One State Solution: A Historical Perspective
Recent events in Palestine have raised many concerns about the practicality of the so-called ‘Two States Solution’. Political analysts are now perplexed, trying to ascertain as to whether this ‘solution’ will ever really work. Political commentators are now seriously questioning whether this proposal is realistic and if Israel will ever treat its potential neighbour, the imaginary state of independent Palestine, with fairness and justice? The overwhelming majority of these commentators and analysts, having witnessed Israeli barbarity in Gaza, will reject the notion of trusting Israeli authorities altogether and will propose many different solutions. A different solution is already in existence,…
Defacto Extremism
When discussing morals and beliefs, it is extremely difficult not to become entangled into a debate based around moral relativity, and that difficulty is played down no less when discussing shared British values. As Muslims, just as members of any other faith, we inextricably derive our morals, beliefs, and etiquettes from our sources of religious authority, which in Islam are the holy Qur’an and the Sunnah (the prophetic tradition). Of course, an Islamic perception based upon these two sources of authority are not merely expressions of dedication based upon the sayings of a few bearded old men (as is presumed…
A Man Amongst Cowards
The Prophet (peace be upon him) once stated, “The greatest jihad is to speak the word of truth to a tyrant”, a jihad that the Prime Minister of Turkey ever-so imperturbably undertook at the WEF (World Economic Forum) a couple of days ago. The WEF being a annual convention held at Davos, Switzerland, should have been in the midst of discussions pertaining to the economical woes of the world, yet in true Zionist fashion, the president of the terrorist state of Israel managed to appropriate 25 minutes to a pathetic justification of the massacre of innocent people in the prison…
New President, Same Rhetoric
Of course, the many Muslims of both the East and West who called for Obama’s support, with his every word on the tip of their tongues, will undoubtedly be overwhelmed with a sense of shame while many commentators both Muslim and otherwise resist the urge to say “told you so”. The inaugural speech, prepared by Obama’s writers and edited by himself, left more to be desired resembling a sermon more than a speech. There is no doubt that Obama, being evidently more intelligent than Bush, managed to address issues that affect the wider citizens of the world, yet the leaders…
Regime Change: Western style
The debacle and contradiction that has become the Middle East doesn’t cease to amaze, with the continuous instigation of Western governments with malign intentions the Middle East has forestalled peace as if it would usher in the era of the anti Christ, and thus, the Middle East seems to be in a perpetual cycle of conflict, one successively pursuing the other. As for the current devastation of Gaza and murder of its inhabitants, it will inevitably pass and we’ll move onto the next, akin to Fisk’s observation a couple of weeks ago. However, if any massacre were to teach us…
Myopic Tendencies
It seems that the many governments of the world have been afflicted with a bout of myopia, and in keeping with the current trend of Middle Eastern dictators, have bowed their heads in subservience to the American will. Of course, America has not only stood faithfully beside her Israeli brethren, but has enjoined in punishing the innocent people of Gaza for the democratic choices they made in 2006. American weaponry with Israeli handlers have attempted to break the will of Hamas, but Hamas has fought its own battle refusing to bow to silent death and oppression. But where, in this…
Obama: The Great Black Hope?
It was, as historians will undoubtedly claim, a historic event, a time when democracy prevailed and the demarcation of race and colour in the US officially began to wane. They will argue that it had been a long time coming, a manifestation of America’s liberal predisposition and a triumph of good over evil. The world looked on as Bush declared war on Afghanistan and soon thereafter Iraq. The world waited uneasily as George W. Bush Junior was re-elected for a second term. And of course more recently, all eyes were on America with a hope of change, that is Barrack…
Ed’s Pic ‘n’ Mix & Other Assortments
I have, in the past, worked with many British-Asian women, many of whom were free and liberated, women of the Muslim faith donning the hijab and at times the face veil. Fortunately, my understanding of the liberation of women is not based on how little a women wears nor how nonchalant she can be in public, but rather her views, attitude and understanding of the world around her. For quite a while now we have been bombarded with typical notions of the ‘oppressed Asian women’ who dons the ‘black garment of death’, and quite ironically, it is those individuals who…
The Brothers of Bal’aam
This article is an adapted translation of its original, Ikhwan Balʿām, written in Arabic by Dr. ʿAbdul ʿAzīz ʿAbdul Laṭīf. Balʿām changed from being a righteous man whose supplications were accepted into an iniquitous heretic who reneged on his faith. He was an individual who altered his righteous ways for a small stake of the worldly life, discarding and forsaking the āyāt (proofs and signs) of Allāh just as a snake sheds and discards its skin. It was an affair whereby the Shaytān pursued him until he was misled; Balʿām knew the truth but acted on the contrary. Allāh the…
Finding Fault
Last week, Dr Farhan Nizami was quoted by the Telegraph1 as saying that Muslim parents are to blame for leaving their children open to the lure of ‘Islamic extremism’. However, any individual who actually has grown up, lived amongst, and engaged in discourse with ‘Islamic extremists’ will inevitably come to know that ‘Islamic extremism’ is not as simple as people have been making out in mainstream media. With every new bombardment of a Muslim country by the Western Allies, discussions about Jihad and supporting the Muslim ummah is raised. Many a time such discussions have lead to whether we may…