ARE WE TRUE MUSLIMS?

ARE WE TRUE MUSLIMS?


Brothers in Islam! Who are true Muslims? Let Us see what Allaah Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, have to say about their lives and hearts:

Allaah Almighty Says (what means): {Say: My prayers and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are for Allaah Alone, the Lord of all the worlds. No partner has He. Thus I have been commanded, and I am foremost among those who surrender [themselves unto Him]} [Quran 6: 163–4].

The same theme is elucidated by the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam: “One who loves for the sake of Allaah Alone and hates for the sake of Allaah Alone; and whatever he gives, gives for the sake of Allaah Alone, and whatever he withholds, withholds for the sake of Allaah Alone –indeed, he perfects his Imaan (faith).” [Abu Daawood]

The Quran makes clear what Allaah Almighty demands of you. You should devote yourselves wholly to the service of Allaah Almighty, you should live for Him Alone, you should die for Him Alone. You, and the world around you, entirely belong to Allaah Almighty; let nobody have a share in what belongs to Allaah The Most High. That is to say, you should not serve anyone but Him, nor live or die for anyone but Him, Almighty.

The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, explains what the Quran has said. To be a true believer, your love and enmity for everything, all your affections, all relations and transactions in your lives, should have only one purpose: to seek Allaah's Pleasure. Without this your faith itself will not be complete; the possibility of rising higher in the sight of Allaah Almighty does not arise. The greater the deficiency in this respect, the more defective the faith.

Some people think that these qualities are required only to reach higher spiritual stations and are not essential to Imaan (faith) and Islam. In other words, even without these qualities a person can be a good believer and a Muslim. This mistaken notion has arisen because people in general do not differentiate between legal Islam and true Islam which alone is truly authentic in the sight of Allaah Almighty.

Two Types of Islam

Legal Islam

Under legal Islam, on which jurists and states must base their dealings, what lies in your hearts and minds is not taken into account, nor can it be. Your verbal affirmation and those essential signs which must flow out of that affirmation are accepted as sufficient evidence of your Islam. Anyone who affirms by word of mouth belief in Allaah, the Messenger, the Quran, the Hereafter and other articles of faith, and who also fulfils those necessary conditions which provide proof of his affirmation, is considered part of Muslim society and all dealings with him are to be conducted as with a Muslim.

This definition provides the legal and cultural basis on which Muslim society is organized. Its purpose is no more than that all those who enter into the Muslim Ummah (nation) al recognized as Muslims: nobody from among them can b called a disbeliever; every one of them must have the same mutual legal, moral and social rights; they should be entitled to marry among Muslims; they should be eligible to receive the share in inheritance; all other civil relations should be established with them.

True Islam

However, in the world-to-come, you cannot be judged as Muslim and a believer on the basis of this legal affirmation, nor on this basis will Allaah Almighty accept you as one of His chosen servants. What will count then is having faith in hearts, and willingly and wholly submitting lives to Allaah Almighty. Whatever verbally affirmed is meant for courts and for the common man and the Muslim society. For they can only see the exterior, but Allaah Almighty sees deep into your hearts and knows precisely the degree of your faith.

How will He judge a man? Allaah Almighty will see whether he lived and died for Him Alone, whether his loyalties to Him superseded all other loyalties, whether his obedience and his service, indeed his entire life, were devoted only to Him Almighty. If they were solely for Allaah Almighty then he will be adjudged a believer and a Muslim, but if they were for someone else, then he will not be adjudged a Muslim nor a believer. Whoever falls short of this criterion will, to the extent he falls short, be lacking in faith and Islam, irrespective of how important a Muslim the world may judge him and of any high positions he may hold. With Allaah only one thing matters: whether or not you have given away in His way all that He Almighty has given you.

If you have, you will be granted the reward which is reserved for those who are loyal and render the service that is due. Bu if your submission has been less than total, if you spare any part of your life from His service, your claim to be Muslims which implies that you have wholly given up yourselves to Allaah Almighty, will be a deceptive claim. Although you may be able to mislead the world and persuade the Muslim society to grant you its membership and all the rights of Muslims, Allaah The All-Knowing cannot be deceived into assigning a place for you among His faithful.

Reflect on the differences between legal Islam and true Islam and you can see that their consequences will vary greatly, not only in the Hereafter but also in this world; the life pursuits, character and disposition of a true Muslim will be totally different from one who merely parades the outward trappings of faith. You will always encounter these two types of Muslims.


Two Kinds of Muslims

Partial Muslims

Some Muslims profess faith in Allaah Almighty and the Messenger sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and declare Islam as their religion; but then they confine this Islam to only a part of their lives. To the extent of this part, they express great attachment to Islam, extensively perform worship rituals like Prayers, use of the rosary, remembrance of Allaah Almighty. They are very particular in conforming to outward piety in matters like food, dress and other external social, cultural customs. Thus they are fully 'religious'.

But beyond these conventions their lives are not according to what Allaah Almighty commands. If they love, they love for the sake of their own selves, their country, their nation, or for anything else, but not for Allaah Almighty. If they become displeased, are angry, hate someone, make enemies, or wage war, it too is for the sake of some worldly or selfish interest. Their relations with their businesses, their wives and children, families, societies — will all be to a great extent unaffected by Islam and based on secular considerations. As landlords, traders, rulers, soldiers, professional people — in all spheres they will behave as if they are autonomous, having no connection with their position as Muslims. When such people establish cultural, educational and political norms and institutions, these have nothing to do with Islam, even though they may seem Islamic.

True Muslims

The second kind of Muslims are those who completely merge their personalities and existences into Islam. All the roles they have become subordinate to the one role of being Muslims. They live as Muslims when they live as fathers, sons, husbands or wives, businessmen, landlords, laborers, employers. Their feelings, their desires, their ideologies, their thoughts and opinions, their likes and dislikes, all are shaped by Islam. Allaah's guidance holds complete sway over their hearts and minds, their eyes and ears, their bellies, their sexual desires, their hands and feet, their bodies and souls. Neither their loves nor their hatreds are formed independently of Islamic criteria. Whether they fight or make friends, it is purely for the sake of Islam. If they give anything to anybody, it is because Islam requires it to be given. If they withhold anything from anybody, it is because Islam wants it to be withheld.

And this attitude of theirs is not limited to personal lives; their public lives, their societies are also based entirely on Islam. Their collectivity exists for Islam alone; their collective behavior is governed by the precepts of Islam alone.

What Kind of Muslims Allaah Almighty Desires

The above two kinds of Muslims are significantly different from each other, even if, legally, both are included in the Ummah and the word `Muslim' is applied to both equally. Historically the first kind of Muslims have made no achievement which may be worthy of mention or which merits our being proud of it. Nothing these ‘Muslims’ have done has left an Islamic imprint on the pages of world history. The world has received no benefit from their existence; indeed, Islam has suffered decay because of them. Because of the preponderance of such `Muslims' in Muslim society, power and world leadership largely passed into the hands of rebels against Allaah Almighty. For these `Muslims' have been content merely with ensuring that they enjoy the freedom to live religiously within the narrow confines of their private lives.

Allaah Almighty never desired to have such `Muslims'. Nor did He Almighty send His Prophets or reveal His Books to make them. Indeed it is the second kind of Muslims who are desired by Allaah Almighty. Only they can ever accomplish anything worthwhile from the Islamic point of view.

Supreme Loyalty to Allaah Almighty

This is not a phenomenon peculiar to Islam. In fact, no way of life can ever prevail in the world if its followers accord their faith and commitment a subordinate position in their lives. Or, if they live and die for causes other than their faith. We see even today that only those are considered real and true followers of a creed or ideology who are loyal to it with their hearts and souls. Every creed in the world desires such adherents and no creed can prevail in the world except through such followers.

However, there is an important difference between Islam and other creeds and ideologies. Although others demand from men total loyalty and dedication, they in fact have no such right upon him, their claims are entirely unjustified. The objects they place before men are not the kind of objects for which a human being should sacrifice anything. But Allaah almighty for whom Islam demands the sacrifice of life has a right upon us. Everything must be given in His way, for whatever exists in heaven and on earth belongs to Allaah Almighty. Man himself, whatever he possesses, and whatever lies within him, all belong to Allaah Almighty. It is therefore in perfect harmony with justice as well as reason that whatever belongs to Allaah Almighty must be reserved only for Him Alone. Whatever sacrifice man makes for others or for his own benefit or to gratify his desire is indeed a breach of trust unless it be with the permission of Allaah Almighty. And whatever sacrifice is made for Allaah Almighty is in reality a payment of what is due.

But, one lesson Muslims must learn from those who are sacrificing everything for the sake of their false ideologies and false gods: how strange it is that, while such unimaginable dedication, sacrifice and fidelity is being shown for false gods, not even a thousandth part of it is shown for the True God by those who profess faith in them.

Where Do We Stand?

Let us examine our lives by the crucial criteria of Imaan and Islam as laid down by the Quran and the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

If you claim that you have accepted Islam, have you oriented your living and your dying towards Allaah only? Are you living for His cause alone? Are your hearts and minds, your bodies and souls, your time and efforts, being devoted to the fulfillment of Allaah's commands? Is that mission being accomplished through you which He wants to be fulfilled by the Muslim Ummah? And, again, do you obey and serve only Allaah? Have you eliminated from your lives subservience to selfish desires and obedience to family, brotherhood, friends, society and state?

Have you made your likes and dislikes totally subordinate to what Allaah Desires? If you love somebody, is it really for the sake of Allaah? If you dislike somebody, is that too for the sake of Allaah? Is no element of selfishness involved in this? Do you give and withhold only for the sake of Allaah? Are you spending on your own selves and giving wealth to other people, or withholding the same, because that is what Allaah Almighty wants? Is your motive nothing but to gain His pleasure?

If you find such a state of faith and submission within yourself, you should thank Allaah that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of Imaan in its fullness. And if you feel any deficiency, you must give up every other concern and worry and concentrate wholly on remedying this deficiency. For on its removal depends your wellbeing in this world as well as your success in the Hereafter. Whatever success you may enjoy in the present life will not compensate you for the loss you will suffer in the Hereafter due to this deficiency. But if you make up for this deficiency, even if you gain nothing in this world, you will benefit immensely in the life to come.

Do not use this criterion to test or judge others and determine whether they are Believers or hypocrites and Muslims or disbelievers; use it only to judge your own selves and, if you detect any deficiency, try to remove it before you meet Allaah Almighty. How a mufti (religious jurist) or a court judges you should be of least concern to you; it is only the judgment of the Supreme Ruler and Knower of the seen and unseen which matters. Do not become happy merely on seeing your names registered as Muslims, but remain anxious about how and where your names are entered in the Register of Allaah Almighty.

Real success consists in your being judged as believers and not hypocrites, obedient and not disobedient, faithful and not unfaithful, by that God who is the final Judge.

METHODS OF SECULARISTS IN CORRUPTING MUSLIM WOMEN

METHODS OF SECULARISTS IN CORRUPTING MUSLIM WOMEN


Allaah The Almighty instructed Muslims to beware of deviants and the methods they follow to demolish the religion of Islam, and thus, He Says (what means): {And thus do We detail the verses, and [thus] the way of the criminals will become evident.} [Quran 6:55]

He also commanded His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to fight the hypocrites, saying (what means): {O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them.} [Quran 9:73]

Allaah The Almighty exposed the hypocrites in many chapters as in Al-Baqarah, An-Nisaa’, and At-Tawbah which was called the 'exposing chapter'. Some of the companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, said, “The chapter of At-Tawbah continued to be revealed [concerning hypocrites with verses starting with {And among them are those who…} [Quran 9: 49,58,61,75] until we thought that it would not leave [any one without exposing him].”

The chapter of Al-Ahzaab details the attitudes of the hypocrites during times of hardship. Allaah The Almighty named one of the chapters of the Quran after them: “Al-Munaafiqoon” i.e. The Hypocrites. No matter how the hypocrites hide themselves, surely Allaah The Almighty discloses whatever they conceal in their breasts and hearts. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Or do those in whose hearts is disease think that Allaah would never expose their [feelings of] hatred? And if We willed, We could show them to you, and you would know them by their mark; but you will surely know them by the tone of [their] speech. And Allaah knows your deeds.} [Quran 47: 29-30]

Thus, the hypocrites are an exposed group; exposed by Allaah The Almighty and He reveals their hidden misdemeanors so that people will be aware of them and will not be deceived by them.

It is extremely important to be aware of that group, its methods in fighting the Ummah (Muslim nation), and its attempt to demolish the pillars of Islam. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “Islam will be destroyed gradually when there would be Muslims who know nothing about Jaahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era).” Hence, when people with anti-Islamic tendencies (similar to tendencies pertaining to Jaahiliyyah) come to destroy Islam, Muslims do not allow them to do so, because they know them and they are aware of their anti-Islamic attitudes.

It is, therefore, necessary to study the methods of secularists in corrupting the Ummah and particularly women, so that Muslims will avoid this evil that augers a great crisis that will befall the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It is also necessary for each Muslim to know that secularists are the greatest danger enclosing the Ummah, as they work to corrupt the Ummah and distance it from its religion.

Why do the secularists focus on women?

They concentrate on women because they realized the role of women in forming the Ummah and influencing society. They are certain that when they corrupt women and succeed in causing them to deviate, then it will be easy for them to demolish the fortresses of Islam and they will even enter them without facing the least resistance. The Zionists clearly say in their Protocols, “We have to win the women to our side, since if women extend their hands to us one day, we would win the case.”

Another archenemy of Islam said, "A glass (of alcohol) and a prostitute do to the Ummah of Muhammad more than what one thousand mortars would do, so drown it in the love of materialism and lusts.”

This is true, because when one single soldier goes down into a trench and resists with his gun, it is difficult to storm him until he dies. Hence, what do you think of an entire nation that defends itself, and instead of doing so, it becomes immersed in lusts, deviates from its religion and from the path of its glory, and thus, surrenders to the enemy without any resistance but rather accords the enemy a warm welcome and greets it with applause.

In a book on raising girls and Hijaab (Islamic covering), the author says that there is no barrier left against destroying the Muslim society – except that Muslim women undergo the transformation, or rather the corruption that has pervaded a vast number of Muslim men.

What is secularism and what is the ruling on it?

Secularism is originally meant to denote separating religion from other aspects of life. Accordingly, divine laws do not govern or interfere in social interactions, economic issues, politics, war and peace, pedagogy and education, and so on. It also corresponds with Irreligion, recognizing and dealing with only with tangible things while denying unseen phenomena and their contribution to the formation of life. In the West, people are allowed to entertain personal beliefs. However, it is not allowable to let religion influence the planning of the nation’s affairs. This epidemic was then transferred to the Muslim Ummah.

Secularism is more comprehensive in the Islamic perspective than in the Western perspective, in such a way that if a person calls for applying the entire Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) of Islam with exclusion to one issue that he rejects although being unanimously agreed-upon by Muslims or being an indisputably established religious fact, then such a person is a disbeliever and an apostate. For instance, if a person calls for applying the Sharee‘ah but, in terms of inheritance, he says that the woman’s share must be equal to that of the man, then such a person is a secularist under Sharee‘ah because he rejects a ruling which is indisputable in Islam. This is what we mean by secularism in the course of our writing.

In this sense, the ruling on secularism is that it designates major disbelief that takes one outside of the fold of Islam, because it means belying Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It also denotes associating with Allaah The Almighty that for which He has not sent down any authority, because it refers judgment in some issues to other than Allaah The Almighty and in other issues to Him

Westernization

After the failure of some of their military expeditions, Western politicians developed a devilish idea that armies should not be involved in confrontations because they arouse severe reactions, and that they should exert efforts to get the Muslim countries to surrender to the Western culture and civilization willingly. This is how the idea of Westernization was developed, with the basis of blending the Muslim character with that of the Western character in such a way that the former does not see except through Western eyes, does not admire except what the West admires, renounces the values, beliefs, and morals that are derived from the Islamic Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation), adopts this new Westernized religion, and is involved in the cycle of economic consumption that is promoted by the West.

Westernization programs try to serve a dual objective. On the one hand, they guard the benefits of colonialism by bridging the gap that separates the West from Muslims due to the difference in values and the bitterness that Muslims feel towards the occupiers of their countries whom Muslims are obliged by their religion to strive against. On the other hand, Westernization programs weaken the religious bond that gathers Muslims, and disperses their association that centers on the unity of thought and intellectual values, or more comprehensively, the unity of cultural values.

Thus, Westernization means blending the Ummah (nation) in such a way that it becomes a deformed nation which is a reproduction of the disbelieving Western nation. However, there is a difference between the two nations – the Western nation is the leader and ruler while the other nations are its humiliated submissive subjects which comply with its dictates. This is what Westernization means.

The Westernization of Muslim women is a part of a comprehensive scheme for Westernizing the Ummah in all its affairs. Dr. Muhammad Muhammad Husayn, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,

Westernization programs rested on two main principles – as was held by the early imperialists:

First: Associating with allies and friends from among Muslims, empowering them, excluding opponents who object to their projects, hindering their progress, and distracting people from them by different means.

Second: Controlling educational programs as well as information and cultural systems in a way which they established by means of their allies, and directing such programs in a way that serves their objectives and supports their friendship.

Manifestations of Westernizing Muslim women:

• Intermixing between the two sexes in schools and workplaces:

In most countries, there are mixed schools and workplaces, with only a few exceptions. This is what the advocates of Westernization want because the more men and women meet, the more their instincts are aroused and opportunities for indulging in immorality takes place. This is especially so when women do not wear Hijaab (Islamic covering); there are multiple outlets of sexual motivation and people find it difficult to get married, in addition to weak religious commitment.

When the West fulfills its objective of corrupting women, the family will be afflicted with corruption and degradation, and the society in turn will be ruined from the inside, and thus, it will be easy prey.

If intermixing between sexes begins, it will never end except with women frequenting places of depravity and immorality, without adhering to Hijaab and modesty. This has already started occurring and continues to take place in many Muslim countries. Consider, how does this compare to the narration of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he left the mosque and found men and women mingling in the street. He said, addressing women: “Draw back, for you must not walk in the middle of the road. Keep to the sides of the road.” Women used to keep so close to the wall that their garments would rub against it. [Abu Daawood] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]

• Tabarruj and Sufoor

Tabarruj means women’s exposure of their adornment to men to whom women are not permitted to show their adornment.

Sufoor means women’s exposure of parts of their body which they are not permitted to show to other than non-Mahrams (marriageable men).

It is rare to find a Muslim country that is devoid of Tabarruj and Sufoor. This is a very dangerous manifestation in the Ummah. In the past, women were modest and fitted the description of “dwellers of boudoirs”. This was not a social tradition. Rather, it stemmed from worshipping and obeying Allaah The Almighty. It is clear that the Sharee‘ah-compliant Hijaab is an inherent emblem of Islam. That is why Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, “May Allaah have mercy upon the early immigrant women. When Allaah revealed {and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests} [Quran 24:31], they tore the edges of their waist sheets and covered their heads with them.” [Al-Bukhaari]

Therefore, the spread or decline of Hijaab is an indication of the Islamic awakening in society and of people’s devotion to the religion of Allaah The Almighty; and the spread of Hijaab annoys those falsifying hypocrites.

• Following fashion trends:

Nowadays, you see Muslim women imitating Western women with great alacrity. Even the way little girls are dressed follows Western fashions. Thus, you find girls who have reached the age of fifteen still wearing short clothes, marking one of the first steps of following Western fashions. When girls are stripped of modesty, they can easily respond to everything new.

Clothing is an important manifestation that distinguishes Muslim women; therefore, they were forbidden to imitate the disbelievers because this signifies an acceptance of their norms of behavior, removal of barriers and developing amicability between them. It is known that similarity of dress diminishes the distinction of what is good from what is bad and the distinction of Islam from disbelief, thus, facilitating the spread of falsehood and the concealment of its advocates.

Western fashion is rejected for several reasons, including:

• Imitating the disbelieving women: The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Anyone who imitates a people is one of them.” [Abu Daawood and Ahmad] [Saheeh]

Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,

The straight path constitutes inward matters that exist in the heart including convictions, wills, and the like, and outward words and deeds which come in the form of acts of worship or traditions pertaining to diet, dress, and marriage. There is definitely a relationship between such inward and outward matters, since the feelings and conditions that are related to the heart result in outward conditions, and at the same time outward deeds necessarily result in certain feelings and conditions in the heart.

Hence, it is known from this that it is serious matter and forbidden that Muslim women imitate the disbelieving women.

• The economic damage resulting from attachment to fashion: It is well known how much money and expenses are involved in following fashion trends.
• Fostering mutual envy among women: This is because they are naturally attracted by a beautiful appearance and thus, they boast to each other and vie with one another in terms of their possessions. This may cause the wife of a man with limited financial resources to charge him with what is beyond his abilities so that she will be equal to fashion trends.
• Meetings of women with non-Mahram men in seclusion: People have taken this matter so lightly that some of them consider it natural. The forbidden meetings between men and women in seclusion is an aspect of Westernization that the Muslim Ummah has fallen into. It is an act of the disbelievers who do not have a religion that forbids doing so. Respecting the boundaries set by Allaah The Almighty is a characteristic of the Muslim Ummah. Daring to meet a non-Mahram (marriageable) woman in seclusion is a transgression of one of the boundaries set by Allaah The Almighty and is also a great danger. It is forbidden by Sharee‘ah in the words of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who said: “No man should be alone with a (non-Mahram) woman unless her Mahram is also present.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
It is a given that any person who advocates falsehood clothes his falsehood in the garb of reform and decorative speech so that it gains public acceptance.

This is because falsehood is ugly and disliked, so when it appears in its real image, people do not accept it, as they, by natural disposition, are not satisfied with it. Therefore, Westernizing secularists resort to dressing their methods, objectives, and thoughts in the garb of reform and keenness to maintain public benefits. Thus, mixed employment and education are promoted for the benefit of the Ummah and under the pretext of employing women, who are half of society, to attain economic revenue. This is decorative speech that is inspired by the devils from among humans and Jinn. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And thus We have made for every Prophet an enemy - devils from mankind and Jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent. And [it is] so the hearts of those who disbelieve in the Hereafter will incline toward it and that they will be satisfied with it and that they will commit that which they are committing.} [Quran 6: 112-113]


This is deceptive to people with weak faith and deficient intellects.

In addition, secularists have found traditions that are not related to Islam in Muslim communities, so they exploited them and employed them to diffuse their poisons through them toward achieving their schemes. Then, they claimed that such traditions belong to Islam and thus, attacked Islam through them. For example, some Muslim communities are not fair with women when it comes to giving them their shares of inheritance. They may give women their shares from movables such as money and cattle but they fail to give them their shares from real estate, a practice that was followed during the pre-Islamic era.

Also, some polygamous men do not treat their wives equally, thus, violating the orders of Allaah The Almighty. Secularists capitalize on these shortcomings, though such acts do not belong to Islam and are not supported by divine authority, but are considered by Islam as forbidden injustice.




Muslims must bear in mind some of the most dangerous methods adopted by secularists so that they will be aware of them, denounce them, and try to frustrate them. They include:

• All kinds of mass media including press publications, broadcasting, television, movies, and magazines that are specialized in fashion, women’s issues, and the like. Mass media form opinions, adapt intellects, and direct public opinion, especially if such intellects are void and not fortified by divine revelation. Reprehensive matters are found in newspapers and magazines, such as the cover girl, a beautiful girl who is shown in adornment and make up.

When interviewed, she is asked trivial questions, such as: Have you ever been in love before? What is your favorite hobby? Have you had a boyfriend? Similar obscene questions are put to them that are meant to corrupt pure young women who are settled in their homes and possess modesty which they were brought up to observe. Such magazines remove the barriers and standards step by step. Also, obscene images are found in such magazines under the pretext of showing beauty, fitness, weight loss, diet, beauty queens or other pretexts dictated by the devil. They also include an large number of topics about love and courtship with the objective of facilitating indecency, reversing established concepts, and replacing them with strange concepts alien to the knowledge of Muslims.

In a wonderful Khutbah (sermon) about such magazines, the eminent scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, “It is unlawful to own such magazines, buy them, sell them, earn from them, give them as a gift, or accept them as a gift. It is also unlawful to help circulate such magazines among Muslims because this constitutes cooperation in sin and aggression.”

• One of the dangerous methods used by secularists to Westernize Muslim women is their corruption of education. To that end, they introduce fields of specialization that are unsuitable for women, and this consequently leads to the graduation of large numbers of women who have no work domain. This creates the need for opening domains that are suitable with the new specializations that are filled with women, or approving educational curricula that are far removed from what should be available for educating Muslim women. In some Arab countries, the educational curricula are terrible. Education may include a call for equality between women and men in everything, urging women to promote issues of what they call the liberation of women. There is also mixed education in most Muslim countries where girls sit next to boys. Mixed education is a major reason behind the degradation and consequent Westernization of women. Therefore, the best solution is that Muslim countries establish women-only universities. This has been called for by a Pakistani researcher in a fine study where he explained that establishing women-only universities is better for the rate of success, for mastering a given field of specialization, and perfection of work for both young men and young women in all types of study. We may not agree with him on some specializations that we think that women do not need.

• Authoring on the subject of women and conducting researches and studies that are filled with recommendations, suggestions, and alleged solutions for women’s issues and problems.

UNESCO published seven social studies on women in the Arab world. Anyone who reads these studies will realize the seriousness of this matter and the massive schemes weaved by the enemies against Muslim women.

• Holding women’s conferences or conferences that deal with women’s issues, or holding meetings that deal with matters concerned with women such as education, pedagogy, and so on. In such conferences and meetings, Westernizing studies, ideas, and suggestions are raised.

The fourth Regional Conference on Women in the Gulf and Arabia was held on 15/2/1976 in a Gulf country. The conference concentrated on the so-called women’s liberation and issued decisions that included the following: They stressed the importance and necessity of looking into the educational books and curricula in their treatment of women’s issues in such a way that guarantees changing the backward view of women’s role in the family and work. The study also says that the laws and systems to which the family was subjected to one thousand years ago still control family relations in the present time without considering the extent to which they are suitable for us.

What are the laws that were followed one thousand years ago? They are the Islamic Sharee‘ah. These women from the Gulf wanted to change the Islamic Sharee‘ah that has been applied to women for one thousand years.

• One of their methods of Westernizing Muslim women is that secularists dispatch them abroad. This took place a lot in many Muslim countries. When the Muslim women travel abroad, while they either have not studied anything about religion as in some Arab and Islamic countries, or they are not accompanied by Mahrams, then they are thrown into that decadent society, and when they come back home, they are messengers of evil sent by the Western world to Westernize Muslim women and transfer them from adhering to Sharee‘ah and Islamic morals, to adhering to Western methods and opinions as their predecessors had done in Egypt and Kuwait.

• One of the methods of secularists is the abuse of their positions: Some secularists may occupy certain positions of authority, then they issue decisions preventing women wearing Hijaab as was done in Egypt and Kuwait, or imposing intermixing between men and women, or disallowing holding Islamic seminars and activities, or enforcing intermixing between the two sexes in certain fields. This consequently leads women to mix with men, a thing that makes it easy for such a thing to take place, because people lose sensitivity upon frequent interaction. After that, women transcend the barriers that are set by Sharee‘ah and turn away from leading a proper life and integrate [in the Westernized life] as others did.

• Undisciplined work and employment: Either by employing men and women equally, or employing women in other than their fields. To that end, they follow a gradual approach that is slow but has a definite effect and by way of imposing a de facto situation.

• Participation and intermixing in health spas, recreation clubs, social clubs, and so on: Some women are perverted enough to smoke in the presence of their colleagues, not only in cafes and restaurants, but also inside offices.

• Inviting people to follow fashions, and flooding Muslim countries with obscene clothing: One of their schemes is to flood Muslim countries with obscene and short clothes. It is extremely difficult for parents to find loose cover-all garments for their daughters. Therefore, Muslim vendors should order and impose clothing that is acceptable to Muslims and which carry no images, writings, and are neither obscene aspects. The clothing should also not be tight or see-through. Manufacturing companies are after money, so they will make whatever clothing is asked of them. If they are not controlled in this regard, they will manufacture clothing that will damage the morals of Muslims.

• An old method that was initiated by secularists in Egypt and elsewhere was their establishment of women’s organizations, societies, and unions: The Women’s Union was established in Egypt long ago by Huda Sha`raawi with flagrant Western support, then other Arab countries followed suit. Women’s unions, organizations, and societies apparently promote the spread of culture and reform, teaching women crafts like embroidery and sewing, but, on the inside, they may be extremely harmful, as they teach women wicked Western thoughts and values which take them from the light of Islamic thought to the darkness of polytheist Western thought.

• One of the most evil issues that are always raised by them in newspapers and magazines is their pretension of defending women’s rights, raising the issue of women’s liberation especially when the Ummah is facing sensitive times. Sometimes they discuss the subject of equality between men and women, mixed education, widening the prospect of participation in mixed work, and so on. They promote that in the name of religion or in the name of benefit, in obscure language. In many cases, the approach of the hypocrites is to shield themselves with vague and deceptive expressions.

• One of their most evil methods is waging a severe attack on Hijaab and women who observe it, and glorifying immorality in the mass media and elsewhere in forums and cultural and literary clubs, or in private sessions, and so on.

• Glorifying dissolute women from among actresses, dancers, and singers. They call them stars, celebrities, pioneers in such and such a field, and examples to be followed, and say that they have broken the record in such and such games or styles. These secularist publications and secularist writings give Muslim women the false impression that this is the path they should trod, so they wish they were like such women and try to imitate them. This is why the attempts of secularists are foiled by repentant actresses who provide role models that counter what they aspire for.

• Promoting art, theater, and cinema.

• Another of their wicked and widespread methods is attracting brilliant Muslim girls to writing, acting, or broadcasting, particularly if such girls seek fame. Secularists invite Muslim girls to write in newspapers and acclaim their writings, so some conceited girls hasten to write and contact secularists to publish their writings.

• Training little girls in dancing, playing music, singing at schools, centers, and so on, and then showing them in the mass media: Little girls go out for dancing and singing, swaying in the most beautiful clothes and adornment. How will these girls be when they grow up? What will they head toward unless they are saved by the care and mercy of Allaah The Almighty?

They will attract other girls who wish to act like them because they appear as stars and may become famous singers or actresses in the future.

• Spreading a new spirit among Muslim women that transforms their character through establishing so-called physical therapy centers for women: The Da‘wah magazine, issue no.1328, published a report on these centers in 3/8/1412 AH. A female writer visited some of these centers, and said, “In light of the changes and developments that surface from time to time, a negative change has taken place, namely opening so-called physical therapy centers for women. In fact, these centers involve many negative aspects.” The writer continues, “To learn about the reality of these centers, what takes place inside them, and what they offer to their visitors, I visited some of them and contacted others as any woman who enquires about a given center before joining it, in an attempt to obtain the full facts and know what takes place inside them. Following is the summary of the report:

- The spread of revealing clothes inside these centers. This is even obligatory.
- Some centers employ male physicians whom girls under training have to be checked by.
- There is music in these centers, and some centers stipulate that members do not object to music.
- Allocating collective sauna baths where women are only wearing their underwear and gather there.
- Spreading these centers even in hotels, beauty salons, workshops, and providing them as a service.

This is a new thing that was unknown to us before. If women do their work at home, they will not be in need of that.

• In conclusion, secularists adopt a dangerous method, which is spreading mixed parks and restaurants for families: Some brothers visited some of these family restaurants and parks which include many prohibitions. Shaykh Muhammad Al-Farraaj was among the visitors who wrote a report where they explained the hidden aspects of such mixed restaurants. They mentioned that young men and women mix there, women enter such restaurants unaccompanied by Mahrams, and a man is allowed to enter provided that he is accompanied by a women whether she is a maid or a little girl or otherwise. These places, therefore, became a suitable environment for dating and other purposes. Afterwards, Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Jibreen wrote in support of what those brothers wrote, saying, “All perfect praise is due to Allaah. I saw examples of what is mentioned in this report, the thing that alerted us to hasten to forbid access (to such places) and warn against doing so.”

Such parks and restaurants might have been established with a good intention, but they are an important reason behind Westernizing Muslim women. This is because they spread the aspects of Westernization including intermixing between the two sexes and having men and women meeting each other in seclusion , thus, opening the door for committing indecency and entering upon honorable women, who will consequently be tempted in their religion and chastity in the light of the overwhelming motives for immorality due to the abundance of stimulation available. Help is sought from Allaah.




The fourth Regional Conference on Women in the Gulf and Arabia was held on 15/2/1976 in a Gulf country. The conference concentrated on the so-called "women’s liberation" and issued decisions that stressed the importance and necessity of looking into the educational books and curricula in their treatment of women’s issues in such a way that guarantees changing the "backward view of women’s role in the family and work". The study also says that the laws and systems to which the family was subjected to one thousand years ago still control family relations in the present time without considering the extent to which they are suitable for us.

What are the laws that were followed one thousand years ago? They are the Islamic Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation). These women from the Gulf wanted to change the Islamic Sharee‘ah that has been applied to women for one thousand years.

• Dispatching women abroad: This took place a lot in many Muslim countries in the past and is still taking place. When the Muslim women travel abroad, while they either have not studied anything about religion as in some Arab and Islamic countries, or they are not accompanied by Mahrams (non-marriageable men), then they are thrown into that decadent society, and when they come back home, they are messengers of evil sent by the Western world to Westernize Muslim women and transfer them from adhering to Sharee‘ah and Islamic morals, to adhering to Western methods and opinions.

• The abuse of positions of authority: Some secularists may occupy certain positions of authority, then they issue decisions preventing women from wearing Hijaab (Islamic covering), or imposing intermixing between men and women, or disallowing holding Islamic seminars and activities, or enforcing intermixing between the two sexes in certain fields. This consequently leads women to mix with men, a thing that makes it easy for such a thing to take place, because people lose sensitivity upon frequent interaction. After that, women transcend the barriers that are set by Sharee‘ah and turn away from leading a proper life and integrate [in the Westernized life] as others did.

• Work and employment: Either by employing men and women equally, or employing women in other than their fields. To that end, they follow a gradual approach that is slow but has a definite effect and by way of imposing a de facto situation.

• Participation and intermixing in health spas, recreation clubs, social clubs, and so on: Some women are perverted enough to smoke in the presence of their colleagues, not only in cafes and restaurants, but also inside offices.

• Inviting people to follow fashions, and flooding Muslim countries with obscene clothing: One of their schemes is to flood Muslim countries with obscene and short clothes. It is extremely difficult for parents to find loose cover-all garments for their daughters. Therefore, Muslim vendors should order and impose clothing that is acceptable to Muslims and which carry no images, writings, and are neither obscene aspects. The clothing should also not be tight or see-through. Manufacturing companies are after money, so they will make whatever clothing is asked of them. If they are not controlled in this regard, they will manufacture clothing that will damage the morals of Muslims.

• Establishment of women’s organizations, societies, and unions: The Women’s Union was first established in Egypt long ago by Huda Sha`raawi with flagrant Western support, then other Arab countries followed suit. Women’s unions, organizations, and societies apparently promote the spread of culture and reform, teaching women crafts like embroidery and sewing, but, on the inside, they may be extremely harmful, as they teach women decadent thoughts and values which take them from the light of Islamic thought to the darkness of polytheist Western thought.

• One of the most evil issues that are always raised by them in newspapers and magazines is their pretension of defending women’s rights, raising the issue of women’s liberation especially when the Ummah is facing sensitive times. Sometimes they discuss the subject of equality between men and women, mixed education, widening the prospect of participation in mixed work, and so on. They promote that in the name of religion or in the name of benefit, in obscure language. In many cases, the approach of the hypocrites is to shield themselves with vague and deceptive expressions.

• One of their most evil methods is waging a severe attack on Hijaab and women who observe it, and glorifying immorality in the mass media and elsewhere in forums and cultural and literary clubs, or in private sessions, and so on.

• Glorifying dissolute women from among actresses, dancers, and singers. They call them stars, celebrities, pioneers in such and such a field, and examples to be followed, and say that they have broken the record in such and such games or styles.

These secularist publications and secularist writings give Muslim women the false impression that this is the path they should trod, so they wish they were like such women and try to imitate them. This is why the attempts of secularists are foiled by repentant actresses who provide role models that counter what they aspire for.

• Promoting art, theater, and cinema.

• Another of their wicked and widespread methods is attracting brilliant Muslim girls to writing, acting, or broadcasting, particularly if such girls seek fame. Secularists invite Muslim girls to write in newspapers and acclaim their writings, so some conceited girls hasten to write and contact secularists to publish their writings.

• Training little girls in dancing, playing music, singing at schools, centers, and so on, and then showing them in the mass media: Little girls go out for dancing and singing, swaying in the most beautiful clothes and adornment. How will these girls be when they grow up? What will they head toward unless they are saved by the care and mercy of Allaah The Almighty?

They will attract other girls who wish to act like them because they appear as stars and may become famous singers or actresses in the future.

• Spreading a new spirit among Muslim women that transforms their character through establishing so-called physical therapy centers for women: The Da‘wah magazine, issue no.1328, published a report on these centers in 3/8/1412 AH. A female writer visited some of these centers, and said, “In light of the changes and developments that surface from time to time, a negative change has taken place, namely opening so-called physical therapy centers for women. In fact, these centers involve many negative aspects.” The writer continues, “To learn about the reality of these centers, what takes place inside them, and what they offer to their visitors, I visited some of them and contacted others as any woman who enquires about a given center before joining it, in an attempt to obtain the full facts and know what takes place inside them. Following is the summary of the report:

- The spread of revealing clothes inside these centers. This is even obligatory.
- Some centers employ male physicians whom girls under training have to be checked by.
- There is music in these centers, and some centers stipulate that members do not object to music.
- Allocating collective sauna baths where women are only wearing their underwear and gather there.
- Spreading these centers even in hotels, beauty salons, workshops, and providing them as a service.

This is a new thing that was unknown to us before. If women do their work at home, they will not be in need of that.

• In conclusion, secularists adopt a dangerous method, which is spreading mixed parks and restaurants for families: Some brothers visited some of these family restaurants and parks which include many prohibitions. Shaykh Muhammad Al-Farraaj was among the visitors who wrote a report where they explained the hidden aspects of such mixed restaurants. They mentioned that young men and women mix there, women enter such restaurants unaccompanied by Mahrams, and a man is allowed to enter provided that he is accompanied by a women whether she is a maid or a little girl or otherwise. These places, therefore, became a suitable environment for dating and other purposes. Afterwards, Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Jibreen wrote in support of what those brothers wrote, saying, “All perfect praise is due to Allaah. I saw examples of what is mentioned in this report, the thing that alerted us to hasten to forbid access (to such places) and warn against doing so.”

Such parks and restaurants might have been established with a good intention, but they are an important reason behind Westernizing Muslim women. This is because they spread the aspects of Westernization including intermixing between the two sexes and having men and women meeting each other in seclusion , thus, opening the door for committing indecency and entering upon honorable women, who will consequently be tempted in their religion and chastity in the light of the overwhelming motives for immorality due to the abundance of stimulation available. Help is sought from Allaah.

IS THE WESTERN WOMAN REALLY LIBERATED?

IS THE WESTERN WOMAN REALLY LIBERATED?


The woman in the west may seem to be liberated, but actually she is being deceived by pseudo-liberation. Consider some of the shackles in which the women in west are chained up.

The urge to look good

The woman in the west is bonded by mental slavery. She has to please her masters through dieting, applying cosmetics right from early teenage and even when she has passed her fifties. The diet industry worth's 33 billion dollars a year, amazing, isn't it? Girls right from 10 years to 60 plus stay hungry and starve in the name of dieting and that is an industry now! The weight watchers' website has billions of members through its 2000 plus centers making women starve. No wonder today western women can be labeled as the anorexic generation. What make them do that? The western women are programmed to believe that her figure is her currency that will help her earn fame and wealth.

A large number of the working women in US are those who are without husbands and are left out by their husbands or boyfriends. Those poor women are left alone with their babies or growing up children to be fed...The males then go away looking for younger and beautiful girls in the green pastures.

Subjugation through Education

This may seem unbelievable but it is a fact. The western women believe that education has gifted them liberation. Are degrees and jobs really qualified to be mascots of liberation? Take a notice of the plight of girls working and also those in campus. The BBC pays 6,500 dollars less than males to the female news readers; a female advocate earns less than her male counterpart. The only career in which a woman can earn more than a male is prostitution and modeling. Maria Saharapova earns more in modeling than male players. The world cup soccer is beautified by cheer leaders, and girlfriends of stars. You cannot sell even a pen if you don’t allure your customers through a beautiful model.

Crimes against women are on all time high

According to FBI 2713 rapes take place in the US every day! And these rapes happen to women from all walks of life. In offices, in campus, during parties, dates etc. And how many rapist are punished? The statistics says only 5 percent. If raping of women is not subjugation then I don't know what else is worse than this subjugation. Add up the statistics of domestic crimes, rapes, teenage pregnancies, dumped by boyfriends and husbands and you will get a mountainous size of pain and suffering of the western women. She is the woman who is a big looser in most cases.

Liberation is there but it is actually men who enjoy the fruits of women's liberation. He is liberated to see her body in various seductive forms, he is liberated to enjoy her body and then dump her without caring about her pregnancy and the child that she would bear. In the newspaper and glossy magazines she reads about saucy articles and her mind is programmed to think that look is the best and the most important qualification for a girl to succeed. From Cinderella to Bat woman every fantasy heroine is alluring her to posses a look like them. From Sharapova to Hollywood heroines everyone encourages her to cash her beauty. She is made to believe that her look is assets.

How many women are involved in prostitution? Do you say that they are doing that because they enjoy it? No, actually many have to run their homes.

The British newspapers report that England to have wet nurses in all schools even in primary. The duty of those nurses would be to help girls get rid of unwanted pregnancy without the knowledge of their parents. Is this liberation? The woman in the west is always under the stress about her future. She is not sure when her husband or boyfriend would go for a better girl. Divorce in the West all time gets high. She doesn’t not have to work hard only but also she has to return home and look after the kitchen, children's studies etc. While a man may return home or he can go to club for refreshments or take a new girlfriend. Western women are programmed to think that divorcing a husband is a good option to drive away many from their matrimonial problems. Many of those women do not even have patience to wait for a compromise at least for the sake of their children.

HOW CAN YOU HELP THE UMMAH?

HOW CAN YOU HELP THE UMMAH?


By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

Globaally the Muslim Ummah is in a crisis. From Australia in the south to Canada in the north, from China in east to USA in the west we find Islamophobia raising its venomous head. The “War
on Terror”, persecution, oppression, discrimination, etc against innocent and peace loving Muslims has become the order of the day. The raining of missiles on families in Palestine-Gaza , the merciless killing of innocent civilians in Syria, ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, torture and rape in Afghanistan and Iraq,the banning of niqaab in France, war in Somalia, Chechnya etc. The list is extensive.

As Muslims we should not turn a blind eye and be apathetic to the sufferings of millions of our fellow brothers and sisters globally. We should not only feel the pain in our hearts, but should constructively engage ourselves in physically assisting the Ummah with whatever means we have at our disposal.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Noble Qur’aan: “ Indeed, Muslims are brothers.”(Qur’an: Al Hujurat:10)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has emphatically stated that “No one of you becomes a true believer until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself”.(Hadith-Bukhari & Muslims)

We are ONE UMMAH, if the finger feels a pain the whole body feels the pain. It is our duty to share the pain, responsibilities, burdens and needs of our fellow brothers and sisters. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The example of Muslims in their mutual love, mercy and sympathy is like that of a body; if one of the organs is afflicted, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”(Hadith-Muslim)

Our ancestors in Islam, the esteemed Companions of Muhammad Salallaho alaihe wassallam demonstrated practically what was meant by true love for our brothers(sisters) in Islam. Hadhrat Abu-Jahm-bin-Huzaifah (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:”During the battle of Yarmuk, I went out in search of my cousin, who was in the forefront of the fight. I also took some water with me for him. I found him in the very thick of battle in the last throes of death. I advanced to help him with the little water I had. But, soon, another sorely wounded soldier beside him gave a groan, and my cousin averted his face, and beckoned me to take the water to that person first. I went to this other person with the water. He turned out to be Hishaam bin Abil Aas (Radhiyallaho anho). But I had hardly reached him, when there was heard the groan of yet another person lying not very far off. Hisham (Radhiyallaho anho) too motioned me in his direction. Alas, before I could approach him, he had breathed his last. I made all haste back to Hishaam and found him dead as well. Thereupon, I hurried as fast as I could to my cousin, and, lo! in the meantime he had also joined the other two.”

Many an incident of such self-denial and heroic sacrifice is recorded in the books of Hadith. This is the last word in self-sacrifice, that each dying person should forego slaking his own thirst in favour of his other needy brother. May Allah bless their souls with His choicest favours for their sacrifice for others even at the time of death, when a person has seldom the sense to make a choice.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THE UMMAH?

Every bit of help counts! No single bit of assistance no matter how minute or what form it may take is insignificant. There was a King who had a festival. He asked everyone to bring a jug of milk that evening and pour it into a huge container so everyone, even the poor, could enjoy it the next day. A certain man thought that if he poured a jug of water instead of milk into the container it won’t be noticed in the dark and he really thought that it won’t make a significant difference. So he poured a jug of water. When he came the next day he surprisingly witnessed that the huge container was almost full of water. It was quite clear that in his community everyone thought the same.

All we need as an Ummah is to play our “small” part. If we each do our “little” then combined it will Insha Allah be a lot! The “little” we do will Insha Allah go a long way. Here are some practical ways we can show our genuine love for the Allah Ta’ala, Muhammad (peace be upon him) and our fellow Muslims who are suffering.

1. DU’AA(SUPPLICATION): Indeed no condition or situation can ever improve without the Help of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said that; “Dua is a weapon of a believer.” (Hadith-Al Hakim). Du’aa should be made individually and collectively. Do it at home with the family and also in the Masjid. Children should be encouraged to also join in. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) encouraged the Ummah to read Qunoot-e-Naazilah supplication (dua) at the time of distress and calamity. (Hadith- Abu Dawood). Imaams of Masjids should also read the Qunoot-e-Naazilah in the congregational prayers of Fajr and to ask the Almighty’s Guidance and intervention to save and protect the Ummah. Also keep fast and perform optional prayer.

2. CONTRIBUTE: We should generously contribute in whatever way possible. The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala (peace be upon) said that: “Charity (Sadaqah) does not decrease the wealth” (Hadith-Muslim) and he (pbuh) also said that daily two angels offer Du’aa, “O Allah, compensate those who spend, and bring ruin to those who withhold”. (Hadith- Bukhari). Encourage our children to contribute from their own savings even if it just a few cents. In this way worry and concern for the Ummah will be inculcated in them. Search for credible Islamic relief organisations operating in areas where our funds are most needed. Be wary of bogus collectors. Be pro-active in raising funds. The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala (peace be upon) is reported to have said: “Indeed, Allah blesses certain people with special bounties for the benefit of other people. As long as they benefit others, Allah continues His bounties upon them but when they stop benefitting others, Allah takes these bounties back from them and transfers to others.” (Hadith-Tabarani)

3. JOIN: We need to be as much as possible physically involved. The best is to be at our Muslim brothers and sisters’ side when they really need us the most. Distance, race, colour, social status etc should never be a barrier in assisting the Ummah. Join and engage ourselves in those activities that will support and bring genuine relief to the distressed Ummah. Be cautious that our activities are always in compliance with the Laws of Allah Ta’ala.

4. EDUCATE: Be pro-active and educate yourself. Be knowledgeable on the subject. Our families and communities should be educated about the plight of the Ummah. Masjids, media, schools etc should be used to for this purpose. Keep a vigilant eye on the news outlets; magazines etc. and respond timeously to their bias comments and views. Forward pertinent and relevant articles you come across to the International and local media outlets.Using the world atlas or internet, show our children where the affected part of the Ummah is. Do not support those that directly or indirectly assist the oppression and persecution of the Muslim Ummah.

5. HOPE: Always be hopeful and never be despondent. Allah Ta’ala will help even though it may be after some time. Often the media tries to create hopelessness and many Muslims are left in despair. It may seem that the death of millions of innocents is now inevitable, but we must continue to strive our utmost to defend them and to spread the truth about these immoral actions perpetrated against innocent Muslims. Above all, we must remember that Allah Most High has control over all things and can provide help in ways we do not even understand. Not even the ‘greatest’ superpower can overpower Him! No falsehood is to remain forever. No oppression is to remain forever. After hardship comes ease. Insha Allah the difficulty of the Muslim nation will come to end and tomorrow will be definitely better than today. We should have HOPE in the ALL encompassing MERCY and HELP of Allah Most High under all circumstances, whether it be in victory, defeat, happiness or sadness.

The Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him) has said that whosoever helps a Muslim at the time of loss of honour and humility; will receive Help from Allah when he is in need of help.(Hadith-Abu Dawood)

Most importantly remember the Muslim Ummah is ONE! Let us not forget that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining.

TOWARDS BUILDING UMMAH CONSCIOUSNESS

TOWARDS BUILDING UMMAH CONSCIOUSNESS


By Sohaib Baig

In a society which trains its citizens in the art and philosophy of achieving instant self-gratification, of becoming thoroughly submerged in one’s own bubble of pleasure, it becomes dangerously difficult for one to develop a world consciousness and concern for others. The intensity of this struggle is signified by the fact that one has to cultivate his concern for society without the help of society, and consequently, many will often be left aside to froth around in the artificial sands of their own world. Yet, for the most part, that world too is not even their own, and is rather the mass amalgamation of what the rest of the world (as they know it) is – from idolizing celebrities that they wished they were, to chasing after the will-o’-the-wisp of appearing important and popular in the eyes of other people (assisted through mediums such as Facebook), to engaging in intense debates on the most frivolous of issues that have no actual connection to their own life (including sports), their mind and efforts become wholly tied in a struggle and existence that is not theirs.

Although there are profound exceptions to the portrait painted in the first paragraph, it can be said that instant self-gratification is certainly one of the loudest messages sent out by American culture. Indeed, the lingua franca of popular American culture is actually the entertainment industry with all its various manifestations. The stars who dominate the scene are envied in almost all aspects of their lives, and Americans will feel proud to buy their expensive memorabilia. This is not to say that all Americans have souls made of plastic, as indeed the world does poke holes in their bubbles of life and pleasure – but still, the ubiquity of the concept of (superficial) fun, as manifested in almost all aspects of society, from social networking to buying cars to even finding love, (as promoted by the equally superficial medium of television and visual imagery, which depends more on arousing our base instincts than appealing to rationality) significantly indicates the level of importance Americans attach to the concept of fun, as well as how vulnerable they themselves are to such stimuli.

Tragically, the Muslim community is not immune to such inhibiting cultural influences. The first wave of immigrants, indeed, mostly came to fulfill this very quest, to find the material success that was glamorized for so long in their own home countries. Yet there were a few who actually were passionate for the Ummah (Muslim community), and from their herculean efforts, Islam managed to strengthen as their children were born. Now, as they themselves begin to recede back into old age and return slowly to their Creator, it is their children who are starting to assume responsibility and control the affairs of their communities. Though the older generation still retains a key grip, it should not be long before that too subsides, and leaves the world to their children. Yet for the Ummah to progress forward, these children will also have to move past the thinking that has plagued most of the elder generation, as well as overcome the new challenges presented by American popular culture.

Muslims, in their zeal to “integrate” often become afflicted with the same disorders as other Americans do. Our attitudes towards love are a clear example of our succumbing to the power of fun. Why does love have to be fun? Tying love with fun actually severely handicaps the power of love, as exemplified by our difficulty in loving someone for the sake of Allah. This often extends dangerously towards our level of love towards Allah and His messenger SAWS – how many times do we lose concentration because we are “bored” in prayer? This attitude also extends to our love of the Ummah: one can gauge the seriousness of the issue by simply looking at how deeply Islamic charities nowadays depend on holding concerts for raising funds for humanitarian causes, and how they sadly have big name Muslim celebrities entertain the Muslim crowds, in order to squeeze out money from the pockets of Muslims. This phenomenon, which has several variations (including basketball tournaments for charity), is extremely telling of the “Ummah consciousness” of a people, and their sheer addiction to fun and self-gratification, where they have to indulge themselves first before coming to the aid of the needy in their own Ummah. It does not seem to carry the same spirit of generosity and urgency when the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Guard from the Fire, even by giving half of a date fruit in charity.”

Social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter serve as another example of this phenomenon. The ideas of fun, frivolity, redundancy, and sheer narcissism promoted by these sites completely redefine our attitudes towards our lives. Before Facebook, one could feel perfectly content to have a sum total of dozen or more friends–but now, 12 looks likes a terrifyingly tiny number, and can become a cause for losing self-esteem. Yet if a person has a thousand friends, they will feel like an accomplished person of great importance and relevance, even if they are doing nothing on the grander scale of contributing to humanity or serving God. The “like” feature also ties into the same concept, serving as nothing more than fuel for narcissists on their personal pages. What is the purpose and ultimate consequence in liking the fact a friend went shopping that day? Equally disturbing is the practice of frequently updating profile pictures, of showcasing the same person in different poses and settings – a practice completely unnecessary for facilitating communication, yet needed for the purposes of communicating self-obsession and glory. (Ironically, many scoff at dictators for plastering their nations with pictures of themselves, without realizing that they themselves are guilty of the same practice online.)

Also, prior to Facebook, individuals with a less than normal social aptitude would be inevitably forced to learn the dynamics of building personalities and interacting with people at some stage in their life. With Facebook, the person will perhaps never learn, having finally found a venue to voice the sounds of their soul without hesitation. Some also have experienced that using Twitter extensively damages one’s ability to expound upon reflections and thoughts – one will simply send out 140 character messages and feel the urge is gone. In essence, Muslims need to be aware of the inherent orientations of the tools they use, and realize that technology, just like “culture,” is not as neutral as it may sometimes seem to be – and to embrace everything in the zeal to “integrate” may not be in the best interests of the Ummah.

Many will be inclined to think the previous narrative as slightly exaggerated, perhaps more applicable to the youth than the adults. But even the most fundamental concept of American culture, the American Dream, – which concerns all Americans – reeks of such individuality. From their early years, Americans are taught that this Dream lies chiefly in attaining affluence and pleasure (with their different manifestations), which in turn mostly hinge on education and assimilation. Thus, the entire effort of their lives, from education to love to business to travel, becomes a part and parcel of living that sacred Dream. Those who do not possess the prerequisites of this Dream are left alone to find refuge in drugs and gangs – but for those who do, the world is clear and straightforward. Sadly, this does not leave much room for building altruistic goals, of nurturing a true “Ummah consciousness” – although one can certainly develop a caring or generous character whilst living the Dream, one cannot experience altruism at its most powerful level, because the Dream inevitably revolves around oneself, and does not make much room for the dreams of others.

It is indeed incredibly unfortunate to see Muslims in America, who arguably possess the highest potential for bringing the most change in the world due to their unique position of both understanding the worldviews of the East and West as well as living in the country with the most power and influence over the world, become muted as their energies drain into the endless spirals of the American Dream. This perhaps can be attributed to both internal and external factors: on the one hand, the ceaseless bombardment from society does its damage, but on the other hand, inside forces including parents and friends also do admirably well in keeping the next generation focused on achieving their American Dream. After having finally broken away from the strong currents of society (and that being an accomplishment on its own), many greatly talented Muslim youth will find their will and zeal to devote their life to the Ummah flatly rebuffed by parents who care more for filling the lives of their children and families with luxury than responding to the dire pleadings of the Ummah worldwide.

If one truly believes in Islam as a whole, one must believe that the needs of the Ummah supersede his or her own needs. Our enormous energies and talents deserve not to be wasted away in corporate offices, but rather in the service of the greater good of humanity. Becoming doctors, engineers, or accountants is certainly not inherently wrong- but we must realize that building the character of a nation, that curing them of spiritual diseases, is much harder and requires ten times more resources than building the infrastructure of a nation. Obviously, as long as the bulk of all individual energies are being used to secure personal careers, American Muslims on a whole will never tap into their potential to bring reform and prosperity. Often, being an Islamic activist is only tolerated as a hobby – but if it is accorded its proper station as one’s true calling in life, it will be feared greatly, almost as if it surely portends poverty and ruin. Islam, though, is not meant to be taken up as a hobby, but as a life calling – and until we forgo our individualistic dreams and build grander dreams for the Ummah, one cannot have high expectations for the future. This is the fundamental mistake made by Muslims today, and in reality, it is this mistake which threatens ruin and destruction on the Muslim community.

If one believes the state of affairs of the Ummah to be pathetic today, we must believe ourselves individually to be pathetic as well. We have become desensitized to the plight of the world – how else can one describe our historically unprecedented ability to hear tragedy after tragedy, yet go back to spend hours watching T.V shows and games? Television claims to serve our powers of seeing and hearing, but in reality, it has taken control of our faculties of thinking, by controlling what we see and how we see. Ironically, we often accuse our brethren living in Muslim majority countries of being too sensitive, of being too combustible and manipulated by those who seek to give Islam a bad name. Yet few realize that we too, awash in our luxuries and numbed into silence and inaction by them, are also being manipulated by those same forces.

There is not much to fear from a Muslim who views his own life as more important than the Ummah – but an “Ummah conscious” Muslim will always be a threat to their corrupt interests. We must find a way to collectively fight back against these sterilizing forces, of creating new forces and institutions that are free from these dangers, and learn to orient our lives and ambitions toward the service of Allah and all of His creation – and if we can accomplish that, undoubtedly our future descendants will surely come upon a time, God-Willing, where decent men and women all over the world from Haiti to China will smile freely, and feel relieved at having found out that the forces of good have not been vanquished, that goodness and altruism still shine throughout Allah’s earth, like the morning glow rejuvenates us after the lethargy of the night.

WHY THE WEST FEARS ISLAM:THE ENEMY WITHIN

WHY THE WEST FEARS ISLAM:THE ENEMY WITHIN


By Enver Masud


WASHINGTON, DC -- When one examines the West's fear of Islam, and tries to relate it to the reasons usually given -- Muslim fundamentalism, militancy, radicalism, terrorism, totalitarianism -- it is difficult, if not impossible, to justify this fear on the basis of reasons given. One has to believe, however, given all the facts and expertise available to the West, that the fear has to be rational. What is this fear that causes enemies of the Muslim world to play subtly on the theme of the Crusades in order to demonize Islam and Muslims? Let us first examine what it is not, before we draw our conclusion as to the real reason why the West fears Islam.

The fear of Islamic fundamentalism, militancy, radicalism, terrorism, totalitarianism, and the West's discovery of the "rogue states," appeared quite conveniently with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Former Defense Secretary McNamara, in his 1989 testimony before the Senate Budget Committee, said U.S. defense spending could safely be cut in half. It became clear that the U.S. had to either undergo massive shifts in spending, a painful and unwelcome prospect for the defense establishment, or find new justification for continuing high levels of military expenditures. To provide this justification the Pentagon manufactured the threat of "rogue states and nuclear outlaws." The Gulf War was a contrived opportunity to sell this justification to the American people, to protect oil company profits, and to control the flow of oil to Europe and Japan which need it much more than does the U.S.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies calculates that the $262 billion U.S. defense budget accounts for about 37 percent of global military expenditures. Russia, Japan, and China each will spend about $80 billion, $42 billion, and $7 billion. The six "rogue states" -- Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, North Korea -- have a combined annual military budget of $15 billion. The U.S. budget for covert operations (U.S. terrorism?) alone is double this amount. Given the paltry defense expenditures of all the "rogue states" combined, even after correcting for differences in costs, one has to believe that the "rogue states" are no match, militarily, for the West.

And, leaving aside the morality of U.S. covert operations which invite retaliation, Muslim terrorists should not be a major fear. Far more acts of terrorism and violent crime in the U.S., according to government statistics, are committed by non-Muslims than Muslims. And if Muslims do pose a terrorist threat to the U.S., one hears little discussion of what it is that the terrorists really want. Perhaps, all they want is for the West to stop interfering in their countries, in ways that we would never tolerate in the U.S.

Islamic totalitarianism, an oxymoron to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of Islam, should not be a Western concern. A Muslim ruler may be totalitarian, but then her rule would not be Islamic. Furthermore, the Western record on supporting totalitarian Muslim regimes -- Iran under the Shah, Iraq before the Gulf War -- and doing business with non democratic regimes -- China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- speaks for itself.

As for fundamentalism, Islam has no parallel to the U.S. Protestant Christian movement which opposed modern scientific theory, and which coined the term in 1920 to designate those "doing battle royal for the fundamentals." Rather Islam has from its birth stressed the use of reason and logic.

Islamic law is based upon the Quran, examples and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, analogical deduction, consensus among the learned, and individual reasoning. When the Prophet's contemporaries heard the words islam and muslim, they understood them as denoting man's "self-surrender to God" and "one who surrenders himself to God," without limiting himself to any specific community or denomination, eg. in the Quran, 3:67, where Abraham is spoken of as having "surrendered himself unto God" (kana musliman), or in 3:52 where the disciples of Jesus say, "Bear thou witness that we have surrendered ourselves unto God (bianna musliman)." In Arabic, this original meaning has remained unimpaired.

Absent a generally accepted definition, the label Islamic fundamentalism serves only to obscure issues, rather than to resolve them. Meanwhile, the Christian Coalition, and the Zionists and their biblical claim to Palestine appear fundamentalist to many, yet both are courted by U.S. politicians, and not viewed as a threat.

One can go on eliminating Western arguments against Islam and Muslims. Eventually, one has to ask, what then is the source of the West's fear of Islam and Muslims?

The late Marshall G. S. Hodgson, in Rethinking World History, states: "[Islam's] conscious hopes for a godly world order represent one of the most remarkable undertakings in world history and because its less self-conscious general cultural heritage is laden with human values." Muslims see the West beset with broken families, violent crime, drugs. They see a society divided by race, religion, and huge disparities in income. They long for a peaceful life in which they may provide for the basic needs of their families, and enjoy the respect due to all mankind regardless of their race, religion, position, or wealth.

These Muslims see their goals for a more just and compassionate society thwarted by a corrupt Muslim elite who pursue wealth and power regardless of the cost to their fellow human beings. They see these elites, who govern not by consensus as Islam prescribes, permitting outside powers to exploit their country while they derive few benefits, and find themselves subordinated by Western influences driving them down the troubled road taken by the West. They see few opportunities to earn a living because most opportunities are withheld for the elites and their sycophants. And they see these elites remaining silent when their faith, which offers solutions to the many social problems that plague the West, is denigrated in the propaganda which serves to maintain these elites.

The Muslim elites' allies are the defense establishment and the neoimperialists. Islam's mandate for justice and compassion opposes the primary objective of these neoimperialists who seek to follow policies outlined in 1948 by "the leading dove and peace prize winner" Mr. George Kennan, for the U.S. Department of State. In his top secret Policy Planning Study 23 Mr. Kennan stated in part: ". . . we have about 50% of the world's wealth, but only 6.3% of its population . . . Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity . . . To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality . . . We should cease to talk about vague and . . . unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization."

To avoid exposure these neoimperialists and their allies in the U.S. defense establishment, spurred by the enemy within, divert attention by demonizing Islam and Muslims, thereby fanning the fires of bigotry and raising unrealistic fears among the people of the West.

ISLAM'S PIVOTAL ROLE IN EUROPE'S INTELECTUAL AND CULTURAL REBIRTH

ISLAM'S PIVOTAL ROLE IN EUROPE'S INTELECTUAL AND CULTURAL REBIRTH


None of the great intellectual and cultural movements of the West, like the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the Enlightenment of the 18th century CE and the Romantic Movement of the 19th century CE, could have been possible without Europe's connection with Islamic thought and culture, and Islam's impact on Europe through Spain, southern France and southern Italy.

"Islam," writes Stanwood Cobb, "impinging culturally upon adjacent Christian countries, was the virtual creator of the Renaissance in Europe".

"It was Islam which had transformed mediaeval, intolerant Europe into a new and modern, rationalist, humanist, tolerant and scientific Europe. Freedom of thought and expression were unknown in the mediaeval Europe dominated by the Catholic Church; scientific speculation was taboo!" (Islamic Contribution to Civilization)

The Renaissance marked the beginning of a new phase in civilization, where new thought and culture came into being. The impact of Islamic civilization on Europe laid the foundation for a new, modern civilization in the West. The question arises as to how the great change in Europe came about. The popular theory (which has no historical basis) that with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 CE, Greek scholars came over to Italy and with them the era of light and learning started, is rejected by all honest scholars of the West.

The distinguished historian, Robert Briffault, writes in his well-known work The Making of Humanity: “The light from which civilization was once more rekindled did not arise from any embers of Greco-Roman culture smoldering amid the ruins of Europe, or from the living death on the Bosphorus (Byzantine Empire) It did not come from the Northern but from the Southern invaders of the Empire, from the Saracens!! It was under the influence of the Arabian and Moorish revival of culture, and not in the 15th century CE, that the real Renaissance took place. Spain not Italy was the cradle of the rebirth of Europe.”

The period between the end of the 10th century and the 12th century CE was marked by the dominance of Arab thought and civilization in southern Europe.

"The greatest achievements of antiquity were due to the Greek Western genius," writes George Sarton, a distinguished historian, "the greatest achievements of the Middle Ages were due to the Muslim Eastern genius. During this period (1100-1250 CE) 'the West was assimilating the East."

"It was then,” continues Sarton, "that the conflicting cultures were brought most closely together, especially the Christian and Muslim, and that their inter-penetration constituted the solid core of the new Europe."

The view of Sarton was supported by Condorcet, one of the most enlightened thinkers of the French Age of Reason and Enlightenment, who acknowledged Europe's debt to the Muslim Arabs in these words: "They (Arabs) translated Aristotle and studied his works: they cultivated astronomy, optics, and the various branches of medicine and enriched these sciences with new truths. We owe to them the spread of the use of Algebra. With the Arabs the sciences were free, and this freedom was due to their success in reviving some sparks of the Greek genius…. People learnt the Arabic language, they read Arab writings…."

Post-Renaissance Western civilization is not a Christian civilization. In its foundational ideal and values, such as the dignity of man, man's rationality, unity and equality of mankind, humanism, liberalism, human freedom and human rights, science, technology and industrialism and, above all, the rule of law and justice, it is closer to Islam's moral, social and legal ideals than to mediaeval Christianity.

Islam affirms freedom of religion and enjoins the duty of justice to one and all without any racial or religious prejudices and hatred. Modern civilization is no longer merely Western. All nations, without distinction of race and religion, accept and enshrine in their constitution all the moral, social, economic and legal ideals of the contemporary civilization as enshrined in the United Nations' Charter and in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

All these are explicitly declared in Islam's Holy Book, The Quran, and were proclaimed by the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in his sayings and through his actions, especially in his farewell address at his last pilgrimage. This address may be considered the first charter of human rights, wherein the Prophet, declared the unity and equality of humankind, and put an end to all the primitive, barbarous and inhuman traditions and customs of the Age of Ignorance, such as tribal pride, prejudice, hatred and female infanticide.

WHY THE WEST FEARS ISLAM:THE ENEMY WITHIN

By Enver Masud


WASHINGTON, DC -- When one examines the West's fear of Islam, and tries to relate it to the reasons usually given -- Muslim fundamentalism, militancy, radicalism, terrorism, totalitarianism -- it is difficult, if not impossible, to justify this fear on the basis of reasons given. One has to believe, however, given all the facts and expertise available to the West, that the fear has to be rational. What is this fear that causes enemies of the Muslim world to play subtly on the theme of the Crusades in order to demonize Islam and Muslims? Let us first examine what it is not, before we draw our conclusion as to the real reason why the West fears Islam.

The fear of Islamic fundamentalism, militancy, radicalism, terrorism, totalitarianism, and the West's discovery of the "rogue states," appeared quite conveniently with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Former Defense Secretary McNamara, in his 1989 testimony before the Senate Budget Committee, said U.S. defense spending could safely be cut in half. It became clear that the U.S. had to either undergo massive shifts in spending, a painful and unwelcome prospect for the defense establishment, or find new justification for continuing high levels of military expenditures. To provide this justification the Pentagon manufactured the threat of "rogue states and nuclear outlaws." The Gulf War was a contrived opportunity to sell this justification to the American people, to protect oil company profits, and to control the flow of oil to Europe and Japan which need it much more than does the U.S.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies calculates that the $262 billion U.S. defense budget accounts for about 37 percent of global military expenditures. Russia, Japan, and China each will spend about $80 billion, $42 billion, and $7 billion. The six "rogue states" -- Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, North Korea -- have a combined annual military budget of $15 billion. The U.S. budget for covert operations (U.S. terrorism?) alone is double this amount. Given the paltry defense expenditures of all the "rogue states" combined, even after correcting for differences in costs, one has to believe that the "rogue states" are no match, militarily, for the West.

And, leaving aside the morality of U.S. covert operations which invite retaliation, Muslim terrorists should not be a major fear. Far more acts of terrorism and violent crime in the U.S., according to government statistics, are committed by non-Muslims than Muslims. And if Muslims do pose a terrorist threat to the U.S., one hears little discussion of what it is that the terrorists really want. Perhaps, all they want is for the West to stop interfering in their countries, in ways that we would never tolerate in the U.S.

Islamic totalitarianism, an oxymoron to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of Islam, should not be a Western concern. A Muslim ruler may be totalitarian, but then her rule would not be Islamic. Furthermore, the Western record on supporting totalitarian Muslim regimes -- Iran under the Shah, Iraq before the Gulf War -- and doing business with non democratic regimes -- China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- speaks for itself.

As for fundamentalism, Islam has no parallel to the U.S. Protestant Christian movement which opposed modern scientific theory, and which coined the term in 1920 to designate those "doing battle royal for the fundamentals." Rather Islam has from its birth stressed the use of reason and logic.

Islamic law is based upon the Quran, examples and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, analogical deduction, consensus among the learned, and individual reasoning. When the Prophet's contemporaries heard the words islam and muslim, they understood them as denoting man's "self-surrender to God" and "one who surrenders himself to God," without limiting himself to any specific community or denomination, eg. in the Quran, 3:67, where Abraham is spoken of as having "surrendered himself unto God" (kana musliman), or in 3:52 where the disciples of Jesus say, "Bear thou witness that we have surrendered ourselves unto God (bianna musliman)." In Arabic, this original meaning has remained unimpaired.

Absent a generally accepted definition, the label Islamic fundamentalism serves only to obscure issues, rather than to resolve them. Meanwhile, the Christian Coalition, and the Zionists and their biblical claim to Palestine appear fundamentalist to many, yet both are courted by U.S. politicians, and not viewed as a threat.

One can go on eliminating Western arguments against Islam and Muslims. Eventually, one has to ask, what then is the source of the West's fear of Islam and Muslims?

The late Marshall G. S. Hodgson, in Rethinking World History, states: "[Islam's] conscious hopes for a godly world order represent one of the most remarkable undertakings in world history and because its less self-conscious general cultural heritage is laden with human values." Muslims see the West beset with broken families, violent crime, drugs. They see a society divided by race, religion, and huge disparities in income. They long for a peaceful life in which they may provide for the basic needs of their families, and enjoy the respect due to all mankind regardless of their race, religion, position, or wealth.

These Muslims see their goals for a more just and compassionate society thwarted by a corrupt Muslim elite who pursue wealth and power regardless of the cost to their fellow human beings. They see these elites, who govern not by consensus as Islam prescribes, permitting outside powers to exploit their country while they derive few benefits, and find themselves subordinated by Western influences driving them down the troubled road taken by the West. They see few opportunities to earn a living because most opportunities are withheld for the elites and their sycophants. And they see these elites remaining silent when their faith, which offers solutions to the many social problems that plague the West, is denigrated in the propaganda which serves to maintain these elites.

The Muslim elites' allies are the defense establishment and the neoimperialists. Islam's mandate for justice and compassion opposes the primary objective of these neoimperialists who seek to follow policies outlined in 1948 by "the leading dove and peace prize winner" Mr. George Kennan, for the U.S. Department of State. In his top secret Policy Planning Study 23 Mr. Kennan stated in part: ". . . we have about 50% of the world's wealth, but only 6.3% of its population . . . Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity . . . To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality . . . We should cease to talk about vague and . . . unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization."

To avoid exposure these neoimperialists and their allies in the U.S. defense establishment, spurred by the enemy within, divert attention by demonizing Islam and Muslims, thereby fanning the fires of bigotry and raising unrealistic fears among the people of the West.