The Star - 6th October 2008 - (AP)

Jewish "modesty patrols' sow fear in community

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JERUSALEM : In Israel's ultra Orthodox Jewish community, where the rule of law sometimes takes a back seat to the rule of God, zealots are on a campaign to stamp out behaviour they consider unchaste. They hurl stones at women for such "sins" as wearing a red blouse, and attack stores selling devices that can access the internet.

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In recent weeks, self-styled "modesty patrols" have been accused of breaking into the apartment of a Jerusalem women and beating her for allegedly consorting with men. They have torched a store that sells MP4 players, fearing devout Jews would use them to download pornography. "These breaches of purity and modesty endanger our community," said 38-year old Elchanan Blau, defending the the bearded, black robed zealots. "If it takes fire to get them to stop, then be it."

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Many ultra-Orthodox Jews are dismayed by the violence, but the enforcers often enjoy quiet approval from rabbis eager to protect their own reputations as guardians of the faith, community members says.

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And while some welcome anything that keeps secular culture out of their cloistered world, others feel terrorised, knowing that the mere perception of impropriety could ruin their lives. "There eyes and ears all over the place, very similar to what you hear about in countries like Iran," says Israeli-American novelist Naomi Ragen, an observant Jew who has chronicled the troubles that confront some women living in the ultra-Orthodox world.

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The violence has already deepened the antagonism between the 600,000 haredim, or God-fearing, and the secular majority, which resents having religious rules dictated to them.

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Now, this is one of many cases, just like Islam, other religion also have people who tend to force their version of the religion onto others, forgeting the main issue of knowledge and truth.

Ramadhan Al Mubaraq

1 Ramadhan 1429

Muslim all over the world start fasting today where ever they are, as this is one of the five pillars of Islam. As long as you profess the faith, you shall fast not only from food and drink but on anything that is not good, be it words or action.

All over the world, people of different culture, time zone shall start their fast before sunrise until sunset. Some will fast shorter period if the sun rises late, and the sun sets early, while others shall have to fast longer when the sun rises early and sets much later. It seems unfair from the human mind, yet it is unique in its own way. Sometimes the logical mind just could not comprehend.

Islam as Allah SWT has trusted to us through Muhammad SAW in the AlQuran, are very clear for those who seeks the truth and as such he shall abide by it. Do what is asked and ruled upon you, refrain and (do not do anything) from what that are deny to you and belief (have faith) in stories related in the Al Quran.

To some "intelectual mind" this cannot be, and as such continue to query the very sense of Islam, this is very true on both side of the human character. Those who accept Islam, shall say Allah SWT has more to the Al Quran through its meaning in between, and therefore it is imperative for us human to unearth the truth. On the other hand, there are also Muslims as well, and kafir(unbelievers) who says that those who follows blindly are not using their god given intelligent correctly. For this and this alone there are articles, books and what not about Islam which has been written, discussed through forums and debate that shall not end.

Muhammad SAW has said that "Addin nu yusrun" Islam (the religion) is simple. The only thing that you should do is to seek the truth of Islam (its knowledge) through the right mean and methods. You "must" get the correct knowledge about Islam through "Manqul, Musnad, Mutassil and within the correct Jamaah". It is for those who really wish to be truthful to the faith of Islam. This is for those who seek to be the "ONE" instead of those of the rest (i.e the other 72).

So to fast is as simple as 1,2,3 if you talk about food and drink, because if not you shall be waiting for what to eat when breaking fast approaches (some people eat themselves silly in Ramadhan, more than they do within the other months put together).

And for that alone, one need to understand Ramadhan as it is expected upon us. Happy fasting and may Allah bestowe upon us his rewards. Amin

Islam .... always misunderstood

Islam has been misunderstood throughout the ages.

It is only fair that you have different view and understanding all because who you talk to, be it those who profess to be muslim and those who are not. Taking a simple understanding of the religion, all those who profess to the religion are those who submit, while those who does not are the unbelievers (known as kafir). As it is it is a choice of an individual and Islam never force anyone to accept its teaching. And that is why we have muslims all over the world in every colour, race and nationalities.

Now that being said, Prophet Muhammad SAW (peace be upon him) did stress in one his hadith (tradition) that in the end, Islam will split into 73 groups, 72 will enter the hell hire (nar), only one will surely enter heaven (jannah), that is Jama'ah. Again, almost all who profess to be muslim will say and admit to the fact that they are the one, and only their group will be the one admitted to heavens.

Well, if we are to argue and debate this issue, until kingdom come, we will never ever admit that we are in wrong group, however if we can agree to accept the truth (HAQ) and nothing else but the truth, we have no problem about correcting ourself and maintaining the true path until judgement day.

The problems has always been who said it, who teaches it, which race or country he/she comes from, rather than the truth as mentioned in the "AL Quran" and "Al Hadith". Than comes the people who gave different intepretation towards the "Al Quran" and the "Al Hadith". For that reason and that reason alone we should be vary of any intepretation that leads to discreditting of the truth of Islam as originally brought to us by Prophet Muhammad SAW.

If Muslim are a misunderstood lot, there are no reasons for us to wonder how Non Muslim could know any better. Therefore it is only imperative that we correct our understanding first, before we could aspect others to really understand Islam as it is meant to be.

There is already an Anti-Islam Congress in Cologne that might just spark anger and hatred among people of the world. As the organizer are only finding ways to clarify their misunderstanding, most muslim will only add fire to their misunderstanding by demonstration and attempt to fight or to them JIHAD. This is where we tend to differ, we need to corrrect our own faith and believe for we know that at the end, Allah SWT, will protect Islam as long as the believer are through to the teaching brought by all his prophets since Adam Alaihissalam until the final revelation of the "Al Quran" through Muhammad SAW.

Only and until we correct ourself, Islam shall continue to be misunderstood.

Fitnah

What is Fitnah?

In basic terms it means anything (usually doings) that was not done by any individual, yet s/he is being blame for it. Fitnah is worst than killing, so beware so that you might not fall into the trap laid once you take a stand to agree that it is the truth, when you for a fact are not sure, more so if it is heresay. Beware my friends, it is not worth it.

Peringatan ...

Agenda jahat _______ musnahkan Islam
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Umat Islam negara ini dinasihatkan agar berhati-hati ketika melayari laman web bagi mencari jawapan sesuatu perkara mengenai agama itu kerana kini semakin banyak kemudahan dunia maya disalahgunakan oleh Barat. Laman Web yang diusahakan ... dalam melaksanakanagenda membunuh Islam di seluruh dunia, kini dilaporkan semakin berleluasa dan berlindung di sebalik memberi kemudahan dalam mencari jawapan untuk beberapa permasalahan umat sejagat.
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Antara laman web yang dibangunkan dengan niat memburukkan Islam termasukmaklumat berhubung hadis dan al-quran serta tesebar kini secara meluas ialah http://www.answering-islam.org/, http://www.thequran.com/ dan http://www.allahassurance.com/.
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Al-Quran terbaru, The True Furqan yang diterbitkan dua syarikat percetakan milik Amerika, Omega 2001 dan Wine Press serta disebarkandi Kuwait, dikesan majalah al-Furqan sebagai mengenegahkan sejumlah ayat syaitan dengan memutarbelitkan surah sebenar dalam kitab suci agama Islam. Tidak ketinggalan, kegiatan jahat ______ turut dikesan melalui pengedaran The 21st Century Quran setebal 366 halaman dalam versi bahasa Arab dan Inggeris, kepada kanak-kanak di beberapa sekolah persendirian Inggeris di Kuwait.
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Kitab baru ini yang mengandungi 77surah seperti al-fatihah, al-jana dan al-injil, tidak dimulai dengan Bismillah tetapi ayat panjang merangkumi tiga kepercayaan Kristian yang dilakukan dengan niat mengelirukan umat Islam apalagi di kalangan mualaf. Selain itu, ia menentang banyak ajaran Islam seperti mempunyai isteri lebih daripada seorang dianggap berzina dan perceraian tidak dibenarkan dalam Islam, manakala jihad pula ditakrifkan sebagai haram dengan beberapa bahagian menghina Allah SWT secara langsung.
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Selagi manusia yang mencari kebenaran tidak mendapat Hidayah dari Allah SWT yang maha esa, mereka akan sentiasa berada didalam terang yang tidak terang dan gelab yang amat gelap. Berdoalah untuk Hidayah dengan penuh rasa ikhlas. Firman Allah : Berdoalah, pasti akan aku kabulkan ...

GLOBAL@sinar-30 Mei 2008

Paderi Britain bimbang dengan pengaruh Islam

LONDON-Seorang paderi kanan Gereja England, Micheal Nazir-Ali berkata, kejatuhan nilai-nilai Kristian kini menjejaskan masyarakat di Britain, sekali gus memberi peluang kepada ajaran Islam untuk berkembang. Menurutnya, kehancuran kehidupan berkeluarga menyebabkan negara itu tidak dapat menyekat kebangkitan Islam yang mengisi ruang moral dan kerohanian.

Dalam serangannya terhadap nilai-nilai liberal, paderi tersebut berkata, Britain kini menyaksikan banyak keganasan awam dan pesta arak. Paderi kelahiran Pakistan itu menggariskan bahawa kejatuhan Kristian di Britain bermula sejak revolusi seks dan sosial pada 1960an. Menurutnya, nilai-nilai Kristian seperti maruah manusia, persamaan dan kebebasan mungkin terhakis dengan berkembangnya nilai-nilai Islam.

Tindakan paderi itu mengecam kehancuran nilai-nilai Kristian menyebabkan dia berbeza pendapat dengan pemimpin gereja seperti Dr Rowan Williams dan rakan-rakannya yang lain. Micheal sering mengkritik Islam dan pengaruhnya serta menyuarakan kebimbangannya mengenai kemunculan masjid-masjid baru di Britain.

Global News ... Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Imagine that you have been married for 30 years and never saw your wife's face. Well that is what happen to a guy, and one day recently he peek when his wife, aged 50 were asleep, she woke up and asked for a divorce. This seems to be a custom in the village (somewhere near Khamis Mushayt) where they lived.

Is this what Rasulullah SAW teaches us, and this happen in the land where Islam were officially declared. This is what happen when individual (in this case the village customs) supercede what Allah SWT through his messenger had taught. When husband and wife are legally married, they have access to one another.

There more stories that distort Islam and its beauty, just because most people who actually acknowledge that they are muslim they might not realise that the true and right (haq) way of iman (mukmin)

Good vs Right

People in their right mind, will always do good things as well as the right things. Along the way, we had to make a decision that some time is good but not necessarily right. Yet the decision or choice is ours alone unless we discuss with others.

There are times that we need to make a decision that might hurt people we care, like telling the truth. How can we do it right. The is a malay proverb : Menarik rambut dalam tepung, rambut tak putus dan tepung tak berselerak.(To pull a strand of hair from within the flour, the hair does not snap, the flour does not spread)

Taking for granted

Most of us take things for granted, the smallest of things to the one that is most important. And the best part of it we sometimes do not even realise them until sometime its too late. Have we ever really evaluate ourself, do we know the purpose that we are here on this earth. There is this saying "Live to eat or eat to live".

Being a little bit sceptical could be easy, however being ... truthful to oneself could be very painful, and yet what can we do ???

Truth ...

Are you truly a muslim? Are you sure that you can be considered a muslim who is iman ? Can you assure yourself that your 'amal' will be accepted by "Allah"? Can you accept the truth if someone tell you your amalan is not according to Al Quran & As Sunnah ?