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Weekly Comment |
This issue
of the Jamiatul Ulama Online
Newsletter is a special issue
dedicated to creating greater
awareness about Palestine.
Palestine –
1967, before and after…
In the blast of the activities
aimed at reminding people that
it is 40 years since Israel
forcefully occupied Palestine,
it is important to remember
that, the 1967 ‘Arab-Israeli’
War, which resulted in the
illegal occupation, is only one
event in a long series of events
that has caused immense
sufferings to the people of the
area.
It is paramount that the
occupation of 1967, even though
it is highlighted as a watershed
moment, is not considered to be
the all and everything of the
struggle in Palestine.
Injustices, incursions and
atrocities prior to 1967 must be
recalled. The expansion,
together with the resultant
expulsions, that was a
consequence of 1967 must be
focused on. The demolishment of
entire villages, the open
denials of basic rights and
freedoms must never be
forgotten. The prevention from
and withholding of basic needs
and the wanton destruction of
indispensable infra-structure
are crimes that can never be
overlooked. The imprisonment and
torture of tens of thousands
Palestinians must still tear at
the strings of our hearts and
the thousands of innocent lives
lost through murders,
assassinations, indiscriminate
shelling and firing at unarmed
youth must cause tears of blood
to flow incessantly, while the
premeditated and deliberate
efforts to destroy the Masjid
al-Aqsa must make us stand up
and be counted as amongst those
who, at the very least, showed
opposition to the copious
injustices and wrongdoings.
Know Your History
In 1938 the Jamiatul Ulama sent
telegrams to various leaders,
countries, and organizations,
across the globe, with regard to
atrocities being committed in
Palestine. Among those to whom
telegrams were sent were: the
League of Nations, the Saudi,
Egyptian and British Governments
as well as the Turkish Emperor.
Furthermore, a pamphlet was
issued to educate Muslims about
the situation in Palestine.
Collections were also made and
contributions sent to
Palestinian organizations.
Similar action was taken in 1948
and in 1967.
Copies of some of the telegrams
sent and received by the
Jamiatul Ulama will be available
for viewing on
the Jamiatul Ulama website.
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U P D A T E |
A Line Up of Events for
the
End the Occupation Campaign on
Palestine |
Tuesday, June 5:
There will be a vigil outside
the US Consulate opposite
Killarney Mall in Johannesburg.
It will start from 16:30 until
19:30 The Theme of this vigil is
‘Stop US Support for
Apartheid Israel.’
Friday, June 8:
Lectures from the minbar will
this Friday focus on the
suffering of the people of
Palestine and related themes.
There will be a picket between
14:00 and 15:00. This picket
outside be held
at three shops which have been
singled out as follows:
- Shoprite-Checkers, Central
Avenue, Mayfair, Johannesburg
- Woolworths, 45 Kerk Street,
Johannesburg CBD
- PicknPay, Protea Centre, High
Street, Brixton
The theme of the pickets is:
‘Boycott Israeli
Products.’
Saturday,
June 9:
A mass meeting has been
organised to be held at the
Johannesburg City Hall from
15:00. Speakers will include:
Representatives of the
Palestinian Authority, SACP’s
Blade Nzimande, Minister Ronnie
Kasrils, Gauteng Premier
Mbhazima Shilowa, Palestinian
Ambassador Ali Halimeh, COSATU’s
Willie Madisha, Moulana Ebrahim
I Bham, MYM’s Naeem Jeena,
SACC’s Eddie Makue and the MSA.
Meanwhile…
Minister Ronnie Kasrils was on
air in an interview with Radio
Islam last night. Radio Islam is
carrying out a series of
interviews with activists,
leaders and scholars involved in
the End the Occupation of
Palestine Campaign. Tune in and
listen to learn about Palestine.
The End the Occupation Campaign
is an initiative of organised
labour, human rights activists,
social movements, political
organisations and faith-based
organisation. The Jamiatul Ulama
is part of this campaign. For
more, visit:
www.endtheoccupation.org.za
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Did
You Know? |
Did you know that yearly US aid
to Israel exceeds the aid the US
grants to the whole of the
African continent?
Did you know that Israel is the
only country in the Middle East
that has nuclear weapons?
Did you know that Israel is the
only country in the Middle East
that refuses to sign the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty and
bars international inspections
from its sites?
Did you know that Palestinians
cannot buy or lease land in
Israel [the Zionist entity]?
Did you know Palestinians are
not allowed to move from one
city, say Gaza to Bethleham, to
another without first getting a
'visa' from the Israelis?
Did you know Palestinian youth,
both Christians and Muslims are
denied access to their Holy
sites routinely?
Did you know that Israel has for
decades routinely sent assassins
into other countries including
Europe to kill its political
enemies?
Did you know that high-ranking
military officers in the Israeli
Defence Forces [IDF] have
admitted publicly that unarmed
prisoners of war were executed
by the IDF? |
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C O N
T E N T S |
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Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
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Question and
Answer |
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Update |
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Message from the Ameer |
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I N F
O R M A T I O N |
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Min. Mahr |
R 115.06 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,752.82 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R2,301.13 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Virtues of
Jerusalem |
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Zaid ibn
Thabit (radiyallahu `anhu)
reports that the Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, “How blessed is
al-Sham”! The companions
around asked: “Why is that”?
The Messenger (salllallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) replied,
“I see the angels of Allah
spreading their wings over
al-Sham”. Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu
`anhu) added, “And the
Prophets lived in it. There
is not a single inch in al-Quds
(Jerusalem) where a Prophet
has not prayed or an angel
not stood”. Tirmidhi
and Ahmad
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Quotation for the Week |
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Ultimate
Sacrifice |
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“We chose
this road, and will end with
martyrdom or victory.”
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,
a wheel-chair bound blind
and paraplegic. Martyred in
an Israeli Air Force missile
attack.
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Point of Reflection |
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Palestinian People |
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"Palestine
people surprise even me;
alone fighting the world.
Were their revolt not for
God, they would by now be
becalmed in deserts. Their
hope is but to support the
truth, their hope is only to
break chains. Wrestling with
tyrants, unarmed, surely in
God’s sight their stature is
great." Burhan al-Abushi |
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Q and A |
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Question: Muslims in
Palestine are suffering
greatly under the oppression
of the ‘Israeli’ government.
What can we, as Muslims in
South Africa, do to help
them? |
Answer:
From the teachings of
Rasulullah Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wasallam we learn
that whoever sees a
forbidden thing being done
should change it with his
hand,
if he cannot do so then with
his tongue, if he cannot do
so then with his heart.
The least a person can do is
to make dua for the people
in Palestine. An important
constituent of dua is
abstaining from evil and
turning in repentance to
Allah.
A person who is able to be
part
of negotiations to end the
oppression on the people
should do so. If he can
assist in campaigns to end
the oppression then he
should do so that to the
best of his ability. If he
is in contact with the
people being oppressed then
he should encourage them to
turn to Allah to deliver
them from the difficulties
they find themselves in.
Rasulullah Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wasallam has called
dua ‘the weapon of the
believer’.
If a person can make
physical input then that
would obviously
be better.
And Allah Ta'aala knows
best.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Palestine Today |
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Prepared for
presentation on Friday,
8 June 2007 (21 Jumadal
Ula 1428)
As we mark 40
years of the End of the
1967 Arab-Israeli
War and the Continuing
Suffering of Occupied
Palestine, Ulama are
advised and requested to
highlight the Question
of Palestine by developing their khutbah/bayaan around
the following themes. |
Allah (subhanahu
wa ta`aala) says in the
Qur’aan:
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سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي
أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ
لَيْلاً مِّنَ
الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ
الأَقْصَى الَّذِي
بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ
لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ
آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ
السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ |
Glory be to Him
Who made His servant to
go on a night from the
Sacred Mosque to the
remote mosque of which
We have blessed the
precincts, so that We
may show to him some of
Our signs; surely He is
the Hearing, the Seeing.
[Al-Israa, Ayah 1]
Abu
Hurayrah (radiyallahu
anhu) relates that the
Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) said:
“You
should not undertake a
special journey to visit
any place other than the
following three Masajid
with the expectations of
getting greater reward:
the Sacred Masjid of
Makkah, this Masjid of
mine, and Masjid al-Aqsa
(of Jerusalem)”.
Sahih Bukhari,
Sahih Muslim, and Sunan
Abu Dawud
What does
Al-Aqsa Mean to Us?
•
Islam’s First Qiblah.
The Prophet Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam taught
the companions to pray
facing Al-Quds before
the revelation that
pointed to Makkah as
Qiblah.
• Its sanctity is
matched only by Makkah
and Madina. In the
Qur’ān there are many
verses implying that the
Land of Palestine, the
city of Jerusalem, the
entire environs are set
apart as holy and
blessed. The land around
Masjid Al-Aqsa is
referred to 70 times as
the blessed land in the
Qur’ān.
• Land of the
Israa and Mirâj. The
Night Journey of
Rasulullah Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam was to
Jerusalem. It was from
here that the Ascension
took place.
• Virtues of
praying in Masjid Al
Aqsa are exalted. Up to
500 times more virtuous
than any Masājid other
than Baitullah and
Masjid Nabawi Sallallâhu
'alayhi wasallam
(Hadith: Abū Darda; Al
Bukharī). Also Masjid
where specific travel
could be made to.
• It is an
article of Islāmic faith
to respect all the
Prophets. (Qur’ānic)
Because many Prophets,
were associated with Al
Quds, and its
surroundings, every inch
has become an object of
reverence.
• Linked to the
Last Day: Maimunah bin
Sād Radiallāhu anha
asked: “O Prophet of
Allāh! Tell us about
Baitul Maqdas to which
he replied, ‘It is the
land of gathering and
resurrection.’” (Abū
Dawūd)
• Waqf. After ‘Umār
ibn Khatab Radhi-Allâhu
‘anhu signed an
agreement, he refused to
distribute the land
amongst the Muslim
soldiers and declared it
an Islamic endowment [waqf]
for the benefit of
future generations. Waqf,
by definition, is a
property that belongs to
Allāh until the Day of
Qiyāmah. Islamic
literature is filled
with references to
Palestine as an Islāmic
trust or endowment.
• Sahabah.
Approximately four
thousand Sahabah
Radhi-Allahu anhum are
buried in this sacred
land.
What’s happening in
Palestine Today?
•
Extrajudicial killings
and assassinations by
Israeli occupation of
Palestinian
freedom-fighters and
activists are
well-documented.
• Zionists
continue to implement
their policies of
exclusion by building an
apartheid wall on
Palestinian land.
• Land is
routinely expropriated
for establishment of
illegal settlements of
migrant settlers from
around the world except
Palestinians.
• Palestinian
refugees within
Palestine and beyond are
denied their right of
return to their
homeland.
• The so-called
Israeli-Arabs risk
losing their citizenship
at any given time while
more and more settlers
are naturalised so long
they claim Jewish
descent. With the
exception of Jordan, all
other Arab states have
not given Palestinian
refugees citizenship
status.
• Palestinian
people live in squalor
and abject poverty in
Lebanon, Syria and in
the Occupied Territories
• Acts of
provocation such us
excavation of the area
around and under the
Haram al-Sharif under
the pretext of
archaeological research
are sanctioned as
legitimate.
• Routinely such
provocation leads to
confrontation through
which disproportionate
force is used against
Palestinian defending
the Haram al Sharif to
decimate, terrorise,
maim and put under siege
the wider Palestinian
community.
• The Palestinian
economy is at the mercy
of the Occupying Power:
Israel decides what can
be imported or exported,
restricts movement of
people and controls
access to all borders
and sea.
• Israeli stands
out a record-breaker in
ignoring United Nations
resolutions. In cases
where no resolution was
passed against Israel,
it was with complicity
of the US vetoing such a
resolution.
• Prof. John
Dugard: “By making life
as difficult as possible
for the Palestinian
people...Israel has
embarked on a policy of
collective punishment in
clear violation of
article 33 of the Fourth
Geneva Convention.” The
genocide of the
Palestinian people
continues relentlessly.
How it all Begun
and Thereafter
•
Prior to 1948, terror
Zionist gangs inflicted
devastating attacks on
the Arab population of
Palestine then under
British mandate. These
notorious gangs received
support from Zionists
movements in Europe who
since the later 1800s
lobbied European
governments for the
establishment of a
‘Jewish State.’
• Peaceful
communities of
Palestinians— Muslims,
Christians and Jews— who
co-existed for
generations were either
killed or had to flee to
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan
and other Arab
countries.
• By 1948, Israel
was declared as a Jewish
State.
• The creation of
Israel was the price
Palestinian people had
to pay for the guilt of
Europe’s treatment of
Jewish people.
• In 1967, during
the Arab-Israeli War,
Israeli occupied the
West Bank and Gaza,
Sinai and Golan Heights.
• The aftermath
of this war saw even
more Palestinians
dispossessed of their
land and many more
became refugees on their
soil and beyond.
• Moshe Dayan
later wrote: “…In three
villages southwest of
Jerusalem and at
Qalqilya, houses were
destroyed …not in
battle, but as
punishment ... and in
order to chase away the
inhabitants ... contrary
to government...policy.”
• An estimated 4
million Palestinian
people today live as
refugees worldwide.
• Jimmy Carter,
former US president
describes the Israeli
regime is his book,
Peace not Apartheid, as
‘worse than apartheid’:
"When Israel does occupy
this territory deep
within the West Bank,
and connects the
200-or-so settlements
with each other, with a
road, and then prohibits
the Palestinians from
using that road, or in
many cases even crossing
the road, this
perpetrates even worse
instances of apartness,
or apartheid, than we
witnessed even in South
Africa."
The Nature of
Zionist Israel
Israeli policies have
consistently been geared
at:
• Grabbing land
for illegal settlements
and plantations.
• Creating ‘facts
on the ground’ to ensure
that any kind of
settlement is reached at
with some irreversible
changes in Zionist’s
favour. The ‘Security
Fence’ which is
effectively an apartheid
artefact is a case in
point.
• Transfers. This
is a euphemism for
driving Palestinians out
of certain territories
in order to establish
numerical majority for
Israelis.
• As an extension
to transfers, a
Palestinians living in
occupied territories may
have his/her citizenship
revoked once they leave
or get married to
someone living in, say
Gaza. On the other hand,
a migrant claiming any
shade of Jewish decent
is granted citizenship
upon arrival in Israel.
• Brutalising
Palestinians. Most of
the decorated military
officers and heroes of
the Israeli state have
been those who were in
the fore-front of
inflicting terror on
Palestinian people.
• Annihilating
Palestinian people.
Zionist Israel is far
from rest in the pursuit
of Palestinians. They
are followed, rounded-up
and killed even if they
are in countries of
refugee such as Lebanon
and Jordan. Sabra and
Chatilla Massacres and a
catalogue of other
massacres are vivid
examples.
Everyday
Realities for Common
Palestinian People
•
Palestinian homes are
destroyed and owners
invoiced the day after
for the cost of
demolition.
• Women give
birth at road-blocks
while waiting for
permission to cross to
territories or towns
where they can access
medical care.
• Produce such as
fruit gets rotten at
checkpoints further
suffocating what is left
of the Palestinian
economy.
• Activists are
systematically
incarcerated in order to
silence them and
frequently Palestinians
are rounded up en masse
for months on end
without any justifiable
reason.
• Helicopter
gunships, tanks,
jetfighters and heavy
weaponry are used on
densely populated
targets without regard
for innocent human lives
of women, children and
the elderly.
• Dr. Khalid
Dahlan, a psychiatrist,
in his latest survey
says: “…The statistics I
find unbearable. 99.4%
of the children I
studied suffer trauma;
99.2%of the children
have had their homes
bombarded, 97.5% exposed
to tear gas, 95.8%
witnessed bombardment
and funerals, 96.6%
witnessed shootings.”
Almost 30% have seen
family members shot or
killed.…
Glimmer of Hope
•
More and more people
accessing information
about the Middle East
and Palestine first
hand, thanks to modern
technology. It is no
longer possible to hide
the atrocities taking
place in Palestine.
• The Zionist
project is untenable
both economically and
demographically:
o The cost of
keeping the Israel
economy afloat is being
questioned from her
traditional friends
overseas.
o Hundreds of
thousands of migrants
from Eastern Europe have
only used Israel as a
stepping stone to their
ultimate destinations in
Europe and North
America. The demographic
superiority proves
elusive.
• The aura of
invincibility for Israel
evaporated with the
stalemate with Hizbullah:
for the first time in
history Israel failed to
stop a non-state force
in the last summer’s
Lebanon War.
• The ‘gains’ of
Israel seem hollow as
analysts consider her
1967 victory pyrrhic.
Zionists have not found
peace since as they
continue to face
problems on their
borders, from shootouts
in Gaza to fighting in
Lebanon
(www.spiegel.de).
• Above all, the
resilience, resolve and
tenacity of the
Palestinian people in
the defending of Masjid
Al-Aqsa and their land
is unquestionable. Their
determination against
odds has kept the banner
of Islam flying of over
Jerusalem. They have to
be saluted and assisted
in every possible way.
History is on
the Side of Palestinians
•
All the three faiths of
Judaism, Christianity
and Islam assert the
significance of
Jerusalem. Yet, it is
only Islam which accepts
the other two as faiths.
Only Muslim control of
Jerusalem would
guarantee its
accessibility to others
without exclusion.
• Arab existence
is the longest in the
history of Jerusalem. It
has to be noted that
Jewish people were not
founders of the city but
the tribe of the
Jebusites hence the
city’s original name,
Jebus.
• It is noted
that only the most
tolerant reigned there
the longest. After
Umar’s Radhi-Allâhu anhu
taking over of the city,
Muslim rule was
interrupted only by the
bloodiest era of the
city’s history. This was
the period of the
Christian Crusades.
Salahuddin Ayyubi
Rahmatullah ‘alayhi
liberated the city and
restored an order in
which Muslims and
non-Muslims alike
flourished. Continuing
in this tradition were
the Ottomans who ruled
until the British took
over the Palestinian
Mandate.
In
Remembrance of
Palestine: What must we
Do?
•
It must be on a daily
basis.
• Teach our
children and community
about Palestine.
• Participate in
activities that keep
memories of Palestine,
the land and its people.
• Support causes
for Palestine through
charity.
• Engage the
media in the
highlighting of the
issue of Palestine as a
humanitarian crisis.
• Continue to
work with government in
order to address the
issue of Palestine on
the international scene
so that a lasting and
just settlement is
reached.
• The Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said: “The du’â
of a Muslim for his
brother (in Islam) in
his absence is readily
accepted. An angel is
appointed to his side.
Whenever he makes a
beneficial du’â for his
brother the appointed
angel says, 'Aameen. And
may you also be blessed
with the same." [Sahih
Muslim] Let’s not forget
the power of du’â.
Footnote:
Historical Perspective
•
The suffering of
Palestinians did not
start with the 1967
Arab-Israeli War. It
just worsened. Today, it
is 40 years of a state
of affairs that has not
eased much. However, the
history of this long
suffering dates back to
events prior to 1948,
the year of the Nakba or
the Catastrophe.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Palestine
In the myriad of the current
events reported by the
mainstream media, the issue
of Palestine is lost
somewhere low down on the
inner pages, far away from
where mistaken glances of
careful readers may fall.
Even when present in the
depths of the abyss of the
different forms of the
media, these reports,
analysis and commentaries
are largely inaccurate,
diluted or highly biased.
Under the directorship of
the Western governments who
act on the instruction of
their masters, attempts are
made, through the media, to
dupe the populations of the
world regarding the
tyrannical proceedings that
are manipulated in Palestine
and its surrounds. The truth
is hidden, facts and figures
misrepresented, and when all
else fails the world is
shown an inkling of the
truth, but this too without
any justification. Further,
blatant attempts are made to
portray the oppressed in
Palestine as villains
without scruples.
Muslims around the world
must never be fooled into
believing any of the garbage
that is spewed out via the
media. Muslims must never
consider adopting the usage
of terms that have been
coined by the enemies of
Islam and have been
allocated sinister meanings.
Muslims should under no
circumstances distance
themselves from the fellow
Muslims who are being
oppressed.
It would be the most foolish
thing to fall for the trap
aimed at disuniting the
Muslims by implanting in
their minds and mouths the
view that they are extremist
and do not represent the
true Islam, while we
‘moderate’ Muslims are upon
the truth”.
At the stage of the 40th
year of the Israeli
Occupation of Palestine, it
is important for us to
remind ourselves of our
duties to our fellow
Muslims, We must never
forget or even momentarily
turn away from supporting
them in their long hour of
need.
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