Thursday, September 22, 2011

"Most nations of the world are unhappy with the current international circumstances"-President Ahmadinejad


President Ahmadinejad:

Transcript-Text

United Nations
http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/66/IR_en.pdf

Sept. 22, 2011

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the Almighty Allah who granted me, once more, the opportunity to appear before this world assembly. I have the pleasure to express my sincere thanks to H.E. Joseph Deiss, president of the sixty-fifth session for his tremendous efforts during his tenure. I also would like to congratulate H.E Nassir Abdulaziz AI-Nasser on his election as the president of sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly and wish him all success.

Let me seize the moment to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the past year, particularly to the victims of the tragic famine in Somalia and the devastating flood in Pakistan and especially the earthquake and the ensuing explosions in the nuclear power plant in Japan. I urge everyone to intensify their assistance and aid to the affected populations in these countries.

Over the past years, I spoke about different global issues, and the need to introduce fundamental changes in the current international order.

Today, considering the international developments, I will try to analyze the present situation from a different angle. As you all know the dominance and superiority of human beings over other creatures, lie in the very nature and the truth of humankind which is a divine gift and a manifestation of the divine spirit including: faith in God, who is the ever-lasting creator and planner of the entire universe.

Showing compassion to others, generosity, justice-seeking, and having integrity both in words and in deeds.

The quest for dignity to reach the pinnacles of perfection, the aspiration to elevate one’s material and spiritual status, and the longing to realize liberty; Defying oppression, corruption, and discrimination in trying to support the oppressed; Seeking happiness, and lasting prosperity and security for all.

These are some of the manifestations of common divine and human attributes which can clearly be seen in the historical aspirations of human beings as reflected in the heritage of our search for art and literary works both in prose and poetry, and in the socio-cultural and political movements of human beings in the course of history.

All divine prophets and social reformers invited human beings to tread on this righteous path. God has given dignity to humankind to elevate his status to assume his successor role on Earth.

It is vividly clear that despite all historical achievements, including creation of the United-Nations, which was a product of untiring struggles and efforts of free-minded and justice-seeking individuals as well as the international cooperation, human societies are yet far from fulfilling their noble desires and aspirations.

Most nations of the world are unhappy with the current international circumstances. And despite the general longing and aspiration to promote peace, progress, and fraternity, wars, mass-murder, widespread poverty, and socioeconomic and political crises continue to infringe upon the rights and sovereignty of nations, leaving behind irreparable damage worldwide.

Approximately, three billion people of the world live on less than 2.5 dollars a day, and over a billion people live without having even one sufficient meal on a daily basis. Forty-percent of the poorest world populations only share five percent of the global income, while twenty percent of the richest people share seventy-five percent of the total global income.

More than twenty thousand innocent and destitute children die every day in the world because of poverty. In the United States, eighty percent of financial resources are controlled by ten percent of its population, while only twenty percent of these resources belong to the ninety percent of the population.

What are the causes and reasons behind these inequalities? How can bone remedy such injustice?

The rulers of the global management circles divide the social life from ethics and spirituality while claiming the situation is the outcome of the pursuit of the path of divine prophets or the vulnerability of nations or the ill performance of a few groups or individuals. They claim that only their views and approaches can save the human society.

Wouldn’t you think that the root cause of the problems must be sought in the prevailing international order, or the way the world is governed? I would like to draw your kind attention to the following questions:

Who abducted forcefully tens of millions of people from their homes in Africa and other regions of the world during the dark period of slavery, making them a victim of their materialistic greed?

Who imposed colonialism for over four centuries upon this world?

Who occupied lands and massively plundered resources of other nations, destroyed talents, and alienated languages, cultures and identities of nations?

Who triggered the first and second world wars, that left seventy millions killed and hundreds of millions injured or homeless. Who created the wars in Korean peninsula and in Vietnam?

Who imposed, through deceits and hypocrisy, the Zionism and over sixty years of war, homelessness, terror and mass murder on the Palestinian people and on countries of the region?

Who imposed and supported for decades military dictatorship and totalitarian regimes on Asian, African, and Latin American nations?

Who used nuclear bomb against defenseless people, and stockpiled thousands of warheads in their arsenals?

Whose economies rely on waging wars and selling arms?

Who provoked and encouraged Saddam Hussein to invade and impose an eight-year war on Iran, and who assisted and equipped him to deploy chemical weapons against our cities and our people?

Who used the mysterious September 11 incident as a pretext to attack Afghanistan and Iraq , killing, injuring, and displacing millions in two countries with the ultimate goal of bringing into its domination the Middle East and its oil resources?

Who nullified the Breton Woods system by printing trillions of dollars without the backing of gold reserves or equivalent currency? A move that triggered inflation worldwide and was intended to prey on the economic gains of other nations?

Which country’s military spending exceeds annually a thousand billion dollars, more than the military budgets of all countries of the world combined?

Which governments are the most indebted ones in the world?

Who dominates the policy-making establishments of the world economy?

Who are responsible for the world economic recession, and are imposing the consequences on America, Europe and the world in general?

Which governments are always ready to drop thousands of bombs on other countries, but ponder and hesitate to provide aid to famine-stricken people in Somalia or in other places?

Who are the ones dominating the Security Council which is ostensibly responsible for safeguarding the international security?

There exist tens of other similar questions. Of course, the answers are clear.

The majority of nations and governments of the world have had no role in the creation of the current global crises, and as a matter of fact, they were themselves the victims of such policies.

It is as lucid as daylight that the same slave masters and colonial powers that once instigated the two world wars have caused widespread misery and disorder with far-reaching effects across the globe since then.

Dear Colleagues and Friends;

Do these arrogant powers really have the competence and ability to run or govern the world. Is it acceptable that they call themselves the sole defender of freedom, democracy, and human rights, while they militarily attack and occupy other countries?

Can the flower of democracy blossom from NATO’s missiles, bombs and guns?

Ladies and Gentlemen;

If some European countries still use the Holocaust, after six decades, as the excuse to pay fine or ransom to the Zionists, should it not be an obligation upon the slave masters or colonial powers to pay reparations to the affected nations?

If the damage and losses of the period of slavery and colonialism were indeed compensated, what would happen to the manipulators and behind-the-scene political powers in the United States and in Europe? Would there remain any gaps between the North and the South?

If only half of military expenditures of the United States and its allies in NATO was shifted to help solve the economic problems in their own countries, would they be witnessing any symptom of the economic crisis?

What would happen, if the same amount was allocated to poor nations?

What is the justification for the presence of hundreds of US military and intelligence bases in different parts of the world, including 268 bases in Germany, 124 in Japan, 87 in South Korea, 83 in Italy, 45 in the United Kingdom, and 21 in Portugal? Does this mean anything other than military occupation?

Don’t the bombs deployed in the said bases undermine the security of other nations?

The main question is the quest for the root cause of such attitudes. The prime reason should be sought in the beliefs and tendencies of the establishment. An assembly of people in contradiction with the inner human instincts and disposition who also have no faith in God and in the path of the divine prophets, replace their lust for power and materialistic ends with heavenly values.

To them, only power and wealth prevail, and every attempt must bring into focus these sinister goals.

Oppressed nations have no hope to restore or protect their legitimate rights against these powers. These powers seek their progress, prosperity and dignity through imposing poverty, humiliation and annihilation to others.

They consider themselves superior to others, enjoying special privileges and concessions. They have no respect for others and easily violate the rights of all nations and governments.

They proclaim themselves as the indisputable custodians of all governments and nations through intimidation, recourse to threat and force, and abuse the international mechanisms. They simply break all the internationally recognized regulations.

They insist on imposing their lifestyle and beliefs on others. They officially support racism. They weaken countries through military intervention, and destroy their infrastructures, in order to plunder their resources by making them all the more dependent.

They sow the seeds of hate and hostility among nations and people of different pursuits, in order to prevent them from fulfilling their goals of development and progress.

All cultures, identities, lives, values and wealth of nations, women, youth, families as well as the wealth of nations are sacrificed to their imperialistic tendencies and their inclination to enslave and captivate others.

Hypocrisy and deceit are allowed in order to secure their interests and imperialistic goals. Drug- trafficking and killing of innocent human beings are also allowed in pursuit of such diabolic goals. Despite NATO’s presence in the occupied Afghanistan, there has been a dramatic increase in the production of illicit drugs there.

They tolerate no question or criticism, and instead of presenting a reason for their violations, they always put themselves in the position of a claimant. By using their imperialistic media network which is under the influence of colonialism they threaten anyone who questions the Holocaust and the September 11 event with sanctions and military action.

Last year, when the need to form a fact-finding team to undertake a thorough investigation concerning the hidden elements involved in September 11 incident was brought up; an idea also endorsed by all independent governments and nations as well as by the majority in the United States, my country and myself came under pressure and threat by the government of the United States.

Instead of assigning a fact-finding team, they killed the main perpetrator and threw his body into the sea.

Would it not have been reasonable to bring to justice and openly bring to trial the main perpetrator of the incident in order to identify the elements behind the safe space provided for the invading aircraft to attack the twin world trade towers?

Why should it not have been allowed to bring him to trial to help recognize those who launched terrorist groups and brought wars and other miseries into the region?

Is there any classified information that must be kept secret?

They view Zionism as a sacred notion and ideology. Any question concerning its very foundation and history is condemned by them as an unforgivable sin.

However they endorse and allow sacrileges and insult against beliefs of other divine religions.

Dear Colleagues and Friends;

Real freedom, justice” dignity, well being, and lasting security are the rights of all nations. These values can neither be achieved by reliance on the current inefficient system of world governance, nor through the invasion of the world by arrogant powers and the gun barrels of NATO forces.

These values could only be realized through independence and recognition of others’ rights and through harmony and cooperation.
Is there any way to address the problems and challenges besetting the world by using the prevailing international mechanisms and tools to help humanity achieve the long-standing aspiration of peace, security and equality?

All those who tried to introduce reforms whilst preserving the existing norms and tendencies have failed. The valuable efforts made by the Non-Aligned movement and Group 77 and GrouplS as well as by some prominent individuals have failed to bring fundamental changes.
Governance and management of the world require fundamental reforms.

What should be done now?

Dear Colleagnes and Friends;

Efforts must be made with a firm resolve and through collective cooperation to map out a new plan, on the basis of principles and the very foundation of universal human values such as Monotheism, justice, freedom, love and the quest for happiness.

The idea of creation of the United Nations remains a great and historical achievement of mankind. Its importance must be appreciated and its capacities must be used to the extent possible for our noble goals.

We should not allow this organization which is the reflection of the collective will and shared aspiration of the community of nations, to deviate from its main course and play into the hands of the world powers.

Conducive ground must be prepared to ensure collective participation and involvement of nations in an effort to promote lasting peace and security.

Shared and collective management of the world must be achieved in its true sense, and based on the underlying principles enshrined in the international law. Justice must serve as the criterion and the basis for all international decisions and actions.

All of us should acknowledge the fact that there is no other way than the shared and collective management of the world in order to put an end to the present disorders, tyranny, and discriminations worldwide.
This is indeed the sole way to prosperity and welfare of human society which is an established and vivid truth.

While acknowledging the above truth, one should note that acknowledgement alone is not enough. We must believe in it and spare no effort toward its realization.

Dear Colleagues and Friends;

Shared and collective management of the world is the legitimate right of all nations, and we as their representatives, have an obligation to defend their rights. Although some powers continuously try to frustrate all international efforts aimed at promoting collective cooperation, we must, however, strengthen our belief in achieving the perceived goal of establishing a shared and collective cooperation to run the world.

The United Nations was created to make effective participation of all nations in international decision-making processes, possible. We all know that this goal has not yet been fulfilled because of the absence of justice in the current management structures and mechanisms of the UN.

The composition of the Security Council is unjust and inequitable. Therefore, changes including the restructuring of the United Nations are considered the basic demands of the nations that must be addressed by the General Assembly.

During last year session, I emphasized the importance of this issue and called for the designation of the current decade as the decade of shared and collective Global Management.

I would like to reiterate again my proposal. I am sure that through international cooperation, diligence and efforts by committed world leaders and governments and through insisting on the realization of justice and the support of all other nations, we can expedite the building of a common bright future.

This movement is certainly on its rightful path of creation, ensuring a promising future for humanity. A future that will be built when humanity initiates to trend the path of the divine prophets and the righteous under the leadership of Imam al-Mahdi, the Ultimate Savior of mankind and the inheritor to all divine messengers and leaders and to the pure generation of our great Prophet.

The creation of a supreme and ideal society with the arrival of a perfect human being who is a true and sincere lover of all human beings, is the guaranteed promise of Allah.

He will come alongside with Jesus Christ to lead the freedom and justice lovers to eradicate tyranny and discrimination, and promote knowledge, peace, justice freedom and love across the world. He will present to every single individual all the beauties of the world and all good things which bring happiness for humankind.

Today nations have been awakened. With the increase in public awareness,they no longer succumb to oppressions and discriminations.

The world is now witnessing more than ever, the widespread awakening in Islamic lands, in Asia, Europe, and America. These movements are ever expanding their spirit everyday and influence the pursuit of the realization of justice, freedom and the creation of a better tomorrow.

Our great nation stands ready to join hands with other nations to march on this beautiful path in harmony and in line with the shared aspirations of mankind.

Let us salute love, freedom, justice, wisdom, and the bright future that awaits humankind.

Thank you.


Monday, September 5, 2011

Khutbah by Imam Hajj Abdassamad Clarke entitled “Being tested by fortune and misfortune.”

BEING TESTED BY FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE 02/09/2011


Sep 2nd, 2011

Please click below to listen to the khutbah by Imam Hajj Abdassamad Clarke entitled “Being tested by fortune and misfortune.” This khutbah was delivered at the Ihsan Mosque in Norwich on Friday the 2nd September 2011.

اَلْحَمْدُ‏ ‬لِلَّهِ‏ ‬نَحْمَدُهُ‏ ‬وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ‏ ‬وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ‏ ‬وَنُومِنُ‏ ‬بِهِ‏ ‬وَنَتَوَكَّلُ‏ ‬عَلَيْهِ‏،
وَنَعُوذُ‏ ‬بِا‏للَّه‬ِ‏ ‬مِنْ‏ ‬شُرُورِ‏ ‬أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ‏ ‬أَعْمَالِنَا‏،
مَن‏ ‬يَهْدِ‏ ‬ا‏للَّه‬ُ‏ ‬فَهُوَ‏ ‬الْمُهْتَدِ‏،‏ ‬وَمَنْ‏ ‬يُضْلِلْ‏ ‬فَلاَ‏ ‬هَادِيَ‏ ‬لَهُ،
وَأَشْهَدُ‏ ‬أَنْ‏ ‬لآ إلَهَ‏ ‬إلَّا ا‏للَّه‬ُ‏ ‬وَحْدَهُ‏ ‬لَا شَرِيكَ‏ ‬لَهُ‏،‏ ‬لَهُ‏ ‬الْمُلْكُ‏ ‬وَلَهُ‏ ‬الْحَمْدُ‏،‏ ‬يُحْيِي‏ ‬وَيُمِيتُ‏،‏ ‬بِيَدِهِ‏ ‬الْخَيْرُ،‏ ‬وَهُوَ‏ ‬عَلَى كُلِّ‏ ‬شَيْءٍ‏ ‬قَدِيرٌ‏. ‬وَأَشْهَدُ‏ ‬أَنَّ‏ ‬مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ‏ ‬وَرَسُولُهُ‏،‏ ‬أَرْسَلَهُ‏ ‬بِدِينِ‏ ‬الْحَقِّ‏ ‬بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا‏،‏ ‬بَيْنَ‏ ‬يَدَيِّ‏ ‬السَّاعَةِ‏،‏ ‬صَلَّى ا‏للَّه‬ُ‏ ‬عَلَيْهِ‏ ‬وَسَلَّمَ‏ ‬وَعَلَى آلِهِ‏ ‬وَصَحْبِهِ‏ ‬وَمَنْ‏ ‬تَبِعَهُمْ‏ ‬بِإحْسَانٍ‏ ‬إلَى‏ ‬يَوْمِ‏ ‬الدِّينِ.
} يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ‏ آمَنُواْ‏ اتَّقُواْ‏ اللَّهَ‏ حَقَّ‏ تُقَاتِهِ‏ وَلاَ‏ تَمُوتُنَّ‏ إِلاَّ‏ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ‏ {
}يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلاً سَدِيداً يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً{
تاريخ اليوم هو الثالث من شهر شوال، في السنةِ ألف وأربع مائة واثنين وثلاثين
{ فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلاَهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيَ أَكْرَمَنِص {‮15‬} وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلاَهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيَ أَهَانَنِ {‮16‬} كَلاَّ }
Today is the third of Shawwal 1432.
Allah, exalted is He, said:

15 As for man, when his Lord tests him
by honouring him and favouring him,

16 he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me!’

17 But then when He tests him
by restricting his provision,

18 he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me!’

كما أنّ من أهمِّ أركانِ الإيمانِ أن نومنَ أنّه تعالى قدر الخيرَ والشرَّ كلَّه، وإن كان الأدب يقتضي أن نَنسِبَ الخيرَ إليه وأن لا نَنسِبَ الشرَّ إليه ، كذلك أنّ كلاًّ منهما فتنةٌ وبلاءٌ منهُ تعالى ليختبرَ إيماننا ، وهو أعلمُ بإيمانِنا إذ هو الذي خلقنا وقدّرَ لنا إيماننا وعملنا .

One of the most important pillars of iman is that we believe that Allah has decreed all good and bad, although it is part of good manners towards Allah to ascribe the good to Him but not ascribe the bad to Him.

Nevertheless, the truth is that both are from him. It is also important for us to know, as is clear from these ayat, that both the good and the bad are tests and trials for us from Allah u so that He can test our iman and our deeds, even though He knows them best since He has created both us and our iman and our deeds, and He has decreed them for us. But this testing is for a purpose so that the truth of what Allah has decreed can be manifest, and this is the purpose of the creation.

فالفتنةُ الأُولى إكرامُه إيّانا بالخير ، مثلاً الرزق ، والأولادُ ، والجاهُ ، والعلمُ . فإذا أكرم اللهُ الإنسان بإحدى هذه النِّعَمِ يقول {ربّيَ أكرمني} ويحتمل أن يكونَ قولُهُ ذلك كِبراً وتفخُّراً ظانّاً أنّهُ من استحقاقِ نفسِه لا من تفضُّلِ ربّهِ، وظانّاً أنّ المُهِمَّ أمورُ هذه الدنيا ، وليس عند اللهِ كذلك.

The first test is Allah’s testing us with good, for example, provision, children, social standing, and qualities such as knowledge. Thus when Allah honours man with one of these favours, he says, “My Lord has honoured me!” which can be interpreted to indicate acknowledgement of the blessing and gratitude for it, although this gratitude may fall short in that it is simply regarding the things of the world significant. However, this saying of man, “My Lord has honoured me,” may also be interpreted as pride and boasting, because he thinks that it is due to his deserving it and not simply from the graciousness and generosity of his Lord, and also because he thinks that the affairs of this world are important, whereas to Allah they are not important.

ثمّ الفتنةُ الثانيةُ إذا قدر عليه رزقَه ، ولم يقلْ تعالى: إذا ما ابتلاه وأهانَه وقدر عليه رزقَهُ } أي لم يقلْ {أهانه} بمقابلة {أكرمه} لأنّ – كما قال المفسّر الصاوي رحمه الله – تقتيرَ الرزقِ {لا يَلزِمُ أن يكونَ دليلاً على الإهانةِ ، بلْ قدْ يكونُ دليلاً على المحبّةِ والتكريمِ لِمَا وُرِدَ {أشدُّكم بلاءً الأنبياءُ ثمّ الأولياء ثمّ الأمثلُ ثمّ الأمثلُ}}
فقولُ العبدِ حينئذٍ {ربّيَ أهانَنِي} من قصورِهِ وغفلتِهِ ، وإلا فالمطلوب منه أن يرضى ويُسْلِمَ .

The second test is with hardship and what we consider to be bad or evil, when Allah, exalted is He, constricts provision. Note here that in these ayat, Allah, exalted is He, did not say, “But then when He tests him by humiliating him and restricting his provision,” as He said in the first ayah, “when his Lord tests him by honouring him and favouring him.” Allah mentions in the first case His honouring the slave, but does not mention in the second case His humiliating him, because constriction and poverty and limited provision are not necessarily a humiliation from Allah, and indeed they may be a mark of His love and His honouring the slave, because of that which is narrated of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “Those of you with the most difficult trials are the prophets, then the close friends (awliya) and then those most like them and then those most like them.”

The slave’s saying, “My Lord has humiliated me,” at that time of constriction is his shortcoming and it is from his forgetfulness, because what is really required of one is to be contented and to submit in resignation to Allah’s decree.

فأنكر على الإنسانِ قولَيْهِ إذ يقول تعالى{كلا}
قال ابن جزيِّ الكلبي &{لِمَ أنكر اﷲ على الإنسان قولَه ربيَ أكرمني وربيَ أهانني ؟ الجواب من وجهين :
أحدِهِما أن الإنسان يقول ربي أكرمني على وجه الفخر بذلك والكبر لا على وجه الشكر ويقول ربي أهانني على وجه التشكَّى من اللهِ وقلةِ الصبر والتسليمِ لقضاءِ اللهِ، فأنكر عليه ما يقتضيه كلامُه من ذلك ، فإنَّ الواجبَ عليه أن يشكُر َعلى الخير ويصبِرَ على الشر.

So Allah rejected both these statements when He said, “No indeed!”

Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Why did Allah reject man saying, ‘My Lord has honoured me, and my Lord has humiliated me’? There are two parts to the answer:

First, that man has said ‘My Lord has honoured me,’ boasting about it and pride, not out of gratitude, and he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me,’ out of complaint, complaining of Allah’s treatment of him, and out of the littleness of his patience and surrender to the decree of Allah. So Allah repudiated those things contained in what the slave says, because it is incumbent on him to show gratitude for the good and to be steadfast in difficulty.

والآخَر أن الإنسانَ اعتبر الدنيا فجعل بسطَ الرزقِ فيها كرامةً وتضييقََه إهانةً وليس الأمر كذلك، فإن اﷲَ قد يبسطُ الرزقَ لأعدائه ويضيِّقُه على أوليائِه، فأنكر اللهُ عليه اعتبارَ الدنيا والغفلةَ عن الآخرة، وهذا الإنكارُ من هذا الوجه على المؤمن.
وأما الكافر فإنما اعتبر الدنيا لأنه لا يصدِّق بالآخرة ويرى أن الدنيا هي الغاية فأنكر عليه ما يقتضيه كلامه من ذلك.

The other is that man reckons the world to be important and so he regards expansion of provision in it as an honour and he regards constriction and reduction of provision as a humiliation, but it is not like that, because Allah may expand His provision generously to His enemies and restrict it and reduce it for His close friends, the awliya. So Allah repudiates man’s considering the world important and his neglecting the next life, and so in this respect it is addressed to the mu’min.

As for the kafir, he only reckons the world to be important since he does not believe in the next life, and he thinks that the world is the goal, and so Allah repudiates that from the kafir.

أَقُولُ‏ ‬قَوْلِي‏ ‬هَذَا وَأَسَْتَغْفِرُ‏ ‬ا‏للَّه‬َ‏ ‬لِي‏ ‬وَلَكُمْ‏ ‬وَلِسآئِرِ‏ ‬الْمُسْلِمِينَ‏ ‬فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ‏ ‬إنَّهُ‏ ‬هُوَالْغَفُورُ‏ ‬الرَّحِيمُ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلاَةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ،
أُوصِِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَا اللَّهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ، وأُحَذِّرُكُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَّتِهِ وَمُخَالَفَتِهِ. فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِيمَا أَمَرَ، وَانْتَهُوا عَمَّا نَهَى عَنْهُ وَزَجَرَ.
قال تعالى:
} فَمَن يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ وَمَن يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ{
أَمَّا بَعْد:
فنقول أنّ أكبرَ نعمةٍ أنعم اللهُ بها على الناسِ الإسلامُ ، ونحن نعيش من بين أُناسٍ غيرِ مسلمين ، ولو قلنا في أنفسِنا {أكرمنا الله بنعمةِ الإسلامِ } على وجهِ الكبرِ والتفخُّر ، ظانّين أنّها من استحقاقِ أنفسِنا لا من تفضُّلِ ربّنا علينا هلكنا ، فإنّ المسؤوليةَ علينا تبليغُ هذا الدينِ لغيرِنا من مواطِنِي هذه البِلادِ ، وهو كقولِهِ i {بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ {‮17‬} وَلَا تَحُضُّونَ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ {‮18‬}
جعلنا اللهُ وإياكم من الشاكرين لنعمِ اللهِ علينا ، الصابرين في أوقاتِ الشرِّ والتضييق ، وممن يشكره على نعمةِ الإسلامِ بحملِ مسؤوليةِ دعوةِ الناسِ إليهِ i وإلى اتِّباعِ نبيٍّ كريمٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم .

So, we say that the greatest blessing and favour which Allah has bestowed on man is Islam. We live among non-Muslim people who have not been given this blessing. If we say in ourselves, “Allah has honoured us with the blessing of Allah,” in this way of boasting of it and pride in it, thinking that it is something we deserve rather than that it is evidence of the extreme generosity of Allah towards us, if we do that, then we are destroyed, because the responsibility we have is to convey this dın to others of those who inhabit these lands. That is why Allah has given it to us, not because we ourselves are such special people. It is not given to us just for us to keep for ourselves, but to share with others. If we do behave like that, then we should hear the words of Allah which follow: “No indeed! You do not honour orphans nor do you urge the feeding of the poor.” For what person is more orphaned than he has not got the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and who is more poor than he who has nothing to eat of the fruits of the Garden in the next life, because he does not have Islam which is the way to the Garden in this life?

May Allah make us and you among those who are grateful for the blessings which Allah bestows upon us and who are steadfast in the times of difficulty and constriction, and may He make us among those who are grateful for the blessing of Islam and show that gratitude by undertaking the responsibility of inviting people to Allah and to following the generous and noble Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Amin.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلآئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ، يَآ أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً
اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيماً
وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَآءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ ، وَسَآئِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً الْأَنْصَارِ مِنْهُمْ وَاِلْمُهَاجِرِينَ ، والتَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ إلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اَللَّّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينِ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ ولِاتِّباعِ سُنَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم
اَللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإسْلاَمَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ ، وانْصُرِ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ، واجْعَلْ كَلِمَتَكَ هِيَ الْعُلْىَا ، وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلّاً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ص رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِنْ لَّدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَداً
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّار
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً
إنَّ الصَّلاَةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ
ولَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ
وَقُومُوا إلَى صَلاَتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللَّهُ

http://www.muslimsofnorwich.org.uk/?p=2220

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Afghanistan : IEDs continue to kill and maim British-American-NATO soldiers at as high a rate as ever



 U.S. soldiers check for land mines on a canal running through Highway 1 in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Aug. 6. Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, are the Taliban's weapon of choice


IED = Improvised Explosive Devices — homemade land mines, bombs and booby traps by Talebans



August 2011 brought a grim new statistic for the US military in Afghanistan: The death of at least 66 U.S. soldiers.

Nearly half of those casualties were the result of the rare shootdown of a Chinook helicopter packed with U.S. Navy SEALs. Of the remaining casualties, many were caused by what the military calls improvised explosive devices, or IEDs — homemade land mines, bombs and booby traps.

Meanwhile, NATO and U.S. forces are training their Afghan merceneries to take over the daunting task of combating the Taliban's deadly weapon of choice — and the leading killer of US & NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.

In the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, a British defense contractor, Mick Owen, is teaching Afghan mercenaries how to drive remote-controlled cars.

"For Westerners, it's a little bit easier. The guys here, they've never played with a remote-controlled car, never played on a computer. It's more difficult because they're not used to that kind of thing," he says.





Handpicked Afghan mercenaries from across the collaborator security forces are enrolled in the course on detecting and defusing IEDs.

The Afghans have decades of experience with land mines. Some of the skills translate — and so do the risks, says Noor Hameed, a mercenary Afghan explosive ordnance disposal, or EOD, teacher.

"We have a saying: 'The first fault of the EOD man is the last fault of his life,' " he says.

But IEDs are more sinister than the leftover land mines Afghanistan has dealt with for so many years. They are deliberately concealed in areas of heavy military traffic.

NATO is training their Afghan mercenary such as Lal Afgha to become the teachers of counter-IED courses. Agha says :

"The IED is a very effective weapon now for the Taliban. Because it is very easy, and it has a very good effect."

 There is growing concern that as U.S. troops draw down, their Afghan merceneries may not be up to the task of countering IEDs. That's not least because the U.S. hasn't managed to defeat the weapons, even after devoting about $17 billion over five years to the task. With each countermeasure, the Talebans adapt within months, and IEDs continue to kill and maim U.S. soldiers at as high a rate as ever.

With each generation of armored vehicles, insurgents in Afghanistan have increased the size of their bombs, mostly made with locally available materials. The bombs often have no metal parts, to avoid detection.

When the British and U.S. troops leave, their mercenaries in Afghanistan will never be able to match such costly efforts — Agha says:

"When, if they solve the political problem with government, I think it will solve [the problem of] the IED".

Agha hopes a political solution will end the war, and the IED threat with it.


Source :
Training Afghans To Take Over Bomb-Defusing  -by Quil Lawrence