Monday, October 31, 2011

"Hell For Heroes" ... For Anjem Choudary

Israel and the Apartheid Slander

THE Palestinian Authority’s request for full United Nations membership has put hope for any two-state solution under increasing pressure. The need for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians has never been greater. So it is important to separate legitimate criticism of Israel from assaults that aim to isolate, demonize and delegitimize it.

One particularly pernicious and enduring canard that is surfacing again is that Israel pursues “apartheid” policies. In Cape Town starting on Saturday, a London-based nongovernmental organization called the Russell Tribunal on Palestine will hold a “hearing” on whether Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid. It is not a “tribunal.” The “evidence” is going to be one-sided and the members of the “jury” are critics whose harsh views of Israel are well known.

While “apartheid” can have broader meaning, its use is meant to evoke the situation in pre-1994 South Africa. It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.

I know all too well the cruelty of South Africa’s abhorrent apartheid system, under which human beings characterized as black had no rights to vote, hold political office, use “white” toilets or beaches, marry whites, live in whites-only areas or even be there without a “pass.” Blacks critically injured in car accidents were left to bleed to death if there was no “black” ambulance to rush them to a “black” hospital. “White” hospitals were prohibited from saving their lives.

In assessing the accusation that Israel pursues apartheid policies, which are by definition primarily about race or ethnicity, it is important first to distinguish between the situations in Israel, where Arabs are citizens, and in West Bank areas that remain under Israeli control in the absence of a peace agreement.

In Israel, there is no apartheid. Nothing there comes close to the definition of apartheid under the 1998 Rome Statute: “Inhumane acts ... committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.” Israeli Arabs — 20 percent of Israel’s population — vote, have political parties and representatives in the Knesset and occupy positions of acclaim, including on its Supreme Court. Arab patients lie alongside Jewish patients in Israeli hospitals, receiving identical treatment. More Here

Muslim Wolves at America's Door For Over 200 Years

Early Muslim Extremists In American History presented by Glenn Beck & David Barton.

Learn the language of the Jews in order to be safe from their cheating

Jerusalem Post

NGO: PA doesn’t meet UNESCO statehood guidelines

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

01/11/2011

IMPACT-SE report uncovers continued demonization of Israel and Jews in Palestinian textbooks.

The Palestinian Authority does not meet the UNESCO recommendations for becoming a full member in the international organization, according to a study published on Monday by IMPACT-SE – the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.

IMPACT-SE is a research organization that monitors and analyzes schoolbooks and curricula across the Middle East with an eye toward determining their compliance with international standards on peace and tolerance, a goal derived directly from UNESCO declarations and resolutions.

“The monitoring of the Palestinian schoolbooks in use for the school year 2011 shows that the fundamentals against Israel and the Jews are upheld,” the study concluded.

It said that the fundamentals included negating both Israel and the Jews.

Israel, for example, is not mentioned among the states of the Levant (which presently consists of the states of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as the Palestinian territories) and Jewish holy places are never mentioned as such. For instance, Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem is presented as the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque.

According to the study, the Jewish and Hebrew identity of Palestine under the British Mandate is stricken out. One illustration twists a stamp of Palestine under the British Mandate by erasing the Hebrew term ERETZ ISRAEL PALESTINA.

The study also found that there was continued demonization of both Israel and the Jews in the books. Jews are described, among others, as violating treaties, getting rich unduly, deceitful, murdering children, disemboweling women and invading snakes. They are never presented in neutral or positive terms.

The study quotes the following examples from the Palestinian schoolbooks: “The Messenger of God [Muhammad] ordered Zayd Ibn Thabit to learn the language of the Jews in order to be safe from their cheating,” History of the Arabs and Muslims, Grade 6, (2009), page 133; “Your enemies killed your children, split open your women’s bellies, held your revered elderly men by the beard, and led them to the death pits,” Reading and Texts, Grade 8, Part 2, [2003] (reprinted 2007), page 16; and “By your life! How come snakes invade us and we [still] observe a protection covenant [dhimma] which respects commitments?” Arabic Language– Linguistic Sciences, Grade 12, (2010), page 61.

“The Oslo accords and the Declaration of Principles are mentioned and even quoted, but they are not praised and a peacefully negotiated settlement is not advocated or supported,” said the authors of the study.

“In contrast, there is a lot of praise for jihad and martyrdom to free Palestine without defining clearly the territory to be liberated, hence implying that Israel’s territory is also to be liberated.”

The study quotes the following paragraph from a Grade 8 book: “Today the Muslim countries need urgently jihad and jihad fighters in order to liberate the robbed lands and to get rid of the robbing Jews from the robbed lands in Palestine and in the Levant.”

The Shoah is not mentioned at all, though one ambiguous passage reads as follows: “The Jewish question is first and foremost a European problem.”

Once There Was A Time When Arab Society Was Innocent ... Now There Is A Fatwa On Everything!

The National

Saudi Muslim: Islam has come to Dominate Society

Nov 1, 2011

It was about 20 years ago when I began to notice a certain air of haughtiness in the attitude of many observant Arab Muslims. Some men with beards and women in niqab started giving everybody the I'm-better-than-you look.

At the time I was a teenager, but I still remember my brother telling me: "Bearded men are looking down at us. When we greet them, they don't return the greeting. And they are careful to make us feel that they are the real thing, that they are the ones who really know Allah, that the rest of us ordinary Muslims, whose religious commitment does not show in the way we look, are missing something."

I said to my brother: "Never mind that the true Muslim is by definition humble, tolerant and compassionate with all other people; never mind that Prophet Mohammed famously said that giving people a smile is like giving charity; and never mind that Islam teaches us that blessed is he who greets the others first."

Between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s, this air of superiority emanating from observant Muslims was, by my personal assessment, worth a yellow warning. From the early 1990s until the turn of the century, it rose to an orange alarm. In 2001, I believe it became a red alert.

Around this time, religious haughtiness and a sense of self-righteousness and overachievement started to spread across the Arab world among multahoun (bearded men) and munaqqabat (women in niqab). Many preachers were giving lectures reinforcing the belief among this particular category of Muslims that they were "the wholesome, untainted, God-chosen elite".

Black niqab, black socks and black gloves spread throughout the Arab world like a dark tidal wave. Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia and, of course, the Gulf states and Yemen - none was spared.

And this form of "religious distinction" was not channelled by attire alone. There was a crucial linguistic dimension to it. Hard-line clerics adopted an antiquated language straight from ancient Islamic books, capitalising on its awe-inspiring overtones and perceived righteousness to conquer the masses. Through that domineering language, they launched insidious verbal assaults against public figures who disagreed with their points of view, so that others would not dare even to think.

Eventually, preaching became a moneymaker. And looking religious proved to be good for business. From pharmacies to electronics shops, Salafi-looking managers were doing well. In gynaecology clinics, Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi women doctors would suggest Sharia-compliant healing invocations before writing up the prescription.

I always wondered where they got the money to study medicine, engineering and information technology at expensive schools, while many others were unable to afford the same.

Indeed, Arab Muslim society has changed radically. Repression, external and self-imposed, has turned Arab societies into communities like rolled-up hedgehogs, with nothing to show but spikes.

There was a time when Arab society was more innocent and less complicated in the way it approached the question of gender mixing in public places, for instance. Women were everywhere, in the fields, in the souq and in the majlis. People were more spontaneous; they would appeal to their common sense when going about their life affairs. Now there seems to be a fatwa on everything. More Here

In Retrospect: ... It Was A Deal With The Devil!

What You Receive When You Make a Deal With

The Devil! ... "We'll Give You Nothing but Bombs, Spears and Swords"

From YouTube:

Uploaded by MEMRITVVideos on Oct 31, 2011

Khodhr Habib, a Member of the Islamic Jihad Leadership in Gaza, Vows: We Will Give You Nothing but Bombs, Spears and Swords, Which Will Slit Your Throats

Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) - October 25, 2011 - 04:34

Reality Check: Domestic Violence and Muslim Families

SuhaibWebb.com

Salma Abugideiri is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in trauma and couples therapy. She is also the co-director of the Peaceful Families Project, an organization devoted to ending domestic violence in Muslim families. Salma develops and conducts awareness workshops about domestic violence for Muslim leaders and communities, and trainings for people who work with Muslim families. She also conducts research and has a few publications, including a co-edited book titled Change from Within: Diverse Perspectives on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities.

In honor of October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Amal Killawi interviewed Salma Abugideri about her work with domestic violence and the Peaceful Families Project.

Tell us about the Peaceful Families Project.

The Peaceful Families Project was founded in 2000 by Sharifa Alkhateeb, as a result of a survey she conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among Muslims in the United States. She passed away in 2004, but she left behind a legacy—may God have mercy on her soul.

The goal of PFP is to end domestic violence in Muslim families through prevention, to educate people about the prevalence of domestic violence and to use Islamic teachings and values to address attitudes that might either tolerate domestic violence or encourage it.

We believe very strongly that change from our community has to come from within our own Islamic paradigm, and so we’ve based all of our trainings and materials on that belief.

What is the rate of domestic violence in the American Muslim community?

Domestic violence includes all forms of abuse: physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, and spiritual. Based on the few studies that we have about Muslims in America, we know that 12-18% of Muslims in the United States experience physical abuse, and 30-40% experience emotional abuse. Readers can refer to the 2009 SoundVision survey for example. Compare these statistics to the well-known fact that 1 in 4 women in the general American population are affected or will be affected by domestic violence at some point in their lifetime. I also come across information of approximately one domestic violence fatality each month in the Muslim community. My guess is that the numbers are higher because fatalities are sometimes reported as suicides or accidents and not identified as domestic violence.

Some people may challenge these statistics.

Numbers are important to a point, and people certainly need numbers to be convinced that this is a real problem. But it’s really important that when we look at numbers, we pay attention to what these numbers are referring to. Every research study will ask slightly different questions to different populations. Domestic violence is a difficult issue to get solid numbers on, but to me, the numbers that we have are enough to say that this is a serious issue. And as Muslims, we have a responsibility to do something about it and to get rid of it.

Don’t these statistics reinforce the stereotype of Muslim men being abusive to their women?

I’m not saying that Muslim men are more likely to abuse their wives. Muslim women like other women in the world are at risk of getting abused because they have lesser positions of power in the family and in society. The majority of Muslim men are not abusive. More Here

Living Under a Rain of Rockets

Egypt: In 'Allah" We Trust

Arab Terrorists Rain Rockets on Israel

Newest UNESCO Member: Palestine

Islamist Party Launches “Revolutionary” Policy on Women

Comic Relief in Egypt: Women's Rights

Intifada Paslestine

Anyone who thinks Islamists lack humor is wrong. The Nour (Light) Party of Egypt, a new political formation established by a faction of the Salafist movement in Egypt, has provided some welcome comic relief in a period of dire crisis, by unveiling a startling new view of women in today’s world. The Salafists, who are Islamists close to the Wahabites in Saudi Arabia, and who reportedly enjoy 5% popular support in Egypt, recently held a conference on the theme of women, the first ever. As evident in a photo of the conference, the speakers were neither fully veiled nor did they wear any headscarves. Seated on the podium against a backdrop of banners in Arabic reading: “Nour (Light) Party: First Women’s Conference,” the three speakers were apparently striving to display the party’s commitment to the total equality between the sexes. No veils, no headscarves, — only full and bushy beards.

One secular Egyptian intellectual commented on the event: “But, hey, where are the women?”

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Qur'an - Original Manuscript and Interpretation?

The Terror Suspect Who Pocketed A Million In Compensation

Standing at a bus stop, he is looking forward to an afternoon shopping with a male friend.

Although he returns home empty-handed he could have embarked on a lavish spending spree with ease.

For this is former terror suspect Binyam Mohamed and money has been no object for some time.

The 33-year-old has received £1million in compensation after claiming he was tortured with the complicity of the British security services at the U.S.’s infamous Guantanamo Bay naval base.

In March this year he paid £250,000 in cash for a terrace house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in Norbury, South London –a short distance from the Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre.

Ethiopian-born Mohamed arrived in the UK in 1994, as a schoolboy seeking asylum. He travelled to Afghanistan in 2001. The U.S. alleged that he received paramilitary training at an Al Qaeda camp and plotted to detonate a radioactive bomb in America.

He was arrested in 2002 at Karachi airport in Pakistan as he tried to board a London-bound flight using a fake British passport.

In the CIA’s Afghan prison in Kabul, he was allegedly shackled in total darkness and forced to listen to ear-splitting Eminem music 24 hours a day for a month.

Mohamed claims that during detention in Pakistan he was questioned by an MI5 officer who knew he had been repeatedly tortured. In Morocco, he was allegedly hung from walls and ceilings, repeatedly beaten and cut with a scalpel. He was held in Guantanamo from 2004.

More Here ... MailOnline

“Better to have an Israel that is hated by the world than an Auschwitz that is loved by it.”

Media Equality: A Life Is Not a Life

Algemeiner

All people are not equal, nor all suffering. Watching TV Saturday night and reviewing the CNN home page with pictures, which have captions like this, one may be fooled into thinking that suffering equals suffering. That is not the case - the Nazis who were killed by Allied forces weren’t the same as their victims, nor is the death of a murderer, by lethal injection, comparable to his victim’s death.

CNN’s caption, “A Palestinian man grieves outside a hospital in Rafa, Gaza,” follows an article which states, “At least 10 people are dead in Gaza and Southern Israel, in a wave of back-and-forth attacks.” Now how did these “back-and-forth” attacks begin? Not by “militants,” as CNN labels them, but Palestinian terrorists from Islamic Jihad who “fired more than 20 mortars and rockets” into Ashdod, Israel, killing one man and injuring 20. The victims inhabited cities in Israel proper, not even considered “occupied territories.” These included Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gan Yavne and the vicinity around Be’er Sheva. The injured were regular people sitting in their homes and parks, living their lives.

And what was Israel’s “retaliation?” From the CNN story, we wouldn’t know that the grieving Palestinian man in the picture is mourning a dead terrorist who died when the IDF retaliated by hitting a training camp – as Islamic Jihad admitted. The U.S., Canada, Japan and Australia recognize Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization. World media shows no discernment between barbarians that kill innocent people and an armed military of a democratic civilized nation that kills only those trained to harm, main and destroy Israel’s population. The world holds the Jews to a different standard.

How soon the media forgets that only a few years ago Islamic Jihad used a vehicle marked with “TV” and “press” insignias in a failed attempt to capture an Israeli soldier. The use of this “press” vehicle evoked a sharp response from many journalists and news organizations.

How long will it take the world to stop calling for an “end to the violence on both sides?” Owning one of the 25 largest PR Firms in the U.S., I wonder why the world’s media doesn’t call for America to stop hunting Al-Qaeda operatives , or ask why the police hunt serial murderers. If they stopped, there wouldn’t be a “cycle of violence,” and surely many of these folks would promise that they would not attack again in exchange for a guarantee that they would not be hunted down.

There is no moral equivalency between Islamic Jihad targeting women and children as they go about their daily lives, and a democratic state protecting its own civilians. Couldn’t one have referred to 9/11 as a catastrophe, which saw both Americans and Arab casualties as well?

“Better to have an Israel that is hated by the world than an Auschwitz that is loved by it.”

Arab Spring = Islamic Caliphate

From YouTube:

Uploaded by The666muhammad1 on Oct 30, 2011

Muslims follow not only the Quran, which they believe is a literal transcript of God's words, but also the Hadith, accounts of Muhammad's words and deeds.
"And slay them (the infidels) wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out, for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter" 2:191

" وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلاَ تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِن قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ كَذَلِكَ جَزَاء الْكَافِرِينَ" البقرة 191:2
Ibn Haban in his Sahih, vol. 14, p. 529, narrates: Muhammad said: "I swear by Him who has my soul in his hands, I was sent to you with nothing but slaughter."

Norway: No News Would Be Good News ... But Here's The News

From YouTube:

Uploaded by whathitthefan on Oct 30, 2011

Oslo Ghetto news today. Several rapes, murder, exploding apartment.

In one of the rape case where two 16-year old girls were attached, six men from Afghanistan and Pakistan were arrested.

Another rape victim said an african raped her in a park.

So far this year 48 rapes were reported, thats twice as many as last year, only seven rapes were resolved.
http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=10015002

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=10023224

No official is suggesting the need for expulsion and criminal background checks for immigrants.

A politician, Fabien Stang (H) said when told about the massive number of rapes in Oslo, "goddamn hell, i don't know what to do any more".

That's a typcial reacion. No politician knows what to do about the massive number of crimes they imported to Norway from african and the arabstates.

Noway don't use enclosed refugee camps for refugees. This may change due to the large number of crimes committed by refugees. More people demand action that shows results. Walled prison-like camps may be created for refugees in Norway similar to those in most other countries that receive refugees.

70 % of the Oslo population feel unsafe and won't go out alone in the evenings.

The rape victims can be found in the remaining 30 % of the population that bravely go out alone without dogs or other security measures.

25 % of the population say there are to many muslims in Norway.

24 % feel islam is a threat against our culture.

Due to the record number of rapes, nearly all of them done by immigrants, the Prime Minister Stoltenberg said they need more police while the number of police has gone down by 100 to 424. Often only one police patrol is out in the streets of Oslo. The politicians call for security and more police is not followed up by action, instead they reduce the security.

Many norwegians feel the mass immigration has been to open and is a threat to the national security.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Black-and-White Stripes as a match (or a fab clash?) to the Bright and the Flowery

Spring style:

From the 10 Crosby Derek Lam Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear

In my previous "Styling tips for today" post, I have wrote about stripes: matching the long-sleeve, stripes tee with a cropped jacket.

Now, as for Spring 2012, Derek Lam has launched his 10 Crosby line with lots of stripes, especially the black-and-white stripes as a complement to the Spring style (bright, flowery). Not only it would flatter the outfits, but also it gave an unexpected pattern pop..

Here are the lookbook from 10 Crosby Derek Lam Spring 2012 RTW:

Black-and-white stripes with flowery prints:

Besides 'the stripes', I also love this 'graphic, color block' look:

The
bright graphic, color-blocked, diamond-printed pants matched with the
black waxed-cotton top (that looks like leather).

And, this bright yellow maxi dress:

How if we give this bright look a well-tailored black-and-white-stripes jacket/blazer?

What do you think? ;)

(Photos: Courtesy of 10 Crosby, via Style.com)

So, do you like this style?

Fashioning Faith's Updates are on Twitter - Facebook - RSS - BlogLovin

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Boko Temple and Merapi Volcano's foot-hills

Inspiration

The scenery from above..

My latest trips are to Ratu Boko Temple and to Merapi Volcano's foot-hills. My family and I really enjoyed these trips. We call our trips 'Friday Fun' because we have been mostly doing trips on Friday, after the Jummah prayer.

On October 7th, 2011, we went to Ratu Boko's site, or popularly called as Candi Boko/Boko Temple. The temple was located up high on a hill. There were so many stairs to get us up there to the temple. But, it was worth it because up there the beautiful scenery was waiting for us to see.. :) Or, we can go up higher to the Candi Boko's view-tower for more scenery from above. From there you could also see the Prambanan Temple, rice-fields, roads, trains ran on their rails, and airplanes which about to landed on or just about took off from the Adi Sucipto airport.

And these are the selected pictures from Candi Boko (photographed by me):

The scenery from above (from Ratu Boko Temple's view-tower):

It was a part of Yogyakarta and Klaten city.

Me.. in front of Pendopo Putri (Princess' place), Candi Boko:

Behind me there was a field where some sheep being pastured. There were also some deer that put into an area bordered by fences.

(The pic was took by my 4 years old son.. ^_^ )

Then, on October 14th, 2011, we went to the Merapi Volcano's natural conservation area (or, in Bahasa Indonesia, we call it: Taman Nasional Gunung Merapi).

Last year, in early November 2010 (it's exactly one year now), Merapi Volcano erupted. It was one of Merapi's massive eruption. Everything in this conservation area at that time was devastated and covered by thick dust, sands, and also stones. Many houses and trees was buried by clinker, sand, and dust. The super-hot clouds (in Javanese: wedhus gembel) that came out of the volcano's crater passed by this area and burned everything underneath they passed.

These selected pictures are from Merapi Volcano's foot-hills where everything are starting back to "green":

Unfortunately, while we were there, the weather was cloudy, so we could not see the Merapi Volcano.

Me, my uncle, and a local man (the sentence in the picture, in English means: "Watch out to the precipice behind !")

Merapi Volcano's National Park (natural conservation area).

(Photos: courtesy of Rania © FashioningFaith Blog)

Location: Ratu Boko's site/Boko Temple and

Merapi Volcano's foot-hills, Dusun Cangkringan, Yogyakarta.

Would you like to visit these amazing places by yourself?

Salaam,

Rania

(Photography by Rania; Location: Candi Boko)

Fashioning Faith's Updates are on Twitter - Facebook - RSS - BlogLovin

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Voila! Ready-to-wear Scarves by Bokitta

Lebanese Hijab Style

Recently I had been emailed by Hala Absi, the founder of Bokitta. If
you do not know yet about Bokitta, let me introduce you to this
interesting clothing line which cater for hijab-wearing Muslim women.

According
to their introduction to me, Bokitta is a new international brand for Lebanon-based hijab design
house. It is known for its quality innovative garments produced with style and lots of colors.

The name 'Bokitta' was came from by combining the word "bouquet", meaning an arrangement, and added the "itta" to refer to the lady. So Bokitta meant to be the 'bouquet of colors', an arrangement of matching, bright and colorful scarves and clothing for hijabis.

Right now they have two stores in Lebanon: one in Beirut Mall and
another in Saida Mall.

One of their fashion invention
lately is the new patented Voila! (came from the word "voile", "veil", meaning veil). It is a stylish pre-wrapped ready-to-wear
scarf (so, Voila! means the ready veil). "Voila! scarves was made from selected fabrics and designed with special attention to cultural and fashion styles", said Hala.

Put these scarves on is so easy; No more hassle in wrapping scarves and no pins required.

Check the
video below to see Bokitta's stunning Voila! scarves in action:

Along with Voila! scarves, they have developed the matching concepts brand of shirts, bodies, and skirts.

For more information about Bokitta Clothing Line, you can check out their interviews with Hijab Style and Hijab Trendz's blog here; And, see all their collection on facebook or on their website: www.bokitta.com.

Fashioning Faith's Updates are on Twitter - Facebook - RSS - BlogLovin

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Busana CALOSA Edisi Januari 2011

Calosa Pesona Busana Muslim, hadir dalam berbagai pilihan warna dan motif yang fresh serta model yang up to date. Tampil cantik nan anggun di setiap suasana dengan Busana Calosa.

Diskon grosir Calosa

- Pembelian 2 pc diskon 10%

- Pembelian 3 pcs diskon 15%

- Pembelian 6 pcs diskon 20%