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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas M. who wrote (20345)	9/2/2003 8:00:17 AM
From: lorne	Respond to of 23908

Roadmap Hits Dead End Friday, August 29, 2003 By: Jo-ana D'Balcazar (Jo-ana D'Balcazar, M.A. Political Analyst in International Relations specializing in the Middle East Crisis and the European Union. paktoday.com As predicted in previous articles, this Roadmap was destined to fail since its inception for not addressing the root problem, which is to eradicate all terrorism without negotiations inside the disputed lands of Gaza, Judea, Samaria and the Palestinian Authority. Trying to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict through this roadmap was a totally naïve illusion as demonstrated when Phase I failed to stop violence. While Israel sustains that suicide bombings broke the truce, Palestinian officials argue that the murders were precipitated by Israel's targeted assassinations. The question is, was it a matter of eradicating terrorism or negotiating with terrorists? The policy of homicide bombings does not lead to peaceful progress but to more chaos. The latest suicide attack in Jerusalem clearly demonstrates that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas either has not the will, nor the power to stop terrorism. Thus, Abbas has failed to convince Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to stop targeting Israelis. Yet, the Palestinian Authority blames Israel of trying to kill the Roadmap. Let us see the cause and effect. The inaction of PM Abbas to effectively take direct action in the eradication of terrorism leads or, should we say, forces Israel to take a direct action. As long as Islamic suicide bombings, which target innocent Jewish civilians, continue, Israel is just reacting to that senseless brutality, by targeting known leaders of the terrorist groups. So there is very big difference between the two, one is an action, the other a reaction. If the suicide bombings stop tomorrow, Israel would have no need to retaliate, and peace would be immediate. Does the PA expect Israel to do nothing while terrorists destroy their country? The fact is that PM Abbas neither has shown political power nor can he guarantee ending the violence. For instance, when PM Abbas demanded Hamas to stop its terrorist activities, Hamas simply demanded him to resign! What were the results? Hamas began bombarding the Israeli town of Sderot with Qassam rockets. Yet, every time homicide bombers attack Israel, the world trembles when Israel counterattacks. The international community is fast to condemn Israel reaction and asks to act with restrain but, unfortunately, it fails to condemn the terrorism and demand instead immediate and direct action from the PA. The fact is that violence is not only killing innocent civilians but also the hope of a Palestinian state. Clearly, a rogue state will only endanger Israel's right to exist. An effective measure to curb terrorism, would be for the quartet, especially the European Union, to freeze the assets of so-called charities groups supporting Hamas. Hamas is responsible for many terrorist acts, including last Tuesday's suicide bombing, which killed 20 bus passengers, and injured almost a hundred. The problem is that the EU has not added HAMAS in their blacklist of terrorist organizations because it considers that there is a difference between Hamas military and the political wing. The U.S., for his part, sends a wrong message when it also calls Israel to act with restrain. Israel is doing what the Palestinian Authority should have been doing "eradicating the terrorists' infrastructures." If terrorists started attacks against the U.S., would the U.S. refrain from destroying the terrorists? I do not think so. Then, why ask others to refrain when in reality, Israel - a democratic country - is defending their right to exist? Can Israel afford to remain unprotected and not counterattack while terrorists are killing innocent civilians? Israel does not practice homicide bombings. The PA has not done its share by stopping terrorism but it is also itself a part of terrorism as al-Fatah and the al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade are responsible for many terrorist acts. Instead of the PA going after Hamas leaders and other terrorist groups, Israel is doing their job. Israel's targeted killing is not against innocent civilians, but directed against terrorist leaders responsible for the growing violence. Hence, Israel is pursuing a direct-action approach punishing the responsible for the atrocities. It was ironically that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell remarked to Sharon about two weeks ago that "no Israelis were dying thanks to the agreement." Really? Then who are the ones who have been dying as a consequence of homicide bombings and other terrorist acts? The famous June 29 cease-fire truce agreement to stop temporarily violence, was only a bluff to re-arm. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have never renounced to their creed of destroying Israel. How could the quartet then expected that indeed this truce was going to work? The point is clear. The U.S. must keep a consistent policy to send a strong message. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are both listed as terrorist groups in the U.S. State Department list. Instead of making the PA to take direct actions in the eradication of terrorists, Washington puts the burden on Israel by hinting to stop the policy of targeted killings of terrorist leaders responsible for the murders of innocent Israelis. Hence, instead of accepting false peace negotiations, why not eradicating their infrastructures to stop the killings? What happened to the concept of a "terrorist is a terrorist"? Did violence stop despite Israel dismantling roadblocks to allow more Palestinians to work in Israel and releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners? No. These are the types of mistakes that instead of helping to solve the problems, contribute to increase the problems and complicate the already turbulent Arab-Israeli conflict. Wisely, Israel did not liberate the more of 6,000 prisoners demanded by the false terrorist truce. It would have been one of Israel's biggest political mistakes. The pressure to force the PA to take serious actions to stop violence is critical. Moreover, Egyptian security adviser Osama el-Baz visited the disputed lands of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to pressure Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to eradicate terrorist groups. Allegedly, Egypt adopted this approach suggested by the U.S. Yet, rhetorical demands are not needed, they have no face value. Unless PM Abbas is prepared to take effective action against Palestinian terrorists, including those within the Palestinian Authority, Israel will have no choice but to eradicate them itself. Now, should the U.S. support Israel and eradicate Hizbollah and Islamic Jihad once and for all? Alternatively, should Israel build up the security fence to appease terrorism?

To: Thomas M. who wrote (20345)	9/2/2003 10:14:23 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 23908

Another generation of mass murderers to be unleashed on the world: Spotlight on Indonesia's Islamic schools Some schools are suspected of encouraging pupils to take up a holy war Ahead of Tuesday's verdict in the treason trial of radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the BBC's Rachel Harvey visited one of the country's Muslim boarding schools to discuss militant Islam. Mr Ba'asyir, accused of plotting to overthrow the government in order to establish an Islamic state and of sanctioning a bombing campaign against Christian churches in December 2000, has never been charged in connection with last year's Bali bomb attacks. But his Islamic boarding school in central Java is alleged to have taught many of the suspected perpetrators. Such schools, called pesantren, are now coming under the microscope. Breeding ground claim The highly respected think tank, the International Crisis Group, says a small group of pesantren have been teaching a hardline message of jihad, or holy war, and they have become an easy recruiting ground for the extremist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) which is widely believed to have been behind the Bali bombings. Mr Ba'asyir is suspected of acting as its spiritual leader. We teach our students about the different interpretations of Islam... so that they learn to respect different opinions Sofwan Manaf, headmaster of Darunnajah JI seeks to establish a pan Islamic state, and Indonesia, home to more Muslims than any other country on earth, appears to be central to its plans. The fear is the schools are being used to groom a new generation of radicals. It is hard to tell whether militant Islam is on the rise among young people in Indonesia. Most are preoccupied with finding a job or watching the latest movie release on DVD. But Salahudin Wahid, a vice-chairman of Indonesia's largest moderate Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, said that within some pesantren students are taught that they have an obligation to try to make the dream of an Islamic state come true. "Some of them then come to think the ends justify the means, even violence. But they forget that Islam is a peaceful religion. It is very clearly stated in the Koran that we cannot kill people, not even ourselves," he said. Bad press The headmaster of Darunnajah pesantren in Jakarta, Sofwan Manaf, is frustrated by the negative press that Islamic boarding schools are getting. Around 3,000 students - boys and girls - attend his school, which has a high academic reputation. "Yes we teach the Koran here from an early age, and we teach Islamic law and Arabic," he said, "but we teach our students about the different interpretations of Islam as well, so that they learn to respect different opinions," he said. One of the students at Darunnajah, 17-year-old Umi, had some sympathy with the Bali bombers. "They saw so much bad behaviour in Bali, with girls wearing hardly any clothes and things like that. They wanted to fix it but they chose the wrong way," she said. Sharia law Umi would like Indonesia to adopt Sharia law because she says its strict rules would allow everyone to live in peace. "There would be no more rape or killing," she said. Her friend Restifan agreed. "If we live our lives the correct way we can be an example to others," she added. But outside Darunnajah pesantren, not everyone was prepared to be patient. Indonesia needs more people... who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for their religion Saleh Mahmud Nasution, IDF youth wing One such person was Saleh Mahmud Nasution, a member of the youth wing of the Islamic Defenders Front (IDF), a hardline group which used to send gangs to smash up bars selling alcohol, but more recently encouraged volunteers to go to fight a jihad against American forces in Iraq. Saleh is only 20 years old, but he is already a regular on the preaching circuit, espousing the message of direct action he has learned from his elders. "Even the prophet Mohammed fought in more than 20 wars because he saw that there was no other way," he said. Salahudin Wahid, a moderate Muslim leader, said radical groups may be attractive to young men because they offer a sense of purpose. "First they feel there is great injustice in the world. They see the West dominating developing countries, and many of those developing countries are Muslim. So they get the idea that they are fighting a new kind of imperialism. "It is partly a romantic notion, but some of these extremist groups also offer money and training to young people who see no other future for themselves," he said. Saleh, of the Islamic Defenders Front, certainly believes himself to be on a mission. He is studying Islamic politics at university and wants to dedicate his life to fighting for the introduction of Sharia law in Indonesia. He said he respected people like the convicted Bali bomber, Amrozi. "Indonesia needs more people like Amrozi, people who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for their religion," he said. Saleh said he would not want to carry out a bombing himself, but in all likelihood there are others who would be prepared to cross that line. The challenge facing Indonesia's leaders, political and religious, is to prevent that happening. news.bbc.co.uk

To: Thomas M. who wrote (20345)	9/3/2003 7:53:25 AM
From: lorne	Respond to of 23908

Tommy. Looks like it is time to rewrite or make more changes to the koran..... wonder how many innocent people were murdered over this. Gees, wonder if there are any more mistakes in there reading material. Enjoy tom. Egyptian Ministry of Culture Publication: The Prophet Muhammad's 'Night Journey' was Not to Jerusalem but to Medina September 3, 2003 No.564 memri.org Ahmad Muhammad 'Arafa, a columnist for the Egyptian weekly Al-Qahira, which is published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, wrote an article rejecting the established Islamic belief that the Prophet Muhammad's celebrated "Night Journey" (Koran 17:1) took him from Mecca to Jerusalem. 'Arafa, presenting a new analysis of the Koranic text, asserts that the Night Journey in Surat Al-Isra' (that is, "the Sura of the Night Journey") in the Korandoes not refer to a miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, but to the Prophet's emigration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina. It should be noted that the belief that Muhammad's Night Journey (Koran 17:1) was a miraculous journey to Jerusalem is one of the most important foundations of the sanctity of Jerusalem in Islam. There is an extensive body of Islamic traditions related to this belief, and these are explicitly or implicitly rejected by the author. This article constitutes a dramatic departure from standard Islamic belief. The fact that this article was published in a government journal adds to its political significance. The following is a translation of the article, titled "Was the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to Palestine or Medina?" which was published on August 5, 2003: [1] Where Is Al-Aqsa Mosque? "'Praise be to Him who took His servant by night (Isra') from the Al-Haram [Sacred] Mosque [in Mecca] to the Al-Aqsa [literally 'the most distant'] Mosque, whose environs We did bless, so that We might show him some of Our signs, for He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One' (Surat Al-Isra'[17]:1). "This text tells us that Allah took His Prophet from the Al-Haram Mosque [in Mecca] to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thus, two mosques are [referred to] here, the first of which is the Al-Haram Mosque, and the second of which is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 'Al-Aqsa' is a form of superlative which means 'the most distant.' Therefore, the place to which the Prophet was taken must be a mosque, and not a place where a mosque was to be established later, nor a place where a mosque had once stood. This place must be very far from the Al-Haram Mosque. It need not be [actually] built, as the Al-Haram Mosque [itself] was at that time merely an open space around the Ka'ba [and not a building]. "But in Palestine during that time, there was no mosque at all that could have been the mosque 'most distant' from the Al-Haram Mosque. During that time, there were no people in [Palestine] who believed in Muhammad and would gather to pray in a specific place that served as a mosque. Most of the inhabitants of Palestine were Christians, and there was among them a Jewish minority. Although the Koran refers respectfully to Jewish and Christian houses of worship, it does not call any of them a mosque, rather 'churches and synagogues' (Surat Al-Hajj [22]:40). The construction of the mosque situated today in Jerusalem and known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque began only in the year 66 of the Hijra of the Prophet – that is, during the era of the Omayyad state, not during the time of the Prophet nor that of any of the Righteous Caliphs. So much for the mosque." The Night Journey – The Prophet's Flight From His Enemies "As for the word Isra', if we open the Koran and trace the instances in which it occurs we find the following [five] verses… [2] we find that [the verbal noun] Isra' means 'moving secretly from a place of danger to a safe place.' The meaning of the [Koranic] expression 'He took His servant by night' is that He ordered him to journey in secret from his enemies to a place where he and his mission would be secure. In other words, the text speaks of the Hijra of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, and not of a visit to Palestine. [Indeed], the Hijra of the Prophet [to Medina] was carried out unbeknownst to his enemies. "Let us go back to the beginning of Surat Al-Isra': Allah explains the reason for the Night Journey (Isra') by His words 'so that We might show him some of Our signs.' The exegetes and the transmitters of Hadith usually interpreted this as a reference to [Muhammad's] seeing the prophets and leading them in prayer. Some add [Muhammad's] ascent to heaven, and [his] seeing Paradise and Hell. How do we interpret the signs of Allah in this instance? Which of the interpretations is most acceptable? "We [on the other hand] interpret this [i.e. the signs] as [signifying] the Prophet' s deliverance from his enemies who were cunningly plotting to murder or capture him, and Muhammad's founding of the [Islamic] state in Medina, his triumph at the Battle of Badr, his making the Al-Hudaybiyya Treaty, and then the conquest of Mecca, and the spreading of his call (Da'wa). These were palpable signs placed in the world of mankind, and they all resulted from the Prophet's Night Journey from Mecca to Medina. "In contrast, the signs cited by the exegetes and the transmitters of Hadith are not of this world. They are [to be understood] either as shown to the Prophet metaphorically, or that the Prophet's physical nature underwent a change that permitted him to actually see them [that is, the heavenly sights]. Either way, these would not be signs, because the precondition for a sign being truly a [divine] sign is that it be actually seen, and that the man who sees it is in his real physical form. Furthermore, the fact that the reason for the Night Journey is explained with His words ' so that We might show him some of Our signs ' indicates that the Night Journey was a precondition for seeing these signs – that is, he [Muhammad] would not see any of these signs unless he went to a specific place." The Night Journey Was to Medina , Not Jerusalem "But we say that the triumph of the Prophet's call (Da'wa) was dependent on the journey to Medina, where the Ansar [i.e. the Prophet's supporters in Medina] were. In contrast, the Prophet's journey to Jerusalem is not a precondition for him seeing some or all of the prophets that preceded him, because the miracle of their being resurrected or the Prophet's admission into their [heavenly] abode does not depend on his journey to Jerusalem. Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that all the prophets [who preceded Muhammad] were buried in Jerusalem and took it as a place of worship, it would be more fitting that they would come to him, to Mecca, out of esteem for him and for Mecca, which was about to be the new center of worship of God. "If we move another step forward in the holy text, we findthat it says in what appears to be an explanation of the reason for signs seen by the Prophet: 'He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One.' This means that Allah took His Prophet from the Al-Haram Mosque to the most distant mosque because He heard and saw things which have connection with this event. Can anyone claim that the Prophet asked Allah to show him Palestine, or the site of the Temple of David, or a number of the prophets that had been sent [by Allah] before him, or the celestial world and Paradise and Hell? If anyone claims this, he is fabricating a lie about the Prophet. "We, however, say that Allah [the All-Hearing One] heard the Prophet's supplication to protect him from the cunning plot of his own tribe [the Quraysh], and to provide for his mission a safe haven within the Arab environment. And He [the All-Seeing One] perceived their plot to murder or capture him [the Prophet]. Therefore, the Isra', which is the equivalent of emigrating (Hijra) in secret, took place on the very same day they decided to murder or capture him." The Medina Mosque "One of the traditions about the Hijra of the Prophet relates: 'He then continued on his way to Medina and entered it after 12 nights had passed from the month of Rabi' Al-Awwal. The Ansar [i.e. his supporters in Medina] gathered around him, each of them trying to grab the bridle of his camel and asking him to be his guest. But he [the Prophet] said: Let her [the camel] alone, for she has orders. His camel kept walking through the narrow paths and the alleyways of Medina until she reached a Marbid [a place where dates are put to dry] belonging to two orphan youths of the Banu Al-Najjar [clan], in front of the house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari. Then the Prophet said: 'Here is the stopping place, Allah willing. This place had been used by As'ad Ibn Zurara as a praying place before the Hijra of the Prophet, and he [Ibn Zurara] used to lead his friends in prayer there.' The Prophet then gave an order that this place be built as a mosque, and he bought its land for 10 dinars.' This is an abridgement [of this tradition] from the book Fiqh Al-Sira by Al-Buti. [3] The word 'praying place' [Musalla] occurring in the above text is the equivalent of the word Masjid [mosque]. In other words, this traditional account confirms that the final destination of the Hijra of the Prophet which was carried out secretly was a mosque – that is, a praying place – in Medina. "In conclusion, the Night Journey (Isra') was not to Palestine; rather, it was to Medina. It began at the Al-Haram Mosque [in Mecca] after the Prophet had prayed there with his companion, [4] and both of them had left it, and the journey ended at the mosque of As'ad ibn Zurara, in front of the house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, in Medina, where the Prophet built the mosque known as the Mosque of the Prophet. The details of the journey of the Hijra are the very same details of the Night Journey (Isra'), because the Night Journey is indeed the secret Hijra."