IGNORANCE IS YOUR WORST ENEMY; Kill It With Guidance!

 

Ignorance (Jahl/Jahalat)

Is Your Worst Enemy; 

Kill It With Guidance!

Guidance is the Light while

ignorance is the Darkness.

The Light comes from Allah;

the Darkness from the Devil.

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure,

without doubt, to those who fear Allah.”

(al-Quran 2:2)

The Quran is the Book of Guidance. Knowledge (education) is guidance and guidance is the light that eliminates darkness and leads you to Paradise. On the other hand, ignorance is darkness and darkness leads to Hell. The Quran is the Word of God and it is the main source of all guidance. Allah says about the Quran:

“Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance

and instruction to those who fear Allah!”

(al-Quran 3:138)

Racism, discrimination, intolerance and hate spring from the base of ignorance (Jahl or Jahalat). It is sheer lack of education (or guidance) and faulty upbringing on the part of the parents, teachers or preachers that promotes ignorance and intolerance. All humanity came from Adam and Eve, therefore, we are all brethren. Discrimination or racism has no scientific, logical or reasonable ground to flourish.

The light of guidance comes from Allah whereas the darkness of ignorance comes from the Devil. Allah, our Creator, has declared that the Devil is our enemy, therefore, there should be no doubt about it in our minds that the enemy is pushing us towards Hellfire while Allah, with all His mercy and blessing, keeps reminding us of the path of guidance that can protect us from the Hellfire.

“Allah is the Protector of those who have faith.

From the depths of darkness He will lead them

forth into light. Of those who reject faith the

patrons are the evil ones. From light they will

lead them forth into the depths of darkness.

They will be companions of the fire,

to dwell therein (for ever).”

(al-Quran 2:257)

The Book of Guidance is full of wisdom, mercy, healing and knowledge – all that we need to live our transitional life on this planet. We need to reflect upon it, act upon it and live our lives as per the principles and rules prescribed for us by Allah, the Almighty, for our own success and salvation. Allah says:

“A Book which We have revealed unto you,

in order that you might lead mankind out of

the depths of darkness into light - by the leave

of their Lord - to the way of (Him) the Exalted

in power, worthy of all praise!”

(al-Quran 14:1)

“… And if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance

from Me, whosoever follows My guidance, on

them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

(al-Quran 2:38)

Allah’s guidance and mercy is available to those who seek it and strive for it. We have to take the first step and make an effort. On His part, the Merciful Allah will bless us with guidance. The only condition is that we should believe in His sovereignty and fear His wrath. We don’t need to follow any famous religion or religious people. Just be mindful of Allah and His commands, and follow the path of the righteousness! Remember that guidance is not for those who deny Allah; or those who refuse His sovereignty; or those who are unjust; or those who practice evil-doing. He says:

“… Nor does Allah give guidance to a people unjust.”

(al-Quran 2:258)

“And who is more astray than one who follows

his desire without guidance from Allah? Indeed,

Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”

(al-Quran 28:50)

Man has fabricated many fancy and modern religions but none of them is satisfying because they are all man-made. They bring happiness only to the promoters as they are getting rich with other people’s money. Religion is not about money or material things. The Bible says:

 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure

and faultless is this: To look after orphans and

widows in their distress and to keep oneself

from being polluted by the world.”

(James 1:27)

Real guidance comes from God. He guided all Prophets and Messengers with the Scriptures; and the same guidance was offered to their respective nations. Man can benefit from Divine Guidance if he remains obedient and faithful to his Creator. Allah tells us in the Quran:

“Say: Allah's guidance is the (only) guidance,

and we have been directed to submit ourselves

to the Lord of the worlds.”

(al-Quran 6:71)

“It was We who revealed the law (to Moses);

therein was guidance and light…”

(al-Quran 5:44)

“And We gave Moses the Book, in order

that they might receive guidance.”

(al-Quran 23:49)

The same thing goes for Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary. The Book may be called by a different name but the message was the same. Allah says:

“And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of

Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him.

We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and

light, and confirmation of the Law that had come

before him; a guidance and an admonition to

those who fear Allah.”

(al-Quran 5:46)

We humans should consider ourselves lucky that our Creator, the Almighty, cares about us and He sends directions or instructions for us so that we don’t go astray. If we hold on to that source of guidance, we will never suffer. Today, mankind has abandoned the Book of Guidance and people are blindly chasing their worldly desires – in other words, they are following the Devil. The plight of believers points to that direction. If we abandon God, He will, in return, abandon us too. He says:

“O mankind! There has come to you a direction

from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases)

in your hearts, and for those who believe,

a guidance and a Mercy.”

(al-Quran 10:57)

The Jewish and the Christian worlds are suffering the same fate as Muslims today. They have all ignored the Book of Guidance; they are far from the true religion (or the true guidance). The Bible says:

 “The world and its desires pass away, but

whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

(1-John 2:17)

 

When Allah commands us, He does not force us. He gives us the choice of action so that we submit to Him voluntarily, with our own free will. Those who deny or reject His guidance, they cannot be guided. In response, Allah rejects them. In the end they suffer a grievous chastisement.

“To such as Allah rejects from His guidance,

There can be no guide. He will leave them in

their trespasses, wandering in distraction.”

(al-Quran 7:186)

Those earlier nations were destroyed because they chose evil ways of life and disobeyed the Laws of the Book of Guidance. That’s the price of disobedience! And therein lies a lesson or a warning for us too.

“As to the Thamud, We gave them guidance, but

they preferred blindness (of heart) to guidance.

So the stunning punishment of humiliation seized

them, because of what they had earned.”

(al-Quran 41:17)

“… And We sent down upon the evil-doers

wrath from heaven for their evil-doing.”

(al-Quran 2:59)

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ALLAH DOES NOT LIKE HYPOCRITES! Are We Being Replaced?

 

We Are Not True Muslims

Are We Being Replaced?

Allah Does Not Like

Hypocrites!

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

“We, even We, created them, and strengthened

their frame. And when We will, We can replace

them, bringing others like them in their stead.”

(al-Quran 76:28)

Where are the true Muslims today? Where can you find true Islam being practiced in this world? This is a very tough question!

These days, we can find everything online – even Islam or Muslims. Actually, to tell you the truth, ‘online’ is the only place where you can find Muslims or Islam. In the real world, in those so-called Muslims countries, real practicing Muslims are hard to find. We believe that they still exist. But on the internet, Facebook preachers are very active. The internet is flooded with religious posts that also includes fake Ahadith, fabricated stories of the saints to boost your morale, and accounts of concocted miracles of Islam or the slaves of Islam. Real knowledge and research is disappearing.

As a matter of fact, Islam is a very simple Deen (way of life), of which religion is a small part. The Supreme Creator Allah has sent down His Message (or instructions) with guaranteed guidance and mercy. He has made it very clear in the Quran that those who follow His commands will prosper; while those who disobey Him or violate His commands, will suffer, not only in this world but also in the Hereafter. In nutshell, if you do good, you’ll get good rewards while wrong-doing will bring you suffering and you’ll be punished for that too. Success is guaranteed in practicing righteousness.

History tells us that Allah destroyed and replaced those earlier nations because of their wrong-doing and sinful life. And we are not special. We are governed by the same laws that governed them – the laws of righteousness. We cannot continue violating those divine laws and get away with it! The better people are waiting in line.

“Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in

the East and the West that We can certainly

substitute for them better (men) than they;

and We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).”

(al-Quran 70:40-41)

There are also thousands of posts on FB wherein the promoters pray for general amnesty or Allah’s forgiveness for Muslims. Those are the ‘goodwill’ posts with no bearing at all. Remember one thing! The prayer (Dua) comes from the heart with all honesty and sincerity. The person praying should repent and ask Allah’s forgiveness personally and so does every other sinner. Without regret and repentance, prayer (Dua) has no effect, nor value. The Facebook prayers (Dua) will do nothing for the Muslim Ummah if Muslims themselves don’t repent and beg the Merciful Allah for forgiveness. Allah knows our intentions and then hears our prayers (Dua), and watches our actions. All three should sync and coordinate with honesty and sincerity. Without it, we should be prepared for the wrath of Allah. Don’t forget that Allah gave us plenty of time to repent!

Muslims are being attacked from all sides, all over the world. And they should know why! Allah tells us in the Quran: “Remember Me, I’ll remember you!” It’s a very simple and plain equation. When we ignore Allah, He’ll ignore us too – simple as that! Allah goes a step even further and tells us in the Quran that if we forget Him, He’ll also forget us on the Day of Judgment! And there cannot be a bigger loss for us than that.

So, what’s the remedy? The answer is simple: Revert to Him! We should acknowledge our wrong-doings; regret and repent; and seek Allah’s forgiveness and mercy! Only then can we prosper in this world. Our success is bound with righteousness – doing good and stopping evil. There’s no other solution or remedy to the present dilapidated state of Muslims. Allah gave us all kinds of warnings and the biggest warning was that he imposed upon us the corrupt and dishonest leaders. We always cheer those corrupt leaders. But we never learned any lesson, and continued our corrupt ways. Hence the disaster!

Many ignorant Mullahs and political-minded Imams in the Muslim world blame the white man, America, Britain, EU, Israel, etc., etc. Those countries are only taking advantage of the situation; they are not 100% responsible for that. The truth is: WE Muslims are responsible for our own downfall, for our own plight, and for our own misery. Nobody else!

 

We have abandoned God and as a result He has abandoned us too. Therefore, despite all our means, resources, intelligence, technology and planning, we have failed. We find ourselves helpless. Since all help comes from Allah, it is only logical that we get back to Him and cry before Him. The Bible says:

“But you must return to your God;

maintain love and justice, and wait

for your God always.”

-- Hosea 12:6

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

--  Psalms 33:5

When we bring God back into our lives, we are going to succeed and prosper. That’s the only solution to our present problems. We should not forget that everything, once again: EVERYTHING, that is in the heavens and on earth (and in-between) belongs to Allah. It is His domain and only He has the sovereignty. We are His beggars. When we realize that and start behaving like His beggars – asking Him alone for all our needs and guidance – He will surely lead us to victory, success, happiness, peace and prosperity. The rest is all bullshit and you have been trying the rest (bullshit) for over 50 years now! See the results of your doing?

When you disobey Allah by wrong-doing and transgression, you are hurting your own cause. To err is human but the better human is the one who realizes his mistake or wrong-doing and immediately repents. He asks for Allah’s forgiveness and never tries to repeat the same mistake or sin again. But those who disobey Allah by violating His laws, by crossing the limits; and don’t repent; they commit a crime and every crime merits punishment.

“… Those are limits set by Allah; and anyone

who transgresses the limits of Allah, does

verily wrong his (own) soul.”

(al-Quran 65:1)

The wrath of Allah is knocking at our doors; the sooner we realize it, the better. Looks like it has already been too late but there’s still hope.

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THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU, If You Take Care Of His Creation!

 

The Almighty Creator

Will Take Care Of You,

If You Take Care Of

His Creation!

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

“Believe in Allah and His messenger, and

spend (in charity) out of the (substance)

whereof He has made you heirs. For, those

of you who believe and spend (in charity),

for them is a great Reward.”

(al-Quran 57:7)

When God taught us Faith, He based it on His own qualities like Mercy, Love, Forgiveness, Charity and Hope – all Good and no Evil! He told us not to follow the Devil as he was our enemy. We were strictly commanded not to spread corruption and evil in the Earth so that we could enjoy Lord’s bounties and a happy life in this world. But when we were enjoying happy life, we ignored God’s commands and started playing god on earth; hence all the corruption and evil. Out of greed and jealousy, we started depriving other humans of those bounties that we were enjoying.

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

Serve humanity if you want to serve

the Almighty! Treat people with mercy

so that Allah will treat you with mercy

on the Day of Judgment!

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

Most of us are going through hard times these days that have become even harder due to corrupt govt. restrictions and a manipulative safety protocol. Millions of people have lost their jobs, small businesses and sources of income. Some got the alternate sources of income; some got government and social help and some got nothing at all except suffering. They can’t beg and they have nobody to turn to. As responsible members of the society, we have an obligation to look around in our own neighborhoods and try to help those who are suffering from poverty and hunger.

“Whatever you shall spend in the cause

of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and

you shall not be treated unjustly.”

(al-Quran 8:60)

When you give, give with a big heart. Never think that you are doing others a favor! No, as a matter of fact, you are helping your own cause because Allah, the Almighty, will reward you for your good and charitable acts. Remember that the poor have a share in your wealth whether you accept it or not; whether you like it or not. That’s the verdict of the Lord Almighty. Share your wealth with the needy and the orphans and widows, and you would be rewarded manifold.

“Twice will they be given their reward,

for that they have persevered, that they

avert Evil with Good, and that they spend

(in charity) out of what We have given them.”

(al-Quran 28:54)

Thousands of times, we were warned via Scriptures through Prophets and Messengers but only a few paid heed. Most of the people ignored those teachings and warnings although we were informed of the fate of the earlier nations who disobeyed the Lord. Love, peace and harmony can only be created by sharing with others. Compassion is the key to a happy society. Allah, the Merciful, created us with mercy, compassion, love and hope. We are supposed to live in harmony with peace and justice. Some people are born rich while others are poor. But both are a source of ‘Test’ for each other. Allah wants to see how the rich behave and live with all the wealth and bounties He gave them in this world. At the same time, He wants to see how the poor live in contentment and survive on limited sources with patience. If both of them succeed in keeping corruption, ungratefulness and greed at bay, they are both successful in this world and would carry the reward to the Hereafter.

“And spend of your substance in the cause

of Allah, and make not your own hands

contribute to (your) destruction; but do good;

for Allah loves those who do good.”

(al-Quran 2:195)

“Those who rehearse the Book of Allah,

establish regular prayer, and spend (in

charity) out of what We have provided

for them, secretly and openly, hope for

a commerce that will never fail.”

(al-Quran 35:29)

It is not the amount of money that counts. What matters actually is your gesture and thought behind your charitable action. Just try to put a smile on a sad face and enjoy the beautiful feeling. You can give whatever you can afford. Allah says in the Quran:

“Let the man of means spend according to

his means; and the man whose resources are

restricted, let him spend according to what

Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden

on any person beyond what He has given him.

After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief.”

(al-Quran 65:7)

God’s Message is divine and universal, and it was delivered to us by all Messengers. Only we, the humans, corrupted and altered it.

The Bible says:
“One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” – (Proverbs 19:17)

“And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.” – (Isaiah 58:10)

"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” – (Matthew 5:42)

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.” – (Matthew 25:35)

"But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” – (Luke 14”13)

“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” – (1-Timothy 6:18)

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THE 'GODFATHER OF HARLEM': Remembering Malcolm-X - May 19.

 

Remembering Malcolm-X: May 19, 1925

'Godfather Of Harlem'

The Great Muslim Leader

of Modern America

(M. Javed Naseem)

Malcolm Little (the original name) was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha (Nebraska), the fourth of seven children of Louise Helen Little and Earl Little (of Georgia). Earl was an outspoken Baptist speaker, and he and Louise were admirers of Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey. They inculcated self-reliance and black-pride in their children. Malcolm-X later said that white violence killed four of his father's brothers.

Because of KKK (Ku Klux Klan) threats‍, the family relocated in 1926 to Milwaukee (Wisconsin), and shortly thereafter to Lansing (Michigan). There, the family was frequently harassed by the Black Legion, a white racist group Earl accused of burning their family home in 1929. He excelled in junior high school but dropped out of high school after a white teacher told him that practicing law, his aspiration at the time, was "no realistic goal for a nigger". Later Malcolm-X recalled feeling that the white world offered no place for a career-oriented black man, regardless of talent.

When Malcolm was in prison, he met fellow convict John Bembry, a self-educated man he would later describe as "the first man I had ever seen command total respect ... with words". Under Bembry's influence, Malcolm developed a voracious appetite for reading.

In late 1948, Malcolm contacted Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the emerging Nation of Islam. Malcolm soon became a member of the Nation of Islam, maintaining a regular correspondence with Muhammad.

In 1950, the FBI opened a file on Malcolm after he wrote a letter from prison to President Truman, expressing opposition to the Korean War and declaring himself a communist. That year, he also began signing his name "Malcolm-X". Muhammad instructed his followers to leave their family names behind when they joined the Nation of Islam and use "X" instead.

Thoughts & Speeches

“The common goal of 22 million Afro-Americans is respect as human beings. ... We can never get civil rights in America until our human rights are first restored. We will never be recognized as citizens there until we are first recognized as humans. ... Just as the violation of human rights of our brothers and sisters in South Africa and Angola is an international issue and has brought the racists of South Africa and Portugal under attack from all other independent governments at the United Nations, once the miserable plight of the 22 million Afro-Americans is also lifted to the level of human rights our struggle then becomes an international issue and the direct concern of all other civilized governments. We can then take the racist American Government before the World Court and have the racists in it exposed and condemned as the criminals that they are.” — Malcolm -X.

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses. The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make the criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. … If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” —Malcolm-X

Malcolm-X is widely regarded as the second most influential leader of the Nation of Islam after Elijah Muhammad. He was largely credited with the group's dramatic increase in membership between the early 1950s and early 1960s (from 500 to 25,000 by one estimate; from 1,200 to 50,000 or 75,000 by another)
 
He inspired the boxer Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) to join the Nation of Islam, and the two became close. Malcolm-X mentored and guided Louis-X (later known as Louis Farrakhan), who eventually became the leader of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm-X also served as a mentor and confidant to Elijah Muhammad's son, Wallace D. Muhammad, who told Malcolm-X about his skepticism toward his father's "unorthodox approach" to Islam. Wallace Muhammad was excommunicated from the Nation of Islam several times, although he was eventually readmitted.

On March 8, 1964, Malcolm-X publicly announced his break from the Nation of Islam. He was still a Muslim, he said, but felt that the Nation had "gone as far as it can" because of its rigid teachings. He said he was planning to organize a black nationalist organization to "heighten the political consciousness" of African Americans.

Pilgrimage to Mecca

In April 1964, with financial help from his half-sister Ella Little-Collins, Malcolm-X flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the start of his Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca obligatory for every Muslim who is able to do so. He was delayed in Jeddah when his U.S. citizenship and inability to speak Arabic caused his status as a Muslim to be questioned. He had received Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam's book “The Eternal Message of Muhammad” with his visa approval, and he contacted the author. Azzam's son arranged for his release and lent him his personal hotel suite. The next morning Malcolm-X learned that Prince Faisal had designated him as a state guest. Several days later, after completing the Hajj rituals, Malcolm-X had an audience with the prince.

Malcolm-X later said that seeing Muslims of "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans," interacting as equals led him to see Islam as a means by which racial problems could be overcome.

Death threats and intimidation from Nation of Islam

Throughout 1964, as his conflict with the Nation of Islam intensified, Malcolm-X was repeatedly threatened. In February, a leader of Temple Number Seven ordered the bombing of Malcolm-X's car. In March, Muhammad told Boston minister Louis-X (later known as Louis Farrakhan) that "hypocrites like Malcolm should have their heads cut off". The April-10 edition of 'Muhammad Speaks' featured a cartoon depicting Malcolm-X's bouncing, severed head.

On June 8, FBI surveillance recorded a telephone call in which Betty Shabazz was told that her husband was "as good as dead". Four days later, an FBI informant received a tip that "Malcolm-X is going to be bumped off." (That same month the Nation sued to reclaim Malcolm-X's residence in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York. His family was ordered to vacate but on February 14, 1965‍ – the night before a hearing on postponing the eviction‍—‌the house was destroyed by fire.)

On July 9, Muhammad's aide John Ali (suspected of being an undercover FBI agent) referred to Malcolm-X by saying, "Anyone who opposes the Honorable Elijah Muhammad puts their life in jeopardy." In the December 4 issue of 'Muhammad Speaks', Louis-X wrote that "such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death".

Assassination:

On February 19, 1965, Malcolm-X told interviewer Gordan Parks that the Nation of Islam was actively trying to kill him. On February 21, 1965, he was preparing to address the OAAU in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom when someone in the 400-person audience yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As Malcolm-X and his bodyguards tried to quell the disturbance, a man rushed forward and shot him once in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun and two other men charged the stage firing semi-automatic handguns. Malcolm-X was pronounced dead at 3:30 pm, shortly after arriving at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, NYC. The autopsy identified 21 gunshot wounds to the chest, left shoulder, arms and legs, including ten buckshot wounds from the initial shotgun blast.

One gunman, Nation of Islam member Talmadge Hayer (also known as Thomas Hagan), was beaten by the crowd before police arrived. Witnesses identified the other gunmen as Nation members Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson. All three were convicted of murder in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. At trial Hayer confessed, but refused to identify the other assailants.

Reactions:

Reactions to Malcolm-X's assassination were varied. In a telegram to Betty Shabazz, Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his sadness at "the shocking and tragic assassination of your husband". He said,

“While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems that we face as a race.”

Elijah Muhammad told the annual Savior's Day convention on February 26 that "Malcolm-X got just what he preached", but denied any involvement with the murder."

Writer James Baldwin, who had been a friend of Malcolm-X, was in London when he heard the news of the assassination. He responded with indignation towards the reporters interviewing him, shouting, "You did it! It is because of you—the men that created this white supremacy—that this man is dead. You are not guilty, but you did it ... Your mills, your cities, your rape of a continent started all this."

(Courtesy: Wikipedia.org)

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DEEP STATE-COTROLLED EVIL EMPIRE Runs TikTok -- The Chinese Media Giant!

 

Deep State-controlled

Evil Empire Runs

TikTok – The Chinese

Media Giant

Ex-CIA/FBI & State Dept. officials

hold key positions at TikTok;

just like Wuhan Lab which was

financed by the US and both American

& Chinese scientists worked together

on virus projects.

(M. Javed Naseem)

Lies, lies and lies! That's the definition of the modern mainstream media which is out there to deceive people and make billions of dollars by promoting official propaganda, false narratives and fake news. So much hypocrisy, deception, drama and disinformation is being promoted all over the world that it has become very difficult for a common man to find out the truth, unless he digs deep.

When the forces of evil are trying to attack people from all sides with their propaganda and disinformation, the forces of Nature are also at work, on the other hand, to expose the evil agenda of the hegemony of the world. The bloody drama is being played on the world stage right in front of our eyes; and most corrupt governments of the world are a part of it (they take their share of the pie). We are sometimes left with no choice but to accept the official narrative or simple bullshit to avert harmful consequences.

TikTok: Chinese 'Trojan Horse' is Run by

State Department Officials! (Geopolitics101, May 25, 2023)

Amid a national hysteria claiming the popular video-sharing app is a Chinese Trojan Horse, a MintPress News investigation has found dozens of ex-U.S. State Department officials working in key positions at TikTok.

Amid a national hysteria claiming the popular video-sharing app is a Chinese Trojan Horse, a MintPress News investigation has found dozens of ex-U.S. State Department officials working in key positions at TikTok.

Many more individuals with backgrounds in the FBI, CIA and other departments of the national security state also hold influential posts at the social media giant, affecting the content that over one billion users see.

While American politicians demand the app be banned on national security grounds, try to force through an internet surveillance act that would turn the country into an Orwellian state, make clueless statements about how TikTok is dangerous because it connects to your Wi-Fi, it is possible that TikTok is already much closer to Washington than it is to Beijing.

State Department-affiliated Media:

For quite some time, TikTok has been recruiting former State Department officials to run its operations. The company’s head of data public policy for Europe, for example, is Jade Nester. Before being recruited for that influential role, Nester was a senior official in Washington, serving for four years as the State Department’s director of Internet public policy.

Mariola Janik, meanwhile, left a long and fruitful career in the government to work for TikTok. Starting out at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Janik became a career diplomat in the State Department before moving to the Department of Homeland Security. In September, however, she left the government to immediately take up the position of TikTok’s trust and safety program manager, a job that will inevitably include removing content and reshaping algorithms.

While there is no suggestion that Janik is anything other than a model employee, the fact that a U.S. government agent walked into such an influential position at the social media giant should be cause for concern. If, for instance, a high Chinese official was hired to influence what the U.S. public saw in their social media feeds, it would likely be the centerpiece of the TikTok furor currently gripping Washington.

Janik is not the only former security official working on TikTok’s trust and safety team, however. Between 2008 and 2021, Christian Cardona enjoyed a distinguished career at the State Department, serving in Poland, Turkey and Oman, and was in the thick of U.S. interventionism in the Middle East. Between 2012 and 2013, he was an assistant to the U.S. ambassador in Kabul. He later left that role to become the political and military affairs manager for Iran.

In the summer of 2021, he went straight from his top State Department job to become product policy manager for trust and safety at TikTok, a position that, on paper, he appears completely unqualified for. Earlier this year, Cardona left the company.

Another influential individual at TikTok is recruiting coordinator Katrina Villacisneros. Yet before she was choosing whom the company hires, Villacisneros worked at the State Department’s Office of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. And until 2021, she was part of Army Cyber Command, the U.S. military unit that oversees cyberattacks and information warfare online.

Other TikTok employees with long histories in the U.S. national security state include: Brad Earman, global lead of criminal and civil investigations, who spent 21 years as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigation and also worked as a program manager for antiterrorism at the State Department; and Ryan Walsh, escalations management lead for trust and safety at TikTok, who, until 2020, was the government’s senior advisor for digital strategy. A central part of Walsh’s State Department job, his own résumé notes, was “advanc[ing] supportive narratives” for the U.S. and NATO online.

For all the talk of digital influence operations emanating from Russia or other U.S. adversaries, the United States is surely the worst offender when it comes to manipulating public opinion online. It is known, for instance, that the Department of Defense employs an army of at least 60,000 people whose job is to influence the public sphere, most of whom serve as “keyboard warriors” and trolls aiming to promote U.S. government or military interests. And earlier this year, the Twitter Files exposed how social media giants collaborated with the Pentagon to help run online influence operations and fake news campaigns aimed at regime changes in the Middle East.

Don't Mess With Project Texas

The influx of State Department officials into TikTok’s upper ranks is a consequence of “Project Texas,” an initiative the company began in 2020 in the hopes of avoiding being banned altogether in the United States. During his time in office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo led the charge to shut the platform down, frequently labeling it a “spying app” and a “propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party.”

It was widely reported that the U.S. government had forced the sale of TikTok to Walmart and then Microsoft. But in late 2020, as Project Texas began, those deals mysteriously fell through, and the rhetoric about the dangers of TikTok from officials evaporated.

Project Texas is a $1.5 billion security operation to move the company’s data to Austin. In doing so, it announced that it was partnering with tech giant Oracle, a corporation that, as MintPress has reported on, is the CIA in all but name.

Oracle, whose CEO Larry Ellison has troubling ties to Israel, just signed a deal to store the UK’s most sensitive military data.

Read more at the following link:

(Courtesy: https://geopolitics.co/2023/05/25/tiktok-chinese-trojan-horse-is-run-by-state-department-officials/)

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SEEK HAPPINESS IN SIMPLE LIFE And Enjoy It With Your Family!

 

Seek Happiness In

Simple Life And Enjoy It

With Your Family!

The Race For Money

And Worldly Possessions

Can Cost You Happiness

And Family Love!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Then, shall you be questioned that Day

about the joy (you indulged in!).”

(al-Quran 102:8)

Happiness is not money; it is not material possessions or accumulation of precious objects, nor the big buildings. Happiness is when you enjoy whatever you have, with your children and families. You share food, chat, jokes, love, compassion and sentiments of togetherness. Don't let your mobile phone stand in the way. That phone is a means of connecting with them when they are away. But when they are in front of you, dump that phone and talk to them; touch them; kiss and hug them! That's happiness.

People think that when they have more money, more property or houses and more sources of income, that is happiness. Wrong! That's trouble; that's Fitnah and that's the death of happiness in the real sense. Bring up your children with Halal money (Rizq-e-Halal) and give them the Quranic education along with the worldly science education. That will be a strong foundation for them to start with. Put in the minds of your children that it is the righteousness that matters, not the money, not the property, not the big business, nor the big family name!

You might have heard or read that that story of a businessman who was giving people the recipe of happiness. A rich tourist went to visit a beach in Mexico. Nearby, he saw some fishermen busy in their routine. He saw the catch and praised the fishermen for the quality of their fish; then asked them?

How much time do you spend to catch that quantity?

The fishermen answered with one voice:

“ Not a very long time “

The visitor asked them: 'Why don't you spend more time and hunt more'?

The fishermen explained that their little catch was enough for them and the needs of their families!

The visitor asked them: 'And what do you do with the rest of your time? I am sure you are wasting it.'

The fishermen answered : 'No, we don't waste time. We take it easy; sleep in late; we chat and joke with each other; we play with our children and wives; we eat together; laugh together; dance together; and in the evening we visit our friends and their families. We share food, love and gossip. We have lots of fun and enjoy our lifestyle.

The tourist said, 'But you can do better, make more money, expand your business and live in a a big house in a modern city. I have a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and I can help you!'

'You should start fishing for long periods everyday. And then you sell the extra fish with a bigger return and you buy a bigger fishing boat.

The fisherman asked him : 'Then what?'

He answered: 'With the big boat and extra money, you can buy a second boat and then a third boat and so on until you have an integrated fishing fleet. Instead of selling your catch to a broker, you would negotiate directly with the factories or companies, and probably also open your own big company.'

The fishermen asked: 'And then?'

The visitor said: 'Then you could leave this village and go to Mexico, Los Angeles or even New York! And from there you can control your giant projects and international business.

The fishermen asked the tourist: 'And how long will we need to materialize that?'

He answered: 'About twenty or maybe twenty-five years.'

They asked him: 'And what after that?'

The visitor answered smiling: 'When your business grows, you will be on stock market and make millions.'

The fishermen asked him with joy and surprise: 'Millions? Really? And what are we going to do next?'

The visitor answers: 'Then you guys can all retire; live quietly in a village on the beach; sleep late; play with your kids and enjoy meals with your wives and families. And you all can spend nights having fun with your friends. You'll have a happy life!'

The fishermen answered: 'But, with all due respect, that is exactly what we are doing now. We are happy with our lives. What's the logic in wasting 25 years in struggle and misery?'

If we honestly analyze our lives, we'll come to the conclusion that we are always struggling, sometimes in misery and pain, just to make more money; to have more property; to have more worldly possessions; to impress others with our material accumulation. We drain all of our energies, powers and resources to achieve that goal. We stay away from our families and children; we starve them of family love and compassion. We don't even see them growing up and playing with us. What a pity! And what happens in the end? The family grows up like a bunch of individuals without parental supervision and spiritual guidance. The grown ups don't respect their elders and ask their parents: 'What have you done for us?'

That was a gamble and at the end of the day, you lost! You lost everything! Even if you still have money, you don't have a loving family. If you understand, you lost the game of life (and your family) just to gain more money and comfort. Ask yourselves: 'Was it worth?'

“This (Quran) is indeed a Reminder

for you and your people; and you

shall soon be questioned.”

(al-Quran 43:44)

As a believer, it is your obligation to bring up and educate your children to the best of your ability and means. Try your best within your limits and leave the results to Allah. Just pray to Him for the welfare, guidance and security of your family and Allah will take care of that. Allah knows that you are a righteous person and are honestly and sincerely trying to do the best for your children and family. So, He rewards you well. Don't forget that upbringing and education of children is your obligation. It is not a business nor an investment that will bring you profits and bonuses. Business suffers losses often. Don't expect that your children will return the favor when they are working. You just do you part; your duty; and don't worry about theirs!

Teach your children what is right and wrong; what is good and bad; what they should and should not do. Teach them about Allah and His creation; His commands and His warnings in case of disobedience! Try to make them responsible and caring citizens and compassionate community members! Teach them that the Quran is the main and principal source of guidance and information.

Remember one thing! True happiness is in contentment. And contentment comes when you thank your Lord Creator for all that He has given you. Learn and teach to appreciate that! Be patient and never compare yourselves with the rich and famous! You don't know their hidden problems nor their misery. Poverty is a test for the poor as much as the wealth is for the rich. Both will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.

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MONEY CHANGES MAN And The Social Norms.

 

Money Changes Man

And Social Norms.

People Forget Allah And Islam;

They Remember Money Only.

(M. Javed Naseem)

Money is the second biggest test for a man; woman being the first. When we are poor, we have different attitude; different behavior and different approach towards social and economic problems. But we are better off (or rich/wealthy), we change our values, our attitude, our behavior and the approach. The entire thinking changes and with that changes the character too. Money is 'Fitnah' but if handled wisely, it can become a blessing as well.

A wise man of Arabia, Qais bin Saad Khazarji, once fell ill. He was a rich man but he was righteous, compassionate and gentle. He helped many poor and less-fortunate people of his town. There were always people at his house or door; some visitors and some needy. So, when he fell ill, he was surprised to observe that nobody came to see him nor did anybody send a slave to wish him well or speedy recovery.

All the time, when he was healthy and active, he used to receive a lot of visitors, friends and well-wishers. He asked his family what could be the reason for this unpleasant change? His wife, who was also a shrewd lady, told him that almost everybody in the town owed him money, one way or the other. Unless they paid back his debt, they were embarrassed to come and visit him. Qais bin Saad started cursing the money because of which he had lost all his friends and well-wishers. He immediately hired a man to make announcements in all parts of the city that whosoever owed him money, was relieved of his debt. He forgave everybody and no one owed him anything. After hearing that announcement, many people came to visit him. It was so crowded at his doorstep that people broke the threshold of it.

That showed that people were more conscious about money they owed than the social norms, behavior, character or traditions.

Here is the key to success: Don't fall in love with this world, nor with money. Money is never enough because the desire of it springs from the base of greed. The more you have, the more you want. There is no end to it till you hit the dust (grave). If we pay attention to the teachings of the Quran, Allah tells us that our stay in this world is but temporary. We are here to work on our Aakhirah (the Hereafter). The greed and accumulation of wealth or material things can bring only the wrath of Allah upon us, unless we spend that wealth in Allah's way. But if with money and wealth we forget Allah, His Commands and the poor or needy of our town, we are inviting Allah's wrath.

“Such are those who buy the life of

the world at the price of the Hereafter.

Their punishment will not be lightened,

neither will they have a support.”

(al-Quran 2 :86)

For a believer, the life of the Hereafter is a lot more beautiful than the life of this world. The wise people consider this world with all its pomp and show, a prison for the righteous; a deception. The real life is in the Hereafter. The Almighty says that the life of this world is just an illusion. We should not become slaves to our desires and temptation.

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