Friday, November 25, 2005

Wapres: Negara Timteng Turut Peduli Masuknya Ekstremisme

http://www.kompas.co.id/utama/news/0511/23/171808.htm

Updated: Rabu, 23 November 2005, 17:17 WIBNASIONAL

Wapres: Negara Timteng Turut Peduli Masuknya Ekstremisme

Laporan : Glori K. Wadrianto

Jakarta, KCM

Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla mengimbau negara-negara di Timur Tengah turut peduli
dengan masuknya paham ekstremisme lewat aksi terorisme ke Indonesia. Hal ini
diutarakan dua pengajar di Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah (UIN)
Komaruddin Hidayat dan Quraish Shihab dalam jumpa pers usai bertemu Wapres Jusuf
Kalla di Kantor Wapres, Rabu (23/11).

Selain permasalahan ekstremisme yang masuk ke Indonesia, Wapres Jusuf Kalla,
mengharapkan kepedulian bangsa-bangsa di Timur Tengah soal berbagai hal negatif.
Termasuk, keterpurukan ekonomi akibat kenaikan harga minyak dunia. Keterpurukan itu
memunculkan kemiskinan. Di samping itu, ada paham teologis berkaitan dengan
ekstremisme tersebut.

"Jadi bagaimana supaya ada kerja sama sehingga bisa dipotong pengaruh-pengaruh
negatif baik yang sumbernya dari kemiskinan maupun sumbernya dari paham teologis
tadi," kata Komaruddin Hidayat.

Lebih lanjut, Komaruddin mengatakan, imbauan dari Wapres sudah dilontarkannya dalam
pertemuan intelektual Muslim yang tengah mengadakan konferensi ekonomi Islam di
Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu. "Dia (Wapres) mengimbau supaya sesama dunia Islam
saling peduli dan membantu baik dari segi ekonomi, keadilan, lapangan kerja, juga
paham-paham seperti itu," kata Komaruddin.

Dalam pandangan Komaruddin sendiri, semua pihak yang dikaitkan dengan terorisme
memang seharusnya merasa dirugikan. Sehingga, perlu ada kerja sama pada level
pimpinan mengenai masalah tersebut.

"Karena, kalau benar datangnya dari Timur Tengah, Timur Tengah dirugikan dengan
citra itu. Indonesia dirugikan. Oleh karena itu perlu ada satu kerja sama pada
level pimpinan. Karena, semua yang dikaitkan dengan terorisme, masing-masing merasa
dirugikan," ungkap Komaruddin.

Pada kesempatan sama, Quraish Shihab mengatakan akar keislaman di Indonesia adalah
akar keislaman yang damai. Menurutnya, tidak ada akar keislaman yang ekstrem di
negara ini. "Sehingga tidak ada itu. Tidak punya akar," kata Quraish.

Menurut Quraish, paham seperti di atas masuk akibat globalisasi yang terjadi di
dunia saat ini. "Apakah itu keinginan dari luar, juga hasil-hasil bacaan atau
pengaruh tontonan televisi. Tidak harus berupa kiriman khusus. Tapi, dunia begitu
global sekarang, bisa memberi pengaruh baik yang positif maupun negatif," demikian
Quraish.

Penulis: Prim

City Council weighs in on Iraq war

maryland news

City Council weighs in on Iraq war
Panel adopts resolution urging troop withdrawal
By Doug Donovan

Sun reporter
Originally published November 22, 2005

The Baltimore City Council took a break yesterday from the routine of local government - renaming schools, appointing bureaucrats to commissions, closing alleys - and delved into U.S. foreign policy by demanding the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

The council unanimously approved a resolution at its meeting last night that urges President Bush and Congress to "commence a humane, orderly, immediate and comprehensive withdrawal" of military personnel and bases from Iraq.




The council's action might appear to critics as pointless, but council members said it represents discontent with Bush's foreign policy.

"This is not foreign policy," Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector said during last night's meeting. "This is hitting us locally."

Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. - who opposed a similar council resolution in 2002 against the Iraq war - said last night he decided the time is now right for the city to speak up. He said he was influenced by the deaths of soldiers from Baltimore and Maryland, especially a Marine whom he once taught in high school.

Still, council members have been derided in the past for dabbling in issues over which they have no influence. They have previously passed resolutions demanding the right of self-determination for the Lithuanian people, condemning slavery in Mauritania, criticizing the repression of the Ahmadiyya religious movement by the Pakistani government, and calling for the end of violence in Northern Ireland and apartheid in South Africa.

Before last night's meeting, which was marked by a somber, serious tone, council members did little to deflect derision from critics by engaging in an often glib luncheon debate about their action.

At one point during the council's lunch yesterday, members debated the word immediate, as if the resolution would force the U.S. military into a dilemma of having to leave Iraq right away.

Spector said her support could depend on the word immediate. The resolution's co-sponsor, Mary Pat Clarke, said she knows a withdrawal would "take a while," but that "it must begin."

Councilwoman Helen L. Holton came to Clarke's defense: "Immediate for government means in a year." (Except for the council, which suspended its rules in order to immediately adopt the resolution on the night it was introduced.)

Councilwoman Agnes Welch then asked: "Who are we sending this to?"

Clarke said it was being sent to President Bush, Congress and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Ehrlich? A council support staff member reminded the council that the Republican governor has no control over the deployment of the Maryland National Guard during war.

"They're federalized," Clarke agreed. "But," she added, "[the governor] has control."

Councilman Edward L. Reisinger asked whether the resolution was being sent to the governor of Iraq, eliciting laughter from his colleagues.

"I'm not sending one to Iraq," Clarke said.

Council President Sheila Dixon chimed in and said, "We will e-mail it to the soldiers."

Clarke said that perhaps they should send it to Mayor Martin O'Malley, a comment that prompted Spector to deliver a quick one-liner: "That's like sending it to the governor."

The room erupted into a collective moan, as if Spector had violated a taboo by prematurely calling O'Malley the winner of next year's gubernatorial election.

Ehrlich's office and the Maryland Republican Party found nothing funny about the council's action, which resembles resolutions passed in cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and Sacramento, Calif. (In fact, it exactly mirrors Sacramento's resolution except for the word "immediate." The California capitol's council used "rapid.")

"It's clearly political grandstanding by the City Council," said Audra Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maryland GOP. "They should concern themselves with the war going on in Baltimore every day."

Ehrlich spokeswoman Sharesse DeLeaver said President Bush commands the Maryland National Guard and the council should be more focused on the city's "failing schools" and high crime rate.

But Myles Hoenig, the community activist who asked Clarke to introduce the resolution, said the Republican Party should not be so dismissive of a resolution that he believes represents a groundswell of opposition.

"Tell them [Republicans] to join the Army and stand behind their words," Hoenig said.


doug.donovan@baltsun.com

Dummies in the DC area...Looking for a few good men and women (Charm Style)

Dummies in the DC area...Looking for a few good men and women (Charm Style)
by bnlowkey at 06:40PM (EST) on November 22, 2005 | Permanent Link

ATTTENT..HUT Hero

Ole Sarge just received his orders to go on another recruiting trip. This time my Commander in Chief has giving me the authorization to recruit outside my prescribe boundary. Ole Sarge gets to take him a lil a trip north on the BW Parkway (Baltimore Washington) and stop in Charm City (Baltimore) to read the “Idiot Oath of Enlistment” being that we love acronyms in the military from hence forth the “Idiot Oath Enlistment” will be called I.O.E’s

Fresh from the pages of the Baltimore Sun.

“The Baltimore City Council took a break yesterday from the routine of local government - renaming schools, appointing bureaucrats to commissions, closing alleys - and delved into U.S. foreign policy by demanding the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.”


Baltimore was named the 6th most dangerous city in America. With a mayor who wants the people of Maryland to promote him to Governor and with local council members in the past passing resolutions for demanding the right of self-determination for the Lithuanian people, condemning slavery in Mauritania, criticizing the repression of the Ahmadiyya religious movement by the Pakistani government, and calling for the end of violence in Northern Ireland and apartheid in South Africa. I didn’t mind filling up my gas guzzling SUV to drive to B-More. I figure since the Army is having such a hard time recruiting, I might as well try to humor myself and enlist as many as I can in the Army of Idiots. Quite charming isn’t it…….

Ole Sarge thinks that the reason why the Baltimore City Council wants the troops out of Iraq is to stop fighting Al Qaeda and go after Al Thugga in B-More.

Baltimore City Urges Troop Withdrawal

Baltimore City Urges Troop Withdrawal

Associated Press
Tuesday, November 22, 2005; 7:12 AM

The City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday night that urges President Bush and Congress to "commence a humane, orderly, immediate and comprehensive withdrawal" of military personnel and bases from Iraq.

Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. had opposed a similar council resolution in 2002 against the Iraq war. But he said Monday night that he decided now is the time for the city to speak up.
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Mitchell said he was influenced by the deaths of soldiers from Baltimore and Maryland, including a Marine whom he once taught in high school.

"This is not foreign policy," Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector said. "This is hitting us locally."

The council's action is similar to resolutions passed in cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and Sacramento, Calif.

Maryland's governor and the state's Republican Party were displeased with the council's action.

"It's clearly political grandstanding by the City Council," said Audra Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maryland GOP. "They should concern themselves with the war going on in Baltimore every day."

Sharesse DeLeaver, spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich, said President Bush commands the Maryland National Guard and the council should be more focused on the city's "failing schools" and high crime rate.

But Myles Hoenig, a community activist who asked Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke to introduce the resolution, said the Republican Party should not be so dismissive of a resolution that he believes represents a groundswell of opposition.

"Tell them (Republicans) to join the Army and stand behind their words," Hoenig said.

The Baltimore City Council has previously passed resolutions demanding the right of self-determination for the Lithuanian people, condemning slavery in Mauritania, criticizing the repression of the Ahmadiyya religious movement by the Pakistani government, and calling for the end of violence in Northern Ireland and apartheid in South Africa.

Baltimore Council Calls For End To War In Iraq

Baltimore Council Calls For End To War In Iraq
Resolution Urges Governor To Withdraw Guard Troops

POSTED: 11:55 am EST November 22, 2005
UPDATED: 4:18 pm EST November 22, 2005

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore City Council wants an end to the war in Iraq.

WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Barry Simms reported Monday evening that the City Council approved what it called a homeward bound a resolution Monday night that's aimed at ending the war with Iraq and stopping the deaths of Maryland troops.

The resolution comes the same day that a report ranked Baltimore sixth among the most dangerous American cities (Full Story).

The president has talked of staying the course in the fight against terrorism, but as war continues in Iraq, Baltimore's City Council wants the White House and Congress to move in a different direction.


Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, D-District 14, is leading the charge with other council members unanimously supporting the resolution.

"For the purpose of urging President Bush and the United States Congress to commence a humane, orderly and immediate and comprehensive withdrawal of United States military personnel and bases from Iraq," Clarke said.

Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., D-District 11, had opposed a similar council resolution in 2002, but he said Monday night that he decided now is the time for the city to speak up.

Mitchell said he was influenced by the deaths of soldiers from Baltimore and Maryland, including a Marine whom he once taught in high school.

The members praised service members fighting in Iraq, saying its action isn't against them, it's against the war.

"We support the soldiers," said Councilman Jim Kraft, D-District 1. "It's about an ending a tragic, tragic overseas adventure."

The members consider the war as a foreign adventure that has a significant local impact. They believe too many Marylanders and other Americans have lost their lives.

Simms said some members are upset because they say those who oppose the war have faced verbal attacks from the Bush administration.

"The president speaks of making the world safe for democracy, and et, he appears to have utter contempt for those who choose to exercise democracy," Kraft said.

"I think its time we speak out as citizens even louder than what we have been saying," City Council President Sheila Dixon said.

The council hopes the stand its taking on the local level will help change national policy.

"This is about calling from the grassroots, 'enough, enough, come home," Clarke said.

"This is not foreign policy," said Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector, D-District 5. "This is hitting us locally."

The resolution also calls on Gov. Bob Ehrlich to withdraw Maryland National Guard members.

Gubernatorial spokesman Paul Masoni said the governor can't do that because the guard is federalized.

He said the governor appreciates the council's stance. The spokesman also said, "The governor appreciates their stance and hopes they will turn their attention to things they can control."

Sharesse DeLeaver, a gubernatorial spokeswoman, told the Associated Press that the council should be more focused on the city's "failing schools" and high crime rate.

Myles Hoenig, a community activist who asked Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke to introduce the resolution, said the Republican Party should not be so dismissive of a resolution that he believes represents a groundswell of opposition.

"Tell them (Republicans) to join the Army and stand behind their words," Hoenig said.

The council's action is similar to resolutions passed in cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and Sacramento, Calif.

The Baltimore City Council has previously passed resolutions demanding the right of self-determination for the Lithuanian people, condemning slavery in Mauritania, criticizing the repression of the Ahmadiyya religious movement by the Pakistani government, and calling for the end of violence in Northern Ireland and apartheid in South Africa.

Fourteen SSS students fail to register for exams

November 25, 2005
Fourteen SSS students fail to register for exams

Parent and Teachers of Ekumfi T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School will meet on Saturday to take a decision on the fate of 14 final year students of the school who could not register for their final examinations.

Mr Ahmed Kojo Nkum, Assistant Headmaster of the school who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Essarkyir said their parents could not afford the registration fee of between 400,000 cedis and 420,000 cedis.

He explained that the under the new West African Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSSE) for Nigerian, Ghana, Liberia, the Gambia, and Sierra Leone, which has replaced the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) the period for registration ends in October instead of December.

The new WASSSE would be written between April and June instead of July to August.

Mr Nkum said the school made serious efforts to get all the 106 final year students to register but the 14 could not and explained that the school was prepared to register for 2007 but added that the final decision rested with the parents and the students.

He said the school has decided to establish a special fund to cater for students in similar situation in future.

The Assistant Headmaster said apart from the registration issue, the school was faced with accommodation problem as a result of the increase in enrolment this academic year and said it would feature prominently at the meeting on Saturday and urged all parents to attend without fail.


Posted on: 23.11.2005 Source: Ghana News Agency

One mosque we should consider?

http://rightwingdeathbogan.blogspot.com/2005/11/one-mosque-we-should-consider.html

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
One mosque we should consider?

I wrote about this a while back here, and the saga is continuing.

Because I like to have my say, I emailed one of the local councillors about this.


From: nilknarf
Sent: Fri 11/11/2005 11:12 PM
To: Cr Roland Abraham
Cc: mailto:xxxxxxxx
Subject: Regarding Building applicaition by the Ahmadiyya Association


Dear Mr. Abraham,

It is with interest that I have been following in the local papers the progress of the application by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (Vic branch).

First of all, I am not a Muslim - as a catholic, I'm a long way from part of the religious spectrum.

I have recently moved into the City of Casey, and I know that this is an area with a large diversity of peoples, both racially and religiously.

And, of course, with the arrests over the last few days of people (Islamists) suspected of planning terror attacks, the thought of allowing a new mosque into the area is daunting.

That said, I am wondering if you were aware that the Ahmadiyya are considered heretical by larger, more vocal sects of Islam. A quick glance at Persecution.org will show the persecution suffered by the Ahmadi's at their fellow Muslims.

I am quite happy to go on record as saying that from my studies into Islam (I am currently reading the Qu'ran), I consider that it is discriminatory and does not instil confidence in me as to it's peaceful intentions. That is merely my opinion.

BUT....

Closer investigation into the Ahmadiyya practices reveal them to be a more tolerant branch than those that are currently blowing up weddings in Jordan, or setting fires in France. Anything that fosters more peaceful relations between our respective religions and communities should be encouraged.

People talk about the Reformation of the Christian and Jewish traditions. They took hundreds of years.

People also say that the Islamic faith can never be reformed; Mohammed's (pbuh) words and deeds must remain the pinnacle of aspiration for now and forever.

I believe that the Ahmadi may just be the people needed to bring Islam into the 21st century, and for that consideration should be given.

Lest you think that I have some sort of agenda to push, I have never met a member of the Ahmadi community, and I have quite cheerfully accepted the epithet 'racist' before because of my views. My thoughts on these and other matters can be found at my blog, with a piece regarding this particular case at http://rightwingdeathbogan.blogspot.com/2005/10/knees-up-in-suburbia.html .

For further reading an the Amadiyya Muslims, I've a selection of links for you to browse if you have the time.

The Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Human Rights Watch report into discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya in Bangladesh.

Introduction to Islam. Note that the author/s of this site consider the Ahmadiyya to be a 'deviation' of Islam, rather than a part of it.

An article from the www.jihadwatch.org website detailing persecution in Pakistan. JihadWatch is considered anathema by many muslims due to it's reportage of activities carried out by Islamic jihadis.


Another article from JihadWatch, referring to discrimination in Indonesia.

Amnesty International on the treatment of the Ahmadi in Bangladesh.

Those are just a few of the websites available.

Here in Australia, we do have the freedom to believe (or not) as we choose. Ignorance is our greatest enemy, particularly in the So-Called War on Terror.

Perhaps if we were more educated about what is going on in the Land of Islam, then we would be better able to combat potential terrorist.

I don't expect that this will have any impact upon the building application, but that is okay.

I do hope that in future, the bigger picture will be taken into consideration with regards to the building of churches, mosques and synagogues.

Perhaps if the local community knew more about the different groups within Islam, there might be a bit less fear and more communication. After all, we know the differences between catholics and protestants!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

I have cc'd a copy to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association purely for their information, as they are a part of the community and this is regarding them.

I will also be posting a copy of this letter at a later stage on my blog, irrespective of whether I receive a reply from you. I am aware that you are busy, and at this time of the year the pace can only increase.

Again, thank you for your time,

Yours sincerely,

Nilknarf Arbed



I've spoken with Mr. Abraham about this application, and it was certainly an educational chat. Mr. Abraham is an Australian of Egyptian (christian) background, so would be well aware of the situations in places like Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

So what is the current situation here?

Well, the application has been passed, and the residents are not happy. There is stll an avenue for them; they can take it to VCAT. After arbitration and adjudication and other beauracratic stuff (excuse my ignorance here!), the application can still be overruled by the tribunal.

My opinion? Well, the more I learn, the more inclined I am to say "Mr Ahmadiyya, come on down!"

Do I agree with the fact that as a branch of Islam, segregation of the sexes is an intrinsic part of their practice? Not at all. In fact, I detest that particular idea.

However, we are living in uncertain times, and a quick read of RWDB sites will show a growing desire for people to take action while their governments are dithering and pandering to the PC crowd.

We know that terrorist problems are being driven by 'Islamic extremists'.

We know that whatever we do, the problems are not going away. It doesn't matter whether we throw money, or therapy, or warm fuzzies in their general direction, the extremist/fundamentalist/pick-your-ist Islamics are not going to go away.

They want what we have, they want it now, and while some are happy to bide their time, others are not.

They also want their war, and I fear it's not far off.

If there is a chance to head this off, then we need to support groups like the Ahmadiyya. These guys have even supplied the only mslim Nobel Prize for Physics which is great going. The competition in the hard sciences for the Nobel is pretty stiff.

The local community here could also use a bit of education - I hear that Mr Abraham has been told he's not welcome here, and should get back to where he came from. The Ahmadi's have also been copping some abuse. It's not been pleasant, but ignorance never is, and at the risk of sounding superior and pissing off the natives, we are in the lands of the Greater Eastern Bogan.

Change in Islam can only come from within, and the more assistance we can give to truly moderate and peaceful muslims, the faster it can occur.

posted by Nilknarf @ 8:53 PM

My Response to Chapter 8 on “Islam” in the Anthology “Rethinking

From: Dulce <>
Subject: My Response to Chapter 8 on “Islam” in the Anthology “Rethinking ...
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 23:39:25 +0700
... is one that is also believed by the third Muslim group, the Ahmadiyya Muslims. The Ahmadiyya Muslims are the third and final group of Muslims with roughly ... Like the Shiite Muslims the Ahmadiyya Muslims also believe in the Mahdi, ... http://www.stu.ca/~heathert/blogz/index.php/dulcevh/2005/11/23/my_response_to_chapter_8_on_islam_in_the


Post details: My Response to Chapter 8 on “Islam” in the Anthology “Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction” by Will Deming

My Response to Chapter 8 on “Islam” in the Anthology “Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction” by Will Deming
Nov 23/05 12:39:25 pm ( Death and After-death )

For my library assignment I chose to look at the anthology called “Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction” by Will Deming. In the book I decided to read chapter eight which gives a short introduction to Islam. The chapter introduces the reader to Islam a religion that first began in the seventh century with the appearance of the prophet Muhammad in Saudi Arabia, located in the Middle East. It explains how this religion spread quickly across the continent and the rest of the world and now has followers in the billions.

Although the chapter does not ever discuss the Islamic perspective and rituals associated with death and dying it does explain the fundamental beliefs and ritual practices of the religion. It is through these beliefs and practices that Muslims hope to live a faithful and rewarding life on earth and then come to prosper in the afterlife.

Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is also a religion that orientates itself around the belief in one divine creator and God, Allah. It is a religion that holds the principle of complete submission to God’s will in all the areas of life. We see this in the translation of “Islam”, which means surrender and the word “Muslim”, what followers of Islam are called, which means “ones who surrender to God” (67).

Like Christianity and Judaism Islam has another key figure other than Allah or God. This key figure is the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad, like Jesus or Moses is a key figure in both introducing the religion and giving the teachings of the sacred scriptures, the Qur’an. Unlike Jesus, however, Muhammad is not considered divine. In Islam followers believe they must orient themselves to Allah through the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad is seen as the deliverer of “Allah’s message to humanity” (68). He is seen as having lived a life in complete and perfect surrender to Allah and thus in order to please Allah, themselves, Muslims must both intake the message he has brought to them and live their lives imitating similar deeds as his (68).

The message delivered by Muhammad in the Qur’an is not seen as the mere creation of Muhammad but to be an actual copy of the original heavenly book that has been dictated by Allah to his prophet. The Qur’an is a scared text in which Allah communicated his orders of how human life should be conducted. Through this text Muslims interpret every thing from the basic beliefs of their religion, to how law, ethics, and organization of human institutions should be run.(68).

In Islam there are five basic duties that are regarded as the minimum requirement of all Muslims. These five basic duties are called the Five Pillars of Islam. The five duties included,

The profession of one’s faith in Allah as the one true god and in Muhammad as his prophet, almsgiving as a percentage of one’s net worth, performing the Hajj once in one’s lifetime, daily prayer, and fasting during the month of Ramadan (70).

The profession of their faith in Allah and his prophet Muhammad is said in Arabic as: La iaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah (69). This means that there is only one God, Allah and his prophet Muhammad. The almsgiving is a requirement that all Muslims, who are able to, must give a percentage of their net worth every year to the poor. As for the Hajj, it is a pilgrimage that all able Muslims must perform at least once in their life to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. With regards to the daily prayer, it is a specific routine required by Muslims to be performed five times a day, before dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and just before nightfall. In this ritual in which one is first required to completely cleanse themselves then one is to face in the direction of Mecca and stand, bow, kneel, and prostrate oneself before Allah, at the same time reciting praises and blessings to him. This ritual can be done either at a Mosque with a large group of Muslims, at home, or any where it is convenient. Finally the last pillar is the Fast of Ramadan, which is when all ably bodied Muslims must abstain from all foods and liquids during the daylight hours of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. (70).

In the chapter of this book the reader is also introduced to the various types of Muslims and their varying views on how Allah communicates authoritatively with the human world. The first introduced is the Sunni Muslims with one billion followers. The Sunni Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad is the continuation of a long history of God’s prophets. These prophets ranging from Adam, the first man, to Moses, the various Hebrew prophets, to Jesus and finally to Muhammad.

The second type of Muslims introduced is the Shiite Muslims with around 170 million followers. These Muslims believed Allah had first spoken to Muhammad and since has spoken through inspired leaders who both interpret and supplement the message from the Qur’an with equal authority as the prophet Muhammad. The first of these inspired leaders they believe was Ali, the prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, then Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husayn. Shiites now live in expectation of the next inspired leader whom they call the Mahdi, or ‘divinely guided one’ (73). This concept of Mahdi is similar to the Jewish concept of the Messiah and is one that is also believed by the third Muslim group, the Ahmadiyya Muslims.

The Ahmadiyya Muslims are the third and final group of Muslims with roughly eight million followers. Like the Shiite Muslims the Ahmadiyya Muslims also believe in the Mahdi, except they believe he has already come. They believe he appeared in the 1860s as a man called Baha’u’llah. With their belief in their Mahdi, these Muslims believe in his vision of a unified world religion which draws together all the teachings of the sacred scriptures of the world. In their services it is common to hear readings from “the Qur’an, as well as from the Bible, the Bhagavadgita, the Hindu Laws of Manu, the Buddhist Dhammapada, and the Zoroastrain Avesta, in addition to the writings of the Bab, Baha’u’llah, and Abdu’l-Baha, his son” (74). Their belief stems in the notion that all these religions contain authoritative insights as to how people should follow and devote themselves to God.

Deming, Will. Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Netherlands: Muslim organizations fighting over imam appointments

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Netherlands: Muslim organizations fighting over imam appointments

Two Muslim organizations are fighting over the commissioning of imams to the Dutch army.
CGI (Contact Group Islam) and CMO (Contact Body Muslims and Government). Both groups claim they're the best party to provide imams.

The army wants to appoint another imam this year and overall to appoint at least two imams to care for the spiritual needs of Muslims in the army. The army had contacted both organizations in order to recruit imams, but that decision seems to be backfiring. An army spokesman is quoted as saying:"They don't agree with each other.. but because they're both officially recognized, we're continuing consultations with both parties."

Both organizations are accusing the other of trying to sabotage the deliberations. CMO wants to fill the two imam slots with one Sunni and one Shiite, leaving CGI with a "half position" to fill. CGI claim that they represent all Muslim streams and that they can provide however many imams are needed for every stream - Sunni, Shiite, Ahmadiyya and Alewites.

There are several hundred to a thousand Muslims in the Dutch military.[]

London HR meet says persecution, harassment exist in Bangladesh

The Daily Star
Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 530Wed. November 23, 2005

Front Page

London HR meet says persecution, harassment exist in Bangladesh
Staff Report

There is ample evidence of persecution and harassment [in Bangladesh]” and “To say persecution doesn’t exist, is itself a terrorism, speakers at a human rights conference on Bangladesh in London said.

Speakers made the comment on Monday in the launching of a report titled ‘Cancer of Extremism’ at the UK House of Parliament based on an international conference ‘European Human Rights Conference on Bangladesh: Extremism, Intolerance & Violence’ held in June this year.

Lord Avebury, vice-chair of Parliamentary Human Rights Group and chairman of International Bangladesh Foundation, presided over the event inviting representatives of persecuted groups to report, a UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group press release read.

Representatives speaking at the event were Prasanta Barua from the Buddhist community, Anukul Talukder from the Hindu community, James Swapan Peris from the Christian community, Ina Humes from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Prof Salim Malik from the Ahmadiyya community.

Giving examples of violent persecutions against their own communities and inaction about the perpetrators, the speakers demanded immediate action from the Bangladesh government, the press release read.

At the conference, Bangladesh government delegation lead by Bangladesh High Commissioner to UK Sabi Uddin Ahmed and lawmaker Khandakar Mahbubuddin Ahmed, also the chairman of Law and Parliamentary Committee of Bangladesh Parliament, denied all the charges and accused the organisers of acting against the interest of Bangladesh.

The accusing speakers did not substantiate their claim, rather, they tried to intimidate the government spokesmen when they were speaking, Bangladesh Press Information Department said.

Robert Evans, member of European Parliament (MEP), Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch, Abbas Faiz of Amnesty International, Maggie Bowden of Liberation, Prof Werner Menski, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Awami League leader Saber Hussain Chowdhury also spoke in the programme.

Prof Menski said, ‘to say persecution doesn’t exist itself is terrorism’, and ‘disappointed to hear of denial from the Bangladesh Govt representatives’.

There is ample evidence of persecution and harassment and he would raise the matter at House of Commons, Jeremy Corbyn MP said.

“We must keep an eye on Bangladesh due to growing extremism,” Charles Tannock MEP said.

Extremists showed their muscles again in August when nearly 500 bombs exploded simultaneously throughout Bangladesh and again in October when there were attempts on the life of judges, Lord Avebury said.

He added that the newly formed Bangladesh International Foundation may conduct an analysis of the political environment in which the 2006 elections will be held by looking at the security of candidates and election workers and the freedom of assembly.

He also suggested that it might send a delegation to Bangladesh.

The foundation will take up the matter with UN Anti Terrorism Committee [formed in pursuance to Security Council (SC) Resolution 1373 in 2001] to get involved as SC Resolution 1373 addresses a number of terrorism related issues that are relevant to the recent developments and the current situation in Bangladesh.


Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/11/23/d51123012016.htm

Muslims, Masons, Moors, and Islam

From: "Knowledge Born ALLAH" <>
Subject: Muslims, Masons, Moors, and Islam.
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 23:40:00 +0700

Sadiq was a representative of the Ahmadiyya movement, more properly designated as ... The Ahmadiyya split into two factions, the Lahore and Qadian. ... It was alos well documented among the ahmadiyya at that time that Drew was a visitor ... http://knowledgebornallah.blogspot.com/2005/11/muslims-masons-moors-and-islam.html

>>>

http://knowledgebornallah.blogspot.com/2005/11/muslims-masons-moors-and-islam.html

Thursday, November 24, 2005
Muslims, Masons, Moors, and Islam.

Peace To Man, Woman, and Child.

Todays mathematics being Wisdom/Culture Freedom or as the non-original man proclaims Thanksgiving, has inspired me to write an article delving into the very heavy subject of the connections between the Nation of Islam, Masonry and the Moorish Science Temple.
One of the favorite sayings of my first Imaam was "History is not made in a vacuum. Events do not occur out of thin air." I emphatically add my agreeance to this plain statement of both science and logic. History does not occur in sterile environments, leaving no primal root or causative factor. History can be compared to a chain of dominoes, with each domino being the cause to which the falling domino correspondant is it's effect.
There are many who proclaim themselves Muslim, under the banners of the NOI or more othodox, who would rather have this piece of history swept under the rug. They would vehemently deny this with the same expression of faith as you can find in any storefront church on sunday morning. However for us here in the Nation of Gods and Earths this cannot be our expression. As we charged in our 120:

18: What is the Duty of a civilized person?
Ans- To teach the uncivilized people, who are savage- civilization (righteousness, the knowledge of himself, the science of everything in life, love, peace, and happiness).

As we fail in our endeavours to perform our duties in this manner, we are also told:

20: What is the prescribed Law of Islam of said, person of that ability?
Ans- That the civilized person is held responsible for the uncivilized and he must punished by the nation of Islam.

I know that by authoring this article, I may damage or permamently sever the fragile hold of reality held by members of the said communities in respects to this portion of history. Truth as a double edged sword, that it may cut away falsehood and join the aggregate portions of knowledge and wisdom.

History of Islam Within The African American Paradigm

While it is a manifest reality that many muslims of nigerian, malian, algerian, ghanese, senegalese, and togo ancestries were taken into the middle passage and ended up as hostages on the american plantations, my piece will not directly refer to them. Many other more talented writers have already illuminated that part and parcel of the american colonialization period. I will here more deal directly with the early period of Islam within the confines of the american black experience of the 1900's.
While mosques (actually more properly designated Musallehs, or houses of salat being specifically founded and predicated upon that definition) were founded by various euro-american communities in traditionally albanian and western european immigrant communities in America, no presence of Islam among the the indigenous african americans of the 1900's is recorded until the presence of one man :Mufti Muhammed Sadiq.
No city in the country has figured as prominently has Chicago had in Islam's appeal to African Americans since 1918, the year Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, the first missionary to the United States from the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, relocated to Chicago. Sadiq established the first Ahmadi mosque in the nation, at 4448 S. Wabash Avenue, and Chicago served as the movement's national headquarters until 1950. Four Ahmadi mosques can be found in the region today, two predominantly African American, two predominantly Indo-Pakistani.
Sadiq was a representative of the Ahmadiyya movement, more properly designated as Jamaati Ahmadiyya, as followers of the man Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani who claimed he was the "so called Messiah of the christians and Mahdi of the Muslims." A claimaint to the resurrection of the Prophet Muhammad, Ahmed taught a new interpretation of Islam figuratively clothed in the traditional garment yet internanly innovative positing himself as the leader of all the Ahlul Kitaab, or peoples of the book.
The Ahmadiyya split into two factions, the Lahore and Qadian. The Lahore branch were more inculucated to establishing inroads to the pratice of traditional Islam where as the Qadian branch represented the more pristine teaching of Ahmed himself. The Ahmaddiya were heavily involved in the concept of Tablighi jammahs, or missionary activities.
Apart from their communal activities the Lahore and Qadian Ahmadis were a well-organized and financially sound community with missions abroad and in India. Founded in 1914 as the ‘Anjuman-i-Ishaat-i-Islam’, the affairs of the Qadian section are equally well regulated and administered and are in charge of secretaries who direct the missionary, educational, social and political activities of the movement. The financial position of the section is dependent on voluntary contributions and is very sound, the accumulated balances amounting to some four lakhs of rupees. Their missions abroad are not so numerous or prosperous as those of the Lahore party, but they have a mosque in England at Southfields and smaller missions with a few hundred converts in the East and West Africa, Egypt, Syria, Apersia, Sumatra, Ceylon and in the United States of America. They were under the general control of Mufti Muhammed Sadiq and Abdur Rahim ‘Nayyer’.
The Ahmaddiya community in Chicago were actually the first community in america to publish an english interpetation of the Quran, The Maulana Muhammad Ali edition, which still plays the predominant role as Quran in the Nation of Islam. In 1921, Mufti Sadiq was also the publisher of the first american muslim magazine, "The Moslem Sunrise", which was conceived as a defense against the innacuurate imagery of Islam which had resulted an as offspring the "arabian craze" of the earlier period of the 1900's which spread due to the influence of The Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine founded by two Masons, William Florence and Charles MacLaughlin. The community was the source of 90 percent of islamic literature of the period in the black communities all over the east coast and midwest.

A Native Son

Add to this very formulative period of Islam a very intelligent and crafty would be teacher and you have the beginnings of America's first native born Islamic cult. And this would be: Timothy Drew.
Timothy Drew was born in 1886 in North Carolina. The accounts of Timothy Drew's childhood are varied, from him being the son of two former slaves who was adopted by a tribe of Cherokee Indians, to him being the son of a Moroccan Muslim father and a Cherokee mother. He is recorded, perhaps apocryphally, as saying, “When I was born, it turned black dark in the daytime. The people put their hoes down and came out of the fields.” Allegedly, at the age of 16, he joined a circus and became a stage magician, befriending a band of Roma, whom he traveled the world with. Supposedly during these travels, he met the high priest of an Egyptian cult of magic. In one version of Drew's biography, the cult leader saw him as a reincarnation of the founder of the cult, while in others he considered him a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. The magician trained him in mysticism, and bestowed upon him a lost version of the Qur'an. This text came to be known as the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America, and is referred to as the “uniting of the Holy Koran of Mecca.” Sometimes the title is shorthanded as the Circle Seven Koran, because of the design on its cover, namely a red numeral seven surrounded by a blue circle broken into four segments. Drew changed his name to "Noble Drew Ali, the Prophet" and returned to the United States where he founded the religion in 1913 in Newark, New Jersey.
As however grandiose and mysterious as the above story appears Timothy Drew's real history is a little more mundane. Born Timothy Drew January 8, 1886 on a Cherokee reservation in Sampson, North Carolina, legends abound about his early life. The reality is that Ali left North Carolina for Newark, New Jersey where he worked as a train express man. Although he received no formal education, Ali was exposed to various spiritualist philosphies first as a "Mason in good standing" of the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and later as one "who crossed the arabian sands and tied his camel" to join the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic shrine, where his new appelate Noble was added to his name Timothy Drew in 1911. Oriental and theosophic philosophy influenced Drew in the formulation of his own doctrines and in 1913 he founded his first temple, the Canaanite Temple, in Newark. Over the next twelve years he moved westward establishing temples in Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Chicago.
As the modern day Moorish Science Temple Of America claims: " He,{Noble Drew Ali} started way back in Newark New Jersey in 1913 A.D and after a conflict arose within his small group he left and when into the camp of the modern Day John the Baptist [ the one known as Marcus M. Garvey] and there he remained for almost four years and then he begun to revisit the Southern States, at the end of one year he headed out West coming to Chicago Illinois there he begun his final stages of his Divine Ministry."
That is in 1918 where as his "Canaanite Temple" would morph into "Moorish Science". In 1918, Moorish Science began to take on many of the trappings of Islam, including the acceptance of friday as a holy day, the traditional arabic greeting aka Taslim, the use of Fezzes, the titles of Sheikh and Sultan (also held as formal titles among the shriners), the use of Allah in replacing the former title of Father God, and the star and crescent as an islamic motif. Infact, they would be the first "islamic" movement to use the star and crescent on a red banner as a motif until the founding of the Nation of Islam. It was also at this time, 1918 that Noble Drew took upon himself the Arbaic appelation Sharif Abdul Ali, Ali itself a name of high occurance and importance in the Ahmadiyya movement. It was alos well documented among the ahmadiyya at that time that Drew was a visitor to the mosque on Wabash Avenue, and that many of the early pamphlets contained quotes from Ahmadiyya literature. His followers would now accept the titles of Bey and El, names derived originally from Turkish formal titles, that came to use in Morocco.
As Ali moved west, his movement took shape and attracted many followers. He claimed to be the prophet Jesus reincarnated, much as the Ghulam Ahmed claimed to be the christ. He believed that Islam was the religion of African Americans before they were enslaved, and that they should return to it. Ali founded and taught the Five Divine Holy Principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice.
The movement expanded rapidly in the years 1925-29. As the Moorish Science Temple of America writes:" During the summer of 1925 he openly begun to declare his Prophet-hood, and many flocked to him, by October 15th 1925 after facing foes on all four side he was able to established the very first temple of Islamism here in the West. He begun with a hand few of believers of whom the very first was a Sister heading out to play her number. She took the Prophet home and rented out to him a room in her apartment. Prophet Drew Al would stand on a milk crate in some vacate lot , wearing his Fez and stand on it with his arm outstretched calling out with these very words.“ Come all ye Asiatic’s come learn the truth about yourself, that you are Not” Negro’s, Black People, Colored Folks, Ethiopians and so called African -Americans etc." Some historians estimate thirty thousand members throughout the country at the peak of the movement. In 1926 the Moorish Science Temple became a legal corporation. By 1928 there were temples in Harlem, Philadelphia, and several southern cities.
(For more information on the Moorish Science Temple's Masonic and Shriner origins I recommend the book: Moorish Circle 7:The Rise of the Islamic Faith Among Blacks in America And It's Masonic OriginsBy Keith Moore.)

Divisions In the Temple:
Here I will not further elaborate on the history of Wallace Ford or Robert Poole the men who would be handed down to us as Master Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad. I will only build on the history and linkage of the said with the moorish science movement.



Drew continued his teachings until his mysterious death in 1929. After Drew's death, his following splintered into competing factions. On one side, there is John Given El who believed himself to be the reincarnation of Noble Drew, on the other there is David Fard ne Ford who also believed himself to be the reincarnation of the Noble. The original followers of Drew took two diverging paths. One group followed John Givens and became the Morish Americans of the Moorish Temple of science based in Chicago, and the other group following Fard became the Allah Temple of Islam. The Allah Temple of Islam came out of a rebellion within one of the largest congregations of the MSTA in the movement; Temple #4 and #25 in Detroit MI. It is this organization that is properly the parent of the NOI. Fard established the Temple of Islam headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. He appeared in the Paradise Valley of Detroit as a silk salesman in late 1929-early 1930.
The presence of this piece of black muslim history is very well documented. First among the moorish scientists themselves. They record the entrance in 1927 of David Ford into their community. Their logs claim he was well educated but amazingly had a grip on both "arabic and pakistani" languages which was lacking among the community. They place him among several differing claimaints for the mantle of resurrection of the Noble Ali including Givens El, Kirkman Bey, and others.
(I'm hoping to later be able to add more pictures to my blogs. For now you can find the below picture at images on google/msn/yahoo by typing in noble drew ali in search box)
David Ford's image is amazingly captured at the 1928 covention of the moorish science temple. He is the light skinned gentleman in the lefthand side towards the back.
Among the first followers of Master Fard were the following:
Joseph Gravitt-el Sr. who would later return to the MSTA (however his son Joseph Gravitt-el Jr. would become Yusuf Shah, or Captain Joseph),
Augustus Muhammad who would later split from Elijah over "disagreeances in doctrine and divergance from the way of our Prophet Noble Ali", and of course the most famous of Fard's Followers a man by the name of Fahnu Bey aka Elijah Muhammad.

The Messenger
No other black man in the wilderness can claim to have the monumental effect as did one Robert 'Elija" Poole later to be known to us as Elijah Muhammad. The Messenger as he is known in NOI circles found the the Nation of Islam, America's longest lasting islamic schism based partly on the teachings of Wallace Fard and on the "illuminations" of his own teaching .Mr. Muhammad, also known as Gulam Bogans, Elijah Poole, Muhammad Rassouli, Elijah Muck Muhd, and various other titles used two that are the most enlightening in strengthening his link to the Moorish Science Temple: Elim Ah Bey and Fahnu Bey. The Bey appelate was never bestowed by Wallace Fard on any of his followers (due to the separation between the movements), therefore the ones who came into the Allah Temple of Islam such as Thomas Bey among many and of course Joseph Gravvits-El had merely retained their appelates from the Moorish Science Days. Where did Elijah get his Bey, since according to the Nation of Islam, his first contact with Islam was through Master Fard in 1930. Either Fard gave it to him, which would further link the Moorish Science Temple to Fard through Fard's alias David Ford, or he came into the Nation of Islam with that attribute meaning he had received it from Moorish Science affiliation.
A biography of the Messenger here would take up much space to I will only elucidate the details of his life pertinant to this story. Robert Poole nicknamed Elija the prophet by his grandfather moved from Sandersville Georgia to Detroit where he developed serious drinking and gambling problems and drifted in and out of organizations founded by Marcus Garvey and Noble Drew Ali; the first informed his separatist philosophy, the second his fascination with Masonry and all things mystical. Elijah joined Noble Drew Ali's Moorish Science Temple of America in the late '20s where he took upon his Bey. This as such is tesified to by members of the Moorish Science Temple Today. Later he would come under the teaching of Wallace D. Ford.

The Links
Dealing in our world, God and Earths show and prove not merely assert. Now is the time I offer evidences and allow you to make your own decisions.

1) The News
Several news articles from Chicago and Detroit during this period 1929-1935 describe the Allah Temple of Islam before and during its metamorphisys into the Nation of Islam. One in particular is very enlightening:
The Chicago Tribune, in an article published March 6, 1935 printed:
"Their 'Moorish' names puzzled the police until King Shah disclosed that the Prophet of their order, W.D. Fard, or Fard Mohammed, had christened them thus last spring. A police search for Prophet Fard was started but he could not be found last night. He was described as one born in the Holy City of Mecca in 1877, who came to America on July 4, 1930.
"...The fezzes and red robes, which the cultists also wore, apparently were rented.The `Allah Temple of Islam'..."
Fezzes and robes? The only movement in America at that time wearing Fezzes and robes was the Moorish Science Temple.

2. Doctrines
Drew taught that Moors were "Asiatic", that there are only two races on the planet, Europeans and Asiatics. The peoples of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, as well as Latin Americans, and indigenous peoples of the Americas are all considered Asiatic in Science Temple teachings. Drew taught that Europeans represent the "Lower Self" (Satan), and were driven out of Mecca by the Asiatic Moslems.
Contrast that with the Teachings of Elijah Muhammad on Yacub, Patmos, and how the devil was "run across the arabian sands" and expelled by the original nations into "the caves and hillsides of europe".

Compare the teachings of the nation of islam with the following excerpts of the koran questionary of the moorish science temple:

22. Which is our Holy Day? Friday.
23. Why? Because friday is the day on which man was formed in flesh, and it was on a Friday when He departed out of flesh.

24. Who was Jesus? He was a Prophet of Allah.
25. Where was he born? In Bethlehem, of Judah, in the House of David.
26. Who were His Father and Mother? Joseph and Mary.*
27. Will you give in brief the line (genealogy) through which Jesus came? Some of the Great Fathers through which Jesus came are: Abraham, Boaz by Ruth, Jesse, King David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Joseph by Mary.
*(the only other islamic group which teach's Jesus father was Joseph is the nation of Islam. Orthodox muslims believe in the immaculate conception).
52. At what place on earth was the physical part of MAN formed? In the Garden of Eden.
53. Where is the Garden of Eden? In the land of Canaan, in the City of Mecca.
54. What is the modern name for the Garden of Eden? MECCA.

59. What is the modern name given to the children? Asiatics.

69. What people represent the Lower-self? Those who were cast out of the Holy City, and those who accept their teachings.

88. What does the word colored mean? Colored means anything that has been painted, varnished or dyed.
89. What does Ethiopian mean? Ethiopia means something divided.
90. Can a man be a Negro, Black, Colored or Ethiopian? No.

95. Is the Devil made in the Image and Likeness of ALLAH? No, he is the shadow of our lower-selves and will pass away.

[The Koran Questionary is taken from the Divine Constitution and By-Laws and from the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple. This text is taught in Sunday School and it is expected to be memorized before a Moor can progress to the higher teachings and doctrines of Moorish Science.]

The very first flag in the moorish science temple was the crescent and star motif on a red flag which was later replaced by the modern flag of morocco with just the red green star. The only other community in that period (late 1920s to 1930s) to use a red flag with the crescent and star was the nation of Islam who would add the initials F,J,E,I to the corners to distuingish it from the Moors flag.

Last and certanily not least (consult The Messenger by Karl Evanzz for more information) was that in every city where there was a Moorish Science Temple between 1929-1934 magically an Allah Temple of Islam would just appear. Two communities teaching Asiatics, the expulsion of whites from the holy city of mecca, the human parentage of jesus, Allah, the original religion being Islam, friday as a holy day, arabic titles as last names, ministers and teachers with the last names Bey and El, their members wearing Fezzes (infact many early pictures of muhammad prior to 1936 show him in HIS FEZ) and robes, the acceptance of the Ahmadiyya Quran (eventhough at this time there was already the Yusef Ali, a sunni translation, in existance) by both as the only authorative version, and finally the leadership of both communities so easily exchanging memberships between the two.
The conclusion is clear: David Ford's (aka Wallace Ford) Allah Temple of Islam (which by the way is the only other islamic community in america to use the term temple in reference to house of worship for muslims other than the MSTA) came out of Noble Drew Ali's Temples of Moorish Science and Islamism. Noble Drew Ali himself borrowing heavily from the Aquarian Gospel of Eliphas Levi Dowling, a Mason, to author his Koran and adopting Masonic/Shriner terms such as Sheikh, Sultan, and Deacon as well as the masonic charter to be the charter of the MSTA, derived his information from the Masons and meetings with the Ahmadiyya.

Now To The Seeds
Many would ask where does that leave us as Gods and Earths, having the 120 as our supreme wisdom.
As Sha-King Allah wrote in his article Farther than Fard, this NGOE is not dependant on the nation of Islam for its existance. What must be understood even at a glance of our 120 reveals a very interesting detail. These are questions posed by Prophet WD Fard and answered by Elijah Karriem (ne Muhammad). This is normally where the NOI claims we have them to acknowledge for our 120. However common sense would tell you that from what source of teachings did Elijah answer Fard's questions. From Master Fard's Doctrine. Therefore we are not dependant of the nation of Islam, nor have we reappropriated their doctrine, we are both students of Master Fard.
The links given here do not offend Gods and Earths. We can ver much see an example in John the Baptist and Jesus as we look at Drew Ali and Master Fard. The inferior making way for the superior, the baptist immersing the Messiah. We can also rightly glean from history the coming of our Father Allah as one might see in the book of Malachi the coming of the messenger of the covenant who would purify the teaching.
We are not in any base position by this depiction of history. It is only our brothers in the NOI now have to face the fact they have been hoodwinked by Elijah Muhammad. We in the NGOE never have accepted their hadith in referrance to General Monk Monk, Yacub's childhood, Dr Shabazz and his ridiculous story, the son of man loading up tnt into the earth and creating the moon, Master Fard's baby g and alphonso origins, the 24 scientists, or the origin of their "Allah" in person incarnations. We have always understood that we are ALLAH as the collective. We never accepted that garbage that lies in the Theology of Time books. We also understood our charge that we should, as my brother Sha-King told me "look in the 120 and see ourselves", to not bow to any plus lessons our breakdowns and to instead understand the 120 as individuals.

I.S.L.A.M. to the gathering of the fallen of humanity, the asiatic seed.

Der Mensch hat die Pflicht zu helfen

Thursday, November 24, 2005
"Der Mensch hat die Pflicht zu helfen"

ALLMÄHLICH WIRD das Ausmaß der Katastrophe deutlich. Knapp vier Wochen nach dem schwersten Erdbeben in Südasien seit 100 Jahren zählen die Behörden über 70 000 Tote allein in Pakistan. Am 8. Oktober hatten Erdstöße der Stärke 7,6 die Grenzregion zu Indien getroffen. Hier ließen weitere 1300 Menschen ihr Leben. "Erst litten die Bewohner der Kaschmir-Region unter den Folgen des Krieges, jetzt stehen viele von ihnen vor dem Nichts", sagt Waqqas bin Sajid.

Den 26-jährigen Frankfurter und Sohn pakistanischer Eltern haben die Nachrichten und Bilder aus der Region sehr betroffen gemacht. "Viele haben ihr Dach über dem Kopf verloren. Und wer mit dem Leben davon gekommen ist, muss jetzt Krankheiten und Kälte fürchten", sagt der Architekturstudent, der zwar in Deutschland geboren wurde, sich der Heimat seiner Eltern aber von ganzem Herzen verpflichtet fühlt. Morgen Abend wird Waqqas zusammen mit einem Arzt und einem Redakteur der Organisation Humanity First in das Katastrophengebiet fliegen, um die Hilfsmaßnahmen vor Ort zu unterstützen.

Einsatz für die gute Sache

"Jetzt bin ich jung und habe noch die Möglichkeit, so etwas zu unternehmen", sagt Waqqas, der neben seinem Studium als Rettungssanitäter arbeitet. Natürlich habe er ein mulmiges Gefühl, wenn er an die Seuchengefahr und die Nachbeben denkt. "Hier kennt man so etwas ja nicht." Aber die eigenen Bedürfnisse müssten hinter der guten Sache zurückstehen.

Vor etwa einem Jahr ist Waqqas auf die Humanity First aufmerksam geworden. Freunde hatten ihm von der Hilfsorganisation erzählt, die ihren Hauptsitz in London und Dependancen auf der ganzen Welt hat. In Zusammenarbeit mit der internationalen islamischen Gemeinde Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat helfen ihre Mitglieder weltweit in Katastrophengebieten und sorgen für bedürftigte Menschen. "Der islamische Glaube ist aber keine Mitgliedsvoraussetzung", sagt Monsoor Ahmad, Pressesprecher der deutschen Abteilung. "Jeder, der sich sozial engagieren möchte, ist herzlich willkommen."

Dinge mit anderen Augen sehen

In Deutschland beispielsweise organisierte Humanity First unmittelbar nach der so genannten Jahrhundertflut 2002 die Essensverteilung in den Krisengebieten. Und als im August 1999 der Süden der Türkei von einem schweren Erdbeben erschüttert wurde, errichteten die Mitarbeiter notdürftige Unterkünfte für die obdachlosen Menschen.

Der Aufbau von Zeltstädten wird auch die Hauptaufgabe der kleinen Gruppe aus Frankfurt sein, wenn sie am Samstag im Krisengebiet eintrifft. "Außerdem übernehmen wir die Verteilung von Essen und Medikamenten", erklärt Waqqas. Er weiß, dass das keine leichte Aufgabe ist. Viele Straßen sind verschüttet und die Dörfer in den Bergen von der Versorgung abgeschnitten. Weil es kaum Karten gibt, haben er und seine Begleiter sich bei "Google Earth" mit Satellitenbildern der Region vertraut gemacht.

"Ein großes Problem ist auch der einbrechende Winter", sagt Waqqas. "In der Nacht sinkt die Temperatur auf unter null Grad." Mehr als den Inhalt eines Seesacks, den der Student bei Ebay ersteigert hat, wird er jedoch nicht mit ins Flugzeug nehmen können. Dafür hofft der junge Mann mit sehr viel mehr Erfahrung im Dezember zurückzukehren. "Es ist die Pflicht eines Menschen in der Not zu helfen", sagt er. "Ich bin sicher, in einem Monat viele Dinge mit anderen Augen zu sehen."

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Keistimewaan dan Ganjaran dari Menyembah Tuhan dengan Takwa


KHUTBAH JUM’AT HADHRAT AMIRUL MUKMININ, IMAM JAMA’AT AHMADIYAH SEDUNIA, KHALIFATUL MASIH V aba 11-11-2005; Mesjid Nasir – Hartlepool UK.
Keistimewaan dan Ganjaran dari Menyembah Tuhan dengan Takwa

Setelah mengucapkan Syahadat, ta'awudz dan menilawatkan Al-Fatihah. Hudhur aba. membaca surah Al-A’raaf 7:27:yang artinya:Wahai Bani Adam! Sesungguhnya Kami telah menurunkan kepadamu pakaian penutup auratmu sebagai perhiasan. Sedangkan pakaian takwa itulah yang terbaik. Hal demikian itu sebagian dari Tanda-tanda Allah Taala, mudah-mudahan mereka selalu mengingatnya.

dan Surah Al-A’raaf ayat 7:32 yang atinya:Wahai Bani Adam! Pakailah perhiasanmu di setiap tempat ibadah dan makanlah serta minumlah tetapi jangan berlebihan, sesungguhnya Dia tidak mencintai orang-orang yang berlebih-lebihan.

Alhamdulillah hari ini Allah Taala telah memberikan kemampuan kita untuk dapat membangun mesjid di bagian pulau (Inggris) ini. Semoga Allah Taala berkenan menerima pengurbanan dari Jama’at ini untuk keperluan apa mesjid ini dibangun, semoga setiap Ahmadi yang tinggal di sini dapat memenuhi maksud dari pembangunan mesjid ini. Saya telah meminta kepada Ansharullah UK untuk mengumpulkan sebagian besar dari dana yang diperlukan. Alhamdulillah mereka menyadari akan tanggung-jawabnya dan turut ambil bagian secara murah hati dalam pengurbanan ini; setidaknya mesjid pertama yang dibangun di kota ini dibangun dengan pengurbanan mereka. Berapa pun janji yang mereka berikan, mereka sudah memenuhinya dan hampir semuanya lunas, dan mereka akan meneruskan pekerjaan kekurangannya. Semoga Allah Taala memberkati sebesar-besarnya penghasilan mereka yang telah ikut serta memberikan sumbangan financial untuk pembangunan mesjid ini. Banyak pekerjaan yang dilakukan oleh para sukarelawan sebagai pekerja sukarela. Yang melihat mesjid ini mengira tidak mungkinlah untuk bisa melakukan opening ceremony pada hari ini. Para sukarelawan tersebut telah bekerja siang malam sehingga memungkinkan mesjid bisa diresmikan hari ini.

Itulah contoh yang diperlihatkan oleh para pengikut Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud, Imam Mahdi a.s. yang tidak akan didapatkan di luar Jama’at Ahmadiyyah. Sekali mereka mulai bekerja, sekali mereka berniat menyelesaikan sesuatu, kemudian dengan karunia Allah Taala mereka berdo’a dan bekerja seperti orang gila di mana mereka tanpa memikirkan siang atau malam; semoga Allah Taala memberikan kepada mereka ganjaran yang besar, dan menghilangkan segala kesulitan dan permasalahan yang dihadapinya. Sekarang, mesjid telah selesai dibangun, namun tanggung-jawab kita menjadi bertambah besar. Mesjid-mesjid kita dibangun bukanlah sekedar untuk mendirikan bangunan yang bagus agar orang dapat melihatnya, yang akan merasa senang melihat betapa indahnya bangunan ini, dan kita pun merasa senang melihatnya. Mesjid-mesjid ini adalah sebuah symbol dari adanya orang-orang Tuhan yang hatinya senantiasa bersujud kepada Tuhan; mereka berpikir bahwa sebuah mesjid itu adalah rumah Allah untuk menyembah Allah Taala; nafsu materialistic ataupun urusan materialistic tidak akan menghentikan mereka dari menyembah Allah Taala. Mereka memiliki pengertian sepenuhnya atas perintah Allah Taala ini (Az-Dzariyat 51:57):Yang artinya:Dan, tidaklah Aku menciptakan jin dan manusia melainkan supaya mereka menyembah-Ku.

Bahwa Aku menciptakan jin dan manusia agar mereka menyembah-Ku, mengenal Aku dan menyadari akan Aku. Cara beribadah yang telah diajarkan kepada kita dan Mukmin yang telah menyatakan kalimah Laa ilaha illAllah Muhammadar Rasulullah adalah diwajibkan agar 5 kali dalam sehari ia harus melakukan ibadah, sudah ditetapkan waktunya 5 kali yang merupakan wajib itulah waktunya shalat dan kalian harus pergi ke mesjid untuk shalat berjama’ah.

Ada satu hadits di mana YM. Rasulullah saw. bersabda bahwa shalat berjama’ah itu 27 kali lebih bermanfaat dan lebih utama daripada sembahyang sendiri-sendiri dan ganjaran spiritualnya pun 27 lipat atau lebih. Oleh karena itu kita membangun sebuah mesjid bukannya untuk show atau untuk kompetisi, kita hanyalah membangunnya karena perintah Allah Taala untuk menyembah kepada-Nya. Pemikiran inilah yang harus ada pada Ahmadi ialah bahwa harus hadir di mesjid untuk ibadah shalat. Orang-orang Ahmadi yang tinggal disini tetapi bekerja di lain tempat sebagai contohnya mereka tidak bisa shalat Zhuhur dan Asar di mesjid, dan dalam beberapa hal tidak dapat hadir juga untuk shalat Maghrib, mereka bisa shalat di tempat kerjanya, tetapi mereka yang tidak bekerja dan sedang menunggu keputusan permintaan suakanya atau yang sudah pensiun harus hadir di mesjid 5 kali sehari; mesjid ini harus dibuka 5 kali sehari untuk shalat. Kategori pertama untuk orang yang bekerja seperti yang sudah saya katakan, mereka itu harus datang ke mesjid ini untuk shalat Subuh, Maghrib dan Isa, yang diwajibkan untuk setiap orang laki-laki, anak-anak yang sudah berumur 10 tahun pun diwajibkan untuk shalat.

Urusan duniawi dan urusan pekerjaan lain serta alasan lainnya tidak boleh menghentikan dari hadir di mesjid, dan tidak sesuai bagi seorang Ahmadi yang menyatakan bahwa “Saya telah beriman kepada Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s. dan telah membuat saya beda dari yang lainnya”. Ini bertentangan dengan kualitas dan kedudukannya sebagai seorang Ahmadi. Ahmadi akan mengenyampingkan semua urusan duniawi, tidak ada kerakusan terhadap dunia yang bisa menghalanginya dari menjalankan shalat berjama’ah. Jika tidak demikian, maka semua pengurbanan yang telah dikeluarkan untuk membangun mesjid ini tidak ada gunanya, dan bangunan ini pun tidak akan ada gunanya juga. Bukannya diisi dengan orang-orang yang hatinya penuh ketakwaan, tetapi dibangun hanya karena dengan keinginan hati dan semangat musiman yang bersifat sementara saja.

Semoga Allah Taala mentakdirkan bahwa setiap orang dari kalian itu mengerti akan tujuan dari hidup kalian dan dengan hati yang dihiasi takwa kalian harus mengisi mesjid ini. Ayat pertama Kitab Suci Alquran yang saya baca hari ini, di sini Allah Taala telah menyebutkan mulai dari keturunan Adam, karena pembicaraan sebelumnya adalah tentang Nabi Adam bahwa bagaimana Allah Taala menghentikan Adam ini dari melakukan hal-hal yang ditunjukkan oleh syaitan, yang bertindak melawan perintah Allah Taala. Ketika Adam dan Hawa menyadari kesalahan mereka, karena tidak mengikuti perintah dari Allah Taala, maka mereka kemudian meminta ampunan dari Allah Taala. Kemudian dengan bertaubat meminta ampunan mereka mendapatkan berkat rahmat Allah Taala, dan perasaan takwa kepada Allah Taala serta takut kepada Allah Taala timbul di dalam hati mereka. Dalam ayat tersebut Allah Taala berfirman: “Hai Bani Adam, Kami telah memberimu pakaian untuk menutupi auratmu tetapi pakaian yang terbaik adalah pakaian takwa. Itulah sebuah contoh dari moyang-mu Adam ketika syaitan telah membisikkan sesuatu di dalam hatinya. Sebagai akibatnya ia telah membuat suatu kesalahan dan ketika ia menyadari kelemahannya ia taubat minta ampunan dari Allah Taala maka Allah Taala telah menutupi kesalahan Adam dan Hawa ini. Jika kalian harus melindungi diri kalian dari serangan syaitan, ingatlah bahwa syaitan itu harus diburu dan dikejar pada setiap langkah. Jika kalian dapat mengikuti cara ini untuk menghentikan diri dari tarikan duniawi, maka inilah cara taubat dan permintaan ampunan serta bekerja sesuai perintah Allah Taala dan menyadari akan tujuan hidup kalian; sebagai hasilnya Tuhan akan menghilangkan kelemahan kalian. Selain dari ini, tidak ada cara lain yang dapat melindungi kalian dari serangan syaitan. Jadi, inilah hal-hal yang kepadanya kalian harus menaruh perhatian dan kemudian akan timbul perasaan takut dan takwa kepada Allah Taala. Ketika ketakwaan ini sudah timbul maka inilah yang akan menjadi pakaian kalian, yang akan membuat kalian itu indah menarik serta dapat melindungi kalian dari setiap serangan syaitan dan kemudian akan memperoleh kedekatan kepada Allah Taala. Jika kalian menginginkan kebaikan duniawi dan keimanan maka kalian harus memakai pakaian takwa, yang merupakan pakaian terbagus, bersamaan dengan perlindungan terhadap semangat musiman dan juga serangan syaitan itu.

Dalam ayat berikutnya dikatakan: “Hai Bani Adam kamu harus menggunakan perhiasan yaitu pakaian takwa ketika kamu memasuki mesjid. Kamu boleh makan dan minum tetapi jangan berlebih-lebihan, karena Allah Taala tidak menyukai orang yang melewati batas”. Bahwa Hai Bani Adam walaupun dalam pikiranmu harus senantiasa bekerja sesuai perintah Allah Taala, jadi bahwa dunia kalian dan Hari Akhirat kalian itu dibuat dengan sangat bagus dan kamu pun akan mendapatkan kecintaan Allah Taala. Tetapi ada satu hal yang akan mendapatkan kedekatan pada Allah Taala yaitu di mana orang itu berada dalam keadaan merendahkan diri dan jatuh bersujud kepada Allah sewaktu menjalankan ibadah shalat, sebagai tugas dari seorang Muslim. Oleh karena itu, jika kalian akan datang ke mesjid sebagai seorang Muslim untuk menyembah Allah yang diwajibkan terhadap kalian itu, maka kalian harus membuat pikiran kalian itu bebas sama sekali dari pemikiran duniawi dan urusan duniawi. Kalian harus taubat dan minta ampunan ketika memasuki mesjid sehingga kalian akan sepenuhnya sibuk di dalam ibadah. Sebagaimana kalian membersihkan badan dan mengambil air wudhu, kalian akan berusaha membersihkan diri kalian dari kekotoran duniawi, maka secara itu pula kalian harus membuat pengaturan dan cara untuk mendapatkan kebersihan spiritual. Inilah yang akan menghias dan mempercantik kalian dan akan menambahkan keindahan spiritualnya. Jika kalian akan hadir di hadapan Tuhan dengan air mata dan pakaian ketakwaan maka Allah Taala Yang resah dan tidak sabar lagi untuk memeluk hamba-Nya, Dia akan segera menyambut kalian dan membawa ke atas pangkuan-Nya. Tetapi persyaratannya adalah bahwa kalian harus melakukannya itu adalah demi untuk Tuhan saja, dan kalian harus secepatnya bersujud dan membungkukkan diri di hadapan-Nya. Jangan sampai ada rasa kemalasan dan keengganan untuk pergi ke mesjid itu, walaupun jika seandainya kalian harus menunggu sedikit waktu untuk shalat di mesjid dikarenakan kalian berpikiran bahwa waktu itu berharga. Ketika imam memimpin sembahyang, bahkan ketika itu pun kalian terus sibuk dan terlibat dalam pikiran keduniawian. Ketika bersujud itu kalian secepat-cepatnya menyentuh tempat bersujud, sehingga kalian dapat segera membebaskan diri. Begitulah caranya yyaitan menciptakan keraguan dan ketakutan di dalam pikiran keturunan Adam itu, agar kalian secepatnya melakukan pekerjaan ibadah ini takut pekerjaannya terganggu, takut usahanya rugi. Oleh karena itu ketika kalian sedang menunggu imam datang untuk memimpin sembahyang dan harus menunggu sedikit waktu maka kalian harus menggunakan waktunya dengan berdzikir mengingat Allah.

Itulah sebabnya dalam hadits YM. Rasulullah saw. bersabda bahwa selama seseorang duduk menunggu shalat di mesjid ia sudah dianggap sebagai sudah ada dalam kegiatan shalat dan malaikat mengirimkan shalawat kepadanya dan berkata “Ya Allah belas kasihanilah ia, ampunilah ia dan terimalah taubat dia.” Jadi kalian dapat lihat betapa besarnya ganjaran bagi orang yang sedang menunggu shalat. Dikarenakan taubatnya ini dan permintaan ampunan selama kita menunggu shalat, yang sesuai perintah Allah Taala, maka sebagai seorang mukmin ia itu mempercantik dirinya. Para malaikat pun mengirimkan do’a-do’a kepadanya, dan mem-polesh kecantikannya dengan lebih baik lagi, menjadi lebih menarik dan malaikat pun menolong dia ini adalah sesuai perintah dari Allah Taala.

Jadi inilah pakaian dari Tuhan yang datang kepada hamba-Nya sebagaimana dikatakan dalam sebuah hadits, bahwa seseorang yang berkeinginan keras untuk menyembah Allah Taala dan bersegera menuju mesjid, maka untuk setiap langkah ia berjalan menuju ke mesjid itu, Allah Taala akan memberinya ganjaran pahala.
Dari satu riwayat bahwa YM. Rasulullah saw. bersabda jika seseorang mengambil wudhu dengan secara benar dan datang mesjid, dan ia datang ke mesjid untuk shalat dan bukan untuk show, ia datang ke mesjid dengan rasa takut kepada Allah Taala dengan ketakwaan, maka setiap langkah yang ia ambil, kedudukan spiritualnya akan ditinggikan dan dosa-dosanya akan dimaafkan. Jadi, sebagaimana yang sudah saya katakan, sebelum masuk ke mesjid atau sebelum shalat harus mengambil air wudhu untuk kebersihan secara pisik. Di sini jika YM. Rasulullah saw. mengatakan mengambil wudhu secara benar, maka beliau juga mengajarkan kepada kita cara melakukan wudhu yang benar itu. Satu kali Hadhrat Usman disuruh membawa air, kemudian beliau mencuci tangannya sebanyak 3 kali kemudian berkumpur-kumur mulutnya 3 kali, membersihkan hidungnya 3 kali kemudian beliau membersihkan mukanya dan mencuci tangannya sampai siku dan kemudian kakinya sampai tumit. Sesudahnya semua pencucian itu ada juga satu pijatan pada kepala dan sapukanlah dengan tangan sampai pada kedua telinga.YM. Rasulullah saw. bersabda bahwa ia yang mengambil wudhu seperti yang saya lakukan dan shalat 2 rakaat maka semua dosa-dosanya yang lalu akan dimaafkan. Kemudian ayat lainnya yang saya baca tadi, setelah perhiasan mesjid dikatakan bahwa kalian boleh makan dan boleh minum tetapi jangan melewati batas. Karena makanan pun mempunyai efek pada pikiran seseorang, pikirannya pun bisa terpengaruh, sehingga kalian harus memakan hanya makanan yang bersih dan halal. Jadi, kalian tidak boleh melakukan perbuatan yang dapat menjauhkan diri dari ketakwaan. Apapun yang Allah Taala telah larang makan, kalian jangan memakannya; minuman apa pun yang telah dilarang Allah Taala, kalian jangan meminumnya. Karena sekarang makan dan minum yang menurut perintah Allah Taala itu dilarang jika kalian memakan atau meminumnya maka kalian itu melewati batas. Satu arti dari kata sharab yang digunakan di sini adalah menderita penyakit. Banyak penyakit yang diderita orang dikarenakan makanan, walaupun tentu saja ada penyebab lainnya. Tetapi kadang-kadang untuk penyembuhannya itu tidak hanya tergantung pada obat tetapi juga pada makanan. Sekarang orang itu menjadi malas dan lamban yang dikarenakan makanan yang menyebabkan banyak penyakit. Di Eropa sini orang yang terlalu banyak memakan burger mereka terkena sakit perut dan anak-anak yang terlalu banyak makan coklat akan menderita sakit gigi. Jika seseorang sedang sakit maka ia tidak dapat berkonsentrasi dalam ibadahnya. Oleh karena ada perintah bahwa orang harus makan secara moderat secukupnya saja. Oleh karena itu YM. Rasulullah saw. bersabda bahwa seorang mukmin makan dengan satu tangan dan seorang yang kafir makan dengan tujuh tangan. Banyak hal lainnya seperti alcohol dan minuman lainnya yang mereka gunakan untuk mabuk-mabukan, itulah sebabnya mereka itu tidak ada pertaliannya dengan agama, mereka berjalan menjauh dari takwa. Itulah sebabnya kalian jangan berlebih-lebihan jika makan, atau akan timbul permasalahan, dan kesulitan semacam itu akan timbul yang akan menggerogoti kesehatan kalian dan kalian akan mahrum dari ketakwaan dan ibadah kalian.

Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s. bersabda bahwa kalian harus tahu bahwa keadaan pisik ini bertalian erat dengan aspek spiritual. Bahkan cara makan pun dapat mempengaruhi keadaan spiritual orang. Jika seseorang mengambil jalan tengah dalam segala hal, maka seperti kalian membuang pikiran ketiga yang bisa menjadi pedang. Oleh karena itu dalam Kitab Suci Alquran dikatakan bahwa kebersihan pisik sangat berkaitan erat dengan ibadah, dan dengan cara beribadah.
Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s. bersabda falsafah ini nampaknya benar bahwa makanan pisik itu memberikan efek yang besar terhadap aspek spiritual; makanan-makanan ini punya pengaruh terhadap ahlak kita. Bersujud secara pisik pun membuat kerendahan hati di dalam jiwa. Jika kita tidak begini, dan kita bekerja dengan membusungkan dada kita, maka cara ini akan menimbulkan semacam kebanggaan di dalam hati. Ini menunjukkan secara jelas dengan tidak diragukan lagi bahwa makanan pisik itu mempunyai efek terhadap keadaan spiritual. Pengalaman kami juga menunjukkan bahwa berbagai macam makanan memberikan pengaruh terhadap pikiran dan otak serta kesehatan pisik. Mereka yang tidak makan daging akan hilang keberaniannya, hatinya menjadi lemah dan dapat kehilangan kualitas pemberian Tuhannya. Kalian juga dapat membuktikan hal ini pada binatang berkaki empat, yang makan rumput tidaklah sepemberani binatang yang makan daging. Demikian juga pada burung. Semua menunjukkan bahw makanan itu mempunyai efek terhadap ahlak dan tingkah laku. Mereka yang memaksakan diri dan menekankan pada makan daging akan kehilangan daya kelembut-hatiannya. Maka yang makan secara moderat mereka memiliki kedua macam ahlak tersebut. Itulah sebabnya Allah Taala berfirman di dalam Kitab Suci Alquran: kuluu washrabuu wa laa tushrifuubahwa kalian boleh memakan daging dan boleh memakan sayur-sayuran tetapi jangan melewati batas; jangan berlebih-lebihan sehingga tidak memberikan efek buruk pada kesehatan kalian. Keadaan postur pisik juga memberikan efek pada jiwa sebagaimana orang yang sedang bergembira itu ia tersenyum sedangkan orang yang bersedih hati, ia mulai menangis. Sebagaimana Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s. bersabda bahwa makanan memberikan pengaruh terhadap ahlak, maka ahlak pun akan memberikan pengaruh buruk terhadap ketaatan pada perintah Tuhan dan akan mempengaruhi juga pada ibadah kalian. Maka dikatakan juga bahwa cara kalian berjalan akan memberikan pengaruh terhadap ahlak dan pada perilaku kalian; serta ada refleksi kebanggaan, serta dikatakan jika kalian menegakkan leher dan membusungkan dada sebagai refleksi dari rasa bangga. Jadi seseorang berpikir bahwa perhiasan ini harus dipakai. Jika ia tidak dapat mengembangkan ahlak kerendahan dan kelembutan hati, maka ia pun tidak akan menaruh perhatian akan ibadah terhadap Tuhan juga. Jika ia pergi ke mesjid hanya untuk show kepada temannya, maka yang demikian itu hanyalah untuk tujuan duniawi saja dan bukan untuk ketakwaan dan takut terhadap Tuhan. Jadi jika ada orang yang berkeberatan bahwa perhiasan dari mesjid dan ketakwaan itu apa hubungannya dengan makanan dan minuman? Mereka memperlihatkan bahwa makanan dan minuman pun punya efek terhadap ahlak dan peribadatan; di situlah kekurangannya ilmu pada orang-orang, di mana semua perintah Allah Taala itu memiliki kebijaksanaan yang mendalam. Ashrab juga berarti mengeluarkan tenaga percuma dan melupakan tugas. Jadi di sini, makan dan minum itu bukan hanya berarti makanan pisik, tetapi berarti merujuk juga pada semua kwalitas karunia lainnya yang Allah Taala telah berikan kepada kalian, kalian dapat menggunakannya dan Allah Taala berfirman bahwa karunia apa pun yang diberikan kepada kalian, kalian dapat menggunakannya; barang-barang yang halal dan bersih adalah bagus untuk kalian, kalian dapat menggunakannya. Semua karunia yang diberikan kepada kalian untuk kemudahan dan untuk manfaat kalian, kalian harus menggunakannya; tetapi ada juga batasnya dalam penggunaannya, kalian tidak boleh melewati batas. Kalian tidak boleh kelewatan dan jangan mengejar-ngejarnya sampai menghabiskan waktu sehingga melupakan ibadah.

Kendaraan dan mobil bagus, rumah yang bagus serta fasilitas lainnya adalah untuk kesenangan kalian dan untuk meningkatkan kehormatan kalian, tetapi kalian harus ingat bahwa kegembiraan yang hakiki dan yang bagus itu terletak pada ketakwaan. Dengan mengikuti ketakwaanlah kalian akan memenuhi rumah Allah Taala ini. Oleh karena itu, kalian haruslah ingat bahwa perhiasan dan kehormatan/kemuliaan duniawi ini jangan hendaknya membuat kalian mengabaikan kehormatan/kemuliaan yang hakiki, jangan hendaknya membuat kalian menghindar dari tugas-kewajiban terhadap Tuhan dan kewajiban kepada manusia. Ibadah kalian dan ahlak baik kalian adalah perhiasan hakiki kalian dan keistimewaan kalian yang sejati. Kekayaan yang telah Allah Taala berikan kepada kalian, jangan hendaknya membuat kalian meng-abaikan Tuhan, harta ini bahkan akan menolong kalian untuk mengikuti perintah Allah Taala selanjutnya. Kami berterima kasih kepada Tuhan bahwa di masa ini dikarenakan oleh Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s.-lah, maka kami dapat mengerti ajaran yang hakiki dan dapat menjadi hamba Tuhan yang bersyukur, dengan memohon ampunan dan melaksanakan taubat, kami menaruh perhatian terhadap menyembah kepada Allah Taala. Kami juga menbelanjakan di jalan Allah, karunia-karunia yang telah Allah Taala berikan kepada kami. Pemikiran inilah yang seharusnya ada pada tiap Ahmadi: kehormatan kami dan kebesaran kami tidak akan membuat kami menegakkan leher untuk menunjukkan kekayaan kami yang besar, tetapi dengan cara mengikuti jalan yang telah Allah tunjukkan kepada kami dan bekerja sesuai perintah-Nya serta membelanjakan di jalan-Nya. Selama pemikiran ini tetap ada sama kita, kita akan terus menerima karunia Tuhan dengan berkat-berkat-Nya.Dewasa ini, di zaman materialist ini, hanyalah orang Ahmadi yang membelanjakan hartanya di jalan Allah, dengan membangun rumah-rumah Allah dan berusaha menghiasinya dengan peribadahan serta berusaha untuk memberi peringatan kepada generasinya dan kepada anak-anaknya dengan memberikan latihan training yang baik dan berusaha memberikan semangat kepada mereka. Saya diingatkan bahwa semasa anak-anak, mereka biasa merupakan satu bagian dari dana Tahrik-e-Jadid, mungkin dikarenakan oleh situasi, orang-orang sekarang tidak menaruh banyak tekanan pada hal ini; tetapi anak-anak sudah biasa memberikan sumbangan. Bilamana mereka lulus dalam ujian, atau mendapatkan kegembiraan lainnya mereka biasa memberikan sumbangan dalam pembangunan mesjid. Jadi, setiap tahun ketika anak-anak lulus dalam ujian, mereka selalu menyumbang dalam pembangunan mesjid. Hadiah apa pun yang diberikan kepada mereka oleh kakak-kakak dan orang yang lebih tua, mereka biasa mengeluarkan dari sakunya untuk memberikan sumbangan. Sekarang dengan karunia Allah anak-anak telah lulus ujian-ujiannya dengan baik, oleh karena itu, pada setiap tahun di saat mereka bergembira karena lulus ujian, organisasi Badan-badan Jama’at akan mengingatkan mereka untuk memberikan sumbangan dana pembangunan mesjid, rumah Allah, sehingga mereka dapat membiasakan diri untuk memberikan sumbangan financial, untuk kemudian mendapatkan berkat-berkat dari Allah, di mana mereka dapat menghiasi kehidupannya juga. Para orang tua harus juga mendidik anak-anak mereka dalam hal ini dan mengingatkannya, maka dengan demikian Allah Taala akan membebaskan para orang tua ini dari berbagai macam tanggung-jawab. Semoga Allah Taala menakdirkan bahwa sesuai dengan keinginan dari Hadhrat Masih Mau’ud a.s. kami harus termasuk orang-orang yang taat beribadah di rumah Allah, dan sebagai yang diinginkannya kami melakukannya; juga di Timur dan di Barat kita akan menyebarkan jaringan dari mesjid-mesjid ini. Kita juga harus memenuhi mesjid-mesjid ini dengan hati yang penuh takwa. Insha-Allah dengan dibangunnya mesjid di sini, maka akan terbuka banyak jalan untuk pertablighan. Tetapi kita harus taubat dan minta ampunan dari Allah Taala, menetapkan standar tinggi dalam ibadah menyembah Tuhan. Semoga Allah Taala berkenan mengabulkannya. Aamiin.

Pada kesempatan pembukaan mesjid ini, orang-orang di sini harus ingat kepada anggota-anggota lama yang telah mendedikasikan dirinya yang berusaha membangun mesjid di sini. Ada satu waktu, di mana anak-anak mereka sudah besar, mereka ingin kembali pulang ke Pakistan. Tetapi Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV r.h. memerintahkan agar mendirikan Jama’at Lokal terlebih dahulu di sini, sebelumnya pergi ke Pakistan. Dengan semangat kerja Missionary-nya mereka bekerja keras dan mendirikan Jama’at dengan berhasilnya pertablighan kepada orang-orang di sini. Kemudian mereka juga berusaha mendidik anggota-anggota setempat dan dikarenakan cinta kasihnya kepada orang-orang di sini maka mereka pun merasa senang dan enjoy tinggal di sini, sehingga mereka tidak lagi berpikir untuk kembali ke Pakistan; keduanya terus tinggal di sini, sekarang sudah meninggal dan dikubur di sini. Hari ini, Doctor Hamid Khan Sahib dan Sahiba Hamid Khan kedua almarhum, semoga arwahnya mendapatkan ganjaran pahala atas pembangunan mesjid ini, karena segalanya dikerjakan atas usaha beliau-beliau ini. Harap do’akanlah bagi kedua orang yang telah mendedikasikan dirinya ini. Semoga Allah Taala meninggikan kedudukan spiritual mereka dan membuat anak-anaknya menjadi hamba sejati dari Ahmadiyyah. Keempat anak-anaknya, anak perempuan tertua tinggal di sini, masya Allah beliau berusaha mengikuti jejak orang tuanya. Semoga Allah Taala memberkati pekerjaan dan usahanya. Anak-laki-lakinya termuda mendapat pendidikan di London, tetapi ia akan kembali dan kami berharap ia akan meneruskan pekerjaan ini. Jadi, di mana pun sejarah Ahmadiyyah tentang Hartlepool ini akan ditulis, maka kedua pasangan ini akan menjadi yang paling menonjol dan terkemuka berkenaan dengan pendirian Jama’at di sini. Sekarang dengan karunia Allah Taala sudah banyak orang di sini, beberapa orang datang dari Negara tetangga. Semoga Allah Taala memberi kemampuan kepada mereka untuk mengikuti jejak dari pasangan tersebut dan maju di dalam pertablighannya serta akan menjadi penyebab bertambahnya jumlah anggota Jama’at dan memenuhi maksud hakiki dari mesjid ini.

Hal kedua yang saya ingin sebutkan adalah mengenai Tahun Baru Perjanjian Tahrik-e-Jadid. Dari tanggal 1 November kami mengumumkan Tahun Baru Tahrik-e-Jadid, yang belum dapat saya sampaikan pada Jum’at yang lalu, jadi hari ini saya mengumumkan Tahun Baru Tahrik-e-Jadid ini. Setelahnya Khalifah datang di London, tidak pernah Tahun Baru ini diumumkan dari luar London. Betapa pun pengumuman ini disampaikan dari Hartlepool atau pada kesempatan upacara pembukaan mesjid Hartlepool dan hari ini pada waktu yang bersamaan kami juga mengumumkan Tahun Baru dari Tahrik-e-Jadid ini.
Tujuan dari Tahrik-e-Jadid adalah untuk mempersiapkan pekerjaan misi, mereka harus pergi ke Negara-negara di luar negeri dan harus mendirikan mesjid serta menyebarkan pesan misi Islam dan Ahmadiyyah ke seluruh dunia. Satu kali sudah dikatakan dengan perasaan pilu bahwa saya berkeinginan di setiap tempat di dunia harus ada sebuah mesjid. Seluruh dunia harus terdengar dengungan tauhid Tuhan yang Satu, Tuhan Yang Maha Esa. Setidaknya sekarang kita sudah membangun sebuah mesjid baru yang ada di tengah-tengah Christianity; ini bukanlah puncaknya pencapaian. Tujuan kita hanyalah bisa terpenuhi jika kita sudah dapat membangun mesjid di setiap kota, di setiap desa. Dan di setiap kota akan dikumandangkan nama Allah, Tuhan yang Maha Esa. Kemudian kita isi mesjid-mesjid ini dengan orang-orang yang tulus beribadah kepada Tuhan. Jadi, inilah semangat yang mereka dedikasikan kehidupannya, dan semua devotees pengkhidmat kita harus mendedikasikan hidupnya untuk ini. Itulah spirit di mana para mujahidin Tahrik-e-Jadid menyerahkan pengurbanan financialnya; yang dengan spirit inilah mereka harus memberikan pengurbanannya. Jika semangat ini ada di dalam tiap-tiap hati maka tingkat pengurbanannya akan bertambah besar. Setiap orang akan ikut di dalam Tahrik-e-Jadid bukan karena mereka diberitahu, dan bukan karena dipaksa, tetapi ini timbul dari keinginan hati dan semangat, serta demi untuk memperoleh ridha Allah mereka ikut dalam Tahrik-e-Jadid.

Perlu saya sampaikan apa yang sudah saya umumkan tahun lalu bahwa Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih Rabee r.h., pada awal ke-khalifahannya telah mengingatkan kepada orang-orang bahwa nama-nama 5000 muhajidin dari daftar / ledger pertama, daftar mereka jangan ditutup. Anak-anak mereka harus menghidupkan kembali daftar ledger orang tua mereka. Namun karena saat itu tidak ada cara mendengarkan secara langsung seperti dengan MTA ini, barangkali tidak semua orang sudah mendengar pengumuman ini, maka karena itulah orang-orang tidak menaruh perhatian terhadap hal ini. Tetapi setelah diingatkan kembali pada tahun lalu, anak-anak dari nenek-moyangnya yang dahulu memberikan pengurbanan besar pada Tahrik Jadid ini, sekarang kebanyakan dari daftar ledger mereka sudah dihidupkan kembali, dan sumbangan ini yang kita terima berdasarkan sumbangan terakhirnya yang mereka berikan, telah dihidupkan kembali sedangkan yang belum dihidupkan oleh anak-anak mereka, sudah dihidupkan kembali oleh Jama’at dengan jumlah sumbangan terakhir mereka dan ini akan terus dilanjutkan. Total sumbangan sekarang berjumlah 3.4 juta Pounds, 380 000 Pounds lebih besar dari tahun lalu. Kontribusi dari Amerika, Inggris, Mauritius dan terus Negara-negara lainnya dalam urutan besar sumbangannya. Australia telah maju dari peringkat ke–10 menjadi ke-9 dan Nigeria juga telah melakukan pekerjaan yang menonjol dalam hal ini, di mana mereka telah dapat mengumpulkan dua kali lebih banyak dari tahun lalu. Di antara Negara-negara Afrika, maka Nigeria nomor satu. Jumlah penyumbang ada 442.000 orang, masih ada kesempatan untuk meningkatkan jumlah peserta yang dapat meningkatkan jumlah sumbangannya. Dibandingkan dengan tahun sebelumnya, tahun ini ada 24.000 orang lebih yang ikut menyumbang Dana Tahrik-e-Jadid. Adapun statistik di Pakistani menurut mereka Lahore nomor 1, Rabwah nomor 2 dan nomor 3-nya Karachi. Usaha-usaha keras dilaksanakan oleh Jama’at Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Rawalphur, dan beberapa Jama’at kecil lainnya di beberapa desa. Mereka juga melakukan banyak kerja. Di antara distrik-distrik bisa saya sebutkan Sialkot, Malpoorkhas, Peshawar, Khasmir dan beberapa lainnya.

Semoga Allah Taala memberi kemampuan kepada orang-orang yang sudah berkurban ini. Semoga Allah Taala memberkati penghasilan mereka dan kehidupan mereka; dan mereka yang telah berkurban akan memperoleh kecintaan Allah serta akan terus meningkatkan pengurbanan mereka dan mereka pun dapat menyadari akan tujuan hidup mereka. Aamiin.[]

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Wednesday, November 23, 2005

VCD Teroris & Pesta Seks Pelajar Cianjur Diburu Kolektor

VCD Teroris & Pesta Seks Pelajar Cianjur Diburu Kolektor
Nurfajri Budi Nugroho - detikNews


Jakarta - Aksi terorisme dan perilaku mesum merupakan dua hal yang berbeda. Tapi, dua hal tersebut ketika diabadikan dalam bentuk VCD menjadi barang langka. Buktinya, pemburu VCD teroris dan pesta seks pelajar di Cianjur sama banyaknya.

Berdasarkan pemantauan detikcom di pusat perdagangan VCD di Glodok, Jakarta Barat, semakin banyak orang yang berburu VCD pengakuan pelaku bom Bali II, serta VCD pesta seks pelajar SMU di Cianjur. Keduanya memang bikin heboh.

"Yang nyari memang bayak, mas. Tapi VCD-nya belum keluar, apalagi VCD Cianjur. Beritanya kan baru 2 hari ini," kata seorang pedagang.

Sementara itu ada seorang pedagang mengaku menjual master VCD Cianjur seharga Rp 50.000. Namun ketika hal itu dikonfirmasikan, ternyata tidak benar. "Kalau mau seminggu lagi VCD yang Cianjur sudah bisa keluar," ujarnya.

Ketika ditanyakan soal VCD teroris, para pedagang mengaku belum berani untuk menjual. "Wah kita belum berani, mas. Soalnya itu kan yang punya polisi," kata pedagang lainnya.

Dalam pengamatan, para pedagang VCD blue film (BF) alias porno tidak berani terang-terangan menjajakan barang dagangannya. Mereka mengaku takut dengan razia polisi. Apalagi saat ini di lokasi pusat penjualan VCD itu tertulis, "Dilarang berjualan VCD BF di sini".

Hal yang cukup menarik adalah, ketika seorang pedagang VCD justru menawarkan VCD porno artis. VCD itu, katanya, memuat adegan bugil artis cantik Agnes Monica di sebuah apartemen. VCD ini berdurasi 38 menit. "Kalau mau harganya Rp 15 ribu, bisa ditawar sampai Rp 10.000," rayu seorang pedagang tanpa basa-basi. (san)

Cianjur Dihebohkan VCD Porno, Belasan Siswa Dikeluarkan

Cianjur Dihebohkan VCD Porno, Belasan Siswa Dikeluarkan

Senin, 21 November 2005, 03:01 WIB

Cianjur, Minggu

Setelah terbongkarnya berbagai kasus pornografi yang melibatkan anak sekolah di sejumlah daerah seperti Padang dan Bandung ternyata kasus memalukan itu kini terjadi di Kota Cianjur, Jawa Barat. Sebuah VCD porno berdurasi 10 menit melibatkan 11 siswa sebuah SMU Negeri ternama di Kabupaten Cianjur kini beredar di masyarakat dan cukup membuat prihatin sejumlah kalangan di kota ini.

Anggota DPRD Kabupaten Cianjur, H Cecep Syahru Wirahma SH, mengaku sangat prihatin atas beredarnya VCD Porno di Cianjur yang berjuluk "Gerbang Marhamah" itu. "Kejadian ini merupakan tamparan bagi dunia pendidikan, apalagi di dalamnya ternyata melibatkan oknum gurunya sendiri," kata Cecep yang juga Ketua Fraksi Partai Golkar, Minggu (20/11).

Cecep juga mengaku sangat sedih bila kejadian seperti ini sebenarnya lebih parah dari pemberitaan selama ini. "Ibarat gung es bisa saja kasus ini hanya sebagian kecil yang kebetulan terungkap, di balik itu perilaku anak-anak SMU di Cianjur sudah pada taraf menghawatirkan," katanya.

Ia berharap pihak kepolisian dapat segera mengungkap kasus tersebut karena telah merusak citra Cianjur sebagai "kota santri", selain karena perbuatan para siswa yang telah melakukan praktik pornografi dan pornoaksi. "Ini betul-betul keterlaluan, kejadin ini telah mencoreng citra seluruh masyarakat Cianjur yang tengah menggalakkan gerakan pembangunan berakhlakul karimah (Gerbang Marhamah)," katanya.

Mencuatnya kasus tersebut diketahui setelah pihak sekolah mengeluarkan para muridnya yang diduga telah berbuat mesum dan terekam dalam bentuk VCD dan menyebar dari tangan ke tangan.

Dilihat dari gambarnya dapat diketahui VCD yang menghebohkan itu berasal dari telepon genggam salah seorang pelaku, yang secara tidak disengaja mengabadikan perbuatan bejatnya tersebut.

Ke-11 pelajar itu terdiri dari delapan orang siswi dan tiga orang siswa. Masing-masing berinisial, YL (kelas II), SM (kelas II), IA (kelas III), SL (kelas III), WI (kelas III), DR (kelas II), AR (kelas II), dan YR (II). Sementara untuk tiga orang siswa, masing-masing RM (kelas I), DC (kelas II), serta TM (kelas III).

Berita tentang kegiatan inipun semakin santer terdengar sehingga VCD Porno itu banyak dicari orang. Yang paling memprihatinkan perbuatan bejat siswa SMU Cianjur ini ditengarai melibatkan seorang oknum gurunya sendiri berinisial DS.

Salah seorang guru SMU favorit di Cianjur itu, Ela Laelasari, saat diminta komentarnya membenarkan pihak sekolah telah mengeluarkan 11 siswanya karena diduga telah menjadi pelaku perbuatan amoral dalam VCD tersebut. "Pihak sekolah terpaksa mengeluarkan mereka demi nama baik sekolah ini," katanya singkat.

Sementara itu, diperoleh informasi bahwa saat diperiksa pihak sekolah, beberapa oknum siswi lainnya sempat mengakui jika aktivitas "esek-esek" itu sudah mereka geluti sejak bulan Juni tahun 2005. Bahkan mereka pernah melayani lelaki hidung belang yang berasal dari Korea Selatan dengan imbalan sejumlah uang. Belakangan pun sempat tercium apabila dalam aktivitasnya mereka pernah melayani nafsu bejad salah satu oknum guru yang berinisial DS.

Mereka pun kerapkali harus melayani oknum guru itu hingga beberapa kali, termasuk dalam salah satu kegiatan lomba di Sukabumi beberapa waktu lalu, di mana DS dengan sengaja membawa serta muridnya itu agar bisa aman melakukan kegiatan bejadnya itu.

Di samping itu, menurut pengakuan oknum siswa yang terlibat, mereka pun juga harus melayani salah seorang yang mengaku karyawan pabrik kulit yang berinisial Sn. Nama Sn inipun, seringkali disebut-sebut sebagai pihak yang bisa mendatangkan limpahan uang, sehingga membuat "ngiler" para siswi tersebut agar bisa melayaninya. Kedelapan siswi tersebut mengenal Sn dari salah seorang siswi yang terlebih dulu mengenalinya.