The New Nation - Internet Edition

Distorting anti-Semitism

Khalid Amayreh in Occupied East Jerusalem

Zionist apologists and hasbara doctors have been trying of late to convince the European public opinion that opposition to Israel's brutal treatment of the Palestinian people amounts, more or less, to a new form of anti-Semitism.

This week, the Israeli foreign ministry, in cooperation with Zionist circles in North America, announced the creation of the so-called "International Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism."

"We're witnessing a new, global, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism without parallel or precedent since World War II," said Canadian MP Irwin Colter, one of the organizer. "It is not only essential to sound the alarm, but it's time to act."

However, from reading in between the lines, it becomes amply clear that the real target these Zionist supremacists have in mind is not the morbid hatred of Jews for being Jews, otherwise known as anti-Semitism. It is rather the growing global awareness of and opposition to Israeli apartheid, criminality and genocidal policies being pursued in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In fact, it is not anti-Jewish racism that these liars are really seeking to fight; it is rather anti-Palestinian Israeli racism that they are trying to defend and protect. Racists, after all, are qualified to combat racism as much as pyromaniacs are qualified to fight fires.

Today, Israel, more than any other country on earth, is the number-1 generator, inducer and encourager of anti-Semitism.

Israel calls itself "the Jewish state" and claims to represent the Jews of the world. And as such, Israel's Nazi-like actions and behaviors are bound to boomerang in one way or the other.

In the years following its misbegotten creation, Israel sought largely successfully to induce hatred for Jews in their respective places of residence in order to get them to fulfill Zionism and emigrate to a land made unholy by decades of lies, oppression and murder.

Now, Zionism is trying intimidate Europeans, especially European states, into endorsing Israeli Nazism, or at least playing deaf and dumb and looking the other way while generations of helpless Palestinians are murdered on a daily basis as the entire future of the Palestinian people is being decapitated in full view of the entire humanity.

In so doing, Israel and its hasbara mouthpieces is actually seriously cheapening anti-Semitism and helping, knowingly or unknowingly, the true haters of Jews. True anti-Semites used to be those who hated Jews for being Jews. Today, the rabid dogs of Zionism would want us to believe that anti-Semites are also those who speak up in defense of human rights in Palestine, people, like Christian peace activists in Hebron, who escort terrified Palestinian kids to their schools, lest they be attacked by a ghoulish breed of Zionist Jews called "hilltop settlers."

Well, who do these depraved Zionists think they are any way? Do they think they have a license from the Almighty to murder, lie, and steal, and when people speak up against these evils, all they have to do to stop them is to shout anti-Semitism! Anti-Semitism!

It is therefore imperative that all men and women of conscience, including thousands of honest Jews whose devotion to justice and morality always comes first, make clear to Israel and her tribal supporters that anti-Semitism will no longer be allowed to be used to justify genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine. In the final analysis, we should be living in a moral universe, and if rejecting Israeli crimes in Palestine is anti-Semitism, which of course isn't , then this proverbial "anti-Semitism" should itself become a moral obligation of the highest order upon all conscientious men and women around the world.

It may well be true that there are those who utilize legitimate criticisms of Israel to promote real anti-Semitism. But who is to blame for this outcome? The Palestinians, the victims of Zionist racism, or the child-killers in Gaza and the West Bank who want the world to atone for one holocaust by allowing and enabling Israel to obliterate an entire people, the Palestinians, just as the Nazis had wanted to obliterate another entire people, the Jews, more than six decades ago.

But, likewise, is it not also true that "anti-Semitism" is often utilized to the fullest by many Zionist Jews to silence legitimate criticisms of this evil state that murders, lies and steals and then claims to be the only true democracy in the Middle East and a light upon the nations. Some Zionist propagandists, who lie as often as they breathe, are also trying to make analogies between classical European anti-Semitism and the so-called Islamic anti-Semitism.

This is a cardinal lie as many honest Jews would readily admit. Muslims don't hate Jews for being Jews. And Judaism enjoys a clear historical and religious legitimacy in Islam.

In fact, the Quran, Islam's holy book, challenges Jews to live up to the sublime teachings of justice and morality that the Israelite prophets preached.

In recent history however, Zionism nearly succeeded in alienating hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world who share with Jews many fundamental beliefs, including the belief in the oneness of God and the centrality of justice and morality to human behavior.

Moreover, many Zionists Jews these days, especially in North America, are making strange bed-fellow with Pseudo-Christian lunatics who claim that Muslims have no souls and ought to be wiped off from the face of earth.

So, how does Zionism expect Muslims to react to this venomous enmity? Can Muslims, or indeed the rest of decent human beings, give Israel the benefit of the doubt under these circumstances? To be sure, real anti-Semitism, along with Islamophobia and other forms of racism, should be rejected and fought relentlessly.

However, Israel and Zionism can't create and consolidate the "cause" and then complain vociferously about the "effect."

Besides, the time when Zionism could easily manipulate and blackmail the collective conscience of humanity is over for good.

Family cohesion, not chaos

M.T.Hussain

The head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams has recently (BBC Radio, 8 February 08) sparked a motion of public debate in England by advocating for inclusion of some family laws or Shariah of Islam for the British Muslims in Britain along with the existing lone code for all British citizens. He stood for his stance for improving family cohesion. Some politicians have stood to oppose the issue as the Archbishop has advanced. The British politicians have been arguing against the Archbishop about the proposal if brought to book as it might create social chaos. So far, however, no politician has argued that the proposal if enacted as law might create family chaos, as well.

The Archbishop is not only an evangelic but also a social thinker by dint of his high- level education, knowledge base and social position that had been prerequisites of his appointment as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest position in the official religious hierarchy in Britain.

There is nothing unusual in Britain arguing for and against in any new idea; it is rather very much usual and commendable. It is in Britain that they long ago termed their talking shop or parliament so powerful in talking about business and passing legislation that the parliament can make and unmake everything except making 'a man a woman and a woman a man'. That is no doubt the beauty of the British system for arguing on issues and certainly is laudable. Even so, they had to restrict their power subject to nature's laws just as a man is different from a woman. The question of family relation is hinged and anchored between two human souls not only of biologically opposite sex but also of a man and a woman.

From the very first day of the creation they remained biologically different for functions not exactly the same but different. Development of science and technology changed many things in worldly life pattern but not the reproductive biological functions.

It is not alone the difference in biological functions, rearing of children in infancy apart from precautions in pregnancy for long nine months causing so much of chemical changes in physiology and anatomy are not any function of man or of the biological father but almost exclusive to mother, the woman. These need not be elaborated. But another issue connected with rearing of children in cohesive family ties as distinct from separated couples is not an unimportant thing so far as natural mental growth of young children is concerned that has been a serious concern of late not only in Britain but in all western dominated industrialised countries, because, broken families is a common thing almost everywhere in all those societies.

Muslims now live everywhere in the West and other countries. In Britain immigrant Muslims are now about 2 million. In the USA, Muslims are nearing ten million figures and have been having one of the fastest growth rates. In France the highest of religious minorities are about 6 million Muslims. Even living in those permissive countries Muslims maintain traditional family ties, as is well known and ordained by legal codes bound essentially by sexuality within lawful husband and wife, and nothing beyond. Rare exceptions only prove the rule.

The West and their followers have many good social norms- freedom, liberty, educational and economic opportunities open to all, social security, health care, mobility and so on so forth. But in midst of these good things broken homes is a common scenario. Single parent family is a common phenomenon. Sexual perversion is not limited to promiscuity alone but has gone on to homosexuality legalised to the extent of marriage between same sex partners. These unnatural human acts have been given State sanctions and legal nod in many countries in the West now for 'freedom' and 'liberty' of individuals that are also being misused for breakdown of marriage relations even for silly reasons like seeking separation and divorce for 'snoring' of one spouse by the other. Many unkindly Muslim men in particular were well known to go for divorce taking advantage of the ease of such British laws.

Sex and sexuality are part of natural trait not only for human being but also for all other animal genre for continuance of reproductive needs. In the animal world except human being, restricting sexuality between two opposite sex lawfully united under social norm, is not of order, much less any cultural requirement. Apart from any other rationale as the human infant is vulnerable than any other animal offspring, rearing of lawful parentage children in natural love and affection of both biological father and mother is an essential need for healthy mental growth of any and all human babies. Broken homes and single parent family can hardly do the mental growth job properly. The system of baby-sitting as a professional job could, no doubt, do some of the job, but how much of mental growth satisfactorily remains open to question.

Broken homes and promiscuity have given rise to other social vices. Sex has turned wrongly into a 'service' and otherwise productive young women into nothing but sex slaves, but make them destitute ones as soon as their youth and natural beauty is gone. The vice has further lacuna in spreading the killer disease AIDS that not only kills many immaturely but also is an impediment to productivity, on the one hand, and economic burden on the society, on the other.

I had been fortunate to live in the British and American society for years in phases for university education, and so experienced their society from within. Let me not elaborate much about the evils about the phenomenon among the average non-Muslims in those countries, but among the Muslims. I knew a few young Muslim girls in London who grew up in my knowledge, schooled there, went to job, got married, and unfortunately divorced and separated in a very short period, in most cases, soon after the first child of the couple was born. They were as from working class families as from well to do highly educated middle class ones, as well. What I saw and felt for all those couples hardly for any serious fault of the fair sex partners but for the male partners as they had, in the poor state of sex morals, ease of British laws in regard to marital relations for divorce and separation and openness to enough scope for promiscuity.

Although divorce is permissible in Islamic Sharia, it is very much discouraged and provided for good scope for reconciliation before final separation. Had the society not been flooded with scopes for sex service girls, the things would have been, I am sure, different. In Britain and also in America sale and purchase of sex service is illegal. But that is in paper book only and not in practice. In practice, the prostitutes not only operate in front of the law enforcing agencies but also at times join in procession to protest against what they call excesses of police. Once I saw to my amazement that a large group of prostitutes made a siege of the local church for hours in the day time I used to live in the Kings Cross area in central London raising banner in their hands that read, 'Stop police excesses against the prostitutes'!

In the widespread backdrop of erosion of sexual morality in the western countries obviously for isolating society from religious morality or secularisation of politics and society having endless ill chain effects in society, the suggestion put forward by the Reverend Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is a timely wake up call and warning that he hinted at to begin providing along with existing English law for Sharia codes for the British Muslims, possibly because, the Muslims as a community there have still been having more affinity for keeping family relations through observing the Sharia than almost all other religious groups living in Britain. The suggestion is more likely to increase family cohesion and reduce family level chaos in the British society.

Financial dealing be conducted with honesty

Tamizul Haque

Barrister-at-Law

(From previous issue)

There are peoples who argue that "trade is just same as usury" and today's modern Banking System, in fact, practices usury in the name of interest on loan. It will be appropriate therefore to study Ayat 275 of Sura Baqara-II in which Allah Subhanahu Tahla replies to them thus :

Those who devour usury

Will not stand except

As stands one whom

The Evil One by his touch

Hath driven to madness

That is because they say:

"Trade is like usury,"

The sharp opposition between legitimate trade and usury supports Abdullah Yousuf Ali's definition when he explains Bai (literary, Sale or Barter) is also used more generally for trade and commerce, and various kinds of transactions.

It is useful to mention the whole argument given by Sayed Quatb in his book entitled as "In the Shade of the Quran Volume-3 at page 115 which runs thus :-

The fact is that a great gulf separate ordinary trade transactions and usurious dealings. There is also a great difference between the benefits trade generates to people and the destructive effects brought about by usury.

Trade is a useful medium that brings commodities to consumers. Thus, it is a marketing service providing the motivation to improve goods and commodities and to make them available to the consumer. It is a service to both producer and consumer, which results in a profit gained by the trader. Skill and effort are essential for the gain to be made. A trader runs the risk of loss as also the prospect of profit.

None of these benefits can be attributed to usury. Usury places a heavy burden on industry, in the shape of interest, which is added to the cost of commodities. It also burdens the trader and consumer with the payment of interest paid by producers. As occurred when the capitalist system managed to gather strength, the usury system imposes a certain direction on industry and investment which does not take into account the interests of industry itself or of the consumers. The first priority is given to an increase in profits so that interest on loans can be paid. No objection is raised even when priority is given to the production of luxury goods, even though the majority of people cannot meet their basic needs. No objection is heard even when large investments are devoted to projects aiming at the illegal satisfaction of lust. The destructive effects of all these on society are not even considered. Additionally, there is the element of ever-continuing profit given to capital, which runs no risk of loss and does not rely on skill or effort, which are necessary for trade. The indictment of the usurious system has many more elements, all of which demand the death sentence for this system. Islam issued this sentence long ago.

It is this type of confusion between usury and trade which necessitated this clarification to be made in the form of an exception, stated in the Quranic verse as: Believers have been cautioned by Allah Subhanahu Tahla not to "EAT-UP your property among yourselves in vanities, But let there be amongst you, Traffic and Trade By mutual goodwill", i.e. which they conduct by mutual consent.

Again in Ayat 10 of Sura 61 that is Sura Saff Allah Subhanahu Tahla has spoken about Tijarat, bargain, trade, traffic, transactions: something given or done in return for something which we desire to get. What we give or do on our part is described in verse 11 below and what we get it described in verse 12.

I am reproducing the Ayat 11 of Sura Saff-61 for better understanding of my readers.

That ye believe in Allah

And His Apostle, and that

Ye strive (your utmost)

In the cause of Allah,

With your property

And your persons:

That will be best for you,

If ye but knew!

It would indeed be a great and wonderful bargain to give so little and get so much, if we only knew and understood the comparative value of things,-the sacrifice of our fleeting advantages for forgiveness, the love of Allah, and eternal bliss.

Again Ayat 12 of Sura Saff-61 Allah assures the believers of the faith that Allah will forgive their sins, and admit them to the Garden beneath which Rivers flow, and to Beautiful Mansions in Gardens of Eternity that is indeed the Supreme Achievement.

In Ayat 9 of Sura Jumua that is sura 62 of Holy Quran Allah speaks thus :

O ye who believe!

When the call is proclaimed

To prayer on Friday

(The Day of Assembly),

Hasten earnestly to the Remembrance

Of Allah, and leave off

Business (and traffic):

That is best for you

If ye but knew!

Abdullah Yousuf Ali explains this ayat thus :-

Friday, "the Muslim Sabbath" is primarily the Day of Assembly, the weekly meeting of the congregation, when we show our unity by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a Khutba, in which the Imam (or Leader) reviews the week's spiritual life of the Community and offers advice and exhortation on holy living.

Notice the gradations of social contact for Muslims if they followed the wise ordinances of their Faith. (1) Each individual remembers Allah for himself or herself five or more times every day in the home or place of business, or local mosque, or open air, as the case may be. (2) On Friday in every week, there is a local meeting in the central mosque of each local center, - it may be a village, or town, or ward of a big city. (3) At the two Ids every year, there is a larger local area meeting in one center, the Idgah. (4) Once at least in a lifetime, where possible, a Muslim shares in the vast international assemblage of the world, in the center of Islam, at the Meccan Pilgrimage. A happy combination of decentralization and centralization, of individual liberty and collective meeting, and contact at various stages or grades. The mechanical part of this ordinance is easy to carry out. Are we carrying out the more difficult part? -the spirit of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action?

(To be continued)

The idea behind the Muslim weekly "Day of Assembly" is different from that behind the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) or the Christian Sunday. The Jewish Sabbath is primarily a commemoration of Allah's ending His work and resting on the seventh day: we are taught that Allah needs no rest, nor does He feel fatigue (2-255). The Jewish command forbids work on that day but says nothing about worship or prayer ; our ordinance lays chief stress on the remembrance of Allah. Jewish formalism went so far as to kill the spirit of the Sabbath, and call forth the protest of Jesus: "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. But the Christian Church, although it has changed the day from Saturday to Sunday, has inherited the Jewish spirit: witness the Scottish Sabbath; except in so far as it has been secularized. Our teaching says: 'When the time for Jumu'a Prayer comes, close your business and answer the summons loyally and earnestly, meet earnestly, pray, consult and learn by social contact: when the meeting is over, scatter and go about your business.

The immediate and temporal worldly gain may be the ultimate and spiritual loss, and vice versa.

In Ayat 10 of Sura Jumu'a Holy Quran clearly speaks that "when the Prayer Is finished then people may Disperse through the land And seek the Bounty of Allah and celebrate The Praise of Allah Often so that they may prosper".

Prosperity is not to be measured by wealth or worldly gains. There is a higher prosperity, -the health of the mind and the spirit.

Ayat 11 of the Sura Jumua-62 Allah cautions us not to be distructed by the craze for amusement or gain. If one leads a righteous and sober life, Allah will provide for him in all senses, better than any provision one can possibly think of.

Islam urges Muslims to enjoy the bounties provided by Allah Subhanahu Tahla and sets no quantitative limits to the extent of material growth of Islamic society. I have also sighted as above ayat 10 of Sura 62 where Allah has directed the Ummah that when the Jumu'a prayer is ended, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah's bounty. If Allah provides any one with an opportunity for earning his livelihood, let him not leave it unexploited until it is exhausted. From Bokhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi, one would find that when any Muslim who plants a tree or cultivates a field such that a bird, or a human being, or an animal eats from it, this act will be counted as an act of charity.

Islam also expects from the believers of the Faith to refrain from bagging. Islam goes even further than this. It urges Muslims to gain mastery over nature because, according to the Holy Quran, all resources in the heavens and the earth have been created for the service of mankind.

Now coming back to ayat 29 of Sura Nesa-IV the commitment of Islam to individual freedom distinguishes it sharply from socialism or any system, which abolishes individual freedom. Free mutual consent of the buyer and the seller is, according to all schools of Muslims jurisprudence, a necessary condition for any business transactions. This conditions springs from the verse of the Holy Quran which runs thus :-

O ye who believe!

Eat not up your property

Among yourselves in vanities:

But let there be amongst you

Traffic and trade

By mutual good-will:

The Holy Prophet is also reported to have said: Leave people alone for Allah gives them provision through each other. The only system that would conform to this spirit of freedom in the Islamic way of life is one where the conduct of a large part of the production and distribution of goods and services is left to individuals or voluntarily constituted groups, and where each individual is permitted to sell to or buy from whom he wants at a price agreeable to both the buyer and seller.

The market mechanism may also be considered to be an integral part of the Islamic economic system because, on the one hand, the institution of private property is not workable without it; and, on the other, it offers the consumers a chance to express their desires for the production of goods of their liking by their willingness to pay the price and also gives resources-owners an opportunity to sell their resources in accordance with their free will.

As a matter of policy I give a conclusion to my treatise for better understanding of my readers. There is no strictly worldly sector of life according to Islam. Action in every field of human activity including the economic, is spiritual provided it is in harmony with the goal and values of Islam. These goals and values are summarized by some authors as follows :-

1. Economic well-being within the framework of moral and norm of Islam;

2. Universal brotherhood and justice;

3. Equitable distribution of income; and

4. Freedom of individual within the context of social welfare.

Islam strikes a balance between the two extremes of capitalism and socialism. Being appreciative of their role Islam harmonizes the individual and the state in such a way that individuals have the freedom necessary to develop their potentialities and not to encroach upon the rights of their fellowmen. It also gives the community and the state adequate powers to regulate and control the socio-economic relationships so as to guard and maintain this harmony in human life. The basis of this whole structure as envisaged by Islam is the reciprocity of love between individuals and groups; it is not erected on the basis of hatred and class conflict as is the case with socialism.

(Concluded)