Injustice Cannot Defeat Injustice

"Can Muslims Be Good Americans?" - An exchange.

My friend sent me this email conversation and i just had to post it here (names withheld). Read till the end to see one Palestinian-American man's response to the points on why Muslims "cannot" be good Americans.

First, the following message was sent by Ms. "A" to a number of others, including Mr "B."

CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?       

This is certainly 'food-for-thought'.

This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish.  And send it on to everyone.  Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities. 

Can a good Muslim be a good American?

This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.

The following is his reply:

Theologically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia .

Religiously - no.. . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam .  (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)

Scripturally - no. . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Geographically - no . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Socially - no. . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews .

Politically - no.. . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan.

Domestically - no. .. . Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 ).

Intellectually - no. . Because he cannot accept the American

Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

Philosophically - no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

Spiritually - no.. . . Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 excellent names.

Therefore, after much study and deliberation.... Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and good Americans.  Call it what you wish it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future.

The religious war is bigger than we know or understand. ....

Footnote: The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within.   SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

THE MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.

Please don't delete this until you send it on.

Mr "B's" response:

i went to an Anaheim Angel baseball game the other night and while I was waiting in line to go through security (no, not the ticket turnsile) I got to thinking about how we had got to this point.  I remember going to baseball games years ago and never would have thought we would have lines to stand in to go through security.  I also just got back from a trip where I stood in long lines to go through airline security where I had to almost undress.  Do you remember when flying was a real “treat” and was something you looked forward to and it was a real enjoyment.  But, now it

is just one big hassle….ask anyone if they enjoy flying today.  

Well, the reason we now all have to do is because of one thing….MUSLIMS…. no one other group, religion, country, nationality has done this to us…only the MUSLIMS…..they have created the terror that we concern ourselves with…and not only here, but all over the world.  Ask yourself….who else do you fear?  And we are to become even more tolerant of their religious rights and  want us to become sharia compliant, which means they have their laws and we have ours????  Unbelieveable……..AND THEN …..the final blow, to build a mosque right where THEY attacked us?  (build it, but not their which is their way of showing the world what they accomplished.

I hear people say that is not fair to the people who died there and I agree, but I go further…it is not fair to all of us that now have to go through

all the crap that we now go through to be concerned about another MUSLIM ATTACK on us.   And what makes it even more of a mockery, is that they check us Americans closer than they do the MUSLIMS as not to hurt their feelings and to be POLITICAL CORRECT……like we are going to attack ourselves…give me a break….BE TOLERANT????....WE ARE….AND IT HAS GONE TO FAR…..these people are not TOLERANT of our way of life which was here long before they came here…..EVERY HEAR ONE MUSLIM SAY HE WAS SORRY FOR WHAT HIS RELIGION HAS DONE TO US?   I HAVEN’T


BELOW IS SOMETHING YOU MUST READ ABOUT MUSLIMS


[Mr "C" attached the original message from Ms "A" and forwarded it on]

Mr "C's" response to Mr "B."

Hey [Mr "B!"]

Nice to hear from you again!

I want to start out by saying im sorry you had to stand in line at the Angels game, i totally understand, it's like a bad traffic jam on friday night. And yea, no one is going to deny that flying can get annoying these days. To blame this on one sixth of the world population...now that's where I'm a bit lost. I mean come on, Timothy Mcvae, the guy who tried to blow up the IRS building last year because he was fed up with the economy, and hard core christian fanatics who have murdered doctors who work at abortion clinics create "terror" too. To blame a whole group of people on the acts of a few evil individuals is totally not fair, and it is not the "religion" which has done "this to us. Ever think that American Muslims also have to deal with the fact that their entire religion is labelled as violent because of what a few idiots did? I must say that i'm glad you sent this my way; sometimes it really helps to talk to someone who is actually Muslim about these issues :) If you take the time to read the quran and study islam you will find that in the quran it says in 5:32 that if someone murders one person it's as if he murdered all of mankind and if somone saves someone it's as if he saved all mankind. The Quran considers human life to be sacred and preaches tolerance and love of others. On a side note, if you'd like one i can get you an english copy of the quran and some more info on islam if you'd like. Or you can check out www.whyislam.org for more info. As for muslims and muslim leaders speaking out against this kind of stuff, check out the video below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IofpsHOosE

Below i have typed out a response to the email you forwarded me. Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

[CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?]

Theologically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia .

Last time i checked the constitution states very clearly

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Our country is founded on the fact that you don't have to follow a specific belief to be a good American citizen. Also as a side note, Allah is simply the Arabic term for "God" and is also used by Arab Christians; Muslims don't believe in a moon god and believe in the same god as the Jews and the Christians.

Religiously - no.. . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam . (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)

Religiously, just like members of Christianity and Judaism, Muslims consider Islam to be the correct religion. However it also states very clearly in the quran: "Let there be no compulsion in religion..." 2:256. Religion is a personal choice.

Scripturally - no. . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Since there is no "american" scripture that "american" citizens are supposed to follow, this doesn't make much sense. American Jews follow the Torah and American Hindus follow the Vedas. There is no difference when you say that American Muslims follow the Quran. Moreover, the five pillars are simply personal spiritual duties which inclue prayer, charity, fasting, the declaration of faith, and pilgirmage; if we look closely we find that all religions have such duties and these duties don't clash with being a law-abiding, contributing american citizen.

Geographically - no . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Mecca is considered a holy location to muslims just like jerusalem is considered holy to both christians and jews. Muslims face in that direction to pray so that all muslims will be united when they pray (meaning that a chinese muslim and a danish muslim will both be praying towards the same direction when they pray). If you ask any American Muslim where their home is and what their nationality, they will tell you i'm american just like you.

Socially - no. . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews .

This is false. I am Muslim and i have a lot of non-muslim friends, and even non-Muslim family members. Moreover the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself historically made alliances with the Jews of madina and was close friends with the christian king of abyssinia. Check up your history! :)

Politically - no.. . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan.

Currently i would say that there are no "islamic" countries which actually rule according to the true teachings of Islam. Moreover it is stated very clearly in the quran in 4:135 that muslims must stand up for justice and against injustice no matter who the one who is doing the injustice is. So actually it would be against Islam to "submit" to anyone who teaches the annhialation of innocent civilians.

Domestically - no. .. . Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 )

Muslim men are not instructed to marry four women. Moreover, it says in the quran in 4:19, a few verses earlier addressing Muslim men "...live with them on a footing of kindness and equity..." In another verse of the Quran it states: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity between your hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect"(Rum:26)

Intellectually - no. . Because he cannot accept the American

Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

Although the Muslim believes that the bible has been changed over time and that there are clear theological issues with the accuracy of the bible, it is considered to have originally been a respected revelation of God to mankind through prophet jesus peace be upon him. Moreover, as a Muslim who knows the quran and the constitution well, i can confidently say that the honorable principles of the consitution also mirror the principles of the Quran.

Philosophically - no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

Again, refer to verse 2:256 "let there be no compulsion in religion". Moreover it is historically a well known fact that the golden age of spain was actually when it was under Muslim rule because Muslim rulers were so tolerant of non-Muslims, particularly the jews. It was only with the reconquista of spain that the jews were expelled under the catholic rulers king ferdinand and queen isabella. Check it out! Really cool history btw!

Spiritually - no.. . . Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 excellent names.

Here are some of the 99 names of Allah:

Al-Rahman: the most compassionate

Al Raheem: the most merciful

Al Salam: the bestower of peace

Al Ghaffar: the forgiver

Al Lateef: the gentle

Al Shakur: the appreciative

Al Kareem: the generous

Al Wadud: the loving One

you're probably thinking...huh? but yea...i can go on and on :)

Sincerely, [Mr "C"] :)

Florida Church Plans To Burn Qur'ans on 9/11.

Oh yeah, cuz that's REAL productive!  This kind of action shows that these people are not interested in peace or humanity.  This is an act of bigotry and hatred!  (Islamophobia isn't their only vice, this church is also fond of vigorously fighting against LGBT equality as well.)  Outside the Dove World Outreach Center is a permanent sign reading, "Islam is of the Devil," which is also the name of a book writen by Dr Terry Jones, the church's leader.  They have even created a Facebook page entitled, "International Burn A Koran Day."


If you think this is an isolated incident, you're wrong.  Islamophobia has quite obviously been on the rise since 9/11.  From profiling at transportation hubs to bombing of mosques, blind hate in this country is rampant.  Currently, people in New York City, whom claim to be patriots and support the constitution, have no problem denying the First Amendment's religious freedoms to Muslims who wish to build a mosque and community center in the vicinity of the World Trade Center site. 


The fact that the USA is currently at war or hostile towards several Islamic nations, means that on varying levels the US imperialist war machine must demonize the people of said nations in order to keep up support for the war or aggression.  This is done, for example, to our soldiers by lying and brainwashing and to civilians by withholding of facts and manipulation of the media.  Let some dimwitted, closed-minded idiots get the slightest hint that a people are undesirable and they can rally other like-minded idiots to create groups and movements and the phobia and hatred spreads like wild fire.  This can happen because, unfortunately, the gift of oratory is not limited to sane, educated, open-minded people.  Care is not taken to distinguish between good and bad elements of the Islamic nation's society and the people as a whole suffer our manufactured American hatred.  Islam, then, also becomes victim.


This behavior, of course, is not limited to Americans; It is a human characteristic to hate.  The quickest way to elicit suspicion and fear between people is to point out differences.  It is a sad trait we all share.  From Switzerland's banning of minarets to hate-filled ramblings of Dutch politician Geert Wilders to France's banning of the burqa, Islamophobia is alive and well in Europe too.


-My response to the post at The Independent: Florida church planning to burn Qurans on 9/11

and HERE is another article on the subject from Al Arabiya News.

The Charade of Relaxing the Gaza Blockade (Uruknet - ITA)

The following article is reposted from Uruknet, an excellent source on news from the Middle East. See original article here.


The Charade of Relaxing the Gaza Blockade
Prabir Purkayastha


July 11, 2010

The Israeli regime has now agreed to lift partially the blockade of Gaza: potato chips, mattresses, washing machines, honey – all of which were banned earlier can now enter Gaza. Predictably, the US and EU Governments have welcomed this Israeli step, without questioning the military significance of the earlier banning potato chips. Nor have these leaders of the "civilized world", continuously teaching the virtues of human rights and democracy to their more "backward brethren" in the global south, questioned what is the military significance of banning Gaza exports and preventing exit of students to study in the West Bank? How do Gaza’s exports affect Israel’s security? How do preventing Gaza students from studying in the West Bank increase its security?

The story of Gaza’s blockade has never been about Israel’s security. The tunnels that exist on the Egyptian side can supply any of the items that Israel could consider a security risk. The issue has always been of punishing the people of Gaza for voting in the Hamas. The war against Gaza, punitive bombing, cutting off food and daily necessities, all of this is collective punishment – clear and simple. That it is illegal under international law counts for little. As long as the US backs Israel and the European Union play along, Israel can act with impunity. In any case, its military clout in the region is unrivalled and therefore it faces a threat to its security only in its imagination. With the altered balance of forces at the global level, Israel feels that its long-term project of squeezing the Palestinians out of their homeland has no impediment on the ground. This is the Project Greater Israel, which will create one state of Israel including the West Bank, disenfranchising the Palestinians and pushing them into small Bantustans. In this scheme, Gaza is to be beaten into submission, with its economy completely destroyed and surviving only on the mercy of the master race dominating this Greater Israel.

Not surprisingly, periodically Israeli military and other commentators speak approvingly of learning from the Nazis. The latest is retired Israeli Judge Hadassa Ben-Itto saying recently, "We must learn from the Nazi tactics," during a conference discussing ways to improve the State of Israel's PR efforts in the world (see Omar Barghouti’s accompanying article)

The list of the goods that can now enter Gaza has been purged of its obvious punitive nature. What threat did potato chips or mattresses ever pose to Israel? How could dry fruits be considered? These do not now find place in the banned list. But the bigger lie in Israel’s current campaign on "relaxing" embargo is what Israel will not allow. It will not allow any exports out of Gaza making sure no industry can survive in Gaza. For any meaningful economic activity, a number of items are required to be imported. All of these are listed as "dual use" – any steel items, lathe machines, machine parts, chemicals, etc. -- the list is vague and can cover any item required for a manufacturing base. This is the trick that Israel is now using – allowing finished goods that were banned earlier and obviously not related to Israel’s security.

Apart from banning the so-called dual use items, Israel has also banned all building materials. These can be imported into Gaza only if they are for international agencies’ own construction or if permitted by Palestinian Authority. As Palestinian Authority – the one which was not elected but claims to be the official one curtsy western powers and Israel (President Mahmud Abbas’s term as President is also now over and in any case Hamas one the Parliamentary elections and Salim Fayyad is Prime Minsiter under a "constitutional" coup) does not exist in Gaza, it means that no one barring international agencies can import any building materials. None of the 8,000 houses destroyed in the one-sided war that launched on the Gaza Strip can be repaired as no steel or cement can be imported. If allowed, the devious Gazans would immediately convert the steel into giant slingshots and the cement to balls of concrete, firing them from these slingshots. No wonder Israel’s security is always in danger! In any case, the world has seen how dangerous slingshots can be in the fake videos that IDF put out after the Mavi Marmara attack.

The other sad part of Israel’s blockade of Gaza is that it will not allow any student from Gaza to leave to study anywhere including West Bank. In a Supreme Court hearing, on behalf of a student in Gaza wanting to continue her studies in the West Bank, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that even under its "new" Gaza policy, there would be no relaxation of the policy preventing travel of persons into and out of Gaza in all but exceptional humanitarian cases.

Since 2000, Israel has imposed a sweeping ban on the exit of Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip. A Supreme Court ruling in 2007 asked the Israeli State to consider allowing access for students from Gaza wishing to study in the West Bank. However, Israel has not granted a single student from Gaza permission to travel to the West Bank. Loud and clear – this was collective punishment and continues to be so.

Recently, Israel has also passed laws by which it can send back to Gaza any one originally from there but currently living in the West Bank. The Palestinians from the West Bank and from Gaza cannot marry and live together as husband and wife. The same rule applies to Israel’s Palestinian-Arab citizens and West Bank Palestinians. They also cannot marry and live together – neither in West Bank nor in Israel. And the Israeli judiciary has accepted this as not violating any human rights; something that even the South African Judiciary did not do, otherwise of the Apartheid regime.

Step by step, Israel is being exposed as what it is. A state in which citizens and the state wear the clothes of victimhood to cover their deeply racist society; a state that believes only in the law of the gun; a state where imposing hunger on the Gaza population is to be seen as "putting Palestinians on a diet." The problem with this paranoid view of the world is that it cannot last forever. It may last as long as it can coerce the west on its past record of anti-Semitism. As the west fades in power, Israel will be perceived even more clearly as a rogue state. The problem is that while its racist edifice gets exposed and crumbles, the Palestinians will still have to pay a very heavy price. As will the rest of the world with rising Islamophobia in the west aiding and abetting Talbinised Islamic fundamentalism.





:: Article nr. 67850 sent on 12-jul-2010 17:07 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=67850

Link: newsclick.in/international/charade-relaxing-gaza-blockade

:: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website.

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Ground zero mosque touches off right-wing panic

The community board in lower Manhattan has endorsed, by a 29-to-1 vote, a plan to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center about two blocks from the former site of the World Trade Center. Predictably, outrage has erupted. If you type "mosque" into Google, the first suggestion is "mosque at ground zero," which gives a sense of how quickly this has moved into the popular consciousness.


Mark Williams, a Tea Party leader and Fox News commentator, wrote on his blog, "The monument would consist of a Mosque for the worship of the terrorists' monkey-god." He added, "In the meantime I have a wonderful idea along the same lines as that mosque at Ground Zero thing… a nice, shiny new U.S. Military Base on the smoldering ruins of Mecca. Works for me!"


Read the full article from Salon: Ground zero mosque touches off right-wing panic

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