Blogger: Chaldean Thoughts
Article: The Vatican, The Pope And YouTube
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-19 08:32:00

I have been following the release of the Vatican YouTube Channel for a week now. It’s a project in progress. CBS News has some details:

It is certainly a case of the old being fused with the new, but will the Pope’s partnership with Google be a match made in heaven?

That’s a question Catholics are asking as organized religion continues to expand its reach onto the Internet.

The Vatican announced Saturday that its radio and television arms will be collaborating with the Internet search engine giant – which also owns video sharing site YouTube – to bring news of the pontiff, as well as video and text of his speeches to the World Wide Web.

The Roman-Catholic church provided scant details, but promised to release more information about the project on Friday at a media conference so big it has a title and a subtitle: “New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship.”

So, we must wait a few more days before we get more details about this exciting project.

Blogger: M u s l i m a h A w a k e n i n g
Article: How should we spend our day?
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-30 08:10:00

Advice by Ibn al-Qayyim [rahimahullah], he said,

When a person spends his entire day with no other concern but Allaah alone,
Allaah [subhaa nahu wa ta’ala] will take care of all his needs and take care of all that is worrying him.

He will empty his heart so that it will be filled only with love for Him, free his tongue so that it will speak only in remembrance of Him [dhikr], and cause all his faculties to work only in obedience to Him. But when a person spends his entire day with no other concern but this world, Allaah will make him bear its distress, anxiety and pain.

He will leave him to sort himself out, and cause his heart to be distracted from the love of Allaah towards the love of some created being.

He will cause his tongue to speak only in remembering people instead of remembering Allaah.
He will cause him to use his talents and energy in obeying and serving the people.

This person will strive hard, laboring like some work-animal, to serve something other than Allaah. Everyone who turns away from being a true slave of Allaah by obeying and loving Him, will be burdened with servitude to some created being.

Allaah says in the Qur’an

“And whosoever turns away [blinds himself] from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent, We appoint for him a shaytaan to be his Qareen [intimate companion]. (Sura al-Zukhruf, Ayah 36).

It was narrated that Anas [radi Allaahu anhu] said that the Prophet [sallal laahu alaihi wa sallam] said:
Whoever is mainly concerned about the Hereafter, Allaah will make him feel independent of others and will make him focused and content, and his worldly affairs will fall into place. But whoever is mainly concerned with this world, Allaah will make him feel in constant need of others and will make him distracted and unfocused, and he will get nothing of this world except what is decreed for him. (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2389 and classed as Saheeh by Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddin al-Albaani [rahimahullah]) (Source: al-Fawaa’ id, page 159)

Blogger: Mideast Youth - Thinking Ahead
Article: Fostering Baha’i-Muslim understanding
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-28 01:18:00

Many Muslims hold misconceptions and erroneous beliefs on the beliefs and practises associated with the Baha’i Faith. Amongst the most widely believed misconceptions is that Baha’is worship Baha’u’llah as a deity,and that Baha’i texts disparage the Qur’an and Islam and that the Baha’i Faith condones incest.

With these claims being circulated by respected scholars and clerics, it only follows that the public at large would take them to be true. Direct interaction with members of other faiths can no doubt lead to the dispelling of held misconceptions, but as Baha’is aren’t a visible minority in most countries, the Internet can fill up the void and facilitate communication.

Dr Susan Maneck, a Baha’i scholar, has started a blog in which she hopes to engage Muslims in dialogue and respond to some of the pressing concerns they might have. She says of her blog:

The purpose of this blog is to promote Muslim-Baha’i understanding, to provide Muslims with accurate information on where Baha’is stand on issues which are important to them and to refute some of the common distortions and misconceptions people have about the Baha’i Faith in the Middle East. I’m hoping this blog will be able to approach these issues in a positive manner which will be edifying for both communities.

Be sure to drop by her blog and address and queries you may have, in a respectful manner of course.

Blogger: jerusalem wanderings
Article: Tikkun - Repairing the World - or trying to…
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-22 04:31:00

While watching the inauguration of the new U.S. president at the American Cultural Center with a bunch of other expats, I had this wonderful feeling that the U.S. had finally done its tikkun (spiritual repair work)for the way African-Americans were treated way back when. I saw much pride in the faces of young Afro-Americans, such joy that seemed to sweep right through the tv screen towards everyone who was watching with us. I loved the happy multicultural scene of the crowds in Washington D.C. and even felt a bit jealous that they had that and we don’t have that - yet. For me, it was an incredible moment, though I smiled at the thought of how my now-deceased dad, who was a Jewish Archie Bunker, would have reacted to all of this.

A Jerusalem peacemaker, Elad, held a gathering last night of dozens of people at the YMCA to discuss the “situation.” Although much better than last week when we were in the midst of the Gazan war, there was still much repair work to be done. Jews and Arabs gathered together because we all felt that we were in the same boat, so to speak. Because we peacemakers are standing in the middle between both Jews and Arabs, we got it from both sides. We get the hateful remarks about the other, and it’s hard after a while to listen to everyone’s venom bouncing off of us, when you’re standing in the middle. It almost feels as if you’re being squished from both sides. People sitting at my table laughed when I told them I got mail from a friend in Tulkarem telling me to boycott Israeli products and I got mail from a Jewish person telling me to boycott Israeli Arab products that I blurted out “MY GOD! I’M GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH if I boycott both.” Israeli Channel Two was there filming our sharing circle about why we were there. And when it was my turn, I told the circle (and Channel Two) that we are really all one family - the Tribe of Abraham. And being that one part of my family got hit a bit harsher than another part of my family, it’s part of my Jewish tikkun to do my bit to help out. We had no idea where we could help out. There were humanitarian drives for clothing and food and baby items to Gaza. Some of my friends who posted on the Jerusalem Anglo email list got a slew of hateful mail about ‘why do it for them’?

Many actually said they got physically sick at the onset of this war. One woman told me she always felt that Gaza was the “kidney” of Israel. She was peeing blood and had tests done, but they couldn’t find anything. She seemed to know it was related to the conflict and told the worried doctors not to worry, she’ll check back with them in two weeks. Needless to say, her ailment is over. Other people were talking about how sick they felt and I heard someone say my friend Ibrahim was going around at the beginning of the war calling people up telling them he’s dying. Kind of freaky, no?

We all wrote cards/posters to the people in Gaza. I don’t know who will read them. I wrote mine in English and asked an Arab man I didn’t know if he could please translate this into Arabic.

“I’m trusting you with the translation,” I told him, hoping he wasn’t going to translate my loving letter into something like “I wish you all would just curl up and die” or something of that note. But I had to trust this person to translate, and I did. After all, he’s family, isn’t he?

Blogger: Baha’i Faith in Egypt
Article: Cairo’s Administrative Court Rejects a Challenge To Baha’i Rights
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-17 08:41:00

As was described in a previous post, the Baha’is of Egypt have been awaiting two court dates scheduled to issue final verdicts regarding the challenges and appeals lodged against the previous court rulings that were in their favor. The 17 January 2009 date, quoted below, concerns the challenge by an Islamist lawyer intended to halt the court ruling allowing the Baha’is to obtain birth certificates and ID cards with dashes [--] inserted instead of their religious identity.

…scheduled for 17 January 2009, on which Cairo’s Seventh Circuit Administrative Court will rule on a challenge (a stalling tactic–not an appeal) to the same ruling of 29 January 2008 of the First Circuit Administrative Court, in which another Islamist lawyer challenged the competence of the judge. Consequently, the judge had referred the case out of his court to the Seventh Circuit Court for an unbiased determination.

In its session today, Cairo’s Seventh Circuit Administrative Court rejected the challenge filed by the said lawyer, Hamed Saddiq, who was acting on behalf of Egypt’s Islamic Research Council which is under the auspices of al-Azhar University. His challenge had the effect of stalling the implementation of the favorable 29 January 2008 court ruling.

Today’s verdict implies that the 29 January 2008 court ruling in favor of the Baha’is can be enforced by the Ministry of Interior and that it can proceed, without delay, to issue the Baha’is of Egypt birth certificates with dashes [--] inserted in the religion section of these documents. Today’s verdict concerns only the case of 14-year-old twin children, Emad and Nancy Raouf Hindi whose father has been requesting the issue of their birth certificates.

The Other case concerning the 18-year-old university student Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, who is in quest for his ID card (he was dismissed from the university consequent to his inability to obtain a military postponement certificate, required for the continuation of his education), was heard on 15 January 2009 and postponed until 24 February 2009 for a final verdict on the challenge, filed by the same lawyer (Hamed Saddiq). The 29 January court verdict had also ruled in his favor to obtain an ID card with dashes [--] in place of his religion.

The next date to watch is 19 January 2009, on which Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court will issue its final verdict on an appeal by another Islamist lawyer, named Abd El-Mageed El-Aanany. He was not a party to the lawsuit, but appeared to act on behalf of extremists. The appeal could not stop the implementation of the ruling unless the court had decided to do so. In this case, the court has not stopped the implementation of the lower court’s ruling, and the Ministry of Interior has not appealed either.

It is anticipated the the Supreme Administrative Court will reject the appeal since its own State Judiciary Council has already recommended this course of action.

Based on these developments, it is becoming clearer that Egypt’s judiciary is on a righteous path that is headed towards a resolution to the dilemma of the Baha’is of Egypt, who are in quest of their basic civil rights.

Blogger: Point of no return
Article: Relocation of Yemeni Jews to go ahead Sunday
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-16 08:04:00

After several posponements, the relocation of the harrassed Jews of Amran is finally set for Sunday, the Yemen Post reports:

Impatiently waiting for a transfer to Sana’a after they started to experience harassments in their first place, Yemeni Jews in Amran province are to relocate to the capital Sana’a next Sunday, head of the rights and freedoms committee in Parliament said.

All arrangements for the transfer have been completed with four housing complexes along with other requirements provided in Sana’a for Jews, Muhammad Naji al-Shaef said.

Chief Rabbi in the area Yahya Yaesh said that Jews were informed about the would-be transfer and assured all measures to transfer them to Sana’a on Sunday have been taken.

Jews will stay at these residential compounds until they receive land plots President Ali Abdullah Saleh allocated for them early this month in Sana’a, the rabbi said.

Meanwhile, security measures were intensified with police car standing guards at the houses of Jews in Amran as a demonstration was held in support for the Gaza people.

Authorities feared demonstrators may attack Jews. After the murder of a Jew in Amran early last month, authorities responded to intimidations Jews started to experience through arranging for a relocation to the capital.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the allocation of a land plot in Sana’a and YR 2 million for every Jewish family in Amran. The Jews’ relocation was scheduled for the first time on January 1 but it was delayed because arrangements for it were not completed.

Read article in full

Blogger:
Article: Exalted and Debased
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-02 22:30:20

In reading the first five ayats of Surah Mutaffifin (Those Who Give Short Measure), it struck me how truly integrated the grandeur of God is woven into the most mundane of tasks. The verses say:

WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure: those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full – but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due! Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead [and called to account] on an awesome Day – the Day when all men shall stand before the Sustainer of all the worlds? (83: 1-5)

To me this signifies that nothing that we do is without consequence. Everything is meaningful and has a powerful spiritual dimension, whether it be running a business or sustaining a relationship.

It strikes me that the human being is given so much significance in some places in the Quran and yet debased in others. In these ayats, for example, even our commercial transactions are considered imporant enough to receive an accounting in the very presence of God as we stand before Him. And yet God reminds us that we are, after all, nothing but seminal fluid (86:5-6), and that we are but beggars before Him (47:38).

There is, then, nothing intrinsically significant about us. At our core, we are nothing but drops of liquid. But because He involves Himself so intrically into our most mundane of tasks, we are exalted. Whatever our worth, it stems from Him, to the extent that He deems fit.

Blogger: Point of no return
Article: Relocation of Yemen Jews postponed for third time
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-09 00:34:00

Yemeni Jews in Amran have expressed disappointment as their relocation to the capital Sana’a has been delayed, according to the Yemen Post:

The transfer was postponed on Tuesday for the third time. The announcement was made after the Jews along with governor of Amran and Sheikh Muhammad Naji al-Shaef travelled to Sana’a to have a look at 50 houses the government has allocated for them at the Tourist City in the Sawan Area.

Yemeni Jews claimed the houses were not large enough as each Jewish household consists of 8-17 members. Authorities then showed them other proposed residential units for them in the Al Hasaba and Al Jeraf Areas which they admired.A Rabbi, who asked not to be identified said authorities told them the delay comes because all arrangements for it have not been completed.

The relocation was scheduled for the first time on January 1, but it was delayed until January 3 and then until Wednesday January 6.

Read article in full

The editor-in-chief complains that the Jews are getting preferential treatment

Blogger: Baha’i Faith in Egypt
Article: Why Are Baha’is Persecuted in Egypt & Iran? Part-2
Originaly Posted On: 2009-01-08 18:26:00

Prison cell of Baha’u'llah while in exile (closed door on left)

This is a continuation of the previous post regarding the message of the Baha’i religion and its intended purpose.

Those who oppose the Baha’is in Egypt and Iran claim that the Baha’i religion is not a “heavenly” or a “divine” one, and that it is a man-made philosophy and such other unfounded claims by those who are ill-intentioned or misinformed.

Even with such ongoing opposition and the repeated attempts at the extermination of the founders and followers of the religion at its birthplace, the Faith has proven its worth by surviving such desperate maneuvers for over a century and a half. It is now considered as one of the fastest growing religions and it has been recognized, after Christianity, as the second-most widespread religion in global geographic distribution.

The following paragraphs and quote give a glimpse of some of the basic teachings of the Baha’i Faith that illustrate the clear message on how man should regard his Creator and the power of His revelation through His Manifestations on earth:

The first of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings I will describe for you is about God and our relationship with Him. Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God is unknowable in His Essence. This means that we should not make images of God in our mind, thinking of Him, for example, as a man. In general, that which has been created cannot understand its creator. For instance, a table cannot understand the nature of the carpenter who made it. The carpenter’s existence is totally incomprehensible to the objects he makes.

God is the Creator of all things. He has made the heavens and earth, with its mountains and valleys, its deserts and seas, its rivers, its meadows and trees. God has created the animals and God has created the human being. The reason behind our creation, we are told by Bahá’u’lláh, is love. He says:

“O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.”

So although God’s existence is far beyond our understanding, His love touches our lives and our beings ceaselessly. The way this love flows to us is through His Eternal Covenant. According to this Eternal Covenant, God never leaves us alone and without guidance. Whenever humanity moves away from Him and forgets His Teachings, a Manifestation of God appears and makes His Will and Purpose known to us.

The word “manifest” means to reveal, to bring forth something that was not known before. The Manifestations of God are those special Beings Who reveal to humanity the Word and the Will of God; thus when we listen to Them, we are responding to the Call of God.

There is an example from the physical world that helps us to understand the concept of “Manifestation” as taught by Bahá’u’lláh. In this world, the sun is the source of all warmth and light, without which life would not exist on the planet. Yet the sun itself does not descend to earth, and if we tried to approach it, we would be totally consumed.

But suppose we take a well-polished mirror and point it towards the sun. In it we will see the image of the sun, and the more perfectly polished the mirror, the more perfect the image will be. The Manifestations of God are like perfect Mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light. While God is beyond our reach, these perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the energy we need to progress, materially and spiritually.

To be continued….