shamma@ccu.umanitoba.ca (10/09/90)
[moderator's note: replies must remain relevant to Islam. -Behnam]
This is an article that was written by a Canadian Muslim
that visited Occupied Palestine few months ago.
It is reproduced with permission from the 'Pillar' magazine
published by the Muslim youth and students in Manitoba,
Canada.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HEARTS
-------------------------
"and why should you not fight in the cause of Allah,
while the weak and the opressed on earth are saying
`Oh Lord! rescue us from this town, whose people are
opressors, and raise for us, from Thee someone who
will protect, and raise for us from Thee someone who
will help." (Qura'n IV:75)
This Augest I visited Plaestine. I was asked to write
about my experiances, but I donn't know where to begin.
I will divide what I saw into three parts: Entering
Palestine, the city of Jerusalem, and the West Bank.
I entered Jeursalem through Ghaza at the border crossing
Rafah from Egypt by bus. I had been warned of harassment
of Muslims by Israelis and hence decided not to speak any
Arabic before arriving to Jeursalem. As I sat on the bus
I met a sweet old Palestinian Lady and I found myself
impelled to break my silence and talk to her. She was so
happy to talk to me that she told me I was now her son and
that I would be staying in her house with her son during
my visit ( she did not give me any choice -- may Allah send
peace to her heart). Along the trip we talked and talked
and at one point, in the middle of her own tragic story of
misery and sadness, she looked at me, her eyes filling with
tears, her lips trembling, "My beloved son", she said, "you
will now see the truth." At the border she was taken for
questioning and I never saw her again.
At the Palestinian/Egyptian border, all travellers had to get
off the bus for inspection. All tourists were immediately
given three months visas, while I was held back for some two
hours. They asked me many questions and asked me to give them
my address and personal status in Canada. They then told me
that I would not be given3 months visa because they said I
need $7000 US to live for this period ( you can easily get
by with $10.00/day if you go to the Muslim sector).
I asked whether the others had been asked for this sum and
they did not reply, but they said that they would let me
stay for three days. When I caught up to the other tourists,
they asked me about the delay. When I told them, they were
infuriated and said they had not been asked for nor did they
have $7000. Anyone holding a Canadian passport, they said,
(reading from a form from the Israeli Government) should
receive a 3 months visa. They said that because I was a
Muslim,, they must have made this excuse to restrict my
movement. At any rate, I was now on my way to Jeursalem.
Jeursalem is divided into two parts; the new city and the
old city. The new city was very modern and beautiful,
comparable to a European city. It was lush green, and well
built. It is unfortunate and a source of shame to all
mankind, that this beauty should come at the expense of the
blood of an entire population of human beings; that some
should enjoy and laugh while raking the backs of other
people while the world turns a blind eye.
As I entered the city, I immediately went to the Old city
of Jeursalem by Damascus Gate which contains the Muslim
sector and Masjid Al-Aqsa. The Muslims embraced me as one
of there onwn. I was taken by one brother to his home, as
he insisted that I eat with him. I was somewhat surprised
to find that he was living with about 10 girls and no other
males were insight. Upon inquiry, he told me that his brothers
were in jail. He was left to care for his mother, his
sisters, and some 15 children. The goverement did allow him
to visit his father in prison once a week during the time
of Jumma Salaat, for half an hour.
As I walked on the main street of Jerusalem, Jaffa Street, I
met two Palestinian brothers. They walked with me and told me
that we would no doubt be stopped and questioned, and we were.
The soldiers were very rude and questioned the two brothers
for 15 minutes while I was asked to stand on one side. It is
ironic, that even if one is an Israeli citizen, he will be
stopped and harrassed because of skin colour.
The Palestinians were living in a state of apartheid. They
had to keep their eyes down in a state of humbleness so the
soldires would not have an excuse to harass them.
The Israeli government sends its youngest troops to Muslim
areas. It would seem logical that if one was sincere in
such a tense situation, older, experianced soldiers should
be used and not newly indoctrinated, overzealous youth
waiting to "kill a dirty Arab" as one of them remarked.
One of my friends was stopped on the street by 2 young Israeli
soldiers for no reason. The soldiers placed one gun on his
forehead and one on his lower back and began to laugh.
Now this friend of mine is about 5'5" and very light in build.
He is a nice, jovial unimposing brother. The soldiers told him
to get down on the ground...the next thing he knew, he woke up
in the hospital 4 days later. He had passed out from shock.
On another occasion, a Jewish settler, placed his government
sacctioned gun at another friends side and asked him to pick
up some garbage.
The Muslim hospital was filled with children. The government
has a policy of crippling these 10-12 years olds by shooting
their lower spine. They cannot move, they cannot reproduce
and they are no problem when placed in jail. As I learnt more
and more, I understood the words of the lady in the bus.
Some Muslims, like other groups, may exaggerate at times...it
is, perhaps natural. But what I saw was much worse than what
I have read. Our brothers and sisters are really sufering.
It is exhausting to write, because I cannot possibly describe
everything.
As I entered the masjid Al-Aqsa, I looked at the Dome of the
Rock and imagined the Prophet on his journey to the heavens
and I remembered the gallant Salahuddin Ayoubi as he turned
back the crusaders in all their fury, and as these images came
to my mind, I said that this land is ours, and by Allah's will
we will get it back. At that moment the verse from surah
Ibrahim came into my mind,
"Think not that Allah does not heed the deeds of those
who do wrong. He but gives them respite against a day
when the eyes will be fixed with horror" (Qura'n 14:42)
In the masjid, I found the spirit of Islam alive within
the youth. After almost every prayer, a 17-23 year old
brother would begin to talk, to invigorate the people to
move and work for their religion.
I then went to the refugee camps near Bethlehem on the West
Bank. I met a mother of a child, and was told a very touching
story. The military had imposed a curfew on the camp and said
no one was to leave their houses after 5:00 p.m. In addition
the mother would not let her child out in the heat of the
midday sun nor could the child go to school because it had
been shut down. The result was, the child 9 years old, was
cramped in the house all day. The little girl so dearly
wanted to play outside with her friends and did not understand
why she couldn't go out.
So one evening, she snuck out. The mother heard the gunshots
and went outside, her heart pounding, to find the body of
her daughter, abullet through her head. Story after story.
I heard and I could not beleive what I heard. Houses were
blown up because the neighbour was suspected of some crime
children were beaten, houses broken into by laughing soldiers
drawing Israeli flags on the wall.
I met a brother in Al-Aqsa who in a speech said he had given
up on the so called frogien friends who say they will help,
and it was only upon Allah that he now depends. He said that
deep in their hearts they don't care about Palestinians and
the children being massacred, the women being beaten.
It is all talk.
I address this to all of you who are now reading this words.
Your brothers and sisters need you.
They are being and tortured and killed because they say
" La illaha illal Allah". Do you acept this for them?
Can you be happy while you know that a child is right now
crying in pain at the hands of an Israeli soldier? A mother
crying in grief at her child's grave?
What value do one billion Muslims in this world carry when
they don't even think about a sister who rises her hand out
to them for help?
And if our prophet (PUBH) Al-Habeeb, Al-Mustapha was here
how many of us could answer to him, that indeed we had done
our best to help his Ummat and stayed true to our covenant?
"Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their
hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of
Allah and of the truth which has been revealed to them".
(Qura'n LVII:16)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Walid
-----shamma@ccu.umanitoba.ca (10/17/90)
This is an edited version of the original article posted earlier
thanks to brother Fazal <SX43@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an article that was written by a Canadian Muslim
who visited Occupied Palestine few months ago.
It is reproduced with permission from the 'Pillar' magazine
published by the Muslim youth and students in Manitoba,
Canada.
PILLAR
c/o Manitoba Islamic Association
247 Hazelwood Ave.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R2M 4W1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HEARTS
-------------------------
"and why should you not fight in the cause of Allah,
while the weak and the oppressed on earth are saying
'Oh Lord! rescue us from this town, whose people are
oppressors and raise for us, from Thee someone who
will protect, and raise for us from Thee someone who
will help.' " (Qura'n IV:75)
This August I visited Palestine. I was asked to write
about my experiences, but I don't know where to begin.
I will divide what I saw into three parts: Entering
Palestine, the city of Jerusalem, and the West Bank.
I entered Jerusalem through Ghaza at the border crossing
Rafah from Egypt by bus. I had been warned of harrassment
of Muslims by Israelis and hence decided not to speak any
Arabic before arriving in Jeursalem. As I sat on the bus
I met a sweet old Palestinian Lady and I found myself
impelled to break my silence and talk to her. She was so
happy to talk to me that she told me I was now her son and
that I would be staying in her house with her son during
my visit ( she did not give me any choice -- may Allah send
peace to her heart). Along the trip we talked and talked
and at one point, in the middle of her own tragic story of
misery and sadness, she looked at me, her eyes filling with
tears, her lips trembling, "My beloved son", she said, "you
will now see the truth." At the border she was taken for
questioning and I never saw her again.
At the Palestinian/Egyptian border, all travellers had to get
off the bus for inspection. All tourists were immediately
given three months visas, while I was held back for some two
hours. They asked me many questions and asked me to give them
my address and personal status in Canada. They then told me
that I would not be given a 3 month visa because they said I
needed $7000 US to live for this period ( you can easily get
by with $10.00/day if you go to the Muslim sector).
I asked whether the others had been asked for this sum and
they did not reply, but they said that they would let me
stay for three days. When I caught up with the other tourists,
they asked me about the delay. When I told them, they were
infuriated and said they had not been asked for nor did they
have $7000. Anyone holding a Canadian passport, they said,
(reading from a form from the Israeli Government) should
receive a 3 months visa. They said that because I was a
Muslim, they must have made this excuse to restrict my
movement. At any rate, I was now on my way to Jeursalem.
Jeursalem is divided into two parts; the new city and the
old city. The new city was very modern and beautiful,
comparable to a European city. It was lush green, and well
built. It is unfortunate and a source of shame to all
mankind, that this beauty should come at the expense of the
blood of an entire population of human beings; that some
should enjoy and laugh while raking the backs of other
people while the world turns a blind eye.
As I entered the city, I immediately went to the Old city
of Jeursalem by Damascus Gate which contains the Muslim
sector and Masjid Al-Aqsa. The Muslims embraced me as one
of their own. I was taken by one brother to his home, as
he insisted that I eat with him. I was somewhat surprised
to find that he was living with about 10 girls and no other
males were in sight. Upon inquiry, he told me that his brothers
were in jail. He was left to care for his mother, his
sisters, and some 15 children. The goverement did allow him
to visit his father in prison once a week during the time
of the Friday Prayer, for half an hour.
As I walked down Jaffa Street, the main street of Jerusalem, I
met two Palestinian brothers. They walked with me and told me
that we would no doubt be stopped and questioned, and we were.
The soldiers were very rude and questioned the two brothers
for 15 minutes while I was asked to stand on one side. It is
ironic, that even if one is an Israeli citizen, he will be
stopped and harrassed because of skin colour.
The Palestinians were living in a state of Apartheid. They
had to keep their eyes down in a state of humbleness so the
soldiers would not have an excuse to harass them.
The Israeli government sends its youngest troops to Muslim
areas. It would seem logical that if one was sincere in
such a tense situation, older, experienced soldiers should
be used and not newly indoctrinated, over-zealous youth
waiting to "kill a dirty Arab" as one of them remarked.
One of my friends was stopped on the street by 2 young Israeli
soldiers for no reason. The soldiers placed one gun on his
forehead and one on his lower back and began to laugh.
Now this friend of mine is about 5'5" and very light in build.
He is a nice, jovial unimposing brother. The soldiers told him
to get down on the ground...the next thing he knew, he woke up
in the hospital days later. He had passed out from shock.
On another occasion, a Jewish settler, placed his (government
sanctioned) gun at another friend's side and asked him to pick
up some garbage.
The Muslim hospital was filled with children. The government
has a policy of crippling these 10-12 years olds by shooting
their lower spine. They cannot move, they cannot reproduce
and they are no problem when placed in jail. As I learned more
and more, I understood the words of the lady in the bus.
Some Muslims, like other groups, may exaggerate at times...it
is, perhaps natural. But what I saw was much worse than what
I have read. Our brothers and sisters are really suffering.
It is exhausting to write, because I cannot possibly describe
everything.
As I entered the masjid Al-Aqsa, I looked at the Dome of the
Rock and imagined the Prophet on his journey to the heavens
and I remembered the gallant Salahuddin Ayoubi as he turned
back the crusaders in all their fury, and as these images came
to my mind, I said that this land is ours, and by Allah's will
we will get it back. At that moment the verse from surah
Ibrahim came into my mind,
"Think not that Allah does not heed the deeds of those
who do wrong. He but gives them respite against a day
when the eyes will be fixed with horror" (Qura'n 14:42)
In the masjid, I found the spirit of Islam alive within
the youth. After almost every prayer, a 17-23 year old
brother would begin to talk, to invigorate the people to
move and work for their religion.
I then went to the refugee camps near Bethlehem on the West
Bank. I met a mother of a child, and was told a very touching
story. The military had imposed a curfew on the camp and said
no one was to leave their houses after 5:00 p.m. In addition
the mother would not let her child out in the heat of the
midday sun nor could the child go to school because it had
been shut down. As a result, the child (of 9 year's age) was
cramped in the house all day. The little girl so dearly
wanted to play outside with her friends and did not understand
why she couldn't go out.
So one evening, she snuck out. The mother heard the gunshots
and went outside, her heart pounding, to find the body of
her daughter, abullet through her head. Story after story.
I heard and I could not believe what I heard. Houses were
blown up because the neighbour was suspected of some crime.
Children were beaten, houses broken into by laughing soldiers
drawing Israeli flags on the wall.
I met a brother in Al-Aqsa who in a speech said he had given
up on the so called foreign friends who say they will help,
and it was only upon Allah that he now depends. He said that
deep in their hearts they don't care about Palestinians and
the children being massacred, the women being beaten.
It is all talk.
I address this to all of you who are now reading these words.
Your brothers and sisters need you.
They are being and tortured and killed because they say
" La ilaaha illa-Allah". Do you acept this for them?
Can you be happy while you know that a child is right now
crying in pain at the hands of an Israeli soldier? A mother
crying in grief at her child's grave?
What value do one billion Muslims in this world carry when
they don't even think about a sister who rises her hand out
to them for help?
And if our prophet (PUBH) Al-Habeeb, Al-Mustapha was here
how many of us could answer to him, that indeed we had done
our best to help his Ummah and stayed true to our covenant?
"Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their
hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of
Allah and of the truth which has been revealed to them".
(Qura'n LVII:16)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Walid
-----abdallah%sal-sun99.usc.edu@usc.edu (Ahmed Abd-Allah) (10/22/90)
Salaam Aleikum. Can anyone comment on the PERSONALITY of Prophet Muhammad? I am not looking for a historical account of his life; rather I want to know how he acted in everyday life, this being very important to try and emulate. I have found very little information in the books I have on him, and some of it is conflicting. To give you an idea of what I am looking for: 1. Did the Prophet engage in "small talk"? 2. Did he laugh or tell jokes? Or was he always serious? 3. How often did he cry, and for what reasons? Was he public with his crying? 4. Did he engage in leisure activities? Or did he confine himself to devotion all the time? 5. Did he speak of others by NAME? In other words, would the Prophet criticize a disbeliever to his or her face - or otherwise? Similarly, would the Prophet tell a believer if he or she was doing something good, or would he generalize (i.e. "the best of you is etc...")? 6. When he spoke of Allah or the Qur'an, what was his tone - happy, somber, awed, calm, or ...? 6. Anything else which is relevant. Please try and post your replies with explanations of WHERE you got your information - this is important in itself to me. And finally, how relevant do most of you think this topic is to understanding how to be a better Muslim? Please post - even a single line will do! -Ahmed