Tuesday, March 27, 2007

SOMALIA: HEARTS, MINDS & HOLY WAR

Channel 4: Unreported World: Somalia

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Q: Is it permissible for him to cheat government and take money from them?

Question:
Here in one of the western countries they give a monthly allowance to everyone who comes and seeks to settle here. They say to everyone who applies: If you find work, you must tell us, so that we can stop the monthly allowance and you will have just the salary from your work. They take 30% in taxes from salaries. Is it permissible to avoid the taxes by not telling them that I have found work, thus getting both the monthly allowance and a salary? I am here for the sake of work and study, and do not plan to settle permanently.


Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

If a Muslim enters such a country, he must adhere to the conditions that have been stipulated. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations”

[al-Maa'idah 5:1]

It is not permissible for a Muslim to betray them or cheat them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Render back trusts to the one who entrusted you, and do not betray the one who betrays you.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3534; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described one of the attributes of the hypocrite as being: “When he enters into a covenant, he proves treacherous.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 34; Muslim, 58.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to send his companions to fight the mushrikeen, and one of the things he advised them was: “Do not be treacherous.” Narrated by Muslim, 1731.

This is something which demonstrates the greatness of Islam and the perfection of its laws, for it forbids its followers to be treacherous or to cheat even its enemies.

This state has allowed you to stay there, subject to certain conditions, so you are obliged to fulfil them.

Based on this, it is not permissible for you to conceal your work from them so that you can avoid paying taxes and take the monthly allowance when it is not permissible for you.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Muslim Media Watch 2, An Inconvenient Truth - Sheikh Omran

Compare what media reported and what sheikh Omran said about Climate change

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Nothing sinister in Muslim call for divine help

Dr Amjid Muhammad
Link

THE debate on the water crisis in Australia has been explored from meteorological, political and economic points of view. The recent commotion caused by a certain section of the media regarding Sheikh Mohammed Omran's comments ( The Age, 12/3) has brought into consideration a different perspective: the religious one.

Sheikh Omran's comments made during a Friday sermon have been greatly misconstrued to mean that the current drought Australians are experiencing is due to their lack of belief in Allah — the name given to God in the Islamic faith. (The sermon can be watched in its entirety on the internet at www.aswj.com.au — and I strongly urge readers to listen to it and draw their own conclusions.)

Even though the sermon was grossly distorted — one of the underlying themes to this episode is the continual exercise by certain sections of the media to portray Muslims in the most negative light possible — the issue of whether a divine being has a part to play in our present climatic crisis remains a pertinent one.

Muslims believe that all events can only occur by the will of Allah. If a calamity strikes them at a personal or communal level, then they should engage themselves in a process of self-appraisal and examine their relationship with the Creator. One usually looks at one's own transgressions and seeks forgiveness. This relationship between natural calamities and sins is not something unique to Islam. All three major monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — preach about the cataclysmic flood that destroyed the people of Noah due to their disbelief and transgressions against God. The Koran captures Noah's advice to his people: "Ask forgiveness from your Lord for He is oft-forgiving and He will send rain to you in abundance" (Noah 71:10).

Islam, unlike many other religions, has divine legislation that prevents abuse of the environment. The Prophet Muhammad prohibited the excessive use of water even when performing core acts of worship such as purification. It is also prohibited to urinate in natural bodies of water such as lakes and ponds.

It may be argued that Sheikh Omran and Muslims in general are insensitive to the drought-affected community when making such comments. As a riposte, I would like to highlight the yearly communal prayer that is held by Muslims seeking rain for all of Australia. And late last year, many religious leaders and the broader Muslim community gathered in a park in Brunswick beseeching Allah for rain. Sheikh Omran's followers made up a good number of the congregation.

Australian Muslims are in need of water just as much as any other Australian. They will do whatever is necessary to conserve it, and will as a community seek Allah's mercy, plead with him to drench our country's soil with rain.

Dr Amjid Muhammad, Ahlus Sunnah wal Jam'ah Association of Australia

Monday, March 12, 2007

What Sheikh Omran said about climate control...

What media said:

PREMIER Steve Bracks has ridiculed comments by a radical Islamic cleric that blamed global warming on Australians' lack of faith in God.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21363664-661,00.html

What sheikh Omran said???

Sheikh Omran:(7th minute)

..."What we have nowadays? As the most important scientists, when they meet last month, they call them scientists of the day of judgement... did you hear about that meeting? It was the conference in Europe... And when they reveled curtain they put three minutes to twelve. Like three minutes left to the world to finish. Finish because of what? Because of our deeds. Because of our science. Because of our experiments. This Experiments went so wild because there is no control, fear of Allah is not there. So we have now polluted air, polluted water. a waste land..."

(9th min)

..."Real civilised person (is the one) who lives harmoniously with the surrounding around them. Who is good, as same as to other human as same to the fish in the water. As same to the bird in the air, as same to the plant in the ground. This is the real civilised person.

This is why you see in our sharia you are not allowed to cut the tree for no reason. Or, to harm bird without reason. But water is must to be looked after. "...

watch full video here

Monday, March 05, 2007

Canberra: Muslims and the non-Muslims, chance to hear all sides of the issue



A SPECIAL opinion poll has found a dramatic drop in concern about Muslims in Australia following detailed discussions about terrorism and other issues.
...
Those who believed Muslims coming to Australia had a bad impact on national security nearly halved from 44 per cent to 23 per cent. The 49 per cent who said the incompatibility of Muslim and non-Muslim values was a big contributor to terrorism fell to 22per cent. Just under a third originally thought that Muslims who come to live here made Australia worse but this shrunk to just 7 per cent.
...
Before the discussions, those polled consistently exaggerated the Muslim proportion of the population, with under 30 per cent giving the correct answer of 1.5 per cent. At the end of the weekend, this rose to 95 per cent.
...
Melbourne sheik Mohammed Omran, who has attracted criticism for his teachings and his radical followers, presented himself as a loyal Australian and "grassroots person" who had been misinterpreted by the media.

He argued that the non-Muslim majority in Australia had the prime responsibility to make the Muslim minority feel welcome.

One of the participants, 30-year-old Perth mother of two Kimberley Marshall said the weekend had convinced her that there was "no huge problem" between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. "We're all Australians, I think," she added.

Link

Fear of Muslims declines when all sides put their case
AUSTRALIANS' worries about the threat of terrorism posed by Muslims falls dramatically once they have a chance to hear all sides of the issue.
...
That figure fell to 22 per cent when the same people were polled yesterday, after spending two days hearing views ranging from hostile to sympathetic about the presence of Islam in Australia.
Link

Prejudices and preconceptions were challenged, misunderstandings and misapprehensions clarified.
The microcosm of Australia that attended did not emerge with knowledge about every last detail of Muslim attitudes and actions. But they did come to base their views on a much better understanding of the issues.
...
It would be a worthwhile government investment in informed decision-making. In the absence of that, the Government could offer leadership in promoting the findings of such research. But the Howard Government, which did not bother to turn up, obviously feels it is easier to pander to perceptions and prejudices.
Link

PUSHING for more Muslim integration into the Australian mainstream will only promote additional barriers and further isolate the Islamic community, according to a prominent Muslim leader.
Link

Ms Marshall, 30, from Mullaloo, on Perth's northern coast, said she learned more about Muslims in three days then she had in her lifetime. For her, the confidence in the information she now possessed about the religion was enough for her to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions held by people she knew.

"I'm now more confident to say, 'They are good people'," she said.
Link

The participants in the deliberative poll in Old Parliament House in Canberra were exposed to a weekend of analysis and arguments from academics and religious leaders. But it was discovering what many Muslims are really like - that they are just as diverse as many other Australians and just as similar as other human beings - that probably was the main factor in Newspoll measuring a shift in opinion less hostile to Muslims.
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"Ninety-nine per cent of Australians have a great responsibility to let this little number (of Muslims) feel they are part of this society," Omran said.
Link

"The issue that we have is an artificial created problem between the Muslims and the non-Muslims," Sheikh Omran
Link

Sheik Omran said Australia had a responsibility to make Muslims feel welcome.

"You are the host. When I come to your house as a guest and you welcome me with an open heart, I see your generosity as a human - it doesn't matter what I believe in, I will love you and care for you as much as you care for me," he said.

Muslim countries had been great allies of the West during the fight against "our first enemy", communism, and Australia still had a close alliance with Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, Sheik Omran said.

Link

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia, Survey

Survey tracks fear of Muslims syndrome

Australians feel less threatened by Muslims once they have had the chance to talk about issues of potential conflict, a new survey shows.

Australia Deliberates: Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia was the first attempt to survey non-Muslims' attitudes to Muslims and their culture, values and any perceived threat to national security.

"Before the deliberations, an initial survey by Issues Deliberation Australia (IDA) and Newspoll, showed nearly half of Australia thought that incompatibility between Muslim and Western values was a big contributor to terrorism," IDA managing director Pam Ryan said.

"After an intense weekend of ... discussions, information from a vast array of points of view and persuasions, and the opportunity to ask questions of competing experts, the Australians surveyed shifted their opinions dramatically.

"On the question of terrorism, the number who thought an incompatibility between values was a big contributor dropped from 49 per cent to 22 per cent."

Opposition multicultural affairs spokesman Laurie Ferguson said the forum enabled many voices to be heard.

"Most importantly Australia Deliberates provided members of the Islamic community with a forum in which they can debate and discuss many of their trials tribulations with other ordinary Australians," Mr Ferguson said.

"This was done with the spirit of an open mind and wanting to gain greater mutual understanding."
Link