COUNTERCURRENT

Countering The Currents Of Misinformation

Issue 7

Mission The aim of CounterCurrent is to engender God-consciousness and spirituality in a materialoriented society. It particularly aims to present the true picture of Islam and do away with the false negativity that has been associated with it. It is not a business venture and relies mainly on individual sponsorship. If you wish to be part of this noble cause, please contact us [below]. Availability CounterCurrent is currently available at major public outlets and some smaller establishments. It is also distributed hand to hand where appropriate. For personal subscription please contact us through our email. Disclaimer The opinions and views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily express CounterCurrents viewpoint or position. CounterCurrent does not accept responsibility for views expressed in articles that appear in its pages. Contribution of Content We welcome your articles for publication in the magazine. We do however reserve the right to edit them or not publish them at all. Articles should be of a standard quality and with a positive message, and forwarded with the contact details of the writer to our email address below. Copyright Notice No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the editor.

All correspondence should be sent to: THE EDITOR COUNTERCURRENT 84 BONSALL STREET, LEICESTER - LE5 5AE Email: ccorguk@gmail.com COUNTERCURRENT IS A NON-PROFIT-MAKING ORGANIZATION Registered in England - No: 06040401

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First
Modern man is exposed to so much misinformation with respect to Islam that he has become pathologically averse to even attempting to carry out an objective study of it. Such attitude is utterly disgraceful and flies in the face of high-sounding mantras like everyone deserves a fair trial and innocent until proven guilty etc. It is usually ignorance among people that breeds suspicion and fear, leading to hate and possible hate crimes. A recent research revealed that 77% of non-Muslims in this country were highly critical of Islam, yet less than 7% had any knowledge of it. The media, however, has to take its share of blame too. It portrays a few firebrand extremists as representatives of the whole community. The actions of some deviant Muslims are presented as a typical representation of the Faith. As anybody can realize, such behaviour is not only outrageous but disgusting too. There are Jews in Israel who routinely terrorize the Palestinians; certain Christian parties in countries like Uganda terrorise indigenous Muslims, and some Hindu fascist parties in India promote hatred and violence against the minority there. However, we do not, and should not, make

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Foremost
Selective quotation is yet another hideous crime. It is indeed a matter of shame that out of the entire religion, containing millions of instructions for a peaceful and harmonious existence, it is always the few select aspects dealing with rare occasions that are brought to the fore for critique. And even those aspects are Divine formulations which are not without wisdom, rather essential for the smooth and efficient running of the society, whether or not we can appreciate. This would be akin to taking a tourist directly to the operation theatre of a hospital upon his visit to a city, and ensuring he sees nothing but that. All the scenic locations are deliberately kept out of sight. The spectacle at the hospital may not be very sightly, but is nevertheless as important as every other aspect that constitutes the beautiful city. In fact, truly speaking, the city would lose its real worth without the existence of hospitals and operation theatres within. Such is the case with some of the Divine Instructions. But humans, with feeble minds as they have, may not be able to grasp the allencompassing wisdom of the Almighty. Herein lies the true meaning of submission.

generalizations in regard to them too and label the religion or all its followers as violent; By the same token, neither Islam nor the entire Muslim community should be put to trial for the crimes of a few miscreants. When quoting, many of the verses of Quran are normally taken out of context too. The Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years as and when required. Therefore one will find verses relating to almost all situations, including defence in the battlefield. Such commands for engagement in fighting were for particular situations, applicable only at those times, and were not meant for all occasions. This underlines the importance of the commentary of Quran, which must be read simultaneously to give an understanding of what is meant where. This would come from Prophetic statements and biography. The Quran, being highly concentrated as it is, may not lend space to such details for fear of protractedness. It is the duty of the reader to research and investigate. This is why it becomes so important to teach Islam to Muslims as much as nonMuslims. Thus, if such verses are read within their context one would find that the Quran in no place promotes or condones intolerance against non-Muslims.

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What The Scientists Say

There are too many accuracies [in the Quran] and I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a Divine inspiration or revelation... (Dr. T. V. N. Persaud, Professor of Anatomy, Pediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada) It follows, I think, that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion, but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches; that there exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God. (Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Molecular and Human Genetics) As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved in what he [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was able to write. (Dr. E. Marshall Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, USA) In a relatively few [Quranic] verses is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature. (Gerald C. Goeringer, Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at Georgetown University, USA) It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to [Prophet] Muhammad (pbuh) from God, or Allah, because most of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that [Prophet] Muhammad (pbuh) must have been a messenger of God, or Allah. ... Because the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge. The intensive studies of the Quran and Hadith in the last four years have revealed a system of classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D... the descriptions in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century... (Dr. Keith L. Moore, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto. Distinguished embryologist and the author of several medical textbooks) I think it is almost impossible that he [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)] could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological

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methods that this is the case Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago, could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind for instance that the earth and the heavens had the same origin, or many other questions that we have discussed here. If you combine all these and you combine all the statements that are made in the Quran in terms that relate to the earth and the formation of the earth and science in general, you can basically say that statements made there in many ways are true; they can now be confirmed by scientific methods... And that many of the statements made in there at that time could not be proven, but that modern scientific methods are now in a position to prove what [Prophet] Muhammad (pbuh) said 1400 years ago. (Alfred Kroner, Professor of the Department of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Germany. One of the worlds most famous geologists) I say I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in Quran. We astronomers have been studying a very small piece of the universe. As, through the telescope, we can only see a few parts of the sky. So by reading the Quran I think I can find my future field of study for investigation of the

universe. (Professor Yushidi Kusan, Director of the Tokyo Observatory, Tokyo, Japan) It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge existed at that time, around 1400 years back. Perhaps some of the things they may have had simple ideas about; but to describe those things in great detail is very difficult. So this is definitely not simple human knowledge. A normal human being cannot explain this phenomenon in that much detail. So I thought the information must have come from a supernatural source. (Prof. Dorja Rao, Professor of Marine Geology at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) I believe that everything mentioned in the Quran 1400 years ago is true and can be proven by scientific methods This must be by inspiration from God, or Allah, Who knows all science. Thus, I believe that this is the time to say: There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. (Prof. Tejatat Tejasen, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand) It [the Quran] discusses the past, the recent period, and the future. I do not know the cultural level of the people in the period of [Prophet] Muhammad (pbuh) and I

do not know their scientific level. If it is as we know about the low scientific level in this ancient period, and the absence of technology, then there is no doubt that what we are reading nowadays in the Quran is a light from God. He inspired it in [Prophet] Muhammad (pbuh). I had made research into the early history of civilization in the Middle East in order to know if there was such perfect information as this. If there was no other information like the Quranic information in that ancient period, this strengthens the faith that God sent [Prophet] Muhammad [Prophet]; He sent to him a little amount from His large science, which we have discovered only in recent times. We are hoping for continuous dialogue in the subject of science with the Quran in the field of geology. (Prof. Palmar, one of the major scientists in geology in the USA) After a discussion about the function of mountains for the fixing of the earth, I believe that this [the Qurans information] is very very strange; it is nearly impossible. I believe truly that if what you are saying is right, this book [the Quran] is very valuable to be noticed. (Professor Syawda, a Japanese scientist famous in Japan and internationally in the field of oceanic geology)

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The Honeybee
And your Lord revealed to [inspired] the female honeybee; build homes in mountains, and trees, and in the hives people build for you. [The Honeybee, 16:68] In narrating the doings of the honeybee, the Quran uses the feminine gender. In Arabic, verbs are conjugated according to gender. The use in the Quran of the feminine gender in conjugation shows that the acts were performed by the female bee. To translate the honeybee in question with the addition of the adjective female before the honeybee would be natural. The working of the female honeybee is described in the Quran as follows: 1- Building of hive (verse 68) 2- Collecting of nectar, new material for honey production (verse 69) 3- Making of honey (verse 69) All the above three functions are performed by female bees. The unique function of the male, more robust with big eyes, is to fertilize the young queen female bee. The male bees that fulfil this function are expelled from the hive by their females at the end of the summer and, as they are used to being looked after by their females, they then die of starvation. At the time of the descent of the Quran, men did not know the details of the distribution of work among the bees living in a hive; they did not know that those actively working in the hive were females. They did not know that the function of producing honey and collecting nectar from fruits belonged to female bees. Therefore, it is interesting, indeed, that in listing the duties of bees, the Quran used the mode of conjugation in the Arabic intended for the female gender. Mathematician Bees The functions performed by the female honeybee leave us in wonder. The design of the cells in which she will live call for the erudition of a mathematician. Honeybees produce their honeycombs in the form of hexagons. (Bee fossils show that this was also the case millions of years ago.) Mathematicians inquiring into the reason why this hexagon remained constant and why there were no rectangles, heptagons, octagons, etc. found out that the optimum use of the entire space of unit could be no other than a hexagon, which also accounted for the production of cells using the available material in the most economical fashion. Had the cells been of a different shape, i.e., triangular or quadrilateral, there would be no vacuum as well. But less material is required to build hexagonal cells than that required for triangular or quadrilateral cells. In many other shapes there would be unutilized space left. Thus the hexagonal cell is capable

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of storing the greater amount of honey with less wax. This structure is the result of the combined work of thousands of bees, each contributing to the entire geometrical opus. Mathematicians have proven that no larger space could be arranged with a given amount of wax to fit the geometrical design. The worker bees show how they can realize it in the most economical fashion with what they have. A French entomologist by the name of Antoine Ferchault posited a geometrical problem referred to as the Bee Problem. He stated that a cell of regular hexagonal cross section is closed by three equal and equally inclined rhombuses. Calculate the smaller angle of the rhombus when the total surface area of the cell is least possible. Three leading mathematicians, a German, a Swiss and a Brit, tried to solve this problem, and all of them found the following result: 70 degrees 32 minutes. This exactly fits the angle of cells constructed by the female bees. Even the wisest of men could not suggest an improvement on the female bees technique of building. The worker bees points of departure in the production process of these cells differ. As the work proceeds, the cells converge toward a central point. The angles of cells at the point where they meet are perfect. It is clear that the construction of this design, the distances between the beginning and the end points and the precise calculation of the

positions of their fellow workers display unbelievable exactitude. The most renowned mathematicians demonstrated the bees unerring calculation measured as 70 degrees 32 minutes. However, were we to suggest that these men of science take a ruler in hand and make a hexagon with perfectly fitting angles, and then add to the instructions given to these three professors, asking that the calculation used to form the hexagons be regular and flawless, they would fail in the task. We see that the bees are not only great theoreticians but also skilful practitioners. In the theoretical field, this calculation is incredibly exact, while their dexterity in applying it is unbelievably accurate. How do these bees, whose lifetime is so short, achieve all these calculations and construction work? To call this ingenuity mere instinct does not explain anything. The Quran states that the bee received revelations according to which Gods design and programming were put into execution. Within the span of the honeybees lifetime, the cleverest of men could not learn even to count, let alone be the author of such a perfect design. We cannot account for the erudition of bees, certainly not as pure luck. The Creator who created the bee made her with all her potentialities, having solved for her all these mathematical problems. The same Creator sees to it that the bee works for ends that also serve mankind in general. By theQuranic Research Group

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Islam - Not A New Phenomenon

It is a widely held misconception that Islam is a new religion and Muhammad (pbuh) was the founder of it. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Islam has been with humanity since time immemorial. Since Islam means submission, all the Prophets were Muslims as they submitted to Almighty God. All the believers in those Prophets were also Muslims for they surrendered to the Almighty. In fact, anything and everything that submits itself to the Almighty is a Muslim. As such, every ant, every fly, every particle of dust, is a Muslim. The sun, the moon, and every planet that orbits in space are Muslims, for they submit to God through their unquestioning behaviour. Even the person who denies God or treads the wrong path is, for the most part, and unwittingly, a Muslim. For, whether it be the development of the foetus or the departing of the soul, man is powerless; powerless in coming into this world, and powerless in going from here. There is a Force far beyond his comprehension which takes care of all the stages of birth and physical growth and development, through to his ultimate decline and death. During his life, every drop of blood, every beat of the heart, every cell of the brain, all flawlessly follow the paths designated for them; they are hence Muslims. Take any system of the human anatomy: the digestion process, blood circulation, the functioning of the mind; all submissively obey the One Dictating Force. All that remains for the completion of the process is for man to surrender his intellectual faculty too and profess belief with all his heart in the One God and all his messengers. This will bring him in harmony not just with himself, but with all the phenomena around him and the entire universe. He will then find the inner peace that he inwardly yearned but had evaded him all along, and will be at one with all existence. The question that may arise here is that since everyone who followed the Prophet of the time was a Muslim, why then do we not find the word Islam in the previous scriptures? The answer to that is Islam is not a proper noun. It is a translatable Arabic word, which means submission, and the message of submission abounds in the texts of previous scriptures, such as, submit yourself therefore to God. [James 4:7] The Quran too endorses the fact Islam had existed prior to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Note how the context in which the word Muslim has been used in the following verse, highlighting the importance of the meaning over the appellation, i.e., a Muslim is he who submits to God Almighty. Abraham was neither a Jew or a Christian, but he was a strict Muslim [having surrendered himself to God]. [Quran 3: 67] The current Muslim affirmation is thus: There is no god but Allah - Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In respect to the previous nations then, the second segment of the affirmation would have changed to whoever had been the contemporary

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prophet. And so in the time of Moses the affirmation would have been, There is no god but Allah, and Moses is the Messenger of Allah; and in the time of Jesus, there is no god but Allah, and Jesus is the Messenger of Allah. Since Islam is in no way a new religion and faith, but merely an extension of the previous revelations sent by God, there is, in essence, striking similarities between it and other faiths. In fact one will find that many aspects of Islam which Muslims uphold so dearly are found within the present-day scriptures of the very nations who not only have abandoned these divine instructions but look upon them with surprise if not contempt. Since the most recent revealed religion preceding Islam was Christianity, in paragraphs below, we present Islamic practices that are found within the contemporary Bible. Bowing and prostrating on the ground Jesus (pbuh) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed. (Matthew 26:39) Moses (pbuh) And Moses bowed to the ground and worshiped. (Exodus 34:8) Moses and Aaron (pbut) Then Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces... (Numbers 20:6) Abraham (pbuh) Then Abram [Abraham] fell on his face. (Genesis 17:3)

Abrahams servant When Abrahams servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. (Genesis 24:52) Joshua (pbuh) And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped. (Joshua 5:14) Ezra and the people Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6) Praying from dawn to evening From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. (Psalms 113:3) Offering prayers at specified times One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer... (Acts 3:1) Supplicating with hands raised Solomon (pbuh) He rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. (1 Kings 8:54) Ezra and the people Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all of the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. (Nehemiah 8:6) Making ablution before offering prayers And Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and their feet. They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 40:31,32)

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Taking off shoes while entering the place of prayer Moses (pbuh) Then he said, Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. (Exodus 3:5)
Then the Lord said to him, Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. (Acts 7:33) Joshua (pbuh) The commander of the Lords army replied, Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:15) Calling the temple of God the house of prayer (Masjid in Arabic) As Jesus (pbuh) did He said to them, It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer.(Matthew 21:13) Following the lunar calendar From one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord. (Isaiah 66: 23) Fasting It is obligatory for a Muslim to keep fast for a whole month (called Ramadan) in a year. Jesus (pbuh) fasted for forty days (Matthew 4:2) And about those who fast he is quoted as saying: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

Pilgrimage But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices... There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7) Muslims were instructed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to go to Makkah - a place [in the wilderness of Paran as the Bible puts it, (Genesis 21)] blessed by God, where Prophet Abraham (pbuh) built a house of prayer, or house of God, [Baitullah in Arabic, and Bethel in Hebrew (Genesis 35:15, 28:18)] to glorify God: ... It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isaiah 66:18) Consuming pork The pig, for even though it has divided hoofs, and is cleft-footed, it does not chew the cud. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean for you. (Leviticus 11: 7-8, Deuteronomy 14:8) Those who eat the flesh of pigs are referred to by God as rebellious people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations. (Isaiah 65:2,4) Consuming wine Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding. ... A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to God. (Hosea 4:11,12)

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Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1) And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting; that you may not die; it is a statute forever throughout your generations. (Leviticus 10:8-9) Do not be among winebibbers, or among glutton eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags. (Proverbs 23:20,21) Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. (Proverbs 23:31,32) Dealing in usury If you lend money to any of my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. (Exodus 22:25) Circumcision Jesus And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus. (Luke 2:21) And so were Abraham (pbuh) and Ishmael. (Genesis 17:24,25,26) And all the Israelite prophets. Dress code for women A Muslim woman is required to dress modestly. Nuns dress themselves in a similar way. The Bible says that Prophet Isaacs wife Rebekah was covering herself with a veil: ... So she took her veil and covered herself.

(Genesis 24:65) Not covering the head is considered disgraceful For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. (1 Corinthians 11:6) Greeting Muslims greet each other by saying Assalamu Alaikum, which literally means Peace be upon you. This was the practice of Jesus (pbuh): ... Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. (John 20:19, 21, 26, Luke 24:36) In fact, Jesus (pbuh) instructed his disciples, when he was sending them on the mission, that they should use this greeting when they enter a house. This is the very teaching of Islam. As you enter a house, greet it [say Peace be with you]. If the house is worthy let your peace come upon you; but if it is not worthy, let the peace return to you. (Matthew 10:12) If God wills Muslims, as instructed by the Quran, frequently use the phrase Insha Allah, which means God willing or if God wills. We find this instruction in the Bible too: Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lords will, we will live and do this or that. (James 4:14,15)

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94% Of Terrorists Arent Muslims

CNN recently published an article entitled, Study: Threat of Muslim-American terrorism in U.S. exaggerated; according to a study released by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the terrorist threat posed by radicalized Muslim-Americans has been exaggerated. Yet, Americans continue to live in mortal fear of radical Islam, a fear propagated and inflamed by right wing Islamophobes. If one follows the cable news networks, it seems as if all terrorists are Muslims. It has even become axiomatic in some circles to chant: Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslims. Muslims and their leftist allies respond feebly, mentioning Waco as the one counter example, unwittingly affirming the belief that nearly all terrorists are Muslims. But perception is not reality. The data simply does not support such a hasty conclusion. On the FBIs official website, there exists a chronological list of all terrorist attacks committed on U.S. soil from the year 1980 all the way to 2005. According to this data, far more acts of terrorism were committed by other communal groups than Muslims, many of which were committed in the name of religion. Yet notice the disparity in media coverage between the two. It would indeed be very interesting to construct a corresponding pie chart that depicted the level of media coverage of each group. The reason that Muslim apologists and their leftist allies cannot recall another non-Islamic act of terrorism other than Waco is due to the fact that the media gives minimal (if any) coverage to such events. If a terrorist attack does not fit the Islam is the perennial and existential threat of our times narrative, it is simply not paid much attention to, which in a circuitous manner reinforces and proves the preconceived narrative. It is to such an extent that the average American cannot remember any Jewish or Latino terrorist; why should he when he has never even heard of the Jewish Defense League or the Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros? Surely what he does not know does not exist! The Islamophobes claim that Islam is intrinsically a terrorist religion. The proof? Well, just about every terrorist attack is Islamic, they retort. Unfortunately for them, thats not quite true. More like six percent. Using their defunct logic, these right wingers ought now to conclude that nearly all acts of terrorism are committed by Latinos (or other communities). Let them dare say it they couldnt; it would be political and social suicide to say such a thing. Most Americans would shut down such talk as bigoted; yet, similar statements continue to be said of Islam, without any repercussions. The Islamophobes live in a fantasy world where everyone is supposedly too politically correct to criticize Islam and Muslims. Yet, the reality is the exact opposite: you can get away with saying anything against the crescent. Can you imagine the reaction if I said that Latinos should be profiled because after all they are the ones who commit the most terrorism in the country? (For the record: I dont believe in such profiling, because I amunlike the right wing nuttersa believer in

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American ideals.) The moral of the story is that Americans ought to calm down when it comes to Islamic terrorism. Right wingers always live in mortal fearor rather, they try to make you feel that way. Nobody is saying that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of concern, but its grossly exaggerated. On The European Front In respect to terrorism carried out on European soil, the data gathered by Europol

groups accounted for over sixteen times as much terrorism as radical Islamic groups. Only a measly 0.4% of terrorist attacks from 2007 to 2009 could be attributed to extremist Muslims. Perception is not reality. Due to the right wings influence and propaganda, people mistakenly think that Islamic terrorism is the greatest threat to the Western world. It is even a commonly held belief that Islamic terrorism poses an existential threat that the

allowed to be such a critical issue that we are willing to sacrifice our ideals or civil rights for fear of it. Neither should we be reduced to a status of absolute sissitude. We have analyzed data from America and Europe (a good portion of the entire Western world), and the threat from Islamic terrorism is much more minimal than commonly assumed; in the U.S., it accounts for 6% of terrorist attacks, and in Europe not even half a

On p.7, the 2009 Europol report concludes: Islamist terrorism is still perceived as being the biggest threat worldwide, despite the fact that the EU only faced one Islamist terrorist attack in 2008. This bomb attack took place in the UKSeparatist terrorism remains the terrorism area which affects the EU most. This includes Basque separatist terrorism in Spain and France, and Corsican terrorism in FrancePast contacts between ETA and the FARC illustrate the fact that separatist terrorist organizations also seek cooperation partners outside the EU on the basis of common interests. In the UK, dissident Irish republican groups, principally the RIRA and the CIRA, and other paramilitary groups may continue to engage in crime and violence.
too strengthens the argument above. Europol publishes an annual report entitled EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report. On their official website, you can access the reports from 2007, 2008, and 2009. The results are stark, and prove decisively that not all terrorists are Muslims. In fact, a whopping 99.6% of terrorist attacks in Europe were perpetrated by nonMuslim groups; a good 84.8% of attacks were from separatist groups completely unrelated to Islam. Leftist very survival of the Western world is at stake. Of course, the reality is that there are other groups that engage in terrorism on a much larger scale, yet these terrorist incidents are minimized. Acts of terrorism committed by Muslims are purposely sensationalized and focused upon, culminating in the idea that (nearly) all terrorists are Muslims. Terrorism from Islamic extremists is certainly a cause for concern, but it need not be an issue that creates mass hysteria. Nor should it be percent. It is only through sensationalism and fear mongering that the topic of Islamic terrorism is allowed to be used to demonize a religious community that happens to be a minority in the West. When confronted by such lunacy, we ought to respond with the facts and the truth. In a future article, we hope to analyze the data for terrorism on the global level in order to further strengthen this argument
Taken From - www.loonwatch.com

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The Bible Speaks Of Muhammad (pbuh)

By Ahmad Deedat

The advent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had been prophesied by all the preceding Prophets and scriptures. The passages containing the prophecies, despite the interpolations, as believed by Muslims, exist to this day. In this article the author, a renowned scholar of Christianity, embarks to establish what the Bible has affirmed in respect to Muhammad (pbuh). In the forthcoming issues we intend to highlight prophecies from other religious scriptures too. Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon - 5:16. The Hebrew word used there is Muhammaddim. The end letters IM is plural of respect, majesty and grandeur. Minus im the name would be Muhammad translated as altogether lovely in the Authorised Version of the Bible or The Praised One the one worthy of Praise translated as Muhammad in Arabic. Another passage which makes reference to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the one in Deuteronomy. The English translation reads as follows: Addressing Moses (pbuh), it relates God saying: I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put

my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [The Bible; Deuteronomy 18:18] Prophet Like Moses This verse is normally interpreted as referring to Jesus (pbuh), and the similarities from like unto thee are mentioned as: [1] Moses (pbuh) was a Jew and Jesus (pbuh) was also a Jew; [2] Moses (pbuh) was a Prophet and Jesus (pbuh) was also a Prophet Therefore Jesus (pbuh) is like Moses (pbuh). If these are the only two criteria for discovering a candidate for this prophecy of Deuteronomy [18:18], then in that case the criteria could fit any one of the following Biblical personages after Moses (pbuh): - Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist etc., because they were also all Jews as well as being Prophets. Why should we not apply this prophecy to any one of these prophets, and why restrict it only to Jesus (pbuh)? My conclusions are that Jesus (pbuh) is most unlike Moses (pbuh). I will present ten irrefutable facts which

demonstrate how Jesus (pbuh) was not the subject of the above prophesy. Divinity According to Christians Jesus (pbuh) is divine but Moses (pbuh) is not. Redemption According to Christians Jesus (pbuh) died for the sins of the world but Moses (pbuh) did not. Father and Mother Moses (pbuh) had a father and a mother. Muhammad (pbuh) also had a father and a mother. But Jesus (pbuh) had only a mother, and no father. Miraculous Birth Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) were born in the natural way, whereas Jesus (pbuh) was created miraculously, as described in the Gospel of St. Matthew. [1:18 and Luke 1:35] Marriage Ties Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) married and had children, but Jesus (pbuh) remained a bachelor all his life. Response Of The People Both Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. No doubt the

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Jews gave endless trouble to Moses (pbuh), but as a nation, they did acknowledge that Moses (pbuh) was a Messenger of God sent to them. The Arabs too made Muhammads life difficult initially and he suffered greatly at their hands, but before his demise, the Arab nation as a whole accepted him as the Messenger of God. According to the Bible, however: He (Jesus (pbuh)) came unto his own, but his own received him not. (John 1:11). And even today, after two thousand years, his people, the Jews as a whole, still reject him. Worldly Kingdom Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) were kings as well as prophets. A king is a person who has the

power of governance and judgement over his people. It is immaterial whether the person wears a crown or not. Both Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) enjoyed that. Jesus (pbuh) did not. New Laws Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Moses (pbuh) not only gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, but a very comprehensive ceremonial law for the guidance of his people. Muhammad (pbuh) came to a people steeped in barbarism and ignorance and provided a new code and law. As regards Jesus (pbuh), when the Jews felt suspicious of him that he might be an impostor with designs to pervert their teachings, Jesus

(pbuh) took pains to assure them that he had not come with a new religion - no new laws and no new regulations. I quote him: Think not that I have come to destroy the Law... [Matthew 5:17-18] How they Departed Both Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus (pbuh) was killed on the cross. Heavenly Abode Moses (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) both lie buried in earth, but Jesus (pbuh) is in heaven. All of the above proves irrefutably that Muhammad (pbuh), rather than Jesus (pbuh), bore resemblance with Moses (pbuh).

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Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said: I have been sent with jawami al-kalim (comprehensive but concise language that is able to express a multitude of meanings in a few words). [Bukhari] Let us have a look at an example. He is reported to have said: Each of you is a mirror for his brother... [Abu Dawud] The analogy with a mirror is interesting as the similarity is in more than one aspect. [1] Mirrors always speak the truth; they will never lie to you [2] Mirrors will tell you everything; they will never conceal anything, good or bad, for whatever reason [3] Mirrors are never diplomatic or pretentious, affording them a high level of credibility [4] Mirrors will tell you your defects without embarrassment or hesitation [5] Mirrors present you with your commendable features without flattery and point out your defects without criticism [6] Mirrors maintain confidentiality; they will tell each person their weak points without ever disclosing it to anyone else [7] Mirrors maintain consistency and are never overcome by emotions when reflecting your image. Even if one was to become violent and break a mirror, it will still not desist from telling the truth [8]Mirrors will never tire from pointing out your defects; you can approach them as many times in a day as you wish, and they will still portray your image as accurately as the first time [9] Mirrors never exaggerate [10] Mirrors are sincere and never expect anything in return [11] Mirrors only provide guidance and advice; they never apply any pressure in trying to correct you. What kind of a world would it be if we all tried to resemble mirrors in our treatment with one another?

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