ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE

Islam Is A Way of Life

The Quran Tells You

How To Live On Earth

Some manners and rules of conduct

(from the Quran) that form the

foundation of true Islamic

culture and society.

(M. Javed Naseem)

Greetings And Good Wishes

When you greet each other, offer good wishes and blessings! Courtesy should be responded by courtesy. Good wishes should be responded by good or even better wishes.

”When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.” -- (al-Quran 4:86)

Entering Home

When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates!

“It is no fault in the blind nor in one born lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, nor in yourselves, that you should eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers, or your brothers, or your sisters, or your father's brothers or your father's sisters, or your mother's brothers, or your mother's sisters, or in houses of which the keys are in your possession, or in the house of a sincere friend of yours; there is no blame on you, whether you eat in company or separately. But if you enter houses, salute each other - a greeting of blessing and purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah make clear the signs to you that you may understand.”

(al-Quran 24:61)

Trespassing 

Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure!

“O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and saluted those in them. That is best for you, in order that you may heed (what is seemly).”

(al-Quran 24:27)

Suspicion, Backbiting, Grudge

Keep your heart clean and tender! Abstain from backbiting, grudging and suspicion!

“O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it...But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”

(al-Quran 49:12)

Be Kind And Help The Needy

Keep your belief (‘Aqeedah’) of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah) pure and clean! Take care of others!

“Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and what your right hands possess …” -- (al-Quran 4:36)

Don’t Talk About Your Generosity

Don’t bug people with the stories of your generosity or by reminding the needy that you helped them.

“Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, for them their reward is with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” -- (al-Quran 2:262)

Don’t Expect Returns

If you do somebody a favor, do it for Allah’s sake. Do not expect a return for your good deeds and behavior, not even thanks.

“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, (saying):We feed you for the sake of Allah alone; no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.” -- (al-Quran 76:8-9)

Avoid Self-praise  

Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues! Don’t praise yourself!

“…Therefore, justify not yourselves! He knows best who it is that guards against evil.”

(al-Quran 53:32) 

Practice What You Preach

Before you try to change others, try to change yourself first and mend your ways. Actions speak louder than words.  You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach!

“Do you enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet you study the Scripture? Will you not understand?” -- (al-Quran 2:44)

Pardon Gracefully

Pardon gracefully! We all make mistakes. Learn to appreciate those who repent and say sorry!

“When those come to you who believe in Our signs, Say: Peace be on you! Your Lord has inscribed for Himself (the rule of) mercy. Verily, if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented, and amends (his conduct), lo! He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” -- (al-Quran 6:54)

Restrain Your Anger

Try to control your emotions, especially the anger! An angry person is under the influence of Shaitan (Devil) and can commit blunders to hurt himself and others. If you forgive others, instead of getting angry, it would be good for your physical health and Allah will also reward you for that in the Hereafter.

“Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good.” -- (al-Quran 3:134)

Preach Wisely

Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them decently!

“Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious; for your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.” -- (al-Quran 16:125) 

Don’t Reject Signs of Allah,

Don’t Ruin Yourself!

Everyday is a gift from God so appreciate His mercy, glorify His name, and thank Him for all the blessings! Don’t ever ridicule or make fun of the Sings of God!

“Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah: if it offered every ransom, (or reparation), none will be accepted: such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts. They will have for drink (only) boiling water, and for punishment, one most grievous, for they persisted in rejecting Allah.”

(al-Quran 6:70)

Don’t Get Jealous

Do not be jealous of those who are blessed! The rich are tested with their wealth and the poor with their poverty.

“Or do they envy mankind for what Allah has given them of His bounty?” -- (al-Quran 4:54)

Be Accommodating

In your collective life, make room for others. They play a role in your life and you do the same in their lives.

“O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room, (ample) room will Allah provide for you. And when you are told to rise up, rise up! Allah will rise up (to suitable ranks) those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all you do." -- (al-Quran 58:11)

Don’t Overeat

Wear nice clothing for prayers! Eat and drink Halal (what is lawful) food but always in moderation!

“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer! Eat and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters.” -- (al-Quran 7:31)

Don’t Squander

Do not squander your wealth senselessly! People (the poor and the needy) have a share in your wealth!

“And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer; but squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.” -- (al-Quran 17:26)

Don’t acquire orphans’ property unfairly!

Always respect your word! Fulfill your promises and commitments and don’t acquire others’ property by unfair means!

“Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfill (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).” 

(al-Quran 17:34)

Keep Mosques Clean of Mischief!

Keep your places of worship clean, pure and free of mischief! Don’t play any role in the disunity of the Ummah!

“And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good. But Allah does declare that they are certainly liars.”

(al-Quran 9:107)
“Never stand forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety. It is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it, are men who love to be purified; and Allah loves those who make themselves pure.” -- (al-Quran 9:108)

Keep Your Mind/Body Clean!

Prayer requires a clear/clean mind and body. Keep your thoughts pure! Concentrate on prayer!

“O you who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until you can understand all that you say, nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (except when traveling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from offices of nature, or you have been in contact with women, and you find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For Allah does blot out sins and forgive again and again.”

(al-Quran 4:43)

Righteousness Is The Best Garment

Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out! Appreciate what God has given you!

“O children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness, that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!” -- (al-Quran 7:26)

Seek Halal Sustenance From Allah Alone!

Seek your provision only by fair endeavor and only from the Best of Sustainers!

"For you do worship idols besides Allah, and you invent falsehood. The things that you worship besides Allah have no power to give you sustenance; so, seek sustenance from Allah! Serve Him, and be grateful to Him! To Him will be your return.” -- (al-Quran 29:17)

Don’t Promote Corruption & Bribery!

Be modest and don’t waste your property on vanities! Don’t promote corruption and bribery! Don’t acquire anything by unfair means!

“And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges, with intent that you may eat up wrongfully and knowingly a little of (other) people's property.”

(al-Quran 2:188)

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POWER AND AUTHORITY Means Responsibility To Serve

The Ruler And The Ruled

Power & Authority Means

Responsibility To Serve

Mankind Justly

(M. Javed Naseem) 

Do not ask for any position of authority! Your interest in asking for that position puts your intention, your sincerity, your honesty and your sense of service to mankind in doubt. It shows your hunger for power and that makes you vulnerable to corruption. In fact authority means serving mankind with justice and fairness.

Here is a lesson for those who are fighting and striving to gain power to rule people for their own benefit; and are struggling to become prime minister, president or even a minister in any government at any cost.

According to a narration by Maaqil, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: “Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will not even get the smell of Paradise.”

According to Abd al-Rahman bin Samura, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said to him:

“Abd al-Rahman! Do not ask for a position of authority, for if you are granted this position as a result of your asking for it, you will be left alone (without God’s help to discharge the responsibilities attendant thereon); and if you are granted it without asking for it, you will be helped (by God in the discharge of your duties).”

In another Hadith, Abu Burda narrated:

The Prophet (s.a.w.) sent my father (Abu Musa) and Mu'adh bin Jabal to Yemen (as rulers/governors) and said (to them): "Make things easy for the people and do not put hurdles in their way, and give them glad tiding, and don't let them have aversion (i.e. to make people hate good deeds) and you both should work in cooperation and mutual understanding."

Abu Musa said to Allah's Apostle: "In our country, a special alcoholic drink, called ‘al-bit', is prepared.”

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "Every intoxicant is prohibited.”

The modern generation of Muslims has a character problem. They are heavily influenced by media, especially TV, and like to do whatever they are shown on the screen. In the daily life, they see so-called Muslims’’ around them but not Islam. So, they don’t have role-models except the singers, dancers, actors and opportunists they see on TV. If you give them examples from the history of Islam, they laugh and say that those are the stories of the old times.

They are, in a way, right to say that because they don’t see any practical examples in the society. Why? The answer is simple: The upbringing. They are not brought up in Islamic culture with Islamic guidelines for daily life.

Man is prone to corruption because he is weak. He cannot resist the temptation. The only difference between the old times and today’s culture is the degree, scope and volume of corruption that has crept in our lives. Things that were considered bad and abnormal, have been slowly adopted as normal. Everybody is competing with others in the economic and material race. Codes of ethics and morals are either totally ignored or modified to suit the lifestyle.

Umar bin al-Khattab was a great companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and a humble servant of Allah. During his time as Caliph, he appointed Saeed bin Aamer as governor of Hams. After some time, some people of Hams complained and asked for his removal. Caliph Umar was a bit surprised.  He was an excellent judge of people and could not believe what he heard. He prayed to Allah to bless him with wisdom, and then went to Hams to see the concerned parties. He held the court at Saeed’s place and suggested that Governor Saeed bin Aamer listen to the complaints of the people. He then asked people about their complaints. People said that they had three complaints. The first was that the governor used to leave home late and never started the business of the court early in the morning.

Caliph Umar asked Saeed bin Aamer to explain. Governor Saeed replied that his wife was the only person at home who would take care of the household.  They had no servants. He helped her to make the dough and bake the bread. Then they would eat together. After that, he would do the ablution (wudhu) and leave home for work.

Caliph Umar then asked people what their second complaint was. People said that the governor did not entertain their complaints at night. He would tell them to come in the morning.

Caliph Umar turned to Governor Saeed and asked for his explanation. Saeed bin Aamer said that he did not like to answer that question but as a token of respect for the Caliph, he would explain. He said that he had divided the day and night into two parts. The day was reserved for the service of the creation (people); and the night was reserved for the Creator (Allah). He said that he prayed to Allah all night, therefore, he could not attend any worldly business.

Caliph Umar bin al-Khattab then asked people about their third complaint. People said that the governor would take one day off every month. On that day, he would not take care of people’s business.

Umar bin al-Khattab (r.a.a.) asked Saeed bin Aamer how would he answer that? Governor Saeed explained that he had no servants or maids. He washed his own clothes once every month and then waited for them to dry. When the clothes were dry by the afternoon, he would put them on to go out. He could not come out of his house earlier.

Caliph Umar thanked Allah for his selection of Saeed bin Aamer as governor, then he turned to people and advised them to appreciate such a governor.

Later on, Caliph Umar sent a gift of one thousand Dinars for Saeed bin Aamer to facilitate his household needs. His wife suggested that she could hire a maid for the household. Governor Saeed told his wife that there were still poor people around who needed the money more than her. What if they came to ask for help?

The wife understood and agreed with his suggestion to donate the money in charity. Then both of them put that money in small pouches and distributed it among the needy.

That’s how a ruler should take care of his subjects! These are not some fabricated stories. These some are real-life events well recorded in the history books. They were honest and God-fearing rulers. They knew that authority meant responsibility to serve mankind justly.

If the rulers of today’s Muslim countries take a minute and think about their kingdoms and so-called democracies in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, they might get the message and wake up, hopefully. Otherwise, the grip of Allah is very severe and the punishment would be their destiny.

وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشاً

فَنَقَّبُواْ فِى ٱلْبِلاَدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ إِنَّ فِى ذٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ

لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى ٱلسَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ

“And how many a generation we destroyed

before them, who were mightier than these in

prowess so that they overran the lands! Had they

any place of refuge (when the judgment came)?

Lo! Therein verily is a reminder for him who

has a heart, or gives ear with full intelligence.”

(al-Quran 50:36-37)

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FIVE QUESTIONS About Your Actions & Choices

Five Questions

You’ll Be Questioned

About Your Actions

And Choices!

(M. Javed Naseem)

وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُونَ

“This (Quran) is indeed a Reminder

for you and your people; and you

shall soon be questioned.”

(al-Quran 43:44)

Islam is a way of life (Deen) based on social justice and good conduct. The success, strength and stability of this system is greatly linked to the relationship we have with our Creator. We should fear Him before doing something wrong; we should obey Him and glorify Him as our Lord – the Supreme Creator; and we should always be thankful to Him for all the mercy, blessings, favors and bounties He bestows upon us.  

If you think that you’ll be left alone

and won’t be questioned about your

actions, choices and treatment of

others, you are dead wrong!

You’ll be questioned!

You’ll be held accountable!

You’ll be dealt with justice!

We are responsible for our actions. Whatever we do here in this world, we would be asked about it in the Hereafter. On the Day of Judgment, we’ll be questioned about our life on this earth. We are answerable to our Creator for everything we do here and we would be held accountable.

If we misguide or mislead others by our actions, writings, preaching, suggestions and instructions, the burden of sins of those who are misguided or misled would also be added to ours. We’ll be held responsible and on the Day of Judgment we’ll be dealt with justice.

وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالاً مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ

وَلَيُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ

‘They will bear their own burdens, and

(other) burdens along with their own, and

on the Day of Judgments they will be

called to account for their falsehoods.’

(Quran 29:13)

The Holy Quran is full of commands of Allah that determine our path in this world – what we should DO, and what we should NOT do. We choose the path we want to follow, and that will lead us to Heaven or Hell. We’ll be held accountable for our choices.

Prepare some answers by

helping others; teaching and

guiding others; and by easing

the pains of others!

On the Day of Judgment, every human being has to answer five major questions (along with other questions) before he/she is admitted to Heaven or Hell. I would like to remind you of those very important questions in case you’re living a care-free life on this planet.

The questioning starts from the grave. At the very first stage you would be asked three basic questions – about your Lord, about your Deen (religion), and about your Messenger (Prophet sent to guide your nation). Then there are other sessions of interrogation. Some people say there are 30-33 questions; others say it’s 300 or more. Allah knows best. What we know from the sayings (Hadiths) of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) that there would be many questions, out of which the following five are the most important:

Q. 1: How did you live your life on earth? (As per commands of Allah?)

Q. 2: What did you do with your youth? (The most powerful, resourceful, beautiful and effective tool to work with).

Q. 3: How did you earn your livelihood (money)? (By Halal or Haram means?)

Q. 4: How did you spend your earnings/wealth? (In the cause of Allah, helping the needy?)

Q. 5: What did you do with your knowledge (education)? (Did you use it to serve Allah, serve mankind and to guide others to the right path?)

Easy questions, difficult answers!

The most slippery question is about your earnings/wealth. How did you make it and how did you spend it? We don't spend it on the poor and needy but we spend billions on wars of invasion.

As far as poverty is concerned, there are only two ways of eliminating it: Turn the poor into rich or kill them. The Zionist rich don't want others to get rich, so they go for the second option -- kill them and get rid of the poor and the poverty. And that's what's happening in the world in the name of 'war on terror'.

On idividual and personal level, everybody knows what the ‘Halal’ (legitimate) means of earning are. But do we abide by the ‘Halal/Haraam rules in life?

We better reflect upon it seriously and prepare some valid answers! The Day of Accountability is fast approaching!

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ANTI-ISLAM CRUSADE Would Create The Anti-Christ.

The Zionist Dream

Palestine’s Nightmare

Iraq’s Horror

Libya’s Misery

Syria’s D/Day

The Anti-Islam Crusade

Would Give Birth To

The Monster ‘Anti-Christ’

(M. Javed Naseem)

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The onslaught of the great ‘Axis of Evil’

(US-UK-Israel) is unstoppable. The

weaker nations have stopped looking up

to other nations (like Russia and China)

for justice or deterrence, as there is none.

People are now looking up to heavens

for divine help. The world leaders have

conspired. They have betrayed the humanity!

They are all into it. They all have blood on

their hands! They use U.N. as a rubber stamp.

***************************************

The Middle East is being systematically destroyed under a horrific expansion plan of ‘Greater Israel’. Palestine, Iraq, Libya and Syria have been bleeding for years now and the sol-called international community is behaving like deaf and dumb. The internet and the social media is flooded by the pictures of bloodbath every day but the world conscience is not bothered at all. One wonders if the world leaders really have any conscience!

The Zionist Dream of ‘Greater Israel’ has become Palestine’s nightmare, Iraq’s horror and Syria’s D/Day. “The triangle of Evil” (US-UK-Israel) is on the invasion march trampling all social/cultural values, human rights, all codes of ethics, all civilized norms and international laws. They are promoting only one agenda: The might is right!

The watch-dogs (like U.N.) are literally behaving like dogs watching the circus. Sometimes they even join the show to remind the victim nations that they are the loyal ‘hand’ of the modern “Axis of Evil” – or a rubber stamp.

Weaker nations have stopped looking up to other nations (like Russia and China) for justice or deterrence. There is none. People are now looking up to heavens for divine intervention and justice. The world leaders have conspired. They have betrayed the humanity! They are all into it. They all have blood on their hands. They use U.N. as a rubber stamp.

Jonathan Ofir’s Open Letter

To Fellow Israelis

Jonathan Ofir was an Israeli soldier, now turned musician, conductor and blogger / writer based in Denmark. He has written an open letter to his fellow Israelis. Here’s the text:  

(From: Mondoweiss.net)

To my fellow Israelis: We Can Stop This!

Jonathan Ofir, on February 8, 2016

An open letter to my fellow Israelis:

This is probably a culmination of nearly a decade's reviewed study of our history. At some point, beyond the singular stories, cases and arguments, I feel something unequivocal and very generally encompassing needs to be said about our Israeli 'miracle', the manifestation of the Zionist 'dream'.

I will not write this in Hebrew, although that would probably have been the most direct idiomatic tool to reach your minds. I will not do so, because I have had enough of dirty laundry recycled amongst us 'self-understanding' Israelis. Whilst I write to you, my hopes of change coming from within us Israelis have regrettably declined in the years - and thus, I am also, if not more so, placing my bets upon the involvement of the international community - whose help we need so badly - not for more cash, weapons, or apologetic 'understanding', but rather for its intervention in what we are apparently unable, and mostly unwilling, to fix. The attitude which I thus exhibit here is an extremely unpopular one in Israeli and Jewish culture - it is the vein of the 'mosser' - the one who 'snitches' against the 'Jewish nation' towards the goyim.
Well, get over it. There are far more serious issues at hand.

I have to tell you, our evaluation of Israeli history omits so much atrocity from our side. Indeed, much of it is still classified - even back to 1948. Yes, you may have heard about Deir Yassin massacre, it is often taught in school books, yet portrayed as an aberration, perpetrated by the 'extremist', 'rogue' factions before the declaration of Independence (although the leaders of those extremist factions became our Prime-Ministers). But what of the dozens of other massacres perpetrated by - us - in 1948, indeed by the very IDF? Have you read about Al Dawayima, which was apparently worse than Deir Yassin? Yair Auron just wrote about it in Haaretz, I translated and it's out on Mondoweiss - go and read. It's a letter which is out for the first time in full, but it's no secret as such - excerpts of it have been out for decades - as have many other testimonies and documents, for those who care to seek and look.

When you sum up the systematic mass executions, the many gang-rape cases (which have been slow to be uncovered, because they involve shame on both fronts), the crushing of children's skulls with sticks, the ripping out of fetuses from their mothers' wombs - all, and many more, perpetrated by 'us', the 'good guys', the 'cultured elite' - often in situations which presented no danger, just out of pure gratuitous sadism and hate for the 'Arabs' - then you may begin to realise, that Israel is not in a war of survival, a war of an elite and advanced culture in a 'bad neighborhood' of backwards Arab sub-culture.

(Jonathan Ofir) 

Let me put it out there, clearly and directly:
We have been acting like animals, with barbarism of a degree which indeed could be, and should be, and has been, compared to those whom we love to hate - the Nazis - whose cruelty is supposed to exonerate ours. As Golda Meir told MK Shulamit Aloni: "After the Holocaust, Jews are allowed to do anything." NO. Damn well not. We've used this excuse, with those words or others, together with a systematic cover-up of our own cruelties, since the start. And because we have largely succumbed to our own propaganda in this, we have failed to perceive the historical trace, which, if followed honestly, will show us that we are essentially AT THE SAME PLACE as before - still subjugating, still massacring, still torturing.

This is not a chain of events forced upon us as an inevitable consequence of trying to 'survive'. This is nonetheless a predictable outcome of our inherent state-religion - which is not Judaism, as many mistakenly think - but rather Zionism.

We were brainwashed to think that Zionism is our savior. That as Jesus died on the cross for the Christians, our soldiers have died for our country. No - they died primarily for Zionism. 'Our country', as is mostly perceived by us, is not really 'our country'. It is the country of so many others, whom we have not only expelled with unfathomable brutality, but whom we also now keep locked up in cages of various forms, shapes and styles, as well as under horrendous Apartheid regime in various degrees - in order to maintain our sacred 'demographic balance' - whilst we continue, rather unabated, in our expansion over the 'promised land'.
Our occupation did not begin in 1967, neither did our cruelty and crimes. We have established a state on the mass graves of others. This was not forced upon us. Just as Begin said in 1982, concerning the 1967 war "we must be honest with ourselves...we decided to attack" - so must we be honest with ourselves about all of our other portrayals of 'self-defense'. Indeed, the whole Zionist venture is essentially portrayed as a 'struggle for survival', a "struggle for self-defense".

Had we not hidden our crimes so well, so deep, and with so much propaganda 'deterrence' rhetoric, it would perhaps be easier to believe our sincerity. On the other hand, when those crimes are exposed for what they are, it also becomes impossible to justify our moral righteousness. Indeed, as the world media became much more instantly transparent, the reality of our crimes became impossible to hide - so we put an extra focus on propaganda - to twist it all into 'self defense'. We indiscriminately shelled houses and levelled neighborhoods in Gaza for 'self-defense'. We torture children for 'self-defense'. Let's just say it outright: We torture and terrorize the hell out of Palestinians in order to deter them and make their lives so miserable so they will want to leave - or to revenge, which will justify our next blow.

We have created a monster. Who on earth would want to 'survive' if this is how 'survival' looks? How vile is this 'survival' which maintains itself upon the death and destruction of 'others'? Indeed, who are those 'others'? Are we not really the 'others', who came with our 'better knowing' culture to 'make the desert bloom'? And as this desert 'blooms' with yet another settlement, another fictitious 'military zone', another 'expansion' - the people who are there, the 'others', are gradually removed, encircled, or killed.

We, Jews, have thus created a violent legacy to last for centuries, even if it were to stop now. If all stories were now revealed, all archives declassified (both 1948, 1967 and all others), it is certain that this Zionist venture would constitute another shocking and substantial chapter of barbarism and cruelty in the annals of world history.
But it is not over - for worse, but also for better. We have the ability to stop it now. No, this does not mean our annihilation, as the propagandist Zionist hysterics would reflexively profess. It is an option, standing before us - to relinquish the reign of exclusivity, to separate the Jewish from the State, and to live in peace, with all the challenges that may face every human and every state.

But WE are not a state. A state is not 'people'. A state is a regime, a paradigm of governance. A state may belong to its citizens - but then neither 'we' nor Israel constitute a real state. For the State of Israel is the state of those who hold Jewish Nationality - which supersedes their citizenship. And I refuse to be a part of this "we", if that means some ethnic-religious-national mishmash superiority. Does that necessarily mean divorcing Judaism? No, of course not. It simply means divorcing the ostensibly inextricable tie that Zionism has made between itself and Judaism, in monopolising Judaism, using a mafia-style coercion of all those who speak against it, with the (too often) applied ultimate rhetoric WMD of 'anti-Semitism'.

This is a scare tactic that needs to be fought. If we do not rise above the intellectual atavism that this ideology submits us to, we will continue to be committing grave crimes and exonerating them as we go, in the name of this 'religion'.
There is a future. Zionism, nonetheless, is a dead-end. I realise that saying these things today, is far, far from consensus, and is in no uncertain ways a recipe for societal exclusion. I'll take that. I've already resolved to it. But this is not some prophetic martyrdom that I submit myself to. It is actually the only right path that I see. If you want to hope for a good future with Zionism, at least do the minimum to really see what it has meant for Palestinians. That is, surprisingly, perhaps the easier part. The harder part is to look the horrors in the eye, and then look yourself in the mirror, and see what Zionism has done to you.

(Courtesy: http://mondoweiss.net/2016/02/to-my-fellow-israelis-we-can-stop-this/#sthash.fYoGGjsc.dpuf)

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