There is no better example than Iran. The Iranian government is not a victim of this, they deserve any revealing coverage that comes their way. It’s a country that thrives on its own people’s blood and by executing people at such a fast rate that it’s difficult to be shocked or even shaken by such news anymore. People hear about it so often that it’s numbing. They hear about it mostly because it’s accessible. U.S and Israeli media report it every day as a strategy to empower itself. It’s a brutal psychological war that uses real lives and real personal stories, real people, to give itself more power. The more it happens, the more they celebrate it. It shows from their energetic coverage of such news. For their convenience, such news helps to divert your attention away from their own crimes and their own dirty games that play a big role in today’s political and human rights crisis across our countries. Protesters shot and killed in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain? Move along people, nothing to see here.

Many of my activist friends in Iran share this same feeling. These governments (also oppressive) taking advantage of these activists who risk their own freedoms to expose these stories and who, as a consequence, have to witness these stories being used against them. We all know that the U.S and Israel, and their allies, have no interest in human rights and in us as human beings. They have an interest in their political and economic status, and to maintain Israel’s role as a superpower in the region, one that also thrives on blood and murder. But the U.S regards that as “necessary crimes” for Israel’s “survival,” though Iran and Syria can claim the same thing. They kill for the survival of their current government and current structure and to protect the current people in power. You can justify anything if you try to and sometimes it would even make sense, it just would never be right. Especially if it means you end up putting even more people in danger than they already were, which is what both the U.S and Israel are doing with its narrow coverage.

Some people ask why others are so focused on Israel when there are crimes happening in their own countries or other neighboring ones. The answer is that coverage of these issues gets in the wrong hands all too often. These are powerful hands who call the shots (literally.) In one instance you still want the entire world to know what crimes your government is committing and in another you don’t want to empower occupying and imperialist forces to use that as justice for their interference. A lot of people feel that the latter is an important struggle because the human rights movements feels incomplete without it.

Unfortunately for us, this will happen regardless of our fight against it. That doesn’t mean we can sit back and watch it happen, but we should expose it and discourage it and even refrain from speaking with certain journalists at certain papers and state our reasons why so that they understand that we’re not going to help their agendas that are in direct competition with ours. And our agenda is the simplest demand that is the hardest to fight for: to be free. Free from tyrannical regimes and free from occupying foreign forces.

In Syria, Syrian security forces have shot dead at least seven protesters on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday. Protests erupted in many towns and cities on Tuesday morning, after Muslims performed the Eid prayer marking the end of Ramadan then took to the streets in mass protests against the Assad regime and the atrocities it had been committing against the Syrians for the past five and a half months. The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) activist network said six of the deaths occurred in the southern province of Daraa and one in Homs in what continues to be a harsh crackdown imposed by the Assad regime over protesters and activists ever since the eruption of the #Mar15 revolution in Syria.

In Bahrain, a 14-year old boy with the name of Ali Jawwad has been reported killed by Bahraini security forces during a protest in Sitra against the al-Khalifa regime after he was directly hit by a tear gas canister on his head fired at a close range, Bahrain’s Ministry of Health stated that a 14-year-old boy was killed but gave no details as to the circumstances of his death. This marks as the 32nd civilian that has been killed by the regime ever since the beginning of a civil uprising in Bahrain on #Feb14 that had been oppressed by both the al-Khalifa regime and the GCC’s Peninsula Shield forces.

In Nigeria, tensions between Christians and Muslims over the Muslim holiday Eid have resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people in the central Nigerian city of Jos. Sectarian violence broke out after Christian youths attacked Muslims trying to perform worship in a mosque that had been burned in previous clashes in that city, the military was called in to put an end to the violence and shot at the crowd, most of the deaths are reported to be caused by the military forces. The clashes are part of ongoing violence that began with last Christmas Eve’s bomb blasts in two Christian communities in Jos, the state capital that lies on a faith-based fault line between Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria and the mainly Christian southern Nigeria, ever since then both Muslims and Christians have been killed based on their religious identity.

In Denmark, one man was killed and two more wounded in a shoot-out outside a mosque in central Copenhagen, the attacks came as worshippers left the mosque after the Eid prayers, according to witnesses it was a drive-by shooting and around 20 bullets were fired from what seemed to be a hand gun. The police confirmed that the man had died within minutes after he was shot three times in the head, and that a second 50-year-old man was being treated in hospital. A third person, who rushed away in a private car, was shot in the leg.

What a sad way to mark the end of a holy month and begin what should have been the festivities of a beautiful Eid. What should have been a day of celebration will be a day of mourning for all those families, whose loved ones ended up in the morgue rather than at their homes on that day.

Unfortunately, now our society deems the word extremism in only religious radicalism. On the other hand, word liberalism has become almost a cliché and everyone likes to be called one. You can witness this thing on any public online discussion forum whether it is a social network, blog or newspaper website. Everyone wants to jump into the discussion and say, “hey, you Mullah, you close minded! You need to get rid of your fundamentalist beliefs”, without realizing the very fact that liberalism is also an extreme on the opposite end on fundamentalism. It’s bipolar.

In fact now we do not argue instead we indulge in tagging each other with labels of fundamentalist/extremist and liberal. We never try to convince by logically arguing and never try to listen what counterpart has to say about it. We go like, “Oh you, believe me or get ready to be labeled as an extremist”. Liberalism tag has become so attractive that everyone wants to wear it. The tag itself is very dictating, and one who wears it unconsciously tries to protect it by whatever means possible.

There is a universally accepted rule that when one accepts any religion and enters into any faith he/she have to accept all the corollaries that accompany. Religion cannot be customized to our political, social or individual needs. When you accept it, then you have to accept it fully.

View of liberals is they have the right to question, to think freely, to have freedom of expression and unrestricted free thinking. Yes, indeed they have the right to think freely and have freedom of expression but religion tends to put a restriction at it. Suppose for the sake of argument you are a liberal living in a liberal society will you allow freedom of blasphemy, free sex out-of-wedlock, homosexuality, theft, robberies and murders just because you think you have the right to express what you want to express.

Indeed most of you will say No, a Big No to it, and that’s where religion put limits and these limits drag liberals to the moderation i.e. to a real comfort zone.

In the words of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (Rehmt. A);

People who have no hold over their process of thinking are likely to be ruined by liberty of thought. If thought is immature liberty of thought becomes a method of converting men into animals.

You may argue that Allama said “Immature thought” but may I put stress on the last part of preceding sentence “to be ruined by liberty of thought” which shows that liberty of thought without any hold would at least ruin you and if the thought is immature it would lead to“converting men into animals”. One can see the least and most consequences of having liberty of thought. We as a nation and modern western world unfortunately have lost the sight of this extreme.

On the other hand confining the thought to a smaller territory will bring one to other extreme i.e. conservatism/fundamentalism a.k.a religious radicalism or extremism. The question may arise; which type of extremism is more dangerous? If you ask me I would say “Liberalism” (though my facebook profile says ‘approaches to liberal’ in religious view column). There is a reason behind my sweeping statement; and that is Liberty of thought have no barrier and hence have uncontrollable and far-reaching consequences, which will destroy the very fabric of any society and social institutions.

Social institutions being the building block of society if affected by these extremes can affect the most important social institution i.e. family. Once family system is ruined, the process of “converting men into animals” begins. If we go by this speed we’ll be not very far from it. What we need is a middle ground and that is moderation.

Originally Posted: I’m No Superman!

One night, our friends and I decided to gather and enjoy the night together. One friend and I went to a supermarket to buy some food. I was wandering in market and suddenly saw a girl. I opened the conversation and everything went well. So after a while she had my phone number in her mobile. We enjoyed that night with guys and two days passed. Then she called me and we managed a date. That also went well and she told me that she is interested to participate in university entrance exam of graduate schools and needs some place to study. I suggested her one of libraries of the city. So we managed and went there together for a week.

After one week of studying (our dates were always in library) I decided to go out for hiking with her. So one night we wore our sport shoes and went in the street. We were hiking and gaping and laughing. Suddenly I saw a police car stayed beside us and the officer said:

“Please come here.”

I went there and the officer told me, what your relationship with her is.

“She is my friend (girl-friend)” I said very relax.

He asked me to show an identity card. I was lucky I had one with. After watching the card, asked the girl to get on the car; since her manteau according to that officer was a bit short (to see pictures of manteau click here). There was a woman in Chador at the backseat of the car and asked her to get on. I insisted why should such a thing be and asked them to let us go. The officer told me that my cloth in OK, but we take the girl to the station and have her to sign a promise not to ever wear such a thing again! Also he told me “I’m doing favor to you because you’re not also intimate to each other (Married or engaged in accordance to Islamic law; which is an Islamic sin and two unrelated persons should be on trial) “.
Then that woman asked me not to worsen the situation. And I realized I should be silenced because they may also arrest me and make the situation harder. We were very lucky, because everyone knows that police in Iran arrests both boy and girl.

So I went to the police station by taxi and waited there for her mother to set her free. Do you know what was I doing meantime? I was thinking why this should happen; what did we do? For what sin? I was cursing the first cause.

I hated the Islamic laws once again; I hated Islam once again.

After that incident, we broke up!

Below are some excerpts from book. If its not yet translated to Arabic, I believe there is an emergency to do so.

The first paragraph of the introduction:

I was born into a Muslim family and grew up in a country that now describes itself as an Islamic republic. My close family members identify themselves as Muslim: some more orthodox, others less. My earliest memories are of my circumcision and my first day at Koranic school—psychoanalysts may make what they wish of that. Even before I could read or write the national language I learned to read the Koran in Arabic without understanding a word of it—a common experience for thousands of Muslim children. As soon as I was able to think for myself, I discarded all the religious dogmas that had been foisted on me. I now consider myself a secular humanist who believes that all religions are sick men’s dreams, false—demonstrably false—and pernicious.”

From Preface:

I am not a scholar or a specialist. I certainly do not lay claim to originality; I lean heavily on the works of real scholars. I present to the reader in a more digestible form what I have culled from their works. I have quoted extensively, and where I have not quoted, I have paraphrased, all with the proper acknowledgments in the notes and bibliography. There is hardly an image or thought that I can claim to be my own creation. If some critic were to dub this work “an extended annotated bibliography” 1 would not be offended.

From The Origins of Islam:

The most important stages in [Islam's] history were characterised by the assimilation of foreign influences, . . . Its founder, Muhammad, did not proclaim new ideas. He did not enrich earlier conceptions of man’s relation to the transcendental and infinite. . . . The Arab Prophet’s message was an eclectic composite of religious ideas and regulations. The ideas were suggested to him by contacts, which had stirred him deeply, with Jewish, Christian, and other elements.
“Ignaz Goldziher”

From Problems of Sources:

The Prophet Muhammad died in A.D. 632. The earliest material on his life that we possess was written by Ibn Ishaq in A.D. 750, in other words, a hundred twenty years after Muhammad’s death. The question of authenticity becomes even more critical, because the original form of Ibn Ishaq’s work is lost and is only available in parts in a later recension by Ibn Hisham who died in A.D. 834, two hundred years after the death of the Prophet.

The Zaynab Affair (pp. 99-100)

One day the Prophet set out to visit his adopted son Zaid. Zaid had been one of the earliest converts to Islam—the third, in fact—and he was very loyal to his foster father, who in return held him in high regard. Zaid was married to Zaynab bint Jahsh, a cousin of the Prophet. By all accounts—and this point is very important for our story—she was very beautiful. On the day concerned, Zaid was not at home, but Zaynab, rather lightly clad, and hence revealing a great many of her charms, opened the door to the Prophet, and asked him in. As she hastly prepared to receive him, Muhammad was smitten by her beauty: “Gracious Lord! Good Heavens! How you do turn the hearts of men!” exclaimed the Prophet. He declined to enter and went away in some confusion. However, Zaynab had heard his words and repeated them to Zaid, when he returned home. Zaid went straight to the Prophet and dutifully offered to divorce his wife for him. Muhammad declined, adding, “Keep your wife and fear God.” Zaynab now seemed quite taken with the idea of marrying the Prophet, and Zaid, seeing that Muhammad still yearned for her, divorced her. Still, fear of public opinion made Muhammad hesitate: after all, an adopted son was in every respect equal to a natural son; therefore, such a union would have been seen as incestuous by the Arabs of his time. As always, a revelation came to him in time, enabling him to “cast his scruples to the wind.” While Muhammad was sitting next to his wife Aisha, he suddenly went into one of his prophetic swoons. When he had recovered, he said, “Who will go and congratulate Zaynab and say that the Lord has joined her to me in marriage?” Thus
we find in sura 33.2—33.7 and 33.37-33.40:

God has not given to a man two hearts within him. . . . neither has He made your adopted sons to be as your own sons. . . . Let your adopted sons go by their own father’s name. This is more just with God. And it is not for a believer, man or woman, to have any choice in their affairs, when God and His Apostle have decreed a matter. . . . And remember, when you said to the person whom God has shown favor, and to whom you also have shown favor, “Keep your wife to yourself, and fear God” and you did conceal in your soul what God was about to reveal and you did fear [the opinion] of men when you should have feared God. And when Zaid had settled concerning her to divorce her, we married her to you, that it might not be a crime in the faithful to marry the wives of their adopted sons, when they have settled the affair concerning them. God’s bidding must be performed. Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle of God, and the seal of the Prophets.

The most natural and immediate reaction to the preceding account must surely be that of the Prophet’s own wife, Aisha, who is said to have remarked wittily on this occasion, “Truly your God seems to have been very quick in fulfilling your prayers.”

What about an idiotic statement like “I’m not racist but…”?? Urban dictionary defines “I’m not racist but…” as follows.

Something an idiot says just before making a comment that proves the idiot is, in fact, a racist.

This statement makes it easier for the speaker to make racist comment without knowing that he/she is passing one of the most stupid remarks. Respondent/listener to this speaker can see the racist comment coming after “but”.

Every-time you would hear someone saying “I’m not racist, but…” you can bet it will be followed by the racist/bigoted/narrow-minded phrase. People say this phrase often to cover up their racist attitude towards others.  They try to portray themselves as bias free, moderate, liberal, democratic, respecting diversity and religious freedom people.

Few days back, I was going through several videos on youtube.com regarding ground zero mosque controversy I found an interesting fact about a town named Mossman in Australia that its people are known to be most racist in the world. What I found there was the same rhetoric statement “I’m not racist but..”.

Why these people need to say it??

A blogger (perhaps non Muslim) answers this question and sums up the whole discussion in a very kool way by saying

“Bottom line is, if you’re a moron, and you’re going to say something bigoted, then just say it. Spare the “I’m not racist” rhetoric. Everyone can see right through your bullshit”

Related Videos
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R6DfwqUSuY[/youtube]

*Originally posted at I’m No Superman
Syed Abdul Wahab Gilani
Author is an MS scholar of Management Science.
Member Youth Parliament Pakistan (Sargodha Youth Assembly).

Imran Khan:

My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to was similar to all elite schools in Pakistan. Despite gaining independent, they were, and still are, producing replicas of public schoolboys rather than Pakistanis.

I read Shakespeare, which was fine, but no Allama Iqbal – the national poet of Pakistan. The class on Islamic studies was not taken seriously, and when I left school I was considered among the elite of the country because I could speak English and wore Western clothes.

Despite periodically shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in school functions, I considered my own culture backward and religion outdated. Among our group if any one talked about religion, prayed or kept a beard he was immediately branded a Mullah.

Because of the power of the Western media, our heroes were Western movie stars or pop stars. When I went to Oxford already burdened with this hang up, things didn’t get any easier. At Oxford, not just Islam, but all religions were considered anachronism.

Science had replaced religion and if something couldn’t be logically proved it did not exist. All supernatural stuff was confined to the movies. Philosophers like Darwin, who with his half-baked theory of evolution had supposedly disproved the creation of men and hence religion, were read and revered.

Moreover, European history reflected its awful experience with religion. The horrors committed by the Christian clergy during the Inquisition era had left a powerful impact on the Western mind.

To understand why the West is so keen on secularism, one should go to places like Cordoba in Spain and see the torture apparatus used during the Spanish Inquisition. Also the persecution of scientists as heretics by the clergy had convinced the Europeans that all religions are regressive.

However, the biggest factor that drove people like me away from religion was the selective Islam practiced by most of its preachers. In short, there was a huge difference between what they practiced and what they preached. Also, rather than explaining the philosophy behind the religion, there was an overemphasis on rituals.

I feel that humans are different to animals. While, the latter can be drilled, humans need to be intellectually convinced. That is why the Qur’an constantly appeals to reason. The worst, of course, was the exploitation of Islam for political gains by various individuals or groups.

Hence, it was a miracle I did not become an atheist. The only reason why I did not was the powerful religious influence my mother wielded on me since my childhood. It was not so much out of conviction but love for her that I stayed a Muslim.

However, my Islam was selective. I accepted only parts of the religion that suited me. Prayers were restricted to Eid days and occasionally on Fridays, when my father insisted on taking me to the mosque with him.

All in all I was smoothly moving to becoming a Pukka Brown Sahib. After all I had the right credentials in terms of school, university and, above all, acceptability in the English aristocracy, something that our brown sahibs would give their lives for. So what led me to do a ‘lota’ on the Brown Sahib culture and instead become a ‘desi’?

Well it did not just happen overnight.

Firstly, the inferiority complex that my generation had inherited gradually went as I developed into a world-class athlete. Secondly, I was in the unique position of living between two cultures. I began to see the advantages and the disadvantages of both societies.

In Western societies, institutions were strong while they were collapsing in our country. However, there was an area where we were and still are superior, and that is our family life. I began to realize that this was the Western society’s biggest loss. In trying to free itself from the oppression of the clergy, they had removed both God and religion from their lives.

While science, no matter how much it progresses, can answer a lot of questions – two questions it will never be able to answer: One, what is the purpose of our existence and two, what happens to us when we die?

It is this vacuum that I felt created the materialistic and the hedonistic culture. If this is the only life then one must make hay while the sun shines – and in order to do so one needs money. Such a culture is bound to cause psychological problems in a human being, as there was going to be an imbalance between the body and the soul.

Consequently, in the US, which has shown the greatest materialistic progress while giving its citizens numerous rights, almost 60 percent of the population consult psychiatrists. Yet, amazingly in modern psychology, there is no study of the human soul. Sweden and Switzerland, who provide the most welfare to their citizens, also have the highest suicide rates. Hence, man is not necessarily content with material well being and needs something more.

Since all morality has it roots in religion, once religion was removed, immorality has progressively grown since the 70s. Its direct impact has been on family life. In the UK, the divorce rate is 60 percent, while it is estimated that there are over 35 percent single mothers. The crime rate is rising in almost all Western societies, but the most disturbing fact is the alarming increase in racism. While science always tries to prove the inequality of man (recent survey showing the American Black to be genetically less intelligent than whites) it is only religion that preaches the equality of man.

Between 1991 and 1997, it was estimated that total immigration into Europe was around 520,000, and there were racially motivated attacks all over, especially in Britain, France and Germany. In Pakistan during the Afghan war, we had over four million refugees, and despite the people being so much poorer, there was no racial tension.

There was a sequence of events in the 80s that moved me toward God as the Qur’an says: “There are signs for people of understanding.” One of them was cricket. As I was a student of the game, the more I understood the game, the more I began to realize that what I considered to be chance was, in fact, the will of Allah. A pattern which became clearer with time. But it was not until Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” that my understanding of Islam began to develop.

People like me who were living in the Western world bore the brunt of anti-Islam prejudice that followed the Muslim reaction to the book. We were left with two choices: fight or flight. Since I felt strongly that the attacks on Islam were unfair, I decided to fight. It was then I realized that I was not equipped to do so as my knowledge of Islam was inadequate. Hence I started my research and for me a period of my greatest enlightenment. I read scholars like Ali Shariati, Muhammad Asad, Iqbal, Gai Eaton, plus of course, a study of Qur’an.

I will try to explain as concisely as is possible, what “discovering the truth” meant for me. When the believers are addressed in the Qur’an, it always says, “Those who believe and do good deeds.” In other words, a Muslim has dual function, one toward God and the other toward fellow human beings.

The greatest impact of believing in God for me, meant that I lost all fear of human beings. The Qur’an liberates man from man when it says that life and death and respect and humiliation are God’s jurisdiction, so we do not have to bow before other human beings.

Moreover, since this is a transitory world where we prepare for the eternal one, I broke out of the self-imposed prisons, such as growing old (such a curse in the Western world, as a result of which, plastic surgeons are having a field day), materialism, ego, what people say and so on. It is important to note that one does not eliminate earthly desires. But instead of being controlled by them, one controls them.

By following the second part of believing in Islam, I have become a better human being. Rather than being self-centered and living for the self, I feel that because the Almighty gave so much to me, in turn I must use that blessing to help the less privileged. This I did by following the fundamentals of Islam rather than becoming a Kalashnikov-wielding fanatic.

I have become a tolerant and a giving human being who feels compassion for the underprivileged. Instead of attributing success to myself, I know it is because of God’s will, hence I learned humility instead of arrogance.

Also, instead of the snobbish Brown Sahib attitude toward our masses, I believe in egalitarianism and strongly feel against the injustice done to the weak in our society. According to the Qur’an, “Oppression is worse than killing.” In fact only now do I understand the true meaning of Islam, if you submit to the will of Allah, you have inner peace.

Through my faith, I have discovered strength within me that I never knew existed and that has released my potential in life. I feel that in Pakistan we have selective Islam. Just believing in God and going through the rituals is not enough. One also has to be a good human being. I feel there are certain Western countries with far more Islamic traits than us in Pakistan, especially in the way they protect the rights of their citizens, or for that matter their justice system. In fact some of the finest individuals I know live there.

What I dislike about them is their double standards in the way they protect the rights of their citizens but consider citizens of other countries as being somehow inferior to them as human being, e.g. dumping toxic waste in the Third World, advertising cigarettes that are not allowed in the West and selling drugs that are banned in the West.

One of the problems facing Pakistan is the polarization of two reactionary groups. On the one side is the Westernized group that looks upon Islam through Western eyes and has inadequate knowledge about the subject. It reacts strongly to anyone trying to impose Islam in society and wants only a selective part of the religion. On the other extreme is the group that reacts to this Westernized elite and in trying to become a defender of the faith, takes up such intolerant and self-righteous attitudes that are repugnant to the spirit of Islam.

What needs to be done is to somehow start a dialogue between the two extreme. In order for this to happen, the group on whom the greatest proportion of our educational resources are spent in this country must study Islam properly.

Whether they become practicing Muslims or believe in God is entirely a personal choice. As the Qur’an tells us there is “no compulsion in religion.” However, they must arm themselves with knowledge as a weapon to fight extremism. Just by turning up their noses at extremism the problem is not going to be solved.

The Qur’an calls Muslims “the middle nation”, not of extremes. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was told to simply give the message and not worry whether people converted or not, therefore, there is no question in Islam of forcing your opinions on anyone else.

Moreover, we are told to respect other religions, their places of worship and their prophets. It should be noted that no Muslim missionaries or armies ever went to Malaysia or Indonesia. The people converted to Islam due to the high principles and impeccable character of the Muslim traders. At the moment, the worst advertisements for Islam are the countries with their selective Islam, especially where religion is used to deprive people of their rights. In fact, a society that obeys fundamentals of Islam has to be a liberal one.

If Pakistan’s Westernized class starts to study Islam, not only will it be able to help society fight sectarianism and extremism, but it will also make them realize what a progressive religion Islam is. They will also be able to help the Western world by articulating Islamic concepts. Recently, Prince Charles accepted that the Western world can learn from Islam. But how can this happen if the group that is in the best position to project Islam gets its attitudes from the West and considers Islam backward? Islam is a universal religion and that is why our Prophet (peace be upon him) was called a Mercy for all mankind.

Polls show that over 50% of New Yorkers and 60% of Americans oppose the mosque. Despite the fact that it may not be the popular opinion, I am proud to say that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg went on record saying “I believe that this is as important a test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime, and it is critically important that we get it right.” If that’s not enough for you, even the President himself has maintained that the mosque has the right to be there, though he diplomatically and with all the grace and scent of self-preservation hasn’t gone on record ‘supporting’ the mosque. Which is fine. It shouldn’t particularly matter how people feel about where Muslims do or do not put Islamic centers, but it matters terribly that (providing municipal law has been followed) they absolutely have the right to do so in America. When Americans begin to restrict religious freedom in the states and force their beliefs on fellow citizens, what distinguishes America from the ‘freedom hating Islamic extremists’ that the are allegedly at war with?

Other politicians on board with the mosque happen to include Hamas. Let me just say- my affection for Hamas aside for a moment- you aren’t helping, dudes! At a time when American Muslims are trying to look as innocuous as possible the absolute last thing needed is a group like Hamas saying things like “We have to build everywhere”, an unintentionally ominous statement from Mahmoud al-Zahar. Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the most controversial mosque in the world, has received extra criticism for refusing to call Hamas a terrorist organization. Rauf departed last week on an international trip with stops in places like Dubai, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to improve understanding about Muslim communities in America is, of course, being portrayed as essentially a bake sale-style Terrorist Fund raising Adventure for the mosque.

Some New Yorkers have even asked what’s tackier- a ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ or the dozens of vendor tables selling china-made 9/11 souvenirs? People have been throwing around the phrase ‘Hallowed Ground’, but most Hallowed spaces do not have strip clubs, off-track betting, or Burger Kings.

Here’s the thing, and maybe I’m being naïve here, but I am genuinely surprised at how intolerant America is being right now. I work for the American military as an independent contractor on occasion, when I first started I expected to be hated for being Arab and Muslim, especially because I work on Ft. Hood, the site of the recent on-base shootings by a Muslim soldier. I was surprised by how wrong I was. I have met more tolerance and understanding among U.S. Soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, my theory for this is that because they have actually been to these places they see that the Western portrayal of the Muslim Arab as Enemy isn’t correct, while civilians are exposed only to hyper-generalized, ominous stock footage of women in niqab and bearded AK-toting extremists.

While I may be disappointed I’m not without hope. Minorities in America have all had their turn in the stocks- Irish, Catholics, Jews, Japanese, communists, etc. In fact, let’s take that last one as an example. 60 years ago Japanese-Americans were being rounded up and treated like spies and terrorists in an almost identical fashion to Arab-Americans after 9/11. Now America and Japan have excellent business relations, Japanese restaurants are among the most fashionable of cuisine, and Japanese women are revered as ‘exotic-looking’ and beautiful. So here is my Nostradamus moment for the day: give it 60 years. In 2070 my granddaughters will be top models, there will be 5 star Iraqi restaurants in Manhattan, and people will decorate their homes with Bedouin rugs and pictures of the kabba. Iraqi culture will be cool, hipsters will all be Islamocurious and America will have moved onto a new minority to vilify. But here’s to hoping that Arabs and Muslims are the last.

Ramadan comes every year and goes and its nothing more than a starvation month for Muslims. At nights, they jam food of any kind too much and at day they lie under air conditioners, cuz they cannot do anything more and snore as a pig till the sunset. If they move they’d be hungry!!!

It’s nothing than a starvation to Muslims. They do their sins and all the wrong attitudes again. They’re really funny. They’ve forgotten the first cause of fasting; they ignore thousands of hungry human beings suffering in Africa and any other places but they know something well: how to pretend they’re good guys to their Muslim fellows by fasting!!!
They rob, bribe, spoil others rights, tell lies, say insults, hit others, rape women, kill human and animals, lie to each others, while they’re at fasting! Allah enters them in heaven! Amen!

And then its Iftar time (the breaking fast time); they again start jamming too much and it circles a month. The efficiency of society sucks! And they think fasting is good for their health, but they don’t know how hard they’re wrecking their kidneys and stressing their body metabolism. Muslim physicians try to justify that fasting boost health, but it really sucks; it’s nothing than a stress to body!

Ramadan came; month of starvation; month of inefficiency; month of laziness!

Ramadan Mubarak to you all!