Islam is Peace and Brotherhood

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Developing Eight Islamic Countries (D-8)

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 6, 2007

 

Objectives and guiding principles

D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an arrangement for development cooperation among the following member countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. It also adds a new dimension to enrich the social and economic relations of its partners.

Following the “Conference on Cooperation for Development”, on October 22, 1996, and after a series of preparatory meetings, the establishment of D-8 was announced officially by the Summit of Heads of State/Government in Istanbul, on June 15,1997 (Istanbul Declaration).

The objectives of D-8 are to improve developing countries’ positions in the world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and provide better standards of living.

D-8 is a global arrangement rather than a regional one, as the composition of founding members reflects. Membership will be open to other developing countries subscribing to the goals, objectives, and principles of the group, sharing common bonds.

D-8 is a forum with no adverse impact on bilateral and multilateral commitments of the member countries, emanating from their membership to regional and international organisations.

Principal organs

The principal organs of D-8 are the Summit, the Council, and the Commission.

The Summit, which is the supreme organ of D-8 is composed of the Heads of State/Government of member states. It is convened once every two years.

The Council is composed of the Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs of member states. It is the political decision making organ of D-8, and acts as a forum for thorough and comprehensive consideration of the issues.

The Commission is the executive organ of D-8. It is composed of senior officials appointed by their respective governments. Each Commissioner is responsible for national coordination in his/her respective country.

An Executive Director is appointed to ensure efficient communication, expedite the flow of information, and supervise the provision of services for the meetings.

Areas of cooperation

At the outset, ten sectors have been identified for cooperation and project development. They are: Trade; Industry; Telecommunications and Information; Finance, Banking and Privatization; Rural Development; Science and Technology; Poverty Alleviation and Human Resources Development; Agriculture; Energy; Environment; and Health.

On the basis of a division of labour for the coordination of D-8 activities, each sector is assigned to a member country.

Although 50-60 projects were originally proposed at the First Summit, in order not to spread resources too thinly, the following six priority projects were selected to be launched immediately:

  • Establishment of an International Marketing and Trading Company
  • Workshop on Poverty Alleviation
  • Establishment of an Industrial and Technological Data Bank Network among D-8
  • Establishment of Takaful Schemes (Insurance), including joint ventures between the companies of D-8
  • Cooperation for the Development of Inland and Coastal Aquaculture
  • Design, Development, Production, and Marketing of Agricultural Aircraft

D-8 countries have large, young populations with a growing and increasingly skilled labour force

D-8 member countries have relatively large populations. The total population of D-8 countries was around 800 million in 1997. This corresponds to some 13.5 percent of the world population. In four of the eight countries the population is well over one hundred million, in one country it is more than two hundred million.

After relatively high annual growth rates recorded in previous decades, population growth is gradually coming down in all D-8 countries, similar to the phenomenon observed in the rest of the world. Due to rapid growth in the past, a large part of their population will continue to be young for the foreseeable future, constituting a factor of dynamism in D-8 societies.

Moreover, an increasing number of these young people are being educated and trained in universities and research institutions in order to meet the requirements of high-tech industries for skilled labour.

Population in D-8 countries

 

Total
(millions)

Avg. Annual
Growth Rate (per cent)

 

1997

1980-90

1990-95

Bangladesh

122.2

2.4

1.6

Egypt

64.8

2.5

2.0

Indonesia

204.3

1.8

1.6

Iran

67.5

   
Malaysia

21.0

2.6

2.4

Nigeria

107.1

3.0

2.9

Pakistan

137.8

3.1

2.9

Turkey

63.7

2.3

1.7

Total

788.4

   
World Population

5,840.0

   
D-8 Pop/World Pop

% 13.5

   

Source: World Development Report, 1997,World Bank; World Population Data Sheet, 1997, Population Reference BureauD-8 countries have growing economies and relatively high technologiesStarting from relatively modest income levels, D-8 economies have displayed respectable growth rates in the recent past. In all countries, governments have undertaken reforms to remove the bottlenecks to rapid growth, liberalise markets and integrate better with the world economy. Growth in incomes, coupled with the already large and increasing populations, will create rapidly growing markets in the coming years.

In most of these countries, the private sector has become the driving force of the economy. As a result, large holdings have emerged in recent years. Some now rank amongst the first 500 largest companies of the world. Their partnership with well-known firms of the industrialised world in high-tech industries such as electronics, automotive, etc. has helped build a significant technological and industrial base in D-8 countries.

Gross National Product in D-8 countries

GNP
1995
bn
(USD)

Annual GNP
Growth rate
(1985-95) (%)

Per Capita
GNP (*)
1995

Bangladesh

28,752

3.5

240

Egypt

46,525

3.1

790

Indonesia

189,434

7.6

980

Iran

98,000

1,540

Malaysia

78,189

8.1

3,890

Nigeria

28,938

4.1

260

Pakistan

59,754

4.1

460

Turkey

169,858

3.9

2,780

Source: World Development Report, 1997, World Bank(*) When the purchasing power of US dollar and unaccountable services are taken into account, the figures in this column become much higher.D-8 Countries have a relatively rich resource base

In addition to sizeable human resources, D-8 countries also possess significant natural resources. Some of these resources are currently being exploited, but there remains large natural resources yet to be tapped.

Bangladesh is the largest jute exporting country, contributing 80 percent of world’s jute exports. Tea and rice are the other main agricultural crops. The discovery of natural gas in the Bay of Bengal indicates large reserves ready for exploitation.

Oil and gas reserves are Egypt’s main natural resource. While the size of the oil reserves is relatively modest by world standards, proven and potential gas reserves are substantial. Among the various other mineral resources, phosphate reserves are sizeable. In agriculture, Egypt produces and exports high quality cotton, rice, sugar cane, citrus and vegetables.

Indonesia is rich in both agricultural resources, and in oil and natural gas. Mineral resources include coal, tin, bauxite, copper and nickel. Indonesia is a major producer of palm oil, coffee, cocoa, natural rubber and wood products.

Iran has one of the oldest oil industries in the region, with 9 percent of the world’s known reserves. Natural gas reserves are also substantial, the second largest in the world. Iran also has mineral resources including iron ore and bauxite.

Malaysia continues to play a major role in the world market as a supplier of tin and rubber. Petroleum and natural gas production is gaining importance. The country remains the world’s leading producer of tropical lumber.

Nigeria has oil reserves of high quality with a low sulphur content and light gravity. There are also relatively large natural gas deposits, as well as a wide variety of mineral resources. In agriculture, cocoa remains a significant export item, after petroleum.

While fuel resources are relatively modest in Pakistan, the country boasts an extensive range of non-fuel minerals that includes, among others, magnesite, limestone, marble, and dolomite. In agriculture, Pakistan is a major producer of cash crops, such as cotton and rice.

Turkey has a diverse resource base. Given abundant water resources, the country has the capacity to produce a wide range of crops. Indeed, Turkey is one of the few countries in the world, self sufficient in food production. Moreover, for her energy needs, Turkey relies to a great extent (46%) on hydro-power obtained from water resources. There exists significant underground resources such as bauxite, chrome, iron ore and lignite.

Oil and natural gas production in D-8 countries (end-1995)

Oil

Natural Gas

Production

Share of World

Production

Share of World

(million tons)

Total
(percent)

(bill. cubic meters)

Total
(percent)

Iran

182.8

5.6

35.3

1.7

Egypt

46.0

1.4

13.0

0.6

Nigeria

93.8

2.9

4.0

0.2

Bangladesh

7.4

0.3

Indonesia

73.8

2.3

58.5

2.8

Malaysia

34.9

1.1

29.0

1.4

Pakistan

13.4

0.6

D-8 Total

431.3

13.3

158.6

7.5

World Total

3252.4

100

2119.6

100

Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 1996

Proven oil and natural gas reserves of D-8 countries
(end-1995)

Oil

Natural gas

Reserves
(thousand mil.barrels)

Share of
World Total
(percent)

Reserves
(trillion cubic meters)

Share of
World Total
(percent)

Iran

88.2

8.7

21.0

15.0

Egypt

3.9

0.4

0.6

0.4

Nigeria

20.8

2.1

3.1

2.2

Bangladesh

0.3

0.2

Indonesia

5.2

0.5

2.0

1.4

Malaysia

4.3

0.4

1.9

1.4

Pakistan

0.8

0.5

D-8 Total

122.4

12.1

29.7

21.1

World Total

1016.9

100

139.7

100

Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 1996

The share of D-8 countries in world trade is growing

An indication of the dynamism of D-8 economies is their rapid integration with the world economy. In recent years, their exports and imports, which constitute about 4 percent of the world total have been on the increase. Within a six-year period from 1990 to 1996, total exports of the D-8 countries increased by 87 percent. During the same period, increases in imports were even higher, at 93 percent. These large increases correspond to annual average growth rates of 10.4 percent and 11.0 percent for exports and imports respectively.

These rates are well above the changes in world trade as a whole which was at 5.5 percent during the same period. This obviously is an indication of the growing nature of the influence of the D-8 economies.

Main trading partners of the D-8 countries are industrialised economies. The majority of exports are destined for USA, Japan, Germany, and to a smaller extent, to UK, Italy, and France. With few exceptions, most imports originate from the same countries.

Main export items of the D-8 countries vary a great deal based on resource endowment, climate, and soil conditions. The bulk of these exports are oil and gas, agricultural products and textiles. Among import items machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel products, raw materials for textiles, chemicals, and certain food items are more important.

D-8 share in world trade
                                                             

 

Exports

Imports

        Millions of U.S. Dollars
  1992 1996 1992 1996
D-8 Countries’Total Trade

133,928

202,287

146,558

221,449

Billions of U.S. Dollars
World Total Trade

3,731.4

5,219.8

3,861.0

5,338.5

D-8 World Total/World Total
(percent)

3.59

3.88

3.80

4.15

Source: Direction of Trade 1997, IMF

Main commodities of foreign trade of D-8 countries

(1992-1995)

Main Export Items

Main Import Items

Bangladesh Textile yarn, clothing, food & live animals, jute products, raw jute, leather, fish & preparations,tea Raw cotton, petroleum & products, chemicals, textile yarn, machinery & transport equipment, food & live animals, iron&steel, crude fertilisers&minerals
Egypt Petroleum & products, cotton yarn & textiles, chemicals, engineering & metallurgical, cotton,foodstuffs, vegetables Machinery & transport equipment, live animals, animal prod., food & drink,chemical prod., rubber, leather,wood,cork,paper,base metals
Indonesia Crude petroleum, gas, petrol.prod., plywood, textiles, shrimps, processed rubber,elec. appar. copper, coal, paper&paper goods, palm oil Industrial raw materials, machinery,manufactured goods, chemicals, crude materials, food, mineral fuels
Iran Oil & gas, carpets, fresh & dried fruits & nuts, industrial goods which are cast iron & steel, chemicals, textiles, refined copper Road vehicles & machinery, iron, steel & manufactures, chemicals & pharmaceuticals, food & live animals, beverages & tobacco
Malaysia Machinery & transport equipment, elect.components, telecom equipment,office mach.,processed palm oil,crude petr.,sawn timber,rubber,crude petr.LNG Machinery & transport equip.,  manufactured goods,chemicals,  food & beverages, inedible crude materials, mineral fuels
Nigeria Petroleum, cocoa beans, rubber, textiles, fish and shrimps, cocoa butter Machinery & transport, manufactured goods, food & live animals, crude materials, animal & vegetable oils & fat, mineral fuels, misc. manufactures
Pakistan Cotton yarn & cloth, garments & hosiery, raw cotton, synthetic textiles, rice, leather, carpet & rugs, fish & products Non electrical machinery, petroleum & products, chemicals, edible oil, transport equipment,iron, steel &  prod., grains, electrical goods
Turkey Yarn & textiles, iron & steel products, machinery & equipment, transportation vehicles, tobacco Machinery & equipment, transport vehicles, petroleum, iron & steel products, fuel & petroleum, gas, rubber, chemicals

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit, Country Profiles

Currently intra D-8 trade is relatively small but has prospects for growth

The volume of intra-trade among D-8 countries is rather low. Indeed, in 1996 it amounted to only 14 billion dollars. In return, during the same period, the total trade of the member countries with the rest of the world exceeded 400 billion dollars. Thus, D-8 intra-trade represents only 3.5 percent of their total trade.

Even a cursory review of trade statistics of these countries reveals the potential for increased trade among D-8 countries. For this reason, the development of intra-trade is set as one of the primary objectives of D-8 cooperation.

Intra D-8 trade

Exports

Imports

Millions of U.S. Dollars

1992 1996 1992 1996
D-8 Intra-tradeTotal

4,206

7,382

4,466

7,192

D-8 Countries’ Total Trade

133,928

202,287

146,558

221,449

D-8 Intra-trade/D-8 World Total
(percent)

3.14

3.65

3.05

3.25

Source: Direction of Trade 1997, IMFNote: Global financial crisis has to a certain extent affected the D-8 intra-trade and the share of member countries in the world trade in 1998-99.http://www.mfa.gov.tr/d-8/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_8_Countries

http://www.developing8.org/

Posted in Iraq, Islam, Middle East, Palestine, Politics, Turkey, Türkiye, Video, Videos, Zionism, İslamic World | Leave a Comment »

Love on the Poems of Yunus Emre

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 2, 2007

A Loving Heart

Dear friends, listen to me now,

Love’s like the shining sun,

A heart without love

Is nothing more than a stone.

What rises up in a stony heart?

No matter how softly it begins,

The tongue’s soft words

Soon turn to war when poison spews.

A loving heart burns and burns,

Then it melts like wax in the flame,

But a heart that is hard as stone

Is like winter, dark and mean and cold.

In the service of this Sultan,

In the presence of this Lord of might,

The star of all lovers shines

Like a faithful, royal servant.

Now Yunus, let your fears vanish

While flowering illusions of this world fade,

A true man first needs love, and from

Then on he is no different from a dervish.

 

Are You True Lover? 

If you don’t sacrifice your soul

On the path of love,

Are you a true lover?

If you don’t press hard

For union with the Friend,

Are you a true lover?

If you don’t strengthen

Your love for the Friend,

Forgetting all desire and attachment,

Are you a true lover?

 

Love needs no witness,

Not every soul rises up to heaven,

If you don’t burn

In love’s fire like a moth,

Are you a true lover?

 

If you don’t give up those desires

Of the self and you don’t

Drink from the cup of love,

If you have no determination

On the path to the Friend,

Are you a true lover?

 

If you don’t worship by day

And by night, devoting yourself to God,

If you don’t remember God in a crowd,

Are you a true lover?

 

Now Yunus, be patient

In your suffering for this Friend,

If your heart is not pierced

By the arrow of love,

Are you a true lover?

 

Lovers, Dear Lovers

Lovers, dear lovers,

The sect of love is my religion,

When my eyes saw the face of the BelovedEvery sorrow became a joy for me.

Sultan, my Sultan,

Since I gave myself to You,

From beginning to end

You are my life and my wealth.

The source of this mind and this soul

Was with You at the beginning,

You are the beginning, the end

And all that lies between,

I can only go towards You.

I come from You and I go to You,

My tongue says Your name within You,

Yet I cannot touch You, and

This divine wisdom holds me in awe.

I don’t call myself I any more,

I don’t call anyone you any more,

I can’t say this one is a servant,

That one is a sultan,

This makes no sense at all.

Since I found this love of the Beloved

Both the world and the hereafter are the same to me,

If You ask me about the eternal beginning and the eternal end,

They are today and tomorrow.

No longer can I mourn

Or cloud my inner heart,

I have heard the resonance of Haqq,

And I will never forget this moment.

Don’t let me forget Your love,

Don’t let me wander from Your gate,

If I should lose my self,

Let me find that self in You.

My Beloved created me then sent me here,

Go, he said, just see the world,

And I come to observe the beauty of the world,

Let those who love You

Never be content with the world.

He tells this to His servants,

You will see Me tomorrow,

But listen, that tomorrow

Of His lovers is my today.

Who else learned such wisdom

With the pain of all this love? 

And if this is ever to be known,

No one can speak of it,

I turn my heart to You.

You are my soul and my world,

You are my treasure and my wealth,

Anything I win or lose is from You,

What I do no longer belongs to me.

Yunus turns his face to You,

Forgetting himself completely

As You speak to You,

It is You who speaks for me.

To Be Alone With You 

Beloved, the arrow of Your love

Can actually go through stone,

We who are captured by Your love

Lose both mind and soul.

We shed tears by day and by night

As we get to know Your love,

When we worry about You alone,

All our fears and troubles drop away.

May the hearts that fall

Into Your love just burn and burn,

We deliver ourself to You,

And abandon everything else but You.

Worldly love is merely

A deadly kind of food,

When we see the end with wisdom,

We turn down that poisonous food.

If our mind is truly sound,

We don’t do our duty for wages,

We are not enslaved by houris,

We ignore them when they turn their face to us.

The true lover dashes off to give

His mind and his soul to the Beloved,

He offers his life a thousand times

For union with the Friend.

For all those who are wise, this world

Is nothing but a dream or a picture,

And when we surrender ourself to You,

We forget about this dream.

The heart and eyes of Yunus

Are filled with love of Haqq,

With love of our God alone,

He forgets all his friends,

Because he wants to be alone with Haqq.

Don’t Tell Lies To Love

My friends, do you know

Where the true friends of God are?

Wherever I look I see them,

Wherever I want to see them I do.

My words are like echoes

Bouncing off the stone of those

Who feel no love in their heart,

Know this, whoever feels no inner love

Is truly remote from me.

Come, don’t become a liar,

Don’t tell lies to love, just come,

If you tell lies here, tomorrow

You will be locked up there.

Now if you don’t know where

You come from, and you don’t understand

The meaning of these words,

Still longing for union

With Haqq, with the Truth, know that

This wisdom can be found in the Qur’an.

My words are true, He is the source of love

And He gives His love,

Whoever keeps a ray of love

In his heart is actually manifesting God.

Many say Yunus is an old man,

They plead with him to forget this love,

But the arrow of love has just pierced

Us now and the wound is still fresh.

The Fires Of Love

This soul of mine is suffering from yearning,

The desire to come back to God, its beginning,Is there any pain worseThan my endless longing for You?

The fires of love rage in my heart,

The whole world witnesses the fires burning my heart,

Whenever someone is on fire somewhere,

The sign is that smoke pouring from him.

This love of mine has dispatched a guard

For the house of my heart,

My soul is captured already,

How can my enemies harm me?

Let me spread the news to other countries,

Let me write my will for other lovers,

Let me warn them that

The Beloved plays with the lover’s heart.

I wonder why there is no remedy

To be found for my sorrow,

I wonder who it can be

Withholding the healer of my sorrow.

According to the sultans’ laws,

Their slaves are bound to do wrong,

According to the sultans’ will, their slaves

Are either subdued or sent to the market for sale.

Now Yunus do not complain, do not

Mention the pain your Beloved has caused,

All the longing of the lovers will come to an end

When they are in the presence of their Beloved

 

Love is an ezalted station

Love is an exalted station,

Love is ancient and eternal,

If you speak of love your tongue is grace,

Your tongue is the voice of the All-powerful.

 

He is the One who speaks, He is the One who hears,

He is the One who sees, He is the one who lets us see,

He is the One who utters every word,

Our form is the house of the soul.

 

How does this form find words,

How can it be the master of language?

He has given form to speech,

He has given wisdom to the tongue.

 

To speak is our duty,

To speak is our intoxicated joy,

What we drank, what makes us drunk

Is sherbet, the sweet waters of love.

 

What you say belongs to Him,

He is the One who speaks, the words are His,

He is ours, we are His,

This worship of the tongue is different.

 

Even if you do not believe in God, you

Will find no lies in the things Yunus says,

If you throw your life away in the dark,

You lose the wisdom of the divine

Posted in Islam, Poem, Turkey, Türkiye | Leave a Comment »

Poems of Mevlana Jalauddin Rumi

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 2, 2007

Souls

Your true home is the seventh stage of spiritual growth, Illiyyun,
Reached through purification and peacefulness.
There, you are still in your body,
And yet a living Master of the Essence.


Love’s Call
At every instant and from every side, resounds the call of Love:
We are going to sky, who wants to come with us?
We have gone to heaven, we have been the friends of the angels,
And now we will go back there, for there is our country.
We are higher than heaven, more noble than the angels:
Why not go beyond them? Our goal is the Supreme Majesty.
What has the fine pearl to do with the world of dust?
Why have you come down here? Take your baggage back. What is this place?
Luck is with us, to us is the sacrifice!
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean–the ocean of the soul.
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean–the ocean of the soul.
How could this bird, born from that sea, make his dwelling here?
No, we are the pearls from the bosom of the sea, it is there that we dwell:
Otherwise how could the wave succeed to the wave that comes from the soul?
The wave named ‘Am I not your Lord’ has come, it has broken the vessel of the body;
And when the vessel is broken, the vision comes back, and the union with Him.
Allah

 I tried to find Him on the Christian cross, but He
was not there; I went to the Temple of the
Hindus and to the old pagodas, but I could not
find a trace of Him anywhere.

I searched on the mountains and in the valleys
but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I
able to find Him. I went to the Ka’bah in Mecca,
but He was not there either.

I questioned the scholars and philosophers but
He was beyond their understanding.

I then looked into my heart and it was there
where He dwelled that I saw Him; He was
nowhere else to be found.


The Rose

What Allah said to the Rose

And caused it to laugh in full blown beauty,

He said to my heart

And made it a hundred times more beautiful.

Posted in Islam, Poem, Turkey, Türkiye | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Israel’s Peace Game

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 1, 2007

THE ISRAEL’S PEACE GAME

The Oslo Accords signed in 1993 started a new page in Middle Eastern history. PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, in the presence of US President Bill Clinton, posed for journalists, shook hands, and brought Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to fruition with a concrete agreement. By signing the Oslo Accords, the two sides recognized each other for the first time in history and made the first bilateral agreement.

After signing this agreement, the idea that peace might finally be possible began to take hold throughout the world. It was widely accepted that the Arab-Israeli dispute finally would be resolved permanently, and that peace would bring welfare and happiness to the Middle East. Shimon Peres, the second-in-command in Israel, wrote a book entitled The New Middle East, which described the happy scene in question. It promptly became a bestseller. Israel’s appearance of “waging peace” seemed to have convinced almost everyone.

However, our book The New Masonic Order, first published in February 1996, described how this appearance did not reflect reality, how Israel’s peace was really a “phony peace.” We explained that by negotiating with the PLO, Israel merely wanted to exacerbate the conflict between it and Hamas, that Israel really had no intention of withdrawing from the Occupied Territories, and that it was merely using peace as a “tactical maneuver.” (See Harun Yahya, The New Masonic Order, Istanbul, 1996, pp. 508-520.)

The 6 years following the publication of this book have proved this view correct. The entire world now understands that the “peaceful Israel” of the mid-1990s was not realistic, and that Israel has continued its politics of occupation. The phony peace process initiated by Israel to end the Intifada only led to another one when Israel continued its oppressive and aggressive policies. After all of the fake peace scenarios, the election of Ariel Sharon, “The Butcher of Lebanon,” as prime minister demonstrated that the Zionists had decided to continue their policy of occupation and cruelty rather than peace. This reality was sufficiently clear proof that Israel’s peace offer was not genuine.

Without a doubt, the replacement of peace by renewed conflict is a deplorable turn of events. What we hope for, of course, is the assurance of peace and security in the Middle East. But it must be a just peace. Israel wants to impose an unfair peace that does not entail withdrawing from the Occupied Territories and that compels Muslims to accept the status quo. The reason for this is the Zionist ideology, from which many Israelis have been unwilling to free themselves.

The conditions that are necessary for a just peace in Palestine include the following: Israel must withdraw from the Occupied Territories, refugees must be allowed to return to their homes, Palestinians being held in Israeli jails must be tried by due process, and the final status of Jerusalem must be determined. Israel continues to insist upon its own views on all of these issues and refuses to make concessions. The reason is Zionist ideology.

As long as Israel does not abandon Zionism, it will remain unconcerned with human rights and justice. For this reason, all of its plans for Palestinians will be unjust. For Zionist Israel, “peace” means nothing more than a “strategic ceasefire” within a larger war. When we go back and take a look at the period beginning with the 1993 Peace Accords, we find this fact confirmed.

The Origin of the Israel-PLO Peace

The long history of conflict between Israel and Palestine is known to everyone. Ever since the turn of the twentieth century, the Middle East has been the scene of clashes between indigenous Muslim and Christian Arabs and Jews, the vast majority of whom had not been born in Palestine. After the establishment of Israel in 1948, these clashes turned into outright wars. By 1967, there had been four major wars and one permanent state of war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. After 1967, organizations working to liberate Palestine also began to make their presence felt.

The Palestinian resistance appeared in force when Israel occupied all Palestinian land in 1967. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a resistance movement formed by unifying several groups, increased its activities substantially during the 1970s. Until the 1980s, it played the leading role in the Palestinian people’s struggle. The rise of Islamic movements during the 1980s had a grave impact upon this organization, which had survived largely through the support of leftists, socialist Arab governments, and the Soviet Union. Islamic groups, particularly those organizing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, became the standard-bearers of the Intifada in 1987 and led this uprising. By the 1990s, their strength rivaled that of the PLO. There is no doubt that this development led Israel to change tactics, to deal with this new Islamic movement unifying under a common identity, rather than with the PLO, which had lost the material support of the now-defunct Soviet bloc, and with it most of its power.

Israel decided to make a strategic change, rather than deal with these two threats at the same time. The most clever thing to do was to recognize the PLO as the official representative of the Palestinian cause, and then play the PLO card against the other Palestinian forces. Of course this meant that Israel would have to put a temporary halt to its years-long policy of aggression, if only just for show. This is the context in which Israel and the PLO began the peace process during the early 1990s.

The “Peace for War” Theory

Retreating in order to make a more powerful move later is one of the more refined political strategies. Israel knows how to apply such a “strategic withdrawal” when necessary. One example occurred 3 years after it signed the Camp David Accords with Egypt. Israeli units invaded Lebanon in the summer of 1982, under the orders of Camp David signatory Menachem Begin, shocking those who had believed in the fairy tale of the Middle East peace process. The massacres that occurred in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps once again demonstrated what Israel really meant by peace. These events proved that Israel had not signed the Camp David Accords because it wanted peace in the Middle East; rather, it had merely sought to remove an obstacle (Egypt) so that it could concentrate on more important goals.

So the 1992 peace process was just another “strategic withdrawal,” a camouflaged post-modern war tactic. This did not escape the notice of those experts and intellectuals who were following the peace process closely. Edward Said, one of these experts, warned the PLO near the beginning of the peace talks that they had forgotten that they were dealing with a “nation of Talmudists.” (Talmudist: strongly bound to the Talmud, the Jewish Holy Book.) According to Said, the Israelis could be preparing a trap behind every word and every comma of these peace talks

With their first peace offer, which promised Palestinians the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Israeli government was planning to put down the Palestinian resistance. This plan was really a trap. Likewise, the regions put under Palestinian control by the Oslo Accords amounted to about 22% of all Palestinian lands. Moreover, by putting the Gaza Strip, a stronghold of the Islamic movement, under Palestinian control, Israel freed itself of the need to deal with these resistance groups. Under the agreement, Palestinian security forces would have to deal with such resistance groups directly. Israel lost nothing in the bargain – on the contrary, it proved to be a most profitable transaction. In fact, the agreements that followed Oslo helped Israel “cleanse” Jerusalem of Christians and Muslims.

It was certainly no coincidence that settlement construction near Jerusalem picked up speed immediately after signing the Oslo Accords. These developments were simply the result of an expertly devised strategy, each step of which had been carefully thought out in advance.

SUPERFICIAL ATTEMPTS AT COMPROMISE: THE MITCHELL REPORT

Tension in the Middle East reached the breaking point with the eruption of the al-Aqsa Intifada, which led international circles to attempt new peace initiatives. The Mitchell Report, the one that gathered the most attention and was presented by a delegation led by former Senator George Mitchell, examined the problem at the source and presented its suggestions. Its main goal was to determine the basic reasons for the Israeli-Palestinian tensions and to suggest how to prevent such conflict in the future. Although the report was no less than 8 months in the making, it did not produce the desired result. Just like so many other earlier Middle East peace initiatives, the Mitchell Report was an artificial stopgap measure, rather than a genuine attempt at lasting peace.

Of course the Mitchell Report contained material intended to please both sides. Where it was most sorely lacking, however, was in its failure to address the real problem and its lack of sincere suggestions or sanctions. While stating that Israel had used excessive violence, it also accused Yasser Arafat of sabotaging the Oslo Accords and failed to identify the real criminal and the real victim. Committee members, insisting that they were not a court of law, did not mention the continuing Israeli terror or the recent massacres. When the report is analyzed in detail, it is clear that when the committee members said that they “would not judge anyone,” what they really meant was that they “would not reach any firm decision against Israel.” Middle East expert Daniel Pipes explains the report’s “supposedly” neutral attitude by saying: “Had the Mitchell committee been asked to assess the outbreak of World War II, it would likely have regretted Hitler’s crossing of the Polish border but balanced this with tsk-tsking about “provocative” statements coming from Warsaw.”1

Before the report had even been published, the commentary of a senior Israeli official published in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz provided important clues as to whether it would really result in a just peace. This official reported that the report would probably accuse the Palestinians of sabotaging the peace negotiations and the Israelis ofpracticing excessive violence and continuing to open new settlement areas. But even more important was his remark that “[Israel] will be able to deal with the general complaints – like criticism of settlements or the use of force – … but will have a more difficult time dealing with any operative recommendations the report makes. This could include a call for an international observer force along the lines of the International Presence in Hebron.”2 Another Israeli official caused a stir with these comments:

We insist the commission stick to its mandate … that means clarifying the facts and not going beyond that. We will not let the report turn into a platform for the conflict to be internationalized with posting international observers.3

When the report was released, it contained no “specific directives,” just as Israel had desired. By making only general criticisms, the report conformed completely to Israel’s wishes. Indeed, despite the passage of time since the report’s publication, the fact that Israeli tanks continue to pound Palestinian territory demonstrates just how successful the report has been in bringing peace to the region.

The only way to ensure a permanent peace is to adopt a truly unbiased attitude and to protect the rights of the wronged party, no matter what the conditions. In terms of Palestine, it is quite obvious which party has been wronged and needs to have its rights protected. Before everything else, Israel must withdraw from the Occupied Territories and return to the Palestinians all of the rights that it has denied them. This fact is often brought to the agenda by Israelis who demand peace. Here is the announcement of the “Now Peace” movement:

Right now we find ourselves in the middle of a Palestinian independence war. This ruthless and unnecessary war began because of Israel’s 1967 forced occupation of Palestinian lands, the suppression of two million people through this occupation, and Israel’s desire to continue this occupation. There can only be one end to this war: the withdrawal of Israel form the occupied territories and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. The end of the occupation and the raids could usher in a period of peace in this region.”4

As long as these conditions are not met, all of the peace negotiations and suggestions for compromise will fail to reach their target. As long as Israel does not forsake violence, diplomatic efforts will mean nothing. After all, in Palestine the sounds of cannons, tanks, and missiles carry farther than those of diplomacy.

Ariel Sharon Prepares for War

A news report obtained from the well-known defense strategy magazine Jane’s Defense Weekly in the latter part of July 2001 demonstrated once again just how Sharon was planning to bring peace to Palestinian territories. According to this report, the Israeli military was preparing a war plan that would involve 30,000 troops, F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft, intense bombing, and heavy artillery. The goal of the operation would be to eliminate the possibility that Palestinian forces could ever assemble again.

The most interesting part of the plan was how it was to be brought to life, as reported by CBS News. The Israeli government had devised a plan worthy of its ideology and its past: The war was to be set off by a suicide bombing against a heavily populated Jewish area. Such a plan is interesting in that it shows Israel’s willingness to disregard the lives of its own people, if necessary, to achieve its Zionist goals. This information was reported by CBS:

The report says the Israeli invasion plan would be launched after another suicide bomb attack which causes a large number of deaths, like the one at a Tel Aviv disco last month.5

With this report, and Sharon’s rise to power, it was expected that regional tension would increase dramatically, and that Israel would withdraw from the peace process completely and increase its use of force. By electing “The Butcher of Lebanon” as their leader, the Zionists gave the first signals that such a war was coming. The Palestinian side had expected such a situation. With Sharon in power, the possibility that an all-out war will break out is a possibility that must not be ignored.

While this war might be a partial operation aimed at the PLO, it could turn into a regional war, dragging in neighboring countries. Of course, the world will not see the real face of this war, but, as always, only the face that it wants the world to see. An article in The Independent reads:

I suppose it’s the same old story. The Israelis only want peace. The unruly, riotous, murderous Palestinians – totally to blame for 95 of their own deaths – understand only violence. That’s what Israeli’s military spokesman said last night. Force, he said, “will be the only language they understand”. Which is about as near to a declaration of war as you can get.6

1- Daniel Pipes, Mitchell Report Missed It, The Washington Times, 30 May 2001
2- Aluf Benn, Israel Braces for Mitchell Report, Ha’aretz, 24 April 2001
3- Aluf Benn, Israel Braces for Mitchell Report, Ha’aretz, 24 April 2001
4- Yeni Safak Turkish Daily, 25 May 2001
5- CBS, 12 July 2001
6- The Independent, 13 October 2001

How Fair Was Oslo?

As we reported earlier, the 1993 Oslo Accords were greeted with enthusiasm by the Western media and by some groups who wanted peace in the Middle East. However, the years following that event have not justified their enthusiasm. The Western media followed a pro-Israel stance on the issue of peace, just as it had on so many other issues. The Palestinians were accused of not supporting peace, even though some of their demands were justified, and portrayed as callously rejecting the opportunity Israel was offering them to achieve “statehood.”

But the facts were otherwise, for Israel did not offer them what they deserved. In reality, Israel offered Palestine hush-money not to stand in its way.

First, and most importantly, the land that Israel agreed to give the Palestinians parcels of land that amounted to less than 22% of true Palestinian territory, were surrounded by Israeli soldiers, and were separated from each other by roads that only Jews could use. Another detail that must not be forgotten is that the land was barren desert land. Moreover, the borders, airspace, and groundwater of the “independent Palestinian state” were to be under Israeli control.

Some circles regarded Israel’s division of Palestinian areas into three main regions (i.e., A, B, and C) as a significant concession. According to this example, though, while one Jerusalem street would be placed under the control of Palestinian police, the next street over would be controlled by Israeli soldiers. As a result, Israelis would be able cross over to this street, thus bringing the Israeli military into Palestinian territory, just as it does today in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank whenever it wants. One cannot speak of a sovereign Palestinian state in such a situation.

Israel’s suggestion of putting part of Jerusalem under Palestinian control also was nothing but a hoax. As with many of its other concerns, Israel is only interested in manipulating Palestinians to its own benefit. Robert Fisk mentions this fact in one of his articles:

And the Palestinian Authority knows all too well what “control” would mean in Jerusalem. While Arafat’s men collected garbage, supplied the traffic cops and kept their own people in order, the Israelis would continue to hold sovereign power over all Jerusalem.121

Aside from this, the Oslo Accords did not give the Palestinians who were forced to flee their homes and land due to the Israeli terror of 1948 the right to return. It is impossible to solve the Palestine problem without allowing the refugees to return.

In conclusion, the “peaceful Israel” façade that began in the 1990s and revealed its falsity in 2000 clearly does not reflect the real truth. As long as Israel views Jerusalem and all Palestinian land as its own property, perceives Palestinians as “two-legged animals,” and regards the world through the biased lense of Social Darwinism, it cannot bring peace to the Middle East.

The True Road to Peace

The question of how peace, one that is fair and just, can be brought to the Middle East can be answered by looking at history.

As discussed earlier, the only administration that ever enabled Jews, Christians, and Muslims to live together in peace and security in Palestine was an Islamic administration: that of the Ottoman Empire. The reason for this is that true Islamic ideals do not harbor any brutal ideologies like Zionism or the one that caused the Crusades. A true follower of Islam would not look at the world through the prism of Social Darwinism, as Zionists do. Also Islam teaches believers that any anger that they might harbor toward a community should not drag them into injustice. Moreover, Islam regards Jews and Christians as the People of the Book and respects their right to live, worship, and own property.

For this reason, strengthening the Middle Eastern as well as the global Muslim community will bring peace and security not only to the Islamic world, but to other nations and people of other faiths as well. Throughout history, fair and just Muslim administrations have earned the consent of non-Muslims, and will do so in the future as well. Muslims will never abandon Jerusalem or accept this holy city as the “Eternal Capital of Israel.” The most sensible solution, then, is for East Jerusalem to be administered by a Palestinian governing body, but under the direction of a board in which members of all three religions are equally represented, as a disarmed and free city. Of course, these administrators must live and practice the ethics of their respective religions. In such a Jerusalem, Christians and Jews would be free, as well as Muslims. This plan holds the key to the real salvation of Palestine and the Middle East.

The environment of peace, justice, and tolerance experienced during the centuries of Ottoman rule is the best example of this. Since the end of Ottoman rule in the area, and despite the various regimes and policies that have been attempted, the Middle East has not experienced any peace and stability.

Posted in Islam, Middle East, Palestine, Politics, Zionism, İslamic World | Leave a Comment »

Zionist Terror and Palestine

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 1, 2007

Zionist Terror and Palestine 

The behavior exhibited by Israeli soldiers raised with such ideas is consistent with this attitude. Today in occupied Palestine, some dreadful scenes have become part of everyday life: 18-month-old babies dying in their beds when their houses are attacked by Israeli helicopter gunships, young girls working in the olive groves being shot and killed for no reason, and children returning home from school being wounded and permanently disabled. The Zionist education system is at the root of these inhuman, and all-too-common, episodes. Research shows that this education and brainwashing has been extremely effective. In a test conducted by Tel Aviv University psychologist G. Tamarin, a statement describing the Jericho massacre from the Old Testament’s Book of Joshua was distributed to fourth- and eighth-grade students. They were asked: “Suppose the Israeli Army occupies an Arab village in a battle. Do you think it would be proper, or not, to act against the inhabitants as did Joshua with the people of Jericho?” The number who answered “Yes” varied between 66% and 95%, according to the school attended or the kibbutz or town where the children lived.29

Garaudy emphasizes that the Book of Joshua and the Old Testament in general are the source of Zionist terror:

This conception of the “promise”, together with the means for its realisation (as the leaders of political Zionism derive these from the Book wherein Joshua recounts his feats of extermination of the previous inhabitants, which he carried out at God’s command and with his support), plus the themes of “the chosen people” and of “Greater Israel”, from the Nile to the Euphrates, constitute the ideological foundation of political Zionism.30


Israeli sharp-shooters fire on unarmed Palestinian civilians, women and children included.

The memoirs of an Israeli soldier published in the Israeli newspaper Davar are an important example of this. The soldier in question participated in an operation to seize the Palestinian village of Ed-Dawayma in 1948, and described the scenes of brutality he witnessed:

They killed between eighty to one hundred Arab men, women, and children. To kill the children, they (soldiers) fractured their heads with sticks. There was not one home without corpses. The men and women of the village were pushed into houses without food or water. Then the saboteurs came to dynamite them.

One commander ordered a soldier to bring two women into a building he was about to blow up… Another soldier prided himself upon having raped an Arab woman before shooting her to death. Another Arab woman and her baby were made to clean up the place for a couple of days, then they shot her and the baby. Educated and well-mannered commanders who were considered “good guys” … became base murderers, and this is not in the storm of battle, but as a method of expulsion and extermination. The fewer the Arabs who remain, the better.31

This is just one of the many brutal episodes that have occurred over the last 50 years.

Before the Israeli government was founded, the Haganah, Irgun, and Stern gangs were responsible for removing Palestinians from their lands. These terrorist organizations prior to 1948, and the Israeli army after 1948, conducted a terrorist campaign on Arab civilians. Menachem Begin, the Irgun’s leader and a future prime minister, explained their strategy: “The Arabs fought tenaciously in defense of their homes, their women and their children.”32 In other words, the Zionists’ war would be waged against innocent people.

The truth is that since that date, the Palestinians have struggled to protect their homes, women, and children from Israel’s official policy of terrorizing the entire Palestinian people. Newspaper reporter and Middle East expert Flora Lewis explains Israeli-style brutality in this article in the International Herald Tribune:

Israeli officials have now publicly acknowledged a policy of “targeted attacks” on Palestinians believed to be involved in terrorism. These are planned assassinations, quite rightly called “criminal acts… murder” by Moshe Neghi, a respected Israeli journalist… Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said on the radio that the policy was unequivocal. “If anyone has committed or is planning to carry out terrorist attacks, he has to be hit… It is effective, precise and just.”33

It should be emphasized that, as Sneh reported, Israel’s struggle is not limited to terrorist elements; rather, it targets an entire people.

The details provided here are only a small part of the cruelty perpetrated by the Israeli government. But this is a practice that the Palestinian Muslims know all too well, for there are close similarities between the Qur’an’s depiction of Pharaoh and what the Zionist Israeli leadership has done to innocent Palestinians. In his time, Pharaoh targeted the weakened, defenseless Jews and brutally murdered them. Also, the leaders of Pharaoh’s tribe had strong feelings for their own land, and so told Pharaoh that Musa “desires to expel you from your land” (Qur’an, 7:110) The Israeli journalist Uri Avnery has drawn attention to this similarity. In the article “The Murder of Arafat,” he reminds us that one of Judaism’s fundamental tenets is that the period of Jewish enslavement in Egypt will never be forgotten. According to him, what Israel is doing to the Palestinians today is merely a variation of the cruelty meted out to their Jewish ancestors by Pharaoh:

In the new myth that is being born before our eyes, Sharon is the Pharaoh and we are the ancient Egyptians. In the story about the Exodus, the Bible lets God say: “I have hardened (Pharaoh’s) heart and the heart of his servants.” After every calamity that befell him, Pharaoh broke his promise to free the Israelites… He (God) wanted the Israelites to become hardened by the hardship, before they started on their long march. This is what is happening to the Palestinians now.34

The following verses describe how Pharaoh murdered the defenseless people:

Remember when Musa said to his people: “Remember God’s blessing to you when He rescued you from the people of Pharaoh. They were inflicting an evil punishment on you, slaughtering your sons and letting your women live. In that there was a terrible trial from your Lord. And when your Lord announced: ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.”‘ (Qur’an, 14:6-7)

With God’s help, the Children of Israel finally escaped Pharaoh’s brutality and cruelty. In our time, the radicals of Israel are in Pharaoh’s position and advocate violence. The Palestinians must follow the advice that God gave the Children of Israel at that time: Be patient, trust in God, and stay true to His Path.

Israeli Massacres

Some of the massacres perpetrated by the Israeli army and terrorist organizations (e.g., Haganah, Irgun, and Stern) between 1948 and 1982 are described on the following pages. None of these massacres were directed against armed groups. The history of Israel is full of violent actions against and massacres of civilians. Just a few examples will suffice: the blowing up of the King David Hotel in 1946; the Deir Yassin massacre of 1948, in which innocent villagers were tortured and killed; the inhuman massacre at Qibya village in 1958; the massacres at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps, conducted by the pro-Israeli Christian Lebanese militias under the auspices of Ariel Sharon and resulting in almost 3,000 deaths; the attack on the Masjid al-Aqsa in 1990, which resulted in 11 deaths and almost 800 injuries; the massacre at Ibrahim’s Mosque in 1994 during morning prayers; the massacre at Qana refugee camp in 1996; and the 1999 seige of a tunnel by 4,000 soldiers are just a few examples of this violence.

Those who died in these attacks were innocent people who had no means of protecting themselves. The massacres listed on the following pages are merely examples of the violence and terror that have continued from 1947 until today. While the figures are important to showing the extent of Zionist violence, they cannot even begin to describe the resulting harm, especially since the violence is still ongoing. Indeed, virtually every day since 1947 has generated news reports of attack, death, torture, and violence from the territories occupied by Israel. For example, when all of those who have died since October 2000 are accounted for, the number comes to almost 2,000. (This figure does not include those killed in Operation Defensive Shield.) In other words, Israel continues these daily killings in a systematic way.

Some Examples of Israel’s Half-Century Reign of Terror

The King David Massacre, 1946: 92 dead

This attack was carried out by the Irgun terrorist organization and with the knowledge of David Ben Gurion, the highest-ranking Zionist official of the period. A total of 92 people, consisting of Britons, Palestinians, and Jews, were killed, and 45 were seriously injured.

Baldat Al-Shaikh Massacre, 1947: 60 dead

Sixty Palestinians sleeping in their beds, among them women, children, and the elderly, lost their lives as a result of this attack, which was carried out by 150-200 Zionist terrorists. The attack began at 2:00 a.m. and lasted for 4 hours.

Yehida Massacre, 1947: 13 dead

At Yehida, one of the first Zionist settlements, Zionist assailants dressed as British soldiers opened fire on Muslims.

Khisas Massacre, 1947: 10 dead

Two cars full of Haganah members entered the village of Khisas on the Lebanese border and opened fire on everyone who crossed their paths.

Qazaza Massacre, 1947: 5 children dead

Five children lost their lives in this episode, in which Zionist terrorists attacked a random house.

The Semiramis Hotel Massacre, 1948: 19 dead

In an operation aimed at making the Palestinians uneasy and forcing them out of Jerusalem, a group of Zionist terrorists directed by Israel’s first president, David Ben Gurion, blew up the Semiramis Hotel. Nineteen people were killed.

Naser al-Din Massacre, 1948

A group of Zionist terrorists dressed as Arab soldiers opened fire on those townspeople who left their homes to greet them. Only 40 people escaped the carnage, and the village was wiped off the map.

The Tantura Massacre, 1948: 200 dead

Tantura, now home to about 1,500 Jewish settlers, was the site of a large massacre of Muslims in 1948. Israeli historian Teddy Katz described the attack as follows: “From the numbers, this is definitely one of the biggest massacres.”

The Dahmash Mosque Massacre, 1948: 100 dead

Israeli 89th Commando Battalion lead by the future Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan, announced to the villagers that they would be safe only if they assembled at the mosque. However, the 100 Muslims who sought refuge there were slaughtered. The terrified residents of Lydda and Ramle abandoned their lands. Approximately 60,000 Palestinians emigrated, and 350 more died en route due to poor medical conditions.

Dawayma Massacre, 1948: 100 dead

This attack was one of the largest Israeli massacres. A majority of those killed were assembled at the mosque for Friday prayers. Palestinian women were raped during the attack, and homes were dynamited with people inside them.

Houla Massacre, 1948: 85 dead

Israeli soldiers forced 85 people into a house and then set it on fire. Afterwards, most of the terrified residents fled to Beirut. Of the 12,000 original residents of Houla, only 1,200 remained.

Salha Massacre, 1948: 105 dead

After residents of the village were forced into the mosque, the people were fired upon until not a single person remained alive.

Deir Yassin Massacre, 1948: 254 dead

The fact that the world agenda is controlled by the Western media, most of which is pro-Israeli, sometimes prevents events occurring within Israel from coming to light. But some incidents of such violence and cruelty have been documented in detail by international organizations. This is one of those incidents, and was carried out by the Irgun and Stern terrorist organizations.

On the night of April 9, 1948, the people of Deir Yassin awoke to the order “evacuate the village” coming from loudspeakers. Before they understood what was happening, they had been slaughtered. Subsequent Red Cross and United Nations investigations conducted at the scene showed that houses were first set on fire and that all people trying to escape the flames were shot dead. During the attack, pregnant women were bayoneted in their abdomens while still alive. The victims’ organs were mutilated, and even children were beaten and raped. Throughout the Deir Yassin massacre, 52 children were maimed under the eyes of their own mothers, and then they were slain and their heads cut off. More than 60 women were killed and their bodies mutilated.35 One woman who escaped alive related the following atrocity that she had witnessed:

I saw a soldier grabbing my sister, Saliha al-Halabi, who was nine months pregnant. He pointed a machine gun at her neck, then emptied its contents into her body. Then he turned into a butcher, and grabbed a knife and ripped open her stomach to take out the slaughtered childe with his iniquitious Nazi knife.36

Not satisfied with just the massacre, the terrorists then rounded up all the women and girls who remained alive, removed all their clothes, put them in open cars, driving them naked through the streets of the Jewish section of Jerusalem. Jacques Reynier, the Red Cross representative of Palestine at the time, who saw the mutilated bodies during his visit to Deir Yassin the day after the attack, could only say: “The situation was horrible.”37

During the course of the attack, 280 Muslims, among them women and children, were first paraded through the streets and then shot execution-style. Most of the girls had been raped before their execution, and the boys’ genitals had been cut off.38

It should be pointed out that the terrorists who carried out this atrocity were not members of radical organizations acting outside the law or beyond the government’s control; rather, they were controlled directly by the Israeli government. The Deir Yassin massacre was carried by the Irgun and Stern gangs, under the direct leadership of Menachem Begin, the future prime minister of Israel.

Begin described this inhuman operation, merely one example of the official policy of Israeli brutality, in these words: “The massacre was not only justified, but there would not have been a state of Israel without the ‘victory’ at Deir Yassin.”39 Zionists used such attacks to terrorize the Palestinians and drive them from their land so that the immigrating Jews would have a place to settle. Israel Eldad, a famous Zionist leader, expressed this truth openly when he said: “Had it not been for Deir Yassin – half a million Arabs would be living in the state of Israel [in 1948]. The State of Israel would not have existed.”40

The Zionists considered this type of ethnic cleansing as vital to establishing the state of Israel. Indeed these operations, which continued after the Deir Yassin attack, caused many Palestinians either to abandon their land and flee, or to suffer the same fate as the residents of Deir Yassin.

The Massacre at Qibya, 1953: 96 dead

Another Zionist attack designed to “encourage” the Palestinians to flee occurred in Qibya, a village of 2,000 on the Jordanian border. Later investigations at the scene conducted by quite a few observers clearly revealed the nature of this atrocity. The Qibya massacre, which occurred on October 13, 1953, consisted of demolishing 40 houses and murdering 96 civilians, a majority of them women and children. The “101″ unit was led by Ariel Sharon, another future prime minister of Israel. Its approximately 600 soldiers first cordoned off the village and severed its contact with all other Arab villages. Entering it at 4:00 a.m., the Zionist terrorists began to systematically demolish houses and kill the residents. An unperturbed Sharon, who personally led the attack, made the following announcement after the massacre: “The orders were utterly clear: Qibya was to be an example to everyone.”41

Dr. Yousif Haikal, Jordanian ambassador to the United Nations at that time, explained the massacre in his report to the Security Council:

The Israelis entered the village and systematically murdered all occupants of houses, using automatic weapons, grenades, and incendiaries; and dynamited houses over victims’ heads… Forty houses, the village school, and a reservoir were destroyed. Twenty-two cattle were killed and six shops looted.42

The famous Catholic journal The Sign, published in the United States, also reported on the atrocities perpetrated during this attack. Editor Ralph Gorman explained his thoughts as follows: “Terror was a political weapon of the Nazis. But the Nazis never used terror in a more cold-blooded and wanton manner than the Israelis in the massacre at Kibya.”43

Those who later came to the massacre site encountered horrifying images. Most of the dead bore bullet wounds to the back of the head, and many had been decapitated. Along with people who died beneath the wreckage of their houses, many innocent women and children also were brutally murdered.

Kafr Qasem Massacre, 1956:49 dead


In the Kafr Qasem attack, Israeli soldiers once again murdered innocent babies.

The attack on Kafr Qasem, during which 49 innocent people, without regard to women or children, young or old, were brutally murdered, occurred on October 29, 1956. On this very day, Israel also launched its assault on Egypt. Israeli frontier guards went on security rounds at about 4:00 p.m., claiming that they were securing the borders. They told local officials in the border towns that curfew from that day onwards was to start from 5:00 p.m. instead of the usual 6:00 p.m. One of these towns was Kafr Qasem, near the Jewish settlement of Betah Tekfa.

The townspeople were informed of the new curfew only at 4:45 p.m. The local official told the Israeli soldiers that most of the townspeople worked outside the town and, as they would just be returning from work, they could not possibly be informed of this change. At the same time, Israeli soldiers started to erect a barricade at the town’s entrance. Meanwhile, those working outside the town started returning home. The first group soon reached the border of the town. What follows is eyewitness Abdullah Samir Bedir’s account of what happened next:

We reached the village entrance at about 4:55 p.m. We were suddenly confronted by a frontier unit consisting of 12 men and an officer, all occupying an army truck. We greeted the officer in Hebrew saying ‘Shalom Katsin’ which means ‘Peace be unto you officer,’ to which he gave no reply. He then asked us in Arabic: ‘Are you happy?’ and we said ‘Yes.’ The soldiers started stepping down from the truck and the officer ordered us to line up. Then he shouted to his soldier this order: ‘Laktasour Otem,’ which means ‘Reap them!’ The soldiers opened fire…44

Bedir, who escaped this terrifying ordeal only by playing dead, was certainly not the only witness of this brutality. From this moment on, Israeli soldiers stopped every vehicle attempting to enter the town and executed those inside. Among them were 15- and 16-year-old boys, young girls, and pregnant women. Those who heard the noise and went outside to see what was going on were shot for violating the curfew the moment they stepped outside. The Israeli soldiers were ordered not to arrest, but to execute, all who violated the curfew.

This incident, reported in full detail in official Israeli Parliament records, is one of the most striking examples of official Israeli policy.

When they are told: “Do not cause corruption on Earth,” they say: “We are
only putting things right.” No indeed! They are the corrupters, but they
are not aware of it.
(Qur’an, 2:11-12)

Khan Yunis Massacre, 1956:275 dead

The Israeli soldiers who attacked the refugee camp in Khan Yunis murdered 275 people. UN officials who conducted an on-site investigation discovered victims who had been shot in the back of the head after their hands had been tied.45

The Massacre in Gaza City, 1956: 60 dead

In this attack, Zionists killed 60 people, including women and children.

Fakhani Massacre, 1981: 150 dead

As a result of Israeli air attacks on this Lebanese region, 150 people died and 600 were wounded.46

The Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre, 1994: 50 dead

On Friday, February 25, 1994 a terrible massacre occurred in Palestine. In an attack carried out by a Zionist Jew on Muslims gathered for Friday prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque, more than 50 Muslims died and almost 300 were wounded. Some of the wounded later died from their injuries.

The massacre was perpetrated by a Jew living in the Kiryat Arba Jewish settlement in Hebron. This terrorist also turned out to be a reserve officer in the Israeli army and a member of a Zionist terrorist organization. Israeli sources reported that he wore military clothing during the attack.

The attacker sneaked into the mosque and hid behind a column as the Muslims were performing their dawn prayers. As they bowed their heads in unison, he opened fire on them with a machine gun. According to eyewitness accounts, he did not act alone – he was simply busy pulling the trigger. As his clips emptied out, his accomplices replaced them.

Following this incident, Israeli soldiers surrounded the mosque and prevented reporters from reaching it. Many more people died when these soldiers opened fire on Palestinian Muslims who had gathered around the mosque to protest the attack.47

Qana Massacre, 1996: 109 dead

More than 100 people, mostly women and children, lost their lives in the Qana refugee camp when it was bombed by the Israeli air force. The terrible scenes of carnage, including those of decapitated children, have never been forgotten. A UN inspection team determined that the massacre was deliberate.

Massacre of Sabra and Shatilla

“I had to take the babies and put them in buckets of water to put out the flames. When I took them out half an hour later, they were still burning. Even in the mortuary, they smouldered for hours.” Dr. Amal Shamaa of the Barbir hospital, after Israeli phosphorus shells had been fired into West Beirut, 29 July, 1982.48

The Zionist terrorist operations to intimidate Palestinians and drive them off their land following WWII resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. But Israel’s attack on the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla during the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 will go down in history as one of the worst acts of Zionist genocide ever committed. During the attack by Lebanon’s Christian Phalangist groups, with the support and direction of Israeli soldiers, more than 3,000 people, most of them women and children, were murdered. Subsequent research and investigation showed that Ariel Sharon, at that time Israel’s defense minister and now prime minister, was responsible for the operation. Due to this bloody attack, he is still known as “The Butcher of Lebanon.”

Journalist and Middle East expert Robert Fisk reported on the horrifying scenes he saw immediately after the attack in an article written after Sharon was elected prime minister:

For everyone who stood in the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Beirut on 18 September 1982, his (Ariel Sharon’s) name is synonymous with butchery; with bloated corpses and disembowelled women and dead babies, with rape and pillage and murder… Even when I walk these fetid streets today, more than 18 years after… the ghosts haunt me still. Over there, on the side of the road leading to the Sabra mosque, lay Mr Nouri, 90 years old, grey-bearded, in pyjamas with a small woollen hat still on his head and a stick by his side. I found him on a pile of garbage, on his back… Just up the lane, I came across two women sitting upright with their brains blown out, next to a cooking pot… One of the women appeared to have had her stomach slit open. A few metres away, I discovered the first babies, already black with decomposition, scattered across the road like rubbish… The flies racing between the reeking bodies and our faces, between dried blood and reporter’s notebook, the hands of watches still ticking on dead wrists. I clambered up a rampart of earth – an abandoned bulldozer stood guiltily nearby – only to find, once I was atop the mound, that it swayed beneath me. And I looked down to find faces, elbows, mouths, a woman’s legs protruding through the soil. I had to hold on to these body parts to climb down the other side. Then there was the pretty girl, her head surrounded by a halo of clothes pegs, her blood still running from a hole in her back.49

In another article, Fisk describes what he saw while touring the hospitals where the injured were being treated: “What we saw here we would not easily forget. Visiting the Barbir hospital was to see what gunfire does to flesh.”50

The brutality that these pitiful and innocent people were subjected to should serve as a warning of the Israeli leadership’s ideology. Most of the murdered women had been raped. Pregnant women had been sliced open so that their babies could be ripped out. Children barely 3 or 4 years old had been murdered in front of their parents. Many of the men had had their ears and noses cut off before being shot execution-style.

A news report about the massacres appeared in the French Le Monde newspaper on February 13, 2001. Nihad Hamad, a now-42-year-old survivor, describes what happened:

The Israeli Armed Forces spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning surrounding the camp. They wanted to seal off the east side. Our mujaheddin had left. Around here there was no one left but some boys of 15 or 16… On Thursday night, the bombing got twice as intense. We realized our light weaponry wouldn’t be of any use. Everyone in the shelters was a refugee. Everyone was afraid. The elders of the group, those that people listened to, decided to go to the Israelis and tell them that the camp would surrender. With white flags in their hands they got in the car and headed out. They never came back. Some young men left with weapons and went in the same direction. They never came back either, nor the ones who went looking for them. Then we realized much better that we had to get out of here right away… Hundreds of people were fleeing to the same common salon in the northern part of the camp. There were so many of us that we almost suffocated. At daybreak there was the silence of death everywhere; this place was a ghost town now. The bombing had stopped. Every once in a while we could hear single shots being fired. Then, from the direction of the mosque, a woman’s screams pierced the silence. Her hair was a tangled mess, her tattered clothes covered in blood. She had the manner of someone who had lost her mind. At her feet were children whose throats had been slit… They behaved brutally, and they used their knives and other incisive tools to carry out the murders in silence. After the militias finished their work at the camps, they finished their dirty work at the Gaza Hospital. They dragged the doctors, nurses, and wounded out of the hospitals and killed them. Along with those who were missing, we learned that between 3,000 and 3,500 people had been killed.51


Sharon is known by Arabs and throughout the world as “The Butcher of Lebanon,” and displays his ruthlessness at every opportunity.

This frightful scene was the work of Ariel Sharon, known for such remarks as “The Arabs know me, and I know them” and for describing the Arabs in such disparaging terms as “bugs.”52 Following the 1967 War, Sharon caused 160,000 Palestinians to leave East Jerusalem and become refugees. His punishment techniques include bombing houses, bulldozing refugee camps, and arresting hundreds of youths for no reason and subjecting them to torture. When Sharon was responsible for security in the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians were assassinated, thousands were arrested and deported, and in Gaza alone 2,000 homes were destroyed and 16,000 people were exiled for the second time. Aside from the Sabra and Shatilla massacres, 14,000 people (including 13,000 unarmed civilians) died within the space of a few weeks, and about half a million people were made homeless.

The cruelty and brutality described here has occurred continuously on Palestinian soil for the past 50 years. Moreover, the examples cited above are merely those massacres during which many Palestinians lost their lives on a single day. Similar events, among many others, are as follows: 8 people in al-Sammou, 1966; 9 people in Aitharoun and 16 people in Kawnin, 1975; 20 people in Hanin and 23 in Bint Jbeil, 1976; 7 people in Adloun, 1978; 80 people in Abbasieh, 1979; and 20 people in Saida, 1980. Beyond these, several people have been killed or maimed every day for years. And every day houses are still destroyed and people are still driven from their homeland. Clearly, Israel’s ultimate goal is to intimidate the Palestinians, drive them off their land, and bend them to their will through a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing.

The entire world looks on as this community is murdered, as it is subjected to blatant genocide. For some reason, most governments have – and continue to – ignored these brutal and inhumane practices and apply no sanctions other than the occasional “condemnation.”

In his classic work World Orders: Old and New, Middle East commentator Noam Chomsky describes the Israeli government’s view of the Palestinian people and how American strategists evaluate this view:

As for the Palestinians, U.S. planners had no reason to doubt the assessment of Israeli government specialists in 1948 that the refugees would either assimilate elsewhere or “would be crushed”: “some of them would die and most of them would turn into human dust and the waste of society, and join the most impoverished classes in the Arab countries.” Accordingly, there was no need to trouble oneself about them. These basic interpretations have remained stable until today, taking concrete form as events unfolded.53

The prophecy of American and Israeli authorities has been fulfilled today. Moreover, the policy of violence and intimidating Palestinians practiced during Israel’s founding period and early years continues unabated.

The Palestinian Muslims are facing trials and tribulations similar to those faced by Muslims throughout history. In the Qur’an, God reminds the believers of that time (the Children of Israel) about Pharaoh’s violence:

Remember when We rescued you from the people of Pharaoh. They were inflicting an evil punishment on you – slaughtering your sons and letting your women live. In that there was a terrible trial for you from your Lord. (Qur’an, 2:49)

Indeed, God helps those who are patient, and, according to His law, salvation is always for genuine believers, even if they are few in number, weak, or downtrodden. But, we also should realize that this trial is not only for the Muslims of Palestine; rather, it is for all who witness or know of this cruelty. For wherever they are and no matter what their condition, Muslims are obligated to help the wronged and the oppressed. And the greatest help they can give is to deal with this evil from its roots. In other words, the greatest help people can offer the Palestinians who continue to fight for their lives amid the ongoing chaos and strife is to wage an intellectual struggle against the Zionism’s fundamental Social Darwinistic attitude, which engenders strife, chaos, and anarchy.

 

27- Mark Mazower, “Sharon Should Surrender to History,” The Financial Times, 25 May 2001.
28- Roger Garaudy, The Case of Israel: A Study of Political Zionism, Shorouk International, p. 75
29- Garaudy, The Case of Israel, p. 76.
30- Garaudy, The Case of Israel, pp. 69-70, emphasis added.
31- Davar, June 9, 1979.
32- Dr. Hamdan Badr, The Role of The Hagana Organization in the Establishment of Israel (Amman: Dar al-Jalil lil-Nashr wal-Dirasat, 1985), p. 303, emphasis added.
33- Flora Lewis, “Israel Defiles Itself with These Assassinations of Palestinians,” International Herald Tribune, January 12, 2001, emphasis added.
34-Uri Avnery, “The Murder of Arafat,” http://www.mediamonitors.net/uri64.html
35- Massacres Committed by the Jews in Palestine, www.hatedbooks.com/book/2.htm.
36- Arafat Hijazi, Deir Yassin: The Roots and Dimensions of the Crime in Zionist Thought, p. 63
37- Massacres Committed by the Jews in Palestine, www.hatedbooks.com/book/2.htm.
38- Lemi Brenner, The Iron Wall: Zionist Revisionism from Jabotinsky to Shamir (London: Zed Books, 1984), p. 141-143).
39- Palestinian History, http://www.nilemedia.com/Topics/History/
40- Israel Eldad, “On the Spirit That Was Revealed in the People,” De’ot, Winter 1968, as quoted in Davis and Mezvinsky (eds.), Documents from Israel (1967-1973), pp. 186-7, emphasis added
41- The Memoirs of Ariel Sharon, trans. Antoine Abir (Beirut: Maktabat Bisan, 1991), p. 110..
42- Massacres Committed by the Jews in Palestine, www.hatedbooks.com/book/2.htm, emphasis added
43- Massacres Committed by the Jews in Palestine, www.hatedbooks.com/book/2.htm, emphasis added
44- Massacres Committed by the Jews in Palestine, www.hatedbooks.com/book/2.htm, emphasis added
45- Michael Palumbo, Imperial Israel, (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1990), pp. 30-32; citing UN General Assembly: Official Record, 11th session supplement.
46- “Israeli Massacres:Details and Numbers,” www.ummah.net/unity/palestine/massacres.htm.
47- Ahmet Varol, (http://www.vahdet.com.tr/filistin/dosya2/0358.html).
48- Robert Fisk, Pity the Nation, (London: Andre Deutsch, 1990), p. 9.
49- Robert Fisk, “The Legacy of Ariel Sharon,” The Independent, February 6, 2001, emphasis added.
50- Fisk, Pity the Nation, p. 9.
51- Le Monde, February, 13, 2001, emphasis added.
52- Haithem El-Zabri, “Rivers of Blood: A New Sharon Episode,” The Palestine Monitor, no. 2, February 2001, emphasis added.
53- Noam Chomsky, World Orders: Old and New, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1994), p.204, emphasis added

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Ramadan and Fasting

Posted by islamispeaceandbrotherhood on September 1, 2007

 Explainin of Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and the holiest of the four holy months. It begins with the sighting of the new moon after which all physically mature and healthy Muslims are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing, any kind of tobacco use, and any kind of sexual contact between dawn and sunset. However, that is merely the physical component of the fast; the spiritual aspects of the fast include refraining from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad character. All obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided. Purity of thought and action is paramount. Ordained in the Quran, the fast is an exacting act of deeply personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of God-consciousness. The act of fasting redirects the hearts away from worldly activities, towards The Divine.

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well. It is common to have one meal (known as the Suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the Iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him. Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.

Ramadan derives from the Arabic root: ramida or ar-ramad, meaning scorching heat or dryness. Since Muslims are commanded to fast during the month of Ramadan, it is believed that the month’s name may refer to the heat of thirst and hunger, or because fasting burns away one’s past sins. Muslims believe that God began revealing the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan (in the year 610 C.E.). The Qur’an commands: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint…Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting…” (Chapter 2, verses 183 and 185). Fasting during Ramadan did not become an obligation for Muslims until 624 C.E., at which point it became the third of the Five Pillars of Islam. The others are faith (Shahadah); prayer (Salah); charitable giving (Zakah); and the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj).

Another aspect of Ramadan is that it is believed that one of the last few odd-numbered nights of the month is the Laylat ul-Qadr, the “Night of Power” or “Night of Destiny.” It is the holiest night of the holiest month; it is believed to be the night on which God first began revealing the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). This is a time for especially fervent and devoted prayer, and the rewards and blessings associated with such are manifold. Muslims are told in the Qur’an that praying throughout this one night is better than a thousand months of prayer. No one knows exactly which night it is; it is one of God’s mysteries. Additionally, Muslims are urged to read the entire Qur’an during the month of Ramadan, and its 114 chapters have been divided into 30 equal parts for this purpose.

When the first crescent of the new moon has been officially sighted by a reliable source, the month of Ramadan is declared over, and the month of Shawwal begins. The end of Ramadan is marked by a three-day period known as Eid ul-Fitr, the “Festival of Fast-breaking.” It is a joyous time beginning with a special prayer, and accompanied by celebration, socializing, festive meals and sometimes very modest gift-giving, especially to children.

When Ramadan ends, Muslims give charity in a locally prescribed amount, calculated to feed one poor person in that region for one day. This is known as fitra, and is meant as another reminder of the suffering endured by many. Many Muslims also take this occasion to pay the annual alms which are due to the poor and needy, known as Zakah (2.5% of assets).

At the beginning of Ramadan, it is appropriate to wish Muslims “Ramadan Mubarak” which means “Blessed Ramadan.” At its conclusion, you may say “Eid Mubarak.

“Ramadhan is the (month) in which the Qur’an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting?” Qur’an (2:185).

“Shahru ramadaana llethi unzila feehil quraana huda linnaasi wa bayyinaatin minal hudaa wal furqaan. Fa man shahida minkumu shahra fal yasumhu”

This Qur’anic verse explains the inseparable link between the Qur’an and the month of Ramadan. The revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) began in this month. Some scholars have explained that the word ’so’ (fa) in this ayah leads to the following paraphrase of one aspect of its meaning: “Fast this month because it is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down”. The night in which the Qur’an was revealed is known as The Night of Power or The Night of Destiny. This night is referred to by the Qur’an in the following verses:

“Indeed, We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” Qur’an (97:1-3)

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