Yes, you read that right – the term “halal meat” is a scam, which is why I’m a semi-vegetarian. By semi-vegetarian, I mean that I only eat meat on certain occasions, under specific circumstances, and following very strict guidelines. I would say in a given month, I eat meat twice, maybe three times (if that). “But whyyy?” you might ask? Simple. I’m following the commands of Allah in the Qur’an, and the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad .

What’s the Problem?

Let me just say, this post has been in my drafts for over a week. Then yesterday, I saw this post from Hijabman, in which he quoted the following, which was my sign to finish and publish this piece already:

“75 percent of Halal meat in America produced in the year 2000 came from pork fed cows, according to Dr. Stephen Emanuel, from Agway Feed Company.” – SoundVision

In the Muslim world (and the Arab world, in general), meat has become a staple at the dinner table…and the lunch table…and the breakfast table. From kebabs (meat cubes) and koftas (ground beef kabob), to shawarma (minced meat) sandwiches and sujouk (beef sausage), our community has built an unhealthy obsession around meat. It’s everywhere; weddings, funerals, birthday parties, aqeeqas, Eid feasts…if there is a gathering of Muslims for any reason, you better believe, there will be meat!

Because Allah made meat lawful for us in the Qur’an, and because Prophet Muhammad ate meat, we’ve convinced ourselves that it’s our God-given right to consume as much meat as we possibly can on any given day. Ahh, the Qur’an and the Sunnah – the pinnacles of all Islamic law and jurisprudence…let’s take a look at what these two sources have to say about the consumption of meat, and compare that to what’s taking place in Muslim homes across the globe.

Halal in the Qur’an

The Qur’an contains verse after verse telling us to eat only that which is lawful and good. Here are just a few of those verses:

O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Evil One, for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Al-Baqarah:168)

O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah)! Eat of the good things that We have provided you, and be grateful to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom you worship. (Al-Baqarah:172)

Eat of that which Allah hath provided for you lawful and good; but fear Allah, in Whom ye believe. (Al Maidah:88)

As we see from these verses, Allah tells us to eat that which is lawful AND good – not lawful OR good. In Arabic, these terms are halal and tayyib. But what does that really mean?

Islamic law states that in order for meat to be considered halal, very specific conditions must be met:

1. An animal must not be beaten, mutilated, or branded.
2. An animal must be killed in accordance to very specific guidelines, which ensure the quickest slaughter, and the least amount of pain.
3. Muslims are strictly forbidden from eating the flesh of carnivorous animals.
4. The name of Allah must be invoked over each animal before it is killed.

What is Tayyib?

Most Muslims are familiar with the term halal (lawful, permissable), but sadly, our community is much less familiar (if at all) with the term tayyib (pure, wholesome, nutritious, good). How can this be, when the two terms are mentioned together in the Qur’an numerous times? How can we ignore such an important aspect of what Allah has allowed us to eat?

The term tayyib is just as important as halal and should be treated as such! To me, tayyib is today’s equivalent of ‘organic’, meaning locally grown food, free from hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, artificial anything, and in the case of livestock, free-range, grass-fed (beef), and well-treated. Yes, well-treated! Lest we forget what Allah tells us in the Qur’an about the treatment of animals:

“There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth nor a being that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Rabb (Lord) in the end.” (Al-An’am:38)

“Halal” Factory Farms are NOT Halal

Isn’t that beautiful? Allah likens the animals on this earth to us humans, with communities and an ultimate return to their Lord! If Allah has elevated these creatures to such a high status, why then, are Muslims not outraged by the inhumane and downright evil treatment to which animals are subjected on today’s factory farms? I won’t go into every detail (you can read more at this article), but here are just a few of those heinous treatments:

• Factory farms are over-crowded, putting the animals under a great deal of stress, leading to behaviors like cannibalism and fighting. These behaviors are prevented by debeaking chickens, and dehorning and castrating cows, without the use of anesthetics. [Mutilation]
• Cows are killed using electric shock so that their throats are easier to cut. There have been reports that some animals are still alive by the time they make it down the line to be dismembered. [Slow and Painful Death]
• Natural herbivores are fed slaughterhouse waste, including fat, blood, meat, and bone meal. Dairy cows are given feed with ground pork bones in it. “Animal cannibalism” is also common, with cows being fed the blood and meat of other cattle as protein supplements. [Carnivorous]

Even Muslim farms have been known to undermine the law that Allah’s name be invoked over each animal before it is killed. Some of them just recite it once at the beginning of the day, others have it playing on a tape recorder over and over, as they slaughter each animal. Others, more, practice the use of “blessed blades“, wherein they either inscribe Bismillah Allahu Akbar on the blades or someone says the phrase and blows on the blades, thereby “blessing” the blades for the slaughter…nevermind the fact that machine-slaughter is against Islamic law in the first place! They’ve turned into a simple, ritualistic behavior…as if this is all that’s necessary in order for it to be considered halal. 

What is the real Halal?

Saying Bismillah Allahu Akbar before slaughtering an animal is not simply a ritual, as these farms have reduced it; when we invoke Allah’s name on an animal that will be slaughtered, we are speaking directly to Him, thanking Him for His bounty and asking Him to accept the animal’s sacrifice. We are acknowledging that the animal is His divine creation, that we have done our best to provide it with a healthy, happy life, and that we will sacrifice it in order to feed and nourish our family.

How many of us remember all of these things before we dig into the lamb kebab or that chicken biryani? My guess is very few. But that’s only because we have been conditioned and desensitized to the sacred meaning of eating meat. With the growth of factory farming in the past few decades, meat has become an expendable resource, like sugar or flour. It’s just always there, it’s not going anywhere, so we don’t really think too much of it.

This is where we’ve failed – failed the animals, failed ourselves, failed our communities. We are supposed to be ‘ahlus sunnah wal jama’ah’, but when we look at the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad , we immediately see that factory farming is not something he would have approved of:

It behooves you to treat the animals gently. (Muslim 4:2593)

Allah has ordained kindness (and excellence) in everything. If the killing (of animals) is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife, and putting the animal at ease.” (Muslim 2:156)

There is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.” (Bukhari 3:322; Muslim 4:2244)

Animals raised tortured on factory farms are NOT treated gently, are NOT put at ease, and are NOT provided with acts of charity from their handlers. Instead, they are subjected to awful, cruel conditions just for the mere fact that they are animals, and somehow subhuman and unworthy of love, affection, and respect.

So, now what?

I’ve decided I’ve had enough. I cannot continue to support this atrocity any longer. Basem and I have been living a simpler, more eco-friendly lifestyle for the past couple years, and along with eating more organic, whole foods, we’ve also cut our meat consumption by a lot! Like I said, we only eat meat a couple times a month now. And with all the highly accessible halal options here in Toronto, there’s no lack of choice when deciding what we’re having on those two nights of the month.

But we’ve got to be real here, the “Halal Meat” label doesn’t mean anything anymore. I don’t care if it was certified by ISNA or whoever; it seems that all they are concerned with is how the animals are slaughtered, without any concern for how the animals were treated during their short life. If an animal lived its entire life in misery, stress, and depression, I don’t care if it was slaughtered properly or not. How can these farmers/butchers say Bismillah before slaughtering an animal which was subjected to such unethical treatment under their watch? Oh yeah, they don’t…they just use a tape recorder or “bless the blade”.

Do you see how feeble our understanding and implementation of halal has become? Just because something is halal, that doesn’t give us the right to do it all the time, by any means necessary. Moderation is key. Conscience is integral. Education is necessary.

Is there a solution?

We need more halal meat companies that use organic farming practices. That means no antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. That means allowing cattle to graze in open fields of grass (instead of grains, which are difficult to digest). That means letting chickens bask in the sun, while munching on weeds and insects.

Here in Toronto, we are blessed, alhamdulillah, to have the wonderful company, Blossom Pure - a truly halal, organic foods company. They work with the Amish and Mennonite farmers just outside the city, who raise all the meat on their organic farms. The slaughterer goes out to the farms and slaughters the animals on-site before loading them onto the truck and driving them back to the store to be sold. From the very beginning, these animals are treated with respect; by slaughtering them onsite (as opposed to driving them back to the store), the burden and stress of travel is completely removed from the animal, and placed on the slaughterer.

The Prophet was a semi-vegetarian

Yes, organic meat is much more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a simple tip: don’t eat so much of it! Of course it will be expensive if you eat meat 4, 5, 6 nights a week. But here’s a radical idea: cut it down to just once a week! Then once a month. Then just on special occasions. The Prophet Muhammad didn’t eat meat everyday, or every week, or barely every month! It was saved for special occasions; something to celebrate and enjoy.

If your meat is not organic, it’s NOT HALAL – simple as that! If I have to choose between “halal” and organic, I choose organic. This, of course, is only if I trust the source of the meat (ie: small, local farmers, and NOT chain supermarkets!), and if I’m 100% sure that it wasn’t sacrificed in the name of anyone other than Allah (or in anyone’s name at all, which is usually the case today). Furthermore, if the farmer is a Christian or a Jew (People of the Book), then I feel comfortable eating it. Allah says in the Qur’an:

This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time― when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good). (Ma’ida:5)

He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits―then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (Al-Baqarah:173)

If I don’t feel comfortable making that decision and cannot find meat that is both organic AND halal, guess what? I just don’t eat meat! You know what we can eat freely, and is in utter abundance? All the creatures of the sea! Fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc. All of these are healthy alternatives (if caught using sustainable fishing methods). Again, moderation is key, so let’s not aim to replace all the beef in our diet with salmon, for example.

And if we are going to strive to follow the sunnah of our Prophet , we MUST include his sunnah for eating (in general), and consuming meat (in particular). Even Umar ibn al Khattab [ra], during his khilafa, prohibited eating meat everyday. He said:

Beware of meat, because it has an addiction like the addiction of wine. (Malik)

The video below is from last year’s Reviving the Islamic Sprit conference, which took place here in Toronto (I highly encourage you to attend this year, if you can). In it, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf discusses the importance of knowing where our food comes from, the fair-trade movement, and around 35 minutes in, he discusses organic farming and animal rights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seEpf-bmnIQ

Let’s Make A Change!

Let us take the lessons from the Qur’an and the Sunnah and really, truly apply them to our lives. Let us stand up for what is right and just, and denounce that which is wrong and unjust. Let us enjoin the good and forbid the evil, as Allah states in surat Ali ‘Imran (3:110).

We all know the current practices of the “halal meat” industry are wrong, and we all can do something about it. Take that first step, however small it may be. Just renew your intentions, take that first step, and Allah will take care of the rest. I’m not here to tell you what to do; only you know what you need to do. But I can say that making a change is possible, however difficult or inconvenient it may be. Say a little prayer, ask Allah for guidance and strength, and just do it!

References:
http://halal-hub.org/guideline.php
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/factory-farming-vs-islamic-law-2.html
http://www.islamicconcern.com/bismillah.asp
http://halalmedia.my/eating-less-meat-is-more-islamic

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About the author

Sarah is a wife, mother, teacher, and human rights activist with a passion for green living and a simple, sustainable lifestyle. She writes about her experiences in attaining the simple life at Nature's Nurture - a blog about everything simple, natural, and homemade. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

]]> http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/27/the-halal-meat-scam-and-why-im-a-semi-vegetarian/feed/ 1 http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/17/occupy-masjid-a-proposal-for-reviving-mosques-of-the-ummah/ http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/17/occupy-masjid-a-proposal-for-reviving-mosques-of-the-ummah/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:09:43 +0000 Basem http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/?p=1155 Our mosques have been paralyzed by governments and scholars for dollars for the last century. These where once centers of communities; a place for Muslims to pray, to educate, to find shelter, battle poverty, a think-tank, strategize military, initiate political campaigns, economic planning, set up agriculture, celebrate, and so much more. Today, mosques are just a place to pray on Friday’s. This atrophy of the mosques worldwide is no doubt tied to the atrophy of the Muslim mind. The oppression and calamities facing the Ummah are only symptoms of this problem. This proposal is aimed to target the source of the problem rather than getting distracted by the symptoms.

Reviving the mosques can be quite an overwhelming topic. For this reason, revival will be categorized into 3 areas: housing, permaculture, and economy. These areas have been chosen due to the self-sustaining aspect of this mission. Our Muslim communities should not have to go to governments, banks, or corporations to fulfill their needs. Instead, the mosques will be molded to facilitate the needs of the community in a self-sustaining manner.

1. Housing

   To grasp the impact of this area, ask yourself how many Muslims do you know that are renting, mortgaging, or investing in real estate? Probably all. Now ask yourself how many are neighbors of one another. Probably none. This sad reality translates into being a major factor in the disunity of the Ummah. Muslims need to be living in the same communities to actually build their community. So the first step of this proposal is a call for all Muslims to live as close as possible to the mosques. This will naturally result in the cultivation of Muslim communities with the masjid as its nucleus. With the economic downfall, Muslims should use this opportunity and find foreclosed homes around mosques… better yet, MULTI-FAMILY HOMES around the mosques. There is no sense for Muslims to be buying million dollar homes when a few quad-plexes or apartments buildings around the moques will do just fine. Live like the Prophet and the sahaba. This will result in lower housing costs and shared expenses while more importantly, build Muslim communities around the mosques. It is important to note here that there should be at least one learned scholar from amongst the community since these Muslims will be responsible for their masjid in the form of a working group committee.

2. Permaculture

   With shelter taken care of above, next comes food. Permaculture is an important concept that you need to be familiar with. It is an ecological design which attempts to develop sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems. It draws from several other disciplines including organic farming, agroforestry, sustainable development, and applied ecology. The primary agenda of this area is to assist Muslims to become more self reliant through the design and development of productive and sustainable gardens and farms around housing and the masjid itself. This will ensure the long-term survival of the Muslim community without the need of poisonous corporations.

3. Economy

   The diversity of businesses amongst the congregations of mosque is staggering. Developing an economy for the congregation can render itself self-sufficient. Selling, bartering, and donating outside the masjid but from amongst the congregation can help promote the livelihood of our Muslim community without the need of government currency or bank lending.

Goals

The areas mentioned about are the means to the goal. What is the goal? First is unity. Without unity, we will continue to be numerous, but as weak as foam of the sea. This will channel our numbers through the mosques to empower us. Second goal is sovereignty. If Muslims depended on mosques rather than the institutions of our oppressors, our Islamic sovereignty will naturally be established worldwide through the network of mosques and will only help build a landscape for the Khilafah.

Steps

There are steps we need to make this a reality:

1. Register your masjid at Occupy Masjid
2. Notify Occupy Masjid if your masjid does NOT have a website
3. Create a Facebook page for your masjid if not done already
4. Create a Twitter account for your masjid if not done already
5. Talk to your Muslim peers about this proposal
6. Talk to the sheikh at your masjid about this proposal
7. Talk to Muslim real estate agents about this proposal
8. Advocate for free Wifi Internet in your masjid
9. Discuss your progress on Occupy Masjid’s Facebook page
10. Copy and redistribute this proposal on emails, blogs, websites, etc

Conclusion

*Only Muslims can join this religious-based movement (draw inspiration from Masjid Al-Aqsa).
*One learned scholar must be in the working group committee.
*Women should make up 50% of the working group committee.
*This is a working draft. Please leave comments, feedback and ideas below. 

Visit http://OccupyMasjid.org

Read to Judge O’Toole during his sentencing, April 12th 2012.

In the name of God the most gracious the most merciful

Exactly four years ago this month I was finishing my work shift at a local hospital. As I was walking to my car I was approached by two federal agents. They said that I had a choice to make: I could do things the easy way, or I could do them the hard way. The “easy “ way, as they explained, was that I would become an informant for the government, and if I did so I would never see the inside of a courtroom or a prison cell. As for the hard way, this is it. Here I am, having spent the majority of the four years since then in a solitary cell the size of a small closet, in which I am locked down for 23 hours each day. The FBI and these prosecutors worked very hard—and the government spent millions of tax dollars – to put me in that cell, keep me there, put me on trial, and finally to have me stand here before you today to be sentenced to even more time in a cell.

In the weeks leading up to this moment, many people have offered suggestions as to what I should say to you. Some said I should plead for mercy in hopes of a light sentence, while others suggested I would be hit hard either way. But what I want to do is just talk about myself for a few minutes.

When I refused to become an informant, the government responded by charging me with the “crime” of supporting the mujahideen fighting the occupation of Muslim countries around the world. Or as they like to call them, “terrorists.” I wasn’t born in a Muslim country, though. I was born and raised right here in America and this angers many people: how is it that I can be an American and believe the things I believe, take the positions I take? Everything a man is exposed to in his environment becomes an ingredient that shapes his outlook, and I’m no different.  So, in more ways than one, it’s because of America that I am who I am.

When I was six, I began putting together a massive collection of comic books. Batman implanted a concept in my mind, introduced me to a paradigm as to how the world is set up: that there are oppressors, there are the oppressed, and there are those who step up to defend the oppressed. This resonated with me so much that throughout the rest of my childhood, I gravitated towards any book that reflected that paradigm – Uncle Tom’s Cabin, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and I even saw an ethical dimension to The Catcher in the Rye.

By the time I began high school and took a real history class, I was learning just how real that paradigm is in the world. I learned about the Native Americans and what befell them at the hands of European settlers. I learned about how the descendents of those European settlers were in turn oppressed under the tyranny of King George III. I read about Paul Revere, Tom Paine, and how Americans began an armed insurgency against British forces – an insurgency we now celebrate as the American revolutionary war. As a kid I even went on school field trips just blocks away from where we sit now. I learned about Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, John Brown, and the fight against slavery in this country. I learned about Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, and the struggles of the labor unions, working class, and poor. I learned about Anne Frank, the Nazis, and how they persecuted minorities and imprisoned dissidents. I learned about Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and the civil rights struggle. I learned about Ho Chi Minh, and how the Vietnamese fought for decades to liberate themselves from one invader after another. I learned about Nelson Mandela and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Everything I learned in those years confirmed what I was beginning to learn when I was six: that throughout history, there has been a constant struggle between the oppressed and their oppressors. With each struggle I learned about, I found myself consistently siding with the oppressed, and consistently respecting those who stepped up to defend them -regardless of nationality, regardless of religion. And I never threw my class notes away. As I stand here speaking, they are in a neat pile in my bedroom closet at home.

From all the historical figures I learned about, one stood out above the rest. I was impressed by many things about Malcolm X, but above all, I was fascinated by the idea of transformation, his transformation. I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie “X” by Spike Lee, it’s over three and a half hours long, and the Malcolm at the beginning is different from the Malcolm at the end. He starts off as an illiterate criminal, but ends up a husband, a father, a protective and eloquent leader for his people, a disciplined Muslim performing the Hajj in Makkah, and finally, a martyr. Malcolm’s life taught me that Islam is not something inherited; it’s not a culture or ethnicity. It’s a way of life, a state of mind anyone can choose no matter where they come from or how they were raised. This led me to look deeper into Islam, and I was hooked. I was just a teenager, but Islam answered the question that the greatest scientific minds were clueless about, the question that drives the rich & famous to depression and suicide from being unable to answer: what is the purpose of life? Why do we exist in this Universe? But it also answered the question of how we’re supposed to exist. And since there’s no hierarchy or priesthood, I could directly and immediately begin digging into the texts of the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, to begin the journey of understanding what this was all about, the implications of Islam for me as a human being, as an individual, for the people around me, for the world; and the more I learned, the more I valued Islam like a piece of gold. This was when I was a teen, but even today, despite the pressures of the last few years, I stand here before you, and everyone else in this courtroom, as a very proud Muslim.

With that, my attention turned to what was happening to other Muslims in different parts of the world. And everywhere I looked, I saw the powers that be trying to destroy what I loved. I learned what the Soviets had done to the Muslims of Afghanistan. I learned what the Serbs had done to the Muslims of Bosnia. I learned what the Russians were doing to the Muslims of Chechnya. I learned what Israel had done in Lebanon – and what it continues to do in Palestine – with the full backing of the United States. And I learned what America itself was doing to Muslims. I learned about the Gulf War, and the depleted uranium bombs that killed thousands and caused cancer rates to skyrocket across Iraq. I learned about the American-led sanctions that prevented food, medicine, and medical equipment from entering Iraq, and how – according to the United Nations – over half a million children perished as a result. I remember a clip from a ‘60 Minutes’ interview of Madeline Albright where she expressed her view that these dead children were “worth it.” I watched on September 11^th as a group of people felt driven to hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings from their outrage at the deaths of these children. I watched as America then attacked and invaded Iraq directly. I saw the effects of ‘Shock & Awe’ in the opening day of the invasion – the children in hospital wards with shrapnel from American missiles sticking out of their foreheads (of course, none of this was shown on CNN).  I learned about the town of Haditha, where 24 Muslims – including a 76-year old man in a wheelchair, women, and even toddlers – were shot up and blown up in their bedclothes as the slept by US Marines. I learned about Abeer al-Janabi, a fourteen-year old Iraqi girl gang-raped by five American soldiers, who then shot her and her family in the head, then set fire to their corpses. I just want to point out, as you can see, Muslim women don’t even show their hair to unrelated men. So try to imagine this young girl from a conservative village with her dress torn off, being sexually assaulted by not one, not two, not three, not four, but five soldiers. Even today, as I sit in my jail cell, I read about the drone strikes which continue to kill Muslims daily in places like Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Just last month, we all heard about the seventeen Afghan Muslims – mostly mothers and their kids – shot to death by an American soldier, who also set fire to their corpses. These are just the stories that make it to the headlines, but one of the first concepts I learned in Islam is that of loyalty, of brotherhood – that each Muslim woman is my sister, each man is my brother, and together, we are one large body who must protect each other. In other words, I couldn’t see these things beings done to my brothers & sisters – including by America – and remain neutral. My sympathy for the oppressed continued, but was now more personal, as was my respect for those defending them.

I mentioned Paul Revere – when he went on his midnight ride, it was for the purpose of warning the people that the British were marching to Lexington to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock, then on to Concord to confiscate the weapons stored there by the Minuteman. By the time they got to Concord, they found the Minuteman waiting for them, weapons in hand. They fired at the British, fought them, and beat them. From that battle came the American Revolution. There’s an Arabic word to describe what those Minutemen did that day. That word is: JIHAD, and this is what my trial was about. All those videos and translations and childish bickering over ‘Oh, he translated this paragraph’ and ‘Oh, he edited that sentence,’ and all those exhibits revolved around a single issue: Muslims who were defending themselves against American soldiers doing to them exactly what the British did to America. It was made crystal clear at trial that I never, ever plotted to “kill Americans” at shopping malls or whatever the story was. The government’s own witnesses contradicted this claim, and we put expert after expert up on that stand, who spent hours dissecting my every written word, who explained my beliefs. Further, when I was free, the government sent an undercover agent to prod me into one of their little “terror plots,” but I refused to participate. Mysteriously, however, the jury never heard this.

So, this trial was not about my position on Muslims killing American civilians. It was about my position on Americans killing Muslim civilians, which is that Muslims should defend their lands from foreign invaders – Soviets, Americans, or Martians. This is what I believe. It’s what I’ve always believed, and what I will always believe. This is not terrorism, and it’s not extremism. it’s the simple logic of self-defense. It’s what the arrows on that seal above your head represent: defense of the homeland. So, I disagree with my lawyers when they say that you don’t have to agree with my beliefs – no. Anyone with commonsense and humanity has no choice but to agree with me. If someone breaks into your home to rob you and harm your family, logic dictates that you do whatever it takes to expel that invader from your home. But when that home is a Muslim land, and that invader is the US military, for some reason the standards suddenly change. Common sense is renamed “terrorism” and the people defending themselves against those who come to kill them from across the ocean become “the terrorists” who are “killing Americans.” The mentality that America was victimized with when British soldiers walked these streets 2 ½ centuries ago is the same mentality Muslims are victimized by as American soldiers walk their streets today. It’s the mentality of colonialism. When Sgt. Bales shot those Afghans to death last month, all of the focus in the media was on him—his life, his stress, his PTSD, the mortgage on his home—as if he was the victim. Very little sympathy was expressed for the people he actually killed, as if they’re not real, they’re not humans. Unfortunately, this mentality trickles down to everyone in society, whether or not they realize it. Even with my lawyers, it took nearly two years of discussing, explaining, and clarifying before they were finally able to think outside the box and at least ostensibly accept the logic in what I was saying. Two years! If it took that long for people so intelligent, whose job it is to defend me, to de-program themselves, then to throw me in front of a randomly selected jury under the premise that they’re my “impartial peers,” I mean, come on. I wasn’t tried before a jury of my peers because with the mentality gripping America today, I have no peers. Counting on this fact, the government prosecuted me – not because they needed to, but simply because they could.

I learned one more thing in history class: America has historically supported the most unjust policies against its minorities – practices that were even protected by the law – only to look back later and ask: ‘what were we thinking?’ Slavery, Jim Crow, the internment of the Japanese during World War II – each was widely accepted by American society, each was defended by the Supreme Court. But as time passed and America changed, both people and courts looked back and asked ‘What were we thinking?’ Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist by the South African government, and given a life sentence. But time passed, the world changed, they realized how oppressive their policies were, that it was not he who was the terrorist, and they released him from prison. He even became president. So, everything is subjective – even this whole business of “terrorism” and who is a “terrorist.” It all depends on the time and place and who the superpower happens to be at the moment.

In your eyes, I’m a terrorist, I’m the only one standing here in an orange jumpsuit and it’s perfectly reasonable that I be standing here in an orange jumpsuit. But one day, America will change and people will recognize this day for what it is. They will look at how hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed and maimed by the US military in foreign countries, yet somehow I’m the one going to prison for “conspiring to kill and maim” in those countries – because I support the Mujahidin defending those people. They will look back on how the government spent millions of dollars to imprison me as a “terrorist,” yet if we were to somehow bring Abeer al-Janabi back to life in the moment she was being gang-raped by your soldiers, to put her on that witness stand and ask her who the “terrorists” are, she sure wouldn’t be pointing at me.

The government says that I was obsessed with violence, obsessed with “killing Americans.” But, as a Muslim living in these times, I can think of a lie no more ironic.

-Tarek Mehanna

4/12/12

While the real terrorists roam free…

Go to “Free Tarek” Website!

]]> http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/13/tarek-mehannas-sentencing-statement-terrorist-or-american-revolutionist/feed/ 0 http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/05/celebrating-birthdays-which-calendar/ http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/2012/04/05/celebrating-birthdays-which-calendar/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:45:16 +0000 Basem http://pieceofmind.publicrealm.net/?p=1120 I have not been a fan of birthdays, but even if we want to, which calendar should we follow? Rarely anyone brings this up. Perhaps it’s not important. Allah SWT knows best. Why though celebrate Maulidur Rasul based on Hijrah Calendar, but our own birthdays (if we want to in the first place) based on Common Era/Masihiyah/Gregorian Calendar? The Vatican massacred cities and villages worldwide to impose the Gregorian Calendar? Why?… because they are pagans and not Christians.

Here are the months and their meanings:

• January: Janus (Roman god of gates, doorways, beginnings and endings)
• February: Februus (Etruscan god of death) Februarius (mensis) (Latin for “month of purification (rituals)” it is said to be a Sabine word, the last month of ancient pre-450 BC Roman calendar). It is related to fever.[33][34][35]
• March: Mars (Roman god of war)
• April: “Modern scholars associate the name with an ancient root meaning ‘other’, i.e the second month of a year beginning in March.”[36]
• May: Maia Maiestas (Roman goddess)
• June: Juno (Roman goddess, wife of Jupiter)
• July: Julius Caesar (Roman dictator) (month was formerly named Quintilis, the fifth month of the calendar of Romulus)
• August: Augustus (first Roman emperor) (month was formerly named Sextilis, the sixth month of Romulus)
• September: septem (Latin for seven, the seventh month of Romulus)
• October: octo (Latin for eight, the eighth month of Romulus)
• November: novem (Latin for nine, the ninth month of Romulus)
• December: decem (Latin for ten, the tenth month of Romulus)

The days of the week are all pagan:

• Monday: Old English Mōnandæg (pronounced [mon.nan.dæg] or [mon.nan.dæj'), meaning "Day of the Moon". This is likely based on a translation of the Latin name Dies Lunae (cf. Romance language versions of the name, e.g., French Lundi, Spanish, Lunes, Romanian Luni, Italian Lunedì). In North Germanic mythology, the moon is personified as a god; Máni.
• Tuesday: Old English Tiwesdæg (pronounced [ti.wes.dæg] or [ti.wes.dæj], meaning “Tyr’s day.” Tyr (in Old English, Tiw, Tew or Tiu) was a one-armed god associated with battle and pledges in Norse mythology and also attested prominently in wider Germanic paganism. The name of the day is based on Latin Dies Martis, “Day of Mars” (the Roman war god); compare: French Mardi, Spanish Martes, Romanian Marţi and Italian Martedì.
• Wednesday: Old English Wōdnesdæg (pronounced [woːd.nes.dæg] or [woːd.nes.dæj) meaning the day of the Germanic god Wodan (later known as Óðinn in among the North Germanic peoples), and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons (and other Germanic peoples) in England until about the seventh century. It is based on Latin Dies Mercurii, "Day of Mercury"; compare: French Mercredi, Spanish Miércoles, Romanian Miercuri and Italian Mercoledì. The connection between Mercury and Odin is more strained than the other syncretic connections. The usual explanation is that both Wodan and Mercury were considered psychopomps, or leaders of souls, in their respective mythologies. Also, in Norse mythology, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetic and musical inspiration. In German, the day is referred to as Mittwoch (mid week). Similarly in Finnish it is referred to as keskiviikko (keski = mid, viikko = week).
• Thursday: Old English Þūnresdæg (pronounced [θuːn.res.dæg] or [θuːn.res.dæj]), meaning the day of Þunor, commonly known in Modern English as Thor, the god of thunder in Norse Mythology and Germanic Paganism. It is based on the Latin Dies Iovis, “Day of Jupiter”; compare: French Jeudi, Spanish Jueves, Romanian Joi and Italian Giovedì. In the Roman pantheon, Jupiter was the chief god, who seized and maintained his power on the basis of his thunderbolt (Fulmen).
• Friday: Old English Frigedæg (pronounced [fri.je.dæg] or [fri.je.dæj]), meaning the day of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Frige, and is attesred among the North Germanic peoples as Frigg. It is based on the Latin Dies Veneris, “Day of Venus”; compare: French Vendredi, Spanish Viernes, Romanian Vineri and Italian Venerdì. Venus was the Roman goddess of beauty, love and sex.
• Saturday: the only day of the week to retain its Roman origin in English, named after the Roman god Saturn associated with the Titan Cronus, father of Zeus and many Olympians. Its original Anglo-Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg (pronounced [sæ.tur.nes.dæg] or [sæ.tur.nes.dæj]). In Latin it was Dies Saturni, “Day of Saturn”; compare: French Samedi. The Spanish and Portuguese Sábado, the Romanian Sâmbătă, and the Italian Sabato come from Sabbata Dies (Day of the Sabbath).
• Sunday: Old English Sunnandæg (pronounced [sun.nan.dæg] or [sun.nan.dæj), meaning “Day of the Sun”. This is a translation of the Latin phrase Dies Solis. English, like most of the Germanic languages, preserves the original pagan/sun associations of the day. Many other European languages, including all of the Romance languages, have changed its name to the equivalent of “the Lord’s day” (based on Ecclesiastical Latin Dies Dominica). Compare: Spanish and Portuguese Domingo, French Dimanche, Romanian Duminică and Italian
  Domenica. In both West Germanic and North Germanic mythology the sun is personified as a goddess; Sunna/Sól.

Sources

• https://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/21314
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekday_names

The following video is not about the Mayan Calendar as you think,
but about calendars in general and very thought provoking!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8f4dGqERHo

Assalamu Alaikum – Peace and Blessings to all!

The blessed month of Ramadan is now less than 10 days away! What are you doing to prepare for this month about which Allah (swt) says:

Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa. [Qur'an 2:183]

The word taqwaa is best understood as a state of ‘God-consciousness’.  Therefore, this ayah informs us that the purpose of Ramadan is to teach/train us to be in a constant state of God-consciousness – during Ramadan as well as the rest of the year. But how can we do this if we don’t prepare for this month and treat it as a training period? Every year, we make New Year’s Resolutions, but what about our Ramadan Resolutions? That’s why this year for Ramadan I’ve decided to create a list of my Top 10 Ramadan Resolutions and share it with you. Insha’Allah you find this list helpful for you and it allows you to really capture the true essence of Ramadan

1. Read the entire Qur’an
   Since Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed, we are encouraged to read, study, and complete the Qur’an over the course of the month. Initially, this sounds like a huge feat but it’s actually very simple if we plan for it in advance and work hard at it. All you have to do is commit to reading 4 pages after each prayer! And if you can’t read or understand it in Arabic, there’s nothing wrong with reading it in English! What I do is try to read both with a good side-by-side translation but if time is tight, just focus on the English for now so you can understand it.
2. Memorize and learn the tafsir for one new surah
   It doesn’t even have to be a very long surah. Just set aside some time everyday to study this surah, understand the meaning, and memorize it. You can even practice the section you’re currently working on by reciting it during your prayers for that day. The Tafsir of Ibn Kathir is of the most respected and accepted explanations for the Quran and is the most widely used explanations in Arabic used today.
3. Learn 3 new duas from Qur’an or Sunnah
   There’s nothing like the feeling of holding up your hands or touching your forehead to the ground and speaking directly to Allah (swt) asking him for whatever it is that you want. The only thing better is using duas that come directly from the Qur’an or that have been recited by the Prophet Muhammad (saaw). So pick a few that you’d like to memorize and begin using them in your prayers, afterwards, and whenever the need arises! Here is a nice site with some duas for different occasions.
4. Turn off the radio and TV
   You won’t realize how much time you spend listening to the radio and watching TV until you turn them off for a whole month! And I mean all day, not just when you’re fasting. Ramadan isn’t just about fasting from food, we’re supposed to be fasting from all worldly things that take us away from worshiping and praising our Creator – remember, God-consciousness! But I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with watching videos of Islamic talks and lectures though! You can find videos to watch at TubeIslam, HalalTube, and The Deen Show, for starters.
5. Use the Internet wisely
   The internet is a tricky thing. On the one hand it’s a true blessing, a very useful tool, and for some, a necessary part of the work/school day. On the other hand, it’s a HUGE time-waster (Facebook anyone?)! So the key here is to always have a clear picture of what it is you need to do online and just do it! Make an honest effort to not go off on useless tangents (we know how easy that is!) and limit your time spent online each day. If you just have to go on Facebook, make it worth your while (as well as your friends) and share a link that will help others learn something or expand their knowledge in some way – then spend no more than 15-20 mins checking your feed and then SIGN OFF!
6. Pray taraweeh
   Try to go to the masjid and pray taraweeh with the Imam at least one time this Ramadan. If you can go every night, masha’Allah and alhamdulillah! I know for me,  it’s just not something I can do right now, but what I like to do instead is pray taraweeh at home. It’s very simple – I just pray 8 rak’aahs (2 sets of 2 rak’aahs, short break for duas, then 2 sets of 2 rak’aahs) and then I pray the witr prayer (2 rak’aahs then 1 rak’aah). It’s recommended to lengthen the nightly prayers so try to recite the longer surahs that you know or recite more than one surah for each rak’aah.
7. Wake up for suhoor
   When I was younger, my mom always woke us up for suhoor. Once I was on my own, I totally skipped suhoor; I ate at midnight, woke up 5 minutes before Fajr adhan to drink a glass of water, prayed then went back to sleep. What I didn’t know until recently is that the suhoor meal is actually a sunnah.
   The Prophet (saaw) said:

   Eat Suhoor; Indeed, there is a blessing in Suhoor. [Bukhari and Muslim]

   The Prophet (saaw) also said:

   The distinction between our fasting and the fasting of the people of the book [Jews and Christians] is the taking of Suhoor. [Muslim]

   The best suhoor is to eat dates since the Prophet (saaw) said:

   How excellent are dates as the believer’s Suhoor. [Abu Dawood]

   It’s also much healthier to eat a nutritious meal before attempting to fast the entire day; your brain needs energy to function properly. By skipping out on suhoor, you’re depriving your brain of this energy – no wonder we always seem so tired and unable to concentrate during the day! So let’s return to the tradition of waking up early and eating suhoor with the family. Waking up before dawn will be much easier if we’re not staying up late the night before watching TV or Facebook-ing.

8. Make dua
   Ramadan is the month of dua and Allah (swt) loves when we call upon him, so let’s make sure to remember to ask Allah (swt) for everything we want!
   The Prophet (saaw) said:

   There are three people whose dua’s are not rejected, the fasting person until he breaks the fast, the just ruler and the dua’s of the oppressed whose dua Allah lifts above the clouds and opens unto it the doors of the heavens, and Allah says, I swear by My honor, verily I shall assist you even though it may be after some time. [Ahmad and Tirmidhi]

   Make dua each day before starting your fast, when breaking your fast, during/after prayer, at the masjid, when giving zakat, etc. Here is a nice list of duas to recite for various reasons throughout the day and here is another list of 30 duas for 30 days. Here is a dua we can all say right now:

   اَللّهُمَّ  بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان - Allahumma ballighna Ramadan – O Allah! Let us reach the month of Ramadan

9. Pray the Sunnah prayers
   There are 12 confirmed sunnah prayers that are associated with the obligatory prayers. If we’re not praying them already, Ramadan is definitely the time to start!
   The Prophet (saaw) said:

   There is no Muslim servant of Allah who prays twelve supererogatory rakats from other than the obligatory prayer for the sake of Allah most high except that Allah makes for him a house in paradise. [Muslim]

   The sunnah prayers are: 2 before Fajr, 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after it, 2 after Maghrib, and 2 after Isha.

10. Read Surat Al-Kahf on Fridays
    Surat Al-Kahf is a very special surah in the Qur’an; not only are there many virtues for reciting and memorizing it, but it also contains 4 main stories! The following hadiths speak about the benefits and virtues of this surah:
    The Prophet (saaw) said:

    Whoever reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays. [Bukhari and Muslim]

    The Prophet (saaw) said:

    Whoever memorizes ten Ayahs from the beginning of Surat Al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal. [Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and At-Tirmidhi]

    So let’s remember to follow this sunnah and read surat Al-Kahf on Fridays; and if you can’t read the whole thing, at least try to read the first 10 ayahs… by the end of Ramadan, you’ll have them memorized insha’Allah!

Finally, here is a 10 Day Ramadan Prep Challenge for the last 10 days leading up to Ramadan. It’s a nightly audio lecture with different guest speakers addressing a different topic each night!

Let’s aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, we pray that Allah (swt) will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah (swt) make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.

Do you have any Ramadan Resolutions of your own? Share them in the comments below!

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Well, they did it! The Egyptian people have successfully ousted their brutal dictator of 30 years and the entire world is celebrating along with them. Because we all know that this is a victory not just for Egypt, but for all oppressed people of the world fighting for their freedom and liberty, both across the Middle East and the world. Similar uprisings have already sprouted up in other countries in the region, taking their inspiration from Tunisia and their motivation from Egypt. May they all achieve their intended goals and reach their aspirations for human dignity and independence.

The main thing on everyone’s mind is “What now?”. And no doubt, there’s a very complicated and winding road ahead for the Egyptian people as they remove the shackles of their past and lay down the foundations for a new future; but one thing is for sure: although the process will be a long and messy one, nothing can ever break the people of Egypt ever again!

Congrats and Alf Mabrouk!

[youtube rgcLaO4_DFg Sout El Horiya (Voice of Freedom)]

I found this note posted on Facebook yesterday and thought it was so well written, thorough and articulate so many important points, that I just had to share it with you.

by Mohannad Ali on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 (Source)

Excuse me I know I’m not very articulate, but here’s an attempt to explain reality to those who don’t understand it. Apologies in advance for typos, grammatical mistakes etc. I haven’t proofread this.

First refuting the promises:

1. He wont run for another term.You are all accepting this as if Mubarak has a proven record of honesty, and he does deliver on his promises. Mubarak in 1981 said he will only stay in power for 2 terms, and we call saw how this turned out to be. We have seen the regime sending out a few hundred people in pro-Mubarak demonstrations, not to mention the tens of celebrities etc. who were saying all those nice things about Mubarak. Giving the regime 7 months to regroup and plan, don’t you think for example they can’t manage to create a massive large scale pro Mubarak campaign asking him to re-run leaving him “with no choice” but to re-run for another term? If I could think of such a cheap an easy plot, I’m sure Mubarak has at least a dozen of those up his sleeve.What happened to the rest of demands regarding elections? Judicial supervision, the right to vote for Egyptians abroad, voting using your ID (raqam qawmy) to avoid fraud, international and civil society organizations supervision?Again there was no mention of Gamal Mubarak not running for president, but more on that later.
2. Looking into court appeals regarding electoral fraud Looking into those appeals would mean the re-election of many many seats (under no guarantees that the re-election would be fair [read next point about article 88 of the constitution]), plus the large number of appeals basically means the parliament is not legitimate and the proper course of action would have been dissolving the parliament entirely.
3. Constitutional changes. Mubarak promised to ask the parliament to change articles 76, and 77 of the Egyptian constitution. 76 is the article regulating the conditions required to be a presidential candidate, 77 says the president serves a 6 years term with no limit on how many times he can be re-elected. He did not mention anything about article 88 which regulates supervision over the electoral process of the parliament, which means there will be NO guarantee they will be fair and fraud free.

What has Mubarak left out in his speech:

1. Emergency law is still effective, which means oppression, brutality, arrests, and torture will continue. How can you have any hope for fair democratic elections under emergency law where the police have absolute power?
2. Internet is still not working, no talks of lifting censorship.
3. No talks of allowing freedom of speech, freedom to create political parties, freedom to participate in politics without the risk of getting arrested. FYI to start a political party you need the government’s permission. How do you expect democracy to come out of this?
4. He said he will put anyone responsible for corruption to trial right? What about putting the police who killed 300+ to trial? What about members of NDP who are the most corrupt businessmen/politicians in the country. Do you think he’ll put those to trial? Think again.
5. He didn’t even take responsibility for anything that went wrong in the last 30 years. Not even his condolences to the martyrs who have fallen in this revolution.

Why should Mubarak leave now and not a day later?

1. He can’t be trusted, and we can’t believe a word he says. He’s a murderer and a criminal with a 30 years criminal record, and the blood of thousands on his hands.
2. Every day he stays in power, not only are his cronies stealing every dime and every inch of this country, but we’re giving the regime a chance to regroup and get their shit together, and if not Mubarak, or Gamal Mubarak, I’m sure we’ll get someone even worse from within the regime.
3. Egypt will see the worst 9 months of its history in terms of oppression, arrests, and torture from now till September (and after that). Rest assured the regime (with or without Mubarak), will stop at nothing to stay in power. He has given no real guarantees whatsoever that the situation will improve. None. Not even regarding Emergency law.
4. You should NOT believe that there are any good people in the new cabinet Mubarak recently assigned. No good honest man would work for a criminal and a murderer, especially not in this war cabinet. Many honest Egyptians along the years have declined positions in Mubarak’s governments.
5. If protesting stops now, it will never start again. At least not in those numbers, and thus creating no real pressure. And while giving the police a chance to regroup and reinforce their lines, expect more police brutality, and expect more deaths.
6. Most importantly, 300+ haven’t sacrificed their lives, so we’d settle for some lame ass promises with no guarantees, and risk all this going to waste. They wanted Mubarak gone, and the least we can do is honor their will and keep going until Mubarak, and the rest of the regime are gone. Not in 9 months, but now.

My answer to the following claims:

“But the country is already in a state of chaos. Lets stop protesting so we can have some security and stability”

Don’t be fooled, this state of chaos is mostly intentional. With the economy reaching almost a complete halt, and lack of security on the streets etc, Mubarak made sure you’d eat up whatever he throws at you. Would you rather be ruled by a corrupt and criminal regime for another 9 months (at least), or go through “chaos” for another week, two, or a month until the regime has fallen?

Don’t let the blood of our martyrs go to waste. We’ve seen countries rise from the ashes of war, we’ve seen countries rise from the devastation of nuclear bombs. We can most DEFINITELY pull through for another couple of weeks. And once we have democracy, once we have freedom, once we get rid corruption, when 100% of our money goes into the country and not into the pockets of corrupt politicians and businessmen, we’ll rebuilt this country in no time. What are a few years of struggle in a the history of a free and proud nation?

“If Mubarak leaves now, who’s gonna be president? ElBaradei can’t be president!! With no one in power we’ll be in a spiral of chaos and havoc etc”

This is by far the most naive argument. Do you know what happens if the president has health problems? Do you know what happens if the president resigns? Do you know what happens if the president dissolves the government and resigns? Do you know what happens if the president dies? Do you know how an interim government works? Do you know what your constitution says? No. So any opinion you have on the matter is naive and based on emotion and not facts nor political understanding.

The constitution as it is tailored at the moment, puts on obstacles making it hard to proceed if Mubarak resigns at the moment. In other words the constitution obviously doesn’t account for the coup d’etat scenario. You can read articles 82, 84, and 189 to understand what I’m talking about it.

However the scenario we want is:

1. the ousting of the regime entirely: President, government, and parliament.
2. Establishing an interim (transitional) government representing everyone across the spectrum, chosen by the people, to make the necessary constitutional changes and prepare for fair democratic elections in 6 months while providing the necessary guarantees. There are lots and lots of names who can fill this interim government but everyone is concerned about the president of that transitional government, and to those I say: a) Enough with the centralization of power. Its seems we can’t think out of the one-man-ruling-the-country box. b) We are a country of 80 million people. Any honest decent Egyptian, who isn’t part of the current regime, could be the head of this interim government. c) Whats wrong with ElBaradei? If you know anything about me I’m not exactly a fan of his, but we just need an honest man, who knows the necessary processes, constitutional changes and legislative changes required to establish the basis for democracy. I wouldn’t want ElBaradei or any of the current opposition leaders to be president for a full term, but ElBaradei has what it takes to put down the ground work for fair and democratic elections after 6 months. Some people say he’s too “soft” to handle the tough reality of Egypt, well you have to keep in mind a leader is only as strong as his supporters, so whichever whoever leader the people stand behind will have the necessary strength to lead this transitional phase. The circumstances of an interim government are different from a normal government. Think of it as a committee temporarily running the country with the primary focus being elections in 6 months. Finally given 6 months of political freedom, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, no emergency law, and with constitutional and legislative changes, not only will we have one strong candidate for presidency, we’ll have dozens.

For the reasons above, our goal should be: keep going until we overthrow the regime completely. And if you’re bothered by the chaos, remember that the more people protesting, the faster the regime will fall and the chaos will be over. And once the regime has fallen, we should dedicate all of our efforts to make sure we choose a proper interim government that really represents the people, and everything will go smoothly from there, and the future of Egypt will be brighter than ever before.

Be strong, keep pushing, no compromises, don’t forget what they have done, we all know what they will do. The revolution has to go on so the lives of 300+ martyrs, and the blood of thousands other free Egyptians wouldn’t go to waste.

Don’t be naive. Its time to think politics and not just revolution. True freedom has a price and all of us should be willing to pay it.

Please visit the Emergency Response Plan HERE

"I am Khaled Said" by Kimo Nour

“We are all Khaled Said”
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Perhaps one of the most controversial topics when it comes to Islam, is that of the status of women. It seems that everyone thinks they know everything there is to know about this topic, but I’ve yet to see a mainstream debate about this issue which actually included a Muslim in the conversation… or better yet, a Muslim woman!

I was approached by a very dear friend of mine who needed help in debunking some utterly false and downright hateful claims made by Christian Evangelical, Franklin Graham, in an interview which recently aired on CNN. I’ll spare you the excruciating pain of actually watching the interview, so I’ve outlined his main “points” below and will attempt to respond to each of them with credible references from the Qur’an and Hadith – the only true sources for Islamic jurisprudence.

However, before getting into that, it’s important to note that throughout the 11 minute interview, Mr. Graham never once took the time to actually refer back to the Qur’an or Hadith (as I will do in this post). He never once referred to a specific personal experience he’d had with any of the millions of Muslims living in his own country – the U.S., or the 1.6 billion other Muslims scattered across the globe. No, his one reference to anything remotely related to Islam was when he held up the cover of a TIME magazine which showed a picture of an Afghani girl who tragically had her nose cut off by her father because she fled an arranged marriage…and this is not at all a reference to Islam, but a in fact a reference to one incident in one country involving one family, who happens to be Muslim. Oh yes, he also referred to his ‘extensive experience’ of ‘helping Muslims’ in Muslim countries, but he never once mentions who, when, where…again, completely baseless.

The importance of this endeavor to counter these false accusations against Islam as a religion is due to the widespread uneducated, misinformed, and at times, downright ignorant, images that are portrayed about Islam in the mainstream media. If some heinous, cruel act is committed in some remote corner of the world, it goes completely unnoticed… until someone gets wind that the perpetrator says he’s a Muslim. This over-generalized, painting with a broad stroke of the brush has got to stop! It’s time to look at the facts, the source, and the truth. Below are some of Mr. Graham’s false statements about the status of women in Islam:

Women are the personal property of men
This one is a favorite of those who are truly uneducated about Islam. For if one reads the Qur’an, one will immediately realize that women and men are full and equal partners in humanity. Women are neither the ‘property’ of men, nor are they an object to be owned, bought, sold, used, kept, or any other outlandish term used to describe them. Allah (swt) explains to us exactly how women are to be treated (and not treated):

O You who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at time of marriage) you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good. (Qur’an, 4:19)

Allah (swt) also makes it clear that the only difference between a man and woman in the sight of Allah, is one’s good deeds and awareness of Allah (swt):

Indeed the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most pious. (Qur’an, 49:13)

Whoever does right, whether male or female, (all) such will enter the garden. (Qur’an, 40:40)

And for those who wonder why the Qur’an seems to only be addressed to men, Umm Salama (one of the Prophet’s wives) asked the same question, after which a long passage was revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) clearly addressed to both men and women in every line, stating the responsibilities and rewards for both men and women:

For Muslim men and women – for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God’s praise – for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward. (Qur’an, 33:35)

Women have no rights in Islam
Another favorite, yet completely false statement, disproven only by the word of Allah (swt):

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you. (Qur’an, 4:1)

Contrary to what characters like Franklin Graham would have you believe, Islam grants the women the right to an education, as clearly stated by the Prophet (pbuh):

To seek knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim. (Related by Ibn ‘Adiyy, Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Tabarani)

The Holy prophet had keen interest in the education of women. His own wife, A’isha (ra) was highly learned and he is reported to have said to his companions: Learn half of the faith from A’isha. After the death of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) his companions frequently asked her for guidance in matters on which there was a difference of opinion and she was considered an authority on many vital issues and a large number of authentic traditions were narrated by her.

Islam also guarantees the rights of women to work, to own property and have wealth. Regarding the right to work and earn a living:

And in nowise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others: to men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn: But ask Allah of his bounty. For Allah hath full knowledge of all things. (Qur’an, 4:32)

Islam also grants women the right to their lawful inheritance. Neither a woman’s father nor her husband can lay claim to her rightful share of inheritance:

From what is left by parents, and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large-a determinate share. (Qur’an, 4:7)

The Qur’an also states:

Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females…(Qur’an, 4:11)

The above verse is very controversial, since at first glance, it seems that this verse does not benefit women, when in fact, the opposite is true. The man is legally obligated to maintain and care for his wife, children, parents, and any other relatives in need of assistance. The woman, on the other hand, is exempt from these legal obligations, so her share of the inheritance is hers alone. She doesn’t have to contribute to the maintenance of the family if she chooses not to and no one can take that inheritance away from her.

Before Islam, a woman was not only deprived of her inheritance but was herself considered as property to be inherited by man.

Women have no rights to divorce
For some reason, many believe that all a man has to do is say “I divorce you” three times and the marriage is dissolved, without any consideration or consent from the woman. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Qur’an not only encourages reconciliation as much as possible (especially when the couple has children), but it also orders two witnesses to witness the divorce before God:

Once the interim is fulfilled, you may reconcile with them equitably, or go through with the separation equitably. You shall have two equitable witnesses witness the divorce before Allah. This is to enlighten those who believe in Allah and the Last Day. Anyone who reverences Allah, He will create an exit for him. (Qur’an, 65:2)

The ‘interim’ referred to in the above verse is the required 4-month ‘iddah’ or cooling-off period after a divorce is declared:

Those who intend to divorce their wives shall wait four months (cooling off); if they change their minds and reconcile, then Allah is Forgiver, Merciful. If they go through with the divorce, then Allah is Hearer, Knower. (Qur’an, 2:226-227)

There are 2 reasons for this, (1) to clarify whether the woman is pregnant or not. If she is pregnant, the husband is responsible for the wife’s maintenance until the child is born. Furthermore, if the woman who is divorced has a young child, she can nurse the child for up two years and the father must maintain both the woman and her child. (2) Iddah also functions as a cooling-off period during which the relatives and the community will try to help reconcile the couple.

Furthermore,

Divorce may be retracted twice. The divorced woman shall be allowed to live in the same home amicably, or leave it amicably. It is not lawful for the husband to take back anything he had given her. However, the couple may fear that they may transgress Allah’s law. If there is fear that they may transgress Allah’s law, they commit no error if the wife willingly gives back whatever she chooses. These are Allah’s laws; do not transgress them. Those who transgress Allah’s laws are the unjust. (Qur’an, 2:229)

And when you divorce women and they reach their prescribed time, then either retain them in good fellowship or set them free with liberality, and do not retain them for injury. He who doeth that hath wronged his soul. (Qur’an, 2:231)

Islam condones violence against women
Islam condemns violence in all forms both against men and women. In pre-Islamic Arabia violence against women was rampant and began at birth in the form of infanticide. The Qur’an not only prohibits this practice explicitly, it also mocks those who view the birth of a female child with contempt:

When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice) they decide on? (Qur’an, 16:58-59)

Another form of violence against women prohibited by Islam is that committed by husbands against their wives. Islam requires that husbands treat their wives with respect and it prohibits any form of physical or emotional abuse. The Quran requires that spouses treat each other with love and mercy.

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. (Qur’an, 30:21)

Moreover, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

I recommend that you treat women with goodness. The best of you are those who treat their wives the best. (Tirmidhi)

One verse in the Qur’an that is repeatedly referred to in order to justify using violence against women is the following:

As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next) refuse to share their beds, (and last) tap them (lightly) ['wadribuhunna']; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance): for Allah is Most High, Great (above you all). (Qur’an, 4:34)

This verse in no way condones abuse or violence against women at all! If it did, it would be in contradiction with the numerous other verses that call for peaceful, equitable and loving relationships between husband and wife. In fact, the Qur’an also gives women the right to leave a marriage if she fears abuse from her husband:

If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband’s part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best; even though men’s souls are swayed by greed. But if ye do good and practise self-restraint, Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Qur’an, 4:128)

The falsehood of associating verse 4:34 with violence against women is a blatant lie that the Qur’an warns us against:

Behold! How they invent a lie against Allah! But that by itself is a manifest sin! (Qur’an, 4:50)

This doesn’t even take into account that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the best example of a man, never once hit, beat, or laid a hand on any of his wives or daughters. Because of this, many scholars take the ‘tap them (lightly)’ [Arabic: 'dribah'] to be interpreted as valid as ‘to walk away’. A man should walk away from a situation that angers him in order to cool off and show his disapproval. Even if this translation/interpretation is not based on overwhelming consensus, the Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet (pbuh) makes it clear that beating or abuse of any kind against one’s wife is unacceptable since it goes against the Islamic spirit of justice and compassion.

Islam condones ‘honor killings’
There is no such concept as “honor killings” in Islam. Islam holds every life and soul in high esteem and does not allow any transgression upon it. Islam in no way allows people to take the law into their own hands and administer justice, as doing so would simply lead to chaos and lawlessness. Any judgement passed down whether to sanction killing or any other punishment should be issued by an authoritative court (ie: the justice system). Individual persons are not allowed to just sanction killing when and where they please as this leads to ruling by the laws of the jungle. In a civilized society, there are a rules and regulations that govern these sanctions so a Muslim is in no way justified to sanction these so-called “honor killings”.

Say: “Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from”: join not anything with Him; Be good to your parents: kill not your children on a plea of want;― provide sustenance for you and for them;― come not nigh to shameful deeds, whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom. (Qur’an, 6:151)

Like other religions, Islam strictly prohibits killing and murder without any justified cause. In the Qur’an, Allah (swt) states:

Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully. we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). (Qur’an, 17:33)

The Qur’an even goes further as to say that killing is something that should be warded off completely:

But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. (The one) said: I will surely kill thee. (The other) answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil). Even if thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee, lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. (Qur’an, 5:27-28)

The Qur’an points out that the same God of the Children of Israel is the same God of the Qur’an, and the values continue:

On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if whoever kills a soul – unless for another soul or for corruption (vice and mischief spread) in the land – it is as if he had slain the whole of mankind. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved the whole of mankind. (Qur’an, 5:32)

Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) also says:

He who is not merciful to people Allah will not be merciful to him. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

You possess two qualities that Allah loves. These are clemency and tolerance. (Al-Muslim)

Honor killings are based on ignorance, immorality, and a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law. It’s an unfortunate reality that these killings take place both in the Muslim world, as well as other corners of the world and should be abolished through education and disciplinary measures. However, before we can wipe out these awful, heinous crimes against humanity, we must first recognize that these acts have no place or justification in Islam, a religion that advocates peace, harmony, and the sanctity of every life on this earth.

This article has aimed to cut through some of the dominant stereotypes concerning the status of women in Islam. Of course, this is in no way an exhaustive list, but indeed one that covers the most common statements uttered by misguided individuals who believe they are speaking the truth. There are almost 2 billion people on this earth who follow the religion of Islam. Women, men, old, young, black, white, Arab and non-Arab – they all subscribe to the same peaceful ideals and values that together, form the basic way of life that is Islam. It’s the fastest growing religion in the world and the second largest religion both in the U.S. and the world.

For people to actually believe that close to 2 billion of their fellow human beings follow a faith that advocates some of the heinous, unmentionable practices that they falsely attribute to Islam, there is a real problem with they way those individuals view the world around them. We cannot let the actions of a few ignorant, misguided individuals (who happen to call themselves Muslims) dictate our views and judgements about the entire religion of Islam. There are over a billion other Muslims who stand 100% against all of these purely cultural, tribalistic practices, but nobody ever asks what we think or what we believe.

It’s time to start looking at the original sources. It’s time to start asking questions instead of passing uneducated judgements. It’s time… to ask a Muslim!