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Sunday 31 May 2015

ASK GOD For Something Everlasting

What’s Your Greatest Wish?
Ask God For
Something Everlasting!

Repent And Seek His Mercy And
Forgiveness With ‘Istaghfaar’!

(M. Javed Naseem)


اَللَّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ ، تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
“O Allah! You are the One Who forgives greatly,
and loves to forgive, so forgive me.”


مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا
ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
“If any one does a righteous deed, it
ensures to the benefit of his own soul;
if he does evil, it works against (his
own soul). In the end will you (all)
be brought back to your Lord.”
(al-Quran 45:15)

As they say, ‘We make our own bed, so we should be prepared to sleep in it too’. But we want only comfortable, peaceful and happy life; free of problems. And how much do we contribute towards it? We don’t want to ask ourselves. We are always complaining, nagging and are never satisfied. Good and evil (or negative and positive), keep the balance of life, and at the same time bring some excitement. In the end, it is our own effort that counts.

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَانِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَىٰ
“That man can have nothing but
what he strives for.”
(al-Quran 53:39)

There is a positive lesson in everything negative experience of life. Sweet are the fruits of adversity. All it needs is a little patience, cool and an honest effort to get through. It is called
‘striving’, or struggle, or Jihad. We should not forget that there will be trials and tests in life. Nothing comes for free. We need to stay on course with patience. Allah says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوفْ وَٱلْجُوعِ
وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلأَمَوَالِ وَٱلأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَاتِ
وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّابِرِينَ
“And surely We shall try you with
something of fear and hunger, and
loss of wealth and lives and crops;
but give glad tidings to the steadfast.”
(Quran 2:155)

يَآأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ٱسْتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلاَةِ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّابِرِينَ
“O you who believe! Seek help
in steadfastness and prayer. Lo,
Allah is with the steadfast.”
(al-Quran 2:153)

That’s the secret – the patient perseverance! Allah gave the good news to the steadfast.

If God told you that you could ask Him for one (and only one) thing and you will be granted; then what would you ask Him for? Huh … hundred and one things to ask, so many  needs,  so many desires and ambitions, so many essentials of modern & comfortable life… a tough choice!

If you ask Allah for strength, He will give you difficulties and hurdles to go through. At the end, you would come out strong. But you don’t want difficulties and hurdles!

If you ask for wisdom, God will give you problems to solve.  You always deal with problems trying to find solutions. In the process, you turn grey and become wise. Do you want that?

If you ask God for prosperity, He will give you extra brain and brawn to work. You will be working hard, day and night to achieve your goals. Oh, you don’t want to work hard?

If you ask for courage, God will give you ‘danger’ to overcome. You’ll be scared to death every now and then, but you’ll become courageous. Want that?

If you ask for love … oh, yes! Love! God will give you all the troubled people of the world – les miserable, the destitute, victims of floods & quakes – to help them, take care of them and love them.  And you would become love personified. A tough choice indeed!

If you ask for favors, God will give you opportunities but you should be able to recognize them and grab them. Before that, you need to be humble and grateful to Him.

And here is the best alternative:
If you ask God for nothing – no wants, no needs, no desires
– just be thankful to Him for whatever you have and do good work, He will  give you everything you need. The success is guaranteed.  He has promised:

مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ
ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوۤاْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
“… And verily We shall pay those who
are steadfast a recompense in proportion
to the best of what they used to do.”
(al-Quran 16:96)

وَتُوبُوۤاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعاً أَيُّهَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“And turn to Allah all of you, O believers!
So that you may be successful.”
(al-Quran 24:31)


And last but not the least: Ask God for His forgiveness. That forgiveness contains everything you need in this world as well as in the Hereafter. In the Holy Quran, Allah tells you to do just that:

وَٱسْتَغْفِرِ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً
“And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo!
Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.”
(al-Quran 4:106)

Now, you know what to ask for and how to ask. But, as the saying goes: First deserve, then desire. The promise of success is there and there is absolutely no doubt in that. We need to make some effort on our part. There is no escape from pains and hurts in life. It’s a ‘must’ of life. Therefore, we should prepare ourselves, mentally and physically, so that we don’t feel frustrated. The best way to do it is to bring God into our lives.

فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُواْ لِى وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ
“Therefore, remember Me, I will
remember you! Give thanks to Me,
and reject not Me!”
(al-Quran 2:152)

وَٱسْتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلاَةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلَى ٱلْخَاشِعِينَ
“Seek help in patience and prayer; and
truly it is hard except for the humble-minded.”
(al-Quran 2:45)

The One who brought us in this world, will take care of us too, provided we do what HE tells us to do. Be grateful to Him under all circumstances. Every calamity comes from Him and HE is the One who can get us out of it. Show some perseverance and stay on course. Don’t chase your wild desires in vain, and don’t ever get greedy. Greed is the basis of all evil. Try to learn to be content with whatever Allah has blessed you with.

Don’t ever forget that Allah is going to question you about everything you possessed in this world; and what you did with it. He blessed you with so many things in this world and He will ask you how you used those things to help mankind? Therefore, seek His forgiveness. Invoke Him with all His beautiful names and ask Him alone for help!


*********************************
Don’t ask Allah for ‘maal’ (wealth) or
material gains as they are not going to
last! They come in a package full of
troubles that you cannot handle alone.
Ask for the Contentment, His Mercy
and His Forgiveness to live happily!
Recite ‘astaghfir-ullah’ in abundance!

*********************************
Remember one thing! If things are going your way, you are a very lucky man in the world. But if things are not going your way, you are even luckier, because then they are going God’s way. And His way is the best way, as He knows how to run the world efficiently.

Don’t look at others who are better off and richer than you. Look at those who are less fortunate than you, and I guarantee you that there are millions of them in this world. Don’t settle for a ‘bad’ bargain! If you are striving for a comfortable, nice and luxury life, with all the pomp and show, in this world,
Allah might give you that. But that is the bad bargain I am referring to. For a comfortable life of this world, you are trading the life of the Hereafter. Allah warns you:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْحَيَاةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ
إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لاَ يُبْخَسُونَ
أُوْلَـٰئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلآخِرَةِ إِلاَّ ٱلنَّارُ
وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُواْ فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
“Whoso desires the life of the world
and its pomp, We shall repay them their
deeds herein, and therein they will not
be wronged. Those are they for whom
is naught in the Hereafter save the Fire.
All that they contrive here is vain and
all that they are wont to do is fruitless.”
(al-Quran 11:15-16)

Imagine those people in the Philippines, in Africa, especially in Somalia and Ethiopia, who have nothing to eat, no clean water to drink, no nice clothes to wear, no refrigerators when the temperature hits 50c degrees or more, no air-conditioners, not even electricity, no cars, no vacations, no birthday parties, no cakes and cookies! Most of them are surviving on corn and muddy water. Everyday they wait for somebody to bring them some good news – some food of any kind.

They look up to people like you and me to help them get out of that misery. They look up to us to give them life. They can really say that life is harsh and they are going through rough and tough times. Thank Allah that you are not one of them! You are the blessed one!

As Muslims, we should ask ourselves: What are we doing for our fellow human beings? Can’t we see the command of the Almighty God in the Holy Quran? He says:

وَآتِ ذَا ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَٱلْمِسْكِينَ
وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيراً
“Give the kinsman his due, and the needy,
and the wayfarer, and squander not (your
wealth) in wantonness.”
(al-Quran 17:26)

وَأَنْفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُواْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ
إِلَى ٱلتَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُوۤاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Spend your wealth for the cause of
Allah, and cast not (yourselves) by
your own hands to ruin; and do good!
Lo, Allah loves the beneficent.‟
(al-Quran 2:195)

 All our lives we struggle and try hard to accumulate as much wealth as possible because we believe that it is the wealth that will solve all our problems. Wealth can solve only economic problems temporarily, but, at the same time, it can create many social and physical ills.  According to one Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said:

“Man is always worried about his wealth
and says: ‘My wealth, my wealth’, but in
fact he can benefit from his wealth only
for three little things: Whatever he ate from
it (food); whatever he wore from it (clothing);
and whatever he sent for the Hereafter (charity).
Whatever is in excess (beyond his basic needs)
is not his, and he leaves it behind for others.”

Now, there is a good lesson in it for us. Your basic needs are fulfilled here in this world but they cannot bring anything for you to the next world – the Hereafter. The only thing that goes with you to the next world, is your good deeds. And among those good deeds, charity is number one (the best).
Charity brings prosperity!

During the times of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and his blessed companions, most of the Muslims gave away in charity whatever was surplus or beyond their needs. In the era of Caliph Othman (Usman) bin Affan, a companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.) had a garden of date-palm trees. It was high season and the crop of dates was getting ripe for harvesting. One day that companion was offering prayer (Salaat) and during the Salaat the thought of ripe and profitable crop of dates came to his mind. He regretted it and repented so much that soon after the Salaat he went to see the Caliph Uthman bin Affan and offered him his date-palm garden in charity. Caliph Uthman sold that garden for 50 thousand Dirhams and used the money for religious projects.

Here is another beautiful story. The rich Muslim traders used to send gifts to the Prophet (s.a.w.) so that they could earn Allah’s blessings. The mother of the believers, and wife of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), Ayesha Siddiqah (r.a.a.) once received two sacks of money.  There was more than one hundred thousand Dirhams in those bags. She had instructions from the Prophet (s.a.w.) what to do with those gifts. So, she opened the bags and, with the help of a maid, started distributing money among the poor and needy of the area, till it was finished.
The maid said to Ayesha (r.a.a.):
“You are fasting and you did not keep any money for yourself to buy something for dinner.”
In the evening, at the time of breaking the fast, the maid complained that if she had bought meat for one Dirham from that money, they could have enjoyed a good meal. Ayesha (r.a.a.) said: “Don’t regret now. If you had asked me while I was giving that money away, I would have given you one Dirham for meat.”

True Muslims never accumulated wealth. After meeting their basic needs, they gave away in charity whatever was extra. Most of them regarded wealth as Fire from Hell and nobody wanted to keep it in the house even for one extra night. They did not ask God for wealth or material gains. They asked God for His forgiveness and mercy. Even the Prophet (s.a.w.) himself begged for Allah’s mercy all day long.


Abu Huraira narrated:
I heard Allah’s Apostle saying: ‘By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.’
(Bukhari, Book 75, No. 319, repeated in Book 80, No. 4)

If that was the way of the Prophet (s.a.w.), where do we stand with Allah?

Anas bin Malik narrated:
Allah’s Apostle (s.a.w.) said: ‘Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which was lost in the desert.’
(Bukhari, Book 75, No. 321)

Istaghfaar (‘Astaghfir-ullah’):

Here’s a well-known supplication (Dua) of all prophets and their followers. It’s also the best means of ‘Istaghfaar’. It is the last Verse of Surah al-Baqara. It was suggested by Allah to the believers. Allah said that many prophets and their followers have supplicated with this Dua:

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَ
إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا
مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا
أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
"Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall
into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that
which You did lay on those before us. Our Lord!
Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength
to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness.
Have mercy on us. You are our Protector; Help us
against those who stand against Faith."
(al-Quran 2:286)

Adam & Eve disobeyed Allah and, being under the influence of the Satan (Devil), ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. As a result, they were expelled from Paradise. They repented immediately and sought forgiveness from Allah with this prayer (Dua):

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا
وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَاسِرِينَ
"Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls.
If You don’t forgive us and bestow upon us
your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."
(al-Quran 7:23)


Once, people were sitting in the company of a saint and listening to his wise words when a man came and asked the saint what he should do to escape draught and get crops in abundance. The saint told him to do ‘Istaghfaar’ in abundance.
Later on, another man came and asked similar question for prosperity, increase in provision (‘rizq’) and success. The saint told him to recite ‘Astaghfir-ullah’ in abundance.
A short time later, a third person came and asked for the saint’s advice to get a baby boy (a son) and noble offspring. The saint told him to do ‘Istaghfaar’ in abundance.
Somebody from the gathering (‘majlis’) asked the saint: ‘Sheikh! I don’t understand this. When somebody asked you about rain and increase in crops, you told him to do ‘Istaghfaar’ in abundance. When a second person asked you about prosperity and provision (‘rizq’) you suggested ‘Istaghfaar’. And when a third person came to ask you about his offspring, a baby-boy, you told him the same thing – to do ‘Istaghfaar’. Does that mean that ‘Istaghfaar’ is the solution of every problem?
The saint smiled and said:
‘I didn’t make anything up. I didn’t create the solution. It’s Allah’s promise in the Quran. He says:

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّاراً
يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّدْرَاراً
وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ
وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَاراً
"I said: Ask forgiveness from your Lord;
for He is Oft-Forgiving. He will send
rain to you in abundance; give you
increase in wealth and sons; and
bestow on you gardens and bestow
on you rivers (of flowing water).”
(al-Quran 71:10-12)

********

Sunday 24 May 2015

ZIONISTS ARE DESTROYERS, NOT PROTECTORS

‘There’s Good And Bad in Every’
Islam Promotes Peace
Harmony And Tolerance

Zionists Destroying Oil-rich Muslim
States To Plunder Their Wealth

If you look at the number of Iraq invasions
by the West, during the last 100 years,
all excuses of terrorism, WMD, etc. look so
fake, ridiculous, irrelevant and out of place!

(M. Javed Naseem)



يَـۤأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَارَىٰ
أَوْلِيَآءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِّنكُمْ
فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ
“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and
the Christians for your friends and protectors.
They are but friends and protectors to each other.
And he amongst you that turns to them (for
friendship) is of them. Verily, Allah guides not
a people unjust.”
(al-Quran 5:51)

يَـۤأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ
دِينَكُمْ هُزُواً وَلَعِباً مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
وَٱلْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
“O you who believe! Take not for friends and
protectors those who take your religion for a
mockery or sport - whether among those who
received the Scripture before you, or among
those who reject Faith; but fear you Allah,
if you have faith (indeed).”
(al-Quran 5:57)

The above two verses from the Quran are often quoted by those non-Muslims and anti-Muslim elements who want to accuse Islam of bias, prejudice, discrimination. By quoting these verses they want to prove that Muslims hate other religions and cannot tolerate or peacefully co-exist with them. This is false!
In the other group, there are also people among Muslims who misinterpret these verses and say that all Jews and Christians are our enemies. No, that’s false too.

Both groups lack education and belong to the ignorant. And an ignorant (Jaahil) person is always a source of trouble.
To understand the true meanings of these verses, one should study the background, the circumstances or the situation during which these verses of Surah al-Ma’eda were revealed. But if you can’t look into the background and the circumstances, then try to ponder over every word of these verses. The verses are very clear in their message. There’s no confusion.
Don’t look at it from your personal level! Look at it from the Muslim Ummah’s point of view, and see the bigger picture! Here are the best examples:

Afghanistan’s corrupt and puppet government invited US-NATO-EU forces to support and protect their government, using Osama bin Laden as an excuse. Muslims suffered.

Iraq’s corrupt Shia opposition invited and collaborated with US-EU armies to take matters in their hands and install Shia government, using Saddam Hussan as an excuse. General Muslim population is still suffering.

Libya’s corrupt anti-Qaddafi opposition conspired with US-EU forces to dislodge Qaddafi, using democracy as an excuse. Muslim population is still suffering there.

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, UA-Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and other Arab or Muslim countries allowed US-UK-France to establish military bases in those countries to protect the fragile governments of corrupt ‘Muslim’ rulers. The general Muslim population is suffering for years now.

India allowed Britain and Holland to come and take over when Rajas of small states permitted the British East India Company (1612-1757 AD), and Dutch West India Company (1605-1825 AD), to establish their ‘offices’ (or bases) there and protect those tiny states from the Muslim empire. But the British, through conspiracies, lies, deceptions and betrayals, colonized entire India and ruled it till 1947. Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, they all suffered. Muslims and minorities are still suffering even today!

Did you get a clear picture as to why Allah had warned Muslims?

In verse No. 51, the clear message refers to the Jews and Christians who betrayed Muslims; broke their pledges; violated their agreements; and did not honor their contracts because those violations resulted in wars and battles – in other words, loss of human lives. Those were the circumstances. So, Allah warned Muslims about whom they should take as their protectors, guardians and close reliable friends. The last part of the verse clears up the fog, if any. It says:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ
“Verily, Allah guides not a people
(who are) unjust (or wrong-doers).”

You are clearly warned of those people (Jews or Christians) who are not just and who are the wrong-doers! And not all of them (100%) are unjust and wrong-doers! The application of this verse is on collective basis and not individual basis, although you can benefit from it on individual level too.

The best examples are Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and UAE (or Gulf states) who have provided the Kaafireen with the military bases in Muslim countries and have allowed the armies of Kaafireen to stay in Muslim countries and protect the puppet rulers who are not true Muslims. The above two verses of the Quran particularly refer to such situations when you give control of Muslim affairs to non-Muslims.
These verses do not stop you from having trade relations with those non-Muslims. Not at all. You can live in harmony and peace with them.

In Verse 57, the message is also very clear. There’s no confusion at all. It tells you to stay away from people who are not believers; who make mockery or fun of your religion; or who ridicule you because of your faith. You’ll find such people in every group (i.e., Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and even Muslims!). So, don’t trust them and don’t take them as your protectors, guardians or close dependable friends.

In a broader application, you can see a clear violation of Allah’s command in many Muslim countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, etc.) where the armies of Kaafireen have been provided with military bases. If Muslims need Kaafireen to protect them (defend their power/govt.), they are not real Muslims. They are Munafiqeen.

There’s no such thing in the above verses (No. 51 & 57) that commands you to go and kill anybody who is a Jew or Christian or non-believer! Islam allows you to pick up arms only in a situation when you are a victim of aggression or an attack. Simple as that!
You are also commanded (in many verses of the Quran) to live in your community with peace, harmony and tolerance. That’s Islam!

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) had political pacts, social and commercial (trade) relations with Jews, Christians and pagans of the Arabia.
Muslims treated the Jews with kindness and respect when Jews would migrate to Muslim countries to escape Christian persecution. There is a long history of mutual cordial relations between all three groups.

Now, the silly misconception: In Indo-Pakistan and in the Arab states, many people believe that only Muslims will go to Paradise (Jannah). That’s not true. You have not read the Quran carefully. Allah says in Surah al-Baqara:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَٱلنَّصَارَىٰ وَٱلصَّابِئِينَ
مَنْ آمَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ
أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Those who believe (in the Quran), and
those who follow the Jewish (scriptures),
and the Christians and the Sabians – any
who believe in Allah and the Last Day,
and work righteousness, shall have their
reward with their Lord; on them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(al-Quran 2:62)

It’s a simple and plain English translation, easy to understand! Allah, the Almighty, makes it very clear that any Muslim, Jew, Christian, Sabian, or anybody from any other group, if he believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment, and performs good deeds, Allah will reward them. They’ll have no fear and no grief at all.

Allah, the Almighty, repeats this guarantee in Surah al-Ma’eda, in case you did not get the whole message before:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَٱلصَّابِئُونَ وَٱلنَّصَارَىٰ
مَنْ آمَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ وعَمِلَ صَالِحاً
فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Those who believe (in the Quran), those
who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and
the Sabians and the Christians,- any who
believe in Allah and the Last Day, and
work righteousness – on them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(al-Quran 5:69)

And then Allah, the Almighty, repeats the similar verse once again – the third time – in case you ignored the earlier verses, in Surah al-Hajj:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَٱلصَّابِئِينَ وَٱلنَّصَارَىٰ
وَٱلْمَجُوسَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوۤاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ
يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيامَةِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
“Those who believe (in the Quran), those
who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the
Sabians, Christians, Magians, and Polytheists –
Allah will judge between them on the Day of
Judgment; for Allah is witness of all things.”
(al-Quran 22:17)

So, the message is loud and clear: Believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment; live in peace, harmony and tolerance and perform good deeds! 



The Zionists are the enemies of Islam.
There are Jews, Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, Buddhists, Seculars and
Atheists among the Zionists. In their
anti-Islam rhetoric they quote out-of-
context verses from the Quran,
thus creating misconceptions.

Let me clear one big misconception about the Jews and the Zionism. All Zionists are not Jews, nor are all Jews Zionists. They are, in their hearts and minds, Israelis. Zionism is a political and economic cult that wants total control of the entire world to manipulate its wealth and resources. They started by demanding a separate state by the name of Israel and they manipulated Jews who had no separate country of their own. The ‘super powers’ of the time (Britain, America, the Soviet Union) agreed between themselves to install this new state (Israel) right in the middle of oil-rich Arab states of the Middle East, to be expanded later on. They chose the holy lands of all three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) making it easier for them to control and exploit people of the region in the name of religion. Israel is not a Jewish state, it’s a Zionist state. They are just manipulating the Jews. Even the real Jews are against it. Zionists are not religious at all. They are rather anti-religion butchers, killers and plunderers. ISIL or ISIS or Daaesh is an example!

Video: Jewish Rabbis on Zionism:


“Israel is the most racist,
privately owned state
on the face of the earth.”
-- Jeff Rense

Jeff Rense is the producer and promoter of the Rense Radio Network, in America. For many years, he has been exposing the Zionists and their crimes against humanity. They did not like it and threatened him many times of dire consequences. Just recently, there was a covert assassination attempt on the life of Jeff Rense when (on 27th April, 2015) he was driving home and became the victim of a mysterious accident. His car was allegedly taken over by some remote control and sent into a ditch inflicting on him multiple fractures. He went through hell, different operations in two different hospitals, but he survived.



Israel is the Nation of Imposters’.
– Texe Marrs

Texe W. Marrs is an American writer and broadcaster, who runs a Christian ministry called ‘Power of Prophecy Ministries’, based in Austin, Texas.

There are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Seculars and Atheists in the ranks of the Zionists. People, who don’t have much or enough education, are easy prey for them. They can fool them in the name of religion and put them to fight against each other to make them weaker and vulnerable. Divide and rule is their most common principle and they used this tactic during every era of the human history. The pattern is very clear – the same.

Jews or Khazars or Zionists?
Here are the new findings of a DNA-based scientific research:


History’s Cruelest Hoax: Semitic Khazars!
“97% of Modern ‘Jews’ are Mongols, Turks and Huns (Khazars).
Only 3% of Jews Have Semitic Blood!”
By Rand Clifford for ‘Veterans Today’
(Courtesy: Power of Prophecy – www.texemarrs.com)

No More Original Jews:
‘Fake Jews And Coming Destruction of Israel

A promotional ad for the book "Marching To Zion", by the Power of Prophecy:
Marching to Zion
In 1948 Zionist Jews from all over the world came to Palestine and founded Israel. It was considered a “miracle” by Christians and a blessing from God. But immediately, the Jews began a bloody ethnic cleansing—a genocidal murder—of the resident Palestinians. Suddenly, things went murky and dark. Today Israel threatens the whole world with its many nuclear bombs. Its military force is paid for by the U.S.A.
Is Israel really a blessing or is it a curse and plague on the world? Does DNA Science prove the “Jews” to be imposters, Khazars not related to Abraham and the ancient prophets? Is this new nation, in fact, the “Synagogue of Satan?” Have Christians been horribly deceived?
Hear biblical and scientific evidence by pastors, rabbis, and scholars as the issue is resolved once and for all. Who are God’s Chosen People? Is Israel a miracle, or is it a deliberate satanic hoax?
Click Here to Order Your Copy Now! 
96 Minute DVD • $20

Who Are Bani (or Banu) Israel?
The Explosive Truth!

Who does really belong to the tribes of ‘Bani Israel’ mentioned in the Quran?
Israel? No, not at all! All Israelis (97%) are fake Jews, according to Texe Marrs.
The only people that can claim (and it can be traced or proved by their DNAs) are the Palestinians! The scientists and researchers are working on it.
Here are the first shocking findings:


********************************
All Jews and Christians are not bad,
and, by the same token, not all
Muslims are good either! All three
Faiths are Abrahamic and Prophet
Abraham was a ‘friend of Allah’. So
be sincerely a true faithful to Allah,
and the true follower of Abraham!
********************************
Allen S. Maller is an American Jewish Rabbi (pronounced: raibba-ee). Rabbi means a pastor or a preacher or a Mufti. In his article ‘The Excellence of Abraham: Friend of God’, he writes:

“I am not a Muslim; I am a Reform Rabbi who first became interested in Islam when I studied it at a university (UCLA) 50 years ago. I have continued my study of Islam off and on for 5 decades and for some time I have considered myself to be a Reform Rabbi and a Muslim Jew.” 
“Actually, I am a Muslim Jew, i.e. a faithful Jew submitting to the will of God, because I am a Reform Rabbi.”
The Quran states:
“You have an excellent example to follow in Abraham.” (al-Quran 60:4), and
“Follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.” (al-Quran 3:95). 
What makes Prophet Abraham, “whom God chose to be His friend” (al-Quran 4:125 & Isaiah 41:8) so special? 
For Jews and Christians, Abraham is the first monotheist. 
But for Muslims, Adam was the first of many thousands of prophets of God.
Abraham was the first of those we know to receive a Sacred Scripture. All of the others were among his descendants.


Actually, I am a Muslim Jew i.e. a faithful Jew submitting to the will of God, because I am a Reform Rabbi. As a Rabbi I am faithful to the covenant that God made with Abraham – the first Muslim Jew, and I submit to the commandments that God made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai
As a Reform Rabbi I believe that Jewish spiritual leaders should modify Jewish tradition as social and historical circumstances change and develop. I also believe we should not make religion difficult for people to practice. These are lessons that prophet Muhammad taught 12 centuries before the rise of Reform Judaism in early 19th century Germany. 
In many ways, statements in the Quran about Orthodox Jewish beliefs and Ahadith relating Muhammad's comments about Orthodox Judaism, and religion in general, prefigure the thinking of Reform Rabbis some 12-13 centuries later. Had the Jews of Medina been more open to his (Muhammad’s) teachings, Reform Judaism would have started almost 14 centuries ago.  
Indeed, because Abraham had reached this level of religious consciousness he could be tested and would become an excellent example for all mankind. Abraham became the first prophet to establish an ongoing religious community among his immediate descendants: Jews who were believers; then by spiritual adoption- Christians who were believers; and then by reversion- Muslims who were believers. 
As the Quran states:
“God said I will surely make you the leader of humanity.”
Abraham asked: “What about my offspring?”
God replied, “My pledge does not apply to those who do evil.”
(al-Quran 2:124) 
“All three religions inherit the blessing of Abraham, and for all three religions the blessing applies to their respective believers, but does not include those individuals who refuse to submit to the will of God as reflected in the prophet and book they were given.”

“Since all prophets are brothers, religious leaders should openly and actively act against those in their own community who claim their religion or their prophet is superior to another. Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders should all learn humility from this teaching of Prophet Muhammad and we should all teach this humility to our followers. Then God's blessing promise will be fulfilled:”

قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَاماً
“I will make you (Abraham) an imam
(religious leader) for all people”.
(al-Quran 2:124 &  Genesis 22:17-18)

(Christopher Lynn "Chris" Hedges (born
September 18, 1956) is an American author,
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, activist,
Presbyterian minister and humanitarian.)


***********

Saturday 16 May 2015

IRAQ: The Battleground of Good And Evil.

The Battleground Of Good And Evil
Iraq Has Seen Many
Invasions By The Devils

(M. Javed Naseem)


وَٱلَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ
 إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِى ٱلأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ
“The unbelievers are protectors, one of
another. Unless you do this, (protect each
other), there would be tumult and oppression
on earth, and great mischief.”
(al-Quran 8:73)

Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) delivered the message of Islam to the nation ruled by Nimrod in a country called ‘Iraq’ today. They threw him into the fire but Allah saved him. Then he left Iraq and went to Palestine and neighboring lands to spread the word of God. Since then, that particular region has constantly been a battleground between Good and Evil. There’s always bloodshed and looks like it would continue till the end of the world.

************************************
From religious point of view, Iraq or
Mesopotamia (or Babylonia) is the
‘Land of Prophets’ where one of the
biggest encounters between Good and
Evil took place between Prophet Abraham
(Ibrahim) and Nimrod. It was also the
home of Prophet Jonah (Yunus) whose
tomb (along with the mosque) was
destroyed by the ISIL just recently.
************************************

They fooled the world when they declared that US-allied forces have withdrawn from Iraq. It was a deception, as usual, as there are still officially 30,000 US troops in Iraq.
Now they are going to withdraw from Afghanistan too but thousands would be staying as instructors, trainers, experts, technicians, etc. Both countries are very important for the Zionist power-mongers. Iraq has petrol, plus it gives you control of Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. It’s a very important strategic point from where you can play war games in any oil-rich Middle Eastern Muslim countries. And you are also at the doorsteps of Iran and Pakistan.
On the other hand, there’s no petrol in Afghanistan but strategically, you are right in the backyard of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan. You can easily export or clandestinely slip ‘trouble’ across the borders. It has become the hub of subversion.

They are so shameless and mean that they create a pretext based on a ‘big fat lie’ and hand it over to the corrupt media for propaganda. Thus the public opinion is molded favorably to be manipulated and exploited. Iraq’s WMD was the second biggest lie or deception of the modern history of mankind; 9/11 being the first!

(Prophet Jonah (Yunus)'s tomb and mosque, before and after the attack)
Iraq was always attacked in the past
by the West for political & economic
reasons. The occupation is going to
stay forever, in one form or the other,
because of the huge petroleum reserves.

The Iraq invasion of 2003 was probably discussed and planned by political ‘hawks’ years ahead of creating the pretext of “9/11”.  Retired American General Wesley Clark (the Supreme NATO-Allied Forces Commander), wrote in his book:

"As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001,
one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat.
Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said.
But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a
five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of
seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon,
Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan."
--- Gen. Wesley Clark

So, we are almost there! Out of the seven countries mentioned, six are already down, one more to go (i.e., Iran). But Iran always had secret agreements with Zionists and Anglo-American fronts to stay out of harm’s way. They recently concluded a nuclear pact with America and nobody knows the truth or the exact conditions. Israel always wanted to attack Iran but America resisted and save the Shia regime as they always side with them when it gives them advantage. It was the Shia general of Iraq army (responsible to defend Baghdad from enemy) who collaborated with the Americans and they smoothly took over the Iraqi capital. As a reward, Shias have been installed in government. This (Maliki’s) puppet government is responsible for the death and destruction brought to the Sunni population and their towns. ISIL is also being used as an excuse to bomb Sunni areas or the towns of the opposition.

Yearly Death Toll:
(From: IBC – Iraq Body Count)

Total deaths in 2014 (civilian and combatant) and cumulative total since 2003
Combining the 17,000 civilian deaths recorded by IBC with the above wide range of combatant deaths of 4,000-30,000, suggests a total of between 21,000 and 47,000 people have been killed in war-related violence in Iraq during 2014, making it one of the three worst years of the conflict that began nearly twelve years ago.

Total cumulative reported deaths for the entire period 2003-2014 passed 200,000 during 2014, and presently stand at 206,000 using the more conservative end of the range for combatant deaths in 2014. Over 150,000 (around 75%) of these were civilian.


War History of Mesopotamia (Iraq):
(From: Wikipedia)
           
The military history of Iraq, due to a rich archaeological record, is one of the longest in written human history. The region of Iraq, which used to be Mesopotamia, has been referred to as the ‘cradle of civilization’, and wars of conquest have been recorded in this region as far back as the third millennium BC. The area possesses strategic value, initially for the rich, fertile agricultural region in the Mesopotamian plain, and more recently for large petroleum/gas deposits and access to the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

539-538 BC: Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, defeated the Neo-Babylonian Empire and conquered the region.

331 BC: Alexander the Great defeated Darius III Darius of Persia at the Battle of Gaugamela, east of present day Mosul. Alexander died in Babylon (Iraq) in 323 BC.

190 BC: In later centuries, starting from 190 BC, the Persians ruled Iraq for hundreds of years under different dynasties including the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties, after the first conquest in the 6th century BC.

627 AD: The Byzantines sacked Ctesiphon, which was invaded again by Arabs.

637 AD: The Muslim Arabs invaded Persia. The battle between 18,000 Arab tribesmen led by General Khalid bin Walid (The Sword of Allah) and the Persians led by Rustam (Rostam Farrokhzad), was fought at al-Qaadisiyyah), south of Baghdad

Muslim Arab forces led by Khalid bin Walid and Saad bin Abi Waqqas conquered the area from the Sassanid Persian Empire during the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 8th century, despite the occupying Persian forces being numerically and technologically superior.
Later on, there were several revolts in that region.

680 AD: Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was killed at Karbala, in the Battle of Karbala, on October 10.

701 AD: Syrian armies crushed a revolt.

747 AD: Revolt by Abbas, leading to Abbasid caliph proclaimed in 750 AD.

762 AD: Baghdad was founded by the Abbasid caliph. Baghdad was the centre of the
Abbasid Caliphate from the 8th century, an empire which ruled much of the Arab world.

809 AD: Baghdad was sacked after a civil war.

865 AD: The new northern capital of Samarra and Baghdad were at war.

945 AD: The Buvid people from the Caspian Sea took over Baghdad, with the Abbasid caliphs becoming puppet rulers.

977 AD: Mosul was captured.

1055 AD: The Seljuk leader Togrul Beg overran the central area of Iraq.

1135 AD: The Abbasids regained control.

1245 AD: Baghdad repelled an attack by the Mongols.

1258 AD:
Hulagu's army attacks Baghdad:
Baghdad was sacked on February 10, 1258 by Hulagu (or Halaku) Khan in the Battle of Baghdad, with between 250,000 and 800,000 people killed during the Mongol invasion. It had been under siege for several weeks.

1401 AD: Baghdad was sacked by Tamerlane (Taimur Lang).

1405 AD:  Turkish tribes from Anatolia took over Iraq and there was much infighting between themselves, and against local groups.
The Black Sheep Turkmen at first ruled Iraq until 1466 AD when the White Sheep Turkmen took control.

1508 AD (or 1509 AD): Iraq was conquered by the Safavid dynasty of Iran.

1533-1534 AD: Iraq was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.

1623-1638 AD: Baghdad was put under Persian rule between 1623 and 1638, when Murad IV restored Ottoman rule and massacred many local Shiites.

1776 AD:  Basra was occupied by the Persians. They held it until 1779 AD when Karim Khan Zand’s death precipitated a period of internal disorder and resulted in withdrawal from Basra.

1918-1932 AD: British Mandate of Mesopotamia:
The British invaded Iraq during World War I in the Mesopotamian Campaign. They invaded southern Mesopotamia in November 1914. The Battle of Ctesphon was fought in November 1915. The undermanned and overstretched British forces were defeated by the Turks, who besieged the British in the city of Kut-al-Amara for 143 days in the Siege of Kut, ending with a British surrender, with 10,000 men becoming prisoners in April 1916.

The British took the Middle Eastern campaign more seriously following this defeat, transferring command from India to the main British command, and General Frederick Stanley Maude was put in charge of British forces, leading the British to a series of victories. The battles of Mohammed Abdul Hassan, Hai and Dahra were won by the British in January 1917. In February, they recaptured Kut. On March 11, 1917, the British occupied Baghdad.
Between 1920 and 1922, the British put down an Iraqi revolt costing them 40 million pounds to do so.
In January 1921, the Royal Air Force’s Mesopotamian Group was formed by raising Mesopotamian Wing to group status.
On 1st October 1922, Mesopotamian Group was absorbed into the newly formed RAF Iraq Command which was given control of all British forces in Iraq.
Faisal-I, leader of Iraq from 1921–33, helped make his country fully independent in 1932.

The Kingdom of Iraq (also referred to as Mesopotamia) was governed by the United Kingdom under a League of Nations (predecessor of UNO) mandate, the British Mandate of Mesopotamia, until 1932 when Iraq became nominally independent.

Before granting independence, the United Kingdom concluded the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930. This treaty had several conditions, which included permission to establish military bases for British use and provide all facilities for the unrestricted movement of British forces through the country upon request to the Iraqi government. The conditions of the treaty were imposed by the United Kingdom to ensure continued control of Iraq's petroleum resources. Many Iraqis resented these conditions and felt that their country and its monarchy were still under the effective control of the British Government.

The Anglo–Iraqi War was the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. Operations lasted from 2 to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces, and the return to power of the ousted pro-British regent of Iraq, Prince Abdallah. The campaign further fuelled Iraqi nationalist resentment toward the British-supported Hashemite monarchy. 

1942 AD: On the 1st of April 1941, Rashid Ali and four generals overthrew the pro-British Iraqi government. The British were concerned that the Axis powers might get involved in Iraq since the new government was pro-Axis. The British landed troops at Basra while Iraqi forces besieged RAF Habbaniya. 

On the 2nd of May, the British launched pre-emptive air strikes against Iraqi forces. On 7th May, the Iraqis abandoned the positions above RAF Habbaniya. By about 11th May, the Iraqi Air Force was neutralized. From about 13th May, the ‘Flyer Command Iraq’ (Fliegerfuhrer Irak) of the German Air Force started to arrive. They started to fly sorties under Iraqi colors from Mosul against the British and Commonwealth forces. For a variety of reasons, Fliegerführer Irak was able to achieve little in the way of results. British ground forces from RAF Habbaniya attacked Iraqi forces in Fallujah and, by 22nd May, had withstood an Iraqi counter-attack. The British forces then attacked Baghdad. Rashid Ali and his government fled, and an armistice was signed on 31st May.
The pro-British Iraqi government was restored and the Kingdom of Iraq declared war on the Axis on 17th January 1943.

1948 AD: The Iraqi Army participated in the 1948 Arab-Israel War against Israel.

1954: The US began military aid to Iraq in 1954, and Iraq joined the pro Western Baghdad Pact in 1955. Iraqi troops along with the Syrians occupied parts of Jordan during the 1956 Suez War.

1961: A garrison in Mosul rebelled against Qassem, and Kurdish leader Barzani returned from exile in the Soviet Union to suppress them. Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait after it gained independence from Britain in 1961, but it backed down after the British sent troops to Kuwait.
Iraq sent troops and planes to Jordan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

1968-1979: Iraq was ruled by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr.
Iraqi divisions fought in the 1973 October War against Israel.

1979-2003: Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq. Saddam Hussein came to power as President of Iraq in 1979.

1980-1988: Iran-Iraq War.
Iraq invaded Iran on 22nd September, 1980, and with some initial successes, eventually the war dragged on into a long stalemate, with between 1 and 2 million casualties. The war ended with a ceasefire on August 20, 1988.

1981: On June 7, 1981, Israeli F-15s and F-16s bombed and destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor, 18 miles (29 km) south of Baghdad, following the orders of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

1987: On May 17, 1987, in retaliation to blockade and provocations, an Iraqi Mirage fighter fired two Exocet missiles at the American ship USS Stark (FFG-31), killing thirty-seven of the crew. This was the pretext to the Gulf War.

1990: Gulf War:
On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait. The United States led an international coalition which heavily bombed Iraq and freed Kuwait in 1991. After this war, sanctions were imposed on Iraq as well as a north and south no fly zones, and during the 1990s, Iraq was frequently bombed by American and British aircrafts in small sorties.

1993: In January 1993, the US launched a Cruise missile attack against Iraq, because of it not dismantling police posts near the border with Kuwait. In June 1993, another US cruise missile attack was launched because of a suspected assassination plot against former US president George H.W.Bush. (How ridiculous!)

1996: In 1996, Iraqi troops moved into northern Iraq to support the Kurdish Democratic Party against the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The US responded with limited air attacks in the south. There were Iraqi attacks against allied aircraft in the no fly zones in January 2001, with American and British responding with bombing of targets in northern Iraq in February.
(It’s getting more and more ridiculous! A country is invaded, divided into zones, no-fly zones created for the locals and when they fight back or retaliate, they are accused of ‘attacking’ Anglo-American invading armies.)

2003: Invasion of Iraq:
Oil filled trenches were set on fire in Baghdad on April 2, by the Iraqis to try to hinder Allied air strikes.
The United States led a "coalition of the willing" which invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, in a war that took three weeks to get control of the country, yet the fighting lasted much longer. Baghdad was captured on April 9. Saddam Hussein was deposed, but remained in hiding until December 14, 2003, when he was captured by the US, tried by a US appointed court and killed as a result of a death sentence.
(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

And you know the rest (and you know the truth too!).

Note: Most of this information from Wikipedia has been fed by the West as part of their media campaign. The percentage of truth in it, the angle, the tilt, the propaganda contents, and the objective narrations cannot be guaranteed. They just accuse anybody of any crime (without mentioning the true reasons, provocations and subversive acts leading to the reaction) and rewrite the history. For example: Palestinians launched rocket attacks against Israel, therefore, Israel responded with full military attack, etc.

Wikipedia adds:

The 2003 invasion of Iraq lasted from 19 March to 1 May 2003 and signaled the start of the conflict that later came to be known as the Iraq War, which was dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom by the United States (prior to 19 March, the mission in Iraq was called Operation Enduring Freedom, a carryover from the conflict in Afghanistan). The invasion consisted of 21 days of major combat operations, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and deposed the Baathist government of Saddam Hussein. The invasion phase consisted primarily of a conventionally fought war which concluded with the capture of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, by American forces.

Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from 19 March to 9 April 2003. These were the United States (148,000), United Kingdom (45,000), Australia (2,000), and Poland (194). 36 other countries were involved in its aftermath. In preparation for the invasion, 100,000 U.S. troops were assembled in Kuwait by 18 February. The coalition forces also received support from Kurdish irregulars in Iraqi Kurdistan.

General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme NATO Allied Commander and Joint Chiefs of Staff Director of Strategy and Policy, describes in his 2003 book, ‘Winning Modern Wars’, his conversation with a military officer in the Pentagon shortly after the 11 September attacks regarding a plan to attack seven Middle Eastern countries in five years: "As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan."
(Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion-of-Iraq)

After 8 Years,
Nothing Has Changed!

The billion-dollar propaganda band-wagon has attracted many so-called journalists (or propagandists, or publicists) from all over the world who wanted a piece of the pie or some financial benefits. But there are still those who don’t close their eyes from truth.

Robert Fisk writes for the London based newspaper daily Independent. Eight years ago, in 2007, he wrote a column about the Iraq situation. Today, we face the same situation or even worse. Here are excerpts from his commentary:

Robert Fisk:
“The Iraqis don't deserve us. So we betray them...”
(Published: 23 August 2007 in the daily ‘Independent’ of London)

Always, we have betrayed them. We backed "Flossy" in Yemen. The French backed their local "Harkis" in Algeria; then the FLN victory forced them to swallow their own French military medals before dispatching them into mass graves. In Vietnam, the Americans demanded democracy and, one by one - after praising the Vietnamese for voting under fire in so many cities, towns and villages - they destroyed the elected prime ministers because they were not abiding by American orders.

Now we are at work in Iraq. Those pesky Iraqis don't deserve our sacrifice, it seems, because their elected leaders are not doing what we want them to do.

Does that remind you of a Palestinian organisation called Hamas? First, the Americans loved Ahmed Chalabi, the man who fabricated for Washington the “weapons of mass destruction" (with a hefty bank fraud charge on his back). Then, they loved Ayad Allawi, a Vietnam-style spook who admitted working for 26 intelligence organisations, including the CIA and MI6. Then came Ibrahim al-Jaafari, symbol of electoral law, whom the Americans loved, supported, loved again and destroyed. Couldn't get his act together. It was up to the Iraqis, of course, but the Americans wanted him out. And the seat of the Iraqi government - a never-never land in the humidity of Baghdad's green zone - lay next to the largest US embassy in the world. So goodbye Ibrahim!

Then there was Nouri al-Maliki, a man with whom Bush could "do business"; loved, supported and loved again until Carl Levin and the rest of the US Senate Armed Forces Committee - and, be sure, George W Bush - decided he couldn't fulfill America's wishes. He couldn't get the army together, couldn't pull the police into shape, an odd demand when US military forces were funding and arming some of the most brutal Sunni militias in Baghdad, and was too close to Tehran.

There you have it. We overthrew Saddam's Sunni minority and the Iraqis elected the Shias into power, and all those old Iranian acolytes who had grown up under the Islamic Revolution in exile from the Iraq-Iran war - Jaafari was a senior member of the Islamic Dawaa party which was enthusiastically seizing Western hostages in Beirut in the 1980s and trying to blow up our friend the Emir of Kuwait - were voted into power. So blame the Iranians for their "interference" in Iraq when Iran's own creatures had been voted into power.

And now, get rid of Maliki. Chap doesn't know how to unify his own people, for God's sake. No interference, of course. It's up to the Iraqis, or at least, it's up to the Iraqis who live under American protection in the green zone. The word in the Middle East - where the "plot" (al-Moammarer) has the power of reality - is that Maliki's cosy trips to Tehran and Damascus these past two weeks have been the final straw for the fantasists in Washington. Because Iran and Syria are part of the axis of evil or the cradle of evil or whatever nonsense Bush and his cohorts and the Israelis dream up, take a look at the $30bn in arms heading to Israel in the next decade in the cause of "peace".

Maliki's state visits to the crazed Ahmedinejad and the much more serious Bashar al-Assad appear to be, in Henry VIII's words, "treachery, treachery, treachery". But Maliki is showing loyalty to his former Iranian masters and their Syrian Alawite allies (the Alawites being an interesting satellite of the Shias).

These creatures - let us use the right word - belong to us and thus we can step on them when we wish. We will not learn - we will never learn, it seems - the key to Iraq. The majority of the people are Muslim Shias. The majority of their leaders, including the "fiery" Muqtada al-Sadr were trained, nurtured, weaned, loved, taught in Iran. And now, suddenly, we hate them. The Iraqis do not deserve us. This is to be the grit on the sand that will give our tanks traction to leave Iraq. Bring on the clowns! Maybe they can help us too.


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