been committing the crime of indiscriminately hitting civilians violating all standard norms and ethics.  Therefore the victims are obliged to use same tactics against the US.

Last Para : REPLY :
Do you really believe in Divine Scriptures ? 

Sometime back I met an American friend who is a Jew. 

I asked him "Do you believe in the Religion of Hazrat Moses (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)?" 

He replied, "Yes, I have faith in Jewish religion." 

Then I asked him, "Do you believe that the mankind is the progeny of Hazrat Adam & Eve (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them).  

He said, "Oh! Yes, I have faith in Scripture." 

Then I inquired, "Do you refute the hypothesis that man was created in races through evolution, not born of the single pair of parents Adam & Eve (PBABUT)?"

He said, "You see, these are scientific facts. I have to believe in scientific facts." 

I said, "No, this not a scientific fact. It is merely a hypothesis.  You said that you have faith in Scripture. Then how do you believe in the hypothesis that contradicts Scripture?" 

He replied, "You see, faith and belief are not the same thing.  I have faith in Jewish religion, but I have to believe in scientific truth." 

I could not understand how faith and belief can be different. May be because English is not my mother-tongue.  But I understood, my friend is virtually an atheist,  Jew by community and heritage only. This is a contradiction created by Western Civilization.

I think that same would be the problem with you.  If you are a true believer in Allah, The Day of Judgment, the Hereafter, the Divine Scriptures, the Angels, the Prophets of Allah - then I can discuss with you what will happen at death and Hereafter.  Otherwise why should I enter into futile intellectual skirmishes ?

Thanking you with best regards.


=======================================

YOU WROTE :

From: "Eric M. Johnson/IT" <EMJohnson@upi.com>
To: "'Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon '" <khelafat@cimabd.com>
Subject: RE: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY & TERRORISM ?
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 07:42:07 -0400
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)

Let me respond to your points individually: 

1. We used two nuclear weapons on Japan to end a war they started. Their entire population was involved in the war against us. The Japanese government was training old men and boys to use sharpened sticks against the American invaders if we invaded their main island. Therefore, the line between "civilian" and "combatant" was very difficult to draw.

2. The USA is not considering using nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons against anyone. I don't know where you heard that.

3. Osama bin Laden does not need to be anywhere near his targets to order an attack on anyone, and I think you're smart enough to know that. If he's not responsible for these particular mass murders, then he was responsible for others (in Africa, Yemen, and the first World Trade Center bombings.)

Tell me -- where did you get the idea that Allah supports the idea of mass murder? Of people sitting in their offices, people who had nothing to do with the oppression of Muslims or whatever it is that you are angry about. Yes, I do know many arrogant Americans, probably more than you'll ever know. I know others who are rich and careless. But I also know a great number who are not, and who live their lives as most people do: trying to provide for their families, contribute to their communities, and living according to their religion. Doubtless the Muslim fanatics slaughtered many such good people last Tuesday.

You are the prideful one, my friend. You speak in the name of Allah and you defend the murder of innocents. According to your religion and mine, you will have to answer for that at your death.

Regards,
Eric M. Johnson
=======================================


-----Original Message-----
From: khelafat@cimabd.com
To: Eric M. Johnson/IT
Sent: 9/16/2000 11:14 PM
Subject: RE: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY & TERRORISM ?

Dear brother Eric M. Johnson,

We have written nothing out of hatred.  English is not our mother tongue.
So if from our English composition it seems that it is a "hateful rhetoric" then we apologize.  Our purpose is not spread hatred.

We are very simple people committed to live in the Path of Allah.  We accept as Sovereign none but Allah. We believe the whole mankind is the progeny of Hazrat Adam and Eve (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them).

Thus all human beings are related to each other by blood bond.  Pious Muslims are modest.  Satan (Devil) and the followers of Satan are arrogant.

It is our understanding from history and track record that USA is the Cult of Arrogance.  They created and used the Weapon of Mass Destruction on innocent  civilians.  They are again threatening to use the Nuclear Weapons, Biological Weapons and Chemical Weapons against the innocent civilians.

It has not been even a fortnight since the attacks took place in New York and Pentagon. Hazrat Osma Bin Laden (may his divine shade be ever-increasing) has categorically denied his connection to the attack. Osama was not in the USA or Europe during the incident. Neither he was involved in the attack nor it has been proved that he ordered and funded the attack. What type of justice it is to put the blame on him without necessary proof ?  In fact USA is proving herself to be the CULT OF ARROGANCE.  USA is haughty.

They are wealthy. They are too proud to let live others in honor.  They have maligned justice. They have maligned media.  If the mankind is to be saved, we have to get rid of the CULT OF ARROGANCE.

I remain, an humble slave of God, 
and your brother as a progeny of Prophet Adam (pbuh)

=========================================

P.S. It is an accepted fact that Sin Fein represents the IRA. But since Sin Fein is not a military organization, they are not blamed for the military activities of IRA.  

=========================
At 02:23 PM 9/16/01 -0400, you wrote:


Speaking only for myself, I hope Allah eradicates you from the face of the earth for profaning his name with your hateful rhetoric.  

Have a nice day, 
Eric Johnson 


 -----Original Message----- 
>From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon 
>
>Cc: ihtbkk@loxinfo.co.th; letters@iht.com; editor@usatoday.com;
>webadmin@washtimes.com; webeditor@washtimes.com; letters@nytimes.com;
>feedback@nytimes.com; editors@asiaweek.com  Sent: 9/16/2000 2:06 PM 
>& TERRORISM ?   CIRB (HEZBOLLAH)   24/A, Wali Para, 
>DHAKA-1229, BANGLADES

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Meaning of Shari'ah and Difference Between Shari'ah, Din, and Millah in Qur'anic Usage

Shari'ah means path and religion; likewise millah is an adopted path. However, apparently the Qur'an uses the word, shari'ah in a meaning more particular than din (religion). For proof, see the verse: Surely the religion with Allah is Islam... (3:19). And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers (3:85); when read together with the verse under discussion:^/- every one of you did We appoint a law and a way, and the verse: Then We have made you follow a course in the affair, therefore follow it... (45:18).

Thus, shari'ah is the way prepared for an ummah or a prophet who was sent with it, as we say, shari'ah of Nuh, shari'ah of Ibrahim, shari'ah of Musa, shari'ah of 'Isa and shari'ah of Muhammad (s.a.w.); and religion is the divine course and system which covers all nations; so shari'ah is liable to abrogation but not religion in its wider sense.

There is one more difference: Religion is attributed to singular or plural whatever their position; but shari'ah is not attributed to a singular unless it be its Legislator or its principle head who manages it. They say: Muslims' religion, Jews' religion, Muslims' shari'ah, Jews' shari'ah; again they say: Allah's religion, Allah's shari'ah, Muhammad's religion, Muhammad's shari'ah; Also they say: Zayd's religion, 'Amr's religion, but they never say: Zayd's shari'ah or 'Amr's shari'ah. May be it is so because the term, shari'ah, carries a hint of incidental happening, an allusion of preparing and paving the path. It is perfectly right to say: the path prepared by Allah, the way laid down for the prophet or for a certain ummah; but it is not right to say: the way which was laid down for Zayd, because Zayd has no particular connection to it.

In any case, it is inferred from the above that shari'ah's meaning is more particular than that of religion. As for the verse, 42:13 (He has prescribed for you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you, and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and 'Isa.. .), it does not go against it, because it shows that the shari'ah of Muhammad (s.a.w.), laid down for his ummah is the sum total of what was enjoined upon Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and 'Isa (peace be upon them), added to what was revealed to Muhammad (s.a.w.). It is either an allusion to the fact that Islam (is a comprehensive religion which) combines the merits of all previous shari'ah plus the excellence of Muhammad (s.a.w.)'s revelation, or it aims at proving that all the laws do have a single reality and essence, even though they were somewhat different among themselves because the people for whom they were sent had different (intellectual and social) standards; as is hinted or proved by the words of verse 13 of chapter 42 coming after the clause quoted above: ...that establish the religion and be not divided therein.

Religion is one and unalterable, while laws differ (from nation to nation, time to time, and) are liable to abrogation. The relationship of a particular shari'ah with religion is like that of minor rules of Islam (with their abrogator and abrogated ones) with the basic religion. Allah has not obligated His servants except to adhere to one religion, i.e. submission to Him; but He has taken them to that destina­tion through different paths, legislating for them various systems according to their various abilities, and these are the laws of Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, 'Isa and Muhammad (may Allah's blessing be upon him and his progeny and on them); exactly as He sometimes abrogated within one shari'ah some laws replacing them with others because the abrogated law had lost its benefit and the abrogator one had become more appropriate and beneficial. See for example the replacement of the punishment of life-imprisonment for a fornicatress with flogging and stoning, etc. This is proved by the divine words: and if Allah had pleased He would have made you (all) a single people, but that He might try you in what He gave you...

As for millah, it is as though it points to norms and customs observed by people in their lives; and it probably has a shade of meaning of imla' and imlal i.e., 'dictation'; as such it would be a custom handed down by others; its root meaning is not so clear; therefore more likely it is synonymous to shari'ah inasmuch as, contrary to religion, milla like shari'ah denotes a system and way related to a particular group; yet there is difference between the two: shari'ah is used for the system or way keeping in view the reality that it has been laid down by Allah for people's use; while millah is used for the system as it is handed down practically among the people generation after generation. Probably that is the reason that millah is not ascribed to Allah in genitive construction, i.e. they never say, millah of Allah, while they say, religion of Allah, shari'ah of Allah.

However, it is ascribed to a prophet to denote his tradition and habit, or to an ummah because they follow and observe that custom and tradition. Allah says: ...the millah of Ibrahim, the upright one, and he was not of the polytheists (2:135); and Allah quotes Yusuf (a.s.) as saying:... surely I have forsaken the millah of a people who do not believe in Allah, and they are deniers of the hereafter; and I follow the millah of my fathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya 'qub... (12:37-38). And He quotes the unbelievers' threat to their prophets: ...We will most certainly drive you forth from our land, or else you shall come back into our millah... (14:13).

It is thus seen that din (religion) in Qur'anic usage is more general than shari'ah and millah; and these two are synonymous, with some difference in their usage. (Tafsir Al-Mizan, by the late Allamah Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai)

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Posted by Rabbi Ben Abrahamson 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Zionism – a perspective of a religious "peacenik" -By Chief Rabbi David Rosen


                Zionism – a perspective of a religious "peacenik"
                                    Rabbi David Rosen

While the political movement known as Zionism was produced by eighteenth century rationalism and nineteenth century nationalism; without the unique historical and spiritual bond of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, those secular forces alone could never have brought about the remarkable success that this political movement eventually secured. Moreover even when the British offered the Zionist movement an alternative location in which the Jewish people could take its destiny into its own hands; this was overwhelmingly rejected by secular Zionists as well.

Zionism has always meant the return of the Jewish people to establish independent Jewish life in its ancestral homeland. However precisely the combination of the aforementioned secular forces together with the historical bonds of a religious heritage, meant that there were and are many "zionisms", or in other words different ways of understanding the character and purpose of this enterprise.

Those that call themselves "religious Zionists" see the success of the Zionist enterprise as both a manifestation of Divine fidelity to the promise of return (see Leviticus 26 v.44 & 45) and as facilitating the ability to live a full religious national life in accordance with Jewish teaching (e.g. Leviticus 20 v.22-26; see Babylonian     Talmud, tractate Ketubot, folio 111)  However religious Zionists are also divided in their interpretation of the meaning of the establishment of the State of Israel. There are those who see it in messianic terms as fulfillment of Divine prophecy and as the first stage in the advent of messianic restoration and universal peace; while other religious Zionists have adopted a more pragmatic approach and see the state simply in its facilitatory role as above  mentioned. 

However not only religious Zionists, but also secular Zionists (both of the nationalist and socialist variety) saw the establishment of the State of Israel in moral terms, guaranteeing franchise, dignity, equality before the law, education and social services to all its citizens. This spirit and vision are evidenced in Israel's Declaration of Independence which also promises freedom of worship to all the religious communities of the Land. Moreover already in its early decades Israel saw itself as having responsibility to share and offer its technological achievements to the developing world.

From a Jewish religious perspective, this ethical dimension is critical to the meaning and success of Zionism. Not only does the Torah declares that the Jewish people is ideally to dwell in the Land in order to live as a nation in accordance with the revealed Divine tenets and commandments; but that failure to do undermines the ability of the People to live in the Land and leads to exile (Leviticus loc.cit. ) Moreover this condition is overwhelmingly portrayed both in the Torah and in the Prophets in terms of the values of justice and righteousness and the social ethical precepts especially towards the vulnerable and the "other".

The Zionist movement sought from the beginning to achieve a modus vivendi both with the local Arab communities and with the Arab world. In 1919 the preeminent Arab leader, the Emir Faisal, son of the Sherif of Mecca, co-signed a document with the president of the World Zionist Organization Dr. Chaim Weizman (later to become the first president of the State of Israel) welcoming the Zionist enterprise and expressing the hope that Jews and Arabs would work together to bring about a flourishing of the region for the benefit of all. The unfolding political developments meant that that dream was lost and conflict ensued with both Arab nationalism and nascent Palestinian nationalism. This conflict has caused much bloodshed, suffering, displacement and enmity. This should be a source of much distress to us who are proud to be called Jews and Zionists, for the vision of Torah and the vision of Zionism is one in which not only Jews but all people live in peace and dignity.

Moreover the conflict has inevitably been very costly for Israeli society and not only materially. Generally, I believe that Israel can be proud of the fact that despite the conflict, it has guaranteed equality of franchise and to a very large degree equality before the law for all its citizens. However it would be disingenuous to deny that the conflict does impinge on the freedoms and opportunities of Israel's Arab citizens.

Moreover while Israel assumed control of Gaza and areas of Judea and Samaria that constitute the West Bank as a result of a successful war of self defense in 1967, the price of controlling the lives of millions of Palestinians under occupation has inevitably had a deleterious affect on the moral fibre and institutions of Israeli life. That is why in my opinion a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel is essential not only for Israel's security, for the right of Palestinian national self determination; but also for the health of Judaism, Zionism and Israel's moral character.

For the same reasons I co-founded the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, not only because I believe that  Jews who are true to their religio-ethical heritage are obliged to concern themselves with the human rights of others, especially those who confront the consequences of a conflict of which we are a part; but also because the concept of human rights is ultimately indivisible. If we disregard them in one place, that disregard will come back to haunt us in another. This danger is patently obvious today to all who are not willfully blind.

There is arguably no parallel in human history to the success of Zionism in restoring the Jewish people to independent life in its ancestral homeland; just as there is no parallel to the degree of fidelity that an exiled people maintained in relation to its land for two millennia. However in order to ensure the future success of Zionism we have to find a way out of the present political stalemate, so that the land which three Faiths call holy, may be a place of flourishing for us all.