ISLAM HERE 4th edition July 2015

Active, Visable, Practised among People

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OWNING THE NARRATIVE Page

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THE MUSLIM STATESWOMAN

G L O B A L M U S L I M POPULATION FORECAST

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#MECCA_LIVE SNAPCHAT Page

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SURVIVING THE HAN

2050?

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MUSLIM YOUTH ON TWITTER

WASHINGTON DC’S PEW RESEARCH CENTRE HAVE SOME SURPRISING FORECASTS FOR GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION OVER THE NEXT 30 - 50 YEARS.

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ashington DC’s Pew Research Center and Austria’s International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis spent six years gathering the data from 2,500 censuses and surveys. Of recent, this research has created a flurry of opinion, both positive and negative. This is naturally the case with statistical predictions. The report cannot tell you what will happen by 2050, only what probably will happen based on what has happened already.

According to its research and projections, Islam will become America’s second-largest religion by 2050 according to a report outlining the world’s religious landscape 35 years

from now. The number of Christians in the US will decline from three quarters of the population in 2010 to just two thirds in 2050, researchers claim. Statistics revealed by the Pew Research Center show the percentage of atheists across the globe is expected to fall across the same time frame while Muslims will outnumber Christians by 2070 Research shows that although Islam will be the fastest growing religion in the world over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest group in 2050. At the same time, those who do not affiliate with any religion, including atheists and agnostics, will make up a ‘declining share of the world’s population’ even if their numbers are increas-

ing in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France. By 2050 in Europe, Muslims will make up one in ten of the overall population. The region’s Christian population will shrink from 553million to 454million, according to projections.

The global Buddhist population will remain roughly the same but Hindu and Jewish populations will be larger than they are today, according to the report. It reveals that five years ago, there were 2.2billion Christians in the world making it ‘by far’ the world’s largest religion with Islam second with 1.6billion out of a global population of 6.9billion. By 2050, there will be 2.8billion Muslims and 2.9billion Christians, it is estimated.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the report suggests the increase in Muslim populations could be put down to the fact those following the faith are younger while infant mortality rates are decreasing.

Meanwhile, a number of countries are expected to have changing religious majorities in four decades.

Christians are projected to fall below 50 per cent the population in the United Kingdom, Australia, Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Republic of Macedonia.

Nigeria and the Republic of Macedonia are set to gain Muslim majorities by 2050, it is reported. The findings were produced using data on a range of factors including age,

fertility, mortality, migration and religious switching for ‘multiple religious groups around the world’. The report says: ‘The projections take into account the current size and geographic distribution of the world’s major religions, age differences, fertility and mortality rates, international migration and patterns in conversion.’

Authors point out that the projections were based on current trends and recently gathered statistics but that predictions could change as a result of ‘any events – scientific discoveries, armed conflicts, social movements, political upheavals, natural disasters and changing economic conditions’ ISLAM HERE

1400 YEARS OF MUSLIMS IN CHINA PAGE 2

HISTORY

ISLAM HERE SHAWAAL 1436

And after 235 years of genocide and repression, for the Hui Muslims in China, stability and intergration mean survial.

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For many people it comes as a shock to learn that officially there are at least 20 million Muslims in China, that’s almost half of South Africa. Unofficially, the number is even higher, some saying 65.3m and even 100m Muslims in China – up to 7.5% of the population. Regardless of the real figure, the reality is that Islam in China is almost as old as the revelation of Islam to the Prophet Muhammad. Twenty years after the Prophet’s death, diplomatic relations were established in China by the Caliph Uthman. Trade was followed by settlement, until eighty years after the hijrah pagoda style mosques appeared in China. A century later, in 755, it became common for Chinese emperors to employ Muslim soldiers in their armies and also as government officials.

Today, the population of China includes 56 ethnic groups, 10 of which are Muslim. Out of these 10 minority groups, the Hui (short for Huizhou) are the largest group at 9.8m, making up 48% of China’s Muslim population. The second largest group is the Uyghurs at 8.4m, or 41% of the Chinese Muslim population. Its important to realise that there are two unique current voices among the county’s Muslims.

The Hui speak Chinese, unlike the Uyghurs and five other Muslim ethnic groups which speak Turkic languages.

Overwhelmingly Sunni in belief and practice, the Hui are ethnically and

culturally Chinese, virtually indistinguishable from the Han, who make up China’s billion-strong community.

For the Uyghurs, who mainly reside in Xiangjiang (Autonomous Territory)and the founders of the Uyghur Khaganate, the Muslim Lands advanced and grew till it came into direct contact with the Qing dynasty, new conquerers over the Ming Dynasty who were historically friendly to the Muslims. It was under the Qing dynasty that much of the Genocide and repression took place and then continued by the Communist Revolution.

Pic: Musa Chowdhury (www.musachowdhury.com)

Gate to the Huaisheng Mosque, oldest mosque in China. that is uniquely and simultaneously Chinese and Muslim. Their experience, as Dru Gladney, author of Dislocating China puts it, is a “standing refutation of Samuel Huntington’s clash of civilisations.” No identity crisis whatsoever.

1,400 years of History

Old Painting of an Uyghur Khaganate Prince.

For over a millennium, and across five major imperial dynasties the Hui have lived in China peacefully, spread in every province and contributing to every aspect of Chinese life, from the military and the economy to the arts and sciences. Thriving in a non-Muslim civilisation, the Hui managed to create an indigenous Islamic culture

Muslims in China began as traders and soldiers in the seventh century, therefore instilling in the early Muslim settlers a sense of belonging and legitimacy; they were not a burden on the country, but valuable contributors. It was only in the thirteenth century however, after the Mongols conquered China, that these Muslims who were classified as ‘foreign guests’ were allowed to live wherever they chose and granted citizenship. This started the development of a fully indigenous Chinese Muslim culture.

The Mongols, a minority themselves,

encouraged Muslim migration to China, and forcibly relocated millions of Muslim immigrants, employing them as government officials and dispersing them throughout China. In the Ming dynasty Hui became the standard title for Chinese Muslims, and they flourished.

Centuries later, during the Manchurian (Qing) dynasty in 1780, communal violence between the Han and Hui began, and continued for 150 years. It began with the Manchurian’s discriminatory policies towards HuiMuslims

Pic: google image Pic: Ludovica Iaccino, IBTimes UK

Uyghur Muslims the Muslims: forbidding them from building mosques or slaughtering animals, paradoxically at a time when then Hui had become an integral part of Chinese culture. One of the worst bloodbaths took place between 1862 and 1878 in the province of Gansu, where the population of 15m was slaughtered to one million, two-thirds

of which were Hui. The Manchurian dynasty was overthrown in 1912, although violence against the Hui continued until 1930.

But then less than 20 years later, communist party Chairman Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China, a Marxist state that was antagonistic to all religions. The Hui, with other religious minorities, were prosecuted, killed, and had their places of worship destroyed. It was only after Mao’s death that things started to settle down. Realising the economic potential of the Hui, the government sought to make amends and offered them special accommodations.

Imam Ali Noor-Elhuda, Chairman of the Islamic Association in Beijing, and Imam of the beautiful 1,000-year-old Niujie mosque said, “The government is no longer repressing faith and allows everyone to practice their religion. It emphasises respect to everyone. And although in our history there was fighting with the Han, it is mostly peaceful now.

And for the most part there is no ideological conflict between Muslims; we believe in one God and one Book. The differences are only in language, food and tradition.” Although Chinese Muslims are currently disfranchised from political involvement (the Chinese communist party only admits atheists, according to some students), the political stability of modern China is hopefully a good omen for the future of the Hui ISLAM HERE

ISLAM HERE IS ABOUT: REPRESENTING A NEW WAVE OF MUSLIM IDENTITY THAT IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN HELPING THEIR COMMUNITY FIND THEIR IDENTITY AS PART OF THE MODERN WORLD AND NO LONGER AT THE DISENFRANCHISED OUTSKIRTS THAT SIMPLY BREED REACTIONARY AND IN MOST CASES IGNORANT AGENDAS. ISLAM HERE PROMOTES ACTION WITH KNOWLEDGE. “TO PRODUCE LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT TO SERVE & EDUCATE EACH OTHER IS TO LEAD.” THIS NEWSPAPER WILL EXPLORE THEMES FOR MUSLIMS LIVING IN A POST-TERROR DIALECTIC WORLD. A WORLD IN WHICH THEY CONSTANTLY CONFRONTED BY A HOSTILE MEDIA FORCING UPON THEM TWO REACTIONARY & EXTREME RESPONSES. ONE OF DEBASEMENT & APOLOGETIC AND OFTEN FALSE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE OTHER EXTREME AND VIOLENT. WE SEEK TO FILL THE VOID AND LACK OF EXPRESSION WITH REGARDS TO ISLAM IN THIS AGE. EDITOR JOURNALISTS -

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Editor’s Desk

T

hank you for picking up the 4th edition of ISLAM HERE. Reflecting on current events in the world, both the good and the bad, has left me with a sobering thought. I remember hearing a quote from el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz otherwise known as Malcolm X, in high-school when I was decidedly more angry and opinionated about pretty much everything. Here is what Hajj Malik had to say to my young mind: “Who are you? You don’t know? Don’t tell me ‘Negro’ that’s nothing. What were you before the white man named you ‘Negro’? What was your name? It couldn’t have been ‘Smith’ or ‘Jones’ or ‘Bush’ or ‘Powell’ that wasn’t your name. They don’t have those kind of names where you and I come from. No, what was your name? And why don’t you know what your name was then?

Where was your history? How did a man wipe out your history? How did the man, what did the man do to make you as dumb, as you are right now?”

El Hajj Malik el- Shabazz. AKA Malcolm X

Hajj Malik also believed that history is a people’s memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower self. As an [un-drugged] teenager, this is explosive. It deconstructed the mass mind, enough for me to see glimpses of myself I recognised but did not know. I understood the connection between my ignorance and my current condition. “Who are you?” he said. You have to start there.

Of myself, my Deen it is clear I am wholly ignorant. In search of knowledge as a remedy, the further I look ahead, the more I see people ahead of me still in deep study. What is only established so far, is that the condition of one in learning deeply effects his/ her behaviour. As more of these people group in a place, a most astonishing thing begins to take place. That behaviour begins to rub off on others.

Knowing yourself and where you come from, is of vital importance to anyone desiring more of his or herself. It sets the foundation for great things. But we have to see both the good with the bad. Because that is the human situation. There will always be both good and bad as it is in Allah’s decree. Which according to our Aqida, we completely accept.

What Hajj Malik had to say long before I was born, was to help lift a young individual, trapped in a historically disadvantaged narrative, to open a way forward. As Muslims, what we must realise, historically speaking of course, our great and momentous memory. We must remember. Because of our great explorers, we pioneered in history itself. We pioneered in almost every scientific

field, Physics; Medicine; Mathematical algorithms; Sociology. Art had reached a peak of refinement built entirely around the context of the Muslim lived experience. It effected everything to how a person entered a room or changed his or her behaviour from one zone to another in a building to being a philosophical discussion on the Universe. Volumes could be written on it and they have. We pioneered in state administration and the harmonious movement of people from different cultural backgrounds on a large scale. We have some of the only moments in history in large empires where poverty was completely eradicated. We have a moment in history, where there was a man, whose generosity on his way to the Hajj deflated the value of gold in Egypt. In any case we do not inherit narratives, we are the ones who write them.

The recent report on the forecast of Muslim populations globally for the next 30-50 years, shows us signs that the current narratives worldwide effecting Muslims are changing. Even more so when one realises that currently 60% of the global Muslim population is below the age of 30 years old. The inability of an already outdated modernism to adapt to this is evident in its failure to accommodate its own Muslim citizenry. Which in the case of the politic in Europe, has only increased its ineptitude by repeatedly visiting the same narrative as before out of touch with a changing reality.

What follows from this? We have to focus on a new paradigm. A collective spirit with a common goal. We have

to look after our people. We have to see to each other’s needs. We must build more orphanages, hospitals and learning institutions. We must take care of the poor. Rasullulah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that we will find him amongst them. We must make specific effort to make dawa to the people of South Africa that have not yet entered the Deen. The Muslim’s of South Africa are a special community. The memory of our past here is evident in the shape of the country you see today. It is not that the Muslims were so politically active during apartheid because that is the narrative we were given, it is because that is the narrative we took on to change.

Really, how lucky are we as Muslims that we do not have to look so far into ourselves to see light within. We have everything in our hands by a Merciful Lord and everything in our path by a messenger who is a lived example of everything that can be. A complete blueprint, to traverse a vast, wonderful desert beyond understanding and yet still be able to see the end right from the beginning.

May the reader find the Help at every waypoint from Allah, glory be to the Most High. And may you find that all your actions for the sake of Allah be met with Success. May Allah protect you and your family, both from inward and outward harm. Amin Assalaamualaykum.

Nabeel Abdalhaqq Editor

Muslim Youth respond to being asked to appologise for terrorism.

Responses on Twitter #MuslimAppologies reveal the feelings of marginalisation amongst Muslim youth.

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n the wake of recent brutal beheadings by the Islamic State, young Muslims took to Twitter with the hashtag #NotInMyName to criticize the radical militant group. But as a new viral hashtag points out, why should all Muslims have to apologize for the actions of a violent few?

In the past week, thousands of people have taken to #MuslimApologies to show that an entire culture is not at fault for the actions of a small minority and that it is ridiculous for people to have to apologize for a radical group’s acts when they had no part in them.

While some posts were serious, others used humor to point out the hypocrisy of such a mindset, ridiculing the idea of issuing apologies for something you have nothing to do with.

stantly having to prove that Islam is peaceful and for suffering for sins committed by the so-called Muslims. #MuslimApologies @Naderotb: I’m sorry about every Muslim child was killed by Your army #MuslimApologies @SubMedina: I am sorry you are sitting in the comfort of ur home butthurt while mostly Muslim folk fight ISIS. #MuslimApologies @RemyRemz: I’m sorry that you feel threatened around us because of the falsified western media your government brainwashes you with. #MuslimApologies @meeemsx: Sorry about 9/11, maybe if I wasn’t in my elementary school class like every American child I would’ve been able to stop it #MuslimApologies Some chose to highlight Muslim achievements:

These moving tweets illustrate what it’s like to be at the receiving end of constant fear and suspicion: @iHussainAsif: Sorry for con-

@Remziya: I’m sorry we invented Algebra. No seriously I really am.

I hate math. #MuslimApologies @N_Zangi: We’d also like to apologise for the amazing architecture... for instance the Taj Mahal, really sorry. #MuslimApologies @jxnann: I’m sorry for inventing surgery, coffee, universities, algebra, hospitals, toothbrushes, vaccinations,

numbers, & the sort #MuslimApologies While others brought out the snark and kept their tongues firmly in cheek: @Brown_Saraah: Sorry you expected us to be terrorists #MuslimApologies @elkilanimaliuna: As a Muslim I apologies for the World War One & World War Two even it has nothing to do with the Muslims but just in case. #MuslimApologies @omarhuss: Sorry for growing a beard before it was cool/hipster to do it #MuslimApologies @Yel3anAbook: I’m sorry I’m uneducated because apparently Fox News knows more about my religion than I do #MuslimApologies @missanisah: I’m sorry my halal meat tastes better than anything you’ve ever tasted. #MuslimApologies Many female Muslim Twitter users also responded to popular misconceptions regarding hijabs, niqabs and other coverings: @sumaiyyahhh: Sorry i look like batman when i when get on the train, sorry you have to move away #MuslimApologies @SmellTheWilayah: Sorry that

covering my body out of modesty doesn’t fit into your social stereotype of women #MuslimApologies @ChantillyyyLace: I’m sorry you still believe my hijab is a symbol of oppression, when it is in fact my sanctuary, my freedom, my liberation. #MuslimApologies @BonsaiSky: I’m sorry that Muslim women had rights 1400 years ago while you were still discussing if women had souls. #MuslimApologies Through anger or humor, what these tweets ultimately show is that there’s an entire spectrum of humanity that identifies as Muslim and that forcing members of a group to apologize for the actions of one radical subset is nonsensical. While some of these tweets may look silly, it’s because the idea of a whole religion needing to apologize for the actions of a few is silly in and of itself Eileen Shim Eileen is a writer living in New York.

She studied comparative literature and international studies at Yale University, and enjoys writing about the intersection of culture and politics.

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PAGE 6

SCHOLARS

Illustration of Nana Asma’u by UmmahLegends.com

Pic: ummahlegends.com

NANA ASMA’U BINT DAN FODIO

Nigerian Princess; Scholar; Sufi; Poet and Stateswoman

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ana Asma’u (full name: Nana Asma’u bint Shehu Usman dan Fodiyo, 1793–1864) was a princess, poet, teacher, and daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman dan Fodio. She remains a revered figure in northern Nigeria. Nana Asma’u is held up by some as an example of education and independence of women possible under Islam, and by others as a precursor to modern feminism in Africa.

Nana Asma’u was born some eleven years before the Fulani War, and was named after Asma bint Abi Bakr, a companion of the Muslim Prophet.

The daughter of the Sufi-inspired and

Fulani-led Sokoto Caliphate’s founder and half sister of its Muhammed Bello (the second Sultan of Sokoto), she outlived most of the founding generation of the Caliphate, making her an important source of guidance to its later rulers. From 1805, members of the Caliph’s family came to great prominence, including the Caliph’s female relatives. While Nana Asma’u became the most prominent, her sisters Myram and Fatima, and the Caliph’s wives Aisha and Hawwa played major literary and political roles in the new state. Like her father, she was educated in Qur’anic studies, and placed a high value upon universal education. As exemplars of the Qadiriyyah Sufi school, the dan Fodio

and his followers stressed the sharing of knowledge, especially that of the Sunnah, the example of the prophet Muhammad. To learn without teaching, they thought, was sterile and empty. Thus Nana Asma’u was devoted, in particular, to the education of the Muslim women. Like most of the rest of her family, she became a prolific author.

Well educated in the classics of the Arab and Classical world, and well versed in four languages (Arabic, the Fula language, Hausa and Tamacheq Tuareg), Nana Asma’u had a public reputation as a leading scholar in the most influential Muslim state in West Africa, which gave her the op-

ISLAM HERE SHAWAAL 1436 portunity to correspond broadly. She witnessed many of the wars of the Fulani War and wrote about her experiences in a prose narrative Wakar Gewaye “The Journey”. As the Sokoto Caliphate began as a cultural and religious revolutionary movement, the writings of its leaders held a special place by which later generations, both rulers and ruled, could measure their society. She became a counselor to her brother when he took the Caliphate, and is recorded writing instructions to governors and debating with the scholars of foreign princes.

congregate together, the sisterhood.”

To each jaji she bestowed a malfa (a hat and traditional ceremonial symbol of office of the pagan Bori priestesses in Gobir) tied with a red turban. The jajis became, thus, symbols of the new state, the new order, and of Islamic learning even outside women’s community. In part this educational project began as a way to integrate newly conquered pagan captives into a Muslim ruling class.

It expanded, though, to include the poor and rural, training teachers who travelled across the sprawling Caliphate.

Amongst her over 60 surviving works written over 40 years, Nana Asma’u left behind a large body of poetry in Arabic, the Fula language and Hausa, all written in the Arabic script. Many of these are historical narratives, but they also include elegies, laments, and admonitions. Her poems of guidance became tools for teaching the founding principles of the Caliphate. Asma’u also collaborated closely with Muhammed Bello, the second Caliph.

Her works include and expand upon the dan Fodio’s strong emphasis on women leaders and women’s rights within the community ideals of the Sunnah and Islamic law.

Pic: Iris - Nigeria

Others of her surviving written works are related to Islamic education: for much of her adult life she was responsible for women’s religious education.

Starting around 1830, she created a cadre of women teachers (jajis) who travelled throughout the Caliphate educating women in the students’ homes. In turn, each of these jajis in turn used Nana Asma’u’s and other Sufi scholars writings, usually through recited mnemonics and poetry, to train corps of learned women, called the ’yan-taru, or “those who

Man in Traditional Islamic wear at the Darbar Festival in Nigeria. emblematic of another time.

Nana Asma’u continued legacy rests not just on her literary work and role in defining the values of the Sokoto state. Today in Northern Nigeria, Islamic women’s organisation, schools, and meeting halls are commonly named for her. She re-entered the debate on the role of women in Islam in the 20th century, as her legacy has been carried by Islamic scholars and immigrants to Europe and its academic debates. The republishing and translation of her works has brought added attention to the purely literary value of her prose and poems ISLAM HERE

I S L A M

H E R E

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H A L A A L

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WELCOME

Malaysia to

Home to over 20 million Muslims living harmoniously with millions others of diverse ethnics and faiths, all in the name of peace and moderation.

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n year 2015, as the “Year of Festivals” is celebrated across the country, Muslim tourists can be rest assured that visiting Malaysia will be a hospitable experience just the way it should. Whether you are having dinner with your family at the hotel or visiting our majestic towering mosques, it is our commitment to provide the best Muslim friendly services to you, our most important guests.

As one of world’s leading Halal hubs, our Halal culinary experience is indeed second to none. Halal eateries from local restaurant to fast food to hotel dining are ubiquitous in the country and they are assuredly certified by our Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

This year, we invite you to join the celebration and experience our range of Islamic festivals, visit some of the finest Islamic museums in the country, indulge into the best of retail therapies at our shopping pavilions and explore the great natural heritage of this land.

Located strategically at the heart of Southeast Asia, Malaysia is well-known for its natural beauty and diverse cultural landscape. At its

social core are three of Asia’s oldest civilisations – Malay, Chinese and Indian – as well as the ethnic communities of Sabah and Sarawak, resulting in a unique and inspiring blend of cultures.

Malaysia is recognised as the world’s number one Muslim-friendly destination due to its top notch facilities and unparalleled hospitality.

Walk to most hotels, tourists can be rest assured that their basic needs as Muslims are taken care of. Obtaining praying essentials like Musallah and women’s prayer garments is just a dial away to the reception and it’s very common for the hotel’s kitchen to produce and cater Halal food for its Muslim guests.

Salaah Facilities (Surau) is a ubiquitous in the country especially in the touristy areas such as shopping complexes, theme parks and museums. The country’s mature and advance Halal industry makes it easier for tourists to find Halal certified eateries. From local delicacies to Western cuisines to international brand of fast food chain, our iconic Halal logo can be spotted everywhere. Whether you are a newlywed or traveling with family or friends, be sure to look up for the best bargain from

our travel agencies and be sure to sign up for Muslim-friendly travel packages that suit your needs and budget.

Theme Parks such as LEGOLAND, Sunway Lagoon and Kidzanina also have Salaah Facilities (Surau) including all amenities ensuring a comfortable and effortless visit for Muslim families.

As for shopping, Malaysia has achieved outstanding world rankings as the 4th best shopping destination in the world and the best in South East Asia, the 7th most affordable destination in the world as well the host of three of the world’s top ten shopping Malls. Aside from these accolades, Malaysia’s shopping products from clothing to food and cosmetics have also been certified as Halal by JAKIM leaving the tourist with peace of mind when going on a shopping spree.

For added convenience and peace of mind, most hotels and accommodations in Malaysia are known to have their kitchens Halal certified and equipped with Muslim-friendly amenities. This includes Salaah rooms (Surau), qiblah direction, Full Halaal Breakfasts, wa-

ter hoses in the bathrooms, Quraan in each room, and some hotels even have piped Qiraat throughout the hotel.

Our Muslim-friendly directory is periodically updated to assist you with your traveling desires and needs throughout your stay for you to explore and experience Let us be your perfect host and show you the best that Malaysia has to offer. Malaysia welcomes you to experience the unique splendours of Islamic tourism in Malaysia. There is no better time to see, feel and experience Malaysia than now!

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PAGE 8

IDF

WORLD REPORT

:

MOWING

ISLAM HERE SHAWAAL 1436,

THE

LAWN

An ex-soldier speaks on the intent of deadly incursions by Israeli Defence Force IDF - firing rockets into the Gaza Strip.

Pic: IDFblog.com

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ERUSALEM — I finished my military service as a fighter in the Israeli military’s Nahal Brigade 11 years ago. That’s when, together with some friends, I founded the NGO Breaking The Silence. Since then, I’ve talked to hundreds of soldiers who’ve told me about their service in the occupied territories. From what the dozens of soldiers and officers who took part in last summer’s Operation Protective Edge told us, the rules of engagement have never been so permissive. Their testimonies reveal how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acted and help explain why the fighting left so many Palestinians dead.

But the testimonies only tell one part of the story. They don’t say that Protective Edge was the last in a series of regularly launched IDF operations in Gaza, after the 2008 Operation Hot Winter, Cast Lead in early 2009, and Pillar of Defense in 2012. They also don’t explain why it’s obvious to everybody that it’s only a matter of time before the next one is launched.

This succession of military operations in Gaza is the reflection of a strategy that senior IDF officials have dubbed “mowing the lawn.” Those who support this strategy describe it as an inevitable answer to the terrorist threat against Israel. It’s presented by these officers as a defensive tool aimed at shaking the powerful terrorist organizations that threaten the safety of Israeli citizens.

For them, the threat facing Israel is constant, and can never be completely eradicated. That’s why Israel must regularly “trim” the means used by those terrorists organizations and undermine their fighting skills. The launch of a new operation in Gaza every two or three years is not hap-

penstance, but rather the long-term reflection of a cold and calculated logic.

Heads down Yet the last operation, like the previous ones, didn’t just affect the fighting infrastructures of Hamas and other armed groups. The main victims of this “mowing the lawn” policy are Palestinian civilians decimated by the perpetual conflicts. What does the future hold for a society that in the span of two months loses several hundred of its children and sees 18,000 of its homes destroyed?

When you look at the IDF’s methods and their results, it’s impossible not to realize that what they’re “mowing” isn’t the terrorist organizations’ potential but the ability of an entire society to live, develop and simply hold its head high.

The “lawn mowing” is, indeed, nothing more than one part of the mechanism through which Israel controls the Palestinian population, be it in Gaza or the West Bank. To preserve this control, Israel acts relentlessly, so as to make sure that Palestinian society remains weak and submissive.

As a soldier, I took part in countless operations aimed at making Palestinian civilians in the West Bank “keep their heads down.” This, of course, continues today. In the streets of Palestinian cities, at every hour of the day or of the night, security forces raid randomly selected civilians houses, install snap checkpoints inside densely populated civilian neighborhoods, so the Palestinian population knows that we, Israeli soldiers, are everywhere, always, thus creating among them a “feeling of persecution.”

Other methods, such as imposing a curfew in a village or arresting all

the men there for an undefined period of time, enable the IDF to fix fear among the population and reinforce Israel’s control on them.

The difference between the soldiers’ mission in the West Bank and their mission in Gaza is the result of the different natures of Israel’s grip on the two territories. The West Bank has been submitted for 48 years to a total, direct and daily military control as well as a partial administrative control. In Gaza, although Israel hasn’t established a military control there since 2005, it still has a stranglehold on a certain number of the most basic aspects of the Gazans’ daily lives.

We control Gaza’s air space and territorial waters, as well as the movements of people and commodities to and from it and its registry of births, marriages and deaths. As a matter of fact, the regular assaults in Gaza are just another cog in the wheel of Israel’s indirect control over the enclave’s inhabitants, and another way of contributing to the dismemberment of Palestinian society.

We should remember that when we take away from the Palestinians the freedom to choose where to live their lives and the right to live in safety with a roof above their heads, we’re hurting ourselves. We’re destroying our values and humanity, but we’re also jeopardizing our security, and with it the hope of a life that isn’t just about waiting for the next war to break out. Only freedom for the Palestinians can guarantee the freedom and safety of Israelis *Yehuda Shaul is the cofounder and a member of Breaking the Silence, an NGO that includes more than 1,000 former IDF troops working to put an end to Israeli occupation.

Was #MakkahLive a PR stunt to appease Arabs and Muslims? single Palestinian element had been included in that story, almost as if the Arab narrative never existed within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Scrrenshots of #meccalive

The resulting outrage forced Snapchat to create a West Bank Live story the very next day. Falafel was recognised as a Palestinian snack and snaps mentioning illegal settlements, checkpoints and the Palestinian symbol of resistance – the kuffiyeh – all made the cut. The world felt right again.

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ocial media is powerful.

There’s no denying that.

Time and time again, social media has proven its efficacy in relaying the truth regarding social narratives when traditional media has failed to do so. Snapchat is one such powerful medium. It allows users to share images in 10-second video clips with each other.

Recently, Snapchat introduced a live story option which allows its users to post clips or images from a given location or event. These ‘snaps’ from the same location or event are then collated into a 24-hour live public story available to all users. Here’s the catch

– Snapchat decides what clips make the final cut. This form of gate-keeping is significant because it forms the public’s perception of a given place.

Reality, then, is what Snapchat decides to show to the world.

And thus begins the story of how Snapchat became politicised. You see, Snapchat made the blunder of broadcasting Tel Aviv live exactly a year after one of Israel’s deadliest attacks on Gaza, Operation Protective Edge.

Naturally, it caused an outrage. It wasn’t just the fact that Snapchat’s Tel Aviv story recognised a state that colonises, occupies, and violates international law with no accountability. Rather, it was the fact that not a

While West Bank Live may have been nothing more than a crisis-averting PR stunt, one can’t deny that it was powerful. It gave Palestinians recognition of their existence. It allowed a window to a place torn by one of the worst political conflicts of our time.

More importantly, it gave a human perspective of strength, optimism, struggle, and humour despite difficulties in a land that has become nothing more than statistics to the mainstream media.

The next story that went live after West Bank was Makkah. Yep, one of the holiest Muslim cities was broadcasted live by Snapchat on Monday, Ramazan 27th, which many believe is the night of Laylatul Qadr (Night of power).

Was it a coincidence that Makkah went live on one of the most revered nights of worship for Muslims around the world? Sceptics say this was a sheepish continued effort to appease Arabs and Muslims around the world after the Palestine blunder.

Of course, Arabs and Muslims are often lumped together by mainstream media, and by this logic, Snapchat may have decided to broadcast Makkah live next to avert their politically incorrect blunder. However, let’s not forget that Islam has the second-largest number of followers in the world and is currently the fastest growing religion. Moreover, one cannot ignore the fact that Snapchat users started trending a #MakkahLive hashtag on Twitter, requesting a chance to showcase Islam.

While some may question this politicisation of Snapchat and others may dismiss it as ‘just another social media application’, one would be foolish to ignore the immense potential that this application has.

While demanding a Gaza story on Twitter, users began posting their Snapchat usernames. This would allow people from Gaza and the occupied territories to see the unfiltered reality that dissents from Snapchat’s version.

To reiterate then, Snapchat is powerful. It is powerful in dispelling stereotypes. It is powerful in disseminating truth to the public. And it is powerful in reclaiming the oft-mistaken mainstream media narratives Arfah Shahid Siddiqi

With so many users at stake, Snapchat certainly can’t afford this PR crisis – from a purely profit standpoint, of course. PR stunt or not, one can’t deny that broadcasting Makkah is essential in dispelling the negative stereotypes about Islam. At a time when an ISIS version of Islam is the dominant media narrative, a window inside the lives of ordinary Muslims is a much-needed normalisation of a villainised religion.

The author is a freelance journalist and aspiring human rights lawyer with a passion for human rights, postcolonial thought and gender equality. She currently runs a female empowerment blog aiming to break stereotypes surrounding women in fashion.

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Moscow is the largest Muslim city in Europe But states inability to accomadate it’s Muslim citizens creates larger issues.

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- Mark Hanrahan

hen Moscow’s Muslims gathered at the city’s main mosque Wednesday to mark Eid el-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, tens of thousands of worshippers were forced to take their prayer mats into the street. Lines of police officers stood amid the worshippers, who also had to pass through a security check before they could pray.

let us build new mosques, but they are ignoring our demands,” he says.

“Now people have to pray outside in the rain or the snow.”

As a symbol it is a powerful illustration of two things: firstly, the growing strength of Moscow’s Muslim community; but secondly, the official insecurity and to some extent, hostility toward it.

Russia’s Muslims are made up of ethnic Tatars, Russia’s third largest ethnic group; Azeris who settled there after fleeing the Armenian-Azeri war; natives of Russia’s Caucasus; and, in recent years, tens of thousands of economic migrants from central Asia and the Middle East.

Islam has always been the second biggest religion in Russia, but it had never been as visible in Moscow as it is now. Moscow has the largest Muslim population in Europe, with estimates suggesting that between 1.5 and 2 million of the Russian capital’s population are of the faith. Despite this, Moscow has only six Mosques, hence the necessity for worshippers to congregate in the street.

This problem is not new either. In 2012, Hasan Fakhritdinov, imam of what is known as the city’s Historical Mosque, told the BBC that the existing facilities were just not enough.

“We are asking the authorities to

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a frequent critic of Muslim immigrants, said in the past that the “excessive” number of Muslim newcomers to Moscow was “harmful” and that no new building permits for mosques would be granted.

But distrust between the Muslim community and ethnic Russians remains high, in part fueled by the war in Chechnya, and subsequent terrorist attacks carried out by Muslim extremists.

A 2013 survey by VTsIOM, a stateowned pollster, found that almost one in seven Russians don’t want Muslim neighbors, one quarter do not want to live near a Caucasus native, and 28 percent don’t want Central Asians next door. Some 45 percent of Russians support the nationalist slogan of “Russia for ethnic Russians,” the

poll found, according to Al Jazeera.

This antipathy has also lead to violence against Moscow’s Muslim community, and suppression by the authorities. A 2013 anti-immigrant riot, triggered by the stabbing of a Slavic man, saw Slavic rioters released by police, but thousands of migrant workers -- the target of the violence -- were detained by the authorities.

In addition, politicians called for banning apartment sales to foreigners and for imposing visa restrictions on migrants from the southern Muslim nations that only a generation ago were part of the Soviet Union, Voice of America reported.

Muslims attend the morning prayers of Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Moscow, Russia

Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev

In recent months, with international sanctions over Ukraine and falling oil prices imposing increasing economic hardship on Russia, a dislike of all things foreign (albeit focused mainly on the West) has once again crept into the country’s political consciousness.

With Russia’s increasing alienation from the West, some experts believe President Vladimir Putin could use his country’s Muslim citizens as an asset, to assist in forming alliances with conservative, Middle Eastern countries, which share Russia’s unease at the perceived encroachment of liberal Western values. If this is part of Russia’s diplomatic strategy, it appears to have borne little in the way of fruit thus far

Interior Ministry members stand guard as Muslims attend the morning prayers of Eid al-Fitr

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin

Why are we still asking Muslims to condemn terrorism?

Pic: TAMI CHAPPELL

pressure of the condemnation dance.

“No other community is asked to do it. We don’t make police condemn all acts of violence perpetrated by cops.

Only people of color are expected to bear the responsibility of a larger group in this way.”

Wajahat Ali, a journalist at Al Jazeera America and author of “Fear Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” agrees.

Muslim women from the community attend mass for the service men that were killed by a young Muslim man in Chattanooga.

American Muslims pause to reflect after the recent shooting in Chattanooga, and start focussing on the narrative. - Ismat Sarah Mangla

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hen news broke that a 24-year-old man with a Muslim name was responsible for the shooting rampage that left five servicemen dead in Chattanooga, the Muslim community took a deep breath: Here we go again. First, take to social media to decry the attack, then send a press release, maybe conduct a few press

interviews. And still, wait for the inevitable blame that falls on the whole group solely because of their faith.

“It plays out the same way every time for me and many Muslims: You hear about something horrible happening, and after the initial horror and grief, you hope the suspect is not a Muslim,” said Zahra Billoo, an attorney and executive director of the Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

the country are often quick to join what some call the “condemn-athon”-- a frenzied dance to issue statements against such attacks and distance Islam from violence. But many activists believe such actions are counterproductive and indicative of a double standard in American society -- in which minority groups like blacks and Muslims are expected to condemn individual acts of violence or risk being perceived as giving tacit approval.

If the perpetrator is Muslim, a series of responses ensue, including horror that someone would twist religious teachings to perpetrate violence, followed by a need to distance: “That person does not represent us, our community, our religion,” said Billoo.

Indeed, Muslim organizations around

“It’s just not fair to Muslims to have to bear this responsibility of condemning, when there are so many other violent acts occurring in America,” said Tanzila Ahmed, a writer, activist and host of the#GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast. Ahmed believes Muslim groups shouldn’t cave to the

“Being forced to participate in the condemn-a-thon, wherein a nameless judge, jury and executioner is constantly testing our loyalty and moderation -- that I won’t do anymore,” said Ali. “There is a double standard that paints a Muslim shooter to be this otherworldly bogeyman, but when it’s a white male, he’s either sanitized, or his ideological roots are not investigated to same extent, or the label of terrorist is not applied equally.”

Double Standard But Billoo says that many Muslims are torn between standing up for themselves in calling out that double standard and the obligation as a Muslim to speak out against evil. “There’s a huge tension. Why are we obligated to do this? But if we don’t, then who will?” she said. “There’s also the idea that such condemnations are ineffective -- that people who will believe us already know where we stand, and the people who question Muslim communities won’t. And we continue to associate ourselves with these crimes when we condemn them.”

Ali says the condemnation dance can have severe consequences of further alienating a minority community.

And Muslim communities have a real

fear of backlash, as evidenced by the Chattanooga mosque that cancelled its end-of-Ramadan Eid prayers on Friday after the attack.

“No one is denying that there is a problem of people committing violence in the name of Islam. The problem is the double standard that’s employed -- which is married to hysteria that drives anti-Muslim sentiments that are deliberately used to further marginalize American Muslim communities, who have never committed violent acts,” said Ali, who added that emerging details about Abdulazeez’s life, which included a background of depression, drug abuse, and bankruptcy paint a complicated picture of what could have led him to the rampage.

Some Muslims believe it’s those details that demonstrate how the American Muslim community is no different than any other in the U.S. “What’s emerging here is that he’s as American as the rest of us. He had problems with alcohol, depression.

It triggered something in him,” said Shahed Amanullah, member of the community. “This can be a teaching moment that American Muslims are not different than anybody else -that we have issues with depression, social isolation, drugs and alcohol.

And that as a larger society, we need to come up with ways to help young America deal with young American problems.”

Changed Perceptions But one thing many American Muslims do agree on is a need for the community to take charge of its own narrative

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EDUCATION

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES IN EDUCATION

Educationalist Zarina looks at the core of teaching as a transmission of the heart.

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eflecting on my journey into formal education has and still is an eventful one! There is so much knowledge out there and constantly the thought arises, there is so much to learn! The more you learn the more you realize how little you know. Technology for example has become a frightful necessity and knowledge of it cumbersome and daunting, yet useful. Being involved in higher education for the last twenty five years has put me in a situation where trying to escape is not helpful. Yet the question still remains how much of this do we need?

I began to learn a new way of looking at the world and at relationships.

Understanding that there is another way of responding that should not involve the nafs. Embracing Islam meant many changes being made daily. Establishing the Salaah meant making the prayer timetable a priority instead of fitting the prayer in somewhere in the day. Keeping company with women that I respected and have a high opinion of was essential for the journey on the path.

The certainty with which they spoke inspired me and encouraged me. The transmission from one to the other is important.

Being involved in formal education at medical school exposed me to so many aspects of life as I wanted to be involved in developmental education.

Students need to be tutored and mentored. Making the effort to provide scaffolding where it is needed, especially where under prepared students are concerned. Educating the whole person. So whatever I became involved in should not only involve biology but also the psyche and the social. At the two medical schools where I lectured it was important that the approach be biopsychosocial.

Getting students to learn in this way helps them to be better practitioners.

Hajja Rabea Redpath in her article on Purification (page 13) writes “the origin of every good action comes from Yaqin (certainty). Absolute certainty is what we want, to remove the confusion and fogginess that covers the heart. We must turn from the voices of doubt.” She continues “Shaykh ad Darqawi rahimullah said, do not cultivate all that is found in the heart, if you listen to its conversation it will weaken your certainty.” If you do not listen to its conversation your luminosity will grow stronger, when it grows stronger your certainty will grow stronger.” Practical events on a daily basis needed doing and I needed to take responsibility if I was to succeed. My own ideas of what success meant were challenged constantly by what I heard at the mosque and the Dhikrs. Still I had to keep going and focus on what is important and my daily Dua was to be useful to those around me and to use the gifts that I was given.

Five years ago I became Muslim and the transition into Islam became a difficult journey as I struggled with all my teaching in western formal education. I chose this path and I was drawn to it because I wanted something deeper and more meaningful.

Slowly it became apparent to me there is a balance in difficulties and ease that one experiences on the path.

This realization brought me comfort.

At the University where I work facilitating small group learning with first

year medical students became a new challenge for me two years ago. In my small group of 10 students who come in from diverse backgrounds with different levels of potential, the dynamics are very different to traditional tutorials. Students physically sit very close to you and are aware of your presence as much as you are aware of them. Modelling good behaviour yourself as a facilitator becomes key if you want the group to succeed.

One very young Muslim student who whizzed through high school because she was so bright seemed to be quiet and bored in the group. During my one on one discussion with her I enquired whether she was bored and wondered why. She said she had simpler ways of learning the material and the students were complicating the learning.

I also asked her if she had studied the Koran and she replied yes. Then I said to her that she should share what she knew; that Allah had given this to her as a gift to be shared with others. From then on she changed her behaviour in the group and became more energetic and started to volunteer more to share in the group. The way we view our work situation is often different from the way we view people outside.

Having a high opinion of others means also having a high opinion of your students. Having a high opinion of students gives them more of an opportunity to be successful and the best they can be. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala give us Sabr (patience) to reflect on our practice ZARINA QURAYBA - EDUCATIONALIST E-mail: asabiyyafood@gmail.com

ISLAM HERE SHAWAAL 1436

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UNDERSTANDING Shedding light

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High blood pressure One in three South Africans (about 6.3 million people) are said to suffer from high blood pressure. While it may not sound very dangerous, it is a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and premature death.

Pharmaceutical company Novartis has reported that about 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occur every day in South Africa, and these are often linked to high blood pressure.

It has become a serious concern for health officials, and even been called an epidemic, particularly because it is a condition that can be easily prevented. The exact cause of high blood pressure in a person can be difficult to pinpoint, although there are a number of factors which are linked to high blood pressure, also called hypertension. The following factors are seen as the main causes of hypertension: Smoking Being overweight

ABNORMAL

on a condition

aving your blood pressure tested is a simple but vital health check that should be done at least once a year sometimes more if your family has a history of blood pressure-related problems. The acceptable range for blood pressure is between 120/80 139/89, anything above or below that will be classified as abnormal. Of greatest concern is high blood pressure as it shows no symptoms, which is why it can catch you unaware and has become known as the silent killer.

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BLOOD

PRESSURE

said to be effecting 1 in every 3 South Africans

• Diabetes • High of salt intake • And insufficient minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium • A lack of physical activity • High levels of alcohol con sumption • Stress • Ageing • Certain medications • Kidney disease • Thyroid problems Hypertension can quietly damage a person’s body for years before symptoms develop, attacking the arteries, heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and can even cause sexual dysfunction. This is why it is imperative to get your blood pressure tested at least once a year, even if you don’t have any symptoms indicating high blood pressure.

Once present, the symptoms of extremely high blood pressure include severe headaches, dizziness, fatigue or confusion, nausea, problems with vision, breathing problems, chest pains, an irregular heartbeat or blood in the urine.

Treatment Hypertension can be managed with medication. People living with high blood pressure should maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and lowering salt intake, exercising regularly, cutting out smoking and limiting alcoholic drinks.

Last words: Prevention is better than cure. Make sure that you familiarise yourself

with the symptoms of hypertension and consult a doctor as soon as any worrisome symptoms present itself.

There is a common misconception that hypertension only occurs in older males. Hypertension is a condition that can affect anyone of any age or gender, so make sure to maintain good overall health to avoid becoming the next patient!

This article was provided by www.selfmed.co.za

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- Christy van der Merwe Selfmed Medical Scheme

FAST FACTS ABOUT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: • • • •

It’s lowest when you sleep and rises when you get up.

It affects children and teens.

It is prevalent in obese people and heavy drinkers.

It is a common condition amongst women who take oral contraceptives.

• It can develop slowly over years.

• It poses a threat to the fetus of pregnant mothers.

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