Egyptian Gumbo

Chemical Irritants Sprayed in Room With Children in Apparent Attack

Media Turns Blind Eye

By Shirien Elamawy

It’s hard to believe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is over.

Muslims all over the world are celebrating with feasts and gatherings. But for many Muslims in America, it’s hard to celebrate in the midst of tragic news that the world has turned a blind eye to.

I implore media to let go of their bias and report on the huge news story that has been swept under the rug – despite the story having multiple elements of newsworthiness.

The incident happened in Dayton, OH when a chemical irritant was sprayed into a mosque causing worshipers to panic and children to cry from fear.

“According to fire dispatch communications, a child reported seeing two men with a white can spraying something into a window. That child was brought to the supervising firefighter at the scene,” Dayton Daily News reported.

That’s about the only thing the Dayton Daily News reported.

The Daily Kos, a political news blog which public figures like President Jimmy Carter and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have used to voice their views, gave a much more detailed account of the incident.

A woman who witnessed the incident told The Daily Kos, “The gas was sprayed into the room where the babies and children were being kept while their mothers prayed together their Ramadan prayers. Panicked mothers ran for their babies, crying for their children so they could flee from the gas that was burning their eyes and throats and lungs.”

A paramedic at the scene tried to give oxygen to this one child who couldn’t stop crying from shock.

The woman said that her children slept with her sobbing all through the night. She was afraid to go back to the mosque.

Days earlier, the anti-Muslim, fear-mongering DVD created by Fox News, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War on the West” had been circulating inside of newspapers and US mail in Ohio and other swing states as part of a political stunt by none other than John McCain supporters.

In fact, 28 million copies of the DVD were distributed as a scare tactic to get people to vote for John McCain, The Huffington Post reported.

“70 newspapers in swing states have been paid to distribute ‘Obsession’ this weekend and next, which means not all the DVDs have been delivered yet.”

Talk about dirty politics.

Sally Lopez of Lemoyne, PA displays a copy of the DVD that came in the mail. Photo courtesy of The Huffington Post.

And so I ask the media, where are you? If you are more interested in covering politics, this story has politics written all over it.

If you’re looking for hard news stories filled with investigations, why not investigate if there was an obvious link between the DVDs and the hate crime?

This news story is timely, has prominence, is pertinent, has conflict and has many human interest stories waiting to be told.

There is no reason why this story should remain under the rug, unless the media chooses to embrace its bias knowingly.

If this incident had happened in a church or synagogue, would the response have been different?

Children were attacked. How then, can we turn a blind eye?

I’m a little busy to write posts these days, but I just wanted to tell all of you EID MUBARAK! Taqqbal Allah minna wa minkom!

InshaAllah, there are some great things to come after I settle down with all my work– so stay tuned.

P.S. Don’t forget to pay Zakaatul Fitr before Eid Salah

Shirien

Newly Created Bayyinah Page:

I don’t know if this link will work but I’ll try anyway:

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Bayyinah/27214717206?ref=ts

If not, just type in “Bayyinah” in the search box and become a “Fan.”

Spread the word and help support and raise awareness for Islamic education in the West, inshaAllah.

Have you ever read Quran very closely? I’m not talking physically. Rather, I’m talking in terms of grammatical structure, why Allah ‘az wa jal uses one word over another in certain ayat, etc.?

Well, Br. Nouman Ali Khan taught me to do just that in his intensive Arabic classes. MashaAllah, ever since I’ve taken two of his courses, I’ve never looked at the Quran the same again. If you guys really want to be enlightened, I would HIGHLY recommend you attend one of his seminars given through his institute, Bayyinah.

Sometimes I see something in the Quran that puzzles me. My mistake is thinking that my question would probably make no sense, and I’ll sound weird even asking it. But me being a weird person in general take those chances with the hope that I’ll get an answer that will suffice my curiosity.

If you’re confused as to what I’m talking about, I’ll give you some examples of questions I’ve posed to Br. Nouman, that he very kindly explained in detail to me. Yesterday, I emailed him with a question from Surat Al-Ankaboot, and I thought It’d be nice to share the answer with you all. In fact, I’ll go back and post some of my previous questions I’ve asked him in the past for you all to benefit inshaAllah.

May Allah reward him with Jannat Al-firdous for putting the deep love of Allah’s book in our hearts and may Allah bless his family as well, ameen.

Example #1- Surat Maryam– Laghw

My Question: I came across this verse in surat Maryam- (it’s in other sowar as well) however I was wondering if you can give me the different connotations of Laghw.

“la yasma3oona feeha laghwan illa salama” (ayah 62)

I thought laghw referred to vain talk and things of that nature. But what I was wondering was the (illa) part because it denotes exclusion. So why would salama be inclusive with laghw?

Brother Nouman’s Explaination:
In Arabic, ILLA serves the purpose of except and in some cases ‘instead’ or ‘rather’. So here we have LAA YASMA’OONA FEEHA LAGHWAN

ILLA (WALAKINNAUM YASMA’OONA) SALAAMA (meaning rather they will hear Salaama)

(The arabic above is from another source)

Which basically says that the word “hayywan” refers to continuous motion. We go to sleep in this dunya and therefore become motionless even when alive. This won’t be the case in Jannah. He further said, that by comparison it is truly being alive. Also, Al-Muheet offers the definition of “Al Hayyawan “Al Hayyah Haqqan” (actual life) meaning this life pales by comparison.

Bismillah,

If I met ‘Isa Ibnu Maryam (alayhis sallam) what would I say? What would he think after coming back thousands of years later? Would he be amazed that the world has changed so drastically technology and science wise?

Imagine you are in the company of ‘Isa ibnu Maryam. It’s like he is your closest companion, what would you show him if you were his guide? What would you ask him?

I’d ask him about Jannah and to describe its beauty. I’d ask him about the conversation of the angels and about the Prophet, salallahu alayhi wa sallam.

I’d show him the planets through a telescope and tell him that the planets make me know the greatness of Allah, and how it’s the closest thing I have to seeing the heavens.

I’d want to hide the shameful things our society has transformed into. And ask him what I should do in order to, inshaAllah, be with his mother in Jannah, Alayhas-sallam.

I’d want to pray behind him and be amazed that even he, alayhis sallam, is a follower of Muhammad, salallahu alayhi wa sallam.

I’d ask him about those who wanted to kill him and about those who were his companions on this earth.

As I sat there thinking about what it would be like to meet Isa ‘alayhis salam, the verses from surat al Ma’eda were being recited to me. And then I realized whether I’m still alive when Allah ‘az wa jal sends him back down before the Day of Judgment or not, Allah ‘az wa jal has already given me everything I need to know.

Most of the questions I would ask him, the answers were being recited to me the whole time. The description of Jannah, the story of those who wanted to kill him and about the hawariyoon. The supplications of the angles. Allah ‘az wa jal was describing what a believer needed to do to attain His mercy and ultimately His jannah.

After seeing Jannah, it would be hard for me to believe that ‘Isa Alayhis sallam would be impressed by our society. Wallahu alem. So now I will not say “If I met ‘Isa ibnu Maryam…” I instead want to say “InshaAllah WHEN I meet ‘Isa ibnu Maryam…” for I ask Allah ‘az wa jal, to let us be with the prophets in jannah, bi’ithnillahi ta’ala.

The Quran is so amazing, Subhanallah. Ponder deeply. And put yourself in its verses.

The last 10 nights of Ramadan are here, subhanallah. If you wasted 2/3rds of Ramadan, it’s not too late to make the best out of the blessed month.

What would you ask ‘Isa Alayhis-salam?
Wallahu ta’ala alem.

Read. Ponder. Implement.
From Surat An-Nur Salmaan Al-’Utaybi:

Interesting article from today’s Associated Press:

Source: Yahoo News!
Vermont candidate to prosecute Bush if she wins

By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 19, 3:45 AM ET

Lots of political candidates make campaign promises. But not like Charlotte Dennett’s.

Dennett, 61, the Progressive Party’s candidate for Vermont Attorney General, said Thursday she will prosecute President Bush for murder if she’s elected Nov. 4.

Dennett, an attorney and investigative journalist, says Bush must be held accountable for the deaths of thousands of people in Iraq — U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. She believes the Vermont attorney general would have jurisdiction to do so.

She also said she would appoint a special prosecutor and already knows who that should be: former Los Angeles prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, the author of “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder,” a new book.

“Someone has to step forward,” said Dennett, flanked by Bugliosi at a news conference announcing her plan. “Someone has to say we cannot put up with this lack of accountability any more.”

Dennett and two others are challenging incumbent Attorney General William Sorrell, a Democrat, in the Nov. 4 election.

Bugliosi, 74, who gained fame as the prosecutor of killer Charles Manson, said any state attorney general would have jurisdiction since Bush committed “overt acts” including the military’s recruitment of soldiers in Vermont and allegedly lying about the threat posed by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in speeches that were aired in Vermont and elsewhere.

“No man, even the president of the United States, is above the law,” said Bugliosi.

The White House press office didn’t respond to a request for comment Thursday. But Republican National Committee spokesman Blair Latoff denounced Dennett.

“It’s extremely disappointing that a candidate for state attorney general is more concerned with radical left-wing provocation than upholding the law of Vermont,” Latoff said. “These incendiary suggestions may score points among the most fringe elements of American society, but can’t be settling for anyone looking for an attorney general.”

Anti-Bush sentiment runs deep in Vermont. It’s the only state Bush hasn’t visited as president, and one whose liberal tendencies make it unlikely he will.

In 2007, the state Senate adopted a resolution calling for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Last March, the towns of Brattleboro and Marlboro voted to seek indictments against Bush and Cheney over the war, and dozens of other towns voted at town meetings to call for his impeachment.

Sorrell, who is seeking a sixth term, said he doesn’t believe a Vermont attorney general would have the authority to charge Bush.

“The reality is, in my view, that unless the crime takes place in Vermont, then I as the attorney general have no authority under Vermont law to be prosecuting the president,” Sorrell said.

Recently, a brother commented on my recent post about “Bad Marriage Proposals.” He concluded by stating, “Girls should not be allowed to post on the internet without their Mahrams supervising them.” I went to the brother’s website to see him post this:

This basically says:

New Fatwa:
No Internet for women except with a Mahram

Riyad - Aylaf

Two Saudi Sheiookh, Uthman AlKhamees and Saad Al Ghamdy, decreed a fatwa making the Internet haram for the woman because of the “Evil Vileness of her Turned Page”. The Fatwa added that, “The woman is not allowed to open the Internet except in the presence of a mahram knowledgeable about the woman’s whoredom and wileyness”

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This quite frankly came as a shock to me because I’m a huge “fan” of Sheikh Uthman AlKhamees.

Now, as anyone who works in journalism would do, one would at least try to see if this was fabricated or not. After all, Uthman AlKhamees is mostly known for his debates with Shia scholars. Shia scholars always lie.

So as it turned out this is actually a FABRICATED fatwah. Because on Sheikh Uthman’s offical website was found this:

Which basically after the questioner described what he saw, he asked the sheikh if he really wrote the fatwah, to which sheikh Uthmaan replied:

“(Subhanak) this is a great slander (buhtaan), this is a lie I didn’t say, and, I haven’t come across the fatwa of Shaykh Saad al-Ghamdi”"

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On top of that, this fatwah is all over the internet and is found on ( surprise, surprise) mostly Shia and Coptic websites.

Don’t believe everything you see. Brothers and sisters please verify information before you go spreading it around everywhere.

Does not Allah ‘az wa jal say in surat Al-Hujuraat:

“O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.”

While I do agree that there should be certain etiquette and rules to be followed, but we shouldn’t go to extremes on either end.

WAllahu alem.

As *Eman Hamadah was growing up, she was blindly unaware of the severe abuse her father inflicting upon her. To her it was just a normal part of her life.

As she grew older and older, the abuse got worse. It use to be something that happened maybe once a week but soon turned into every day. And only when she became older and aware of what was really happening, she soon realized how painful her life had just become.

One day, Eman approached her father about the abuse he was inflicting on her and the family. She sat down in front of him and boldly said,

“Ya Abi, you’ve abandoned your prayer and the pain it has caused me is too much. I love you very much and am scared for you; I’m scared that you might die in this state and meet Allah this way.”

Her father replied, “I get it, I’m a kaafir… you happy? Yes I’m bad, I’m going to hell, now leave me alone. ”

Eman still has sleepless nights sometimes, worrying about her father.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Not praying to Allah is perhaps the most selfish action a person can do.

Allah ‘az wa jal created a Mankind and Jinn so that we can worship Him. As Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Quran 51:56]

But subhanallah, it’s even much much deeper than that; our lack of praying to Allah affects everyone around us as well.

We hear the reminders all the time, “We could die tomorrow.” But very few of us stop to think about what that could mean for us. One of the worst pains someone can inflict on another person is to stop the worship of Allah, know you are wrong, but not doing anything about it until it’s too late. Sure, Allah is the one who guides the hearts and similarly, whoever dies a disbeliever in Allah it is by Allah’s will. But there is no one to blame but oneself in the end.

So I’d like you to put yourself in this scenario, May Allah forbid:

Imagine you are with your mother, the woman who would give anything, even her own life if she had to, in order to see you live a healthy life. She is the one who is the most empathetic with you when you are sad, the one who stays by your side when you are sick, the one who no matter how bad you messed up at the end of the day will tell you she loves you, and the one who strokes your head until you fall asleep. Now imagine… her dying upon kufr.

Wallahi, this is the reality of many of us today. And it’s one of the scariest realities some of us will have to face in our lives. But what if it’s not someone we love who is inflicting this pain upon us, but it is us unknowingly inflicting pain on someone else? Subhanallah, how could we be so selfish. How could we completely be so ungrateful to our creator? And at the same time how can we knowingly inflict pain on the most beloved people to us?

It’s not too late to change and in fact NOW is the BEST time for change. The gates of hellfire are closed. When a believer, a sinner calls upon his lord and says “Ya Rabbi!”  Allah replies, “Labbaik ya Abdi! (I am here O my slave)”

This is a month full of forgiveness, mercy and blessings from Allah. If we aren’t practicing now is the best and easiest time to start worshiping Allah the way He deserves to be worshiped. If we are sinning constantly, now is the easiest time to rid of the weight of these sins.

Every soul will stand in front of Allah alone. But we don’t have to be alone in Jannah.

Wallahu ta’ala alem. Food for thought during your fast.

_______

*Real name not used.

MashaAllah, La qowwitta illa billah.

Take a moment from your busy day to sit and listen to The Quran with khushoo’. This recitation is, mashaAllah, beautiful and will fill your heart with the love of the book of Allah, inshaAllah. Trust me, you’ll want to listen to the whole thing, bi’ithnillahi ta’ala. Enjoy:

Part 1 Surat TaHa:

Part 2 Surat TaHa:

I usually always upload videos during Ramadan, make sure you subscribe if you want to hear more, inshaAllah.

May Allah accept from me and from you. ameen.

Surat Yunas:

Surat Al-Qiyyamah: