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Weekly Comment |
‘The Food we Waste’
As the world struggles with
runaway inflation due to soaring
commodity prices, there is one
way to survive the economic hard
times: prudence in food
consumption. Proliferation of
‘life-style’ diseases plaguing
humanity such as diabetes,
hypertension and cardiac
disorders are, in part, linked
to overeating. As others have
put it, as one half of the world
is dying of surfeit, the other
is dying of want!
On the other hand, we can cut on
wastage. Statics coming out of
the UK in a recently released
report (‘The Food we Waste’)
paints a portrait of wide scale
wantonness is consumption.
- UK households waste 6.7
million tonnes of food every
year, about a third of what is
purchased
- Most of the food that is
thrown away (4.1 million tonnes
or 61%) is avoidable
- Nearly 1 million tonnes of
food is thrown away whole or
unopened
- The UK as a whole pays for but
does not eat £10.2 billion of
good food each year
- 45,000 tonnes of rice, 33,000
tonnes of pasta and 105,000
tonnes of potato thrown away
each year after preparation
How much food do we buy and then
carelessly waste in our own
homes? Even the homes that
considered themselves least
wasteful in the UK study were
found to be falling short of
minimising wastage. This
particular study found that most
of the waste was avoidable as
the food ‘could have been eaten
if it had been managed better.’
What distortionary effect does
these excess purchases do on
general price level and, hence,
inflation on the globalised
markets? As Muslims, are we any
different in the way we look at
waste? The Almighty is directly
addressing us: “Children of
Adam…. Eat and drink, and do not
waste. He does not love the
wasteful.” (Al-‘Araaf 7:31)
Xenophobia: Are we getting used
to the Phenomenon?
The Flashpoints are on the
increase. Laudium.
Atteridgeville. Oliven.
Soshanguve. Alexandra is the
latest stop. All over a sudden,
‘the woes of South Africans are
due to foreigners’. Jobs and
low-cost homes that are stolen
by foreigners are being cited as
the reason. Yet civil society
leaders do not agree as
statistics show otherwise.
For years, foreigners have lived
side-by-side with South Africans
in Alexandra. It has been mutual
coexistence that goes back many
years. But what has sparked the
recent violence against foreign
nationals?
Criminal elements taking
advantage of vulnerability of
immigrants cannot be ruled out.
However, what causes concern is
that this phenomenon is becoming
more organised from episode to
episode. There are reports
coming out of Alexandra that a
meeting of a residents’
association was a prelude to the
attacks. It was at this meeting
where it was resolved that an
ultimatum be given to foreigners
to either leave or be driven
out.
Why did the security agencies
fail to make the necessary
intervention to prevent this
publicly pre-meditated and
planned violence against
foreigners? Is it a case of
post-Polokwane paralysis
gripping the establishment? Even
an illegal alien has a right to
safety and security!
The liberation of South Africa
was not sustained on the South
African soil alone. Neighbouring
states risked the Apartheid
regime’s military attacks for
harbouring South African seeking
refuge in those countries. Why
should misguided few make us
look like a nation that has
forgotten the hospitality of our
brothers and sisters?
While the authorities play their
role in the matter, people of
goodwill should also stand up,
act and voice out against these
criminal elements fast
tarnishing the image of our
country.
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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 152.45 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,622.58 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 3,049.03 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Virtuous Mercy |
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The Messenger of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
has said: Those who are
merciful have mercy shown
them by the All-Merciful One
(Ar-Rahîm): "Show mercy to
those who are on earth, then
He Who is in heaven will
show mercy unto you."
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
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Quotation for the Week |
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The Terminator |
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Remember death.
(Maulana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi Rahmatullahi alayhi) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Ranks of Satisfaction |
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Body is easily satisfied but
not the heart.
(Umbundu (Angolan)
Proverb) |
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Q and A |
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Question: What
reply could be given to
someone who says that only
the Qur'ân should be
implemented since it is
God's word that is immune to
change? |
Answer:
The
reply is simple. Numerous
are the Qur'ânic
verses that require us to
obey Allâh's messenger. If
one abandons what the
Prophet says, one is
definitely going against
this order, repeatedly
stated in the Qur'ân: ‘And
whatsoever the messenger
gives you, take it
and whatsoever he forbids,
you abstain from it’. (59:7)
Hence, his claim to follow
the Qur'ân is false. As for
authenticity, the Prophet's
Sunnah has been verified and
its authenticity has been
established beyond doubt.
This means that no one could
ignore the Sunnah if he or
she wants to fulfill Allâh's
orders.
And Allaah Ta’aala Knows
Best.
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U P D A T E |
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Jamiatul
Ulama Holds their AGM
The AGM of the Jamiatul Ulama
took place as scheduled on
Sunday 11 May 2008 at the
Jamiatul Ulama Auditorium (Baitul
Hamd, 32 Dolly Rathebe Road,
Fordsburg). Well over 270 Ulama
attended the meeting that
reviewed the year’s work by
various arms of the organisation.
Senior
scholars also addressed the
gathering sharing pieces of
advice with the fraternity.
Programme
of Yusuf Estes in Johannesburg
• A Former Christian Priest and
Music Entertainer reverted to
Islam
• Former National Muslim
Chaplain for United States
Bureau of Prisons, Washington,
DC.
• Experience in Islam Christian
Dialogue
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Wednesday 14 May
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Mayfair Jumuah Masjid
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After Esha Salaat
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Thursday 15 May
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Ghandi Hall EXT 5
Lenasia
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19:00
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Friday 16 May
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Marlboro Jumuah Masjid
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(Jumuah
Talk)
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Friday 16 May
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Wits University (Great
Hall)
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19:00 (All Welcome)
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Saturday 17 May
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Don Matera Hall Eldorado
Park
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15:00
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Sunday 18 May
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Durban
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Monday 19 May
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Masjid us Salaam Laudium
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After Esha Salaat
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Tuesday 20 May
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Pietersburg
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After Esha Salaat
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Friday 23 May
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Newtown Masjid
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Jumuah
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Saturday 24 May
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Wattville Youth Centre,
(Jangu Street)
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10:00 am to 12:00 am
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Saturday 24 May
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Willmore Park Stadium
Benoni
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14:00
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Sunday 25 May
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Dlamini Multipurpose
Centre, 1802
Koma Road
Dlamini-Soweto
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13:30
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Sunday 25 May
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Emndeni Masjid, Soweto
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Zuhr
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Sunday 25 May
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SAfm (Faith to Faith)
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19:00
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Monday 26 May
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Azaadville Jamiah Masjid
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After Esha Salaat
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For further information
please contact: 072
584 6900 or
082 612 7211.
Programme subject
to change without prior
notice
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Palestine Today
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This
presentation was
prepared to mark 40
years of the End of the
1967 Arab-Israeli War
and the Continuing
Suffering of Occupied
Palestine and first
appeared in Vol.2 No.22
of this newsletter.
It was prepared for
Friday, 8 June 2007 (21
Jumadal Ula 1428) It is
hereby reproduced to
mark the 60 Years of the
Palestinian Nakba
(Catastrophe). Nothing
has changed since apart
for exacerbating of the
situation in Gaza.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:
"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’an 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’an.
• 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
Masajid other than
Baitullah and Masjid
Nabawi Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam (Hadith: Abu
Darda; Al Bukhari). Also
Masjid where specific
travel could be made to.
• It is an article of
Islamic faith to respect
all the Prophets. (Qur’anic)
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 Sad
Radiallahu anha asked:
“O Prophet of Allah!
Tell us about Baitul
Maqdas to which he
replied, ‘It is the land
of gathering and
resurrection.’” (Abu
Dawud)
• Waqf. After ‘Umar 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
Allah until the Day of
Qiyamah. Islamic
literature is filled
with references to
Palestine as an Islamic
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.
<Go to Top> |
|
Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Palestine
(Message
reproduced from the
newsletter's Vol. 2 No. 22
edition)
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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