Book: A True Story

NO Lynas here, nor anywhere in Malaysia – Save Malaysia

2011-05-31T18:51:00.000+08:00

We SAVE MALAYSIA has been invited by MITI to meet the IAEA independent panel this afternoon at 3.00 pm. We thank the MITI for the kind arrangement and we had prepared ourselves to meet them.

However owing to an incident that happened this morning immediately after a team of concerned citizens has submitted their referendum, a group of ‘people’ had had the opportunity to disrupt the press conference conducted in front of the hotel that was used as the venue by the IAEA team.

This group of intruders in the presence of police had hurled abusive language at the participants of this civil process but also attempted to manhandle them. The leader of the team was kicked from behind and one of them even managed to strangle the leader of the participant. If not for the quick action by the police beside him he could have suffered severe consequences.

Such uncivil behaviour in the presence of the police when allowed to happened has completely ignored the basic right of a citizen . Whether by design or default it has made a mockery of the whole process with which the IAEA panel was trying to achieve- to listen to the views of the stakeholder.

We are an NGO and we do wish to present our views on the Lynas issue. But to subject ourselves to such untenable situation of risks and safety, we have elected not to participate in the session today.

We hereby attached our referendum below as our way of presenting our views on the issue.

Thank you.

-- By Tan Bun Teet, Chairperson SAVE MALAYSIA.

REFERENDUM OF SAVE MALAYSIA ON THE LYNAS ADVANCE MATERIALS PLANT

All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web. He does to himself. (Chief Seattle 1854)

We could have told you.
That there is no safety level of low level radiation.
That there are 700,000 residents residing within a radius of 30KM of Lynas Advance Materials Plant.
That the local government is a signatory of Local Agenda 21.
That the value of properties in and around the 30km radius of LAMP are dropping.
That the storage cells at the backyard of LAMP are not what they should be.
That the gaseous waste will not be diluted fast enough to render it harmless when they emerge from the shacks.
That the full EIA, RIA reports were not prepared before they started to build LAMP.
That Lynas said they are waiting to see what the radon content will be once the process is started in Kuantan.
That COULD Malaysia be trusted to keep thorium in the country when we are now a proven nodal point for WMD transfer point.
That we could have told you but we didn’t.

We need only tell you that we want NO Lynas here...nor anywhere in Malaysia. FULL STOP.

Make money by catering

2011-02-26T05:04:00.003+08:00

Kindly click book cover for further info. Many thanks!

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Read Online!

2011-02-01T18:40:00.001+08:00

My novel can be read via online here at Penulisan2u.my.

Alexander the Great is a Muslim!

2011-01-16T09:38:00.005+08:00

Alexander seeks for immortality and almost -- but not quite -- attains it. On Mount Qaf he meets the angel of death, who tells him to stop worrying about mortal glory.

He becomes a Muslim -- a striking anachronism: he lived a thousand years before the Prophet -- and conquers Andalusia for the faith. He reaches the distant Land of Darkness.

He goes in search of Adam's tomb. He attains the Water of Life but is unable to drink from it. Jewish accounts say that he was favored by Enoch and Elijah. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim stories all depict him receiving both rebukes and edification from their respective moral teachers.

MORE >>

For Charles Darwin the God is just a metaphorical!

2011-01-07T20:33:00.004+08:00

I have to stop reading The Origin of Species as one of my friends says, “Hidup ini sangat singkat untuk membaca buku-buku yang tidak berfaedah.” Indeed, the book by Charles Darwin “The Ape” is full of misleading information in the name of science. The author didn’t prove any of his hypotheses based on actual experiments and facts. All were baseless to the core and without any authority whatsoever. This is not a science, just an ignorant of him in his elaboration to prove that all being are come from one cell, and then the process of evolution takes place.

I finished reading only 100 out of 670 pages of this book. Still, I’m not regrets buying this book because I know by reading it personally, albeit just 100 pages, I had clear understanding of what is the concept of evolution that Charles Darwin tries to indoctrinate us for such a long time. My companion for The Origin of Species is Penipuan Evolusi by Harun Yahya.

Other reason I have to cease reading this book is to concentrate on my conquest for other information for my writing. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll continue exploring this book in future. Only Allah will know better when.

One thing, maybe, that inspires me is Charles Darwin’s effort to write a long winding book that shocked the peoples around the world since 1859! The very idea that man (and all beings) had evolved over millions of years from a few ancestors was not just shocked, but baseless at the same time. The most important thing is his findings (if we can say so) were just the concept of biology that not believes the Divine intervention at all. For him, the God is just a metaphor!

He is really The Ape!

APCO: DISCOURSES MUST GO BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND DUE PROCESS

2010-12-24T15:20:00.003+08:00

APCO’s deep involvement in the Prime Minister’s administration is the clearest proof of UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s hypocrisy. For more than a decade, it has deafened the country with incessant propaganda to portray me as a Jewish agent when surreptitiously it hires a firm known for its strong link with the Israeli intelligence and political establishment to manage one of the most influential functions of the administration i.e. messaging and communication.

Therefore, the bulk of my contention when I first raised this issue in Dewan Rakyat was directed at the Prime Minister’s hypocrisy and carelessness in hiring a firm with a track record such as APCO’s. It is only natural that Pakatan Rakyat MPs requested for the government to come clean on the extent of APCO’s involvement in the formulation of policies and messaging under the current Prime Minister.

There are numerous records available publicly to substantiate APCO’s unhealthy track record of working for regimes with penchant for stifling human rights and democratic space. YB Tian Chua (Member of Dewan Rakyat for Batu) had written extensively on this in two articles (“APCO: In Mercenaries We Trust” and “APCO & Najib: Beneath the PR Veil”). Both articles; published by Malaysiakini provide insights into the workings of APCO and its cosy relationship with regimes or causes that are deemed to be detrimental to the promotion of democracy and public interest.

Thus, the issue was never about the simplistic question of who came up with 1Malaysia. It is about holding the government of the day accountable for its haphazard behaviour in spending the public money (to the tune of RM77 million for a one-year service) to hire a firm for its own image building. More importantly, it is about the lack of responsibility of a Prime Minister in ignoring APCO’s track record and potential security risks posed by the latter.

Unfortunately, UMNO/Barisan Nasional was never prepared to be engaged on these two critical issues. It went on an over-kill drive from the beginning which culminated in the suspension of four members of Dewan Rakyat recently. It trampled on every known ethics and norms including the natural process of allowing an accused to present and argue his case before a fair and just panel.

The fact that I was not allowed to present evidence to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee speaks volume of Prime Minister’s intention to avoid the fundamental issues of accountability and negligence on his part in hiring APCO. In the end, UMNO/Barisan Nasional created another first in the history of Dewan Rakyat when it orchestrated our suspension without a debate and based on a simple letter of denial from APCO.

I must also respond to UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s latest claim that a mere letter of denial from APCO and a statement from one Robert M. Shrum constitute an undisputable proof that APCO was not involved in the conceptualisation of 1Malaysia; neither was 1Malaysia adopted from One Israel campaign. In a normal court of law, such “evidence” would have to stand the scrutiny of cross examination to ensure that they are credible and acceptable for the purpose of a case. No court or parliamentary committee of a respectable standing would have dismissed a case and arrived at a biased verdict purely on an account of two letters produced by the prosecutor.

Going by the same UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s logic, a statutory declaration made by P Balasubramaniam on his allegation of the Prime Minister’s relationship with Altantuya Sharibu would have been taken as an undisputable proof. Likewise, the two contracts signed by APCO with the governments of Malaysia and

Israel

respectively that are in my possession would have to be taken as an undisputable proof of a link between the 1Malaysia campaign with other campaigns that APCO or its personnel had worked on previously.

Fortunately, the due process of law and natural justice administered in the fairest manner will dictate that any evidence produced will be subject to the highest scrutiny. It is in this respect that I have been vocal in my criticism because UMNO/Barisan Nasional is determined to avoid any scrutiny of its relations with APCO to the point that it would not allow the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee from going through the proper motion of its proceedings.

Therefore, UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s release of the two documents is nothing more than an orchestrated media play that ensures no scrutiny of the “evidence” it claims to have. Anyone who is familiar with UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s history in orchestrating character assassination campaigns that often involve the manufacture of “false evidences” would naturally be sceptical of the latest trial by media.

In the end, the country must go back to the fundamental questions that Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak is so keen to avoid.

The most fundamental question arose from a report by news portal The Malaysian Insider dated 28 July 2009 entitled “Money Being Splurged To Boost Image of Najib’s Administration”. I reproduced here the key contents which had never been denied officially by the Prime Minister:

“It is understood that the services of Apco Worldwide was brought in by Omar Mustapha, the close aide of the PM who was recently embroiled in controversy over his proposed appointment onto the board of national oil company Petronas.

Apco Worldwide is understood to have had an official based in Najib’s office since the early days of the administration.

Apco and other public relations specialists from the United States have also been helping Najib craft his 100 days strategy. This includes his 1

Malaysia

message and other key platforms of his administration.”

If this is indeed true, the Prime Minister must then be prepared to explain the other fundamental issue – his trigger happy attitude in using taxpayers’ money to hire a firm for the sole good of his party; especially one with such a questionable track record that could have compromised the country’s security.

-- Dato’ Seri Awar Ibrahim, Leader Of Opposition,

Malaysia

, 24 December 2010.

Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy Charges Conspiracy: The Singapore Intelligence and WikiLeaks Disclosures

2010-12-12T22:23:00.002+08:00

The online site Wikileak’s disclosure of the sodomy charges against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fabricated by the Malaysian Special Branch is a serious matter as this is the surest sign yet that the persecution stems from a conspiracy at the highest levels.

What is more shocking is the fact that the leadership of the Republic of Singapore has chosen to partake in this deception by deliberately spreading disinformation to an Australian intelligence agency, the Office of National Assessments (ONA).

We must ask why the Singaporean intelligence services chose to collude with Malaysia’s Special Branch in spreading such lies about Anwar. The fact that Australian Members of Parliament, along with other members of the international community have been questioning the independence of the persecution of Anwar heightens such suspicions.

It should furthermore be pointed out that the cables exposed by Wikileaks are essentially information collected by third parties – like Australia – that were then shared to the US State Department. As a result, the cables contain all manner of information – including personal opinions and hearsay and hence are far from reliable.

I hope the ‘technical intelligence’ mentioned in Wikileaks could be revealed to the public since that was the basis that the Singaporean intelligence claimed led to their conclusion.

At the end of the day, the current campaign of persecution and vilification against Anwar is no different from the first: both rely on the abuse of the judicial process and only the reliance of flimsy medical evidence by the persecution. This, if nothing else should prove that this case is politically motivated and engendered by a conspiracy at the highest levels.

--- Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, ADUN Seri Setia, Selangor.

Everybody read English in Malaysia? Bullshit!

2010-11-23T23:17:00.002+08:00

An article is in Malay, though :-). READ MORE >>>

The great book robbery of 1948

2010-11-16T16:08:00.004+08:00

A new documentary reveals a hidden chapter in the history of the Nakba -- the Palestinian expulsion and flight at the hands of Zionist militias as Israel was established in 1948 -- which saw the systematic looting of more than 60,000 Palestinian books by Israeli forces and the attempted destruction of Palestinian culture.

As the violence which came to mark the formation of Israel erupted, Palestinian families living in the urban centers and villages of the country fled their homes in search of safety and refuge. One Palestinian family after another escaped, and believing that they would soon return, many left behind their most precious belongings. As Palestinian homes sat silent in the haze of conflict, however, a systematic Israeli campaign was underway to enter the homes and rob them of a precious commodity -- their books.

Between May 1948 and February 1949, librarians from the Jewish National Library and Hebrew University Library entered the desolate Palestinian homes of west Jerusalem and seized 30,000 books, manuscripts and newspapers alone. These cultural assets, which had belonged to elite and educated Palestinian families, were then "loaned" to the National Library where they have remained until now. Furthermore, across cities such as Jaffa, Haifa, Tiberias and Nazareth, employees of the Custodian of Absentee Property gathered approximately 40,000-50,000 books belonging to Palestinians. Most of these were later resold to Arabs although approximately 26,000 books were deemed unsuitable as they contained "inciting material against the State [Israel]" and were sold as paper waste.

READ MORE >>

Related: Book review: Two Palestinian women recall their lives in exil

Novel gets to truth of Sabra and Shatila

2010-09-21T16:48:00.002+08:00

Israel's invasion of Lebanon and subsequent 22-year-long occupation has been the focus of three acclaimed Israeli films in recent years: Lebanon, Waltz with Bashir and Beaufort tell the story of this era from the perspective of the occupiers. All young men serving in the Israeli army, the films' protagonists question their roles in Lebanon.

However, this narrative perspective leads the viewer to empathize with the occupier and thus do little other than reinforce a simplistic falsification of Israel's history as a country always conflicted when waging necessary wars of self-defense. This is the narrative that continues to dominate the Western media.

Not one of these films makes the slightest attempt to humanize Israel's victims or tell the story from their perspective. In contrast, UK author Mischa Hiller's first novel, Sabra Zoo is told through the eyes of a young man named Ivan. Sabra Zoo follows the adventures of this son of a Dutch mother and Palestinian father who serves as an officer in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Beirut during the most intense period of Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

READ MORE.

Racial hatred statement by principal is not isolated case – Azmin Ali

2010-08-22T06:52:00.001+08:00

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) views with grave concern the continuing occurrence of incidents where racial hatred is incited, the latest being the statement made by the Johor school headmaster during a school assembly.

It is unacceptable to suggest, as stated by the Department of Education that it considers the matter closed and that the matter has been settled between the said principal and the students and/or their parents.

This incident has been widely publicized and is a matter that affects the whole nation. It is also irresponsible to suggest that it is merely a misunderstanding. Keadilan demands that the said Principal be suspended pending an investigation and if found true that she did indeed make such remarks, she should be immediately removed.

These recurring incidents of incitement of racial hatred and racial insults are a manifestation of a bigger problem i.e the Barisan Nasional Government’s tacit encouragement of incitement of racism and lack of real political will to curtail such behaviour.

As long as draconian laws such as the ISA and Sedition Act exists and used to stifle healthy discussions and openly allowing extremist groups to continue inciting racism with impunity, this problem will fester.

Keadilan's view is that statements such as that made by the Johor principal are not isolated incidents and must be dealt with a holistic and comprehensive approach. Our answer is to provide a genuine multiracial political paradigm based on principles of fairness, respecting human rights, democracy and justice to all and to reject race based politics.

Further, we and Pakatan Rakyat are committed to the enactment of a Race Relations Act to deal with such instances of incitement of hatred, to provide mechanisms for resolution of such problems when they occur and to safeguard unity and harmony of the rakyat.

-- Issued by Azmin Ali, Vice President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Biography of Muhammad bin Abdullah

2010-08-17T01:17:00.004+08:00

Muhammad bin Abdullah was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.

Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Makkah.

For those who want to read short Biography of Muhammad bin Abdullah in Malay language, go get it here, PTS Publications & Distributors. And please read my review of the book here. In Malay language, though.

(Ads): We provide catering services for the following; courses, trainings and seminars, product launching, PR events, birthdays, parties, family day, doa selamat, wedding, etc. Varieties of menus are available; Malay dishes, Chinese & Indian style & Western.

Unspoken Alliance between Israel and Apartheid South Africa

2010-08-04T12:03:00.004+08:00

I found book review of The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa. Read on, buddies. I don’t know whether this book available in Malaysia or not. The apartheid Israel is the real terrorist!

In The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa, historian and Foreign Affairs editor Sasha Polakow-Suransky explores the rise and fall of the Cold War-era alliance between Israel and apartheid South Africa. Polakow-Suransky demonstrates that the relationship was a strategic and ideological pairing bound largely by Cold War posturing and international isolation. The Unspoken Alliance provides a fascinating and well-documented history of a pair of pariah nations and their love affair.

What makes The Unspoken Alliance "unspoken" today is more the -- largely Western -- short-term memory that has an Oslo-era image of Israel in mind. Dozens of nations established ties with Israel after the start of the Oslo process and this, combined with the fall of apartheid in South Africa, led to the notion that both nations were abandoning their oppressive regimes. In its own way, The Unspoken Alliance is a return to literature of the earlier anti-apartheid era. If this is indeed the case, and with the current movement against Israeli apartheid producing vibrations large enough to be reflected in popular and scholarly works, it may well portend the coming end of yet another apartheid state.

Holocaust Denial

2010-08-01T11:27:00.004+08:00

Brother Anwar, may Allah blessed you, amen

2010-07-30T14:23:00.001+08:00

The controversial "sodomy" trial of Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s charismatic opposition leader, who is also the Party Leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN), is due to resume in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday, 2 August 2010. Observers and leaders around the world concur that the charge against him is baseless and politically motivated, but the authorities seem determined to proceed with it.

The trial looks set to be a replay of the shameful trials he went through in 1998-1999, which were condemned worldwide and resulted in a lengthy prison sentence. Thus far, a number of unfair rulings have already been made by the courts, making it very difficult for Anwar's lawyers to mount an effective defence.

The Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General, who are both personally involved in this high-profile sequel, were earlier shown to have played roles in fabricating evidence against Anwar in the 1998-1999 trials.

In recent days, yet another scandal has emerged: Renowned blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin revealed that a member of the prosecution team was having an affair with Saiful, who is not only Anwar’s accuser but also the main prosecution witness. She was swiftly removed from the Federal Counsel line-up soon after the affair was exposed.

To put things in the correct perspective, this new trial should be viewed as part of a wider, concerted attack against Anwar Ibrahim and other Pakatan Rakyat (PAKATAN) leaders close to him. Indeed, the comprehensive assault through instruments of government by the Umno-Barisan Nasional regime have gained considerable momentum over the last year.

These include frequent attempts to tarnish the image of Anwar Ibrahim using the mainstream media (almost exclusively owned or controlled by the ruling regime), as well as determined efforts to bring about the collapse of the PAKATAN-controlled state governments – especially Selangor, which is both the richest state and the flagship of KEADILAN. A sterling example of this is the constant harassment by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission against PAKATAN leaders in Selangor.

Further, last month, the renewal of the publishing permits for the official organs of all three PAKATAN component parties were either denied or delayed. Recently, although the permit for the PAS newspaper, Harakah, was renewed, the renewal was attached with stifling conditions.

The trial of Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to continue until the end of the month.

--- Released by the International Bureau, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)

Home-made Cookies For Eid Mubarak (Eid ul-Fitr)

2010-07-21T10:49:00.007+08:00

Eid ul-Fitr often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal.

Eid ul-Fitr lasts for three days of celebration (or more, depending on the country) and is sometimes also known as the "Smaller Eid" as compared to the Eid al-Adha that lasts three days (or more) following the Hajj and is casually referred to as the "Greater Eid".

Muslims are commanded by the Qur'an to complete their fast on the last day of Ramadan and then recite the Takbir all throughout the period of Eid.

For Muslim in

Malaysia

, the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr will not be completed without cookies, be it traditional or modern. If you want to know the modern cookies favourite by Malaysians Muslim’s, click photos attached. Cheers!

MORE....

What is this?

2010-07-20T07:14:00.002+08:00

We provide catering services for the following; courses, trainings and seminars, product launching, PR events, birthdays, parties, family day, doa selamat, wedding, etc. Varieties of menus are available; Malay dishes, Chinese and Indian style, and Western.

What is this? Click photo for info.

Anwar Ibrahim, Zionist and Apco Worldwide

2010-07-02T16:16:00.006+08:00

From Washington Post, By Jackson Diehl, Monday, June 28, 2010; A15

Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia’s political opposition, has become known over the past decade as one of the foremost advocates of liberal democracy in Muslim countries. His many friends in Washington include prominent members of the neoconservative movement — such as Paul Wolfowitz, the former World Bank president and U.S. ambassador to Indonesia — as well as such Democratic grandees as Al Gore.

Lately, Anwar has been getting attention for something else: strident rhetoric about Israel and alleged “Zionist influence” in Malaysia. He recently joined a demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur where an Israeli flag was burned. He’s made dark insinuations about the “Jewish-controlled” Washington public relations firm Apco Worldwide, which is working for

Malaysia

’s quasi-authoritarian government.

Therein lies a story of the Obama era — about a beleaguered democrat fighting for political and personal survival with little help from Washington; about the growing global climate of hostility toward Israel; and about the increasing willingness of U.S. friends in places such as Turkey and Malaysia to exploit it. (Full article here)

Di bawah ialah siaran media oleh Parti Keadilan Rakyat berhubung mainan media UMNO dan beberapa pemimpin UMNO, yang saya kira, tiada tujuan lain melainkan untuk memusnahkan karektor dan karisma Anwar Ibrahim di mata umat

Malaysia

, khususnya orang Islam.

Anwar and KEADILAN's stand on 'Zionist' aggression clear

The plight of the Palestinian people and the role of the 'Zionist' government of Israel is a matter of international and humanitarian concern, not a matter for Malaysian politicians to score points with the Malay-Muslim electorate. The prime concern of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN) has always been, and will always be, the fair and humanitarian treatment of all Malaysians and also the downtrodden peoples of other nations.

Four Umno leaders have voiced their opinions on Anwar Ibrahim's stand on Zionist aggression, especially in light of The Washington Post article that was published recently. These Umno leaders — Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi, Information Minister Rais Yatim and Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin — are jumping at the opportunity to distort the words of the writer, who wrote:

He [Anwar] said he regretted using terms such as "Zionist aggression," which are common coin for demagogues like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Why do I need to use it if it causes so much misunderstanding?" he said. "I need to be more careful."

In case these Umno leaders cannot comprehend proper English, what that means is that Anwar regrets using terms which demagogues like controversial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad use, especially when it causes a misunderstanding in the international community. Anwar then humbly concedes he needs to be more careful in how he criticizes Israel's Zionist government, in light of the fact that accusations of anti-semitism are rampant.

Nevertheless, the stand of Anwar Ibrahim and KEADILAN on 'Zionist' aggression towards Palestine is crystal clear. We denounce the recent violent attack on the Gaza flotilla, the continued discrimination, repression and brutality against Palestinians by the Israeli government, as well as question the role of the United States of America in supporting the 'Zionist' regime. At the same time, we respect the right of all Jews to have a homeland and to live in peace together with Muslim and Christian Palestinians. Indeed, we reject discrimination, repression and brutality both in Malaysia and abroad.

On the insinuations that Anwar is close with American Jews, he has already openly clarified that they are acquaintances from the time he was the Finance Minister of Malaysia. Indeed, Anwar Ibrahim has used every opportunity he could to raise the issue of Palestine and push for a quick resolution of the Middle East dispute.

What has the Umno-led government done? Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi has had a secret meeting with his Israeli counterpart. DPM Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno Youth Chief support PM Najib Razak's decision to appoint Apco (which has questionable Zionist links) at the rate of RM77 million a year. And, to top it all off, Information Minister Rais Yatim is using his authority to ensure that the mainstream media plays to the tune of Umno-Barisan Nasional, who is now being advised by Apco.

If the Umno-BN government really wants to keep Malaysians informed about the plight of Palestinians and show their stand on 'Zionist' aggression, please instruct the mainstream media to translate and publish The Washington Post article in full and arrange for a televised debate betweeen Anwar Ibrahim and Najib Razak. Let all Malaysians see and hear for themselves what Apco is doing in Malaysia.

Barack Obama, what say YOU?!!!

2010-06-07T01:14:00.016+08:00

Israel rejects international inquiry into lethal raid

Israel rejected on Sunday a proposal by U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon for an international investigation into its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship and said it had the right to launch its own inquiry.

"We are rejecting an international commission. We are discussing with the Obama administration a way in which our inquiry will take place," Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington, said on the U.S. TV program "Fox News Sunday."

Barack Obama, you was practicing double-standard! I HATE YOU!!! Malaysians HATE YOU!! MUSLIMS HATE YOU!! You just inherited George Bush's (father and son) policy!! YOU'RE COWARD!!

MORE.

RICHARD TILLINGHAST
Richard Tillinghast is an American poet who lives in Co Tipperary. He is the author of eight books of poetry, the latest of which is Selected Poems (Dedalus Press, 2010 ), as well as several works of non-fiction

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0605/1224271903842.html

No tinned meat is allowed, no tomato paste,
no clothing, no shoes, no notebooks.
These will be stored in our warehouses at Kerem Shalom
until further notice.
Bananas, apples, and persimmons are allowed into Gaza,
peaches and dates, and now macaroni
(after the American Senator’s visit).
These are vital for daily sustenance.

But no apricots, no plums, no grapes, no avocados, no jam.
These are luxuries and are not allowed.
Paper for textbooks is not allowed.
The terrorists could use it to print seditious material.
And why do you need textbooks
now that your schools are rubble?
No steel is allowed, no building supplies, no plastic pipe.
These the terrorists could use to launch rockets
against us.

Pumpkins and carrots you may have, but no delicacies,
no cherries, no pomegranates, no watermelon, no onions,
no chocolate.

We have a list of three dozen items that are allowed,
but we are not obliged to disclose its contents.
This is the decision arrived at
by Colonel Levi, Colonel Rosenzweig, and Colonel Segal.

Our motto:
‘No prosperity, no development, no humanitarian crisis.’
You may fish in the Mediterranean,
but only as far as three km from shore.
Beyond that and we open fire.
It is a great pity the waters are polluted
twenty million gallons of raw sewage dumped into the sea every day
is the figure given.

Our rockets struck the sewage treatments plants,
and at this point spare parts to repair them are not allowed.
As long as Hamas threatens us,
no cement is allowed, no glass, no medical equipment.
We are watching you from our pilotless drones
as you cook your sparse meals over open fires
and bed down
in the ruins of houses destroyed by tank shells.

And if your children can’t sleep,
missing the ones who were killed in our incursion,
or cry out in the night, or wet their beds
in your makeshift refugee tents,
or scream, feeling pain in their amputated limbs –
that’s the price you pay for harbouring terrorists.

God gave us this land.
A land without a people for a people without a land.

TERRORIST Israel vows to stop aid ship as it nears Gaza

2010-06-05T02:29:00.009+08:00

Agencies from Jerusalem reports that Israel vowed Friday to keep an Irish aid ship from breaching its blockade of the Gaza Strip, setting the stage for another maritime showdown as the vessel made its way toward the impoverished Palestinian territory.

Concern about more violence loomed large as Israel stood fast by its blockade, despite rising pressure to lift it following Monday's raid against another aid ship that left nine activists dead.

Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan, who was on the ship with other activists, said they were determined to press on but would offer no resistance if Israeli forces came aboard. "We will sit down," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the ship. "They will probably arrest us ... But there will be no resistance." (Source: Alarabiya)

Below is press statement released by Free Gaza Movement on recent development of the Rachel Corrie.

[Cyprus, June 4, 2010] The Rachel Corrie is 150 miles away from Gaza in international waters and on her way. They will arrive on Saturday morning. The 1200 ton cargo ship is the last ship from the Freedom Flotilla and is loaded with construction materials, 20 tons of paper and many other supplies that Israel refuses to allow into the imprisoned people of Gaza.

Some of the High-Profile people on board:

Mairead Maguire from Belfast, Ireland, a Nobel Peace Laureate (l976) and Co-founder of Peace People, Northern Ireland. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for peace and a nonviolent solution to the Ethnic/political conflict in Northern Ireland. Mairead went on the maiden Voyage of Dignity in October 2008, the second successful voyage for the Free Gaza Movement. She was also on Board ‘Spirit’ when Israel hijacked the Boat in International Waters, taking all 2l humanitarian passengers to Israel, where they were arrested, detained for a week in an Israeli prison and then deported.

Denis Halliday, from Ireland, a UN Assistant Secretary-General from 1994-98. Appointed by SG Boutros Ghali, he served as ASG UN Human Resources Management in New York and in mid 1997 to end 1998 as Head, Humanitarian Programme in Iraq to support the Iraqi people struggling under the genocidal impact of UN Sanctions. Since resigning from the UN in 1998, Halliday has delivered numerous parliamentary briefings, provided extensive media inputs and has given public/university lectures on Iraq, human rights, and the UN, in particular its reform.

Matthias Chang Wen Chieh is a Malaysian of Chinese descent. He is a Barrister of 32 years standing and once served as the Political Secretary to the Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He is the author of three bestsellers, “Future Fast Forward”, “Brainwashed for War, Programmed to Kill”, and “The Shadow Money-Lenders and the Global Financial Tsunami”, published in the US and in Malaysia.

Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria, Perak, Malaysia, MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria is a Member of the Malaysian Parliament.

In addition, there is a three-member camera crew on board from Malaysia TV3 and journalis Shamsul Akmar bin Musa Kamal.

The passengers on board the ship have stated, “Communication is difficult and sometimes impossible and there are many rumors out there started by Israeli authorities, but there is no way we are going to Ashdod. We are, for sure, on our way to Gaza.”

Binyamin Netanyahu, you are the TERRORIST!

2010-06-04T03:23:00.005+08:00

The Turkish president has said that Israel's military raid on civilian aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip has caused "irreparable" damage to his country's relations with Israel, and will "never" be forgiven.

"From now on, Turkish-Israeli ties will never be the same. This incident has left an irreparable and deep scar," Abdullah Gul said in a televised speech on Thursday, as thousands gathered in the streets of Istanbul to pay their respects to the humanitarian activists killed during the raid. (Source: Al-Jazeera)

Gaza Freedom Flotilla: The court of ISRAEL TERRORIST detains Arab political leaders

2010-06-03T01:01:00.006+08:00

Legal defense team: “The court’s decision to detain the Arab political leaders who took part in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla is discriminatory and constitutes selective prosecution. They are not being detained because of their Israeli citizenship but because they are Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. Instead, the Israeli military, which attacked the ship and its passengers, should be investigated for violations of international law.”

(Haifa, Israel) Last night, 1 June 2010, Judge Dina Cohen of the Magistrates’ Court in Ashkelon, after a nine-hour hearing before a packed courtroom, decided to extend the detention of Arab political leaders — Mr. Muhammed Zeidan, the Chairman of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel; Sheikh Raed Salah, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (northern branch); and Sheikh Hamad Abu Daabes, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (southern branch) — and Ms. Lubna Masarwa of the Free Gaza Movement and Al Quds University for one week, until 8 June 2010.

The four Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel were arrested from the ship Mavi Marmara, part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which was attacked by the Israeli navy on 31 May 2010. Adalah Attorneys Hassan Jabareen and Orna Kohn, as well as Attorney Hussein Abu Hussein, and Attorney Khaled Zabargha of the Al Mezan Legal Center in Nazareth represented the four before the court.

While no indictment has been issued, the state argues that a range of criminal offenses could apply, including conspiracy to commit an offense, and possession and use of weapons. The state prosecution clearly emphasized in court that their request to remand the leaders was made in accordance with the state’s policy of investigating and detaining citizens of Israel who participated in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

In the view of the legal defense team, the state’s request and the court’s decision contradict the basic principles of criminal law, which require that individuals should be criminalized solely on the basis of their individual deeds. The prosecution argued that the Israeli naval soldiers were attacked by the passengers on the ship; however, they did not furnish any evidence to demonstrate that one of these four individuals had participated in or were responsible for the attack.

Further, the legal defense team asserts that the decision discriminates against the detainees and amounts to selective prosecution due solely to their national belonging. They are not being detained because of their Israeli citizenship but because they are Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel.

The attorneys raised numerous preliminary arguments before the court in arguing for the release of the four leaders. They argued that the Israeli courts had no jurisdiction over the case, as the ship had been in international waters at the time of the Israeli navy’s attack. The state prosecution was unable to respond to the question of what the legal authority of the Israeli military was to attack the boat in international waters.

The attorneys also argued that the detention was illegal, prima facie, as the law requires those arrested to be brought before a court within 24 hours. In this case, however, the four individuals were kept in detention for almost 40 hours before being brought to court.

The state prosecution and the police argued that the hours of detention should be calculated only from time that the ship reached the Ashdod Port. The defense attorneys countered that since their liberty was taken from them when they were arrested on the ship, the detention began with their arrest. They were not allowed to meet a lawyer and were not brought before a judge within the limits of the law.

Adalah will submit an appeal against the decision to remand them in custody to the District Court of Beer el-Sabe tomorrow, 3 June 2010.

-- Adalah press release, written by Greta Berlin, 2 June 2010. (Gaza Free Movement)

Related: PKR condemns Israeli Attack against International Humanitarian Aid Flotilla

The People’s Justice Party (KEADILAN) strongly condemns the unwarranted Israeli commando attack on a ship bearing humanitarian aid for Gaza, which has quite unnecessarily and unjustifiably resulted in the tragic loss of many innocent lives.

The ship had not committed any hostile act and was still in international waters and, as such, the Israeli authorities had no right to board the ship. Their excuse that those on board the ship were the first to attack is an insult to intelligence, since their boarding of the ship was in itself an act of aggression and it was those on board who had every right to defend themselves.

This incident is yet another example of Israel resorting to extreme and shocking brutality in reaction to an act which the Israeli authorities are alone in seeing as a threat to their sovereignty.

We are deeply disappointed with the failure of some countries to condemn this blatant act of violence, including the US which only expressed “deep regret” and the UK, Canada and Australia which have been entirely silent. These governments have signally failed to reflect the feelings of the majority of their own citizens.

It is time for the entire international community to be put its full weight behind an effort to coerce Israel to fall in line and adhere to universal norms of human rights as well as implement all United Nations resolutions related to Palestine.

--- Issued by Mustaffa Kamil Ayub, chairman, International Bureau People’s Justice Party (PKR), Malaysia.

PKR condemns Israeli Attack against International Humanitarian Aid Flotilla

2010-05-31T21:37:00.011+08:00

KEADILAN (PKR) strongly condemns the brutal and fatal attack by the Israeli Defence Forces against an international humanitarian aid flotilla of ships (Freedom Flotilla) on international waters which were bringing much needed medical supplies, food, building materials and other necessities into Gaza.

The killing of up to 15 people on board these ships and injuring many more is totally illegal, unjustified and disproportionate under international law. The ships were also carrying EU parliamentarians, a Nobel Prize Laureate, women, and hundreds of peace/humanitarian/human rights activists.

PKR calls for worldwide condemnation and action, and demands the Malaysian government to send a strong protest message by cancelling its contract with APCO.

-- Issued by Latheefa Koya, Information Chief of People's Justice Party (PKR)

*** Israel is THE TERRORIST!!!! & THE AXIS OF EVIL!!!

Aurat: For Syed Akbar Ali

2010-05-15T23:12:00.003+08:00

"The words hijab, purdah and tudung or head covers are really secondary issues. The primary issue is why are they necessary? Hence we come to the word AURAT or nakedness.

"But if a woman hair is also considered part of her aurat or nakedness then from this verse it should follow that a mother cannot show her hair (or her neck, ears, arms and/or ankles) even to her children."

The Quran says:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.” (Surah an-Nur, verse 31)

Read MORE HERE. Specially for you, brother Syed Akbar Ali: HIJAAB FOR WOMEN

Why the hijab?

2010-04-11T10:36:00.000+08:00

Two FREE ebooks: Catering and Hasan al-Banna

2010-04-03T18:35:00.004+08:00

Guys, two ebooks to be downloaded. Yes, its FREE! One is about my experience in catering business (part 1.1 & 1.2) and the other one is story of the late Hasan al-Banna, Islam Mujahid.

Here and here for catering ebook. Here for Hasan al-Banna.

Sensitive issues that touch on religious and ethnic sentiments should be handled delicately – Anwar Ibrahim

2010-03-11T06:16:00.002+08:00

altmuslim.com:

Malaysia

promotes itself as a peaceful, democratic, multi-ethnic, Muslim country. On December 31, a court ruled that non-Muslims, namely Christians, were finally allowed to use the word "Allah" as a term for God, which quickly prompted a government appeal. Following the ruling, nearly 11 churches have been attacked, Christians have been harassed, and even a Sikh temple and several mosques were vandalized. Both the government's appeal and the conduct of several Malays seem to suggest discrimination towards their non-Muslim neighbors. Many in America assume this is due to an innate Muslim antagonism and elitism towards the "other." How would you explain this current phenomenon, and why is the term "Allah" only reserved for Muslims?

Anwar Ibrahim: The handling of the Allah issue sent the wrong message to people around the world about Islam. In the current climate of xenophobia in Europe and the U.S., how can we as Muslims say we are any better when we treat our non-Muslim citizens with disrespect and disdain? It is odd that this issue seems relevant only in Malaysia and not in the Middle East or even Indonesia.

Dialogue and engagement are essential. The mainstream media all controlled by the ruling coalition should present all viewpoints and not just the most extreme views supported by the government. Sensitive issues that touch on religious and ethnic sentiments should be handled delicately. Instead the government allowed the case to be dragged through the courts, sanctioned incendiary public demonstrations and only after the situation exploded in violence did its leaders start to make more measured statements and call for calm. I find this deplorable.

In Malaysia such posturing by Muslim leaders has much more to do with politics than religion and ideology. The ruling government hopes that by taking a hard line it will curry some favor with an increasingly radical right wing upon which its party is increasingly based. The recent caning of individuals for illicit sexual relations is likewise part of an effort to boost the perceived Islamic credentials of the government and portray the opposition as soft on morals and subservient to international pressure.

I understand there are broader concerns about the ability of contemporary Islamic societies to deal with issues of pluralism and diversity. Malaysia's handling of this issue is certainly not helping to abate these fears. But there is a silver lining. We have used this incident as an opportunity to launch a series of interfaith dialogues around the country. And I am very encouraged by statements from Pan Islamic Party of Malaysia, PAS, which has come out strongly in support of the rights of all Malaysian citizens under the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of conscience and religion. (Part 1)

(Source: altmuslim.com)

Get free BLOG Bash eBook!

2010-02-23T00:47:00.001+08:00

BlogBash - 30 days 30 experts! was one of the most successful events ever done on the Chitika Blog. Dreamed up by Chitika's CTO Alden DoRosario and inspired by an interesting series from the Month of Apple Bugs, Chitika's goal for this event was to "empower the blogger."

The experts wrote about an array of wide-ranging topics, from "Dare to be Odd" and "Shopping and Blogging: How to make the marriage work", to "Help me! My mom is my blogs only reader!" and many more.

Go ahead; explore the deep secrets of these 30 expert bloggers, learn from their mistakes and their success as we celebrate YOU the blogger! Get Free BLOG Bash eBook!

What would Muhammad do? (By Asma Uddin)

2010-02-08T16:56:00.004+08:00

Washington DC Omid Safi is best known to many of us as being at the forefront of the Progressive Muslims movement, a movement that finds in Islamic spirituality a powerful voice for social justice and pluralism. In his latest book, Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters (Harper Collins), Safi explores the origins of that spirituality: the character and being of the Prophet Muhammad.

For Muslims, the book is a refreshing call to return to our spiritual roots, an element of faith that these days seems to be lost in the constant social commentary we are forced to engage in about Islam. For non-Muslims, Safi's explanation of Muhammad as the bridge between humanity and the Divine, insofar as emulating him brings one closer to Him, helps explain the connection Muslims have to their Prophet. It helps others feel as devout Muslims feel. In a time when the Prophet is so deeply misunderstood, such an emotional bond can go a long way in healing interreligious wounds.

What makes Safi's prose ingenious - indeed, what makes it especially relevant - is the way it moves back and forth between biographical details of the Prophet to the ways these historical points have been interpreted and emulated by Muslims. For instance, the Prophet's horizontal journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his proceeding vertical movement from Jerusalem to the Heavens to meet his Maker, in the famed isra and mi'raj, signify first his connection to Jesus' and Moses' message and then his ultimate communion with the Divine.

The horizontal isra, along with the Prophet's meeting with Adam, Jesus, John the Baptist, Joseph, Enoch, Aaron, Moses and Abraham during the mi'raj, underscores the commonality of the Abrahamic faiths and the sanctity of each. Some Muslims reject this reading of Scripture, choosing instead to believe that the Qur'an supersedes rather than affirms previous revelations. (195) While it may be true that there are theological details that the three monotheistic faiths cannot ever agree on, there is ample Qur'anic proof of the essential connection among Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and a wide scope of spiritual traditions.

The Qur'an refers to the Prophet as a messenger to all of humanity and emphasizes time and again that each prophet brings the same message and one should not be favored over the other. The Prophet's message at its core is about spiritual submission to the Divine, designating as "muslim" anyone who adheres to such principles. While there are parts of the Qur'an that delineate factors for what makes one a Muslim with a capital "M", "in the Qur'anic worldview, 'Islam' is not so much the name of a new religious tradition as it is the quality of submitting oneself to God wholeheartedly... Islam is a path that leads one to Truth, but it is not the Truth itself." (200-1)

Refocusing one's conception of religion as a means to the Truth as opposed to the Truth itself not only allows for pluralistic interpretations of scripture, but also makes proper behavior central to one's religiosity. Being a Muslim ceases to be an identity; instead, it is a way of being and doing. The search for Truth becomes a process that requires effort - a process that is rooted in submitting to God by, among other things, working for social justice.

Safi's biography of the Prophet serves to do precisely that - to refocus the reader's attention on the person through whom the Qur'an was revealed. As Safi says, quite rightly, the modernist Muslim understanding of the Prophet's role is little more than that of a "UPS delivery man, dropping off the divine revelation of the Qur'an at the doorstep of humanity, maybe pausing long enough to obtain a signature to ensure that the item has been received, and then departing, never to be seen again." (265) Lost on these modernists is the "tradition of Islamic piety, learning, and spiritual practice" that developed around memories of Muhammad.

Lost also is the fact that spiritual purification can happen only through implementing the Prophet's larger message of socially conscious action. Safi's book digs back into these memories of Muhammad in order to revive them, the traditions constructed around them, and their call to embrace Islam through refined character.

The concluding chapter of Safi's book thus appropriately focuses on the question, What Would Muhammad Do? (WWMD). It is a question that brings the Prophet into the present, making his memory a living one. As Safi notes, in the modern landscape, many Muslims find themselves fighting stereotypes and misconceptions by defining what Islam and its Prophet are not. (301) WWMD is about digging into the Prophet's core message of mercy to discover what Islam is, has been, can be, and should be.

Asma Uddin is Associate Editor of altmuslim.com and Editor-in-Chief of Altmuslimah. This article was previously published in Newsweek/Washington Post's On Faith

Book Description

Who was the historical Muhammad, and how do Muslims remember him—as a holy prophet, a cultural revolutionary, a military leader, or a spiritual mystic? Unending media coverage of extremist fanatics, the controversy over offensive cartoon depictions of Muhammad, and fatwas against journalists and authors are all hard to ignore and have prejudiced our Western perceptions of Muslims and their founder.

This definitive biography of the founder of Islam by a leading Muslim-American scholar will reveal invaluable new insights, finally providing a fully three-dimensional portrait of Muhammad and the one billion people who follow him today.

Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through which to view both the genesis of Islamic religion and the grand sweep of Islamic history—right up to the hot button issues of the day, such as the spread of Islam, holy wars, the status of women, the significance of Jerusalem, and current tensions with Jews, Hindus, and Christians. It also provides a rare glimpse into how Muslims spiritually connect to God through their Prophet, in the mosque, in the home, and even in cyberspace.

This groundbreaking book offers the opportunity to move from telling Muhammad's story to talking about how different Muslims throughout Islamic history have both honored and contested Muhammad's legacy.

Where is Justice? Death and Brutality in Custody

2010-02-06T12:26:00.003+08:00

Between 2003 and 2007, 1,535 people died while in the custody and protection of the Malaysian government.

Each of these people was a human being, with a story to tell, with family and friends who loved them. Countless more have barely escaped with their lives after poor treatment or brutality at the hands of the authorities.

Innocent or guilty, all were entitled to the protection of our laws and our government - to justice. Revealed here are the crucial facts behind the cases of four prominent cases: Teoh Beng Hock, A.Kugan, Altantuya Shaariibuu, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

One died over an investigation into alleged corruption totalling RM 2,400; another was bloodied and beaten by the most powerful police officer in the country. Each cries out for justice. Beyond the headlines are thousands of other cases where Malaysians have suffered similar unjust brutality. All we have are names and brief details - if anything at all.

This book tries to do them justice too, by including human rights reports from over the past five years, including every known story of a death in detention, and many more of wanton abuse and neglect.

Author: Edited by John Lee and Nathaniel Tan

Publisher: Kinibooks, 2009

ISBN: 9789834092269

No of pages & price: 206 & RM29.00

Ali Sina’s “Understanding Muhammad: A Psychobiography”

2010-01-24T13:25:00.005+08:00

For those who are familiar with the extremist Islamophobic website called “Faithfreedom International”, the name of its founder Ali Sina (a pseudonym) is synonymous with the bigotry and vile rhetoric often displayed against Muslims and Islam. This was a person who openly advocated for the atomic bomb to be used on Muslim populations and have many times declared that he will “wipe out” Islam within 30 years.

Now this relatively unknown figure within academic circles — apart from becoming the self-appointed hero for the cause of Islamophobia, bigotry and the new emerging school of lay-people and pseudo-scholars — has moved beyond the world that he is more accustomed with on the internet.

Like his predecessors, such as the infamous Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, Ali Sina is now attempting to make his name within the world of published authors with the publication of his book Understanding Muhammad: A Psychobiography. Whilst it is true that over the course of years he has gathered a large following of largely misled haters, Ali Sina still has had to resort to self-publishing with a relatively small publishing press where anyone with anything to rant about can publish their own.

The book claims to be a “psychobiography” of the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, but it is far from being objective and sane in its purported “scholarship”. It claims to refer to the Islamic religious texts (heavily relying on translations and not the original Arabic sources which betrays the author’s lack of command in the language) and then attempts to characterize Muhammad (SAW) in “modern analytical terms”.

Coming from a Shi’ite background in predominantly Shi’ite Iran, it is not clear from the onset as to why Ali Sina favours referencing the Sunni sources such as the hadith collection of Bukhari and Muslim (which is not used by the Shi’a and largely unfamiliar to them) and hardly mentions the Shi’ite sources themselves which talks about the Prophet (SAW).

This leads us to suspect that he may not have the credentials of an Iranian Muslim as he claims to have. Unfortunately, this book does nothing more than to resort to the old underhanded technique of cherry-picking a handful of half-truths, sprinkling them with lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations, and eventually to come up with a twisted mix of politically-motivated propaganda. MORE >>

UNICEF needs RM 410 million to help children in Haiti

2010-01-19T14:50:00.002+08:00

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a “2010 Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal” in Malaysia to support its global appeal for RM 410 million (US$ 120 million). Funds raised will be used to help children and families who survived the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on 12 January.

UNICEF’s request is part of a United Nations appeal for RM 1.9 billion (US$ 562 million), launched last Friday, to facilitate humanitarian operations for the next six months in one of the poorest countries on earth.

Haiti ranks 148 out of 179 countries on UNDP’s Human Development Index. It has a long history of being struck by one natural disaster after another, and is struggling to recover from years of violence, insecurity and instability.

Given that nearly 50 per cent of Haiti's 10 million population is under the age of 18, UNICEF has a particularly critical role to play. MORE...

Related: Amerika Syarikat di Haiti, adakah sejarah akan terus berulang?

*** (Ad) We provide catering services for the following; courses, trainings and seminars, product launching, PR events, birthdays, parties, family day, doa selamat, wedding, etc. Varieties of menus are available; Malay dishes, Chinese & Indian style & Western.

Kudos for Nik Abd. Aziz for initiating inter-faith meet (Harakahdaily)

2010-01-16T00:47:00.008+08:00

Even as praises poured in for PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat for his leadership in initiating dialogue with more than 20 leaders of different faiths religion, Friday sermons at mosques in Selangor urged Mulsims to unite against the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

The text of the sermons was prepared by the Selangor Islamic Department or Jais, which is still largely controlled by religious officers loyal to Umno. Although the state is now run by the Pakatan Rakyat, Umno had governed Selangor since independence from British rule in 1957 to 2008.

“The decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday, December 31, allowing the Herald, the Catholic Weekly, to use the word Allah was shocking to Muslims nationwide,” the text of sermon read.

“The use of the word Allah by the Christians, especially in writings, must be stopped by the government. According to Islamic principles, the government has the right to take pre-emptive measures to stop the expected damage.”

Contrasting stances

In sharp contrast to Umno's inflammatory stance, PAS leaders have sought to defuse simmering religious tensions.

On Thursday, Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Mentri Besar, told reporters that he had invited leaders of various religions to a late lunch meeting. The meeting - slated to take place at the Kelantan state government complex on January 28 - is aimed at building rapport.

“The state government is meeting them to raise an environment of peace and harmony between religions in this country. Although there is harmony in Kelantan for so long, it is hoped that the meeting will improve this,” Nik Aziz said.

PAS, which is led by a core committee of Muslim experts or ulamak, has stood above the racial politicking fanned by Umno. It is standing by Islamic teachings, which do not prohibit the use of Allah – the Arabic word for God – by non-Muslims.

"The initative by Nik Aziz should be welcomed by everyone and is all the more commendable when it comes at a time when leadership is perceived to be lacking from the government of the day," Ramon Navartnam, chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, told Harakahdaily.

"This is the time when the vacuum of leadership needs to be filled, when the people are crying out for their leaders to reach rational solutions that are satisfactory to all.

ALLAH name: Please continue the good work

2010-01-10T23:14:00.003+08:00

Dear En Zulkifli Sulong,

Greetings and I wish to congratulate HarakahDaily for presenting the truth, which is so lacking in the mainstream media today. As an apolitical Malaysian, I feel proud again that we do have true and brave leaders such as our PAS leaders who are real Malaysians (and not an ultra racist or extreme religious group).

We do not need all the rhetoric and lip serviced unity slogans but yet in reality, disharmony is being promoted day in and day out using normal media and invisible hands. Before the year 2000, most of us non Muslims had the impression that PAS is an extremist religious party but due to the internet, we are now able to read, see and experience what PAS is really about.

I am pleasantly surprised and impressed by the religion of Islam that is being portrayed by PAS these days which is clearly so tolerant and moderate and no doubt, acceptable by all Malaysians.

I am becoming more interested in the Islam taught by PAS which means Religion of Peace. PAS leaders especially our beloved Tuan Guru is my hero. In my view, PAS could educate more non Muslim Malaysians through your paper on the wonderful religion of Islam it really is which shows deep respect for all human beings irrespective of race, religion, colour or creed.

I also find it very enlightening to read the speeches made by the top echelon PAS leaders and as a chinese, I would be so proud if my future Prime Minister is a PAS leader like Tuan Guru who embodies all the qualities that make all of us feel united as a nation and one people again like in the old days of our first Prime Minister, Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

Please continue to continue the good work for the country and I wish you all the best. Will pray for our country which is definitely going down at the rate things are being manipulated by certain quarters.

If I were to join any party today you can assure it will be PAS! May our great God bless all the wonderful people in HarakahDaily and PAS.

Thank you.
Kindest wishes,
Colin (From Harakahdaily.net)

American Youths Find Islam

2009-12-03T22:18:00.002+08:00

The True Message of Jesus Christ

2009-10-22T16:10:00.003+08:00

Jesus Christ represents the common link between the two religions having the most followers on the earth today, Christianity and Islam. The following study of Jesus’ message and his person is based on this link. It is hoped that through this study, both Muslims and Christians will better understand the significance of Jesus and the importance of his message.

However, for us to accurately identify the true message of Jesus Christ, an objective point of view must be maintained throughout the course of our research. We should not allow our emotions to cloud our vision and thereby blind us from the truth. We must look at all of the issues rationally and separate the truth from falsehood—with the help of the Almighty.

When we look at the variety of false religions and deviant beliefs around the world and the zeal with which their followers uphold these beliefs, it becomes quite evident that these people are not able to find the truth because of their blind commitment to their beliefs. Their tenacious adherence is usually not based on an intellectual understanding of the teachings, but on powerful cultural and emotional influences. Because they were brought up in a particular family or society, they firmly cling to the beliefs of that society, believing that they are upholding the truth.

The only way that we may find the truth about anything is to approach it systematically and logically. First, we weigh the evidence and then we judge it by the intelligence which God has given us. In the material world, it is fundamentally intelligence that distinguishes humans from animals, which act purely on instinct. After determining what the objective truth is, we must then commit ourselves to it emotionally. Yes, there is a place for emotional commitment, but emotional commitment must come after a reasoned comprehension of the issues. Emotional commitment is essential, because it is evidence of a true understanding. When one fully and properly understands the reality of the issue, one is then mentally and spiritually prepared to vigorously uphold that reality.

-- Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Former Christian finds Quran fascinating

2009-08-17T01:26:00.001+08:00

The Promise: Internet fraud and bogus ‘love-affair’

2009-08-13T00:58:00.005+08:00

Alaf 21 Sdn. Bhd., an originally the Malay publisher powerhouse, continuing publish English fictions. The latest is The Promise. Looks like a cyber love-affair that involve a lot of money.

Are you familiar with the Internet fraud? You first receive an e-mail from an insider or alleged "official" representing a present or former foreign government or agency. The letter, while appearing transparently bogus and even ridiculous to most, is unfortunately growing in its effectiveness and reach. I always receive this kind of email at least twice a month. I just ignore them.

Based on the synopsis given by the publisher, The Promise is about this kind of fraud.

Synopsis
Adam ran into financial difficulties after his encounter with an Arab lady, Fatima on the internet. Fatima, at fi rst claimed that he could inherit a sum of USD13,000,000 from a dead Saudi Arabian businessman who had no heir. She made him believe that the deal was real.

Adam at the same time was being pressured into marriage by his parents. He thought Fatima could be the one after being dumped by his former girlfriend. Beyond his expectation, Fatima agreed to be his special on one condition; Adam must abide by her order.

Adam only discovered that Fatima actually had trapped and cheated him after a number of times transferring money overseas. He was the victim of an internet fraud and worst of all, Fatima did not really exist! So, who is Fatima?

Related: English novels from Alaf21
Personal Justice by Ramlee Awang Murshid
Jasmines the flower and Jasmine the lady

Unmasking Najib – Lim Kit Siang

2009-07-06T23:54:00.003+08:00

No one in living memory has ever had to drag so much unnecessary baggage along with him as Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is doing on assuming the highest political office in

Malaysia

. My heart naturally goes out to the unfortunate man who has had to fend off, without a break, a relentless barrage of poison-tipped arrows all aimed at his personal and public integrity.

I will not claim to know how he must feel because I would have absolutely no idea unless I was in his well-heeled shoes. And this would be most unlikely even in a million years. Under different and happier circumstances, he should be celebrating his moment of destiny, the attainment, albeit UMNO-style, of the greatest political prize of all. However, I doubt, in spite of his calm and controlled demeanour and composure that he is looking forward to the great day with even the same degree of enthusiasm that I manage to work up each morning for my breakfast.

Frankly I marvel at his ability to remain almost as unflappable (as the legendary Harold Macmillan, the British Tory prime minister of the "winds of change" fame) in such a difficult and dangerous situation.

The book is here.

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Discover Islam Download

2009-06-01T03:15:00.001+08:00

The project of Discover Islam present "Discover Islam Web Book" to those who are seeking the truth.The most comprehensive Web Book about Islam.

The Web Book CD includes: The Holy Quran (eBook), Holy Quran Software, Recitation of Holy Quran With English Translation, Islamic audio, Islamic flash video, Islamic software, Islamic eBooks, Islamic Software, Islamic mp3, Quran recitation in mp3, Quranic Searching.

This is a very useful Web Book CD for anyone Muslims/non-Muslims who are searching for information on Islam or want to learn more about the Islam.

The web book is a convenient and easy way to gain knowledge about Islam. You can learn about Islam wherever you are - on the road, at home, in the office.

Click here to download

Najib says NO to Chin Peng, and book on Rashid Maidin

2009-05-27T18:19:00.004+08:00

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak dismisses the possibility of the exiled former communist leader Chin Peng returning home after living in exile for almost five decades, reports Malaysiakini.

I don’t want to take side on this matter, but on personal basis, I pitied him. On the other hand, maybe that’s the price he must pay for his role during the British colonial era.

In line with this, here is one book that should be look at; The Memoirs of Rashid Maidin: From Armed Struggle to Peace.

Synopsis
“Since the 1930s, I was involved in the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) in the struggle against the British colonizers to free our homeland. Many have asked me why I chose to take this path and not another, they have also asked me about my experiences, my joys and pain and my memories. I’ve had all kinds of questions thrown at me. It is also true that I myself have wished to write down some episodes from my struggle within the CPM.

I endured the extreme bitterness of living under both the British and Japanese. I fought against the Japanese during their occupation (1941-45) with all my might, just as I did when the British returned to rule Malaya in 1945.

Between 1945-48, when I agitated peacefully against the British, I was one of the CPM’s public representatives, openly organizing the masses for independence. Soon after the declaration of the Emergency. I was caught and imprisoned in British detention camps until 1952. It was a good thing that I managed to escape and join the 10th Regiment (of the Malayan National Liberation Army) with my close friend, Abdullah C.D.

In December 1955, I participated in the Baling Talks with Chin Peng and Chen Tien. In 1989, I was one of the CPM’s representatives in the Phuket negotiations which resulted in the Haadyai Peace Accord of 2 December that same year.

I hope this memoir will give some idea of the struggle which I plunged myself into for decades.”

You can buy this book here.

Terminator Salvation series

2009-05-26T02:25:00.007+08:00

An art form that doesn’t really get much attention these days is the feature film novelization. In this case, we have the novelization of this week’s big release: Terminator Salvation. The book takes the story featured in the McG-directed, Christian Bale-starring movie, and adds all kinds of new content and detail to it.

The story follows John Connor in the year 2018 as a soldier in the resistance who speaks out through the radio looking for more who are lost and who can help to fight the machines. As we all know, and as he quickly finds out, Connor has a lot more to do than just that when he’s made the leader of humankind’s effort to fight and survive.

The Terminator Salvation novelization is written by Alan Dean Foster, who has also written novelizations for Star Wars, Alien, and Transformers. As far as novelizations go, Foster is the cream of the crop and his long list of science fiction titles is most impressive. He manages to take a film that relies on it’s fast-paced, non-stop action sequences and turn it into a dramatic story — one in which you’d love to read even if it wasn’t based on a blockbuster popcorn flick. (Source: http://geeksofdoom.com)

Author: Alan Dean Foster
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Titan Books

I love science-fiction books and movies. I watch all terminator movies. And in my record I have five science-fiction on Star Wars series book. I already read three of them, two more to go! How about Malay language science-fiction? Read my review below. Cheers!

Related: Saga Horizon: Imaginasi tidak terbatas digarap mantap
Demi cinta, Tegar Patih berkelana mencari nilai kemanusiaan
Transgenesis, istimewa tetapi hilang seri dengan bahasa Melayu rendah
Sci-Fi and fantasy from Neal Stephenson
I like all Michael Crichton fictions

Hamas is not terrorist, Israel is the REAL TERRORIST!

2009-05-09T21:15:00.005+08:00

Last week I was in Gaza. While I was there I met a group of 20 or so police officers who were undergoing a course in conflict management. They were eager to know whether foreigners felt safer since Hamas had taken over the Government? Indeed we did, we told them. Without doubt the past 18 months had seen a comparative calm on the streets of Gaza; no gunmen on the streets, no more kidnappings. They smiled with great pride and waved us goodbye.

Less than a week later all of these men were dead, killed by an Israeli rocket at a graduation ceremony. Were they “dangerous Hamas militant gunmen”? No, they were unarmed police officers, public servants killed not in a “militant training camp” but in the same police station in the middle of Gaza City that had been used by the British, the Israelis and Fatah during their periods of rule there.

This distinction is crucial because while the horrific scenes in Gaza and Israel play themselves out on our television screens, a war of words is being fought that is clouding our understanding of the realities on the ground.

Who or what is Hamas, the movement that Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defence Minister, would like to wipe out as though it were a virus? Why did it win the Palestinian elections and why does it allow rockets to be fired into Israel? The story of Hamas over the past three years reveals how the Israeli, US and UK governments’ misunderstanding of this Islamist movement has led us to the brutal and desperate situation that we are in now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bush-Blair response to the Hamas victory in 2006 is the key to today’s horror. Instead of accepting the democratically elected Government, they funded an attempt to remove it by force; training and arming groups of Fatah fighters to unseat Hamas militarily and impose a new, unelected government on the Palestinians. Further, 45 Hamas MPs are still being held in Israeli jails.

Read more here. Related: Hamas: A Beginner's Guide at Malaysiakini

Barack Obama, a good show, but no applause yet

2009-04-27T20:29:00.008+08:00

Obama’s interview with Al Arabiya and his recent visit to

Turkey

highlighted the end of the polarising “Us vs Them” language and the beginning of dialogue and partnership.

“The

nit

ed States

is not and will never be at war with Islam,” promised Obama, despite a recent ABC/Washington Post poll showing that 48 percent of Americans hold an unfavourable opinion of Islam, the highest unfavourablity rating since 2001. Having shunned Muslim American voters like political kryptonite in his campaign, Obama now embraces them by stating: “Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country. I know, because I am one of them.”

Obama now invites American Muslims to become part of his “political family” with his recent appointments of several distinguished Muslims, such as Rashid Hussain, Dalia Mogahed and Eboo Patel, to influential positions in his administration.

FULL ARTICLE, HERE. (Pic: Books on Obama in Malay language)

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E-books: The end of paper?

2009-04-02T18:52:00.003+08:00

Ask C.T. Liu about future growth engines for his company, LCD maker AU Optronics, and he whips out his Kindle e-book in lieu of an answer, reports Reuters from Taipei, Taiwan.

Strong reception for the Kindle, the brainchild of web retailer Amazon, is attracting a growing number of developers looking to tap interest in devices that let consumers read newspapers, magazines and books in a digital form that updates wirelessly and saves paper.

Sony Corp has joined the paperless wave with its own e-readers, partnering with Google to offer public domain books that are no longer protected by copyright.

Other believers in the dawn of a paperless age include Taiwan’s Netronix, which is making similar models with touch screens, and Dutch Polymer Vision, set to soon introduce a pocket e-reader with rollable displays.

Amazon.com Inc’s Kindles have proved a hit since their launch in 2007. Citigroup estimated the US online retailer sold a half-million Kindles in 2008, about one-third more than the number of iPods sold by Apple in its first year.

Some critics argue that e-books could become the victim of their own success if cellphone makers take notice and start to incorporate the newer LCD technology into their own models and include similar reading applications.

MORE HERE.

Meniti Maut and Mikhail – Watch out this two Malay novel

2009-03-19T15:53:00.002+08:00

I believe these two books will bring new experience in Malay novel genre. Watch out folks!

Info on an Economic Hitman

Economic Hitman is “a highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign ‘aid’ organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet’s natural resources.

Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.” (Source: WantToKnow)

Who’s Badiuzzeman Said Nursi (1877-1960)?

2009-03-15T20:20:00.003+08:00

Badiuzzam Said Nursi was born in 1877 in eastern Turkey and died in 1960 in Urfa (

Turkey

). During his long life, he saw the last days of the Ottoman Empire, its collapse after the First World War and the emergence of modern Turkish Republic.

He also witnessed the twenty-five years of Republican Peoples’ Party’s harsh and authoritarian rule and ten years of “Democratic” rule during which conditions became a little easier for Bediuzzam.

A remarkable child endowed with a prodigious memory, Bediuzzam completed a traditional madrasah education at the early age of fourteen and then studies physical sciences, mathematics and philosophy.

In the course of the second decade of his life, he became extremely convinced that the Turkish madrasah education was inadequate and his own interest in natural sciences led him to construct a new curriculum for the Islamic educational system. He prepared a blue print for the establishment of a university, Medrestu’z Zehra, (the Resplendent Madrasah) in the Eastern Provinces.

In 1917, he arrived in Istanbul and met Sultan Abdul Hamid. Subsequently, he received some funding for the construction of the university and its foundations were laid in 1913. But the beginning of World War I and the subsequent events made it impossible for this project to materialize.

The end of World War I and that of the Ottoman Empire culminated the first phase of Bediuzzam’s life, the period of the “Old Said”, as he would later call it. During the War, he had led the militia forces on the Caucasian Front against the invading Russians for which he was later awarded a War Medal. He was taken prisoner in March 1916 and was held in Russia for two years. In early 1918, he escaped from the prison and made his way back to Istanbul via Warsaw, Berlin and Vienna.

Read full article here. (By Muzaffar Iqbal)
Related: Database on Badiuzzaman Said Nursi

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My JIHAD, a true story

2009-03-09T18:46:00.005+08:00

Synopsis

Aukai Collins grew up hard: abandoned, surviving in the streets and running with thugs. While serving time, he converted to Islam, and went to fight with the Muslims who were targeted for genocide in

Chechnya

and

Bosnia

.

This led him to Usama bin Laden's training camps in

Afghanistan

. As terrorist attacks on civilians around the world intensified, Aukai was asked to lead a mission that included hostage taking and the killing of civilians -- something he would not do.

Disillusioned by those who used Islam for their own ends or to attack innocents, Aukai offered his services to the FBI and CIA as a counter-terrorist operative, even getting close to one of the leaders of the September 11 attacks. Yet his greatest strength -- providing insight into the problems surrounding the

U.S.

government's fight against something it doesn't understand -- was ignored by inept members of the American intelligence community.

My Jihad is an insider's story about the greatest threat to world peace and stability in modern times, told by an unforgettable true-life warrior who has walked the walk, fought the fights, and lived to tell about it.

I read this book (My Jihad) about 3 years ago. This book takes a very good look into the true meaning of 'jihad'. It has awesome descriptions of frontline battles from the man that was there in the face of danger.

Any men (also women), especially American, should read this if they want to understand 'jihad' in its true state (something many Muslims and non-Muslims probably do not understand). The book is very entertaining and easy to read, but sometimes slows pace around many different characters and places.

First comment on Meniti Maut, a Malay novel that will rock the nation!

2009-03-01T21:47:00.005+08:00

This comment is not mine, just copy from another blog. Read on!

After reading the novel, I can't help but smile. There was an eagerness to discuss the recently read novel with someone. Being the only one beside me in the family that has read the novel to the finish; I discussed with my mother on the novel.

Meniti Maut is finally completed from cover to cover. I received my autographed copy from my father a few days back, and finished reading it the day after. Quite an accomplishment I can say, with all other things that I have to do; I can still finish the adventure. The novel itself is a page turner. I was immersed in a world not quite different with my surrounding, and the realness of it might be one of the factors that I can't put down the novel.

Lucky I have to put it down, because I have classes to attend and food to eat.

I remembered last semester break, Abah was still struggling to finish that story. For Abah, the story was already perfect, but since the editors did not quite happy with how many pages that novel had, Abah still had to add something in. Along the way to UTP to pick up my little brother for the semester break, Abah told me the what the story is all about. True I had already known the flow, and the general idea on the story, (I also know the ending already at that time) but I can still enjoy the novel.

I do not want to make a review on Meniti Maut, since the novel is not yet out, (I might not make a review even after you already received your copy in the next KL International Book Fair, LOL) but I think it is enough to say a few sentences to describe how delicious it was.

I saw a scene where Jet Li is fighting with people inside a bar.
I saw a scene where James Bond was trudging through a crowd of tourists.
I saw a scene where a surveillance truck is parked near a bank just like the movie "The Inside Man"
I even saw a scene where Monkey D. Luffy pick up his strawhat and puts it back on his head!

However, given my limited imagination, I can state many Hollywood movies resemblances (plus one anime), but not of local movies. But the novel managed to bring local cultures to life. Also of local administration. If before we can see movies putting together their CIAs and FBIs to solve cases, the novel picture how the local administration handles critical situations we usually see in the movies (Hollywood again).

But, I was not satisfied at the ending. Because I knew it already before reading it!

~Its my pleasure not to reveal many things so that you can enjoy every page of the book!

And of course! Congratulations, Abah! For completing another marathon run! (Original entry at http://hilmannordin.blogspot.com)

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Hamas: A Beginner's Guide at Malaysiakini

2009-02-17T14:11:00.005+08:00

The United States calls Hamas a terrorist organisation. Yet Hamas swept to victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections. Why did Hamas win? This one-stop guide to Hamas tells you everything you need to know.

The author, a leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge-based scholar, analyses Hamas's history and its agenda. This book covers all the key issues, including Hamas's attitudes to Israel and the PLO, religious beliefs, suicide bombings and its programme of grassroots social work within Palestine.

The reality of Hamas's victory means that the West will now have to engage with it more seriously if there is to be peace in the Middle East. This book provides the first essential step towards a better understanding of the challenges and surprises that the future may hod.

Khaled Hroub was born in a refugee camp in Bethlehem and is one of the foremost experts on Hamas. He is currently director of the Arab Media Project at Cambridge University and hosts a book review programme for Al-Jazeera TV. He is the author of Hamas: Political Thought and Practice and writes for major Arab newspapers and academic journals.

This book is published by The Other Press (2008) and priced at RM25.00. You can buy this book at Malaysiakini’s Kinibooks, here.

Related:
Inside Hamas: The Untold Story of the Militant Islamic Movement
Book review: Cycles of violence, US media and Palestine
Islam and the problem of Israel THE TERRORIST!
From Beirut to Jerusalem and Blind Spot
Who’s the “real” George Herbert Walker Bush?

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Book review: Cycles of violence, US media and Palestine

2009-01-28T02:45:00.006+08:00

In a brilliant new book, Pens and Swords: How the American Mainstream Media Report the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Marda Dunsky analyzes the politics, culture and theory of coverage of the conflict in the United States.

Dunsky, a former Arab affairs reporter for The Jerusalem Post and editor at the national/foreign desk of The Chicago Tribune, examines a wide array of news reports from television and print media, focusing on the recent history of the conflict from the Camp David peace talks in the summer of 2000 to the April 2004 meeting between then US President George W. Bush and then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The time frame was chosen because it allows an opportunity to examine what could be a typical pattern in the conflict -- beginning with intensive negotiations between the parties, followed by an escalation of violence, and then initial efforts to renew diplomacy.

Pens and Swords argues that "mainstream reporting of the conflict itself rarely goes much beyond superficial details of failed diplomatic initiatives and intercommunal violence in the field -- leaving the American public without important contextual information about why the conflict remains so intractable."

Dunsky presents a detailed content analysis of media reports in order to demonstrate "how, time and again, the media bypass important contextual aspects of organic issues, such as the US role in the peace process, the Palestinian refugee question, and Israeli settlements."

The study is driven by the central conviction "that if Americans had a fuller contextual understanding of the key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict via the mainstream media, they would be better equipped to challenge US Mideast policy."

Dunsky begins the analysis by examining the contradiction of the US often being portrayed as an "honest broker" in much of the reporting with the regular updates on shuttle diplomacy missions and negotiations aimed at crisis management, while in practical terms US foreign policy itself is overwhelmingly tilted toward Israel.

The

has provided more than 100 billion dollars in military and foreign aid to

Israel

since 1949 -- and significant diplomatic cover at the United Nations, vetoing 31 UN Security Council Resolutions critical of

Israel

between 1970 and 2006. However, Dunsky contends that the mainstream coverage does not account for the extent of the

bias nor does it examine how the

bias affects the trajectory of the conflict over time.

Read full article here.
Related: Islam and the problem of Israel THE TERRORIST!

Political tsunami still on course, says Lim Kit Siang – Ref Malaysiakini

2009-01-20T21:43:00.004+08:00

The Kuala Terengganu by-election result showed that the political tsunami of the March general election last year was very much on course, said DAP Parliamentary leader, Lim Kit Siang.

"It confirms that the paradigm shift in Malaysian politics some ten months ago was no fluke but represented the in-depth political aspirations of Malaysians," said Lim who is also MP for Ipoh Timur in a statement, Sunday. (Source: Bernama)

Here I remember a book, titled “March 8, The Day Malaysia Woke Up”. The blurb reads:

March 8, 2008, Malaysians dealt a blow to the Barisan Nasional government that had held almost absolute power for 50 years by denying it the all-important two-thirds majority in Parliament and the control of five states. This book is about that historic day and the change that has come with it. It is also an expression of hope for a brighter future, with many Malaysians speaking their thoughts frankly and without fear. If you feel that March 8 was really something, this is the book to help you remember it for years to come.

Full article here, The Day Malaysia Woke Up

** You can buy the book at Malaysiakini’s Kinibooks. Click here.
Related story: TPM: Suara rakyat SUARA KERAMAT

Book newsletter highlights, January 2009 by Malaysiakini

2009-01-15T10:41:00.007+08:00

The Politics of Hunger: When Policies and Markets Fail the Poor

"The Politics of Hunger: When Policies and Markets Fail the Poor", exposes the real issues and structural causes that initiated and aggravated the global food crisis and the continued hunger and malnutrition. The book provides an overview of the same policies: the speedy conclusion of the WTO Doha negotiations and support for corporate agriculture.

While these policies have benefited the corporations, the real losers are the small food producers i.e. the peasants, rural women, agricultural workers, indigenous people, pastoralists and the fisherfolk who continue suffer increasing hunger and poverty as well as loss of livelihoods and displacement.

Malaya's First Year at the United Nations: As Reflected in Dr Ismail's Reports Home to Tunku Abdul Rahman (Hardback edition)

Dr Ismail's writings and speeches, and his letters to the Tunku, covering a variety of foreign policy issues, are a valuable asset in understanding the unique role he played in the nation's history. He was without doubt the primary architect of Malayan (Malaysian) Foreign Policy. - Tengku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen, Former Foreign Minister of Malaysia.

Not only was Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman Malaysia's first ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the United Nations, he was also Foreign Affairs Minister in 1959-60. Later, as long-time Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and occasionally Acting Prime Minister, he played a decisive role in making neutrality the pillar of Malaysia's foreign policy.

This important collection of notes he wrote to the Tunku in 1958 and of his speeches made in 1957-58 at the UN are being published for the very first time. It gives us a window into his seminal thinking and makes us understand the contribution he made to Malaysian nation-building in the early years.

Tawfik Ismail and Ooi Kee Beng deserve kudos for compiling these into one volume and for providing elaborate footnoting that presents the reader with an intriguing picture of the Cold War year of 1958.

Click here: Malaysiakini’s Kinibooks book of the month.

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Islam and the problem of Israel THE TERRORIST!

2009-01-10T20:19:00.003+08:00

The problem of Israel confronting the Muslim world today has neither precedent nor parallel in Islamic history. The Muslim world has tended to regard it as another instance of modern colonialism, or at best, a repetition of the Crusades.

The author shows how Israel is neither one of these; but that it is both and more. The book goes into the nature of Zionism, its history, what has kept it alive, Islam's verdict concerning Israel today, the question on whether a secular Palestinian state is an answer to the problem of Israel, and many other topics.

Author is Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, 130 pages and the price is RM19.00. Available at Islamic Book Trust.

Related book: Party of God: An Islamic Movement Perspective. You can buy this book at Islamic Book Trust or Malaysiakini’s Kinibooks.

Related 1: JOM BOIKOT DAN JIHAD: Mark and Spencer, Loreal, Tesco, McDonalds, KFC, Nestle, Coke
Related 2: Let’s BOYCOTT and ALL DEAD, including five months old baby

Christ in the Qur’an

2009-01-06T15:46:00.007+08:00

What is Islam? Is Islam an ancient Arab warrior cult based on the worship of a pagan warrior god, whose headquarters lie in the rocks and stones of the Ka'ba in Mecca? Is Islam a meaningless set of strange and exotic rituals, including walking around a stone cube and throwing smaller stones on a bigger one? Is Islam a faith that calls for either conversion or conquest of all those who choose not to submit to its will?

What is Islam? Is Islam a set of dietary laws and rules of dress? Is Islam composed of archaic and restrictive guidelines that are out of touch with modern reality? Is Islam ornate houses of worship and beautifully fabricated Arabic calligraphy? Is it the printed pages of the Qur'an? Islam is none of these.

Islam is the path of return to the Creator, from whom we were separated by our sin and transgression against ourselves. It is the connection to the Divine that each soul yearns to possess and spends its entire life perusing, rightly or wrongly. It is the fuel with which the Divine spark within each one of us is lit and kindled into a raging fire, giving us comfort, warmth, and light. Islam is our guiding star by which we lead our caravan through the dark paths of the desert devoid of sunlight, and it is the cool shade from the cloud that follows us on our desert journey by day.

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Bible: Matthew 5:21-24)

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart....Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Bible: Matthew 5:27-44).

True piety does not consist in turning your faces toward the east or the west - but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance - however much he himself may cherish it - upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage; and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God. (Qur’an: 2:177)

Full article here.

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*** You can buy related book, Dawn in Madinah; A Pilgrim's Passage by Muzaffar Iqbal and published by Islamic Book Trust at Malaysiakini’s Kinibooks.

Jesus Christ birthday coincides with Quranic verses on the Messiah, research

2008-12-22T11:50:00.005+08:00

Neither December 25 nor January 7, but June 17 is Jesus Christ's real birthday, says an Australian astronomer who used a computer software and St. Matthew's Gospel as a reference point to calculate the new date.

The astronomer's research coincides with Quranic verses on the Messiah, which suggest that Mary gave birth to Jesus during the summer season.

Reneke's reference point, Mathew's gospel, coincides with Quranic references to the birth of Jesus Christ as both texts place the event in the summer season.

While Mathew's gospel placed the nativity at somewhere between 3 B.C. and 1 A.D, allowing Reneke to locate the planetary movement to an accurate date in 2 B.C., the Quran notes that Mary went into labor during the summer time as she was instructed by the Angel to eat dates, a summer fruit, from a nearby tree after giving birth to Jesus.

Full article here: Jesus was born in June: Australian scientist

Related article 1: Sekudus Nur Ilahi
Related article 2: He shall give you another Paracletos (Muhammad) - Bible

Tausug and the Sulu Sultanate

2008-12-15T04:30:00.005+08:00

The most revealing recent book on the subject of the Moro race or the Tausug, and the Sulu Sultanate. It takes the readers through the entire period: from the early Muslim travelers who broght Islam to the region, to the Spanish Conquistador, to Marco's era, to the Philippine’s claim on Sabah today.

The reader is taken on an intriguing path of discovery - on the little known as second heir to the Sulu Sultanate, and in a nutshell, a proposed solution to the 'Moro problem'. You will find this book special and very different.

You can buy this book at Saba Islamic Media.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pasukan peninjau Yayasan Aman yang baru pulang buat tinjauan mangsa perang di Mindanao mendapati keadaan mangsa amat teruk dan lebih 600,000 menjadi pelarian berikutan rumah mereka dibakar selain tanah dirampas.

Full story here: Harakahdaily

Another story about Moro here.

Party of God: An Islamic Movement Perspective (Ref: Malaysiakini)

2008-12-04T19:58:00.012+08:00

From a rag-tag band of guerrillas in the 1980S, the Hizbullah have become a near-professional army capable of resisting the Israelis on several fronts for prolonged periods.

But they are far more than simply a military force. They are also a popular political movement in Lebanon, capable of transcending the country’s fractured communal politics, and the main providers of education and welfare services to Lebanon’s poorest people.

It is not only for their military strength that they are massively popular with Arab and Muslim peoples everywhere – and regarded with fear by Israel, the West and Arab governments alike.

This volume brings together essays and features on what is perhaps the most successful non-government social, political and military movement in the world today.

Publisher: TOP, in association with Crescent International
Price: RM19.00 (142 pages)
Click here to buy.

Banned: From Kinokuniya to Putrajaya

2008-11-29T16:20:00.002+08:00

Raman of Silverfish contacted me yesterday to tell me that he had learned from a customer that Farish Noor's From Majapahit to Putrajaya had been "banned".

Since I was making my weekly (expensive!) pilgrimage to Kino anyway that afternoon, I decided to check out the status of the book, and discovered, yes, that the KDN (Home Ministry) officials had make their rounds and confiscated all the copies of the book, telling the bookshop that they were going to investigate it further and that in the meantime the store was not allowed to sell copies of the book.

Today I learned that this ban applies to all Farish's books which the store is not allowed to bring in until further notice (although there are still copies of the Malay translation of Di Balik Malaysia published by ZI Publications still on the shelves).

FULL STORY HERE.

*** We provide catering services for the following; courses, trainings and seminars, product launching, PR events, birthdays, parties, family day, doa selamat, wedding, etc. Varieties of menus are available; Malay dishes, Chinese & Indian style & Western.

Two Faces: Detention Without Trial - Malaysiakini

2008-11-23T18:03:00.001+08:00

Two Faces records Syed Husin Ali's experiences during his six-year detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA). His detention followed a spate of demonstrations in 1974 by students who supported the peasants in Baling, Kedah (Malaysia), and protested against poverty and the rise in prices of daily necessities.

Toward the end of the second year of his detention at Kamunting (located at Perak state), he was put in solitary confinement for six months in an unknown place in Kuala Lumpur. During this time he was interrogated and subjected to all kinds of torture and harassment.

There was an attempt to implicate him with a number of politicians and journalists who were then detained for alleged involvement in a "communist conspiracy" in Singapore and

Malaysia

. Interestingly, there were also attempts to implicate some senior UMNO leaders, including Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Two Faces links some personal experiences of the author with the social and political context of the time. (Source: Kinibooks at Malaysiakini) (Note: I’ve bought the bahasa Melayu version. I like it)

Lim Kit Siang: The Star Editor is “mischievous” - Malaysiakini

2008-11-20T09:35:00.006+08:00

DAP supremo and veteran politician Lim Kit Siang was clearly upset with the suggestion that he had ‘sold out’ his party policies in a “secret pact” jointly signed by top Pakatan Rakyat leaders, reports Malaysiakini.

"He said it was “mischievous” of The Star editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai to infer that DAP was being opportunistic and had in a “dishonest act of political expediency” inked the document to uphold Malay rights and status of Islam."

The book is Winning Strategies of Anwar Ibrahim. This book is an objective analysis of the strategies and meticulous planning employed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim which enabled the opposition to win five states and 82 parliamentary constituencies at the recent 12th general elections, thereby denying the ruling Barisan Nasional its two thirds majority in parliament.

It is said that the author focuses on the details of the strategies planned by Anwar Ibrahim months before the general elections and how he successfully implemented them. (Source: KiniBooks)

Jasmines the flower and Jasmine the lady

2008-11-12T12:54:00.004+08:00

It took me three hours to read Jasmines on the 4^th Floor. It’s a love story by Maclean Patrick published by Alaf 21 Sdn. Bhd, between a Chinese lady and an Ibanese man. Happy ending love affairs, but this novel has an element of surprise.

A good first book by the author. A lot to be improved, though.

Synopsis
Jasmine finds solace in her world of flowers on her 4th floor apartment. She dreams of the day she would leave the apartment for Singapore. But all her plans are sidelined the day she meets the mysterious Remy.

Remy is on the run from himself. Desperately trying to find meaning in his life, he hides in the flat complex called Rifle Range (located at Penang). There he befriends Jasmine and immediately takes interest in her. Jasmine, the happy-go-lucky girl is the answer to his problems.

It is a friendship that helps both of them cope with their tortured past and their need to love and be loved. Ultimately Remy’s secret threatens their blossoming love and hopes of a life together.

Could the strengths of their friendship and love overcome the secret that Remy hides?

Publisher: Alaf 21 Sdn. Bhd, 2008
Price: RM 10.00
Pages:208, paperback
ISBN: 978-983-124-336-7

We provide catering services for the following; courses, trainings and seminars, product launching, PR events, birthdays, parties, family day, doa selamat, wedding, etc. Varieties of menus are available; Malay dishes, Chinese & Indian style & Western.

Personal Justice by Ramlee Awang Murshid

2008-11-07T00:02:00.001+08:00

When Hilman met his daughter Jeslina in New York, after years of separation, they were both happy beyond compare. However, their happiness were short-lived when they were involved in road accident.

Jeslina went into coma while Hilman was accused of drunk driving. In that chaotic situation, Mia Sara, an officer from Malaysian Embassy in Washington D.C, appeared. With her help, Hilman was advised to appear in court.

But, when Hilman found out about a conspiracy to hide the real cause of accident, he decided to seek justice on his own.

As a sharpshooter in the Malaysian Royal Police, survival was his playground. His investigation on the conspiracy, finally, led him to the White House!

And, Hilman was never in awe standing before its door...

I like all Michael Crichton fictions

2008-11-06T09:16:00.004+08:00

I still reading Rising Sun by Michael Crichton by the time this entry published. I’ve been the follower of all Michael Crichton’s fictions and enjoy every single of it. Then I realize that this novel has been filmed, sometimes in 1993. I’ll try to look for the film, if still available.

I already read Timeline, The Terminal Man, State of Fear and Andromeda Strain.

Synopsis from publisher

During the grand opening celebration of the new American headquarters of an immense Japanese conglomerate, the dead body of a beautiful woman is found. The investigation begins, and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue and a violent business battle that takes no prisoners.

Comment by Publishers Weekly

A young American model is murdered in the corporate boardroom of Los Angeles's Nakomoto Tower on the new skyscraper's gala opening night. Murdered, that is, unless she was strangled while enjoying sadomasochistic sex that went too far.

Nakomoto, a Japanese electronics giant, tries to hush up the embarrassing incident, setting in motion a murder investigation that serves Crichton ( Jurassic Park ) as the platform for a clever, tough-talking harangue on the dangers of Japanese economic competition and influence-peddling in the U.S.

Divorced LAPD lieutenant Peter Smith, who has custody of his two-year-old daughter, and hard-boiled detective John Connor, who says things like ``For a Japanese, consistent behavior is not possible,'' pursue the killer in a winding plot involving Japan's attempt to gain control of the U.S. computer industry.

Although Crichton's didactic aims are often at cross-purposes with his storytelling, his entertaining, well-researched thriller cannot be easily dismissed as Japan-bashing because it raises important questions about that country's adversarial trade strategy and our inadequate response to it. He also provides a fascinating perspective on how he thinks the Japanese view Americans--as illiterate, childish, lazy people obsessed with TV, violence and aggressive litigation.

English novels from Alaf21

2008-10-24T20:02:00.005+08:00

Alaf 21 Sdn Bhd, a Malay publisher, is moving forward by publishing English fictions. The company has new line up for English novels, namely Jasmines on the 4^th Floor, Far Away and After the Rain. Prior to this, they already published Norzailina Nordin’s novel, Zuriat, to English version titled Genetics Peril.

For the info, several years ago, Alaf 21 has taken a bold and brave move to publish English fiction books for children. At that time the publisher has three titles in the market; House on Bukit Kenanga, House Of Horror and Mystery Of The Old Mansion all by Zamir Zakwan.

The latest is Personal Justice, an English version of A.D.A.M by the famous local thriller author, Ramlee Awang Murshid.

I personally congratulate both the publisher and author for a very good and rare initiative from local Malay publishing industry. I can’t wait to read all the books, albeit my busy schedule with catering.

There’s something about Aishah that Jones don’t understand

2008-10-12T00:33:00.003+08:00

A debate is still going on for The Jewel of Medina.

"I just hope that it is not marketed as an "extensively researched" historical novel about the Lady Aishah, because whatever research Jones did, she certainly does not appear to have used it or benefitted from it. The Jewel of Medina is fiction in the purest sense of the term, with little or nothing of history in it.

I also hope that readers will take it for what it is: an attempt by a Western writer with little knowledge of Arabic, Arabia, Islam, and Muslims using her own Western, 21st century values, ideals and emotions to portray an unrecognizable version of the well-known and well-documented story of Aishah.

If Jones had set out to tell the "untold" or an "alternative" story of the heroism and courage of Aishah, she could have saved herself the trouble. The Lady Aishah has already been seen as a heroine and revered as a role model by Muslim women since the beginning of Muslim history." (Marwa Elnaggar, a writer, a poet, and a consultant to ReadingIslam.com)

Jones is wrong about Aishah, as stated by Marwa Elnagger:

“There's something not quite right about seeing a citation for One Thousand and One Nights in a bibliography for a novel about the Lady Aishah, Prophet Muhammad's famous wife.

What it says about an author who would, in writing about the early Muslim community, use the collection of stories that has given us Aladdin, Ali Baba (he of the forty thieves), Sinbad the sailor, and the wife-killing yet story-loving king, Shahrayar, is a lot that makes any discerning reader uncomfortable.” Full article here.

Sci-Fi and fantasy from Neal Stephenson

2008-10-08T18:48:00.005+08:00

The first Neal Stephenson’s novel I read is cryptonomicon, followed by the Zodiac. Both are good and interesting. I have few others from him, but all are in to-read category. The latest from him is Anathem. I will get it, soon.

Neal Stephenson stands firmly in the ranks of the greatest science-fiction writers, but his career continues to defy that easy label. The distant realms in his books range from the far future to the distant past, but many of the themes he presents are common to all his books.

In Stephenson's world, information is power, and individuals with enough brains, foresight and firepower to use it can ride its transformational might like a surfer on a wave. Of course, they can also get smashed in the surf or dragged back to sea by contrary, restraining forces.

Stephenson's newest novel, Anathem, is no exception to this worldview. The book's cast—a mix of monks, mechanics, spacemen and theologian politicians—holds its own in the canon of Stephenson's works.

From the publisher

Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside "saecular" world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals. Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent's walls. Three times during history's darkest epochs violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity even more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. And Erasmas has no fear of the outside—the Extramuros—for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.

Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fraas and suurs prepare to venture beyond the concent's gates—at the same time opening them wide to welcome the curious "extras" in. During his first Apert as a fraa, Erasmas eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn't seen since he was "collected." But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change.

Powerful unforeseen forces jeopardize the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros—a threat that only an unsteady alliance of saecular and avout can oppose—as, one by one, Erasmas and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Suddenly burdened with a staggering responsibility, Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world—as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.

Author shocked by 'Jewel of Medina' controversy

2008-09-25T11:20:00.009+08:00

Associated Press

Sherry Jones knew it would be hard to get her first novel published. Getting "The Jewel of Medina" into bookstores was even harder. "I wrote the book with the utmost respect for Islam," author Sherry Jones says of "Jewel of Medina."

After overcoming the formidable hurdles any new author faces, Jones was overjoyed to sell the book to Random House. Then Random House canceled its publication at the last minute for fear the historical novel about Aisha, child bride of the prophet Muhammad, would incite riots in the Muslim world.

"I had hoped to find an independent publisher with gumption and verve that would treat me as a partner in the publishing process," said Jones, a longtime newspaper reporter in Montana who moved to Spokane, Washington about a year ago.

She got the idea for the book after the terrorist acts of September 11. Determined to learn more about Islam, she read books on the religion and came across the story of Aisha, who became Muhammad's third wife as well as a leading scholar and warrior in the early days of the religion.

Aisha was 9 when she became Muhammad's wife. She's often described as Muhammad's favorite wife, and it was in her company that Muhammad received the most revelations. During a period of war after Muhammad's death, Aisha raised an army which confronted her rival Ali outside the city of Basra.

Aisha's forces were defeated, and she was captured and returned to Medina. There, she became one of the top scholars of Islam's early age, with some historians crediting her with one-quarter of Islamic religious law. She died at 65.

"I became obsessed with thoughts of Aisha," Jones said. Jones, who describes herself as spiritual but not part of an organized religion, figured her book would help build bridges between the cultures.

Random House, the nation's largest publisher, liked the idea enough to give her a $100,000 advance for "The Jewel of Medina" and a sequel, which Jones has also written.

"It was a dream come true," said the 46-year-old Jones, who spent five years and seven drafts on the first book.

She was not naive. She knew an American woman writing a novel about Muhammad and Aisha would spark some controversy. But she expected her good intentions would be obvious.

"Anyone who reads the book will not be offended," Jones said. "I wrote the book with the utmost respect for Islam."

A copy of the novel was sent to Denise Spellberg, an author and Islam expert at the University of Texas, seeking a cover blurb.

Spellberg called the novel a "declaration of war" and "a national security issue" that might incite violence. She also called the book "soft-core pornography," referring to a scene involving Muhammad consummating his marriage to Aisha. (Spellberg did not return telephone calls and e-mail from The Associated Press.) Jones was shocked and angered.

"Her characterization of my book as pornography created a self-fulfilling prophecy," Jones said. "I don't know why she used the most inflammatory rhetoric to describe my book."

Random House, worried about the response, decided in May to cancel the publication, although the news was not released to the general public until August when the publisher issued a statement saying that "credible and unrelated sources" had warned that the book "could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment."

That story drew a response from author Salman Rushdie, who criticized his publisher for pulling the novel. Rushdie, whose "The Satanic Verses" led to a death decree in 1989 from Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and forced the author for years to live under police protection, said Random House had allowed itself to be intimidated.

"I was impressed," Jones said of Rushdie's comment.

Random House drew other criticism. The Langum Charitable Trust, which awards lucrative literary prizes, said the company was too easily intimidated. "Random House has exhibited a degree of cowardly self-censorship that seriously threatens the American public's access to the free marketplace of ideas," the trust said.

Jones was devastated by the cancellation. She and her agent negotiated an agreement with Random House so the book could be marketed to other U.S. publishers.

Last week, Beaufort Books bought it. "Everyone at Beaufort is proud to be associated with this groundbreaking novel." company President Eric Kampmann said.

Earlier, Gibson Square agreed to publish the book in England. Not publishing the book "would truly mean that the clock has been turned back to the dark ages," Gibson Square publisher Martin Rynja said.

Jones has received some harsh e-mail and has taken down her Web site, but said she has received no direct threats.

Ironically, some critics complained she was being too positive about Muhammad and Islam. "People see what they want to see," she said.

Jones was an Air Force brat who lived in many places growing up. She spent 20 years in Montana, which she considers home, graduating from the University of Montana's creative writing program. She moved to Spokane about a year ago.

She has become something of a celebrity. This week she left for Norway, where she will be the featured speaker on the freedom of speech panel at the Norwegian Foundation for Investigative Journalism conference in Lillehammer.

But she didn't set out to be a free speech crusader. Rather, she wanted to write about women's empowerment, peace and hope, Jones said. She's kicking around the idea of writing her next book about Lady Godiva, the Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who rode naked through the streets of Coventry to protest the high taxes imposed by her husband on his tenants.

(Pic: Book cover in Malay language published by PTS)

Muhammad love story finds US publisher

2008-09-16T07:56:00.003+08:00

Beaufort Books, the independent American publisher that picked up OJ Simpson's fictional murder confessional If I Did It, is courting controversy again with the acquisition of North American rights in Sherry Jones's The Jewel of Medina, a reimagined version of the love story between Muhammad and his favourite wife Aisha.

The book was originally lined up to be published by Random House US, but was dropped after the publisher was warned by security experts and academics that it could be offensive to the Muslim community, and risked inciting violence from extremists. Denise Spellberg, an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas, described it as "a very ugly, stupid piece of work" in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, saying it turned a sacred history into "softcore pornography".

Beaufort Books will publish The Jewel of Medina in October this year. The book's UK publisher Gibson Square Books - which also published OJ Simpson's quasi-memoir - has also lined up an October publication date. If I Did It, Simpson's hypothetical account of the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, was originally lined up to be published by HarperCollins in 2006 but was cancelled and pulped after public outrage.

Jones said she had hoped to find an independent publisher with "gumption and verve", that "wouldn't be spooked by controversy, recognising it as a stimulus for discussion of my book's themes of women's empowerment, peace, and hope". She said she felt that Beaufort was the "perfect home" for her novel given its "track record of support for free speech and expression".

In a statement, Beaufort president Eric Kampmann said: "We are building a great team to bring The Jewel of Medina to the audience it deserves to have. Everyone at Beaufort is proud to be associated with this ground-breaking novel." Beaufort will publish Jones's sequel next year.
Jones's agent Natasha Kern has also sold rights in the novel to Spain, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Brazil and

Germany

. Following its publication in Serbia by BeoBook in August, it was withdrawn from bookshops after protests from an Islamic pressure group. (Source: guardian.co.uk)

Interview with The Jewel of Medina’s author

2008-09-10T06:44:00.003+08:00

So as you dove into this history, what was it that captured your attention and eventually brought you to the idea of writing a book that focused on Aisha?

Sherry Jones: It was the strength of the women that I was reading about – the intelligence, the courage, the participation of women in the early life of the Islamic community. Aisha’s sense of humor drew me to her right away. One of my favorite scenes is when Muhammad, who was angsting over whether he could marry Zaynab bint Jahsh, he said to Aisha, “Allah has given me permission to marry her.” And Aisha said, “My! Allah certainly hastens to do your bidding.” What a great comeback, and what a woman of verve. She was just so quick witted.

Also, her scholarly abilities... I had read that she could recite a thousand poems, and she knew all the recitations, all the Quran. She was a political advisor, not only to Muhammad, but to some of Muhammad’s successors. Her whole involvement in the political life of her community just fascinates me.

Web Sutera’s note: I don’t have any comment on this interview. Read it and open your mind and heart.

FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
Related story here:

Is Iran emerging as a global power?

2008-09-09T11:53:00.008+08:00

It ranks second in global natural gas reserves and has substantial oil reserves with plenty of growth potential in both energy sectors. This guarantees that the Islamic Republic will play a key long-term role in the world's increasingly important energy equation.

The

United States

has also been engaged in talks with Tehran over how to stabilise

Iraq

- an acknowledgment that

Iran

could hold the key to regional security. What does

Iran

's growing influence mean for its neighbours? Send your opinion to Aljazeera.net.

My opinion is, yes Iran will be a major world’s power, with its Islamic root. That’s why United States (especially George Bush) uses every effort and power at their disposal to restrain Iran from being a nuclear power with Iran’s nuclear program. For George Bush, only America and Israel will have the right to own nuclear weapons. Such an arrogant head!

On June 21, 2008 the Iranian envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh as reported by Voice of America (http://voanews.com) says, “Iran's envoy to the United Nations nuclear agency says Iran is continuing with its nuclear program despite a multination offer of an incentives package if Tehran stops atomic activity." He says “the Islamic Republic will continue its nuclear enrichment program, reiterating the country's claim that it is for peaceful purposes.”

Khoo Kheng-Hor's novel

2008-09-02T03:31:00.005+08:00

Khoo’s third novel - Nanyang

History made easy

Mamasan – lives behind the scenes of nightclub

Book on Prophet's sex life draws anger, threats

2008-08-27T18:47:00.002+08:00

An Egyptian female author has spoken out in defense of her controversial new book, Love and Sex in the Prophet's Life, which caused outrage after it was circulated at the Cairo International Book Fair last month [WS: January 2008].

"I wanted to explain sex from the real Islamic perspective and to make it the reference for having a healthy sexual life," writer Passant Rashad said in a statement to AlArabiya.net.

"When I mentioned the prophet I meant to demonstrate how his relationship with his wives was the perfect example of a healthy sexual life that is devoid of the complications Arabs try to impose on it these days."

But the book has drawn sharp criticism. Independent Egyptian MP Mustafa al-Gindi complained to the Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosny, earlier this month [WS: February 2008] saying the book insults the Prophet and his wives, especially his third wife Aisha.

"The book contains parts about positions and orgasms, which is totally inappropriate for a book that had the prophet's name in its title," said Gindi.

A religious TV channel in

Egypt

denounced the publication and hosted a series of sheikhs – Islamic leaders – who accused her of apostasy and called for her killing, even if she were to repent.

Meanwhile, Islamic thinker Gamal al-Banna called for an end to the fatwas on writers.

"This is a backward way to understand Islam. We have to eliminate this torrent of fatwas through reasoning and refutation of these lies. It is only then that those bloodshed Sheiks will find no audience."

He called upon Arab information ministers to ban televised fatwas that wreak havoc in society and make intellectuals live in constant fear.

"I kept silent, hoping this campaign will end or those sheiks will contact me to discuss the book, but none of that happened. Now I fear for my life," Rashad told AlArabiya.net.

In the aftermath of the fatwa, Rashad said that a bearded man came to her house on Thursday and threatened her.

"He banged on the door at two in the morning and asked my husband if I was the author whose bloodshed is sanctioned. He told him that many problems are coming my way, then left."

Rashad said she is not an apostate and would never insult the prophet. On the contrary, she said she aimed to refute the myths propagated by the enemies of Islam, who portray the prophet as obsessed with women. -- Source: DUBAI (Farrag Ismail, AlArabiya.net)

US paper distributes free anti-Prophet book

2008-08-20T14:58:00.001+08:00

A right-wing American weekly newspaper will distribute free copies of a book that insults Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and associates Islam with terrorism, Washington-based news agency America in Arabic reported.

The neo-conservative, Republican-oriented Human Events newspaper will distribute Robert Spencer's The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion (2006), America in Arabic said.

The book -- regularly priced at 30 dollars -- is released by Regnery, which has published a string of controversial neo-con books and is a division of Eagle Publishing, which owns Human Events.

Well-known British writer Karen Armstrong, author of Muhammad: A Prophet of Our Time, has said that the book is "written in hatred," contains "basic and bad mistakes of fact" and that the author "deliberately manipulates the evidence".

The newspaper says Spencer unravels facts not known to historians. The book claims that Muhammad said terrorism made him victorious and that he used to tempt people with paradise so they would crush his enemies.

The author also accuses Muhammad of treason, breaching the Treaty of Hudaybiya with the Meccan tribe of Quraish, and instigating Muslims to kill Jews.

Spencer, the director of the Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch websites, also claims that the prophet encouraged Muslim men to take women captive to control them.

Ultra conservative attorney Ann Coulter, who writes a column in the newspaper, is taking part in the campaign to promote the book.

Coulter is famous for her controversial statement about Arabs and Muslims, especially after 9/11 when she said Americans should invade Arab countries.

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war," she wrote in the conservative website National Review Online.

Coulter also angered Jews in the United States when she said they should convert to Christianity to reach perfection. (AlArabiya.net)