Tide Is Turning Against Israel

By Linda Heard

October 20, 2009 "Arab News" -- Now even the United Nations Human Rights Council is “anti-Semitic.” Well, that’s the view of Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is outraged that the body rubber-stamped the Goldstone Report on war crimes committed in Gaza. Some years ago, that accusation would have had enormous shock-value, whereas, nowadays, the label has been so propagandized the only thing it elicits is a yawn.

Anti-Semitism is a genuine scourge on humankind in the same that racism and bigotry are and should be eradicated, but Israel is in danger of devaluing the term by attaching it to anyone who doesn’t agree with its policies. Moreover, when used loosely as an insult, it doesn’t help Israel’s cause or standing in the world.

On the contrary, terming “anti-Semitic” the 25 member states that voted to back the report’s recommendations, last Friday, will make them even more determined to see Israel before the International Criminal Court. And it is worth remembering that two, Russia and China, hold veto-power in the UN Security Council.

When Israeli officials have to resort to name-calling and evocation of the Holocaust as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently did during an address to the UN General Assembly, it signifies that they are losing the argument.

It seems that Ha’aretz columnist Gideon Levy is of like mind. Netanyahu “cheapened the memory of the Holocaust in his speech to the UN General Assembly…” he wrote. “He did so twice. Once, when he brandished proof of the very existence of the Holocaust, as if it needed any, and again when he compared Hamas to the Nazis.”

According to the Israelis, anti-Semites are lurking everywhere. In 2002, Netanyahu — then Israel’s foreign minister — accused Belgium of “anti-Semitism” and “blood-libel” when the Belgian Supreme Court ruled that members of Israel’s military were open to prosecution for the 1982 Sabra and Shatilla massacres.

Netanyahu called this “an outrageous decision” that “reminds us of ‘Old Europe’ and all its sicknesses,” even though an Israeli commission found then Defense Minister Ariel Sharon indirectly responsible.

In 2004, the Israeli government wrote to the BBC accusing its Middle East correspondent Orla Guerin of “anti-Semitism” and “total identification with the goals and methods of Palestinian terror groups” following a boycott of the BBC for broadcasting a documentary on Israel’s weapons of mass destruction. That same year, Israel handed British news outlets dossiers it had compiled on the anti-Semitic leanings of various reporters.

More recently, Sweden was accused of “blood-libel” for refusing to condemn a newspaper story concerning the theft of Palestinian organs by Israeli soldiers. Up popped Yuval Steinitz again to announce that “the Swedish government cannot keep silent any longer. In the Middle Ages, slander was spread accusing Jews of preparing Passover matza (unleavened loaves) with the blood of Christian children.”

Last September, Israel’s ambassador to Spain Raphael Schutz urged the Spanish government to control “anti-Semitic attacks” from Spanish leftists and intellectuals. Anti-Semitism in Spain has reached intolerable levels and was “rampant” among the general public, he said, but was ‘kind’ enough to add ‘the Spanish government is not always anti-Semitic.”

Even US presidents haven’t escaped Israel’s regular “anti-Semitic” lashings. In June this year, head of Israel’s National Union Party Yaakov Katz blasted “the Obama-Clinton ‘no natural growth policy’ for 650,000 Jews in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem,” as “nothing less than anti-Semitism.”

Israel’s Science and Technology Minister Daniel Herschkowitz also rejects President Obama’s settlement freeze, and characterizes his decision to grant the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former UN Rights Commissioner and President of Ireland Mary Robinson as “borderline anti-Semitic”; a ridiculous view that was heartily echoed by AIPAC.

Earlier, former US President Jimmy Carter was branded with the “anti-Semitic” slur for his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” Ironic, when, arguably he did more than any US leader to broker regional peace.

It’s time that the international community got together to tell Israel to quit such undeserved attacks on its leaders and institutions. The Israeli government and press need to be told “that dog will no longer hunt.”

If Israel wants its arguments to be heard it needs to make them without such knee-jerk abuse, based on the long-time illusion of Israel’s victim status. The fact is that Israel is far from being a victim today.

Unconditionally protected by the superpower, it is the only state on earth that is allowed to get away with a policy of so-called nuclear ambiguity and given a free pass to snub international court rulings, UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the Geneva Conventions without fear of repercussions.

Poor little Israel surrounded by hostile Arab nations that do not want peace no longer exists. Every Arab country — along with all-important Palestinian factions — is more than ready to take a place at the negotiating table. It is Israel that is reluctant to trade land for peace and normalization of relations with its neighbors, and now threatens the Palestinian National Authority with an end to the peace process due to its support of the Goldstone Report and UNHRC vote. What peace process? Exactly!

Instead of flaying around with accusations, insults and threats, Israel would be far better served answering the report’s allegations. Did its military use Palestinian civilians as human shields? Were Palestinian infrastructure, factories and homes wantonly destroyed? Were weapons such as white phosphorous or DIME bombs used illegally in heavily populated areas? Were UN facilities and ambulances wrongly targeted under the pretext they harbored militants?

These and more are the questions that need answering, not because the world illogically detests the Jewish state but because it is a militarily powerful occupier and aggressor that is holding 4.5 million Palestinians hostage.

The resolution, which is now set to be debated in the UN Security Council, merely calls upon Israel and Hamas to conduct open and credible investigations into the report’s allegations within six months, else be referred to the International Criminal Court. It applies to both sides. But, whereas, Israel vehemently rejects it, both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas welcome it.

In reality, the resolution will not be passed by the UN Security Council because Washington will use its veto, but it does shine a spotlight on Israel’s crimes. When former Israeli prime minister gave a speech at the University of Chicago, last Thursday, he was interrupted by calls of “war criminal.”

At the same time, six Norwegian lawyers are petitioning the chief prosecutor to extradite and arrest Ehud Olmert, former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and seven senior IDF officers for war crimes. Are those lawyers anti-Semitic or simply human beings with hearts and a moral conscience sick of seeing images of dead Palestinian babies on their screens? You decide.

Linda Heard - sierra12th@yahoo.co.uk

Taken from http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23763.htm

The Flame in the Darkness

Surrounded by the dark I was, so unaware that I perceived there was light
But then, far away, a flame was ignited
And suddenly I realized the deep tunnel I was lost within.

I can see the flickers and so I walk toward that light
Sometimes it feels so faint that I feel like giving into the dark
But the thought vanishes when the flame flares so far away

So, I continue onward, with faith I shall reach the end of the tunnel
Where I will no longer need a flame to light my way
As there will be no darkness; only light will remain.

Taken from http://www.al-inaam.com/library/flame_tunnel.htm

Description in the Qur'an of Paradise

Our final destination is the life of the Hereafter. Where we end up, Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell-fire) depends on what we worked towards in this life. Paradise is the aim and the hope of every Muslim. But like trying to attain any goal, in order to achieve success, one must have a well-defined plan, and it must be implemented to be successful. Allah says, "O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful." [5:35] To prepare for our journey, we need to find out what our destination is like; who are its people, and most importantly, how to get there.

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, told us that within Paradise are things that no eyes have ever seen, nor ears have ever heard, and that things in it are beyond our imagination and comprehension, but we all have our own personal ideas of what eternal bliss would probably be like. I remember a few years ago, I overheard my niece and my nephew discussing the landscape, and the privileges of living in Jannah. My nephew was telling my niece that in Jannah, they would be able to eat all the candy that they wanted and that there would be streams of chocolate and trees of ice cream. I always tell people, that Paradise for me, would be being able to eat all the cheesecake and chocolate that I wanted, without gaining a pound. But what Allah has in store for the believers is so much more than this. He, in His Book, and through His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, has given us a clear picture of our goal, so that we can keep it in front of us at all times. By keeping our eyes on the prize, no matter our hardships in this worldly life, we can strive that much harder to attain it.

Allah says, "And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surely be accepted." [17:19] Allah has also described Paradise in many places in the Qur'an, so let us now take a look at what He has in store for the believers.

Description in the Qur'an of Paradise

“The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon have been promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are never changed. Rivers of milk the taste of which will remain unchanged. Rivers of wine that will be delicious to those who drink from it and rivers of clear, pure honey. For them will be every kind of fruit and forgiveness form their Lord." [47:15]

"And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountain called Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that can not be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink." [76:12-21]

"And those foremost (In Tawheed and obedience to Allah and His Messenger in this life) will be foremost (in Paradise). They will be those nearest to Allah in the Gardens of Delight. A multitude of those (the foremost) will be from the first generation (who embraced Islam) and a few of those (the foremost) will be from the later (generations). They will be reclining, face to face, on thrones woven with gold and precious stones. They will be served by immortal boys, with cups and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine, from which they will have neither any headache, nor any intoxication. They will have fruit from which they may choose, and the flesh of fowls that they desire. There will be Houris with wide, lovely eyes (as wives for the pious), like preserved pearls, a reward for deeds that they used to do. They will hear no vain or sinful speech (like backbiting, etc.) but only the saying of: Salam, Salam, (greetings of peace). And those on the Right Hand, who will be those on the Right Hand? They will be among thorn-less lote-trees among Talh (banana trees) with fruits piled one above another, in long-extended shade, by constantly flowing water, and fruit in plenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cut off. They will be on couches or thrones raised high. Verily, We have created for them (maidens) of equal age, loving (their husbands only). For those on the Right Hand." [56:10-38]

"Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all that they will ask for. (It will be said to them): "Salamun" (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful." [36:55-58]

Can you imagine? Wearing the finest silk clothing and sitting on chairs made of gold and precious stones? Those who disbelieve in the words of Allah, say that this is all a fairy-tale, made up by a would-be prophet. But we know, that Allah is the Truthful and that His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, spoke only what was revealed to from the Most Truthful. And even though Allah describes Paradise for us in the Qur'an, He still says, "So no soul knows the delights of the eyes which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did." [32:17]

Apart from the Qur'anic descriptions of Paradise, the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, would often describe Paradise to his companions. His descriptions were oftentimes so vivid and moving, that many-a-companion would hurriedly rush towards it. This was the case, as Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, and his companions proceeded towards Badr and arrived there before the disbelievers (of Makkah). When the disbelievers arrived, the Messenger of Allah said, "None of you should step forward ahead of me to do anything." Then the disbelievers advanced (towards us), and the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said, "Rise to enter Paradise whose width is equal to the Heavens and the Earth." Umayr Ibnul Humam al-Ansari asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is Paradise equal in width to the heavens and the earth?" He, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said, "Yes." Umayr said, "Bak'hin! Bak'hin!" (An Arabic word denoting excitement and astonishment) The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, asked him, "What made you say these words: Bak'hin, Bak'hin?" He said, "Messenger of Allah, nothing but the desire to be amongst its residents." He, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said, "You are surely among its residents." He then took some dates form his bag and began to eat them. Then he said, "If I were to live until I had eaten all of the dates, indeed this life would be too long." Anas then said, "He threw away the remaining dates he had with him. He then fought (the disbelievers) until he was killed." (Muslim)

What words could have inspired Umair and others like him to long for, and to pay the ultimate price for a place in Paradise?

Taken from http://www.al-inaam.com/library/paradise1.htm

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Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge facing the Ummah today in the face of secularism is inferiority complex.

That is due to us being ignorant of our beautiful Deen which is complete, comprehensive, perfect and absolute.

Remember, a nation educated about it's values is a proud nation. Become an Aalim of Deen to address the challenge of the time.

Allah is the sole provider and sustainer, not secularism.

Terminate the Haj Subsidy

Who exactly pay the Haj subsidy to Air India? Is it the Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Civil Aviation? What is the exact amount? Does it change annually? These are matters of detail, but irrelevant to the the principle that State should not subsidise religious pilgrimage of any kind to any place irrespective of religion.

A senior Muslim leader like Syed Shahabuddin and the young Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi, have both exxpressed the will of the community to terminate the subsidy.

The impediment to Haj subsidy abolition lies squarely with Air India, a state corporation. The Government of India, throught the Central Haj Committee, should invite biddings from various airlines in India for Haj group travel and designate the lowest bidder as the official carrier of the Haj passengers.

Professors should be hungrier for knowledge

The Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal in a recent statement has interestingly said that the professors should be hungrier for knowledge instead of resorting for fatter pay packets.

Cultivation of knowledge has become more a matter of "advancement of earning" instead of "advancement of learning".

Keep the Goal in Focus

If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end.

Today Only

The life of this world is made up of three days: yesterday has gone with all that was done; tomorrow, you may never reach; but today is for you so do what you should do today.  (Hasan al-Basri Radhi-Allahu anhu)

The Benefits of Smiling

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “To smile in the company
of your brother is charity. " (Bukhari)

It seems that nothing has more power to elevate a mood than the impact of a genuine
smile. The benefits of a smile extend not only to the recipient of the warm gesture
but also to the smile's originator. “A smile is a little curve that sets a lot of
things straight.” Here are some of the many .....

Benefits of Smiling!

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive- People are spending millions on cosmetic products
and procedures to make them look better.If you want to look better, try adding a
genuine smile. Its cheaper and mush more attractive.The muscles we use to smile lift
the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling
your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood-Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile.
There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the
body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious-When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change
the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with
them.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress-Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to
prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed,
take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able
to take action.Smiling helps to promote release of a “feel good” group of
hormones called endorphins. These are the same group of hormones responsible for the
runners high you hear so much about. If you don't have time to get to the gym for a
hard run, try adding a smile to boost these natural, stress relieving hormones.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System-Smiling helps the immune system to work better.
When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed.
Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure-When you smile, there is a measurable
reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor
at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take
another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling is medication-Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins,
natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling
is a natural drug and leads to a healthier immune system.Various studies conducted
over the years have shown that smiling can boost the functioning of the immune
system. This may help to reduce your risk of developing everything from the common
cold to chronic diseases such as
cancer. Could there be a less expensive medicine than this?

8. A smile inspires others-When you smile you also send a positive message that can
potentially change someone else's mood for the better. The person you graced with
your smile may go on to pass the kindness to someone else. Who knows how far your
original smile will travel?

9. Smiling promotes Success -Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely
to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and
appointments and people will react to you differently.When you smile, you appear
confident and capable. Given the choice between two equally qualified job
candidates, the smiling candidate is going to be perceived as being more of a team
player and easier to work with. Who do you think is more likely to get the job
offer?

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive-Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of
something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is
sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression,
stress and worry by smiling.
Smile..!!!...It does not cost a cent and can make a persons day!
“It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown”.

The greatest reason for smiling is because it is a sunnah [practice] of our Beloved
Messenger of Allah [peace be upon him]!!!. The Messenger of Allah[pbuh] had a
smiling face and advised us to entertain our guest with a smiling face and good
conduct. To smile is an act of charity.

http://ciinetwork.net/broadcasting/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=764&Itemid=93

'If you have a problem, the Taliban solves it. In the government offices there is only corruption and bribery'

AFGHANISTAN:

Losing the battle for Afghan hearts and minds. By Julius Cavendish in Kabul

THEY FLED in the dead of night, taking what belongings they could, and telling no-one twhey were leaving for fear of ambush. Dr Ehssabullah Hakimi, a young man with an aquiline nose, thin beard and gentle manner, locked up the house of his ancestors and led 22 members of his family to Kabul. He had been receiving death threats from the Taliban for practising medicine at a local clinic. "Because I had a good job, they thought I was a spy," he said.
Hakimi and his family did not quit the badlands of the south, though, nor the hostile reaches of eastern Afghanistan. They came from Wardak province, less than an hour's drive from the capital.
But just 30 miles from Kabul, it is Taliban country. Over the past year, the militants have established a stronghold in Wardak, which borders the capital to the south and west. Nine months ago, one of the province's two hospitals, a German-run clinic, shut down after staff there also received death threats.
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The UN evacuated its humanitarian staff from all but one of Wardak's eight districts in September, citing security concerns. Roshanak Wardak, a member of parliament for the province, has said there are areas she is "100% sure no government worker can go to".
Not without reason. The head of the attorney-general's office in one Wardak district was kidnapped and killed by the Taliban three months ago. Days later, Afghan army, police and coalition forces said they had killed or wounded around 60 insurgents in a two-day battle that raged close to the Afghan capital. The number of attacks by Taliban-linked militants in Wardak has increased by 58% since 2007, according to security analyst Sami Kovanen in Kabul.
As it reasserts control over large swathes of countryside, the Taliban has been installing a shadow government to answer civilian needs. In the absence of effective local governance, the militants have been arresting criminals, providing courts, dispensing justice, running prisons and organising public executions - all within an hour's drive of Kabul.
Hakimi's fears were borne out just weeks after his family's escape, when his cousin Naim was hanged by the Taliban for joining the Afghan National Army (ANA). His body swung from a tree for two days with a sign on his chest warning that whoever cut him down would suffer the same fate.
"My cousin was hanging three kilometres from the police district building," said Hakimi. "But they were not able to retrieve his body." Eventually, aid workers from the Afghan Red Crescent Society defied the ban and brought the body in.
A series of interviews with people from Wardak told a similar story.
"The police control their own buildings and maybe the 10 metres surrounding them," said 40-year-old Habibullah Noori, who runs a minibus service between Wardak and Kabul. "There may be police checkpoints but there are also lots of Taliban checkpoints."
News agency AP reported several days ago that checkpoint police in Wardak sometimes wear traditional robes so they can pass themselves off as civilians at the first sign of trouble. And whereas the government often turns a blind eye to crime - one interviewee said that "the other name for police is robbers" - the Taliban not only fails to tolerate it, but offers swift justice. Hakimi explained that the Taliban likes open and shut cases so its members can concentrate on fighting. "Every village has a Taliban representative and if anything happens, people go to him to say, We have this problem '. He doesn't want to spend much time on it - so decisions are quick." They can take a little as 24 hours.
But Noori, the minibus driver, said the Taliban's system is better than the government's. "If you have a problem the Taliban solves it," he said. "In the government offices there is only corruption and bribery.
"Last year, the Taliban did not have 80, 90 or 100% control," he added. "It was a mess. There were robbers, killers, everything. Now, you could walk around with 10kg of gold on your head and no-one would touch you. You can walk around at night without fear."
As an example of the rough justice meted out, he cited a robbery in late summer when eight trucks of wheat disappeared. The Taliban investigated, found the trucks and returned them to their owners. Militants shot the leader of the robbers in the head, and let the others go with severe beatings and after extracting promises that there would be no repeat offence. Other Taliban punishments include parading criminals with their faces daubed black or amputating the hands of robbers. But cases aren't limited to theft and murder. Far more frequently, aggrieved parties will seek arbitration of a property dispute - the most common cause of friction between Afghans, according to interviewees.
The procedure, should you have trouble of some sort, is to go to the nearest mosque and find the local Taliban representative. "He will say, Come back tomorrow at 10 o'clock and we will have the man who has done something' - and he will be there," Noori told me. "If the problem is small, a mullah will solve it. If it's bigger, it will be a judge trained more extensively in Sharia law."
Meanwhile, an uneasy detente is said to exist between the Taliban in Wardak and the local police, with both sides realising that full-scale confrontation is to neither's advantage.
"If they create problems for us, we can create problems for them," said 22-year-old Taliban foot soldier Spin Ghel. The failure of the police to drive 3km to retrieve Naim's hanging corpse would appear to bear out his point. But Ghel, who wore a leather jacket over his salwar kameez and seemed to have joined the Taliban more out of boredom or frustration than for any ideological reason, claimed the relationship went deeper than that.
"They exchanged powerful commanders for that Italian journalist who was kidnapped," he said, referring to the abduction in 2007 of Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who was released in exchange for Taliban prisoners. Whatever the extent of the alleged collusion, with a salary of just $65 a month it is hard to see why any police trooper would risk his life to take on the Taliban's protection racket.
A key part of the Taliban's success in Wardak is its network of informants. Gulbuddin, another young Taliban fighter, said there were around 70 spies in Kabul on the Taliban's payroll, providing information about convoy movements, individuals visiting the province, and their families. At roadblocks, which can vary from a handful of militants waving down traffic to as many as 40, the insurgents have the registration numbers of approaching vehicles and descriptions of the passengers they carry.
"When my cousin was arrested, making a visit home, there were 40 men who came to get him," said Hakimi. "All private taxis to Wardak leave from one specific location. That's why it's simple for them to know who is coming. They monitor everyone coming and going. If you're wearing beautiful, nice, expensive clothing they are suspicious. They think you must be working for the government or UN. If you're wearing dirty clothes, have a beard, long hair, turban, they think that's fine."
How far the Taliban's services reach is unclear, but they are far from comprehensive. "The Taliban are very poor," said Noori. "They can't afford to provide healthcare - most of the time they are asking people to feed them." Although in some places the Taliban is reported to extort a 10% tax from Afghans at the barrel of a gun, shadow governance of this sort has yet to reach.
--http://www.sundayherald.com/international/shinternational/display.var.2479045.0.if_you_have_a_problem_the_taliban_solves_it_in_the_government_offices_there_is_only_corruption_and_bribery.php