Opinion Editorials, September 2010

United Against Zionism:

US Muslims Are Alive!

By Kaukab Siddique

Ne Trend Magazine

Yom al-Quds: Rally in Washington DC followed by Imam al-‘Asi’s Superb Khutba

September 3, 2010: Palestinian flags, photos of Israeli atrocities, placards denouncing Zionism brought the message of Islam to Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle. It was an impressive gathering with powerful speakers. Here one got a glimpse of authentic Islam in America which the media work so hard to conceal by publicizing puppet groups.

       Large numbers of Islamic women in full hijab participated. Some of them have consistently expressed their faith through words and actions for decades, among them Sis. Muneera and Sis. Safiya.

        The quality of speeches was really good, the most memorable of them coming from Charles Carlson [from Colorado], Imam Nahidian [from Manassas, Virginia] and al-Hajj Mauri Saalakhan [Silver Spring, Maryland]. A number of very young activists too spoke well.

          From Dupont Circle, the crowd marched to the Islamic Center on Massachusetts Avenue where Imam Muhammad al-‘Asi leads the prayers on the pavement OUTSIDE the mosque. It was hot and humid with no shade but Imam al-‘Asi’s khutba was among the best I have heard in my 35 years of Islamic work in America. He is one of the very few imams in America who have not sold out to the US power structure.  

Main points:

Imam Muhammad al-‘Asi taught from the Qur’an as no one else in America can. He highlighted the racist, genetic concepts of Israel as highlighted in the Qur’an and the rise, the arrogance and the fall of Jewish power. He admonished the Muslim Ummah for marginalizing the central issue of Palestine. With Palestine under occupation, colonialism continues to flourish in the Muslim heartland. His analysis of SHIRK, the only unforgivable sin in Islam, is that by cooperating with and by assimilating into the contexts and framework of Zionism and Imperialism, Muslims are committing SHIRK [associating others with the power of Allah]. 

Imam Nahidian lamented the plan of a rogue church group in Florida to burn the Qur’an on the anniversary of the 9.11 attacks. The church has not realized that the Qur’an considers holy both Jesus and Moses, peace be on them, and teaches the truth they brought. By burning the Qur’an, the rogue church will be desecrating Jesus and Moses as well. 

Charles Carlson provided a devastating analysis of Christian Zionism and the attempts to use the Bible to justify support for Israel. His eyewitness account of his visit to Gaza should help the followers of Jesus, pbuh, to understand how they have been supporting a power which is the enemy of Jesus, pbuh. Mr. Carlson’s DVD on Christian Zionism was distributed after Juma’. It should be viewed by all readers of New Trend and gifted to neighborhood churches.

El-Hajj Mauri Saalakhan in his speech on Palestine included a poignant account of the suffering of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in US prisons. This highly educated Pakistani woman, graduated from the best American schools, was kidnapped by US special forces and is said to have been tortured and humiliated in US prisons, Br. Saalakhan said. The court is preparing to sentence her for “terrorism” on September 23. [He spoke so well about Dr. Aafia that I personally congratulated him after the rally.]

Kaukab Siddique:

 [I was not listed as a speaker and I was not sure I would make it to the rally but once there, I decided to speak as a gesture of support for the gathering.] My main points:

1.    Zionism is racism, genocide and terrorism.

2.    US Muslims must unite against Zionism regardless of differences on other issues.

3.    A Zionist is one who considers Israel a legitimate entity. In that sense, we have Muslim Zionists who should be exposed and discredited,

4.    Once Muslims unite, Israel can be dismantled even by peaceful means. We will send the Jews back to where they came from. Like Salahuddin Ayyubi, we might even give them funds to go back.

5.    President Obama’s silence on Israeli genocide in Gaza and the Turkish flotilla is ominous. He was disturbed by the death of 4 Israeli settlers yesterday but not by the massacre of Palestinian children.

6.    We Muslims must go back to the unity against oppressors which Imam Khomeini wanted to bring about. He wanted us to forget about sects, nationalities and race and instead focus on Islam. We better remember his advice and stop fighting each other.

7.    Boycott all businesses which support or fund Israel.

[It was a beautiful gathering but I was turned off by the conspiracy theories about 9.11 which some speakers insisted on presenting.]

A Meeting with Charles Carlson

On September 2, 2010. New Trend's representatives interviewed Mr. Carlson in Baltimore for two hours. Sis. Abigail conversed with him about the New Testament and the authentic teachings of Jesus, peace be on him.

For years Mr. Carlson has striven to teach Christians that war is not the path they were shown. He is particularly concerned that some pastors and mega churches are supporting Israel to the extent of preparing Americans to support Israeli aggression against Gaza and Lebanon. Mr. Carlson physically went to a series of mega churches to teach them the message of peace. He was not permitted to speak but he would not give up and stood outside the churches to protest against pro-Israeli propaganda.

Mr. Carlson showed Sis. Abigail the Schofield bible in which commentary had been strategically placed to give biblical texts a pro-Israeli slant. Most of the comments scattered throughout the Schofield bible are quite mundane, in fact boring. Hence, the lay reader would find the pro-Israeli comments as if they are regular parts of the bible promising Palestine to the Jews.

Readers might remember Mr. Carlson's critique of the atrocity stories which were meant to defame Sudan. Since then he has developed his critique of Christian Zionism. He personally went to Gaza and witnessed the daily long distance Israeli rocket attacks and bombings meant to terrorize the entire population.

A very humble man, soft spoken, one only gradually finds the depth of his moral vision. Perhaps this is what the followers of Jesus, pbuh, are supposed to be like.

New Trend can send you Mr. Carlson's DVD on Christian Zionism.

Check out his web site: www.whtt.org 

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

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