Like the advice that I gave at the beginning of Ramadan, I would like to do the same regarding Hajj, pilgrimage to Makkah, for those who are going this year or plan to go in the near future. This will be practical advice, not fiqhi (jurisprudence) advice.
*Visiting Al-Madinah*
Many pilgrims visit Al-Madinah either before going to Makkah for Hajj or afterwards. If visiting Al-Madinah before making Hajj, I suggest getting maximum rest.
Shopping for items will be cheaper in Al-Madinah than in Makkah, so forego buying items in Makkah as much as possible.
Bring toliet paper with you. The public bathrooms are traditional (i.e. a whole in the floor and a hose for istinja). Sanitary hand wipes or anti-bacterial lotion will be needed as well.
Don't drink the fountain drinks at the KFC! The water used at the fast-food spots is NOT Zamzam. You may get "Montezuma's Revenge."
Shi'i brothers & sisters! Avoid drama with the security forces outside of Al-Baqee', the graveyard across from the Prophet's masjid. Pressing the issue of saying the "Ziyarah" upon Ahl Al-Bayt at the graveyard once you've been told to clear the area may cause you to get your head cracked open. The same applies to Sufi brothers & sisters who wish to congregate close by Al-Masjid An-Nabawi and say du'a as a group or attempt to make dhirk in a circle. Save that for your tent in Mina.
Beware of the beggers that come out of the woodworks. The beggers that you see do not live there. Most of them come there to beg. Part of having a valid pilgrimage is that one brings enough provisions without needing to take a loan or beg.
Try to pray 2 units at the Rawdah prior to Fajr prayer. It will be too crowded later on in the day. Some brothers act like they're camping out there; they don't want to leave!
When greeting the Prophet (SAAS) while walking in front of the area of his grave, keep your hands down. Don't try to salute him or stick your hands up in du'a. You may get hit by a club from Saudi security.
*Visiting Makkah*
Before going into the haram, use the restroom at your hotel and make wud'u there. You do not want to go through the hassle of leaving your rituals to use the restroom and renew your taharah at the Sacred Mosque!
Take a plastic bag to put your sandals in and carry them with you into the masjid. Otherwise, someone will take your sandals by mistake, and you'll be barefoot walking the streets of Makkah until you get to a shop that sells sandals.
Keep a money belt on you, and have it underneath your garments. People will STEAL!
Brothers, walk closely behind your wives while making Tawaaf and Sa'iy. You'll have to guard them from possible perverts.
Get to the masjid about one hour prior to prayer time if you want to make it on the ground level.
Take the time out in between prayers to strike up conversations with others from different countries. You'll learn a lot, insha'ALLAH, and it will give a greater spiritual dimension to your pilgrimage. I found the pilgrims from Senegal and Sudan to be the most pleasant.
Remember to keep your cool, and do not get angry! Most of the people there are highly civilized. However, if even 1% of 2 million pilgrims act a fool, those 20,000 can make life extremely difficult. In particular, some Gulf Arabs refer to black people as `abeed (slave) in a matter of fact manner. Don't cuss them out, or fight with them.
*Visiting Mina*
Let your travel group leaders do the jockeying in regards to securing your tent. It's not uncommon that some group from another sector may come to "house" the tent that you were suppose to be in.
Walk to the South Asian sector for hot tea in the morning; it's good. :)
Try to shower before Fajr. Thousands of people use those showers afterwards, and it can become flat out nasty.
*Visiting Arafat*
In between making du'a and listening to lecture, take a little nap. You'll need it.
Beware of the speaker, who will come to your tent giving a speak about how they're trying to raise money for a Qur'an school in Afghanistan or Pakistan. It's a scam.
*Visiting Muzdalifah*
Collect your stones for the next 3 days of stoning the symbolic devils as soon as you get there. Do not sit down and tell yourself that you're going to take a short rest before collecting your stones.
Have a sleeping bag with you. It will feel cold out there at night while you're sleeping on hard earth without a tent over your head.
Make Fajr prayer as close to your bus as you can, so you can jump on and beat the traffic jam!
*Regarding stoning*
Beware of the Indonesian sister groups! They flock together in the dozens and thrown their stones as if they are literally stoning the devil! :)
Do not attempt to bring any bags with you on the last day of stoning.
Brothers who are old, sick or weak should stone at night with the sisters instead of going after Thuhr prayer. I know this is a fiqhi issue. :) In the Ja'fari school of thought, it is permissible for men to stone at night irrespective of their age or health condition.
Hajj is a wonderful experience. You should, however, realize that Saudi Arabia during Hajj season is far from a utopia. Stay alert, and you should be fine, insha'ALLAH.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Black Agenda Report: "Save Darfur" is a scam
*NOTE* - I don't categorically agree with the entire contents of this article, in particular that journalists were bribed to write misinformation about Darfur and that the sole reason of the rallying cry is due to desired control of economic resources.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=453&Itemid=1
Ten Reasons Why "Save Darfur" is a Scam to Justify the Next US Oil and Resource Wars in Africa
Africa - US Imperialism in Africa
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
by BAR managing editor Bruce Dixon
The star-studded hue and cry to "Save Darfur" and "stop the genocide" has gained enormous traction in U.S. media along with bipartisan support in Congress and the White House. But the Congo, with ten to twenty times as many African dead over the same period is not called a "genocide" and passes almost unnoticed. Sudan sits atop lakes of oil. It has large supplies of uranium, and other minerals, significant water resources, and a strategic location near still more African oil and resources. The unasked question is whether the nation's Republican and Democratic foreign policy elite are using claims of genocide, and appeals for "humanitarian intervention" to grease the way for the next oil and resource wars on the African continent.
Top Ten Reasons to Suspect "Save Darfur" is a PR Scam to Justify US Military Intervention in African
by BAR MAnaging Editor Bruce Dixon
The regular manufacture and the constant maintenance of false realities in the service of American empire is a core function of the public relations profession and the corporate news media. Whether it's fake news stories about wonder drugs and how toxic chemicals are good for you, bribed commentators and journalists discoursing on the benefits of No Child Left Behind, Hollywood stars advocating military intervention to save African orphans, or slick propaganda campaigns employing viral marketing techniques to reach out to college students, bloggers, churches and ordinary citizens, it pays to take a close look behind the facade.
Among the latest false realities being pushed upon the American people are the simplistic pictures of Black vs. Arab genocide in Darfur, and the proposed solution: a robust US-backed or US-led military intervention in Western Sudan. Increasing scrutiny is being focused upon the “Save Darfur” lobby and the Save Darfur Coalition; upon its founders, its finances, its methods and motivations and its truthfulness. In the spirit of furthering that examination we here present ten reasons to suspect that the "Save Darfur" campaign is a PR scam to justify US intervention in Africa.
1. It wouldn't be the first Big Lie our government and media elite told us to justify a war.
Elders among us can recall the Tonkin Gulf Incident, which the US government deliberately provoked to justify initiation of the war in Vietnam. This rationale was quickly succeeded by the need to help the struggling infant "democracy" in South Vietnam, and the still useful "fight 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em over here" nonsense. More recently the bombings, invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have been variously explained by people on the public payroll as necessary to "get Bin Laden" as revenge for 9-11, as measures to take "the world's most dangerous weapons" from the hands of "the world's most dangerous regimes", as measures to enable the struggling Iraqi "democracy" stand on its own two feet, and necessary because it's better to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here".
Slick and misleading propaganda campaigns conducted by public relations professionals in support of U.S. foreign and domestic policy initiatives have become pretty much the rule. The Ketchum PR firm was employed to plant false news stories and bribe journalists and commentators to write glowing stories.
2. It wouldn't even be the first time the U.S. government and media elite employed "genocide prevention" as a rationale for military intervention in an oil-rich region.
The 1995 US and NATO military intervention in Kosovo was supposedly a "peacekeeping" operation to stop a genocide. The lasting result of that campaign is Camp Bondsteel, one of the largest military bases on the planet. The U.S. is practically the only country in the world that maintains military bases outside its own borders. At just under a thousand acres, Camp Bondsteel offers the US military the ability to pre-position large quantities of equipment and supplies within striking distance of Caspian oil fields, pipeline routes and relevant sea lanes. It is also widely believed to be the site of one of the US's secret prison and torture facilities.
3. If stopping genocide in Africa really was on the agenda, why the focus on Sudan with 200,000 to 400,000 dead rather than Congo with five million dead?
“The notion that a quarter million Darfuri dead are a genocide and five million dead Congolese are not is vicious and absurd," according to Congolese activist Nita Evele. "What's happened and what is still happening in Congo is not a tribal conflict and it's not a civil war. It is an invasion. It is a genocide with a death toll of five million, twenty times that of Darfur, conducted for the purpose of plundering Congolese mineral and natural resources."
More than anything else, the selective and cynical application of the term "genocide" to Sudan, rather than to the Congo where ten to twenty times as many have been murdered reveals the depth of hypocrisy around the "Save Darfur" movement. In the Congo, where local gangsters, mercenaries and warlords along with invading armies from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola engage in slaughter, mass rape and regional depopulation on a scale that dwarfs anything happening in Sudan, all the players eagerly compete to guarantee that the extraction of vital coltan for Western computers and cell phones, the export of uranium for Western reactors and nukes, along with diamonds, gold, copper, timber and other Congolese resources continue undisturbed.
Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young and George H.W. Bush both serve on the board of Barrcik Gold, one of the largest and most active mining concerns in war-torn Congo. Evidently, with profits from the brutal extraction of Congolese wealth flowing to the West, there can be no Congolese "genocide" worth noting, much less interfering with. For their purposes, U.S. strategic planners may regard their Congolese model as the ideal means of capturing African wealth at minimal cost without the bother of official U.S. boots on the ground.
4. It's all about Sudanese oil.
Sudan, and the Darfur region in particular, sit atop a lake of oil. But Sudanese oil fields are not being developed and drilled by Exxon or Chevron or British Petroleum. Chinese banks, oil and construction firms are making the loans, drilling the wells, laying the pipelines to take Sudanese oil where they intend it to go, calling far too many shots for a twenty-first century in which the U.S. aspires to control the planet's energy supplies. A U.S. and NATO military intervention will solve that problem for U.S. planners.
5. It's all about Sudanese uranium, gum arabic and other natural resources.
Uranium is vital to the nuclear weapons industry and an essential fuel for nuclear reactors. Sudan possesses high quality deposits of uranium. Gum arabic is an essential ingredient in pharmeceuticals, candies and beverages like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and Sudanese exports of this commodity are 80% of the world's supply. When comprehensive U.S. sanctions against the Sudanese regime were being considered in 1997, industry lobbyists stepped up and secured an exemption in the sanctions bill to guarantee their supplies of this valuable Sudanese commodity. But an in-country U.S. and NATO military presence is a more secure guarantee that the extraction of Sudanese resources, like those of the Congo, flow westward to the U.S. and the European Union.
6. It's all about Sudan's strategic location
Sudan sits opposite Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, where a large fraction of the world's easily extracted oil will be for a few more years. Darfur borders on Libya and Chad, with their own vast oil resources, is within striking distance of West and Central Africa, and is a likely pipeline route. The Nile River flows through Sudan before reaching Egypt, and Southern Sudan water resources of regional significance too. With the creation of AFRICOM, the new Pentagon command for the African continent, the U.S. has made open and explicit its intention to plant a strategic footprint on the African continent. From permanent Sudanese bases, the U.S. military could influence the politics and ecocomies of Africa for a generation to come.
7. The backers and founders of the "Save Darfur" movement are the well-connected and well-funded U.S. foreign policy elite.
According to a copyrighted Washington Post story this summer,"The “Save Darfur (Coalition) was created in 2005 by two groups concerned about genocide in the African country – the American Jewish World Service and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum...
“The coalition has a staff of 30 with expertise in policy and public relations. Its budget was about $15 million in the most recent fiscal year...
“Save Darfur will not say exactly how much it has spent on its ads, which this week have attempted to shame China, host of the 2008 Olympics, into easing its support for Sudan. But a coalition spokeswoman said the amount is in the millions of dollars.”
Though the "Save Darfur" PR campaign employs viral marketing techniques, reaching out to college students, even to black bloggers, it is not a grassroots affair, as were the movement against apartheid and in support of African liberation movements in South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique a generation ago. Top heavy with evangelical Christians who preach the coming war for the end of the world, and with elements known for their uncritical support of Israeli rejectionism in the Middle East, the Save Darfur movement is clearly an establishment affair, a propaganda campaign that spends millions of dollars each month to manfacture consent for US military intervention in Africa under the cloak of stopping or preventing genocide.
8. None of the funds raised by the "Save Darfur Coalition", the flagship of the "Save Darfur Movement" go to help needy Africans on the ground in Darfur, according to stories in both the Washington Post and the New York Times.
“None of the money collected by Save Darfur goes to help the victims and their families. Instead, the coalition pours its proceeds into advocacy efforts that are primarily designed to persuade governments to act.”
9. "Save Darfur" partisans in the U.S. are not interested in political negotiations to end the conflict in Darfur
President Bush has openly and repeatedly attempted to throw monkey wrenches at peace negotiations to end the war in Darfur. Even pro-intervention scholars and humanitarian organizations active on the ground have criticized the U.S. for endangering humanitarian relief workers, and for effectively urging rebel parties in Darfur to refuse peace talks and hold out for U.S. and NATO intervention on their behalf.
The PR campaign which depicts the conflict as strictly a racial affair, in which Arabs, who are generally despised in the US media anyway, are exterminating the black population of Sudan, is slick, seamless and attractive, and seems to leave no room for negotiation. But in fact, many of Sudan's 'Arabs", even the Janjiweed, are also black. In any case, they were armed and unleashed by a government which has the power to disarm them if it chooses, and refusing to talk to that government's negotiators is a sure way to avoid any settlement.
10. Blackwater and other U.S. mercenary contractors, the unofficial arms of the Republican party and the Pentagon are eagerly pitching their services as part of the solution to the Darfur crisis.
"Chris Taylor, head of strategy for Blackwater, says his company has a database of thousands of former police and military officers for security assignments. He says Blackwater personnel could set up perimeters and guard Darfurian villages and refugee camp in support of the U.N. Blackwater officials say it would not take many men to fend off the Janjaweed, a militia that is supported by the Sudanese government and attacks villages on camelback."
Apparently Blackwater doesn't need to come to the Congo, a well established law-free zone where the profits flow to the right places.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=453&Itemid=1
Ten Reasons Why "Save Darfur" is a Scam to Justify the Next US Oil and Resource Wars in Africa
Africa - US Imperialism in Africa
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
by BAR managing editor Bruce Dixon
The star-studded hue and cry to "Save Darfur" and "stop the genocide" has gained enormous traction in U.S. media along with bipartisan support in Congress and the White House. But the Congo, with ten to twenty times as many African dead over the same period is not called a "genocide" and passes almost unnoticed. Sudan sits atop lakes of oil. It has large supplies of uranium, and other minerals, significant water resources, and a strategic location near still more African oil and resources. The unasked question is whether the nation's Republican and Democratic foreign policy elite are using claims of genocide, and appeals for "humanitarian intervention" to grease the way for the next oil and resource wars on the African continent.
Top Ten Reasons to Suspect "Save Darfur" is a PR Scam to Justify US Military Intervention in African
by BAR MAnaging Editor Bruce Dixon
The regular manufacture and the constant maintenance of false realities in the service of American empire is a core function of the public relations profession and the corporate news media. Whether it's fake news stories about wonder drugs and how toxic chemicals are good for you, bribed commentators and journalists discoursing on the benefits of No Child Left Behind, Hollywood stars advocating military intervention to save African orphans, or slick propaganda campaigns employing viral marketing techniques to reach out to college students, bloggers, churches and ordinary citizens, it pays to take a close look behind the facade.
Among the latest false realities being pushed upon the American people are the simplistic pictures of Black vs. Arab genocide in Darfur, and the proposed solution: a robust US-backed or US-led military intervention in Western Sudan. Increasing scrutiny is being focused upon the “Save Darfur” lobby and the Save Darfur Coalition; upon its founders, its finances, its methods and motivations and its truthfulness. In the spirit of furthering that examination we here present ten reasons to suspect that the "Save Darfur" campaign is a PR scam to justify US intervention in Africa.
1. It wouldn't be the first Big Lie our government and media elite told us to justify a war.
Elders among us can recall the Tonkin Gulf Incident, which the US government deliberately provoked to justify initiation of the war in Vietnam. This rationale was quickly succeeded by the need to help the struggling infant "democracy" in South Vietnam, and the still useful "fight 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em over here" nonsense. More recently the bombings, invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have been variously explained by people on the public payroll as necessary to "get Bin Laden" as revenge for 9-11, as measures to take "the world's most dangerous weapons" from the hands of "the world's most dangerous regimes", as measures to enable the struggling Iraqi "democracy" stand on its own two feet, and necessary because it's better to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here".
Slick and misleading propaganda campaigns conducted by public relations professionals in support of U.S. foreign and domestic policy initiatives have become pretty much the rule. The Ketchum PR firm was employed to plant false news stories and bribe journalists and commentators to write glowing stories.
2. It wouldn't even be the first time the U.S. government and media elite employed "genocide prevention" as a rationale for military intervention in an oil-rich region.
The 1995 US and NATO military intervention in Kosovo was supposedly a "peacekeeping" operation to stop a genocide. The lasting result of that campaign is Camp Bondsteel, one of the largest military bases on the planet. The U.S. is practically the only country in the world that maintains military bases outside its own borders. At just under a thousand acres, Camp Bondsteel offers the US military the ability to pre-position large quantities of equipment and supplies within striking distance of Caspian oil fields, pipeline routes and relevant sea lanes. It is also widely believed to be the site of one of the US's secret prison and torture facilities.
3. If stopping genocide in Africa really was on the agenda, why the focus on Sudan with 200,000 to 400,000 dead rather than Congo with five million dead?
“The notion that a quarter million Darfuri dead are a genocide and five million dead Congolese are not is vicious and absurd," according to Congolese activist Nita Evele. "What's happened and what is still happening in Congo is not a tribal conflict and it's not a civil war. It is an invasion. It is a genocide with a death toll of five million, twenty times that of Darfur, conducted for the purpose of plundering Congolese mineral and natural resources."
More than anything else, the selective and cynical application of the term "genocide" to Sudan, rather than to the Congo where ten to twenty times as many have been murdered reveals the depth of hypocrisy around the "Save Darfur" movement. In the Congo, where local gangsters, mercenaries and warlords along with invading armies from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola engage in slaughter, mass rape and regional depopulation on a scale that dwarfs anything happening in Sudan, all the players eagerly compete to guarantee that the extraction of vital coltan for Western computers and cell phones, the export of uranium for Western reactors and nukes, along with diamonds, gold, copper, timber and other Congolese resources continue undisturbed.
Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young and George H.W. Bush both serve on the board of Barrcik Gold, one of the largest and most active mining concerns in war-torn Congo. Evidently, with profits from the brutal extraction of Congolese wealth flowing to the West, there can be no Congolese "genocide" worth noting, much less interfering with. For their purposes, U.S. strategic planners may regard their Congolese model as the ideal means of capturing African wealth at minimal cost without the bother of official U.S. boots on the ground.
4. It's all about Sudanese oil.
Sudan, and the Darfur region in particular, sit atop a lake of oil. But Sudanese oil fields are not being developed and drilled by Exxon or Chevron or British Petroleum. Chinese banks, oil and construction firms are making the loans, drilling the wells, laying the pipelines to take Sudanese oil where they intend it to go, calling far too many shots for a twenty-first century in which the U.S. aspires to control the planet's energy supplies. A U.S. and NATO military intervention will solve that problem for U.S. planners.
5. It's all about Sudanese uranium, gum arabic and other natural resources.
Uranium is vital to the nuclear weapons industry and an essential fuel for nuclear reactors. Sudan possesses high quality deposits of uranium. Gum arabic is an essential ingredient in pharmeceuticals, candies and beverages like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and Sudanese exports of this commodity are 80% of the world's supply. When comprehensive U.S. sanctions against the Sudanese regime were being considered in 1997, industry lobbyists stepped up and secured an exemption in the sanctions bill to guarantee their supplies of this valuable Sudanese commodity. But an in-country U.S. and NATO military presence is a more secure guarantee that the extraction of Sudanese resources, like those of the Congo, flow westward to the U.S. and the European Union.
6. It's all about Sudan's strategic location
Sudan sits opposite Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, where a large fraction of the world's easily extracted oil will be for a few more years. Darfur borders on Libya and Chad, with their own vast oil resources, is within striking distance of West and Central Africa, and is a likely pipeline route. The Nile River flows through Sudan before reaching Egypt, and Southern Sudan water resources of regional significance too. With the creation of AFRICOM, the new Pentagon command for the African continent, the U.S. has made open and explicit its intention to plant a strategic footprint on the African continent. From permanent Sudanese bases, the U.S. military could influence the politics and ecocomies of Africa for a generation to come.
7. The backers and founders of the "Save Darfur" movement are the well-connected and well-funded U.S. foreign policy elite.
According to a copyrighted Washington Post story this summer,"The “Save Darfur (Coalition) was created in 2005 by two groups concerned about genocide in the African country – the American Jewish World Service and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum...
“The coalition has a staff of 30 with expertise in policy and public relations. Its budget was about $15 million in the most recent fiscal year...
“Save Darfur will not say exactly how much it has spent on its ads, which this week have attempted to shame China, host of the 2008 Olympics, into easing its support for Sudan. But a coalition spokeswoman said the amount is in the millions of dollars.”
Though the "Save Darfur" PR campaign employs viral marketing techniques, reaching out to college students, even to black bloggers, it is not a grassroots affair, as were the movement against apartheid and in support of African liberation movements in South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique a generation ago. Top heavy with evangelical Christians who preach the coming war for the end of the world, and with elements known for their uncritical support of Israeli rejectionism in the Middle East, the Save Darfur movement is clearly an establishment affair, a propaganda campaign that spends millions of dollars each month to manfacture consent for US military intervention in Africa under the cloak of stopping or preventing genocide.
8. None of the funds raised by the "Save Darfur Coalition", the flagship of the "Save Darfur Movement" go to help needy Africans on the ground in Darfur, according to stories in both the Washington Post and the New York Times.
“None of the money collected by Save Darfur goes to help the victims and their families. Instead, the coalition pours its proceeds into advocacy efforts that are primarily designed to persuade governments to act.”
9. "Save Darfur" partisans in the U.S. are not interested in political negotiations to end the conflict in Darfur
President Bush has openly and repeatedly attempted to throw monkey wrenches at peace negotiations to end the war in Darfur. Even pro-intervention scholars and humanitarian organizations active on the ground have criticized the U.S. for endangering humanitarian relief workers, and for effectively urging rebel parties in Darfur to refuse peace talks and hold out for U.S. and NATO intervention on their behalf.
The PR campaign which depicts the conflict as strictly a racial affair, in which Arabs, who are generally despised in the US media anyway, are exterminating the black population of Sudan, is slick, seamless and attractive, and seems to leave no room for negotiation. But in fact, many of Sudan's 'Arabs", even the Janjiweed, are also black. In any case, they were armed and unleashed by a government which has the power to disarm them if it chooses, and refusing to talk to that government's negotiators is a sure way to avoid any settlement.
10. Blackwater and other U.S. mercenary contractors, the unofficial arms of the Republican party and the Pentagon are eagerly pitching their services as part of the solution to the Darfur crisis.
"Chris Taylor, head of strategy for Blackwater, says his company has a database of thousands of former police and military officers for security assignments. He says Blackwater personnel could set up perimeters and guard Darfurian villages and refugee camp in support of the U.N. Blackwater officials say it would not take many men to fend off the Janjaweed, a militia that is supported by the Sudanese government and attacks villages on camelback."
Apparently Blackwater doesn't need to come to the Congo, a well established law-free zone where the profits flow to the right places.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Walid speaks at WSU regarding American Muslims within our secular democracy
Yesterday's speech was delivered at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10041
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10041
Monday, November 26, 2007
Expectations low for upcoming summit in Maryland
Political division within Palestine and Iranian-Saudi jockeying for position and influence in the Middle East are the backdrops for the lifeless "Peace Summit" in Annapolis, Maryland that is about to take place between the Arabs and Israelis.
A meeting without clear objectives that has the agenda of bringing people together to agree to possibly meet in the future is a waste of time.
There can be no peace in the region as long as the occupied lands are not returned to the Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian peoples. Freedom of access to Jerusalem and the right of religious groups to be custodians of their own holy sites without outside interference must be addressed. The right of return and/or payment of reparations for confiscated land is another issue that must be addressed head on.
Likewise, Israel will never accept to have armed militias on its borders that operate outside of the authority of the central governments of those nations. Surely, Israel wants the Lebanese Army and the Palestinian Security Forces to be the sole militaries in their lands, not Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad with the capability to fire rockets anywhere within Israel proper.
SEE article below how the summit is being discussed in Iran.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/26/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Mideast-Summit.php
Iran's supreme leader calls upcoming Mideast peace conference a failure
The Associated Press
Published: November 26, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the upcoming Mideast peace conference in the U.S. a failure on Monday, claiming it was meant to salvage America's reputation in the region rather than realize the rights of Palestinians, state television reported.
"Today, all politicians in advance know that this conference has already failed," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state TV. "The U.S. and its accomplices hope to preserve their reputation by this conference and compensate past failures of the fake Zionist (Israeli) regime." *He's implying that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are the accomplices*
Khamenei's comments came on the heels of a telephone call late Sunday between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in which the Iranian president expressed disappointment at Saudi's participation in the conference, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among the participants at the Annapolis conference," the official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
The Iranian president said the U.S. could not be a legitimate host for the conference because "it is an accomplice to Zionist (Israeli) crimes." He urged Arab countries to be watchful of Israeli plots and deception, IRNA reported.
Also Sunday, Ahmadinejad said in a public speech that the peace conference would help Israel and "has no benefit for the oppressed Palestinian nation."
He questioned the intelligence of the representatives attending the meeting, accusing them of making concessions to Israel — an apparent reference to Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Syria who are sending senior officials to the conference.(MORE)
A meeting without clear objectives that has the agenda of bringing people together to agree to possibly meet in the future is a waste of time.
There can be no peace in the region as long as the occupied lands are not returned to the Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian peoples. Freedom of access to Jerusalem and the right of religious groups to be custodians of their own holy sites without outside interference must be addressed. The right of return and/or payment of reparations for confiscated land is another issue that must be addressed head on.
Likewise, Israel will never accept to have armed militias on its borders that operate outside of the authority of the central governments of those nations. Surely, Israel wants the Lebanese Army and the Palestinian Security Forces to be the sole militaries in their lands, not Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad with the capability to fire rockets anywhere within Israel proper.
SEE article below how the summit is being discussed in Iran.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/26/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Mideast-Summit.php
Iran's supreme leader calls upcoming Mideast peace conference a failure
The Associated Press
Published: November 26, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the upcoming Mideast peace conference in the U.S. a failure on Monday, claiming it was meant to salvage America's reputation in the region rather than realize the rights of Palestinians, state television reported.
"Today, all politicians in advance know that this conference has already failed," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state TV. "The U.S. and its accomplices hope to preserve their reputation by this conference and compensate past failures of the fake Zionist (Israeli) regime." *He's implying that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are the accomplices*
Khamenei's comments came on the heels of a telephone call late Sunday between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in which the Iranian president expressed disappointment at Saudi's participation in the conference, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among the participants at the Annapolis conference," the official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
The Iranian president said the U.S. could not be a legitimate host for the conference because "it is an accomplice to Zionist (Israeli) crimes." He urged Arab countries to be watchful of Israeli plots and deception, IRNA reported.
Also Sunday, Ahmadinejad said in a public speech that the peace conference would help Israel and "has no benefit for the oppressed Palestinian nation."
He questioned the intelligence of the representatives attending the meeting, accusing them of making concessions to Israel — an apparent reference to Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Syria who are sending senior officials to the conference.(MORE)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Peace activist's trial to begin in Ann Arbor regarding Iran
Tomorrow, jury selection will start for the trial of Dr. Catherine Wilkerson, an American who was arrested at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor last year for voicing her objections to a speech by Prof. Ray Tanter, co-founder of the Iran Policy Committee, who has openly stated on more than one occassion that nuking Iran wouldn't be a bad idea.
Does Tanter want to start World War III? Does he even recognize that not only would a preemptive nuclear attack against Iran be immoral but that it would provoke the entire Muslim World, Russia and perhaps China to take military action? Does he want Armageddon?
The most prominent scholar among Sunnis, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in Qatar, by the way, issued a statement that Muslims, Sunnis and Shi'is, should defend Iran if it was attacked. This is scary stuff.
SEE: http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=27058§ionid=351020101
Going back to Dr. Wilkerson's trial, our nation prides itself regarding our right to voice dissenting views in public and to disagree on university campuses under the guise of Freedom of Speech. We'll patiently wait and view the outcome of this trial to see if this same standard applies to those who are against war-mongering in The Middle East with those who are in favor of preemptive nuclear attacks against a sovereign nation.
In the meantime, we should all pray for peace and hope that our nation and our "allies" in the region refrain from any preemptive attacks against Iran. Iran is not like Iraq; it would be 10 times uglier than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
Visit defendwilkerson.org.
Does Tanter want to start World War III? Does he even recognize that not only would a preemptive nuclear attack against Iran be immoral but that it would provoke the entire Muslim World, Russia and perhaps China to take military action? Does he want Armageddon?
The most prominent scholar among Sunnis, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in Qatar, by the way, issued a statement that Muslims, Sunnis and Shi'is, should defend Iran if it was attacked. This is scary stuff.
SEE: http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=27058§ionid=351020101
Going back to Dr. Wilkerson's trial, our nation prides itself regarding our right to voice dissenting views in public and to disagree on university campuses under the guise of Freedom of Speech. We'll patiently wait and view the outcome of this trial to see if this same standard applies to those who are against war-mongering in The Middle East with those who are in favor of preemptive nuclear attacks against a sovereign nation.
In the meantime, we should all pray for peace and hope that our nation and our "allies" in the region refrain from any preemptive attacks against Iran. Iran is not like Iraq; it would be 10 times uglier than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
Visit defendwilkerson.org.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Have a Happy Turkey Day!
Muslims! We know that some of us believe that we shouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's not an Islamic holiday. We also know that Thanksgiving is not a special day to thank G'd because we thank Him no less than five times per day in our prayers. Furthermore, we know that the tragic end of the Thanksgiving myth relating to the pilgrims and the Native Americans is that the Natives eventually were ethnically cleansed and were victims of genocide by the European settlers.
Thanksgiving, however, is a national holiday and a time for us to spend special time with family. For indigenous Muslims, it is a time for us to travel to visit family members and show kindness to our parents. It is our obligation to spend time with our parents and to obey them, even if they are Non-Muslims, as long as they do not call us to disobey G'd. Also, it is a time to display Islamic manners and share the religion of Islam with our Non-Muslim family and friends. Yes, Muslims are allowed and do have Non-Muslim friends.
So enjoy your family, friends, good food and deserts, the Detroit Lions vs the Green Bay Packers football game and movies on Turkey Day.
Thanksgiving, however, is a national holiday and a time for us to spend special time with family. For indigenous Muslims, it is a time for us to travel to visit family members and show kindness to our parents. It is our obligation to spend time with our parents and to obey them, even if they are Non-Muslims, as long as they do not call us to disobey G'd. Also, it is a time to display Islamic manners and share the religion of Islam with our Non-Muslim family and friends. Yes, Muslims are allowed and do have Non-Muslim friends.
So enjoy your family, friends, good food and deserts, the Detroit Lions vs the Green Bay Packers football game and movies on Turkey Day.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Brits are correctly adjusting their messaging, when will our (US) government?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2213823,00.html
Counter-terrorism officials rethink stance on Muslims
Richard Norton-Taylor
Tuesday November 20, 2007
The Guardian
Counter-terrorism officials are rethinking their approach to tackling the radicalisation of Muslim youth, abandoning what they admit has been offensive and inappropriate language. They say the term "war on terror" will no longer be heard from ministers. Instead, they will use less emotive language, emphasising the criminal nature of the plots and conspiracies. The government in future, they add, will talk of a "struggle" against extremist ideology, rather than a "battle".
"We hadn't got the message right," said one senior official. He added: "We must talk in a language which is not offensive." Another said that the terrorist threat must not be described as a "Muslim problem".(MORE)
Counter-terrorism officials rethink stance on Muslims
Richard Norton-Taylor
Tuesday November 20, 2007
The Guardian
Counter-terrorism officials are rethinking their approach to tackling the radicalisation of Muslim youth, abandoning what they admit has been offensive and inappropriate language. They say the term "war on terror" will no longer be heard from ministers. Instead, they will use less emotive language, emphasising the criminal nature of the plots and conspiracies. The government in future, they add, will talk of a "struggle" against extremist ideology, rather than a "battle".
"We hadn't got the message right," said one senior official. He added: "We must talk in a language which is not offensive." Another said that the terrorist threat must not be described as a "Muslim problem".(MORE)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Advertisers stay away from Islamophobe, Michael Savage Show
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/LIFESTYLE04/711190366/1041
Anti-Muslim talk spurs action
Advertisers withdraw from radio show 'The Savage Nation,' aired locally on WDTK-AM.
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News
Two companies have withdrawn advertising for "The Savage Nation," a nationally syndicated radio talk show broadcast in Metro Detroit by WDTK-AM 1400, after host Michael Savage repeated hate-filled assertions about Muslims during a recent broadcast.
OfficeMax, of Naperville, Ill., and Citrix Systems, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pulled their advertisements at the urging of religious and civil rights groups, which have long campaigned against the program. The groups have now moved on to other advertisers, including J.C. Penney, urging them to withdraw.
"We have freedom of speech in this nation, and Mr. Savage is free to say what he chooses, just as we as a community are free to support the businesses we choose," said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations -- Michigan. Its national office has launched a campaign against the program.
"And it's good to know that corporations such as OfficeMax uphold the principles of diversity and justice and will not advertise on bigoted shows such as Michael Savage's show."
Savage, whose real name is Michael Alan Weiner, vented his rage at Muslims in an Oct. 29 broadcast that critics say is representative of some of his previous statements.
"I'm not going to put my wife in a hijab," said Weiner. "And I'm not going to put my daughter in a burka. And I'm not getting on my all-fours and praying to Mecca. And you could drop dead if you don't like it. You can shove it up your pipe. I don't want to hear any more about Islam." (MORE)
Anti-Muslim talk spurs action
Advertisers withdraw from radio show 'The Savage Nation,' aired locally on WDTK-AM.
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News
Two companies have withdrawn advertising for "The Savage Nation," a nationally syndicated radio talk show broadcast in Metro Detroit by WDTK-AM 1400, after host Michael Savage repeated hate-filled assertions about Muslims during a recent broadcast.
OfficeMax, of Naperville, Ill., and Citrix Systems, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pulled their advertisements at the urging of religious and civil rights groups, which have long campaigned against the program. The groups have now moved on to other advertisers, including J.C. Penney, urging them to withdraw.
"We have freedom of speech in this nation, and Mr. Savage is free to say what he chooses, just as we as a community are free to support the businesses we choose," said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations -- Michigan. Its national office has launched a campaign against the program.
"And it's good to know that corporations such as OfficeMax uphold the principles of diversity and justice and will not advertise on bigoted shows such as Michael Savage's show."
Savage, whose real name is Michael Alan Weiner, vented his rage at Muslims in an Oct. 29 broadcast that critics say is representative of some of his previous statements.
"I'm not going to put my wife in a hijab," said Weiner. "And I'm not going to put my daughter in a burka. And I'm not getting on my all-fours and praying to Mecca. And you could drop dead if you don't like it. You can shove it up your pipe. I don't want to hear any more about Islam." (MORE)
Friday, November 16, 2007
Old fashion anti-Black racism and Islamophobia at Central Michigan U
The sad part about this situation is not just the actions but the different reactions to the anti-Muslim pamphlets verses this most recent nooses incident.
With the anti-Muslim letters, there was no public statements or calls for dialogue to diffuse the situation to make the Muslim students feel more at ease. The total opposite reaction has taken place with the nooses.
Whereas anti-Black racism regarding nooses is completely unacceptable in our society, bigotry against Muslims has a large degree of acceptance. In fact, Muslims are even attacked when we complain that we suffer from discrimination and hate crimes.
***
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/SCHOOLS/711160372/1026
Discovery of nooses sparks anger at CMU
Campus officials vow to prosecute anyone responsible for racially charged symbols.
Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News
Four nooses were found in a second-floor classroom of the Engineering and Technology Building at Central Michigan University this week, school officials said Thursday.
A male student found the nooses, made of compressed flexible gas line material, hanging Monday afternoon from cabinets in Room 228, said CMU spokesman Steve Smith.
The discovery of the nooses, historically painful reminders of the lynching of African-Americans in the United States, follows an anti-Muslim incident at CMU.
Pamphlets that made inferences that "all Muslims are terrorists" were placed under the office doors of some faculty members two to three weeks ago, said Smith. No one has been arrested in that incident.
"We have no evidence that the two (incidents) are connected," said Smith. "The person found responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."(MORE)
With the anti-Muslim letters, there was no public statements or calls for dialogue to diffuse the situation to make the Muslim students feel more at ease. The total opposite reaction has taken place with the nooses.
Whereas anti-Black racism regarding nooses is completely unacceptable in our society, bigotry against Muslims has a large degree of acceptance. In fact, Muslims are even attacked when we complain that we suffer from discrimination and hate crimes.
***
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/SCHOOLS/711160372/1026
Discovery of nooses sparks anger at CMU
Campus officials vow to prosecute anyone responsible for racially charged symbols.
Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News
Four nooses were found in a second-floor classroom of the Engineering and Technology Building at Central Michigan University this week, school officials said Thursday.
A male student found the nooses, made of compressed flexible gas line material, hanging Monday afternoon from cabinets in Room 228, said CMU spokesman Steve Smith.
The discovery of the nooses, historically painful reminders of the lynching of African-Americans in the United States, follows an anti-Muslim incident at CMU.
Pamphlets that made inferences that "all Muslims are terrorists" were placed under the office doors of some faculty members two to three weeks ago, said Smith. No one has been arrested in that incident.
"We have no evidence that the two (incidents) are connected," said Smith. "The person found responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."(MORE)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Message for Friday - Ask G'd, Give to Men
اليد العليا خير من اليد السفلى
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand."
الأيدي ثلاثة: فيد الله العليا، ويد المعطي التي تليها، ويد الآخذ السفلى
He (SAAS) also said, "There are 3 types of hands, the Hand of G'd is the [most] high, the hand of the giver which follows, then the hand that takes is the lowest."
When Muslims supplicate to G'd, many of them hold their hands up as a symbolic gesture that they are begging G'd, asking him for HIS forgiveness, grace, well-being, material blessings, etc. And with the provisions that G'd blesses his servants, they are suppose to work and strive to utilize material blessings to their fullest potential. Muslims are to then spend their wealth in productive manners and share wealth with the less fortunate.
The Islamic teaching is that although there may come times due to calamities or lack of resources where Muslims need to ask for material assistance, Muslims should always seek to better their condition and not be comfortable with others doing for them what they should do for themselves. In otherwords, Muslims should not humiliate themselves to being perpetual BEGGERS and/or BUMS.
ليس للمؤمن أن يذل نفسه
Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "It is not fitting for a believer that he debases himself."
Unfortunately, some Muslims have become comfortable with begging. Whether on the welfare rolls in Europe or "brothers" with 3 women and no job, who send the women down to the welfare offices for money and food stamps to help feed their lazy behinds, these matters are unacceptable.
Man's dignity comes through begging G'd then doing for self, not begging people.
And surely G'd knows best.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand."
الأيدي ثلاثة: فيد الله العليا، ويد المعطي التي تليها، ويد الآخذ السفلى
He (SAAS) also said, "There are 3 types of hands, the Hand of G'd is the [most] high, the hand of the giver which follows, then the hand that takes is the lowest."
When Muslims supplicate to G'd, many of them hold their hands up as a symbolic gesture that they are begging G'd, asking him for HIS forgiveness, grace, well-being, material blessings, etc. And with the provisions that G'd blesses his servants, they are suppose to work and strive to utilize material blessings to their fullest potential. Muslims are to then spend their wealth in productive manners and share wealth with the less fortunate.
The Islamic teaching is that although there may come times due to calamities or lack of resources where Muslims need to ask for material assistance, Muslims should always seek to better their condition and not be comfortable with others doing for them what they should do for themselves. In otherwords, Muslims should not humiliate themselves to being perpetual BEGGERS and/or BUMS.
ليس للمؤمن أن يذل نفسه
Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "It is not fitting for a believer that he debases himself."
Unfortunately, some Muslims have become comfortable with begging. Whether on the welfare rolls in Europe or "brothers" with 3 women and no job, who send the women down to the welfare offices for money and food stamps to help feed their lazy behinds, these matters are unacceptable.
Man's dignity comes through begging G'd then doing for self, not begging people.
And surely G'd knows best.
Walid speaks on panel regarding Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism
Last's night panel discussion, which was organized by the Peace Over Prejudice Campaign, was held at Michigan State University. My co-panelist was Dr. Kenneth Waltzer, a scholar on Anti-Semitism at MSU.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.mymedia/DawudWalid.10040?sort=3
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.mymedia/DawudWalid.10040?sort=3
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
French "charity" workers attempted kidnapping was an attempt to convert?
As demonstrators in Chad take to protests regarding the twarted attempt of European aid workers to kidnap Muslim kids, Sudan's president leveled charges that the kidnapping was a plot to convert these African children into Christians to then send them back into Africa to convert Muslims once they became adults.
SEE: http://www.smc.sd/en/artopic.asp?artID=20589&aCK=EA
Although President ElBashir has no solid proof that this was the case, there is a long, disturbing history of evangelical prostelyzing in Africa under the banner of "relief work."
The political conflict in the Central African Republic, Chad and Darfur will not be helped in anyway by prostelyzing Muslims.
Again, this might not have been the case in the Zoa's Ark kidnapping case in Chad; they may have just been old fashion European kidnappers, who were going to exploit African children and turn them into servants in France. However, it is safe to say that if those kids had arrived in France, they would not have been sent to live with fellow African Muslims!
SEE: http://www.smc.sd/en/artopic.asp?artID=20589&aCK=EA
Although President ElBashir has no solid proof that this was the case, there is a long, disturbing history of evangelical prostelyzing in Africa under the banner of "relief work."
The political conflict in the Central African Republic, Chad and Darfur will not be helped in anyway by prostelyzing Muslims.
Again, this might not have been the case in the Zoa's Ark kidnapping case in Chad; they may have just been old fashion European kidnappers, who were going to exploit African children and turn them into servants in France. However, it is safe to say that if those kids had arrived in France, they would not have been sent to live with fellow African Muslims!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Walid clarifies misconceptions at GVSU
Today's presentation was given at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.
Topics discussed were:
1) Muslims worship the same G'd as Jews and Christians. ALLAH simply means G'd in Arabic.
2) Muslims are obligated to accept Jesus as The Messiah. Jesus is also referred to as Messenger of G'd, Prophet of G'd, Spirit of G'd and Word of G'd in Islam.
3) Women according the the Qur'an were given rights 1,400 years ago that American society did not have in its inception. (Right to marry a man of her choice, right of inheritance, right to work and keeps one's wealth, right to education, etc.) *Note* - The 3 largest Muslim nations population wise have had female heads of state (Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh).
4) Muslims are very diverse and reside in virtually every land on earth. Muslim and Arab are not synonyms.
5) No Muslims call themselves "Wahhabi." This is a derogatory term similiar to members of the Unification Church being called "Moonies." The more correct term for the Islamic methodology, which is taught in the Islamic schools in Saudi Arabia is called "Salafi." Bin Laden is not a Salafi.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10039
Topics discussed were:
1) Muslims worship the same G'd as Jews and Christians. ALLAH simply means G'd in Arabic.
2) Muslims are obligated to accept Jesus as The Messiah. Jesus is also referred to as Messenger of G'd, Prophet of G'd, Spirit of G'd and Word of G'd in Islam.
3) Women according the the Qur'an were given rights 1,400 years ago that American society did not have in its inception. (Right to marry a man of her choice, right of inheritance, right to work and keeps one's wealth, right to education, etc.) *Note* - The 3 largest Muslim nations population wise have had female heads of state (Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh).
4) Muslims are very diverse and reside in virtually every land on earth. Muslim and Arab are not synonyms.
5) No Muslims call themselves "Wahhabi." This is a derogatory term similiar to members of the Unification Church being called "Moonies." The more correct term for the Islamic methodology, which is taught in the Islamic schools in Saudi Arabia is called "Salafi." Bin Laden is not a Salafi.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10039
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Defend Catherine Wilkerson
Provided by Saja Raoof
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson was formed in April, 2007, to help Catherine Wilkerson, MD, fight back against political repression, police brutality, and apparent retaliatory misconduct by the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie.
Last year, the American Movement for Israel invited Ray Tanter, PhD, to speak at the UM. In his 1998 book, Rogue Regimes, Tanter admitted to being an unindicted co-conspirator in the illegal Iran-Contra arms deal. It was against this backdrop that an informal group of local peace and justice activists, including Dr. Wilkerson, decided to stage a nonviolent protest. On January 23, 2007, Dr. Wilkerson was charged by Mackie's office with two counts of attempting to assault/resist/obstruct "a person à performing his or her duties" in connection with a police disturbance at Tanter's talk last November on the University of Michigan campus. In fact, Dr. Wilkerson's only 'crimes' were to take responsibility for the well-being of a peaceful activist who was apparently rendered unconscious by UM police and to file a written complaint about the police brutality she suffered at the hands of AAPD Officer Kevin Warner.
Dr. Wilkerson's trial is coming up in the last week of November. For further information, see a video of the incident, and suggestions on how to help and/or donate, please visit www.defendwilkerson.org.
***
11/10/2007 Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson Update
In this update:
1. Sign the online petition
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
3. Rally for justice and peace
4. Trial dates and times
5. New endorsers
6. Other things you can do to help
1. Sign the online petition
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson now has an online petition to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie for you to sign. Read the petition and sign-on at: http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ defendwilkerson The trial starts soon (see below), so please add your name and let others know about the petition as soon as possible.
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
If you haven't already done so, it's not too late to make a call or send a letter and an e-mail to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie. You can find the contact information and a sample letter at: http://defendwilker son.org/sampltr. html You can also contact University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman
President Mary Sue Coleman
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
presoff@umich. edu
3. Rally for justice and peace
As we have done for the last two weeks, for the next two Fridays supporters of the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson will join the folks who rally in Ann Arbor every weekday rush hour to protest the war in Iraq. Defend Wilkerson signs and a banner will be provided.
When: Friday, November 16 & 23, 5PM - 6PM
Where: Corner of Fifth & Liberty, Ann Arbor (in front of the Federal Building)
4. Trial dates and times
Jury selection is 11/19/07 at 1:30 PM. Trial is currently scheduled for 11/26/07 at 1 PM and on 11/27, 11/28, & 11/30 at 8:30 AM . All events take place in the courtroom of 15th District Court Judge Elizabeth Pollard-Hines. The court is located at 101 E. Huron St. (corner of Main St.) in downtown Ann Arbor. For directions go here. The court phone number is (734) 222-3380. We'll try to keep you apprised of scheduling changes but if you're coming in from out-of-town then you may want to call first.
5. New endorsers
Thanks to the efforts of Paul L., the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson has two new Florida-based endorsing organizations: Bolivarian Youth and the Broward AntiWar Coalition. Welcome and thanks to our friends and allies in Florida for joining with our earlier endorsers: National Lawyers Guild, Detroit & Michigan Chapter; Council on American Islamic Relations, Michigan Chapter; Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality; Huron Valley Greens; Green Party of Michigan; Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice; and, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley.
6. Other things you can do to help
I was recently asked by an activist in Los Angeles what he could do to help. Here's a revised version of the list I sent him:
a. Spread the word to friends and fellow justice and peace activists by e-mail
b. Phone or send a letter to the prosecutor urging him to drop the charges
c. Let friends and allies in southeast Michigan know about the case and the Committee and encourage them to get involved
d. Hold a fund raising event--Dr. Wilkerson could teleconference or maybe send a video--or make a donation to the Committee.
e. Get organizational endorsements of our work.
f. Write an article or do an interview on the case.
g. If you have connections to any high-profile political figures who might send a letter of support then please let us know.
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson was formed in April, 2007, to help Catherine Wilkerson, MD, fight back against political repression, police brutality, and apparent retaliatory misconduct by the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie.
Last year, the American Movement for Israel invited Ray Tanter, PhD, to speak at the UM. In his 1998 book, Rogue Regimes, Tanter admitted to being an unindicted co-conspirator in the illegal Iran-Contra arms deal. It was against this backdrop that an informal group of local peace and justice activists, including Dr. Wilkerson, decided to stage a nonviolent protest. On January 23, 2007, Dr. Wilkerson was charged by Mackie's office with two counts of attempting to assault/resist/obstruct "a person à performing his or her duties" in connection with a police disturbance at Tanter's talk last November on the University of Michigan campus. In fact, Dr. Wilkerson's only 'crimes' were to take responsibility for the well-being of a peaceful activist who was apparently rendered unconscious by UM police and to file a written complaint about the police brutality she suffered at the hands of AAPD Officer Kevin Warner.
Dr. Wilkerson's trial is coming up in the last week of November. For further information, see a video of the incident, and suggestions on how to help and/or donate, please visit www.defendwilkerson.org.
***
11/10/2007 Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson Update
In this update:
1. Sign the online petition
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
3. Rally for justice and peace
4. Trial dates and times
5. New endorsers
6. Other things you can do to help
1. Sign the online petition
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson now has an online petition to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie for you to sign. Read the petition and sign-on at: http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ defendwilkerson The trial starts soon (see below), so please add your name and let others know about the petition as soon as possible.
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
If you haven't already done so, it's not too late to make a call or send a letter and an e-mail to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie. You can find the contact information and a sample letter at: http://defendwilker son.org/sampltr. html You can also contact University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman
President Mary Sue Coleman
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
presoff@umich. edu
3. Rally for justice and peace
As we have done for the last two weeks, for the next two Fridays supporters of the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson will join the folks who rally in Ann Arbor every weekday rush hour to protest the war in Iraq. Defend Wilkerson signs and a banner will be provided.
When: Friday, November 16 & 23, 5PM - 6PM
Where: Corner of Fifth & Liberty, Ann Arbor (in front of the Federal Building)
4. Trial dates and times
Jury selection is 11/19/07 at 1:30 PM. Trial is currently scheduled for 11/26/07 at 1 PM and on 11/27, 11/28, & 11/30 at 8:30 AM . All events take place in the courtroom of 15th District Court Judge Elizabeth Pollard-Hines. The court is located at 101 E. Huron St. (corner of Main St.) in downtown Ann Arbor. For directions go here. The court phone number is (734) 222-3380. We'll try to keep you apprised of scheduling changes but if you're coming in from out-of-town then you may want to call first.
5. New endorsers
Thanks to the efforts of Paul L., the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson has two new Florida-based endorsing organizations: Bolivarian Youth and the Broward AntiWar Coalition. Welcome and thanks to our friends and allies in Florida for joining with our earlier endorsers: National Lawyers Guild, Detroit & Michigan Chapter; Council on American Islamic Relations, Michigan Chapter; Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality; Huron Valley Greens; Green Party of Michigan; Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice; and, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley.
6. Other things you can do to help
I was recently asked by an activist in Los Angeles what he could do to help. Here's a revised version of the list I sent him:
a. Spread the word to friends and fellow justice and peace activists by e-mail
b. Phone or send a letter to the prosecutor urging him to drop the charges
c. Let friends and allies in southeast Michigan know about the case and the Committee and encourage them to get involved
d. Hold a fund raising event--Dr. Wilkerson could teleconference or maybe send a video--or make a donation to the Committee.
e. Get organizational endorsements of our work.
f. Write an article or do an interview on the case.
g. If you have connections to any high-profile political figures who might send a letter of support then please let us know.
Walid speaks at OU regarding the importance of Islamic Studies
Today's speech was given at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan regarding the importance of the new Islamic Studies program, which was started this year.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10038
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10038
Friday, November 09, 2007
Walid gives sermon - "Yaa Thaalim!"
Today's sermon was given at the University of Michigan - Dearborn.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10036
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10036
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Message for Friday - Muslims are obligated to challenge oppressors
إذا رأيت أمتي تهاب أن تقول للظالم يا ظالم فقد تودّع منهم
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) stated, "When you see my community afraid of telling an oppressor 'Oh oppressor!," then most certaintly bid farewell to them."
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما" فقال رجل: أنصره إذا كان مظلوما
أفرأيت إذا كان ظالما كيف أنصره؟ قال تحجزه أو تمنعه من الظلم فإنّ ذلك نصره"
He (SAAS) also stated, "Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed." A man inquired to him, "I help him when he is oppressed, but when I see him being an oppressor, how do I help him?"
He (SAAS) replied, "Stop him or obstruct him from oppression, and surely that is helping him."
أفضل الجهاد كلمة عدل عند سلطان جائر
He (SAAS) also said, "The most excellent jihad (struggle) is telling a tyrannical leader to be just."
In Al-Islam, being patient with a leader that makes errors or commits sins in his personal life is a matter of principle. However, challenging an oppresive leader, who is stiffling social growth and robbing community resources is an obligation.
The bidding of farewell to the Muslims as a nation does not necessarily relate to population. No, there are 1.6 billion Muslims today. The farewell bidding is the Islamic spirit, which is the human spirit to resist all efforts to stiffle the potential of human development within society. Hence, many Muslim majority nations are ruled by oppressor shepherds while helpless sheep allow themselves to be uneducated and live in squalor. Those nations should not be viewed as Muslim nations not soley because of the form of government, but more directly by the spirit of the people. Nations get the leaders that they deserve.
In Pakistan with the non-violent resistance of the lawyers against Musharraf, there is a hopeful sign that the nation has not died. If Musharraf was fearful of his place in the hereafter, he would listen to the cries of the oppressed and allow social reform.
And surely G'd knows best.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) stated, "When you see my community afraid of telling an oppressor 'Oh oppressor!," then most certaintly bid farewell to them."
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما" فقال رجل: أنصره إذا كان مظلوما
أفرأيت إذا كان ظالما كيف أنصره؟ قال تحجزه أو تمنعه من الظلم فإنّ ذلك نصره"
He (SAAS) also stated, "Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed." A man inquired to him, "I help him when he is oppressed, but when I see him being an oppressor, how do I help him?"
He (SAAS) replied, "Stop him or obstruct him from oppression, and surely that is helping him."
أفضل الجهاد كلمة عدل عند سلطان جائر
He (SAAS) also said, "The most excellent jihad (struggle) is telling a tyrannical leader to be just."
In Al-Islam, being patient with a leader that makes errors or commits sins in his personal life is a matter of principle. However, challenging an oppresive leader, who is stiffling social growth and robbing community resources is an obligation.
The bidding of farewell to the Muslims as a nation does not necessarily relate to population. No, there are 1.6 billion Muslims today. The farewell bidding is the Islamic spirit, which is the human spirit to resist all efforts to stiffle the potential of human development within society. Hence, many Muslim majority nations are ruled by oppressor shepherds while helpless sheep allow themselves to be uneducated and live in squalor. Those nations should not be viewed as Muslim nations not soley because of the form of government, but more directly by the spirit of the people. Nations get the leaders that they deserve.
In Pakistan with the non-violent resistance of the lawyers against Musharraf, there is a hopeful sign that the nation has not died. If Musharraf was fearful of his place in the hereafter, he would listen to the cries of the oppressed and allow social reform.
And surely G'd knows best.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Imams in MI meet with Governor
Some of the Imams from Metro Detroit and Flint areas met with Michigan Govnernor Jennifer Granholm to discuss the negative effects of Islamophobia in Michigan including hate crimes against Muslims and profiling.
It's reassuring that while sitting with the Governor, she acknowledged that Islamophobia is real and a definite threat to the idea of "One Michigan."
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Walid speaks to dental students at U of D-Mercy
Yesterday, two lectures were given at the Dentistry School at the University of Detroit-Mercy.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10034
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10035
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10034
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10035
Monday, November 05, 2007
Pakistani dictator uses extermism as an excuse to impose martial law
Yesterday's announcement that Gen. Pervez Musharraf was imposing martial law upon Pakistan was not a major surprise. Dictator Musharraf claimed the title "President" for himself after deposing the democratically elected government of Pakistan in a military coup. Musharraf has imprisoned opposition and attempted to censor journalists, who have spoken out against him. Currently, Pakistan has been under a 3 day news blackout.
Also what was very predictable was that Musharraf would use the excuse that the Constitution of Pakistan needed to be suspended due to the threat of extremists, which is the excuse that other nations have used to quell political dissent where Muslims reside. In this imposition, Musharraf dissolved the judiciary branch of government. In other words, Musharraf wants ZERO checks and balances.
The judges as well as the lawyers of Pakistan are hardly extremists or Taliban types. In fact, many of the lawyers, who protested the firing of Pakistan's Chief Judge Iftikher Chaudry and are taking to the streets now are SECULARISTS. They are not marching for increasing the role of Islamic Law in Pakistan; they are marching that the CURRENT constitution of the nation be adhered to.
Realistically, Musharraf cannot last. Even sadder is that our administration supported this dictator, who overthrew the elected president of Pakistan, and the people of Pakistan partially blame our nation for propping up this dictator. Our President, however, will tell us that they don't like us because of "our freedom."
Do you wonder why Anti-Americanism is rising in the so called "developing world?"
Walid facilitates discussion at Muslim Matters Conference at U of M
This past Saturday, the Department of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor held conference on "Muslim Matters," which contained a series of conversations surrounding the topics of inclusion of Muslims in campus life as well as social cohesion of Muslims on campus.
The audio below is of a discussion regarding Muslim cohesion on campus:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10033
The audio below is of a discussion regarding Muslim cohesion on campus:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10033
Friday, November 02, 2007
Savage Goes on Islamophobic Tirade
Michael Savage's show is played in Detroit on WDTK 1400 AM with other noteable Islamophobic talk show hosts. At least, the other hosts attempt to mask their anti-Muslim sentiments with language such as they are not against Islam or the "moderate Muslims" but against so called "Islamo-fascists." Savage, however, stated that he wants to do away with Islam in America and that Muslims should be forced to convert to Christianity to be made "human."
Imagine the uproar if Savage had stated that Judaism needs to be removed from America, and Jews need to be forced to convert to Christianity?
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/11/02/2007-11-02_group_feels_savaged_by_michaels_slam_of_.html
Group feels Savage-d by Michael's slam of Islam
Thursday, November 1st 2007, 6:50 PM
An Islamic advocacy group is asking radio listeners to write "letters expressing concern" to sponsors of Michael Savage over his anti-Muslim commentaries.
Savage, a nationally syndicated host heard locally 6-9 p.m. on WOR (710 AM), has long warned that "Islamic fascism" is destroying the West.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is specifically citing a recent commentary that went, in part, "I don't wanna hear one more word about Islam. Take your religion and shove it up your behind. I'm sick of you.
"What kind of world are you living in when you let them in here with that throwback document [the Koran] in their hand, which is a book of hate? Don't tell me I need reeducation. They need deportation. You can take C-A-I-R and throw 'em out of my country. Without due process. You can take your due process and shove it." - David Hinckley
Imagine the uproar if Savage had stated that Judaism needs to be removed from America, and Jews need to be forced to convert to Christianity?
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/11/02/2007-11-02_group_feels_savaged_by_michaels_slam_of_.html
Group feels Savage-d by Michael's slam of Islam
Thursday, November 1st 2007, 6:50 PM
An Islamic advocacy group is asking radio listeners to write "letters expressing concern" to sponsors of Michael Savage over his anti-Muslim commentaries.
Savage, a nationally syndicated host heard locally 6-9 p.m. on WOR (710 AM), has long warned that "Islamic fascism" is destroying the West.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is specifically citing a recent commentary that went, in part, "I don't wanna hear one more word about Islam. Take your religion and shove it up your behind. I'm sick of you.
"What kind of world are you living in when you let them in here with that throwback document [the Koran] in their hand, which is a book of hate? Don't tell me I need reeducation. They need deportation. You can take C-A-I-R and throw 'em out of my country. Without due process. You can take your due process and shove it." - David Hinckley
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Message for Friday - Guarding Against Ignorance
من قال: أنا عالم فهو جاهل
Umar Al-Faruq bin Al-Khattab (RH) stated, "Whoever says 'I am a knowledgable person', he is an ignorant person."
One of the most dangerous and ignorant persons that walks the earth is a self proclaimed "know it all." The "know it all" is ignorant because he IGNORES or is not open to consider different perspectives. He is a danger to himself because he closed his mind and structured preconceived notions about subjects and events, which causes him to miss information that can save him from spiritual or social harm. He then puts others in jeopardy by acting upon or shoving his ignorance onto others, many times without evil intent.
The "know it all" mentality is also anti-social. Who likes to be in the company for a protracted periods of time with a "know it all?" How about the person, who is educated in topics that constantly refers to himself as a "scholar?"
This person should not attribute scholarship to himself; he should allow others to recognize his scholarship. How many Phd's have we seen that lack common sense and interpersonal intelligence? How many of these people are screwing up the socio-political world as we speak?!?
So in the quest for becoming educated, the real educated person understands that learning is a life long endeavor. The truly knowledgable person recognizes his own lack of knowledge because the more information he comes into contact with, the more he realizes how little he truly knows!
The supplication of the true scholar is:
يا إلهي إنك عليم و إني جاهل
"Oh my G'd! Surely You are All-Knowing, and I do not know."
And surely G'd knows best.
Umar Al-Faruq bin Al-Khattab (RH) stated, "Whoever says 'I am a knowledgable person', he is an ignorant person."
One of the most dangerous and ignorant persons that walks the earth is a self proclaimed "know it all." The "know it all" is ignorant because he IGNORES or is not open to consider different perspectives. He is a danger to himself because he closed his mind and structured preconceived notions about subjects and events, which causes him to miss information that can save him from spiritual or social harm. He then puts others in jeopardy by acting upon or shoving his ignorance onto others, many times without evil intent.
The "know it all" mentality is also anti-social. Who likes to be in the company for a protracted periods of time with a "know it all?" How about the person, who is educated in topics that constantly refers to himself as a "scholar?"
This person should not attribute scholarship to himself; he should allow others to recognize his scholarship. How many Phd's have we seen that lack common sense and interpersonal intelligence? How many of these people are screwing up the socio-political world as we speak?!?
So in the quest for becoming educated, the real educated person understands that learning is a life long endeavor. The truly knowledgable person recognizes his own lack of knowledge because the more information he comes into contact with, the more he realizes how little he truly knows!
The supplication of the true scholar is:
يا إلهي إنك عليم و إني جاهل
"Oh my G'd! Surely You are All-Knowing, and I do not know."
And surely G'd knows best.
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