Sunday, August 23, 2009

Selective Responding: "We do what we feel like"

Sallams Everyone,
I know I know, I've never done two posts in one day before, but I guess i'm on a role right now. For this story, I need to fill you in on something that's been going on here in Florida for about a week or two. A 17-year-old girl, Fathima, was raised in a Muslim house in Ohio. She ran away from home after converting to Christianity, and is now here in Orlando. The battle is against childcare agents and her family. The family, naturally, wants her back in Ohio. She ran away because she said her father threatened to kill her. Whether that's true or not, I'm not sure, so I won't comment on that; this isn't a post about "who's right and who's wrong," so all my Christian readers, take a deep breath.


In the most recent update, John Stemberger is representing the girl--he's her lawyer. For her parents, we have McCarthy as their representative. What got me with this situation was the following portion of the article from the Orlando Sentinel:


In a statement released in the wake of a judge's order to keep 17-year-old Fathima
Rifqa Bary in custody of a foster family in Florida while her family is investigated
by state law enforcement officers, Craig McCarthy accused the governor (Gov. Charlie Crist) of taking
sides before evidence has been submitted.
"The governor's unfortunate decision to make a public statement taking sides in the
Rifqa Bary case before any evidence other than allegations has been presented underscores
the need to return this case to the child's home state of Ohio," McCarthy said in
the statement. "Governor Crist stated that he was 'grateful' that the judge ruled
a specific way and in support of his 'administration's position.'"

I find it absolutely unbelievable that Crist stepped in here, but when it came to the Free Speech Summit, he didn't even blink an eye. Is it just me, or do Muslims seem to be shoved off again? I give our President some benefit of the doubt (regardless of my last post)--he has quite a bit to deal with. However, Crist has no excuse at all. If he could step in so quickly with this case, why was I ignored? This is the Email he sent back to me when I first contacted him through United Voices to stop the summit from taking place.

Thank you for contacting Governor Charlie Crist. The Governor asked
that I respond on his behalf.

Governor Crist wants to know how people feel about the many issues we
face. For assistance with your concerns, you may wish to contact
Representative Hasner's Office directly at the address below:
The Honorable Adam Hasner
Florida House of Representatives
33 Northeast Fourt Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida 33483-4528
Phone: (561) 279-1616

The Governor believes having access to government is among the most
important rights Floridians and Americans possess, no matter which side
of an issue they are on. Please do not hesitate to write again to share
your concerns and ideas about issues that are important to you.

Yes, that's right. He blew me off! And now he's releasing statements saying he's "grateful" this girl got to stay in Florida?


In a previous article (sorry, I don't have the article off-hand,) Rep Adam Hasner also issued a statement to the effect of "people should not be prosecuted for their beliefs." Dear representative, who sponsored the Free Speech Summit? I can't believe you had the guts to say this when you yourself stood up with your GOP party and prosecuted us!


It's this type of foul play we are seeing today in our government. Leaving religion aside, (although I believe religion has a big part to play in the lawmakers' statements,) we see that they're picking and choosing who they like and dislike...and if you're not on their "okay, I may want to respond to that" list, well, tough luck. Forget the last post, I am angrier with Crist now than I am with our President. This man spent $483,000 to go to Europe on a twelve day trip, effectively ignored my letter, and my rebuttal. Also, he didn't care about the people he is supposed to be serving at all (as you can see from the Email he sent me--which, I may add, he didn't even care enough to send on his own! No, of course not. "I can't be bothered...you send it on my behalf.") So much for your GOP party, Crist!
Ma'a sallamah,
Munawar

If You Thought It Was Over...Think Again

Dear All,
Sallams to you. First off, I would like to extend my humble and sincere wishes for all of you reading to have a successful Ramadan, not marked by the spike of violence we see in Iraq and Afghanistan, but rather by what Shahru Al-Ramadan is supposed to stand for. In a lot of ways, I count this month as our New Year--a chance to wind down and lay off a bit. Indeed, it has been a difficult year for a lot of us, with the Jihad we are currently performing here as US citizens against our government and the struggles we are facing around the world due largely in part to so-called "Islamist terrorists." At the same time, we are challenged to not ignore the pressure we still face. Just because Ramadan is upon us does not mean everything will go our way. For instance, we still have the face mask worn by our current president. I regret to say that most of you will smile when you watch
this video. It almost made me smile as well, I admit that. Now, let me give you my perspective on it.


These words come from a man with the following credentials.


  1. He converted away from Islam.
  2. He brags about drinking beer with a black Harvard professor and a police officer.
  3. He paid no attention to my letter and rebuttal against Geert Wilders, and has done nothing to replace Adam Hasner.

As much as I hate to admit it, I know most of you will kiss his feet for wishing us a blessed Ramadan, as stated in the following Email I received from "United Voices Of America"--the organization that sponsored the March lobbying here in Florida. As always, any important Arabic phrases will include my translation in brackets.

"On behalf of the American people, including Muslim communities in all 50 states,
I want to extend best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan
Kareem [generous / blessed Ramadan]."


President Barack Obama 8/20/2009


President Obama just gave a video message to all Muslims wishing them Ramadan Kareem. In a way that only Obama can, he not only gave Muslims his best wishes this Ramadan, but he also demonstrates that he has a respect and understanding for Islam.


Because he said "Ramadan kareem," that shows he is on our side? Let me tell you something, United Voices, under his administration, Adam Hasner was able to speak against Islam, and is still a top GOP leader! To say that his efforts are good for Muslims and the world is outrageous! Does anyone understand that he is taking us for a ride? Diverting our attention? Who do you think we are, Mr. President, Saudi Arabia and Al-Qaeda who need video greetings? What are we, your little pets who you praise, and then put away and spit on; pets who are stared at, mocked, ridiculed, and told "sorry" when you hurt us? And what's worse, United Voices fell for it! You still say he has a "respect and understanding for Islam," when this very man has shoved away women in shcarves during his election campaign. I do not care if he "understands" Islam! He is not doing anything at all to change things! Forget Afghanistan, forget Iraq. If he can go warring in those regions, if he can remove the CEO of General Motors, what's stopping him from removing Adam Hasner? Surely, Mr. Saint President should be taking care of Muslim problems here first--or is his meaning of "mutual interest" translating into "expanded car dealerships, and oil?" For some reason, I have a hard time believing he "respects and understands Islam" just because of a video. What are you trying to prove, Mr. President, that you look handsome on camera and you have an eloquent voice?


As for "In a way only Obama can," anyone can say "Ramadan kareem"; and after that, I know he said "ahh, that's over," just like how he's done in the past.


Speak all you want, Mr. President, but until I get a response from you, I'm not believing a word you're saying. Any bit of respect I still had for you is now gone, with that dumb message of yours.


Show me you actually care, and then tell me "have a blessed Ramadan, I'm here to extend your voice." Until then, don't you dare do this again!


ACT NOW


, If the President of the United States has enough time to produce a Ramadan video
greeting then surely you can make time to thank him for it, especially because we
are going to make it easy for you.

"If the President...has enough time..." Yes, he has enough time to make a five minute video, but guess what? our efforts are being completely ignored. It's easy for him to make a five minute video--he has someone else write his script, he just speaks it. As far as Muslims having time to Email him? I have bad news for you, United Voices. They didn't have enough time to sign the letter that was sent to the President (except the few who did, and my gratitude to you is endless.) Of course not. They'd much rather open a page with prefilled text and press the "Send" button versus getting up and signing a letter. Good luck finding support--after all, you do feel the need to kiss up to him, don't you? "Oh my God, Mr. President, thank you for saying Ramadan kareem."


Keep wasting your time. You know what though? That's exactly what he wants from you. He wants you to be happy and smile like a bunch of idiots who are starved for attention. A bunch of puppets who like pressing submit buttons all day, and then claiming they don't know why they fast.. A bunch of people who like to kiss up to our government and pretend it's doing the right thing...when inside, you know it's not doing the right thing at all. A bunch of religious robots sucked up in the "modernization" and "moderation" of Islam. No, you want to be on good terms with the Ameircans because of "mutual interests" don't you? Well, I'm sorry to say this, O Muslim slaves! but that man has "mutual interests" in mind as well, and when it comes down to it, he's not one of us. In fact, he's far from it. He will never take the time to respond to a mailed in letter, yet he has the time to make a video. I see no sincerity behind his message. As I stated earlier, anyone can say Ramadan kareem, but it's turning that statement in to action that matters to me. Sadly, United Voices doesn't understand that; though, they seem more like a kiss up group than anything else the more I become acquainted with them. They're quick to say "our government is doing the right thing" and then forgetting about what we just went through in March and April. Yes, I know you're saying "forget about the past." My humble readers, with all due respect, I don't forget the past until something has been done about it, and I think it's time you opened your eyes as well.


I know Robert Spencer is hovering over me waiting to label me as a "Islamist Jihadist" and "Islamic terrorist," so go right ahead. You won't stop me from what I have set out to do, Spencer, and your lying government will not either. I'm sick of you guys, I'm sick of the lies, I'm sick of the mixed messages, I'm sick of the struggle, I'm sick of the standoffs, I'm sick of the petting, I'm sick of the pity, I'm sick of the fabrications, I'm sick of the propaganda, I'm sick of the war, I'm sick of the apologies, I'm sick of the misused media terms, I'm sick of the Freedom Party, I'm sick of Hasner, I'm sick of the lack of support, I'm sick of the Arabs, I'm sick of the Jihadists, I'm sick of the suicide bombers, I'm sick of religious robot parents, and I'm utterly sick of this corrupted government.


Mr. President, I see right through those eyes of yours and that eloquent voice of yours. I see right through your statements, your money, your campaign promises, and your actions. I see right through your stupid videos, your mutual interests, your conversion, your plan, and your mask. I see through all of it--and I regret to say that very few Muslims do. Know that you have challengers; know that you have not fooled everyone by your ridiculous video; and, most importantly, know that I am aware of your choice to ignore my letter. Know that this is my personal, humble statement to you saying that I see you for who you really are, and the anger I feel toward you right now cannot be put in to words. I will keep fighting you every step of the way--and although you most likely will win in the end, it will not be an easy battle for you. You cannot flip me on my back and play "Tickle Me Elmo" like you can with millions of Muslims around the world. I think the only country who supports me on this is Iran. I remember President Ahmadinejat saying the true colors of the US have been shown. I agree with you totally, President Ahmadinejat. Indeed their colors have been shown, and by God, what dark colors they are!
Ma'a sallamah,
Munawar

Friday, August 14, 2009

Agree To Disagree: It's Our Only Hope

Dear All,
Today I have a big question to pose: When will it all end? I was speaking to one of my friends over Skype yesterday and had a lengthy discussion about how Muslims today are the scapegoats of the world. I wonder if anyone else is getting this feeling, but as far as I'm concerned--I'm sick of fighting among monotheists. By that I mean I really think it's time for Jews, Christians, and Muslims to band together as one body--"Under God." Several times I get challenged by people from other faiths, and every time I end up walking out thinking, "what did they gain out of it?" Granted, some people ask to understand only; not to debate or debase anyone; however, for the most part, we are still living in frozen time: I'm right, you're wrong.

We discussed the fundamental issue with youths as concerns their faith in the Al-Rahman (The Merciful,) and we came to the conclusion that youths are turning away from religion today faster than ever. Put aside the antitheist views for any specific religion, and you see that this problem exists across the board. Today, more children are Agnostic or Atheist than they are of religion X. When I speak to people about this--namely to Agnostics--they give me one of two reasons. Either they believe religion is causing war, or they do not like being controlled.

So is religion causing war? My answer to that is definitely yes. But does it have to be that way? My real question is, is the religion causing the war, or are the people causing the war? Is it this purified faith that is causing Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques to crumble, or is it our hunger for power, our greed, and our vain desires? I'll let you think about that one.

Most of us who studied Islam know about the fact that the enemies of the Christians who were living under the government of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWH) were threatened by the Prophet himself because he wrote in a letter to them "These Christians are under my protection, and whosoever attacks them is attacking me. And whosoever attacks me is attacking God." My dear readers, this was said by the same Prophet who today is being labeled by Geert Wilders as a conqueror, warlord, and rapist. If this so-called rapist can agree to disagree to the point where he offers them physical protection, then we, my humble readers, are worse than this so-called rapist!

Why is Atheism prevailing today? I challenge you to observe an interaction between two Atheists. You will notice they appreciate each other's views--they unite under an antitheological philosophy, and they charish it! What is stopping the three monotheistic faiths from doing this? Are we all sitting around waiting for our Savior who will come with the Prophet Muhammad (SAWH,) or will we get up and start saving ourselves? I vote for the second choice. Yes, I agree--we have some differences. However, in the end, we are all descendants of the Prophet Abraham (may peace and blessings be upon him.) This is what we need to focus on. Otherwise, as much as I hate to admit it, the antireligion conversions will continue, and will even pick up speed--it's inevitable.

Now let us examine the second issue. In our discussion we touched on a cause for this reason. To me it seems as if children do not know why they do certain things. My friend stated that these children are conditioned to be a certain way; follow certain procedures. Is this a bad thing? No. However, it can be a bad thing if by the time the child reaches the age of baligh, it does not understand why it was conditioned before reaching baligh. This situation of not knowing, we concluded, was caused by the parents' lack of understanding of their faith. For instance, if my parents were not educated by their parents, who in turn were not educated by their parents, we have a big problem on our hands. This problem is the issue of what I call "religious robots." You do things "just because," with no reason for doing them. CNN interviewed some Chinese Muslims who were fasting under cover because the government has banned fasting. They asked one Muslim why he fasts, and his response was, with an embarrassed chuckle, "I don't know." This is when the reality of the situation hit home for me, and to this day I am utterly disgusted at the lack of understanding among my Muslim people. My dear readers, this lack of understanding is what is causing these suicide bombs, and terrorist plots. I have praised converts before because they understand more than we do. However, I regret to say that a lot of the terrorists today are Muslim converts who wish to "commit jihad" in the name of Islam. So this light of hope I had once because of the converts is fading quite quickly.

Indeed, if the child does not understand their faith, they will feel like they are being controlled; and they have a right to feel that way. In other words, the issue starts with the parents, but it's not all their fault. according to the Islamic view, what a child does after reaching baligh is their responsibility--they have the ability to reason with themselves, and the parents will not be held accountable. At the same time, before the child reaches baligh, the parents have the responsibility to teach that child as much as they can, and do their best to ensure the child does not stray.

Through all this though, there is still hope. As part of the society is going toward an antitheist view, another part is going toward the theist view--properly this time. A couple days ago, I read an article that CNN published which was an interview with some teenage women in hijab. They said they wore it to preserve their beauty and piety. Alhamdulillah, I hope all of them receive the blessings of God for speaking up. We must demolish these misconceptions one step at a time, and I sincerely feel they have taken one of those steps. The article was the first I've ever read where the reporters had no false information; I didn't disagree with any part of the article. From beginning to end, it was right on, and I think those teenage girls had everything to do with it. I bet Robert Spencer wasn't happy to see that article. Sorry mate, but your visions of opression are out the window. You see, I can lecture all I want about hijab for men and women (yes, men have hijab too.) However, in the end, people will only listen very closely to a woman who actually wears a hijab, because now we move away from theoretical philosophy into practical philosophy, and I applaud those women for representing Islam so well. You truely made my day.

Our discussion lasted for about three hours on the general subject I have written about in this entry, and in the end I saw that there are still some people out there who understand it, and can wade through all the misconceptions and fabrications that are thrown at them.

To all of you who think we as theists are doomed, there is still hope out there, but remember what I have said time and again: if you do not step up, noone will. Stop waiting for "them to do it" and turn it in to "I will do it." You will be amazed by the results. And hey, even if nothing comes of it--even if you are mocked, ridiculed, or just plain ignored, you have done your best, and that is all God wants from you.
Ma'a sallamah,
Munawar