Passion Islam June 2011 issue by Shakir Ahmed

News Sport Muslim students Rugby League ‘filmed’ at university Afghanistan

Featured Warning Against Adultery & Fornication

MUSLIM PLOT AGAINST POPE NEVER EXISTED

Issue: 39

June 2011

Six Muslims arrested during Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain last September were never involved in a plot, the government’s reviewer of terrorism legislation David Anderson has belatedly admitted.Muslim plot against Pope’s visit never existed, Govt admits. ‘There is no reason to believe, with the benefit of hindsight, that any of the arrested men was involved in a plot to kill the Pope, or indeed that any such plot existed,’ Anderson said in a report

published. But he also insisted that the powers of arrest, search, and seizure under the Terrorism Act 2000 were used “lawfully and appropriately” by the police in all the circumstances during Operation Grid launched during the papal visit. ‘There will be future temptations to use the TA 2000 powers in relation to individuals as to whom the necessary reasonable suspicions do not exist, particularly in the context of international

high-profile events such as the London Olympics,” he also warned. The Muslims from North Africa worked as street cleaners in London, when they were arrested after allegedly being heard discussing an attack during the pope’s visit but were released without charge two days later. Anderson said that “constant vigilance is required to ensure that the legal boundaries of those powers are respected, as they were in this case.’ IRNA

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thePassion

Passion Islam

I June 2011

By Mehdi Hasan

Senior Editor at the New Statesman

So, prime minister, are we to call you an extremist now? Prevent. The word has a reassuring ring. Just right for a counter-extremism strategy. But will the strategy prevent acts of Islamist violence on the streets of Britain? On Tuesday the coalition’s Prevent strategy – an updated and modified version of the Labour government’s strategy of the same name – was published, after a six-month delay. The document represents a triumph for the hawkish neocon faction in the cabinet – the Cameron-Osborne-Gove axis – over a motley collection of doveish Liberal Democrats (Nick Clegg, Chris Huhne) and one-nation Conservatives (Sayeeda Warsi, Dominic Grieve, Ken Clarke). The strategy is based on the so-called “conveyor belt” theory of radicalisation. Developed inside neocon thinktanks in the US, it contends that individuals start off disillusioned and angry, gradually become more religious and politicised, and then turn to violence and terror. The prime minister summed it up in his speech on security in Munich in February: “As evidence emerges about … those convicted of terrorist offences, it is clear that many of them were initially influenced by what some have called ‘nonviolent extremists’, and they then took those radical beliefs to the next level by embracing violence.” But this isn’t the case. In July 2010, a leaked memo prepared by officials for coalition ministers on the cabinet’s home affairs subcommittee concluded that it was wrong “to regard radicalisation in this country as a linear ‘conveyor belt’ moving from grievance, through radicalisation, to violence … This thesis seems to both misread the radicalisation process and to give undue weight to ideological factors”. Then there is the 2008 study by MI5’s behavioural science unit. It emphasised that the several hundred terrorists it analysed “had taken strikingly different journeys to violent extremist activity”; few had followed “a typical pathway to violent extremism”. Marc Sageman, a forensic psychiatrist and former CIA case officer, agrees that the “conveyor belt” theory is flawed. In his 2008 book Leaderless Jihad, based on an analysis of more than 500 terrorist biographies, he argues that radicalisation shows no such linear progression, and that “one cannot simply draw a line, put markers on it, and gauge where people are along this path to see whether they are close to committing atrocities”. But Cameron and his home secretary prefer to heed the advice of the education secretary, Michael Gove, who has no discernible expertise or experience in this

field. It was Gove who intervened in recent cabinet discussions to ensure that the Prevent strategy included a crackdown on nonviolent, as well as violent, “extremists”. He also had a hand in Cameron’s Munich speech, in which the PM endorsed the neocon view that working with non-violent Islamists “is like turning to a rightwing fascist party to fight a violent white supremacist movement”. It is a poor analogy. To compare the British National party with, say, the Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella group for more than 500 British mosques and community groups, is grossly offensive. A much needed debate on extremism has been tarnished by smears, innuendo and outright lies from a bevy of pseudoexperts who trade on the fact that the average member of the public cannot distinguish between an alphabet soup of acronymed Muslim groups – MCB, MAB, MAC, IFE, HT, Fosis and the rest. To pretend that the pro-democracy Muslim Council of Britain, whatever its flaws, shares political or religious values with the procaliphate Hizb ut-Tahrir or the pro-Taliban Muslims Against Crusades is deliberately disingenuous. And how do we define extremism or extremist views? In recent years the bar has been raised repeatedly. It is no longer enough to eschew violence or to participate in elections. In his Munich speech the prime minister included “equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality” in his list of non-negotiable British values: “to belong here is to believe in these things.” Really? Will the Haredi Jews of Stamford Hill, north London, be held to these same standards of integration and moderation? How about the Conservative party, which backed the homophobic section 28 as recently as the 2001 general election? As for gender equality, this is a prime minister who has just four women in his cabinet – only one more than Hamid Karzai’s cabinet in Afghanistan. Is Cameron an extremist? The new Prevent document continues to muddy the water. It claims, for example, that Fosis – the Federation of Student Islamic Societies – has “not always fully challenged terrorist and extremist ideology within the higher and further education sectors”. This is an odd claim to make given that Fosis held a conference on campus extremism as recently as March, where

speakers included the Association of Chief Police Officers’ Prevent liaison. But the most egregious aspect of this counter-extremism strategy is how little it has to say about the links between Islamist extremism and foreign policy. The 113-page Prevent document curiously (or should that be conveniently?) contains just four brief references to “foreign policy” – despite a raft of official inquiries, intelligence reports and academic studies in recent years that have explicitly cited it as a key driver of radicalisation. Iraq merits one passing reference. Yet in July 2010, in her evidence to the Chilcot inquiry, the former head of MI5 Eliza Manningham-Buller said that the invasion of Iraq had radicalised a new generation of young British Muslims: “What Iraq did was produce a fresh impetus to people prepared to engage in terrorism.” One of her predecessors, Stella Rimington, has said: “you can’t write the war in Iraq out of history. If what we’re looking at is groups of disaffected young men born in this country who turn to terrorism, then I think to ignore the effect of the war in Iraq is misleading.” Foreign policy isn’t the only catalyst for terrorism, of course. Islamist terrorists are inspired by a hate-filled ideology – a perversion of the great faith of Islam. But holding Islamist or “extremist” beliefs or views – however they are defined – does not inevitably lead to terrorism, as Cameron well knows. “I very much admire the leadership that you have given to Turkey,” Cameron told his counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in July last year. But Erdogan is an Islamist; his Justice and Development party is a product of political Islam. Combating extremism and terrorism requires a nuanced, less confrontational approach. Otherwise Prevent will be nothing more than a word.

Write to: Editor, Passion Islam, PO Box 159, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 1AD or email: info@passionislam.com - www.passionislam.com This Magazine contains Ayaat of the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (SAW), please ensure you handle it with respect & care - Sukran -

Views expressed in the Passion column are of the contributers and not Necessarily of Passion Islam

Passion Islam

I June 2011

NEWS

Failed Prevent programme re-introduced

Teachers asked to inform on terror students In Case You Missed It

Tachers will be encouraged to inform on extremist students as part of a Government counter-terrorism strategy. Home Secretary Theresa May wants universities, colleges and prisons to train staff to “recognise the signs of radicalisation”. She also said the Government would increase inspections at schools to root out extremist teachers. The measures are part of the new Prevent strategy, outlined in Parliament. It will focus on 25 areas in England targeted as terror hotbeds, including Birmingham, Leicester, Luton, Manchester, Leeds and some London boroughs. Mrs May said: “Prevent aims to stop people from

becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.It will challenge extremist ideology, help protect institutions from extremists and tackle the radicalisation of the vulnerable.” She added: “We will not fund or work with organisations that do not subscribe to the core values of our society. “Above all, Prevent will tackle the threat from home-grown terrorism.” Mrs May also said there would be a crackdown on muslim hate preachers and extremist websites. In the Commons she said a terrorist attack on Britain was still “highly likely” and an overhaul of Labour’s “failed” policies was needed. But Labour accused her of political “point-scoring”. Shadow

home secretary Yvette Cooper said there was a gap between Mrs May’s rhetoric and the reality of the Government’s policy on terrorism.” Shakir Ahmed Director of Passion Islam said “The new Prevent programme is just worded differently but nothing really has changed in it, how can you introduce something which has failed within the community and millions of pounds wasted, the previous government made a huge error in the formation of prevent and the way it was run and this government have made exactly the same mistakes, wasting millions on a project which has been a failure at a time when government are making cuts in services just don’t make sense” passionislam.com

I June 2011

Muslim students secretly ‘filmed’ at university 4

LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

Passion Islam

In Case You Missed It

A student organisation has expressed outrage after it was claimed Muslim students had been secretly filmed at a university. The Guardian newspaper claimed that security staff from Nottingham university have been filming students on campus as a method of monitoring potential extremists. The documents, published on the website Unileaks, charts the May 2008 arrest by counter-terrorism officers of Nottingham student Rizwaan Sabir and of Hicham Yezza. Sabir had downloaded an al-Qaida training manual as part of research for a dissertation. Both men were arrested and then released without charge after it emerged that the information was also available at student bookshops. The newspaper claims university

security staff then kept a log of Middle Eastrelated activities on campus, including details of talks and seminars revolving around Palestine and other issues. Nabil Ahmed, President of FOSIS said, “That the university filmed issues relating to Palestine and the Middle East demonstrates exactly who the university was seeking to target.” “In light of the government’s recent Prevent review, it is evident to see the severe repercussions on student and staff welfare when a university attempts to tackle sensitive

issues relating to counter-terrorism . A Nottingham University told the newspaper no footage of protests was retained or passed to other authorities, including the police or government. Security staff kept lists of protests in case extra security was required.

BBC accused of broadcasting “lies”

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been deplored for spreading lies over its claims that the NATO was conducting “precision bombing” in Libya. Campaigners attending the annual conference of Stop the War Coalition, including anti-poverty charity War on Want, slammed the BBC on Saturday for claiming that the Western military alliance’s invasion of Libya will protect civilians, because they are using modern military technology to avoid civilians’ deaths. War on Want executive director John Hillary lashed out at the broadcaster for giving coverage to NATO airstrikes, particularly attacks by US-made remote-controlled Predator drones, against Libyan people since late April. A BBC correspondent had written in March that the “NATO coalition were “plainly making big efforts to

avoid killing civilians”. “The old myth of pinpoint precision bombing has become much more of a reality”, said BBC correspondent John Simpson. “Drones can hit military targets more easily in urban areas, minimising the risk of civilian casualties,” wrote another unnamed reporter. But, John Hillary dismissed claims of increased precision as sheer “lies”, because the use of drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan is an explicit example of indiscriminate killings. A study carried out by western military experts David Kilcullen and Andrew Exum in 2009 consolidated the fact that of the more than 700 people killed in Pakistan by drone attacks that year, only 14 were known al-Qaeda operatives and the rest were civilians. The War on Want executive

director described drones as indiscriminate weapons, the use of which violates international law. “…yet the BBC with absolutely no backing or justification feels happy to go out and say these are precise bombing instruments”, said Hillary. “We have to stand up and say enough with these lies from the BBC. “This is not precision bombing - this is indiscriminate bombing with massive civilian casualties,” he added. The use of drone missiles has also been described by the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Philip Alston as a crime against humanity. The New America Foundation, a right-wing body that monitors drone attacks, has reported that at least 2,431 people have been killed by drone bombings in Pakistan since 2004. passionislam.com

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UK warned against rising Islamophobia Passion Islam

I June 2011

Islamophobia is on the rise in Britain with a total of 762 confirmed Islamophobic offences reported in London alone since April 2009, says a British Muslim council. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) told the council’s Annual General Assembly (AGB) in Birmingham that “robust action” is needed to counter Islamophobic attacks including assaults on Muslims, vandalizing mosques and desecrating graves, the daily The Independent reported. MCB secretary-general Farooq Murad said that minorities in the UK are 42 times more likely to be targeted under the Terrorism Act. He challenged the “ethnic profiling” of British Muslim community, calling for anti-Muslim crimes to be monitored more evidently to encourage communities to report crimes to the police. The calls, supported by leading academics, a counter-terrorist thinktank and Muslim groups, come as the Metropolitan Police confirmed a total of 762 Islamophobic offences in London since April 2009, including 333 in 2010/11 and 57 since this April. A spokesman said the Met was

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aware of “significant” under-reporting of hate crime, and acknowledged “missed opportunities” to keep victims safe. “Islamophobic attacks, on persons and properties, are committed by a tiny minority, but the number of incidents is increasing. Robust action is necessary and this means we must have a systematic manner of recording, monitoring and analysing such attacks. Only a small number of police forces record antiMuslim hate crimes”, said Murad. He said that figures obtained from only two police forces indicate 1,200 Anti-Muslim crimes in 2010, as opposed to 546 anti-Semitic crimes from all the police forces in the UK. Muslims from across the country have reported attacks on imams and mosque staff, including petrol bombings and bricks thrown through windows, pigs’ heads being fixed prominently to entrances and minarets, vandalism and abusive messages. “Anti-Muslim bigotry is very real. It

does exist. There are sections of our society who are deeply suspicious of Muslims, even of Muslims building mosques, and are threatened by the idea of Islamification across Europe”, said Ghaffar Hussain of the counterextremism think-tank Quilliam. Some 40 to 60 percent of the mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations in the UK have suffered at least one attack since 9/11. “Xenophobic attacks on Muslims have increased under successive governments. In a manipulative alliance with some sections of the media, they have demonised Islam as part of their foreign policy propaganda”, said Taji Mustafa, spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain.

UK terror powers still risk human rights breaches Further changes are required to counter-terrorism stop and search powers to prevent further breaches of human rights, according to the Joint Committee on Human Rights. The British government was forced last year to issue a remedial order to change police stop and search powers without suspicion under terrorism legislation after they were ruled unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights. But in a new report, the parliamentary committee said that while welcoming the tighter definition of the power and its improved safeguards, it believed the order in its current form does “not go far enough and thus risks giving rise to further human rights breaches.” It recommended that it was replaced with a new order to modify

the provisions, including requiring that the officer authorising stop and search without reasonable suspicion to have a “reasonable basis for his or her belief that the authorisation is needed and to provide an explanation.” Prior judicial authorisation for this power to stop and search to be available to the police was also needed and renewal of authorisations other than on the basis of new or additional information should be prevented, the MPs also suggested. Because of the concerns about the racially discriminatory exercise of the previous power, the report further recommended the “strengthening of the Code of Practice and bolstering the role of the independent reviewer in order to enhance political accountability for the police and Home

Secretary’s exercise of the power.” ‘Stop and search is a blanket power that has often targeted protests and been used against schoolchildren, journalists, photographers and a disproportionate number of young Asians and Blacks, but is not known to have helped in catching a single terrorist. Ministry of Justice figures have consistently shown that Black and Asian people are at least seven times more likely to be stopped by the police than white people. Last year’s annual statistics on race and the criminal justice system found that the number of Black and Asian people stopped and searched by the police has increased to 310,000 in 2008/09, an increase of more than 70% over the previous five years.

Libel payout for Arab newspaper journalists Passion Islam

I June 2011

LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

The London publisher of pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat and two senior editorial staff were awarded libel damages totalling £85,000, their lawyers Carter Ruck have announced. The payout follows allegations they received millions of pounds in secret payments to publish interviews with former Iraq president Jalal Talabani. According to Carter Ruck, publisher HH Saudi Research and Marketing – based in Holborn – was awarded £20,000 in libel damages, while editor-in-chief of Tariq Al-Homayed received £30,000 and senior journalist Maad Fayad £35,000. The defendant, kurdistanpost.com editor Alan Merdini, was also forced to pay the claimants £40,000 in costs at the High Court.

Libel proceedings began, Carter Ruck said, when Merdini published an online article headlined “In order to publish his diaries Jalal Talabani has given 4 million dollars to Asharq Al Awsat newspaper”. The article falsely alleged Fayad had accepted $1m for conducting and publishing interviews with Talabani in 2009 and that Al-Homayed had accepted the same sum to publish the interviews. Speaking after the judgment, a representative for the claimants Adel Ellithy said: “Such was the absolute falsity of these allegations that we had no hesitation in bringing these proceedings to protect the

good name of our company and our journalists. “We prize our reputation extremely highly and are very glad that the judge has made awards which properly reflect the damage and distress caused to the claimants by the wholly fictional claims posted on this website.”

MPs urge Iraq Inquiry to recall Campbell

In Case Y o Missed It u

MPs have urged the Iraq Inquiry to recall Tony Blair’s communication director Alastair Campbell for his false evidence on Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). MPs stressed that Campbell should stand at Chilcot Inquiry again

following revelations by a military spy chief that Campbell had given misleading information at the Iraq war Inquiry. Michael Laurie, the former Director General Intelligence Collection in the Defense Intelligence Staff, said Campbell told the Inquiry that the purpose of the dossier of Saddam’s WMDs was not “to make a case for war.” “I had no doubt at that time this was exactly its purpose and these very words were used,” he said. Labour MP Paul Flynn urged Campbell to give evidence to the Iraq war

Inquiry again. He said the evidence from Laurie was “pretty devastating.” “Alastair Campbell must return to give evidence.” Senior Lib-Dem backbencher John Hemming repeated the Labour MP’s call, saying, “It seems clear from MajGen Laurie’s evidence that what Alastair Campbell said to the inquiry was not true. This is an issue that needs further investigation because it cannot be allowed just to rest on the table.” However, in a statement published on his website, Campbell announced that

he has nothing more to add to his former evidence. “I was, and remain, absolutely clear about the purpose of the dossier at the time, which was not to make the case for war, but set out the reasons why the Prime Minister and the government were becoming more not less concerned about Iraq and WMD.” “Also, I was and remain clear that at no time did I or anyone in Downing Street put pressure on the Joint Intelligence Committee,” he added. passionislam.com

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I June 2011

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I June 2011

LOCAL & NATIONAL / WORLD NEWS

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Arabick Roots’ on display in London The scientific Muslim pioneers who inspired western thinkers are featured in a new exhibition. Her Highness Sheikha Mozah of Qatar and British Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, were guests of honour at the launch of the eye-opening new exhibition at The Royal Society in London. Arabick Roots is a new display highlighting surprising connections between the scientific pioneers of Muslim Civilisation and seventeenth century Britain’s greatest scholars and scientists. The exhibition displays rare books, scientific instruments and correspondence, showing how science and culture from the Muslim Civilisation influenced and inspired key figures such as Edmund Halley and Robert Boyle. Early Fellows of the Royal Society eagerly pursued works in Arabic and Persian as well as communicating with their intellectual contemporaries in the Arabic-speaking world. At a time when international collaboration is increasingly important to the advancement of science, Arabick Roots reveals the rich and often surprising history of scientific

communication between two very different cultures. Exhibition Curator Dr Rim Turkmani said: “This exhibition uncovers the neverbefore told story of the connections between the early Royal Society and contemporary and classical Arabic learning, and how they were used to solve some of the most pressing problems of the day” “This was a time when British society as a whole was largely ignorant of the cultural achievements of the Arabic world – yet we find that the early Royal Society’s group of ‘ingenious and curious gentlemen’ included three Fellows from the Arabic world. This forgotten history reveals a rich tradition of communication between two very different cultures, and shows that then – just like today – collaboration across linguistic and cultural boundaries can lead to great results.” The Arabick Roots exhibition is sponsored by the Qatar Foundation. The research for Arabick

France urges Israel to rapidly reimburse Palestinian taxes France urged Israel to rapidly release to the Palestinian Authority taxes and duties it owes from April but which Israel withheld to punish the Palestinians because of reconciliation contacts between the PA and the Hamas movement. “France favourably welcomes the Israel decision to resume the handover of taxes...(and) calls for the April handover, suspended until now, to be carried out rapidly,” a statement said. Israel owes the Palestinians an estimated USD 110 million in duties and taxes as part of an existing agreement whereby the Jewish State administers and collects levies on exports and trade. France had criticized the Israeli decision to withhold the taxes, noting the budgetary difficulties facing the PA. France wants the Palestinian

Authority to maintain these guarantees, particularly in the run-up period to a potential move in the UN to get recognition for a Palestinian State next September, with Israeli asset or not. The French government gives around USD 100 million to the PA and also participates at the level of around 17 percent in European Union aid to the Palestinians. France is also pushing for a second Donor Conference to be held this summer in Paris for the Palestinians, but this is not yet agreed internationally. The last conference in 2007 raised USD 7.4 billion to help finance the institutions and reforms needed for a future Palestinian State. That budget is now exhausted and a new injection of funds is needed to help with ongoing reforms and to support Palestinians.

Roots has been sponsored by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and the exhibition curator is FSTC Fellow Dr. Rim Turkmani. FSTC also created the internationally renowned and award-winning 1001 Inventions exhibition that was recently opened by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in California. Arabick Roots will be open 9am - 5pm in the week of the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition (5 - 10 July, 2011); at all other times guided tours are by appointment (call: 020 7451 2597). Entrance is free. The exhibition runs until November 2011, after which it will transfer to Doha.

Malaysia society blasts Israel for attacking its ship en route to Gaza Aman-Palestine Malaysia society has denounced the Israeli attack against a vessel chartered by it to carry relief material to the Gaza Strip The society said in a statement that the Israeli gunboats fired at the vessel while on its way to Gaza, affirming that the ship was in international waters. It said that the gunboats forced the ship to change course and redirect to Egyptian regional waters. The society affirmed that such piracy would not deter international solidarity ships from persisting in sailing to Gaza carrying badly needed materials.

Dubai takes over Islamic lender to bolster banks 12

I WORLD NEWS

Dubai’s government took control of troubled Islamic lender Dubai Bank to prevent a collapse undermining the Gulf Arab state’s banking sector. Dubai, which is struggling to emerge from a debt crisis, said it will inject an unspecified amount of capital into the bank and its takeover would protect depositors’ interests. “In terms of credibility of the UAE banking system, it was very important that the bank did not default. A default by Dubai Bank would have raised worries about other local banks operating in the country,” Mohamed Yasin, chief investment officer at CAPM Investments in Abu Dhabi, said. Options for Dubai Bank, which is owned by the private holding company of the ruler of Dubai, included being run on a stand-alone basis or merged with another stateowned bank, the government said in a statement. Dubai already has stakes in six commercial banks in the UAE, including Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest by market capitalisation, Dubai Islamic Bank and Noor Islamic Bank.

Passion Islam

Dubai Bank has been under scrutiny for a while. “There have been questions raised about the sustainability and continuity of their operations for a while. The bank has some serious liabilities outstanding and those need to be addressed,” CAPM Investment’s Yasin said. Fitch downgraded it in March, citing its weakened financial flexibility

I June 2011

and exposure to Dubai entities that are being restructured. The ratings agency declined comment. Dubai Bank has exposure to a syndicated $2.25bn Islamic tranche to Investment Corp of Dubai which lenders agreed to refinance. At the end of 2009, Dubai Bank had total assets of 17.4bn dirhams ($4.74bn) against total liabilities of 15.7bn dirhams. It made a loss of 290.6mn dirhams.

Fatah and Hamas join forces Palestinians have once again held rallies to celebrate the signing of a unity deal which put an end to years of division between leaders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Rallies were held in at least three West Bank cities -- Ramallah, Al Khalil (Hebron) and Tulkarem, AP reported. Similar rallies were held on Wednesday after the signing of the

reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah. Thousands of Hamas supporters took to the streets chanting, “O Abbas, O Haniyeh, we want national unity,” and “The Islamic resistance movement salutes Abu Mazen,” in reference to acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The streets of the West Bank cities were filled with green flags of Hamas as demonstrators chanted slogans welcoming the reconciliation deal. People in the town of Bil’in, which holds weekly protest rallies against what they commonly describe as

‘the Israeli apartheid wall,’ carried a coffin to symbolize the death of the Palestinian division. The Israeli wall, which has been reportedly financed by the US, has annexed around 60 percent of Bil’in, a village in the Ramallah district, to build illegal settlements. Villagers in Bil’in have held non-violent anti-wall demonstrations for more than six years now. Many countries consider the wall, built on occupied Palestinian land, as illegal. The unity deal comes as the UN General Assembly is expected to discuss the establishment of an independent Palestinian state during a meeting in September.

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WORLD NEWS

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Top UN official hits out at forced displacement of Palestinians The United Nations humanitarian chief called for an end to the forced displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank, saying Israeli planning rules were having an unacceptable impact on Palestinian communities. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos travelled to East Jerusalem and the West Bank village of Nabi Samwil, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said. Ms. Amos, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, saw the barrier – which Israel has said it erected for security reasons – and noted that 85 per cent of its route lies inside the West Bank. As a result about 8,500 Palestinians live in closed areas between the barrier and the Green Line. In Nabi Samwil, the barrier separates the village from the rest of the West Bank, with residents unable to travel to nearby Jerusalem without permits, and forced to pass through a checkpoint to reach neighbouring West Bank villages. New construction is forbidden in the village because of what Ms. Amos described as a “highly restrictive planning regime” in

operation. “I am horrified by the way the barrier affects Palestinians,” she said in a statement issued by her office. “It divides communities and inhibits the provision of services. I visited a one-room school with no windows and very few facilities, which can’t be improved because the planning rules don’t allow it. This is unacceptable.” In her visit to East Jerusalem Ms. Amos noted that only 13 per cent of land there is available for Palestinian use and therefore it is overcrowded. About 60,000 residents of East Jerusalem face demolition of their homes because they have no choice but to build without permits, she said. “These policies lead to forced displacement of Palestinians from

Jerusalem and from the rest of the West Bank. Palestinians must be able to plan and develop their communities. They must be able to access education and healthcare facilities and to conduct their professional and personal lives without restriction.” Ms. Amos is slated to visit Ramallah and meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other members of the Palestinian leadership. She is also scheduled to travel to the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and Area C, which comprises 60 per cent of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control. She also hopes to meet with Israeli authorities in Tel Aviv.

Blackwater to form secret army in UAE The founder of the notorious security company Blackwater is reportedly hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to form a secret mercenary army in the UAE. The billionaire Erik Prince, who relocated to the UAE in 2010 in the wake of mounting legal problems in the United States, received over USD 500 million to organize an 800member battalion of foreign troops in the Persian Gulf state, the New York Times reported. Posing as construction workers, dozens of Colombian men entered the UAE last November and were stationed in an Emirati base called Zayed Military City. The Colombians, along with South African and other foreign troops,

are recruited and trained by retired American soldiers and veterans of the German and British special operations units and the French Foreign Legion, the daily said. Documents show the force is intended to conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks, and quell possible uprisings across the state, it added. The UAE is a close ally of the US and officials in the Obama administration said that Washington was informed about the program. “The [Persian] Gulf countries and the UAE in particular, don’t have a lot of military experience. It would make sense if they looked outside their

borders for help,” said one Obama administration official. “They might want to show that they are not to be messed with.” However, legal experts doubt that the project has the US official blessing as the company is already enmeshed with a series of scandals related to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan. Blackwater, which was later renamed Xe Services, came to spotlight after its forces killed over a dozen civilians and injured many more in Iraq’s capital Baghdad in 2007. Blackwater mercenaries were hated by the Iraqis as they were able to kill many civilians with impunity. passionislam.com

Israeli army filters internet, email

I WORLD NEWS

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The recent Internet restrictions are seen as an attempt to reduce the leak of sensitive or embarrassing data by Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army has banned access to many websites on its network in an attempt to reduce the leak of sensitive or embarrassing data to the Internet. During the past weeks, accessing popular social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook have been banned from work computers within the Israeli army’s offices and bases, Haaretz reported. Access to email services such as Gmail and Hotmail has also been blocked from the army’s premises. Army personnel are now only allowed to use Israeli email services at gov.il, and have access to a few other selected websites. Israeli soldiers have protested against the recent clampdowns,

arguing that they need free access to the Internet, because they use the Internet to carry out all their tasks since they are only allowed to go home only once or twice a week. The latest restrictions come nearly one year after the Israeli army faced international embarrassment over images and videos uploaded by soldiers to social networks. In one instance, an Israeli soldier posted a video of himself dancing offensively around a bound and blindfolded Palestinian woman on Youtube in May, 2010. In August last year, another Israeli soldier posted smiling pictures of herself with bound Palestinian prisoners on Facebook.

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The regime has also reported a few security leaks published on different websites through Israeli soldiers. Since 2006, the Israeli military has had a special unit tasked with scanning social media websites for what it calls signs of possible security breaches.

‘Israel’s stability depends on Syria’ A top Syrian official has warned about dire consequences of instability in the country, insisting that security of the whole region, including Israel’s, depends on Syria. Rami Makhlouf, Syria’s most powerful businessman and an advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, censured on events unfolding in his country, reiterating that the whole region will suffer from instability in Syria. “If there is no stability here, there’s no way there will be stability in Israel; no way; and nobody can guarantee what will happen after, God forbid, anything happens to this regime,” Makhlouf told The New York Times.

He also criticized Western governments for interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, urging them not to put too much pressure on Damascus. “Don’t put a lot of pressure on the president, don’t push Syria to do anything it is not happy to do,” the business tycoon warned, adding that “the decision of the government now is that they have decided to fight,” with those inciting unrest in Syria. Makhlouf’s remarks came after the European Union imposed an arms embargo on Syria and placed several leading Syrian officials on its sanctions list following weeks of demonstrations in the Middle East country, which Damascus has blamed on foreign elements.

Since the beginning of Syrian demonstrations in March, hundreds, including members of the country’s security forces, have been killed and many others wounded. The opposition blames the government for the violence, but Damascus insists that armed gangs and foreign elements are responsible for the killings. Syrian officials say they have busted a number of terrorist groups whose members have confessed to receiving money and weapons from foreign sources to kill demonstrators and security forces in order to cause chaos in the country. passionislam.com

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WORLD NEWS

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Belgium inches closer to burqa ban

Belgium’s lower house of parliament has approved a bill that would ban all clothing that covers or partially covers the face and that would prohibit Muslim women from wearing the burqa and the niqab in public. The bill was passed by a vote of 136-1 and two abstentions, AP reported. If approved by the Senate, Belgium would become the second European country after France to put such a law into practice. The law would target all women who use the face veil, known as the niqab, and the body-length burqa. Violators of the law would be punished with fines of 15 to 25 euros or imprisonment for up to seven days. The Chamber of Deputies -Belgium’s lower house of parliament -- first approved the proposal almost

one year ago, but that version of the bill was nixed when the parliament was dissolved due to a government crisis fueled by a row between the country’s French and Dutch-speaking politicians. France has also banned facial

Indian government has deployed more than half a million troops across Kashmir. Rights group, Amnesty International has slammed India’s laws on dealing with people suspected as threats to state security in Indian-administered Kashmir. Nearly 20,000 people have been arrested and held under the Public Safety Act (PSA) since 1989. “Kashmir authorities are using PSA detentions as a revolving door to keep people they can’t or won’t convict through proper legal channels locked up and out of the way,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific director, calling on India to scrap PSA. There have been almost daily demonstrations against Indian rule in the region since June 2010, when security forces killed a teenage protestor. Government forces have

responded by imposing curfews and restrictions on the movement of people. The Kashmiri people have accused the Indian police of opening fire on peaceful demonstrators and bystanders during the unrest. Most of the victims were young men. Since early June, violent street protests and crackdowns have left more than 110 people dead. New Delhi has been repeatedly criticized for resorting to force rather than finding a diplomatic solution to the issue. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but have partial control over it. Despite the risks, it seems the Kashmiris are determined to continue their “people power” movement.

covers, declaring that any woman -- French or foreigner -- who wears a niqab or burqa in public will be fined 150 euros. People who force women to wear such covers will face a much larger fine and a prison sentence of up to two years.

Amnesty slams India over Kashmir abuse

Political analysts say frequent street protests of the past two years are giving new life to the Kashmir liberation struggle. Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official count, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000. passionislam.com

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Luxury Muslim prayer clock launched The company behind the world’s most expensive clock to celebrate the royal wedding has unveiled its latest creation - the world’s first luxury Muslim prayer clock. “Smith of Derby” launched the prayer clock, designed to be the most exclusive of its type in the world, at the UAE Interiors show in Abu Dhabi the company said. The timepiece, which comes with a gold-leaf finish, sells for 20,000 pounds and is aimed at bringing a focal point to prestigious interiors such as mosques and hotel receptions, as well as some homes. The clock integrates city and daily specific prayer times with classic design, according to the company. In a statement, managing director Bob Betts said: “Prayer clocks are vital in every Muslim’s life, yet the design and quality available is poor and cheap. “Luxury developments and prestigious existing sites have no opportunity to celebrate their faith through exploring prayer time in a luxury manner.

“It defines the space it is in and is the watchword of precision and craftsmanship from a company that has a superb track record spanning over one and half centuries.” The family-owned company, which has been making and servicing clocks for 154 years, has been involved in the Middle East for 40 years and worked with Muslim advisers throughout research, development and production of the clock. “Architects, hoteliers and interior designers have already recognised how it can bring art and a celebration of faith together to create something sensual and visually amazing,” Betts added. While the prayer clock marks a new venture for the company, it has been providing timepieces to the Middle East for years, including the holy city of Makkah. One of its most prestigious projects was to supply 16 gold-plated

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clocks for Makkah Holy Harram, as well as the DNA Clock at the University of Dammam in Saudi Arabia and the Four-Sided Tower Clock for the Dammam Community. Other well-known timepieces include the tower clock of the Asma Mosque in Oman, and the clock in Time Square, Al-Ain, also in the UAE. Smith of Derby also designed the world’s most expensive clock to celebrate the royal wedding, in collaboration with porcelain company Royal Crown Derby. The Royal Wedding Celebration Clock, which retails at 9,950 pounds plus VAT, is brass with 24-carat gold plate and has a bone china dial and cameo decorated in Royal Crown Derby hand-finished livery.

Islam will remain Malaysia’’ Families may be allowed to visit Gitmo detainees state religion - PM Malaysian Prime Minister Najib bin Abdul Razak has affirmed that Islam will remain the state official religion denying reports that it might be changed according to a plan by the opposition. In a statement to reporters Abdul Razak said Islam would remain the state religion, in line with the federal constitution. The prime minister said the constitution and the laws should not be

breached, considering that the constitution guarantees freedoms for non-Muslims. He made the affirmation after a controversy erupted when the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia reported that some Christian politicians in the opposition camp planned to “make Malaysia a Christian country.” Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia’s 28 million population, while Christians make up nine percent.

The Pentagon is considering allowing the families of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to visit them, the Washington Post reported here Wednesday, citing congressional aides. According to the Washington Post, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which monitors conditions at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, “has been in serious discussions with the Pentagon about a visitation program.” The newspaper quoted a spokesman for the ICRC, Simon Schorno, as saying “regardless of where detainees are held, particularly in the context of long-term detention, the ICRC will always work for the detainees and their families to be in contact with one another, including through family visits.” There are about 172 detainees currently at Guantanamo, out of which 48 “are expected to be held indefinitely under the laws of war.”

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Rugby League ambassador returns from Afghanistan RFL Ambassador Andy Lindley has broken new ground by delivering a nine day PE teacher training programme to a group of 40 select Afghan teachers in the Kabul area of Afghanistan. Andy travelled to Afghanistan as part of an agreement between the Afghan Ministry of Education, The British Council and the RFL. The British Council had approached a number of major sporting organisations to facilitate a

pilot training programme and Lindley, on behalf of the RFL, was the only sports body to accept the offer. Andy said “This was a once in a lifetime experience. It has been life changing for me personally. It’s made me realise how lucky we are in the West. Children and teachers literally risk their lives to get to school to try and improve their lives and the lives of others. The whole experience was incredibly humbling but very rewarding.”

Hayes and Yeading United appoint Nas Bashir as manager Hayes and Yeading United have appointed Nas Bashir, the first British Asian to earn the UEFA A Pro Licence, as their new manager. Nas, a former player and coach at Reading, replaces Garry Haylock, who left the club by mutual consent at the end of May having led them to 16th in Blue Square Bet Premier last season. Nas follows Anwar Uddin, who was assistant manager at Barnet on a temporary basis last season, as another young aspiring British Asian looking to break into professional coaching. Nas, who has also coached at Wycombe Wanderers and England Under-21s and Under-19s, said: “It’s a great chance for me to build upon my reputation and be part of developing a club.” A club statement read: “As one

of the brightest young coaches in the national game, the club hope Bashir’s appointment sends out a message of intention to the football world that Hayes and Yeading United Football Club continue to build and work towards their goal of becoming a Football League club.”

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Soccerex sign up new Indian media partner Soccerex are delighted to announce Indian sports portal SportzPower as their exclusive media partners in India, ahead of the Soccerex Global Convention taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 26-30 November 2011. David Wright, Marketing Director at Soccerex said that “I am delighted to add SportzPower to our portfolio of international media partners. They are leading players in the Indian market – a market that is of great importance to Soccerex and to football as a whole.” SportzPower is part of Sportz Network Pvt Ltd, an independently owned company operating in the significant areas of media, marketing and events in India’s fast developing sports industry. In the short span that it has been in the marketplace, SportzPower has established itself as a reliable source for current and comprehensive information, knowledge and insight to a targeted audience involved in the business and management of sports. Incorporating breaking news and views alongside exclusive interviews, special features, research reports, a comprehensive events and broadcast calendar, and a Daily email newsletter, SportzPower looks to set the agenda for an industry that is only now beginning to realize its power and potential.

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Sorcery and Its Danger

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Praise be to Allah, Who removed the depths of darkness with His guidance, brought to life the nations with His revelations, and completed his all-encompassing favors on us. I testify that there is not god but Allah, with Whom there is no associate. He invited us to adopt monotheism and forbade us from polytheism. I testify that Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is His servant and Messenger, the unlettered Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) who was accused of being a magician. Allah forbid! How could this be? when he (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has said: “Avoid the seven destructive things,”mentioning magic among them. Peace be upon him and on all the prophets and messengers of Allah. Brothers! I advice you and myself to fear Allah in outward and inward, and to follow the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in words and in deeds. O Believers! After the Islamic communities had been the harbor of monotheism and the shelter of Faith, and the fort of creed, some of these communities, most of them, become vulnerable to the currents of polytheism and jugglery became firmly established in them. The world of magic is a strange one. Its surface appears to be attractive, while its core contains dirt and rot. The devils enslaves magic and magicians, as well as their followers to the sun, the moon, the stars and idols, then to his villainous self. Magic was and still is a slip from which mankind reaped bad fruits. It is a disformed figure and a hand stained with the blood of innocent people. It stole joy from the homes

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of many people and removed smiles from their lips. It has a black history, whose darkness is derived from its effects and the perversion of its followers and seekers. Allah the Almighty blamed a group of the People of the Book who abandoned the book and were instead given to magic. Allah the Almighty says which translates as: “And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them, a party of the People of the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs. As if (it had been something) they did not know! They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men magic” (Al-Baqarah: 101-102). Magic has become widespread here, there and everywhere. No nation has ever been safe from it. It was used as a tool to enslave people to other than Allah. It was even an effective tool used against Messengers and messages, in the war kindled against them. It was also a ready-made accusation made against every prophet who called to monotheism and warned against polytheism. Magic has many connotations: It may mean trickery and presenting falsehood instead truth, or it may mean evil-doing. Islamically it means some sort of spells,charms and knots used to affect the bodies and hearts of people making them sick or leading to their death, or causing separation between husband and wife. These are practiced by male and female witches. In order to be well-versed in witchcraft, a long

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course is followed, ending with disbelief in Allah. Do not be disturbed to learn that they wear the Qur’an as shoes on their feet, with which they enter toilets, and write the Qur’anic verses with stool or with menstrual blood. They sacrifice animals to other than Allah. Some have intercourse with their mothers and daughters, while others prostrate themselves to stars. These disbelieving acts made by a witch or magician are proofs of his/her being well-versed in witchcraft and his/her being an intimate friend to Iblis, may Allah curse them. Allah says which translates as: “Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment), for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live” (Ta Ha: 74). The greater the witch or magician in disbelief, the more obedient the devil will be to him. Allah says which translates as: “… if anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a fardistant place” (Al-Hajj: 31). The magician or witch thus complies to the will of Iblis, to disobey Allah and incur His wrath. In the Holy Qur’an it is reported that Iblis said which translates as: …”I will take of thy servants a portion marked off;” (Al Nisa’: 118) “Thus will Allah show them (the fruits of) their deeds as (nothing but) regrets… (Al-Baqarah: 167). One who practices magic or witchcraft is a disbeliever, according to the agreement of Muslim scholars. They, in support, quote the Qur’anic verse saying which translates as: “But neither of these taught anyone

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(such things) without saying: “We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme” (Al-Baqarah: 102). Magic or witchcraft has become widespread in Islamic countries, and is no more a strange thing or an abhorred act, except by those whom Allah has shown mercy. The media may display a magician who turns a serpent into a rope or bring out many animals from his small hat, in addition to other extraordinary skills. He may appear in an interview as a man who has exceptional faculties, as a means of deceiving simple-minded people. Dear brother! Have you ever heard about those who go to magicians, where the light of faith is put out and where disobedience is kindled in the hearts of some people by the fuel of envy. They remained awake at night and exert great efforts during the day. They walk hastily, trying to forget the premonitions that tell them that the course they are taking will lead to directing harming Muslims. They enter upon magicians and hold a treacherous and betraying discourse. Where they are assured by these mischievous magicians that their plans would take effect. Allah says which translates as: “Do they not think that they will be called to account? On a Mighty Day, A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?” (AlMutaffifeen: 4-6). “Know they not that Allah knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal?” (Al-Baqarah: 77). Then, a poor fellow Muslim, against whom the conspiracy was made, feels a change in his life, leading him to a course that he does not want. Al-Fudail bin ‘Iyad said: ‘By Allah, it is not lawful for you to harm a dog or a pig without a valid cause. How can you then harm a Muslim’? For many times these black deals, concluded in the darkness, destroyed the lives of families, leading to the divorce of many wives, the death of many people, the failure of many marriages, or the failure of many partnerships, etc. there is neither power nor strength, save in Allah! If one is affected by magic, he should: First: Follow the example of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam). ‘A’ishah reported: The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) was affected by a magic spell, until he imagine doing things,

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which he did not do. One day, when he (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) was in my room, he supplicated Allah and then said: “O ‘A’ishah! Do you know that Allah has answered my question?” She said: Which question? He (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Two men came, one of them sat besides my leg and the other besides my head. One of them said to the other: What is the matter with the man? The other said: He (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is under the effect of a magic spell. He said: Who did that to him (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)? He said: Labid bin Al-A’sam, the Jewish man from the Zuraiq. He said: From what was the spell made? He said: A comb and some hair and the skin of a branch of a male palm-tree. He asked: Where are these things? He answered: In the well of Dhi Arwan. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) took a company and went to the well. He (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) then returned to ‘A’ishah and said: “By Allah its water looks like the water mixed with henna and its palms look like the heads of devils.” He (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) then ordered the well to be buried” (Al-Bukhari). If the Messenger (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is affected by magic, what about those who are lower in status than him. Second: The spell should be extracted and rendered ineffective, for this is the most effective cure of the patient. Third: To pronounce legal Ruqiah (treatment) that includes Qur’anic verses and sound Hadiths. Allah says which translates as:“We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur-an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (Al-Israa’: 82). Fourth: to often supplicate Allah and implore Him: Allah says which translates as: “And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)” (Ghafir: 60). It is not necessary that the ruqiah be made by specific people, as every Muslim can practice ruqiah for himself and for his family. The greater the person is god-fearing, the more effective his ruqiah will be. Fifth: reciting the entire Surah of Al-Baqarah [the Cow] as it is a blessing and magicians cannot resist its effect. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Recite

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Surah Al-Baqarah, as reciting it is a blessing, abandoning it is a regret, and the magicians cannot resist it”. A Muslim may protect himself from magic, the harm of devils, etc. by: * Sticking to the remembrance uttered during morning and evening and the recitation of the Verse of Ayatul-Kursi[the Throne], transalated as: “Allah, none has the right to be worshiped but He, the ver Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Niether slimber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede eith Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knoladge except that which He wills. His Footstool extends over the Heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, The Most Great” (Al-Baqarah: 255). As well as Surahul Falaq, Surahun Naas, and Surahul Ikhlaas * Eating seven dates daily. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Whoever eats seven Ajwah dates (a type of date from Madina) in the morning daily, will never be harmed by a poison or magic until the night”. * Mentioning the Name of Allah on everything. The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “When the night falls, or when it is evening, keep your children in home, as the devils become widespread at that time. When an hour passes, let them free, and close your doors long with mentioning the Name of Allah, as the Satan does not open a closed door. Tie up your water skins and mention the Name of Allah. Cover your vessels, even by lying anything across them and mention the Name of Allah. Put out your lamps” (AlBukhari). These instructions represented the Mercy of Allah shown to His servants, and the cautiousness of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) to protect his people from evils. If they then neglect these instructions, they shall only have themselves to blame.

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Warning Against Adultery and Fornication 20

All praise is due to Allah. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his household and companions. Fellow Muslims! The religion of Islam was revealed complete in order to perfect Allah’s blessings on mankind, and guarantee the highest form of grace and kindness. It orders that conditions be improved, and that people be generous. It warns against useless and time-wasting speech and actions. It brought all that can beautify the slave of Allah, and decorate him, and all that can distance him from anything that may defile him and disgrace him. The Prophet said, “Allah is generous and gracious, and he loves the generous, gracious people, and He loves the ones who strive to better the state of affairs and He hates useless and time-wasting speech and actions.” (At-Tabarani). One of Islam’s greatest goals is to establish the abstention from what is forbidden, create virtuousness, purity and to implant good-doing and charity in the community, and the distancing from vice and indecency. And from here Islam has been

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careful to distance people from their animalistic desires and Satanic manners. Allah says, “And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste until Allah enriches them of His Bounty.” (An-Noor: 33). He also says, “But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allah is AllHearing, All-Knowing.” (An-Noor: 60). Ibn Abbaas narrated in his account of Abu Sufyan and Qaesar, “Abu Sufyan said, ‘And he orders us to worship Allah without associating any partners with Him and forbids us from worshipping that which our forefathers worshipped, and he orders us to perform prayers, give charity, be chaste, keep our promises, and to return trusts to their rightful owners.” (Bukhari & Muslim). At-Tirmidhi relates that the prophet said, “The first three to enter paradise were shown to me: A martyr, a chaste person, and a slave who perfected his worship of Allah and remained faithful to his master.” The chastity of Islam is what restrains the human behaviour from deteriorating into the following of

despicable desires. It looks after one’s interests, curbs one’s desires and prevents one from slipping into error and lack of discipline. This chastity finds expression in human decency and there appears in it purity, and human virtue. This chastity is related to the achievement of manhood and authority. At the time one’s spirit is strengthened by performing good deeds, good personal manners, good habits, leaving behind the filth and immorality, tolerating its observance in keeping up good habits, and leaving the degrading and despicable. Islam concentrates on the foundation of chastity to protect honour and majesty. At that time the human will remain strong-willed, and courageous. So don’t yield to your desire, and don’t obey it. Brothers in Islam! If we talk about these above-mentioned descriptions in Islam, they are self-evident for the intelligent openminded person. They glorify the good things of this religion and have raised its learning to a dignified position. One may look in different countries of the world that we know today. Chastity has been lost, and it is darkened by shamelessness and immorality, and no one shows any respect, people have rough manners, and disgraceful practices, knowing no honour or chivalry, and bearing no characteristic of courtliness or kindness. Freedom to follow desires, legalisation of transient things of the world, and a loss of humility and decency, no feeling jealousy for one’s close female relatives, no disgust from immoral or unlawful deeds. What do you think brought about this dissoluteness? What caused these manners, which left chastity behind and destroyed purity and humility? It was brought about by immorality whose damaging effects know no limit and result in various pains, hurts and sorrows, and destructive conditions. O slaves of Allah! The Shari’ah was revealed in order to bring about

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chastity, purity and the spreading of humility and virtue on the individual level as well as on the level of society. It’s definitive orders came specifically to the Faithful Muslims, and to the Muslims generally to guard their chastity. Guarding chastity from immorality is one thing that can purify the soul, bring peace to nations, and maintain security. Allah says, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts.”(An-Noor: 30). Allah praised those who guard their chastity, and made that a sign of supreme success. Allah says, “Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their prayers in al solemnity and full submissiveness. And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden). And those who pay the Zakaat. And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts.)” (Al-Mu’minoon: 1). The Prophet said, “Whoever guarantees for me (that) what is between his legs and what is between his two beards (i.e. between the left and right sides of his beards: meaning his mouth)[i.e. will perform no act of indiscretion]. I guarantee for him paradise.” (Bukhaarie). He also said, “If a woman prays five times daily, and fasts her month (of Ramadaan), and guards her chastity, and obeys her husband, it will be said to her, ‘Enter Paradise by any door you like.’” Fellow Muslims! The greatest thing that destroys this guard of chastity is fornication, so it is one of the biggest sins and greatest transgressions. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “In His book, Allah specifically labelled the association of partners with Him, fornication and homosexuality, with impurity and filth… and no sin is worse for the heart and religion than those two great sins – fornication and homosexuality – and for them is a characteristic in distancing the heart from Allah. If the heart acknowledged them, it is distanced from Allah.” And Allah warned against fornication and described its awful description and it’s result of utter destruction, He says, “And those who invoke not any other god along with

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Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide there in disgrace. Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds…” (AlFurqan: 68). He also says, “And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a transgression of Allah’s limits, and an evil way.” (Al-Israa’: 32). Fellow Muslims! Fornication is incompatible with the characteristics of the faithful believer and repulsive to the pious and the God-fearing. Allah says, “The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah (polytheist woman) and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Mushrik (polytheist man). Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.” (An-Noor: 3). The Prophet said, “When the fornicator is committing fornication, he is not a believer.” (Bukhaarie and Muslim). And he said, “If a slave of Allah commits fornication, his faith leaves him through his head and when he turns away from her, his faith returns again.” (Abu Dawood). O slaves of Allah! Fornication is usually associated with the performance of other acts of disobedience to Allah and it guarantees all forms of harm. By way of fornication, mortal diseases become prevalent in the community, and different kinds of afflictions and trials appear, and the good god-fearing family is non-existent, blessings become scarce, not to mention the estrangement and enmity between human beings, the spread of multifarious diseases. O slaves of Allah! Listen, then, to the light of the Prophet Muhammad’s revelation; it speaks about these evil effects and warns against these dangers and evils. The Prophet said, “My nation will remain well as long as there is not a prevalence of children born out of wedlock, and if there is such a prevalence they will be on the point of receiving Allah’s punishment.” (Ahmad).And the Prophet said, “If there is a prevalence of fornication and usury in a nation, they have legitimised for themselves the punishment (of Allah).” He also said, “(Allah’s) covenant

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is never broken in a nation but there spreads amongst them killing, and there never appears immorality in a nation until it is announced to me except there spreads among them plague and diseases that where not known in past generations…” (Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, Ath-Thahabi). Fellow Muslims! Remember that fornication is but a few moments pleasure, which people are driven to by their base whims and desires, and its perpetrator shall be punished. It is a short-lived pleasure, yet it’s long term effects are evil. Fornicators are swift to laughter, but remain disgraced and dishonoured, and Allah’s is angry with them. The Prophet said during part of a longer narration, “… and so we set out and came to something like a kiln narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, there came from it sounds and voices. He said, ‘We looked inside, and there were naked men and women and there would rise up fire from beneath them and when it reached them, they screamed, and I said, ‘Who are these (people) O Jibreel?’, He said, ‘These are the fornicators.’” (Bukhaarie). So fear Allah, O slaves of Allah, and stick to His orders, and stop at His limits, and you will prevail, you will win and be happy.. Brothers in Islam! If the way of error is not easy for a Muslim, and it is not easy in today’s world, and if the ways of immorality are not widespread and multifarious, then the faithful Muslim urgently needs to remember that The Creator can always see Him and pursues a revival of fear of Allah. And Muslims can be reminded by the Prophet’s words, “Allah will shade seven in His shade on the day when there will be no shade but His shade…(and one of them was)…a man who is approached by a beautiful woman, and he said, ‘I fear Allah.’” So see, O you who have reached a respectable advanced age, it is the time of the youths and it is filled with sin and wrongdoing, remember the greatness of the affair and the result of a bad end to life and the life after death. The Prophet said, “On the day of Judgement, there are three groups of people whom Allah will not speak to, nor make them flourish, nor will He look at them, and for them is a painful torment: an old man who commits fornication, a king who is a liar, and a poor people who are arrogant” (Muslim).

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